Chapter 90 A tender questioning, but Pei Lang pressed his forehead against hers, his large hand...

Hearing Xingyun's footsteps approaching, Lin Zhi turned her back to him, wiped away her tears, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then turned to stare at him.

"If I hadn't brought Mianmian back to the house in time today, I'm afraid the child would have gotten sick again. Since you've entrusted the child to me, Xingyun, you can't take care of her like this! A premature baby like her will die if she continues to be sick!"

However, after saying all that in one breath, Lin Zhi belatedly realized that she had acted impulsively, so she quickly fell silent and lowered her head to coax the child.

Xingyun pursed her lips and said nothing, but sighed: "Miss Lin, it's not that I'm incompetent, it's just that our young master has no choice."

"Although he cares about the young lady, he is also a man who is not careful enough. He is afraid that he might do something wrong or fail to take good care of the young lady."

"I was thinking of finding a woman to take care of the young lady, but I never expected that Tian Yun'er would be this kind of person."

Seeing that Lin Zhi remained silent, Xingyun extended her hand to her, saying, "Thank you for today, Miss Lin. I'm sorry to have troubled you. I'll take the young lady back now..."

Lin Zhi hesitated for a moment before handing the child over, but Lin Mianmian struggled and huddled in her arms, unwilling to leave, and pouted as if about to cry again.

Lin Zhi's heart softened immediately. She frowned slightly, feeling the child's dependence on her, and said with difficulty, "How about this, I'll take care of her today, and you can come and take her away when you find a suitable person?"

However, Xingyun was somewhat troubled: "Our young master cherishes his young mistress as the apple of his eye. If he finds out that I left her in your house, I'm afraid he will punish me."

"Besides, your family doesn't have what the young lady needs, so why don't you... come back with me? You can come back after the young lady falls asleep?"

Thinking that the two houses were not far apart, but then thinking about Pei Lang's persistent gaze, Lin Zhi hesitated again.

As if sensing her worry, Xingyun quickly said that Pei Lang was not at home at the moment.

Lin Zhi glanced down at the little child in her arms before reluctantly nodding and following him inside.

"These are all the little miss's favorites. You can use these to coax her."

Xingyun seemed to have other things to do, so she quickly found the things for her and left again.

Looking at the familiar rattle drum and cloth tiger, Lin Zhi blinked her long eyelashes, but then a crystal tear fell down her cheek.

She never expected that Mianmian would actually like these little things, nor did she expect that Pei Lang would tolerate keeping them until now.

The wind outside the window seemed to have picked up, but Lin Zhi didn't pay it any mind. She just kept teasing Lin Mianmian in her arms, finding her more and more endearing.

“Young master, I feel that the lady’s amnesia is not as simple as it seems.”

"She still remembers what happened when her subordinate and the young lady were born; it's likely she did it on purpose..."

Xingyun dared not utter the rest of her words. She carefully observed Pei Lang's expression, noticing that half of his face was hidden in shadow, and he was stroking a jade beaded necklace in his hand, his expression unreadable.

"So you're saying she remembers Mianmian's premature birth and your name, but she's unwilling to acknowledge me, is that right?"

They even had to avoid the scene where he caused an engagement with Luo Qinzhi.

Pei Lang's long, slender fingers tightened, a smile playing on his lips: "Playful..."

The candle flame crackled and popped, startling Lin Zhi so much that she quickly opened her eyes and looked up. She hurriedly reached out and touched Mianmian, who was breathing evenly on the bed, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.

How did she fall asleep?

She had been anxiously fearing Pei Lang's return, but the room was so warm that she actually fell asleep.

Lin Zhi tucked the blanket around the crib again, rubbed her eyes, got up and walked to the door. She wanted to open the door to ask Xingyun why Pei Lang hadn't returned yet.

As soon as she opened the door, snowflakes rushed in and covered her face. The cold wind, sharp as knives, stung her face, and Lin Zhi almost couldn't open her eyes.

Suddenly shielded from most of the wind and snow, Lin Zhi finally looked up at the person blocking her way.

"Miss Lin."

A handsome face emerged from under the fur collar of the cloak, startling Lin Zhi so much that she took a small step back, but then stopped her seemingly frightened action in a somewhat embarrassed manner.

“...Young Master Pei.”

Pei Lang was extremely tall, and now, dressed in thick winter clothes, he appeared even more broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, exuding an extraordinary and heroic air.

Lin Zhi noticed his cold attitude. After entering the room, he took off his cloak and put it aside. He washed his hands by the charcoal brazier and warmed them to ward off the cold before carefully walking to Lin Mianmian's bedside to see her.

"Mianmian doesn't like winter, she always cries and fusses, and her face gets hurt easily."

"You seem to be doing well today, thank you."

Although Pei Lang didn't turn to look at her, Lin Zhi understood that he was talking to her, since there was no one else awake in the room.

But she still harbored a grudge, thinking, "Perhaps it's because Miss Tian saw that the young master was paying her a lot of wages that she took such good care of Mianmian."

Hearing her mention Tian Yun'er, Pei Lang turned to look at her, but quickly looked away again: "But no amount of money can buy someone who truly cares for Mianmian."

“Miss Lin, I thank you for today’s matter. This money is my reward. I’m really sorry for troubling you so much.”

