Chapter 23 A Man's Three Parts Drunk: "Why is Pei Mingli the only one in your eyes?"

"Cousin! Don't move, I'll pick it up!"

Lin Zhi felt guilty and secretly followed Pei Lang for many days, always thinking of doing something to make amends. Finally, she found an opportunity today.

But she couldn't help but stare blankly at the embroidered handkerchief in her hand. The embroidery on it was clearly her own work. Was this her handkerchief?

My cousin actually kept it...

Seeing Lin Zhi staring at the handkerchief without saying a word, Pei Lang coldly reached out and snatched it back, his voice hard and cold: "You don't need to pretend to be kind here. I'm not that useless."

But as soon as she finished speaking, Lin Zhi saw Pei Lang frown, as if his previous movements had aggravated his shoulder injury.

Still reeling from the shock, she stepped forward to help Pei Lang, feeling wronged: "My cousin got injured because of me, so I should take you back."

Pei Lang seemed to want to shake her off, but he was too exhausted, so the two of them could only silently return to Lanxue Pavilion.

As soon as she entered, Lin Zhi noticed the wine pot on the table and couldn't help but frown: "Cousin, your injury hasn't healed yet, how can you drink alcohol?"

But Pei Lang had already walked to the edge of the bed, his back to her, and made a gesture as if to undress: "If my cousin still wants to stay, I don't mind."

Seeing the belt loosen from the young man's lean and strong waist, Lin Zhi quickly held her breath and turned around: "...Cousin, you should rest well, I'll be going now!"

Watching the fleeing figures, Pei Lang frowned, put on his clothes, and turned around to see Ji Feng rushing in.

"How's the matter going?"

Jifeng knelt on one knee and replied, "Young master, rest assured, the fire in the meditation room of the mountain temple has frightened Madam Lin quite a bit."

"Lord Pei has also agreed to let them return to their residence. Judging by the time, they should be able to return after nightfall."

Pei Lang leaned back in his soft chair, fiddling with the wine pot in his hand, lost in thought.

"Understood, you may leave."

Jifeng watched him take the wine, hesitated for a moment, and finally swallowed his words of advice.

"What are you daydreaming about? It's already night, have you finished the task the young master asked you to do?"

Jifeng was brought back to his senses when Xingyun patted his shoulder hard: "It's nothing. I was just worried about the injury on your shoulder, young master. You are so brave and extraordinary. If you were to injure your shoulder or arm, how would you be able to wield a sword in the future?"

"Won't it be harmful to drink alcohol before your injury has healed?"

Hearing his brother say this, Xingyun sat down casually: "I was wondering what you were worried about. Don't worry, young master isn't someone who acts without restraint. That wine..."

Xingyun had only spoken half a sentence when her eyes caught sight of the moonlight outside the window, and her expression suddenly turned serious: "Jifeng, did you hear anything?"

Jifeng was taken aback, but seemed to hear the rumbling of the carriage as well.

Lin Shaowan is back ahead of schedule!

The two exchanged a glance and quickly slipped out of the room.

"Miss, it's quite windy tonight. Why don't you put on an outer garment?"

"This shirt is so thin, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."

Lin Zhiqian, sitting by the window, wore only a white brocade bodice under her light blue soft shirt, and her lotus-colored long skirt was spread out on the soft couch.

Her slender, snow-white forearms extended from the cuffs of her short-sleeved shirt, scooping up handfuls of warm night breeze from mid-air, before she looked down at her attire.

Although somewhat casual, it wasn't overstepping any boundaries. He lazily shook his head and said, "No, it's hot."

Lin Zhi stared blankly out the window for a while, then suddenly sat up straight and looked at Chun Tao: "Chun Tao, I remember you said your father was injured a few days ago, is he better now?"

When Chun Tao mentioned this, her little face scrunched up: "To tell you the truth, Miss, my sister sent word yesterday that Father has been indulging in wine again, and his wound will probably take some time to heal."

"If it were just a simple injury, that would be fine. But being cut by a sickle certainly requires proper care, though it's bound to be painful. I heard she's had a high fever for several days, which has worried my sister and brother-in-law terribly. Sigh..."

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhi thought of the many wine jugs she had seen in Pei Lang's room during the day, and her mind went blank as she clenched her fists.

"Miss? Where are you going?"

Lin Zhilong, with a thin cloak covering her exquisite figure, turned around and reassured them, carrying a lantern: "I'll be right back, very soon."

After saying that, he hurried towards Lanxue Pavilion.

The servants of Lanxue Pavilion had disappeared, and the main gate remained ajar.

Lin Zhi reached out and pushed the door open. The courtyard was empty except for the candlelight still burning in Pei Lang's room.

"cousin?"

The door creaked open, and the aroma of bamboo wine wafted into the room, momentarily intoxicating Lin Zhi. But she couldn't care less now; she quickly put down the lantern and hurried to Pei Lang.

The young man's long, slender fingers gripped the wine jug tightly, refusing to let go, while several empty jugs lay scattered around him. Pei Lang closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair, his usually extremely cold face showing a rare hint of color; the flush from being drunk gave him a somewhat alluring look.

Lin Zhi's eyes quickly swept over his slightly open collar. She lowered her gaze, not daring to look around. She carefully took the wine pot from his hand, poured tea, and returned to find that Pei Lang had woken up at some point with his eyes slightly closed.

Lin Zhi felt uncomfortable under his gaze and realized she had overstepped her bounds. She put her teacup on the table, hurriedly left a message saying "Don't overindulge in tea," and turned to leave.

