Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Who is the prey and who is the hunter? ...

Tong Pingfu looked at Wu Jingxun cheerfully and sighed, "It's been just a year since we last met, and Panpan has grown up into a big girl. She's getting married soon. I feel so, so..."

Wu Jingxun held his warm big hand and said with a smile: "Then I won't get married. My uncle will take me back to Peizhou to learn business. I can support myself."

Tong Pingfu was still smiling, but Wuxucong frowned. "Jingxun, don't talk nonsense. Your marriage was hard-earned. I don't know how many people outside envy you. If you marry her, you will be rich and prosperous for the rest of your life. My mother and I are relieved."

Wu Jingxun didn't say anything.

Tong Pingfu sensed something was amiss between the siblings and simply patted Wuxucong's arm. "Banpan is still acting like a little girl. It's just a joke between uncle and nephew, why do you take it so seriously?"

Looking at Wu Jingxun's frosty and snowy profile, Wu Xucong sighed and said with a wry smile, "Uncle, please don't be offended. It's true that something happened at home and I'm a little exhausted. Right now, I just hope Jingxun can get married smoothly. I..."

"Uncle, get in the car. It's windy outside." Wu Jingxun interrupted him rudely. She really didn't want to listen anymore.

What good will it do if she gets married? Will it make the house more peaceful, or will this marriage create another poor creature for them to exploit?

The resentment and grievance that had been suppressed for more than ten years suddenly erupted, which was quite dramatic. Tong Pingfu saw Wu Jingxun's displeasure, but he was even happier: "Hey, just listen to us."

In the past, he had always worried that his niece was too soft and gentle, and had no opinions of her own. When she was at home, she was controlled by her mother, his foolish sister. After she got married, he was afraid that she would also be restricted by her husband's family.

But today, seeing as how good it is, it's very good! She's already openly expressing her dissatisfaction with her brother. This is a good sign!

Seeing her uncle and sister happily boarding the carriage, the maid named Cuiping pretended to express regret: "I'm afraid the carriage is full. Young Master, why don't you ride back on horseback?"

Wuxucong held his breath and mounted the horse.

After they left, a tall figure walked out of the dark alley.

Pei Huaiguang kept replaying the girl's surprised and joyful smile in his mind, and sneered, wondering if she could smile like that.

...When facing him, she didn't have a good face at all.

Pei Huaiguang was indeed very angry when he turned around, and even felt a little frustrated.

If a prey is unwilling to cooperate, it will run away even if you put it in a tent.

Even if you catch her a few more times, she won't look happy.

Pei Huaiguang has always been a patient hunter, but when facing her, he was shocked to find that the intuition and vigilance that he had relied on for survival in the past had lost their effect.

All the tricks he used to deal with difficult prey in the past were ineffective. He began to become anxious and irritable. He longed for her positive reaction and hoped that she could give him a smile that was meant for them both.

Only in this way can he calm the restlessness in his heart.

Who is the prey and who is the hunter?

Pei Huaiguang, who had been sulking in the alley for a while, laughed at his own naiveté. When he was about to leave, he looked up and the girl's smiling face happened to come into his sight.

She was polite to many people, but when she smiled at the middle-aged man just now, her eyes were curved, like clusters of flowers in spring under the snow-capped mountains, with vigorous vitality suddenly blooming in the extreme beauty.

The heart that had just been covered with ice and snow was melted again by the blowing spring breeze.

Pei Huaiguang was still thinking in a daze, she must have never smiled at her brother like this, so he must have won that time.

My brother has never seen the girl, who is as cold as the moon and jade, really smile. If she had, she would have shown it to him silently but with malicious intentions.

But he didn't have Ping An Pei either.

Pei Huaiguang looked grumpy.

No, I still feel a little blocked in my heart.

·

Mrs. Tong dressed up nicely, and when she saw Tong Pingfu, she excitedly called out, "Brother!"

Tong Pingfu was still a little uncomfortable because he and his sister had been arguing for many years about the way to raise their niece. The last time she came to Jinling, she ignored him. Why was she so attentive this time?

