Chapter 67 Impoliteness "Even more 'improper' than this...

Inside the carriage, the lamplight cast a dim yellow glow, and Meng Lingyao's fingertips still lingered on the edge of the red scar on Pei Xu's arm.

His skin temperature seemed slightly higher than normal; the small spot where she touched it felt as if tiny sparks were dancing on it, making her fingertips tingle slightly from the heat.

She suddenly remembered what happened on the Dragon Boat Festival.

At first, she was still relatively lucid and clearly remembered that when he held her in his arms, his whole body radiated such intense heat.

In the dead of winter, such body temperature would be an excellent heater. But in the sweltering heat of summer, it would probably be quite unpleasant.

In the brief moment she was lost in thought, Pei Xu's arm twitched slightly, as if he wanted to pull it back into his sleeve.

Meng Lingyao subconsciously tightened her fingers, encircling that burning skin.

"Does it hurt?" Her voice was softer than usual.

Pei Xu shook his head slightly.

"lie."

Such a deep wound, almost a month has passed, and it still hasn't completely healed. How could it not hurt?

With a slight thought, she suddenly lowered her head and gently blew on the unhealed wound. The warm breath, carrying her usual sweet scent, brushed against her sensitive skin.

The scalding, taut skin suddenly trembled under her fingers, and Pei Xu's breath hitched.

Meng Lingyao looked up, her gaze meeting his deep eyes in the dim light. There, she saw emotions she couldn't fully comprehend, an unfathomable abyss.

She gave a slightly provocative, innocent smile. "Does it still hurt now?"

Pei Xu closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing, his arm struggling slightly in her palm, his voice a little hoarse, "Yao Tiao... this is not proper etiquette."

If he were to take another step forward, Meng Lingyao might become wary and back down. But it was precisely his self-restraint and forbearance that made her fingertips itch even more. The stubborn thoughts in her heart grew wildly like vines, determined to crack open a corner of this seemingly unbreakable iceberg and see what was inside.

So the words slipped out: “There have been things that are even more ‘improper’ than this…”

Pei Xu suddenly opened his eyes, his deep gaze looking straight into hers, as if trying to see through her.

After a long silence, he sighed silently, "Yaoyao often forgets that I am not a saint."

Meng Lingyao's heart skipped a beat. She blinked, pretending not to understand, and continued to examine his wound. "You went to great lengths to send me so much medicine for my little injury before, including medicine for treating wounds and removing scars. Did you use it yourself?"

Pei Xu responded, "The wound medicine has been applied."

"That means you didn't apply the scar-reducing ointment."

Pei Xu did not deny it.

He always paid attention to his appearance, but only out of basic etiquette; in reality, he didn't care much about his own looks.

He applied the medicine and that was it; whether it left any marks was not his concern.

“Then remember to apply it when you get back tonight.” Meng Lingyao said matter-of-factly, “I don’t like seeing scars.” It was as if every inch of his body should be repaired to her liking, as if it were perfectly natural.

Pei Xu couldn't muster even the slightest thought of resistance, and he nodded very solemnly, "Okay."

Meng Lingyao was finally satisfied and slowly released her grip on his hand.

The carriage came to a smooth stop in front of the Meng residence. As she was about to alight, Meng Lingyao glanced back symbolically and asked, "Would you like to come in, sit down, and have a cup of tea before you leave?"

Pei Xu shook his head, "It's getting late, there's no need."

Meng Shaoqing probably wouldn't want to see him at such a time.

Since I need to focus on recovering from my injury, it's not appropriate for me to test his strength again.

“Alright.” Meng Lingyao thought for a moment, then said, “I’ve accepted the dagger you returned, so I can’t leave without showing some appreciation. I had lunch at Jingguan Courtyard a few days ago, and the dishes were all quite good, except for one fish that was a little undercooked. I know a restaurant that makes exceptionally delicious fish. I wonder if Lord Pei would do me the honor of going there to taste it sometime?”

“Okay,” Pei Xu agreed. “It is my honor to receive Yao Yao’s invitation.”

"Of course, you should wait until your wound is fully healed before consuming large amounts of foods that may trigger allergies or inflammation."

“Okay.” Pei Xu nodded obediently.

Meng Lingyao resisted the urge to reach out and touch his hair, and said, "It's getting late, you should go back soon."

The carriage journey back was swift. Qingzhou, having endured half the journey, finally leaned closer and whispered hesitantly, "Sir, should I settle the bill beforehand? It wouldn't be right to let Miss Meng pay..."

Pei Xu glanced at him indifferently, "Don't do anything unnecessary."

Qingzhou awkwardly shut his mouth, still feeling worried.

Asking your fiancée to treat you to dinner... something just doesn't sound right...

The carriage made a crisp sound as it rolled over the bluestone pavement, gradually disappearing into the night.

In the deathly silent inner chambers of the Prince Qing's mansion, Princess Suxin sat listlessly before her dressing table, her reflection in the mirror blurry. The flickering candle wick crackled, and she suddenly listened intently. "Did you hear the sound of a carriage?"

The maid nodded, "Yes, Your Highness, I heard you."

Princess Suxin chuckled, "I thought I was hallucinating again... Turns out I don't live in the imperial mausoleum."

The maid was shocked and immediately knelt down, "Princess, please be careful what you say!"

Princess Suxin fiddled with the tassel on the sachet in her hand, her expression indifferent. "What does it matter? No one will come here anyway."

She has been confined to her home for half a year, and even her parents have not visited her more than a few times, as if she were a non-existent person.

The maid kowtowed and pleaded, "No, how could the Prince and Princess not care about the County Princess? Perhaps His Majesty will show mercy and lift the County Princess's confinement sometime soon."