But her wrist was firmly held, and Lin Zhi's breath caught in her throat. Before she could turn around, she felt a burning hot body pressing against her from behind. Pei Lang was more than half a head taller than her, and he wrapped his arms around her, trapping her firmly in his embrace.

Lin Zhi was terrified and tried to struggle, but the more she struggled, the tighter she was held.

"Cousin! It's me, Azhi!"

But upon hearing her voice, Pei Lang buried his head in her shoulder and neck, murmuring, "Liar... It's just a dream. A-Zhi only comes to see me in my dreams..."

As Pei Lang slowly uttered his innermost thoughts in his deep, slightly hoarse voice, Lin Zhi felt as if the cloak on her body was about to burst into flames, and her face felt as hot as if it were about to ripen.

What does that mean? Pei Lang... dreams about her often?

Lin Zhi's mind was a complete mess. By the time she came to her senses, her cloak had already been neatly untied and fell to the ground silently. Pei Lang, somewhat unsteady on his feet, slumped back into the soft chair, trapping Lin Zhi on his lap as well.

Feeling the strong, taut thighs beneath her, Lin Zhi felt dizzy, as if she had been drinking.

"...A-Zhi? Why was today's dream so wonderful?"

As Pei Lang murmured, he pressed his face against Lin Zhi's collarbone, his high nose bridge affectionately rubbing against her chin. The two, one strong and the other gentle, embraced in an awkward sitting position, yet they were perfectly in sync, every soft inch of Lin Zhi's flesh being supported and enveloped by Pei Lang.

Between the scalding breaths, Lin Zhi felt as if she were also enveloped by the coolness of the bamboo wine. This embrace, filled with possessiveness and protectiveness, made her crave it even more.

The thin fabric was no match for Pei Lang's aggressive aura; she felt as if her whole body was ablaze.

"Why do you only have eyes for Pei Mingli? Why can't you look at me?"

Pei Lang squinted, seemingly still drunk, and just kept holding her tightly as he rambled on.

"Always competing with me... After Pei Mingli was born... Father stopped favoring me. And you too... You never even see me..."

Lin Zhi stared blankly at Pei Lang's superior profile, but his usually cold and hard features now showed a hint of vulnerability as he leaned against her as if he had suffered some great injustice.

"Thankfully, you weren't hurt... but Pei Mingli is coming back soon..."

His voice was somewhat muffled, and Lin Zhi had to lower her head and get very close to hear it. Hearing this, she couldn't help but feel warm inside. When she looked up again, she saw a single tear slide down his narrow eye!

Lin Zhi's heart trembled, and as if bewitched, she raised her hand to wipe away the tear. The warm, moist touch vanished instantly, but it was like a small pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples all over her heart.

"Then...why are you so cold to me? I thought you hated me."

Upon hearing Lin Zhi's words, Pei Lang suddenly raised his head, though his eyes were still somewhat dazed. "I didn't like you at first! I thought you, like everyone else, wanted to curry favor with the Pei family."

"But afterwards... you were thoughtful, meticulous, and diligent. You took everything to heart; you were an excellent, the best girl."

Pei Lang usually speaks decisively and sharply, but now, drunk, he carries a captivating gentleness and coaxing that makes Lin Zhi dizzy and her eyes well up with tears.

No one had ever praised her like that before; others only said that she was virtuous and kind and would make a good wife in the future.

Two faint sounds of fireworks erupted from outside the courtyard, neither too far nor too near, not enough to disrupt the intense atmosphere inside the room, but enough for Pei Lang to hear clearly.

He could tell that this was a signal from Xingyun and the other person, but he couldn't help tighten his arms and be captivated by Lin Zhi's wet eyelids. The redness at the corners of her eyes added a touch of color beyond her pure beauty, making even the finest rouge pale in comparison.

Lin Zhi was held on his lap, her snow-white neck leaning trustingly against him, as if she were willing to bear whatever he did. The scheme he had laid out long ago seemed to vanish from Pei Lang's mind for a moment, and the two breathed in each other's mouths, their breaths almost touching.

"Madam has arrived!"

The commotion outside the door was quite loud, and Lin Zhi instantly snapped out of it, turning her head away from the thin lips that were about to kiss her. Upon hearing her aunt's voice, her face turned deathly pale.

He suddenly pushed Pei Lang away and stood up, only to find the man collapsed on the table, drunk and unconscious!

"Ah Lang? Are you asleep yet? Your mother came down the mountain to visit you."

Outside the door, her aunt was speaking softly. Lin Zhi was so flustered that she almost tripped over herself, and the romantic atmosphere from before vanished in the blink of an eye.

She took a while to catch her breath before putting on her cloak and calmly opening the door.

Lin Shaowan was already feeling annoyed after being on a vegetarian diet for more than half a month on the mountain. Who would have thought that her husband would actually tell her to go home and apologize to Pei Lang first!

The aunt and niece were both surprised when they met.

"Aunt! You're finally back!"

Lin Zhi approached her affectionately, but Lin Shaowan's eyes were scrutinizing her: "What are you doing here, Zhi?"

Lin Zhi's mind went blank. She tried to explain, but Lin Shaowan stopped her with a raised hand.

Seeing that she dismissed the people around her with a serious expression, Lin Zhi belatedly felt guilty and ashamed towards Lin Shaowan and her son. She lowered her head, wanting to confess, but Lin Shaowan grabbed her hand.

"Good boy!"

A note from the author:

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Thursday's update is late, here's a chapter from Xiangxiang [heart emoji]

Thank you everyone for collecting and providing nutrient solution! [heart emoji]