Chapter 12, Part 12: Carrying Her Home

Things happened so fast that Yuezhi didn't even have time to see clearly before the man fell against the wall. The force of the stone hit him so hard that his nose was crooked, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't get up for a while.

She was breathing heavily, got up from the ground, and fled towards the half-open courtyard gate.

The other half of the courtyard gate was pushed open, and she was caught off guard, bumping into a chest filled with a light soapy scent. Startled by the strange man, she hurriedly backed away, fearing that it was another man with ill intentions.

The person gently put his arm around her back, and the boy's clear voice comforted her, "Don't be afraid, it's me."

Upon hearing the voice, Yuezhi's tense body immediately collapsed. Her eyes were red and swollen from the smoke. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, she could recognize him through his blurry outline and voice.

“Pei Heng, inside there… I…”

She was so nervous that she couldn't speak properly. Pei Heng patted her back gently, "It's okay, I'll handle it."

The lifeless eyes stared at the man below the wall, as if looking at a corpse.

He prepared a hot meal according to the time Yuezhi would return home, but the food was getting cold and she still hadn't arrived. He guessed that the Wang family was harvesting their crops and had been delayed on their way, so he left home to look for her. Unexpectedly, he saw an old friend from his uncle's house.

Pei Heng helped Yue Zhi out of the courtyard and let her sit on the haystack to let the breeze relieve the effects of the sleeping potion. He called over the children playing by the haystack to help watch over her.

Even the most mischievous children knew how formidable the junior tutor was in the academy, so they all stopped playing and gathered around Yuezhi.

Pei Heng retraced his steps back to the small courtyard, where the man had already climbed up, leaning against the wall.

Looking through his blood-stained eyes, the man chuckled softly after a careful examination.

"It's you? You're still alive?"

When they were exiled to the north, the wind was cold and the snow was heavy. More than half of the male prisoners who were punished to do hard labor died that winter. Everyone guessed that the missing deposed crown prince was young and weak and must have died long ago.

The man thought for a moment, "Was it that maid? She's the one who raised you? No wonder people said she had a younger brother. I thought someone had taken her in, but I never imagined it would be you..."

Six years of hardship and toil had made the man ruthless and brutal, even his laughter carried a hint of mockery.

Pei Heng stared at him coldly, a hint of unspoken agitation appearing on his handsome face.

The boy remained silent, while the man spoke more freely.

"We're both guilty, so what makes you better than me? You've just got a loyal servant by your side who's willing to support and serve you. Look at how good your life is now."

“We’re all implicated because of your mother and you. Don’t even think about getting away with it. The villagers are avoiding me like the plague. If they knew about your crimes of witchcraft and treason, guess how they would treat you and your siblings…”

Before he could finish speaking, the boy threw a pebble, shattering the weathered bricks on the wall. Half of the wall collapsed, burying the man underneath.

The dust was blown away by the wind, revealing the man's mangled body and half of his bleeding face.

Pei Heng walked over to the man, stepping on the pebbles.

Looking at him, it was as if I saw another ending for myself.

Without Yuezhi's protection, he would become this hysterical and ruthless person if he had to survive all by himself.

He picked up a stone with one hand and smashed it hard on the other half of the man's face, turning the pile of stones into his grave.

When he walked out of the courtyard, he had wiped the dust off his body and returned to Yuezhi with his usual gentle smile.

Yuezhi rubbed her still-swollen eyes and saw a blurry figure walk over and squat down in front of her.

She asked worriedly, "Why is it so loud in the yard? Did you do something? Are you hurt?"

Pei Heng grasped her hand, which she was eager to touch out of worry, and placed it against his cheek, gently reassuring her, "I'm fine, you don't need to worry."

The soft cheek beneath her palm, and the slight smile on her lips, calmed Yuezhi's panicked emotions considerably.

Pei Heng dismissed the children, urging them to go home for dinner, and then turned around to expose his back to Yue Zhi.

"Get on, I'll carry you home."

Yuezhi blushed. "I feel much better now. Help me walk. At my age, it's not appropriate to be carried like this. People will laugh at us."

"If anyone laughs at me, just say it was because I insisted on carrying you on my back."

He spoke so easily, as if he were coaxing her to try the food, which made Yuezhi feel that if she persisted, she would be being pretentious.

She reached out and touched his back, put her arms around his shoulders, and slowly leaned down on him. It was a simple action, but her heart was pounding like a drum.

She had never been carried before, and she had only ever seen people carrying children on the street, but she had never seen a woman her age being carried—she always felt like she was going to fall off.

"Hold on tight," Pei Heng whispered, wrapping his arms around her knees and easily lifting her onto his back.

The feeling of being suspended in mid-air made Yuezhi feel both nervous and curious. She unconsciously tightened her arms and hugged the boy's neck, her breathing becoming longer.

He walked at a leisurely pace, with Yuezhi clinging to his back, her eyes blurry as she gazed at the fiery sunset in the distance.

"We're almost home, put me down now."

"It's still a long way off."

"It sounds like someone is talking."

"It was a group of elderly people chatting under the tree."

"Are they watching us? Pei Heng, you should put me down, this is too strange."

"It was already dark, and their eyesight wasn't good, so they didn't see us."

"Oh." Yuezhi was completely at a loss.

Actually, it felt very comfortable to be carried on someone's back. His back was gentle yet strong, and all the clothes he wore were handmade by her. She could tell he was wearing that light green coat just by touching them with her fingertips.

One can imagine that his figure carrying her on his back resembled a bamboo leaf bent slightly by the morning dew in the mountains.

Just lying on his back like this, her heart started to race again, pounding and making her chest ache.

Yuezhi thought to herself: Aunt Wang said she was already of marriageable age. Perhaps after she gets married, her inexplicable anxiety will be cured.

I took a deep breath, and the familiar scent of soapberry filled my nostrils.

"Yuezhi," Pei Heng called softly.

"Hmm?" Yuezhi came back to her senses.

Did that man say anything to you?

Yuezhi recalled the old ramblings the man had made and said softly, "It was all nonsense. I didn't listen to a word he said. No matter what he says, don't take it to heart."

"Mm." Pei Heng smiled in response. The restlessness that had been building up inside him became insignificant because of her nagging in his ear, like a gentle breeze dispelling the summer heat.

Why are you asking about him? Did you really do something to him?

As Yuezhi sat on the haystack, she heard a collapse sound coming from the courtyard. Not only she, but all the children in the circle heard it, but because Xiaofuzi was inside, they suppressed their curiosity and did not dare to go over to see.

Now that the two of them have left, who knows which mischievous child might go into the yard to take a peek, in case Pei Heng really did something...

"Not for him."

Pei Heng's calm answer brought Yue Zhi back to her senses. She listened quietly, secretly glancing at his expression from the side of her ear.

He had a faint smile on his face. "I just suddenly realized that you've taken good care of me."

One sentence warmed Yuezhi's heart.

She lowered her eyelashes and said, "You've always been a very good person."

"You are fine too."

The boy's voice seemed to be blown into her ears by the wind. Yuezhi felt a tickle in her ears and a surge of joy rose in her heart. She couldn't help but tap her dangling toes.

No one has ever praised her like that before.