Chapter 51. Jiang Ninghui shivered.

Jiang Ninghui opened her almond-shaped eyes, but with the young man's hand covering her, her vision was obscured.

The person holding her was burning hot.

Jiang Ninghui struggled uncomfortably, turning her head away from Pei Duo's lips and tongue, but his lips relentlessly pursued her.

She was forced to nestle in his arms and forced to listen to his absurd words.

This was the first time she had learned of it.

He was so eloquent, able to turn black into white and wrong into right.

But upon closer reflection, given Pei Duo's current state, is she truly without any fault whatsoever?

Just as he said.

If she and her husband hadn't frequently engaged in sexual relations at night, how could he have developed such romantic feelings and become so deeply entangled with her?

She closed her eyes, her soft voice filled with regret and self-reproach: "It is my husband and I who have wronged Young Master Pei, and it is I who have harmed Young Master Pei and led you astray. But it is not a matter of abandoning Young Master Pei. My decision to move out and stay away from you is to help you and save you. As long as you do not see me in the future, your feelings for me will gradually subside."

The young man tightened his long arms, bringing the woman's soft body closer to him.

Summer clothes are very thin, and Jiang Ninghui could clearly feel Pei Duo's lean body under his jade robe, with well-defined muscles and a strong, powerful physique.

Those arms, brimming with immense power, bound her, confining her.

She didn't even have a chance to escape.

Pei Duo chuckled in her ear, "Doesn't your sister-in-law know that there's a saying that lovesickness can lead to illness?"

He released Jiang Ninghui, his strong fingers gripping the woman's thin shoulders, and leaned down to gaze at her.

"My sister-in-law thought that moving away from me was saving me."

"Sister-in-law, have you ever thought that if you move away, I won't be able to see you, and I'll miss you day and night? How can I have any other mind to study?"

"With the autumn examination just around the corner, at this crucial moment, can you really be so heartless as to abandon me at this critical juncture? Can you bear to see me wallowing in longing and pain for you every day, failing the provincial examination, and then drifting aimlessly through another three years waiting for the next one?"

Looking into the woman's almond-shaped eyes, which were brimming with tears, the young man emphasized, "Sister-in-law, are you really willing to do this?"

Jiang Ninghui's eyelashes trembled slightly.

Tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks in an instant.

How could she bear to do that?

How could they possibly be so heartless?

She knew how important every exam was to a student.

They also knew that with Pei Duo's talent, he would surely pass the imperial examination with flying colors and be the top scholar.

But if something unexpected happens halfway through, causing Pei Duo to fail the selection and become despondent, how can she be at peace? She fears she will spend the rest of her life in regret and self-blame.

Putting aside Pei Duo's feelings for her, he treated her with utmost care in every way, helping and saving her, and setting up connections for her to earn money. He had done her a great favor in every way. If she caused her benefactor to miss the opportunity to pass the imperial examination, then how would she be any different from an ungrateful wretch?

But……

But if he doesn't move out, Pei Duo will only sink deeper into trouble.

Either choice would harm him.

Jiang Ninghui was at a loss for what to do; her mind was in chaos, her thoughts a jumbled mess.

Just when she was feeling lost and hopeless, she heard Pei Duo say, "I have a way, I hope you will take pity on me and grant my request once."

Jiang Ninghui looked at Pei Duo, who was so close to her.

In just two days, she saw three different sides of him.

He is a humble and gentle gentleman.

He resembled a Rakshasa Red Demon.

He is now the one who is humble and pitiful.

She didn't even know which side of Young Master Pei was the real one.

Jiang Ninghui clenched her fists repeatedly, not daring to agree directly: "Tell me what your method is first, and then I'll consider whether to agree."

If she were to betray her husband and become a dissolute person...

She absolutely refused!

A faint hint of pleasure shone in the young man's dark eyes.

Look—

Look at his soft-hearted and easily fooled sister-in-law.

