Chapter 80 Pei Duo: My sister-in-law still loves me the most.

At the beginning of the Yin hour, the night was quiet and still, with the clear moonlight scattering across the windowpanes.

Jiang Ninghui, who had planned to get up at the beginning of the Yin hour to see Pei Duo off, was now fast asleep.

The woman's forearms, which were draped over the quilt, were lifted and placed under the covers. A tall, imposing figure standing by the bed leaned down, his dark shadow gradually engulfing and enveloping the sleeping woman. He gently touched her cheek, his fingertips softly tracing her beautiful eyebrows and eyes.

"Sister-in-law, I should go now."

Even so, the young man still didn't leave.

He simply sat down, lifted the quilt covering the woman, bent down, and pressed his cheek against her chest.

Jiang Ninghui was only wearing a thin undergarment and a small coat.

The fabric was so thin that when he pressed his cheek against it, he could clearly feel its unusual softness.

He listened to his sister-in-law's steady heartbeat.

One at a time.

It gently vibrated his eardrums.

The young man closed his eyes in fascination, listened for a moment, and then slowly turned his face away.

He parted his lips and, through the thin fabric, precisely bit down—

Two beautiful, thin lips sought out the culprit that fueled his thirst.

To him, she was an addictive poison.

Once you're hooked, you can't get rid of it.

For example, right now.

Pei Duo took care of both sides fairly. He heard Jiang Ninghui moan a few times, as if she was about to wake up.

He didn't leave; instead, he grabbed her chin, looked up, and kissed her lips.

He licked her lips with the tip of his tongue, a gesture meant to soothe her.

Jiang Ninghui groggily opened her eyes and noticed a ticklish wetness on her lips. She subconsciously stuck out her tongue to lick it, but the other person took advantage of the situation and held her tongue in their mouth.

Jiang Ninghui didn't even need to look to know who it was.

Apart from Pei Duo, there was no one else.

The scent of cedarwood on him was etched into her very being.

And his ruthless, predatory nature, which almost devoured people whole, was something she could never resist.

Jiang Ninghui was struggling to breathe.

She felt her tongue was numb.

The young man finally let her go out of kindness. He grabbed her hand and bit her fingertips, licking them. His dark eyes were fixed on her face. His actions were outrageous and immoral, yet he uttered sweet and affectionate words.

"But did I wake my sister-in-law?"

"Thinking about not seeing my sister-in-law all day, I couldn't help but feel emotional before leaving."

"Please don't be offended, sister-in-law."

Jiang Ninghui was so overwhelmed by his teasing that she was panting heavily, and her almond-shaped eyes were filled with a moist look.

She turned her head away from him.

The door was clearly bolted, so how did he get in?

Considering that today was the imperial examination and that she and he would have no further connection after it, Jiang Ninghui was not angry with his actions tonight. She pushed him away, sat up, and pulled the quilt over herself: "It's almost time. You should go, or it will be late."

The quilt completely covered the woman's slender body, revealing only her rosy face.

The young man's Adam's apple bobbed a few times: "I'm leaving now."

He said this, but did not take any action. Jiang Ninghui urged him anxiously, and he finally got up to leave when it was almost 3:45 in the morning.

As soon as he left, Jiang Ninghui hurriedly got off the bed and bolted the door.

She felt a damp coolness on her chest, so she looked down and saw that there were two wet spots on her chest.

Jiang Ninghui's cheeks instantly burned like fire!

He... he... he actually did this to her while she was asleep!

Jiang Ninghui hurriedly took out clean undergarments from the wardrobe and changed into them. She crumpled up the clothes that Pei Duo had ravaged and stuffed them at the foot of the bed, as if she couldn't see them and thought that nothing had happened.

The night was pitch black.

A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove into the street through the alley.

The person outside the carriage reported to the person inside through the curtain: "Master, our people just came to tell you that Zhao Zhixue's parents will arrive in the capital in one more day. Please give your instructions."

Pei Duo: "Tie him up and lock him up first."

The person outside the car: "Yes."

He added, "The Minister of Rites also sent someone to report that the fish have taken the bait."

Pei Duo: "Hmm."

At 3:45 AM, more than 300 candidates for the imperial examination were waiting outside the palace.

As soon as Pei Duo got off the carriage, people came up to him to try and establish a connection.

The young man walked past indifferently, ignoring him.

Zhao Zhixue looked at Pei Duo, who was walking towards him, and clenched his fist tightly with his fingers hidden in his sleeve.

