65. Chapter 65 Kiss

Feng Zichen nodded. "They look very similar. If I'm not mistaken, the woman in the painting must be your uncle's sweetheart. Zhang Xiaoxiao is very likely her child."

Zhao Jin's expression became increasingly solemn. He couldn't help but think of his mother's tears and his fifth uncle's self-abandonment. If Zhang Xiaoxiao was that man's child, could she be his eldest uncle's flesh and blood?

After returning from Feng's Mansion, he went straight back to his mother's residence. Mo lived in Qingxin Hall. She worshipped Buddha all year round. Zhao Jin found her in the small Buddhist temple.

There is constant burning of incense in the small Buddhist hall all year round. The Mo family worships Buddha sincerely every day. Incense is burning in the purple clay Guanyin incense burner indoors. The rising smoke is like a very thin layer of mist, swirling upwards.

The room is filled with the scent of sandalwood.

Mrs. Mo was sitting at the desk next to the incense burner, copying Buddhist scriptures carefully.

After seeing her, the seriousness on Zhao Jin's face gradually faded, and a smile appeared on his lips. He didn't mention Xiaoxiao directly, but smiled and put his arm around Mo's shoulders. "Mother, why do you keep yourself cooped up in the small Buddhist temple all day? At least go out and get some fresh air."

Mrs. Mo was so focused on copying that she only realized he was here when she heard his voice. She put down her wolf-hair brush and said, "I haven't been here all the time. What brought you here?"

Zhao Jin was studying at the Imperial College. He liked to run around during his days off, so Mrs. Mo rarely saw him during the day.

Zhao Jin smiled and said, "I just missed you. I dreamed of you and my uncle yesterday, so I came to see you."

When he mentioned his eldest brother, a trace of sadness flashed across Madam Mo's face. "Why did you suddenly dream about your uncle?"

Zhao Jin said, "I saw my fifth uncle a few days ago, and suddenly I remembered that I had seen a portrait of my eldest uncle and a woman in his room. The woman looked pregnant. Perhaps that's why I dreamed of him. It's amazing that I dreamed of my eldest uncle's child, a very beautiful little girl."

When she heard him mention her eldest brother's child, Mrs. Mo was stunned for a moment, and the sadness on her face could hardly be concealed. She remained silent.

Zhao Jin took the opportunity to say, "I also dreamed of mother helping that little girl to tie her hair. Mother, do you think it's possible that my uncle's child is still alive?"

Mrs. Mo shook her head.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow, and she had no intention of saying anything more.

Zhao Jin was eager to find out, so he asked a few more questions, "Why did the mother think the child was dead? Didn't you meet your uncle's sweetheart? What happened back then?"

Because Xue Ji was a woman from the Great Jin Dynasty, Old Madam Mo did not allow her to enter the house, so Xue Ji had never been to the Duke of Anguo's Mansion. After Mo Xin brought her back to the capital, he placed her in a farm outside the capital.

When she was about to give birth, Old Madam Mo wanted to harm her and planned to send a maid to the farm to fake her death from childbirth while she was giving birth. Unexpectedly, her plan was overheard by Mo Chuan.

He rushed to the farm overnight and took Xue Ji away directly. A few days later, he came back and became silent after returning home. Mo once asked about Xue Ji and her child, and he just said that they were dead.

Madam Mo sighed, "It was your fifth uncle who said it himself. He was very depressed after returning home. If Xue Ji hadn't died, he wouldn't have been like that. If that child was still alive, your fifth uncle wouldn't have hated your grandmother so much."

Zhao Jin also vaguely knew about his fifth uncle's hatred for his grandmother. It was precisely because of this that he was particularly concerned about Xiaoxiao's life experience.

Afraid that Xiaoxiao was not Xue Ji's child, Zhao Jin did not rush to tell his mother about this. After leaving Qingxin Hall, he asked someone to check Xiaoxiao's background.

Xiaoxiao didn't know that Zhao Jin had sent people to Zhangjia Village.

After she came back from the bookstore, she went to the clothing store. She was very slow at making clothes and planned to buy a set of clothes for Xiaoxing and her brother.

After buying the clothes, she went straight back home. Because Xiaoxing was not famous, even though his paintings were good, he could only exchange them for ten taels of silver in total.

After Xiaoxiao returned home, she gave the silver to Xiaoxing, but Xiaoxing confiscated it. He took out the note he had written in advance and handed it to Xiaoxiao, "Sister, keep it as food money."

He was very persistent, and Xiaoxiao had no choice but to accept the money, intending to save it and give it to him later.

Xiaoxiao took out new clothes and said with a smile: "I bought you a set of clothes, try them on and see if you like them."

This was not the first time she bought him clothes. When they first lived in Guxing Street, she bought him two sets of clothes. Xiaoxing felt warm in his heart and a smile appeared on his lips.

He tried it on obediently. His facial features were already delicate, and after putting on the moon-white brocade robe, he looked like a character walking out of a painting.

Xiaoxiao's eyes sparkled as she smiled and said, "Our little Xing is so handsome."

When Xiaoxing saw her smiling and talking, he was dazed for a moment, and somehow he thought of his mother.

His mother's name was Xueli. When he was five years old, his mother made him a piece of clothing. After he put it on, she smiled like this, with her eyes and eyebrows curved, and kept praising him for being handsome.

Unfortunately, in that year, the cruel tyrant abducted his mother. He went to the palace more than once, trying to rescue his mother, but was driven away by the guards every time.