Mrs. Tong was not thinking about anything else. She just thought that at the critical moment when she was about to be promoted to the position of legitimate wife, Tong Pingfu came. Firstly, it would support her, and secondly, it would allow her family to witness her avenge her previous shame and regain the honor of being the legitimate wife.

After so many years of being suppressed, Madam Tong finally got rid of the huge pressure from Sun Luqiu. She was a little proud and said, "Brother, just live here peacefully. I have prepared the yard for you. This house is half mine now. What's the big deal if you stay for ten days or half a month?"

Tong Pingfu didn't want others to think that his family was impolite, and that his nieces would also be looked down upon. When he came to Jinling, he always stayed in inns. Now, hearing what Madam Tong said, he couldn't hold it in any longer: "Don't be ridiculous. I'm an adult, I know how to arrange my own accommodation." Then he asked, "Where's my brother-in-law?"

When Wu Peifeng was mentioned, Madam Tong curled her lips. "He's been avoiding me for several days to avoid dealing with Sun Luqiu and that bastard. I'm afraid he's still hanging around in the government office."

On the way here, Tong Pingfu was also a little surprised when he heard his niece vaguely mention what had happened in the mansion recently.

It is no wonder that Wu Peifeng was able to rise from a humble scholar to the position of Minister of the Ministry of Rites. He is really a patient person.

Mrs. Tong glanced at Wu Jingxun who was standing silently by the side, and was about to say something to her, but when she saw Wu Xucong, she held back.

Her son-in-law is a promising one, so Jingxun will have to help her brother more in the future. Anyway, she is about to get married, and if she doesn't learn from him, her in-laws will suffer.

Madam Tong lost interest and said casually, "Your father is heartless. He didn't even tell me about the wedding date with the Pingning Marquis's Mansion, and only sent me the news after it was decided. Look, the fifteenth of two months from now is a good day. You and Prince Pei will get married on that day."

Even though he had already heard about this from Pei Jinguang, when the dust settled, Wu Jingxun still felt a strange feeling in his heart.

Is it joy? It seems not.

Mrs. Tong had a lot to say to Tong Pingfu, and was about to send Wu Jingxun back alone, but she unexpectedly received a piece of news.

A maid came hurriedly to report that the maid from the palace had come to announce the Queen Mother's order, saying that the Queen Mother took pity on the twelve girls who had been attacked innocently on the Flower Goddess Festival, and that she would hold a banquet in the palace in three days to entertain them, and asked the Lady of the Wu family to make sure to prepare well.

After thanking her, Madam Tong said with a hint of pride, "If I hadn't painstakingly planned for you to gain the Queen Mother's favor, would you have the luck you have today?"

Wu Jingxun didn't want to argue with her, so he turned around and smiled at Tong Pingfu: "I'll cook a few dishes that your uncle likes tonight. Can you come and have dinner with me, uncle?"

Tong Pingfu nodded happily, and at the same time stopped his sister from saying anything stupid again, and asked Wu Jingxun to go back and rest first.

After the graceful figure disappeared down the path, Tong Pingfu raised his eyebrows and said, "Banpan is a girl, thin-skinned. Why are you speaking so coldly?"

Mrs. Tong muttered a few words indignantly. Tong Pingfu looked at her and then at Wuxucong. This nephew was not very clear-headed and did not know how to protect his sister. Instead, he stood aside as if he was used to it, like a piece of wood.

It's probably because of the villain Wu Peifeng's bloodline that even a good child can grow up crooked.

·

The days she spent with her uncle were a rare happy time for Wu Jingxun. Three days passed in a flash, and she got up early in the morning to prepare to enter the palace.

After getting dressed, she walked around the screen and went out, only to see Wu Shunhua standing there.

Wu Jingxun was slightly surprised: "Shunhua, why are you here?"

The young lady who was once full of vigor now looked listless, and even her favorite golden whip was not tucked around her waist. She seemed to be shrouded in a gray cloud.