However, what is there to be proud of, given that his uncle holds a high official position and has a close relationship with the emperor?

He used to think that Pei Duo was exceptionally talented at a young age, but now it seems that he is nothing special. He only gets to win the exams by giving him the questions. Without his uncle, he would be nothing.

He won't help him this time; he has his own ways!

Zhao Zhixue recalled what the Minister had said to others in the Minister's mansion two days ago, and he had also been able to see the article. He felt that he was more confident in winning the first place in today's palace examination.

As the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) approached, the palace gates opened, and more than three hundred tribute students entered the palace in turn.

.

Jiang Ninghui stayed at home for a whole day, occasionally taking a walk in the yard and glancing at the tightly closed gate.

Pei Duo said that the palace examination would only take one day and could end no later than 5 PM.

She glanced at the sky; it was almost dusk.

At 2:45 PM, Pei Duo and Zhao Zhixue still hadn't returned. After having dinner, Jiang Ninghui went back to her room and sat on the couch, resting her hands on her lap and nervously twisting her fingers.

I wonder how Pei Duo did on the exam.

And...my lord.

How did he do on the exam?

Jiang Ninghui was unaware of this, but she knew one thing: whether her husband passed the exam or not, it wouldn't change the fact that she was forced to leave.

She glanced at the two stacks of books on the table. She had been in the capital for two months, and none of these books had ever been read by their owner. Only the top one had been flipped through a few pages a few days ago, and then angrily closed and left there.

It wasn't until 1:15 PM that a sound finally came from the tightly closed courtyard gate.

The young man pushed open the courtyard gate and lifted his eyelids to look at the door that had opened from the inside.

A woman dressed in coarse cloth came out of the house, her gentle and beautiful eyes looking at him.

She called him: "Peduo".

The young man's dark pupils stared intently at her.

He always remembered her promise.

She said she would wait for him to come back.

Today, while in the exam hall, he wondered what his sister-in-law was doing at home. Was she wandering around in the yard? Was she thinking of him? He also felt jealous and resentful, wondering if his sister-in-law was also thinking about her good-for-nothing husband. He also wondered when his sister-in-law would be able to completely forget that good-for-nothing.

He walked toward her.

Jiang Ninghui wanted to ask him how the exam went, but before she could speak, he pulled her into his arms tightly.

He buried his face in the crook of her neck, sniffing her as he said, "Yesterday you called me Duo-ge'er, why are you calling me by my given name today?"

The courtyard gate was wide open. Although dusk had fallen, it was not yet pitch black. Anyone passing by could peek inside and witness a scene that defied ethics and morality. If this were to reach the young master's ears and he were to say that his brother and his wife were having an affair, it would ruin Pei Duo.

She pushed him: "Let go first."

Pei Duo hugged her even tighter, opened his mouth and bit the soft flesh on Jiang Ninghui's neck, licking it wantonly with the tip of his tongue: "I won't let go."

Tears welled up in Jiang Ninghui's eyes. She was terrified that her husband would return and witness this scene. Shocked and frightened, she pushed him away, but he wouldn't budge. She then pinched Pei Duo's waist hard a few times, trying to force him to let go. But the young man not only didn't let go, but instead breathed excitedly a few times.

He breathed heavily against her neck and said, "My sister-in-law still cares about me the most. She knows I took an exam all day and is rewarding me."

Jiang Ninghui was so frightened that she dared not pinch anymore.

How could he be so shameless?!

After not seeing each other for a whole day, Jiang Ninghui was taken advantage of by him and brought into the house. He took advantage of her for a while before telling her that after the palace examination ended and he left the palace, Zhao Zhixue went to the residence of the Minister of Rites and would not be back for the next few days.

Ironically, Jiang Ninghui seemed to have gotten used to the absence of her husband in this little courtyard.

She asked, "How long will it take for the list of successful candidates to be released in the palace examination?"

Pei Duo: "Three days later."

There were no lights on in the room, and Jiang Ninghui looked at the young man's handsome face in the dim darkness.

She murmured, "Pei Duo, the palace examination is over."

Pei Duo cupped her cheeks, pressed his forehead against hers, and pretended not to understand: "Sister-in-law, have you had dinner yet?"

Jiang Ninghui's eyelashes fluttered: "I've already eaten."

That's all.

She lowered her eyelashes, thinking, "Isn't there still three days left?"

Perhaps in these three days, or even three days later, when her husband returns, she should leave. There's no need to make things clear with Pei Duo right now.

As she expected, her husband did not show up for three consecutive days.