Speaking of which, he hadn't seen his mother for several years. If it weren't for her portrait, he might have forgotten what his mother looked like long ago.

For the sake of his mother, he could only endure it.

Xiaoxing unconsciously clenched his fingers, and a deep hatred flashed in his eyes. Afraid that Xiaoxiao would notice something unusual, the boy lowered his eyelashes to hide the strong emotions in his eyes.

Xiaoxiao continued to praise him, "You are so beautiful. You look good in any color. I will buy you a red dress someday. It will definitely look even better."

Her smile was so sweet that Xiaoxing was unconsciously attracted to her. He actually didn't understand why Xiaoxiao was so nice to him.

Obviously, in her eyes, he was just a stranger.

Xiaoxing doesn't understand how there can be such a good person in the world.

He looked at Xiaoxiao in a daze. She looked so much like her mother. She must be the older sister that her aunt risked her life to give birth to, right?

My aunt was also a very good person. So good that even though she was used as a substitute by the monarch of the Jin Dynasty and humiliated for many years, my mother never resented her once. She even asked the nanny to repeatedly tell him that when he was able to do so, he must find his sister and take good care of her.

He was not as selfless as his mother. He actually blamed his aunt. He felt that if it weren't for his aunt, he might have a happy family and a father who loved him.

He had never thought of looking for his sister, but he met her by chance. She was so warm and loving that when he was with her, he could even forget all his tragic past.

He actually hoped that she was really his sister. That way, he could take her away after completing his mission.

Xiaoxing unconsciously turned the bracelet on his hand. Seeing that Luzhu was always waiting by his side, he pursed his thin lips slightly and felt inexplicably annoyed. He was not stupid, so he naturally realized that Luzhu was watching him. If he wanted to succeed, he had to be more cautious.

He showed a shy smile on his face, and Ren Xiaoxiao praised him.

Xiaoxiao stayed with Xiaoxing for a while before returning to Meiyuan.

After she left, Xiaoxing sat in front of the window and continued painting. He painted his mother's favorite plum blossoms. Every time he painted these plum blossoms, he could recall the scene when he was a child, when his mother gently held him in her arms and admired the plum blossoms.

The young man lowered his head and looked at the plum blossoms in front of him. He was wearing a snow-white brocade robe, his raven-black hair was tied up high, his face was as smooth and white as jade, but his expression was very lonely.

Xiaoxiao had no idea that he had many unknown things in his heart. After returning to Meiyuan, she put away the clothes she bought for her brother for the time being.

Pei Xiuhan did not come over in the evening. When he was busy, he always came back very late. This happened for three consecutive days. It was not until the fourth day that he came to see her.

When she didn't see him, she missed him very much. After seeing him, Xiaoxiao couldn't help but recall the scene of him biting her earlobe, and her porcelain-white face felt a little hot.

Pei Xiuhan pinched her little face, with a smile in his eyes, and couldn't help but ask her in a low voice, "Do you miss your brother?"

Xiaoxiao's cheeks turned red unconsciously. She never lied, so even though she was a little shy, she nodded obediently.

She couldn't help but remind him, "Brother, no matter how busy you are, you must take care of your health and not stay up late at night."

Pei Xiuhan tutted his words, a hint of amusement in his eyes, "You're already controlling your brother before you even marry into the palace?"

Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment. After realizing what he meant, her watery eyes were filled with embarrassment and her fair and tender face turned red, almost dripping blood.

She, she didn't want to control him.

Xiaoxiao bit her lip unconsciously. When she met his smiling gaze, her face turned even redder. She quickly explained, "I, I didn't mean to bother my brother. I just wanted him to take care of himself."

Pei Xiuhan's gaze lingered on her lips for a moment longer. He scratched the tip of her nose and said with a smile, "Why are you in such a hurry? It's not like I'm not letting you take charge. Just because others don't like being controlled by their wives doesn't mean I don't like it either."

The word "wife" made Xiaoxiao's face flush instantly. How could she be his wife?

Xiaoxiao didn't dare to look up at him, always feeling that he was doing it on purpose. The man had a smile on his face, but seeing the little girl so embarrassed, the bad nature in his bones came out again.

He couldn't help but hook his arm around the girl's slender waist, pulled her into his arms, and asked her in a low voice, "When your brother comes back, I'll propose marriage. Can I call you husband first so that your brother can hear it?"

Xiaoxiao felt a little dizzy. She was completely overwhelmed by the word "propose marriage", let alone the word "husband".

No, that's not right. What made her even more dizzy was the pleasant smell on him. He held her waist tightly and Xiaoxiao almost lay on him. He was wearing thin clothes and she could almost feel his strong chest.

Xiaoxiao's heart palpitated, her mind going blank with nervousness. Somehow, she recalled the scenery she had seen when she had a nosebleed. She only felt a slight itch on the tip of her nose again, but fortunately, she didn't have a nosebleed this time.

The next moment, the man grabbed her fair chin, stared into her watery black eyes, and threatened with a smile: "Are you going to scream or not? If you don't scream, I will kiss you."

Xiaoxiao was extremely nervous, her long eyelashes trembled and she unconsciously pursed her red lips.

Pei Xiuhan narrowed his eyes slightly, and then he realized that the little girl's gaze fell on his lips, and he couldn't help swallowing.

Pei Xiuhan's eyes were darker than the night. He no longer suppressed his emotions. He couldn't help but hold her chin and tentatively kissed her lips.

Xiaoxiao's head suddenly buzzed and her eyelashes fluttered several times. After meeting his dark eyes, she was so nervous that her heart was trembling.