Fengpingyuan and Tangyuyuan have been closed to visitors these days, and Wu Jingxun has not bothered her anymore. Some things can only be figured out by the person himself.

Wu Shunhua looked at her, trying hard to pretend to be lively as usual, but in the end, he just curled his lips and said, "My mother and I are moving to a hot spring villa outside Jinling City. Maybe we will stay there temporarily, or maybe... we will never come back."

Aye has not returned home for a long time, and he did not even come back when his brother-in-law visited him. It can be seen that his attitude towards the matter of Madam Sun is negative, and he even wants to put it behind him.

But Mrs. Sun didn't want to, and neither did Shunhua.

Wu Jingxun sighed and said to her, "Wait for me." After that, she turned and went into the inner room.

When Wu Shunhua came to his senses again, he felt a chill on his earlobe.

Wu Jingxun put the pair of coral beads on her finger with her own hands.

"A young lady should wear bright and colorful things." Wu Jingxun held her hand. "It would be good to go out and relax. I heard that the hot spring resort outside Jinling is very relaxing. You can go and experience it first. If you like it, we sisters can go together in the future."

Wu Shunhua tried hard to hold back her tears and nodded.

·

The Queen Mother held a banquet, and the girls who had previously dressed up as the Twelve Flower Goddesses entered the palace one after another. When this matter spread, everyone praised the Queen Mother's kindness, saying that it was a blessing for the royal family and the people.

Wu Jingxun was tense for most of the day, and finally waited until the sun set. When the empress dowager was about to ask them to leave the palace, a new guest arrived.

After everyone paid their respects to Princess Changyi, she gave Wu Jingxun a meaningful smile. "I heard the family of the Minister of Rites has been in turmoil lately. I thought Madam Wu wouldn't be in the mood to attend the palace banquet. I didn't expect you to look so well."

Because both of her dangerous experiences were related to Prince Rong, Wu Jingxun was naturally wary of Princess Changyi, who had close ties to Prince Rong. Seeing her ill intentions, she simply said, "The Queen Mother is kind and loving. I dare not go against her good intentions, let alone spoil everyone's fun because of my own personal affairs."

What she meant was that she had no intention of bringing her own family affairs to the table. Even though people were already talking about it, Princess Changyi was obviously lacking in etiquette by openly mentioning other people's family affairs.

The Queen Mother's face darkened slightly. "Changyi, come and talk to me. It's getting late, don't delay their return home."

Princess Changyi was somewhat unwilling to give up. She had painstakingly revealed Sun Luqiu's past to Wu Jingxun's foolish mother, hoping to disrupt her family's peace. Even if she couldn't completely ruin Pei Jinguang's marriage to her, at least she could add some fun to what should have been a smooth and happy marriage. But she hadn't expected the Minister of Rites to choose to be a cuckold rather than return home. The turmoil stirred up by Tong Shi alone wasn't enough to satisfy her.

"Has the wedding date of Madam Wu and Prince Pei been set? If I'm free then, I'll definitely go over and ask for a glass of wedding wine. Dozens of boxes of jade-cup wine will be opened at the same time, and the aroma of wine will fill the air. Just thinking about it makes me excited." Although she spoke festive words, the look in Princess Changyi's eyes was as cold as a poisonous snake crawling out from the ground.

Wu Jingxun nodded slightly and did not say much to Princess Changyi. After all, most girls nowadays have to "hide" when talking about marriage. If they take the initiative to agree to a wedding date and even more questions in front of so many people, they will definitely be ridiculed.

Princess Changyi was very dissatisfied with Wu Jingxun's always indifferent reaction, but she did not say anything to stop him.

The Queen Mother raised an eyebrow in displeasure: "You have always been more sensible than that girl from Jincheng. Why did you do something so offensive today?"

Of course it’s because I’m unwilling to accept it.

Princess Changyi smiled and said, "Perhaps it's because my granddaughter and the lady from the Wu family are not compatible, so she can't help but want to say something sarcastic when she sees her."