A heavy money bag landed on the table in front of Lin Zhi. She watched as Pei Lang quickly withdrew his hand, as if he didn't want even a little more contact.

A complex emotion flashed in her eyes, but she lowered her gaze and swallowed it all down.

"Let's leave it at that for today, but what about tomorrow and the day after?"

"Young Master Pei, please forgive my bluntness, but if you truly care about Mianmian, you should return to the capital sooner rather than later. The child is still so young; how can she withstand such torment?"

“Pingyi is just a small place, it can’t possibly accommodate you.”

Lin Zhi spoke earnestly and calmly, but her heart was far from at peace. Even now, she couldn't bring herself to ask Pei Lang to remarry and take care of Mianmian.

But she didn't want him to appear around her again. Mianmian would only keep breaking down her defenses. This child, who was once connected to her by blood, was the person in her heart.

She was still wary of Pei Lang doing something impulsive, but she didn't expect that his tall figure would tremble slightly in the candlelight: "...Alright, Miss Lin is right, I can't let Mianmian suffer any more."

"She shouldn't have to go through all this because of my mistakes."

"We'll leave after the snow stops in a few days..."

Hearing him agree so readily, Lin Zhi felt no relief at all; instead, it felt like a heavy stone was pressing on her chest.

"...Since that's the case, it's getting late, so I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."

But as soon as Lin Zhi opened the door, she heard another loud bang. She looked in disbelief at the direction of the loud noise, which turned out to be her own front door!

Without thinking, she was about to rush out when someone grabbed her arm from behind, and a thick, soft cloak with a faint scent of cedar fell onto her shoulders, completely enveloping her.

"The snow outside is too heavy, it's dangerous. I'll go check it out first."

Watching Pei Lang change into something and go out, Lin Zhi huddled in her cloak, feeling somewhat lost.

"Miss Lin, it was the thick snow on top that brought down some planks and stones."

"Now that the door can't be pushed open, I suppose you won't be able to go back today."

Xingyun and his men braved the wind and snow to investigate before returning to report. Lin Zhi couldn't help but gasp. Luckily, she hadn't left after Pei Lang returned, otherwise she might have been buried underneath!

"What should we do?"

Although still shaken, Lin Zhi was worried about where she would end up tonight.

The road was dark and slippery, and it was risky for her to go to her cousin's house alone.

"If Miss Lin doesn't mind, why don't you stay here with Mianmian for the night?"

Pei Lang, who had been very noticeable but had remained silent all along, finally spoke a few words.

But this one sentence made Lin Zhi cry out in surprise, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her face full of shame and indignation: "How can this be!"

But as if in response to Lin Zhi, a dull thud was heard outside again soon, and more snow fell.

Lin Zhi was stunned. She never imagined that she would be unable to return home after only half a day away.

Xingyun tactfully withdrew, while Pei Lang also got up: "You sleep on the bed, I'll sleep in the outer room, there's a small bed here."

However, the small bed was not even as tall as Pei Lang, making him look particularly pitiful.

But Lin Zhi couldn't accept him sleeping next to her now. She gritted her teeth, washed up, and lay down on the couch fully clothed.

His eyes remained closed for a long time, staring straight at the darkness before him, his heart pounding wildly.

But the child next to her was sleeping so soundly that Lin Zhi remembered Pei Lang saying that she was too noisy at night, but now she didn't know how well-behaved she was.

As her daughter's steady breathing grew, Lin Zhi gradually calmed down, her eyelids drooping as she drifted off to sleep.

But the rustling footsteps suddenly woke her up, banished her drowsiness, and she listened intently, recognizing the sound as footsteps.

She wrapped the blanket around herself tighter, wanting to pick up Lin Mianmian but hesitating: Pei Lang was no ordinary person, and he had subordinates protecting his home, so how could someone have climbed over the wall to get in?

unless......

Lin Zhi was about to get up when she was pressed back down onto the couch by a force. Just as she was about to struggle, a familiar and pleasant scent of cedar filled her nostrils.

"You, let me go!"

Lin Zhi lowered her voice, afraid of disturbing Mianmian, but her voice was already panicked, as if Pei Lang had seen through her little trick and wanted to force himself on her.

But Pei Lang pressed his forehead against hers, his large hand gripping her waist like an iron clamp, immobilizing her.

“Ah Zhi, you’ve been naughty. I and Mianmian will suffer every day, thinking of you for a year and missing you for a hundred days.”

"You actually smile at other people?"

Pei Lang's voice was low and hoarse, and even listening to it, one could feel his endless pain.

Lin Zhi was taken aback, her heart aching. She never expected that he still cared about her so much.

When she faked her death to escape, she had already decided that since Pei Lang was so cold-blooded and heartless, and cared so much about this child who bore his blood, she would grant him his wish and not stay to disturb his peace.

He could investigate their whereabouts and chase them all the way to Pingyi with the child. What was Pei Lang planning to do?

Clearly, he said those words himself, so what does he want to use her for now?

Lin Zhi felt as if her throat was blocked by a wad of cotton, making it difficult to utter a sound. She opened her red lips, but before she could speak, she felt a weight on her body.

Pei Lang held her in his arms, his breathing gradually becoming steady.

-----------------------

Author's Note: There will be updates tomorrow and the day after [pat on the head][heart emoji] Thank you all for your patience, I'm working hard to finish it soon~