Even though she knew he coveted her, she softened when she heard that he would be dejected because of it.

What a wonderful sister-in-law.

How could I bear to part with her?

How could he allow her to escape from him?

The young man adopted a humble attitude: "In a little over a month, it will be the autumn examination. After the autumn examination, the spring examination will be held in March of the following year. After the spring examination, the palace examination will be held in a month. In total, it will take ten months."

"During this October, I hope my sister-in-law will not move away. Stay with me through the provincial examination, the metropolitan examination, and the palace examination. Once I pass the imperial examination, I will leave on my own."

"What do you think of this method, sister-in-law? Would you be willing to grant my request?"

Jiang Ninghui lowered her eyelashes and unconsciously bit her lower lip again.

Two pale fingers, hidden in her sleeves, curled up tightly, and a hint of struggle remained on her delicate and beautiful face.

So it seems I'll have to spend another ten months with Young Master Pei.

No...that's not right.

Perhaps it's not ten months, but maybe a little over a month.

If her husband fails the provincial examination, she will return to Xiping Village with him.

What awaits her is unpredictable suffering and torment.

Never mind, whatever the near future may bring.

That's all we can do for now.

The young man's deep gaze fixed on Jiang Ninghui's face.

Wait until she makes up her mind.

Wait for her to continue.

The last rays of the setting sun disappeared behind the eaves, and the faint twilight darkened the night sky.

The room, which was already unlit, was quickly swallowed by darkness, and two shadows, one tall and one short, overlapped on the cold wall.

finally.

After pondering for a quarter of an hour, the sister-in-law raised her moist almond-shaped eyes and whispered, "I can agree to your request, but—"

She was a little embarrassed to speak.

Pei Duo knew what she wanted to say: "Sister-in-law, please speak freely."

Jiang Ninghui lowered her head, a blush of shame spreading from the tips of her ears to her porcelain-white, beautiful cheeks, and then all the way to the roots of her neck: "I only promised Young Master Pei that I would not move out and would live in the same courtyard with you, but Young Master Pei must not do anything inappropriate to me like you did today."

“You are an outsider, and I am already a married man. If I were to respond to you today, it would already be against ethics and morality and would be unacceptable to the world. If I were to overstep my bounds further, it would be bad for our reputations. To put it more seriously, if others were to see this, not only would I be affected, but your path to the imperial examinations would also be impacted, Young Master Pei.”

The young man's narrow eyes held a hint of wickedness.

He remained silent.

He could only watch as the person so close to him was enveloped in layers of shame and blush.

It's astonishing that a woman who places great importance on ethics and moral principles and has always lived a disciplined life would agree to such a request.

For her, that was the limit.

If you make any more demands, you'll push this honest and easily bullied little rabbit to its limit.

No rush.

If there is one, then there are two.

Take it one step at a time.

Pei Duo released his grip, bent down to pick up the turquoise purse that had fallen to the ground, and placed it in Jiang Ninghui's hand. He did not make any definitive statements, but said, "I will try my best to restrain myself from doing anything inappropriate to my sister-in-law, but could my sister-in-law grant me one more request?"

Jiang Ninghui lowered her head: "You go first."

The young man cupped her hand in his five fingers, pulling her hand and the money bag together into his palm.

"Sister-in-law, could you please stop being intimate with your husband in front of me, and stop having sex with him at night?"

“I already have feelings for my sister-in-law. If she and your husband are close every day, it will only make me feel unbearably bitter. In time, I will lose my heart to study, thus delaying the provincial examination in a month and the metropolitan examination and the palace examination next year.”

Jiang Ninghui was somewhat embarrassed.

It's not difficult to avoid being intimate with your lover in front of Pei Duo; the real challenge is having sex with him.

She could go a year without thinking, but she couldn't resist her husband's desire.

Jiang Ninghui hesitated for a moment before finally nodding in agreement.

If her husband desires it, she can discuss it with him properly, and they can consummate their marriage when Young Master Pei is not present.

