Chapter 11 My Cousin's Secret: "My wife slapped me, and I was secretly delighted..."

Looking at the table set aside just for her in the room, Lin Zhi was somewhat flattered: "Cousin, there's no need to go to such trouble. I can just write at the stone table in the pavilion."

Pei Lang raised his hand and picked up a calligraphy practice book: "A craftsman must first sharpen his tools if he wants to do his work well. Sit down."

Seeing him grind the ink himself, Lin Zhi felt apprehensive and wanted to stand up, but was gestured to sit down by a look.

The soft texture as she sat down surprised Lin Zhi. Why was there a cushion here? Could it be that her cousin had prepared one?

But Lin Zhisheng was afraid that this was because she was ignorant and dared not ask casually, so she took the pen that Pei Lang handed her and started writing.

But Pei Lang seemed very busy. Lin Zhi had barely written half a page when a servant came over and whispered something in his ear. Pei Lang then had someone push him into the study.

Lin Zhi's mind wasn't on practicing calligraphy at all; she was constantly watching him out of the corner of her eye. As a result, she became even more distracted, and her hand trembled, causing a drop of ink to smudge onto the paper she was almost finished writing.

Looking at the fairly decent handwriting, Lin Zhi frowned, feeling a pang of heartache, but she had no choice but to change it. If she showed this handwriting to Pei Lang, who knows what he would say.

The summer heat was stifling, and the room quickly became stuffy. Even Lin Zhi, who was usually cold-sensitive, couldn't help but break out in a few beads of sweat. She carefully walked around the paper and pen, raised her hand to wipe away the fine sweat, and felt like she was about to lose her breath.

Just as she reached the window to open it, Lan Xin, who had just entered, stopped her: "Miss, these are all the young master's books. What if they get damaged by the wind?"

Lin Zhi was both angry and dizzy. Her breathing became heavy, and her once rosy complexion turned pale. How could she not know that Lan Xin was deliberately making things difficult for her? But because of Pei Lang, Lin Zhi could only plead in a low voice, "I just wanted some fresh air. I'm not feeling well..."

Upon hearing this, Lan Xin placed the still-steaming teacup on the small table and raised her voice even higher: "Miss! Although Lan Xin is a servant, she is also the young master's servant, and not just anyone can order her around."

"This servant is doing this for your own good, mistress. You can't use your status to pressure this servant!"

Lan Xin deliberately emphasized the word "identity," clearly reminding her that she was not the master of this Pei family.

Lin Zhi didn't have time to unravel these complexities with her. With her aching arms, she forced open the window, and a cool breeze rushed in. Only then did Lin Zhi feel like a fish out of water, taking a few deep breaths.

Unfortunately, the wind was not on our side. In the next instant, it picked up quite a bit of force and actually carried several books that were placed by the door out, scattering them all over the ground.

"Ah! The young master's books!"

Lan Xin screamed in surprise, turned around and glared fiercely at Lin Zhi, then lifted her skirt and chased after her.

Lin Zhi bit her lower lip and followed after them, ignoring her discomfort. She hadn't expected these books to be so fragile.

As she crouched down and picked up the scattered pages one by one, Lin Zhi felt the scorching sun making her back burn.

"Miss, there are two more tickets ahead."

Seeing that Lin Zhi was quick and efficient, Lan Xin had already stood up and stood by with her arms crossed.

“Miss, these are all ancient books that the young master values. If you really can’t pick them out, I can only report the truth.”

Lin Zhi squatted on the ground, reaching out to grab the pages of the book that were about to be blown away. Large beads of sweat fell onto the ground in front of her. Her calves were sore and numb, and even her vision was blurry.

She bit her lip until it bled, trying her best to stay awake. She looked up at the closed study; it seemed Pei Lang wasn't finished yet. She had already caused enough trouble; she had to get everything ready before he came out...

