Chapter 146 I knew Pei Ji was self-disciplined, but I didn't know he was this self-disciplined!

But Sheng Sheng not only took the initiative to learn, but also didn't feel tired.

"Princess, you've been practicing calligraphy all afternoon, aren't you tired?"

Sheng Sheng found this strange: "Sheng Sheng was just sitting there moving her pen, not even using her brain, so how could she be tired?"

Zijuan covered her mouth and chuckled, "The Fifth Prince is quite good at it! When the Fifth Prince was learning calligraphy, he would write two characters and then sneak away!"

Once, Xie Yunqi was running away so fast that he even ran all the way to the gate of Jinxiu Palace. Consort Li chased after him with a feather duster. She caught him at the gate of Jinxiu Palace and then started hitting Xie Yunqi with the feather duster, which almost made the palace servants of Jinxiu Palace laugh to death.

He chuckled, "Truly worthy of being the Fifth Prince!"

Zijuan laughed along with her.

Even after laughing enough, Sheng Sheng was still not sleepy.

Yan Hu couldn't stand it anymore and gave her a suggestion: "If you're not tired, take me out for a walk. I'll get tired after a few laps."

Want to take a walk?

Hmm... that's one way to do it.

I'm going to Anci County tomorrow. I heard I'll be staying there for at least ten days to half a month, so I won't be able to see Brother Pei Ji for a while.

Or, should we go and say a quiet goodbye to him?

Sheng Sheng ignored Yan Hu's suggestion and slammed her right fist into her left palm.

"Great idea!" Sheng Sheng said. "Sister Zijuan, why don't we go for a walk? If we get some exercise, Sheng Sheng will be tired and fall asleep!"

Zijuan said helplessly, "Alright, then we'll only play for a quarter of an hour at most."

He responded with a soft "Mmm!"

Yan Hu thought he could go for a walk with her, and excitedly chased after her tail in circles.

After walking only a few steps, Yan Hu realized that this was the direction to Jingyue Pavilion, and his tail immediately drooped down.

Yan Hu: "..."

I killed Pei Ji.

Sheng Sheng soothed him, saying, "Yan Hu, Yan Hu, be a good boy. Think about it, you'll be going hunting with us too, so we can see each other every day."

Yan Hu snorted: "I'm magnanimous, no need for explanation."

A series of suppressed laughs.

Sheng Sheng had never been to Jingyue Pavilion at night before. The South Lake was already frozen over. Sheng Sheng remembered that Xie Yunqi had said that once the South Lake was frozen over, they would go ice skating together.

But we can only wait until we return from Shanglin Hunting Ground.

Perhaps because it had snowed for several days, all the small animals seemed to have hidden themselves away to hibernate; all was quiet, not even a bird chirped.

It was still snowing lightly. Zijuan walked beside Shengsheng, holding an umbrella, while Shengsheng hummed a song softly and skipped along carrying a lantern.

This road is rarely traveled, especially at night, so there are no palace lanterns hanging along it.

The trees here are tall and lush, and there is a bamboo forest over there. It used to be pitch black at night, but later palace lanterns were hung up and a pebble path was rebuilt in the bamboo forest.

As they approached Jingyue Pavilion, the scene they had imagined—Pei Ji sitting at the table, quietly reading by candlelight—did not materialize.

It's not that I haven't been reading, it's just...

The way you're reading is a bit, uh, weird?

In the dimly lit courtyard, a small lamp was placed on the steps of the pavilion, illuminating the area around it.

There was a small stool placed to the side, and a book was spread out on it.

Pei Ji stood firmly in front, his posture perfect, his breathing steady, and his eyes fixed on the book without blinking.

Fortunately, the pavilion's roof sheltered Pei Ji, preventing him from getting wet in the snow.

They hadn't seen him clearly from a distance, but after taking a few steps closer, they discovered that Ah Fu was sitting in the darkness, turning the pages of a book at a leisurely pace.

Sheng Sheng: Σ(°△°|||)︴

Zijuan: (⊙⊙)

I knew Pei Ji was self-disciplined, but I didn't know he was this self-disciplined!

Practicing during the day isn't enough; you also need to practice extra at night.

Sheng Sheng had to admit that when she first met Pei Ji, she thought he was a refined and elegant young gentleman, gentle yet aloof, a pitiful little man with a guarded heart.

By now, Pei Ji's self-discipline in practicing martial arts had reached a point where Sheng Sheng was truly impressed.

Old Cat and Old Fish said he started late and had a poor foundation, so he needed to spend more time practicing and building a solid foundation.

Hey, guess what? Not only do people have to put in extra practice, but they also can't neglect their studies.

Zijuan stared in disbelief and whispered in her ear, "Princess, I remember that Young Master Pei was at most 'mediocre' in the Wenhua Hall, but I think he studied quite diligently, so how could he...?"

He secretly wondered if he was truly mediocre; who but Pei Ji knew?

Sheng Sheng was trying to figure out how to gloss over the topic when, fortunately, the two of them made a commotion that caught the attention of the bored A Fu.

As if seeing a savior, Afu quickly stood up and greeted them loudly: "Second Princess, what brings you here!"

Pei Ji paused, looked up from the book, and gazed at the doorway.

Afu rushed out in a hurry: "Oh dear, what is it that you have to come all this way? It's so cold at night, and it's snowing. Whenever you come to our Jingyue Pavilion, our doors will always be open to you, Princess!"

Despite saying that, Afu was clearly smiling more brightly than anyone else, and couldn't wait to open the door and welcome them in. He then quickly ran to get a small basin for Yan Hu and filled it halfway with water for him to drink, as if he was afraid they would run away.

Suppressing a laugh, Sheng Sheng caught a glimpse of Pei Ji slowly straightening up, so she walked up to him, glanced at the book, and said with a smile, "It seems that Afu is resentful of being enslaved by Brother Pei Ji."

Pei Ji smiled as he watched Afu finally find an excuse to leave and get busy.

He glanced at her briefly, then looked back at the little dumpling in front of him. He was relieved to see that the little dumpling was wearing a thick coat and a cloak.

"Why are you here so late?"

The little girl smiled and whispered that she was going to Shanglin Hunting Ground tomorrow and might not be back for another two weeks. She told him not to miss her, since good friends always feel like they miss each other terribly if they don't see each other for a day.

"If you really want to hear it, Brother Pei Ji can go to the back and water the pear tree!"

Pei Ji was amused by her: "It's only just sprouted, and it's already a pear tree?"

He chuckled softly.

Perhaps it was the heavy snow falling under the moonlight that made the scene somewhat sentimental and affected.

It was just a short separation, and Sheng Sheng didn't want to make the scene too special, so she said, "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that all my brothers are going to the Shanglin Hunting Grounds, and even my sister is going. Although my mother isn't going, I already said goodbye to her this morning. After thinking it over, I realized that only Brother Pei Ji needs me to say goodbye to."

Consort Rong had just taken over the Phoenix Seal and was in charge of the six palaces. She had many things to deal with, so she did not go to the Shanglin Hunting Ground with them.

It was cold and snowing, and since most of the concubines were not skilled in riding or archery, there was no point in going along, so no one wanted to go.