Chapter 73 I Will Never Leave You

He said expressionlessly: "What?"

"I...I prepared lunch and wanted to invite you to eat."

"I'm not hungry."

Man is made of iron and rice is made of steel. If you don't eat for a meal, you will be hungry. If you are not a god, don't say such things. It will easily backfire.

The young maid Zhuang said enthusiastically: "But I have worked hard all morning."

Pei Xingju stared at her silently.

Zhuang Wan was staring at him, feeling uneasy - here it comes, Pei Xingju's weird attitude comes again.

She pursed her lips and gave a dry laugh.

The windows were closed and the light was dim. Perhaps because it had rained before, the air was filled with a musty smell.

"There are so many books here, why don't you open the window?" She walked to the window and said, "The weather is nice today, let the sun dry them and get rid of the smell."

She opened the east window and the dazzling light poured in.

Zhuang Wan closed her eyes, turned around and found a lot of things scattered in the corner, so she squatted down to sort them out.

"Today I made your favorite braised sea bass and garlic shrimp. It took a lot of effort, so it's best to eat them while they're hot. If you want to read, it's not too late to do so after dinner. My mother...my mother said that eating well can help you live a hundred years."

She stopped mid-collection and discovered some old items scattered around: calligraphy, paintings, a few copies of the Three Character Classic, and a manuscript that looked like a story she had compiled herself.

The pages of the book have turned yellow and the handwriting looks childish, probably written by a child of three or four years old.

She admired it for a while and then laughed: "This child must be very much loved by his parents."

"How do you know?"

Not far away, Pei Xingju's voice came calmly.

"I know. The stories he wrote have no logic. They are clearly random stories told by his elders. If I'm not mistaken, they are probably little stories his parents told him before bed to soothe him to sleep."

Zhuang Wan raised her head and said, "When I was little, I listened to stories about dinosaurs going to school alone and picking up dinosaur eggs every day until I fell asleep. Later, I told my mother that I wanted to go to school by myself. When my mother asked why, I said I wanted to pick up dinosaur eggs too."

"What are dinosaurs?" Pei Xingju asked.

"Oh, a lovely animal you haven't seen before."

Zhuang Wan folded the books one by one, sorted the copybooks neatly, and put them back on the shelf. Only after she had done so did she come to her senses.

She turned to look at Pei Xingju: "Why do you have these things in your library?"

Pei Xingju looked a little uncomfortable: "It was left by the previous owner of the house, so I just kept it."

"Oh." Zhuang Wan nodded.

She stood up and walked over: "Yuzhi? Why don't you go back and have dinner first? The braised sea bass is delicious!"

She spoke in a coaxing tone, earnest and enthusiastic. When she came closer, her fair cheeks were as pink as the clouds, her long eyelashes were slightly curled, and her eyes were bright and cunning.

Playful and cute.

Pei Xingju's expression was indifferent, but in his dark eyes there was a gentle smile, like spring water melting ice.

After a moment, he felt in his sleeve, then took out a letter and handed it over.

Zhuang Wan was stunned: "For me?"

Pei Xingju: "Your mother's letter has just been delivered to the Pei Mansion."

Zhuang Wan was dazed for a moment before she remembered that it was her mother, Madam Zhuang. She took the letter, turned around, and found an empty chair to sit down.

Mrs. Zhuang was a reserved woman. Even though she was very worried about her daughter, she would not write a long and eloquent article. Perhaps she was taking into account the difficulties Zhuang Wan faced in the Pei Mansion, so she was restrained in her words.

She first talked about her recent situation of recuperating in Zhuangzi, and said frankly that Pei Xingju had hired a good doctor for her, who cured her illness, and that she just needed to take good care of herself from now on.

Afterwards, she asked about Zhuang Wan's situation in Pei Mansion, how she was doing, whether she was in trouble, etc. Finally, she told a story at the end of the letter.

After reading the letter, Zhuang Wan fell silent.

Pei Xingju said, "Have you finished reading it?"

"Yes." Zhuang Wan nodded. "My mother said that when my father had the accident, he left something behind. Maybe it can be useful to you."