Pei Lang's tall figure stood behind the window, his eyes indifferently staring at the lonely and fragile figure in the courtyard, swaying precariously like a delicate seedling. Seeing how pitiful she was, the suppressed desire to abuse and control in his heart gradually overwhelmed his reason.

Even Xingyun, who was also a servant, couldn't stand Lanxin's behavior and frowned at Pei Lang: "Young Master, Lanxin has gone too far. Even if Miss Lanxin is not as precious as you and the Second Young Master, she is still a master."

Pei Lang's lips curled into a tiny smile: "Master? What kind of master is she?"

"Miss!"

Chun Tao's figure could be heard from afar, and Pei Lang watched helplessly as Lin Zhi collapsed under the scorching sun.

"Tsk, so delicate."

Since she wants to curry favor with the Pei family, how can she not suffer a bit? Besides, such suffering is too lenient on her. Lin Zhi may seem fragile and easily broken, but she has the strongest will. If she doesn't suffer a big enough setback, she might not give up.

Thirst... After everything went black before her eyes, Lin Zhi's only thought was thirst.

She couldn't open her eyes and felt as if she were walking in a desert, a vast wilderness, with nowhere for her to find shelter.

Her throat was parched, as if she had swallowed sand. Lin Zhi knelt on the desert floor, unable to move an inch. In her dizziness, she seemed to see an extremely familiar figure. The man was tall and reliable. "Cousin..."

A cool sensation gradually spread across her lips. Lin Zhi opened her eyes with some difficulty, only to find an unfamiliar set of furnishings and decorations.

"Awake?" A cold, magnetic voice sounded in her ear, and Lin Zhi's consciousness just returned, remembering what she had done that day.

She tried to get up, but then her vision blurred and she was pushed back onto the soft couch.

She looked up and saw Pei Lang's overly superior profile, his long, handsome hand just withdrawing as he put down the small cup.

Lin Zhi was not fully awake yet, and an unbelievable thought flashed through her mind: Just now, Pei Lang was feeding her water?

"The events of today..."

Lin Zhi's heart clenched. She thought she was going to be scolded, but to her surprise, Pei Lang apologized to her instead: "It's because my cousin didn't discipline the servants properly, which made my cousin suffer."

"It's just that Lanxin has a special status. I've already reprimanded her, and I won't let her appear in front of my cousin again."

Lin Zhi was shocked but couldn't hide her disappointment. It seemed the rumors weren't false; Lan Xin might really be someone close to her cousin. She lowered her eyes, trying to conceal her emotions and maintain her composure: "Cousin, you're too kind. I was in the wrong first..."

"If my cousin is willing, she can hit or scold me all she wants, just don't come back..."

Lin Zhi's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. She never expected Pei Lang to say such a thing, and her heart pounded with panic. She stammered, "Cousin...cousin, what are you saying? I didn't blame you..."

Seeing Pei Lang's downcast eyes and seemingly disappointed expression, Lin Zhi felt as if her heart had been squeezed by an invisible hand, aching and painful.

"It was truly my fault today. Please rest here for a while before you go back, my cousin."

Lin Zhi didn't dare to look at him, feeling awkward. "I'm fine now, so I won't bother you any longer, cousin."

She had just managed to get up when her vision blurred and she fell heavily back onto the soft couch!

With a loud thud, Lin Zhi was startled by the sudden weight on her body. When she opened her eyes, she realized that Pei Lang had fallen off his wheelchair in a hurry.

The two were only two fists apart, and his soft, flowing hair tickled his cheek. The young man, with his striking features, was originally aloof and unapproachable like the moon in the sky, but now, his powerless appearance made him seem vulnerable and broken.

Lin Zhi seemed a little terrified, staring at Pei Lang's arms supporting her with all his might, trying to get up but unable to get any support from her legs.

"Cousin, you, you don't look at me..."

Sensing the suppressed embarrassment in Pei Lang's tone, Lin Zhi belatedly blushed, biting her pale, full lips and turning her head away.