She still has the mind of a little girl.

She was just a court lady, and even the praise she received in the past for being "chaste, quiet and polite" was just because the empress dowager had a tense relationship with the emperor and empress at that time, so she took advantage of the situation and wanted to emphasize the status of filial piety and etiquette in the hearts of the subjects and people, so that the emperor, who was not her biological son, would be more restrained and not have any conflicts with her, the nominal empress dowager.

The Queen Mother then turned to ask about Prince Rong. Although this son was not her biological son, she had at least raised him for two years. Seeing how he had grown crooked and become a fat man since the death of the princess, the Queen Mother felt a lot of pity in her heart: "Your father hasn't come to the palace to pay his respects to me in a long time. What has he been busy with?"

At the mention of Prince Rong, Princess Changyi's heart skipped a beat. She suppressed her panic and feigned ignorance, "Father is just having fun at the palace. Perhaps he's been very drunk these past few days and is afraid of being scolded by you, the Empress Dowager, so he simply didn't come."

Is that really true?

The Queen Mother laughed and scolded them on the surface, and the grandfather and grandson successfully changed the subject. For some reason, they were talking about the '□□' who kidnapped the twelve girls that day.

When the so-called truth of those evildoers was mentioned, Princess Changyi showed a look of disgust on her face: "Things obtained through evil means are always filthy and cannot exist in this world."

The Queen Mother glanced at her meaningfully.

Will the child still stick to this idea after knowing the truth?

·

Wu Jingxun and the others were court ladies without any rank, so after leaving the Empress Dowager's Weiyang Palace, they could only walk out by themselves along the long palace path.

Huang Meizhu held Wu Jingxun's arm affectionately. She was lost in thought when she felt the warmth covering her and smiled.

She always felt that something was wrong.

Princess Changyi had only met her twice, so why was she so concerned about her?

First she mentioned her family affairs, then she talked about the wedding date and the jade cup of wine...

Jade mash wine!

Prince Pei wasn't a talkative person, and he wouldn't casually share the details of his private wedding preparations. It was unlikely that the guards knew about this matter that day in the underground palace. The ladies had been busy recuperating at home these past few days, and even when meeting Princess Changyi, Wu Jingxun couldn't imagine why they would mention the Jade Cup of Wine.

He paid close attention to everything about her, even knowing her family affairs and what kind of wine would be served at her wedding. Wu Jingxun suddenly felt a little creepy.

That dark shadow seemed to be about to appear.

Did Princess Changyi also know about the evil deeds that Prince Rong had committed, or was she involved in them?

"Ah, Jingxun, why are your hands so cold?" Huang Meizhu squeezed her delicate, smooth hands. "Go back and rest early. I see you haven't looked well today. You're going to be a bride soon, so you have to take good care of yourself."

Wu Jingxun was in a state of confusion and nodded randomly.

Huang Meizhu saw that her face was a little pale, and thought that she was still weak, so she hugged her arm with more strength and almost half-hugged her to the outside of the palace gate.

They could get on their respective carriages and go back to their homes.

But not far from the carriage, there stood a handsome and tall figure.

Pei Jinguang saw that everyone's eyes were on him, and his steps, which should have stopped, did not hesitate at all. He just followed his heart and walked towards the girl who was staring at him in a daze.

"I have something to tell you." Pei Jinguang said briefly, "Just let them read it, there are some things that cannot be told to them."

Huang Meizhu understood the elegant meaning of the music and quickly let go of Wu Jingxun's hand. She said with a smile, "Then I won't bother you anymore. Master Pei, please send our Jingxun home safely."

Pei Jinguang nodded: "Of course."

Everyone reluctantly boarded the carriage. Pei Jinguang saw that Wu Jingxun remained silent and looked unhappy, so he hesitated and asked, "Are you feeling unwell?"

Wu Jingxun shook her head. She was just shocked by her previous guess.

Cuiping stood five steps away and couldn't hear what her wife and future son-in-law were saying, so she just happened to be keeping watch for them.