"What is it?"

"It wasn't mentioned in the letter, but I imagine it's something extremely important."

She knew exactly why Madam Zhuang brought this up now. She hadn't mentioned it initially because she didn't trust Pei Xingju, but now, she must have brought it up to help her.

Pei Xingju will soon recover her memory, and Madam Zhuang is afraid that she will be embarrassed, so she makes a deal with him. She hopes that after Pei Xingju recovers his memory, he will let her go because of this little contribution.

But Mrs. Zhuang didn't know that she was already stuck in a quagmire. How could things be so simple?

This chip comes too late.

.

Dusk was falling, the bright moon shrouded in thick clouds, and a cool breeze blew through the long forest. Zhuang Wan stood in the empty courtyard and couldn't help shivering.

She looked around.

Only three months had passed, and the manor had already fallen into desolation and desolation. The ground was covered with withered yellow leaves, and the wind picked up a few leaves, chasing each other in a whirlwind.

Pei Xingju glanced at her and asked, "Where is Tingyu Pavilion?"

"To the west."

Zhuang Wan felt a little heavy-hearted.

She knew that this was not her own emotion. Perhaps returning to the manor had triggered her original self and caused her to react this way.

"I'll take you there." She turned around and led Pei Xingju to the west courtyard.

The corridor was narrow, and their shadows slid across the wall in a half-bright, half-dark manner. She walked quietly, and Pei Xingju followed quietly.

After a moment, he suddenly said, "If you don't want to leave, you can bring your mother to live here later."

"What?" Zhuang Wan turned her head.

Pei Xingju: "The government sold this house as collateral."

Zhuang Wan was bewildered, and it took her a while to understand what he meant: "You bought this house?"

"It's not me who buys it, it's Jingzhe."

“.......”

"I bought it back from her." After a pause, he said, "I'll renovate it someday, and you can move in in a year."

Zhuang Wan nodded nonchalantly: "Why a year later?"

"The government has clearly stipulated that those who are registered as slaves must wait for a full year before they can be released from slavery and return to the common people."

Zhuang Wan stopped and was surprised that he was planning to help her get back to health.

She suddenly felt sad - how great it would be if she really had an affair with Pei Xingju!

No need to go to great lengths to escape, no need to hide miserably. Just wait a year until she is free from her humiliation and becomes a good person, living a life of luxury and having a handsome and wealthy boyfriend. It's simply too wonderful.

Wuwuwu... Could God please kill her and start over? She doesn't want such a painful plot!

Noticing her strange expression, Pei Xingju asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Zhuang Wan sniffed and forced a smile, "Yuzhi, you treat me so well. I'm very touched."

Pei Xingju said nothing and continued walking forward.

Zhuang Wan chased after him and said, "Actually, you don't have to buy back this house. It's fine. If it's possible, I'd like to ask you for a favor."

"What's up?"

"Zhuang... My mother is old. Even if she were to return to Beijing to live, I'm afraid she would only be sad here. It would be better for her to continue living in the manor. The manor is quiet and will be good for her to recuperate."

"I know this request is a bit abrupt..." She thought for a moment and said, "If the item mentioned in the letter is useful to you, could you, in return for this little contribution, protect her in her later years?"

Pei Xingju stopped and looked at her curiously.

"Is it not possible?" Zhuang Wan asked.

"Why does it sound like you're making arrangements for your final resting place?" He said, half-smiled, "Are you leaving?"

Zhuang Wan's heart tightened: "How could it be?"

She immediately put on an expression of someone who loved him so much she couldn't help herself: "Yuzhi, everyone can leave you, but I won't. Have you ever heard of an oath?"

"What?"

"Even when the mountains are gone, the rivers dry up, the winter thunder roars, the summer snows, and heaven and earth unite, I will never break off my relationship with you!"

Zhuang Wan recited this sentence with deep emotion and fullness, but found that the atmosphere was not right.

The air is silent...

Very silent........

Zhuang Wan didn't know where the silence came from, so she continued, "Anyway, I won't leave you, don't worry."

Pei Xingju said quietly, "Really? You'd better remember."