Although her vision was blocked, her remaining senses became even more acute. Her nose was filled with the warm scent of pine trees emanating from Pei Lang, and the young man's hot hand inadvertently brushed against her cheek and earlobe, a subtle yet deadly touch.

After Pei Lang finally managed to sit back in his wheelchair, he seemed like a different person. He coughed lightly and calmly said, "I have already sent a servant to find a doctor to prescribe some medicine to relieve the heat. Cousin, you should go back and rest as soon as possible."

After saying that, Pei Lang called out to Chun Tao, who was guarding outside the door: "Take good care of Miss Biao and let her go back to her room to rest."

Lin Zhi's heart soared high only to plummet low. As she rose to leave, she was still somewhat dizzy and unsure of what to do. But as she stepped out of Pei Lang's bedroom, Lin Zhi inexplicably turned back for a glance. She saw him with his back to her, but his ears were as red as if they had been burned.

Chun Tao's little mouth never stopped the whole way, sometimes showing concern for Lin Zhi and sometimes scolding Lan Xin.

Lin Zhi, however, didn't hear a word he said. Since childhood, she had regarded Pei Lang as her teacher and brother, and was always afraid to get close to him. But now, this person, who was like a cloud on a mountain peak, was so close to her...

Lin Zhi rubbed her fingers that he had touched, feeling as if a pot of sweet soup was boiling in her heart, scalding hot yet still sweet.

As evening fell, Lin Zhi leaned against the chaise longue and read by candlelight, but after a long time, she did not turn a single page.

"Miss, the eldest young master has sent someone to deliver some things."

When Xia Ying came in carrying some things, she saw Lin Zhi rushing over without even putting on her shoes: "Miss! You're still not feeling well today, please put your shoes on!"

Lin Zhi had come over excitedly, but her bright eyes dimmed when she saw a stack of books: "So my cousin sent books..."

Xia Ying was still oblivious. After helping him put on his shoes, she stood up and said, "Yes, today is not the day the young master usually brings books."

"Miss, you're not fully recovered yet, would you still like to see a doctor?"

Lin Zhi sighed silently, "Just put it on the table, I'll take a look at it later."

After Xia Ying closed the door and left, Lin Zhi grabbed a soft pillow from the side and hugged it to her chest, unconsciously clutching it, not knowing what she was feeling frustrated about.

"It's always been like this before, do you expect him to send anything else?"

Lin Zhi didn't know what was wrong with her. After feeling upset, she still sat down at the desk and looked through the assignments Pei Lang had given her.

Suddenly, a booklet with a light-colored cover fell out from a stack of serious and boring books.

"What is this? A storybook?"

Lin Zhi had read quite a few storybooks, but most of them were about talented men and beautiful women, and after reading them many times, they were all the same.

But this book was clearly smuggled in from Pei Lang.

"Cousin... watches this kind of stuff?"

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Zhi opened the book anyway, wanting to see what was different about the storybook that Pei Lang would be interested in. However, after only turning two pages, Lin Zhi quickly closed the book with a blush on her face.

She glanced warily at the doorway; Chun Tao and Xia Ying should be inside making the bed by now, so they probably weren't there.

She quickly blew out most of the candles, leaving only one by the bed. Thinking of the pictures and words in the storybook, she forced herself to open it again, suppressing her embarrassment.

Although the writing and drawing above were subtle, Lin Zhi could still tell that the man and woman were of different heights, one standing and one kneeling.

"My wife slapped me, and I was secretly pleased..." How could this man be happy when he was slapped?

A vague idea popped into Lin Zhi's mind, but she couldn't figure it out no matter how hard she tried. Just as she closed the book, Pei Lang's words from earlier that day suddenly flashed through her mind:

If my cousin is willing, she can hit or scold me all she wants...

Lin Zhi gasped, as if she had glimpsed Pei Lang's shameful secret. "Could it be that my cousin... has such a fetish?"