Seeing that she agreed, Pei Duo released her hand and looked down at the woman with her head down.

She wore her hair in a traditional Chinese woman's bun, adorned only by a simple wooden hairpin, and her snow-white neck curved in an arc.

Below the back of the neck, a protruding bone appears both fragile and pitiful.

My sister-in-law is so lovable.

A smile tugged at the young man's lips.

His smile gave his handsome face an eerie and stunning quality.

He spoke softly, "I hope my sister-in-law will keep her promise—"

Pei Duo cupped Jiang Ninghui's small face in his large hands.

Jiang Ninghui was forced to look up and meet the young man's dark eyes.

It was dark and gloomy, like a vortex that sucks away one's soul.

The bottomless abyss only sends chills down one's spine.

She listened as he continued, "If you break your promise, then don't blame me for breaking my promise."

Jiang Ninghui shivered.

She suddenly realized that she should never have agreed to Pei Duo's absurd and unreasonable request in the first place.

But the words had already been spoken, and it was too late to take them back.

Jiang Ninghui could only grit her teeth and say with difficulty, "I understand."

Pei Duo lowered his eyes and noticed the little tongue that was pressed between her lips and teeth when she spoke.

Pink, tender, and moist.

It makes your heart flutter with pleasure.

He suppressed the urge to probe inside and taste her tongue, released her hand, and glanced down at the money pouch in her hand: "Sister-in-law, please put the money away safely."

Jiang Ninghui breathed a sigh of relief.

She moved her feet, finally breaking free from the young man's grasp, and stopped only in front of the pear blossom table.

The room was plunged into darkness.

Jiang Ninghui took out a tinderbox to light the candle and shifted her attention to the money bag in her hand.

It's okay if you don't watch it.

This sight nearly made Jiang Ninghui's almond-shaped eyes widen in surprise.

Immediately, he looked at Pei Duo in disbelief: "Young Master Pei, how... how can there be so many?!"

Pei Duo: "My friend's batch of sachets sold very well, so he gave you an extra five taels of silver as a reward."

Jiang Ninghui still couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Besides the four taels of silver for wages, there were five more taels in my purse, plus the one tael of silver I was given as a reward at the beginning, for a total of ten taels of silver!

This was the first time she had ever encountered a master who gave her more money as a reward than she earned for her work.

Jiang Ninghui dared not accept it.

It cannot be accepted either.

She took out the two taels of silver that belonged only to her and Sister-in-law Mu as wages, stepped forward and handed over the money bag, refusing to accept the five taels of silver reward. But then she heard Young Master Pei say, "My friend said that this batch of sachets sold very well, and he wants to hire you two to sew sachets on a long-term basis. Therefore, he hopes you will accept this reward. If you don't, it would be disrespectful to him as your master."

Since the host had already said so much, Jiang Ninghui had no choice but to accept it.

She clutched the money pouch tightly, feeling the silver coins digging into her hand.

Suddenly, the young man's strong fingers climbed up her back again, and his warm fingers slipped into her sleeve, pinching her wrist.

Jiang Ninghui shuddered and tried to pull her hand back without thinking.

"Young Master Pei, you cannot go back on your word—"

"Shhh."

Pei Duo stopped her from speaking: "Sister-in-law, your husband is back."

Jiang Ninghui's expression changed instantly, and she subconsciously looked out the window, only to see her husband push open the door and enter.

Through the window, the young man's eyes met his, a smile appearing on his handsome face: "My wife, I'm back. How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?"

After saying that, he went into the house.

Jiang Ninghui felt a tightness in her scalp.

I felt it was all over!

The young man, who was gripping her wrist, was still mischievously digging his fingers into her forearm.

He brazenly stroked her forearm muscles inside her sleeve.

-----------------------

Author's Note: There's a red envelope in this chapter! I'll update before 10 PM tomorrow night~ [hugs]