"Let's leave here first." Wu Jingxun subconsciously felt resistance to this majestic and magnificent palace. The sun was setting in the west, the sky was dim, and the shadow cast by the palace wall looked more like a monster that could devour everything in an instant.

Seeing that something was wrong with her, Pei Jinguang suppressed his doubts and looked back at the palace gate that was slowly closing.

The two found a private room in a teahouse to talk.

Pei Jinguang knew that she had seen the true face of Prince Rong that day, and Prince Rong had failed twice before, and he would definitely counterattack in the future.

He briefly explained that he had dispatched several secret guards to protect her, and then nervously added, "They are all my personal soldiers, trained by me. They know how to act and won't be rude to you."

He treated her with care, and Wu Jingxun could naturally feel it.

But when he mentioned that he had sent secret guards to guard her, Wu Jingxun was thinking in her mind, would something like the last time Pei Huaiguang appeared in her yard drunk never happen again?

Well, better not.

Wu Jingxun's eyes fell on the peace pendant hanging around his waist.

Pei Jinguang's waist and abdomen tightened, and he felt a little uncomfortable. If Jingxun knew that he had been wearing the peace pendant she carved personally during the past few days, would he be happier or more embarrassed?

A layer of warmth covered the hand as cold as jade.

Wu Jingxun raised her eyebrows in surprise and saw Pei Jinguang looking at her very seriously. Her voice was firm and gentle: "Our wedding will be in two months. I will protect you. Don't be afraid." She just needed to happily prepare to be a bride.

He thought that her strange behavior just now was because she was still scared of what happened that day.

Wu Jingxun endured the discomfort of the sudden skin contact and nodded gently.

Looking again, his ears were also red.

Wu Jingxun smiled. It seemed that she was not the only one who was nervous about the upcoming wedding.

For her, this marriage seemed to no longer be a dark cloud with no clear direction. There seemed to be a little bit of hope in it.

Seeing her smile, Pei Jinguang felt very happy, although he didn't know why.

He was so happy that he packed up a lot of cakes to take back.

Pei Huaiguang naturally got a lot.

He reflexively resisted these pastries. The reason why Pei Jinguang was so happy was probably related to Wu Jingxun.

As expected, when he heard that the Second Young Master had gone to the stable to comb the horses without eating a single bite of cake, Pei Jinguang walked over leisurely and said with a smile, "Your sister-in-law thinks the pine nut cake tastes good. I just bought several portions. Erlang, don't you want to try it?"

He guessed correctly. The pastries sent by Pei Jinguang were his trophies, as well as his pity and ridicule for himself as a loser.

Pei Huaiguang dropped the comb. The white horse, which was being combed comfortably, saw that the dog had run away again before its master, and howled in anger towards the sky.

"Erlang, don't bother her anymore." Pei Jinguang's voice was very calm, as if he didn't know how hurtful his words were and how much they made the loser feel ashamed.

Pei Huaiguang turned around, revealing a gloomy and handsome face.

"If you lose, you lose. You still have a long time to live. Don't let yourself lose because of obsession."

Pei Huaiguang didn't understand why he was so persistent in attributing his thoughts to obsession.

The vague thoughts in his mind were like a tiger in spring, so fierce that they almost burst through his chest.

For the first time, he was honest with himself.

Those feelings of discomfort, bitterness, jealousy, and secret satisfaction...

Because "it's not an obsession."

Pei Huaiguang met his brother's cold eyes and smiled: "I like her."

It is not the hunter's liking for his prey.

It's a man's love for a woman.

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

The author has something to say: Today’s diary mini-theater——

Wu Banban: So scary, Banban must work hard to become stronger (he went back to study medical books and customized a set of silver needles for self-defense

Pei Da: I mustered up the courage to touch it, I felt a little embarrassed, but more than that I didn't regret it

Pei Er: I'm laying my cards on the table. I'm not pretending anymore. I'm rough, I got beaten (*^_^*)