On the fourth day, the list of successful candidates for the palace examination was posted outside the palace. The candidates who had participated in the palace examination rushed to check whether they had passed. Pei Duo, however, was not in a hurry at all. Seeing this, Jiang Ninghui asked, "Aren't you going to go and see?"

Pei Duo: "Sister-in-law, would you like to come with me?"

Jiang Ninghui hesitated for a moment, then nodded gently: "Okay."

Pei Duo smiled and took Jiang Ninghui's hand directly: "In that case, let's go."

Pei Duo, who was participating in the palace examination, was not nervous. Jiang Ninghui, on the other hand, was so nervous that her hands and feet were stiff, and she even forgot that Pei Duo had been holding her hand the whole time. As soon as the two of them walked to the place where the list of candidates was posted, they heard a deafening cheer.

"I won! I won!"

"I've passed the imperial examination!"

"I won too!"

Those who succeeded were overjoyed beyond words, while those who failed left dejected.

Jiang Ninghui heard someone in the crowd shout that the top scholar was Pei Duo, who ranked first in the provincial examination. Someone else shouted that Zhao Zhixue, who ranked third in the provincial examination, had actually become the third-ranked scholar, and the second-ranked scholar was the fifth-ranked scholar in the provincial examination. Jiang Ninghui was stunned. She looked up at Pei Duo beside her and said, "You, you became the top scholar."

She repeated, "You've become the top scholar!"

Pei Duo squeezed her fingertips: "I was able to become the top scholar in the imperial examination all because of your auspicious words that day."

He lowered his head, his thin lips close to the woman's ear: "I think my sister-in-law is good for me. I should have gone to her house to propose marriage before the Zhao family, and married her before that good-for-nothing. That way, that good-for-nothing wouldn't have had any trouble today."

Jiang Ninghui pursed her lips and remained silent. Although Pei Duo said this, she knew very well that if it weren't for her husband, she would never have met Pei Duo in this life, let alone had this brief entanglement with him.

Even if she knew Pei Duo, given his family background, why would he marry a poor, illiterate village girl from a remote mountain village?

Those who ranked in the top three before the emperor were required to enter the palace to meet him. Pei Duo escorted Jiang Ninghui back before leaving.

Jiang Ninghui sat in front of the tatami mat, gazing absently at the lush green leaves outside the window.

The list of candidates for the palace examination has been released today.

The young man passed the imperial examination with the third-highest rank.

She saw all the hardships he had endured along the way, and she worked diligently, neglecting sleep and meals.

Of course, Pei Duo's help was indispensable in helping him advance through the high school entrance exams.

Jiang Ninghui's mind flashed back to the time from her marriage to now, from his initial love and care for her to his current indifference and disgust. He said that once she passed the high school entrance exam, he would take her to live a good life.

However, he broke his promise.

He has changed.

He became someone she could hardly believe, someone who, according to Sister Mu, was a heartless man who abandoned his wife and children after achieving success.

Jiang Ninghui could no longer cry; she had cried all her tears in the past two months. Now she could even sit here calmly, waiting for her husband to return and tell her everything.

Jiang Ninghui didn't know how long she had been sitting until she heard a knock on the door.

She got up and opened the door, and saw the restaurant waiter who delivered her meals every day.

Jiang Ninghui took the food box and went to the kitchen, where she laid out the food inside. As always, it was a rich and delicious meal. Since going to Longchang and coming to the capital, Pei Duo had never skimped on her food. In fact, he was afraid that she would get tired of the food, so he would have the restaurant chefs cook different dishes for her.

For her, the food she has been eating these past few months is the best she has ever had in the last twenty years.

Before she married into the Zhao family, she was often hungry and never had enough to eat.

Now, she has almost forgotten what hunger feels like.

After Jiang Ninghui finished her lunch and waited for the restaurant staff to take away her food box, she sat on the couch and gazed out the window, lost in thought.

In truth, she didn't know if her beloved would return today; the person she was waiting for today might still be Pei Duo.

It wasn't until 3:45 PM that the gate was knocked on again.

Jiang Ninghui got up, went out, and opened the courtyard gate, where she saw her husband whom she hadn't seen for many days.

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Author's Note: Sorry everyone, I'm late. I was supposed to finish writing today, but something came up and I was delayed. The next chapter will be the synopsis and plot summary. (Just a little spoiler: the female lead isn't running away now, but she will soon. I think there's something cute about her running away.) There's not much plot left; it should be wrapped up next week~ [Cat emoji]