Chapter 99: Dowry and Gift of a House

I heard from Granny Zhou that this place was where Marquis Yan would stay when he didn't want to return to the mansion.

Especially during the years he married Gu, he rarely went back home and spent most of his time living in Yongning Lane.

The Gu family had visited, but Wu Yang had always turned them away.

Why is he now giving this house to me?

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with confusion. Pei Yanzhi held her close as they gazed at the candlelight ahead.

He said softly, "You said you didn't like living in Shanshui Residence, so I'm giving this house to you. You can stay here as long as you want, but you'll still have to stay here for the first three months of your marriage."

Ji Shu stood up as if to speak, but Pei Yanzhi knew what she wanted to say, so he said first, "Don't worry, I won't let you live in Shanshui Residence. You will move to Wenxin Pavilion and live with me in the West Garden."

Ji Shu was stunned. "But that place... isn't it against etiquette?"

He tapped the tip of her nose and chuckled, "You've already lived there, so why are you afraid of what others will say? You'll be the mistress of Yanzhou in the future."

She thought to herself: I'm not like that, it's only been a year, which is only eleven months if you calculate it carefully.

Pei Yanzhi squeezed her hand, feeling its soft warmth. He marveled at how she was as soft and round as a glutinous rice ball, and sighed, "These days, you should go out less and stay at home to prepare for the wedding. If you need anything, just tell Granny Zhou to buy it for you."

He hesitated for a moment, then finally explained, "Logically, you should marry from Chongzhou or from your maternal grandparents' home, but considering the long distance and the fact that you and your second aunt's family have never gotten along, we've decided to give up on that idea."

What he didn't explicitly say was that, being so far away, if she were determined to escape, he really didn't know what to do with her.

Ji Shu looked at him with a complicated expression. So this was the purpose of his long and roundabout journey.

First, he lured her out of the mansion, then he wanted to marry her.

Each and every one of these was meticulously planned by him.

Thinking of the more than one hundred loads of betrothal gifts outside, Ji Shu couldn't help but worry. What if he went back on his word? It's not like he wouldn't do something like that.

Thinking of this, she lowered her eyes and said softly, "Since that's the case, and the Marquis has already made arrangements, I will simply follow suit. However, I wonder if we can draw up a written agreement regarding my agreement with the Marquis?"

She spoke each word carefully, her gaze fixed on him as she said, "If the Marquis changes his mind later, where will I go to seek justice, won't I?"

Pei Yanzhi looked at her, who was finally willing to be close to him. Although her "written agreement" seemed a bit ridiculous to him, he still nodded.

"Of course. If you don't trust me, Shu'er, just write it down and I'll sign and put my fingerprint on it."

Ji Shu breathed a sigh of relief. If he had refused, then there would have been something fishy going on.

"Very well, I'll draft it in the next couple of days. Remember to bring your seal when you come, so you won't deny it later."

Seeing her serious expression, Pei Yanzhi couldn't help but chuckle.

He had only been holding her hand, but now it gradually veered off course, reaching out in places it shouldn't have.

Ji Shu felt a burning sensation at her fingertips and wanted to pull her hand back.

The man simply leaned close to her ear and said, "Look, I'll agree to anything you say, okay, Shu'er? Will you help me out too?"

The man knew she wasn't completely clean yet, otherwise he would have stayed here yesterday.

The two were embracing each other, and the man, who already craved her intensely, naturally became even more eager for her.

Pei Yanzhi's large hand touched hers, and Ji Shu looked at him in horror: "I haven't..."

He pulled down the curtain and whispered a promise to her, "Don't worry, I said I wouldn't touch you..." But before he could finish speaking, he had already grabbed her wrist.

Ji Shu took a step back. "No, you haven't bathed yet, how can you get on my bed?"

Pei Yanzhi frowned as he looked at her, his gaze so deep it seemed he wanted to swallow her whole. Ji Shu swallowed hard.

He boldly looked down at her and said, "Has Your Excellency forgotten that this house is now mine? Since the owner has spoken, Your Excellency should comply."

Seeing her arrogant demeanor, a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.

Seeing that he was staring at her without saying a word, Ji Shu picked up the house deed next to her and waved it, "Does the Marquis want to go back on his word, or is this house deed useless to you?"

"In that case, I'll find another place for myself." With that, she got off the bed, slipped on her shoes, and headed out.

Pei Yanzhi stopped her, suddenly picked her up horizontally, lifted her feet off the ground, and put her back in place.

He said in a deep voice, "Did I say I wouldn't wash?"

Then, he called out towards the door, "Someone, prepare water!" He added in a low voice, "Such a temper, leaving whenever she wants, I don't know who spoiled her like that."

These words angered Ji Shu so much that she threw the soft pillow behind her back straight onto his broad back.

The man paused for a moment, picked up the ice silk embroidered pillow, tossed it around, and then smelled it, leaving Ji Shu speechless.

Has he gone mad?

Her cheeks flushed red instantly, spreading all the way to her neck.

Before long, Lian'er instructed the servants to carry her hand inside.

Pei Yanzhi glanced at Ji Shu and saw that she had already picked up a book and was pretending to ignore him. He raised an eyebrow and remained silent, then walked around the screen to the inner side room.

When she looked over again, the person had already entered the bathroom, but the door was not closed.

If the door isn't closed, wouldn't everyone be able to hear the sounds of someone showering inside? He's definitely doing this on purpose, Ji Shu thought angrily.

He slipped on his shoes and got up to walk towards the bathroom. As if he knew she would come, just as she reached out to close the door, Pei Yanzhi suddenly pulled her inside, and the door slammed shut.

Her back pressed against the door, she gasped, and asked angrily, "What are you doing!"

Upon closer inspection, he was now completely naked, with only his underpants hanging loosely on his belt.

Having led troops in battle for many years, he inevitably had many wounds on his body.

His tanned muscles bulged, covered with scars of varying depths, some of which had turned white, suggesting they had been there for many years.

Pei Yanzhi's eyes were bloodshot, and his scorching breath hit her face. Ji Shu closed her eyes and dodged. This man was really sick.

Seeing her like this, Pei Yanzhi slowly said, "What? Shu'er, do you want to come in and wash with me?"

“I don’t mind, but this bathtub is too small to fit two people.”

He glanced at the bathtub, which could only accommodate one person, and paused, then said, "However, there is a way."

He lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, "That's over there... You go first."

Ji Shu pushed him hard, saying in shame and anger, "You're vulgar, you're shameless."

"I'm going out. If you need to wash, hurry up and do it."

Upon hearing this, Pei Yanzhi waved his hand, looking completely innocent, and said, "How am I shameless? It's just a bath. I'll let you bathe first, and then I'll bathe later. What are you thinking?"

Ji Shu: "..."

So she was overthinking it?