Princess Suxin ignored him, grabbed the scissors from the dressing table, and expressionlessly shredded the sachet in her hand into tiny pieces.

Silk fragments and spices were scattered all over the ground.

At the Marquis of Wuxing's residence, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Zhao Xu stepped out of his room shrouded in the morning mist. After tossing and turning for several days, he finally made up his mind to tell his mother what was on his mind.

Inside the room, Madam Cui sat upright in front of her dressing table, letting her head maid comb her still-glowing black hair. Hearing footsteps, she smiled and said, "Xu'er is here. You've gotten up so early today."

Zhao Xu knelt down and bowed, saying, "Greetings to Mother."

"Get up and speak." Madam Cui's gaze swept over his face. "You look pale and tired. Is something on your mind?"

Zhao Xu stood up, looking at his mother with a complicated expression. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Mother, your son... wishes to request permission to return to the northern frontier to guard the border."

For a moment, the air seemed to freeze, and the maid standing nearby didn't dare to breathe.

Madam Cui's smile remained unchanged, but her hands, resting on her knees, were curled up, and her well-maintained nails left a mark on the brocade.

"The Northern Frontier..." she said softly, "You have always been excellent, and you are also trusted by General Xie. Who in the capital doesn't praise my son as a young prodigy?"

She paused, her gaze falling on her son's downcast eyes, her tone softening further, "You want to achieve great things and bring glory to our family, and your mother... naturally supports that."

But Zhao Xu noticed everything about her furrowed brows and clenched hands.

He remained silent, then lifted his robe and knelt down deeply once more, saying, "Your son is unfilial, unable to serve you often. Thank you for your forgiveness, Mother."

Back in his study, Zhao Xu sat alone by the window, staring blankly at the swaying bamboo shadows in the courtyard. He suddenly remembered Meng Lingyao saying that day that she might never be able to return to the northern frontier.

Why would she think that? What does she know?

He couldn't think of any other reason why his mother, though unwilling, still agreed.

We can only tentatively conclude that it was just something the woman said in a fit of anger.

He twitched the corner of his mouth. Fine, it's better to leave the capital now.

The next morning, Zhao Xu went to pay his respects to his mother as usual, but was stopped at the door by the nanny.

"Young master, please wait," the nanny said with a worried look. "Madam... caught a cold last night and is not feeling well. She has not yet gotten up and has specifically instructed that you do not need to pay your respects today and should go back to rest first."

"A cold?" Zhao Xu paused, his brow furrowing. "He was perfectly fine yesterday, how could he suddenly fall ill? Did you call a doctor?"

The old woman hesitated and refused to elaborate, but after Zhao Xu pressed her repeatedly, she finally managed to speak, "When Madam learned that the young master was going to the northern frontier again, she was worried and tossed and turned all night, and caught a chill..."

Seeing Zhao Xu remain silent, the nanny continued, "A mother worries when her son travels a thousand miles. Young master, you may not know this, but these past years in the northern frontier, your mother has often been awakened by nightmares in the middle of the night, unable to sleep for nights on end, fearing that something has happened to you. She has become terribly haggard. We thought that once you returned to the capital, you wouldn't go back, but who knew..."

Zhao Xu lowered his eyelids slightly, so the old woman couldn't see his expression. After a moment, he raised his head and said, "I'll go in and see my mother."

"No!" the nanny hurriedly stopped her. "Madam said she was afraid the illness might be passed on to you."

“As a son, how can I not be by my mother’s bedside when she is ill?” Zhao Xu pushed open the door and entered.

The light inside was dimmer than outside, and a faint smell of medicine filled the air. Madam Cui leaned against the bed, covered with a brocade quilt, her face pale, truly looking sickly.

Seeing Zhao Xu burst in, his brows immediately furrowed. "Xu'er! Didn't I tell you... cough cough... not to come in? What if this illness gets to you? Cough cough cough..."

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and coughed violently, the cough sounding as if it would shake her lungs out, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Zhao Xu walked quickly to the bedside. Seeing his mother coughing until her face was red, the doubts in his heart were instantly overwhelmed by immense guilt.

He knelt on one knee beside the footstool, reaching out to pat his mother's back to help her catch her breath. But he stopped halfway through, unable to hide his self-reproach. "My mother is ill, how can I not take care of her? I am an unfilial son, causing my mother to worry and fall ill..."

Madam Cui finally managed to stop coughing, turned her face away, her eyes brimming with tears, "You will eventually have to return to the northern frontier, and who knows when you will return home again. I can serve you for a while, but not forever..."

Tears fell silently, each one landing on the back of her pale hand, leaving clear wet marks, and also striking Zhao Xu's heart, echoing heavily.

"I've gotten used to it over the years."

Her voice choked with emotion, like vines that coiled around her.

Looking at the glaring tear stains on his mother's hand, Zhao Xu felt as if something was blocking his throat, and he managed to utter four words with difficulty, "Son...unfilial."

Madam Cui said nothing more, only waving her hand. The nanny understood and stepped forward, saying softly, "Young Master, Madam is going to rest."

Zhao Xu slowly stood up, took one last look at his ailing mother, and left.

After a long while, the door was pushed open, and a servant came to report, "Madam, the young master has gone out on horseback without anyone following him."

Madam Cui replied calmly, "I understand."

Zhao Ruxuan, who was serving the medicine, pouted, "Second brother is really something, going out when Mother is sick..."

Soon, someone else came in.

"Reporting to Madam and Miss, His Highness the Third Prince has come to visit!"

Madam Cui raised her eyes and gently touched her hair. "Please come in."

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Author's Note: I finally found where to do the giveaway! I've set up a small giveaway. Thank you all for your support! *kiss*