"Have you been awake for a long time?" Bao Ning pushed Ah Huang to the ground. When she woke up, her trouser legs were rubbed to her knees, and she dragged them down.

"It's already dawn." Bao Ning yawned, climbed over Pei Yuan's legs and crawled down, "What do you want to eat in the morning?"

"Didn't you say to make bowls of dumplings?" Pei Yuan blinked his sour eyes and sat up, "Give me some of your goat milk, don't add sugar, I want to drink it too."

"You are so childish." Bao Ning sat in front of the dressing table, smiled, and slowly combed her long hair, "Why are you competing with Ah Mian for food?"

Pei Yuan leaned against the wall, half-lidded and looked at her. Behind the dressing table was a small window. The morning light poured in, coating Baoning's body with a layer of gold. She lowered her eyes and rubbed the ends of her hair, her posture was gentle and soft.

Pei Yuan's heart softened and he smiled: "Who is Ah Mian?"

"A lamb. It has never had a name. I named it last night when I was waiting for you." Baoning blinked and imitated the lamb's cry, "Mee--"

Pei Yuan said: "You are the most childish. You are imitating the lamb's cry so early in the morning, like a child."

"What do you know? You are so boring." Baoning ignored him, stood up, went to the closet to get her dress, and went to change behind the screen.

She was in a good mood, and she was humming a tune while changing her clothes, a humming tune, and the lyrics sounded like the Peony Pavilion.

After pondering for a whole night, he suddenly got the answer. In fact, there are two choices in front of him now. He predicted that Ji Jiaying might be in danger, and he had to choose between saving her and making a profit. He wanted to choose the latter, but he was worried that Baoning would be unhappy about it. After all, this decision was not so humane.

Pei Yuan thought that instead of arguing about the result afterwards, it would be better to explain it to Baoning in advance and ask for her opinion.

Baoning came out from behind the screen, she adjusted her collar in front of the mirror, and saw Pei Yuan looking at her.

"Are you particularly hungry?" Baoning turned around and smiled at him, "But you have to wait for me, I haven't tied my hair yet, I'll go out after I'm done."

She was heartless and kept muttering to herself, "I have to cook beautifully, so that those maids in the kitchen will praise me behind my back, how comfortable it would be. Should I make a few more bowls of dumplings and share some with them? It's so embarrassing to be praised for nothing..."

Pei Yuan felt that he seemed too cruel again.

Baoning was like a blank sheet of paper, but he insisted on pulling her into his world. She could have stayed away from those dirty and bad disputes, but because of him, Baoning had to participate.

Pei Yuan hardened his heart. They were husband and wife, sharing honor and disgrace, and there were some things that Baoning could not avoid.

"Ningning." Pei Yuan sat upright and called her name, "I have something to tell you."

"Why are you so serious?" Bao Ning was startled by him. She put the hairpin in her hair and smiled, "Actually, I have something to tell you too."

"It's about your sister." Pei Yuan waved her over, thought for a moment, and told her the whole story and his speculation.

Bao Ning's smile gradually faded, and her fingers on her knees gradually clenched. Pei Yuan felt the turmoil in her heart.

"I don't want to hide it from you." Pei Yuan held her hand and kissed it on his lips.

Bao Ning stared at him blankly. She has always been curious about Pei Yuan's affairs and wanted to know, but today she finally knew it and she felt regretful.

When she was in the Duke's Mansion, her aunt told her that every corner of the court was filled with filth, and every page of history books was stained with blood. She had only thought it was interesting when she heard people talk about it before, but when it really happened to her, she realized how difficult every decision was.

"What do you want me to do?" Baoning's voice was a little hoarse, mixed with crying, "Aren't you making things difficult for me?"

Baoning was still confused. She was at home every day, growing flowers and vegetables, and living her own life. Why was Ji Jiaying going to die, what happened to the prince, who was Lu Yun, and what did all this have to do with her? She didn't want to care, but Pei Yuan forced her to choose one.

Baoning subconsciously chose to escape. She cried, and Pei Yuan felt distressed. He held her in his arms and patted her on the back to comfort her.

Pei Yuan thought, why not just forget it, why force her to do anything. Whatever the final result is, he will bear it himself. If Bao Ning is angry, just beat him up, why let her cry like this now.

But then he thought, this won't work, all the disputes are just the beginning, Bao Ning is destined to learn to grow up. She doesn't have to be ruthless and independent, she just needs to be her Bao Ning, but she must learn... to accept him. Accept that he is not black and white and will take people's lives. They have to stand together.

Pei Yuan pecked her cheek.

After a long time, Bao Ning's emotions calmed down. She leaned on Pei Yuan's shoulder and shed tears, murmuring: "Whatever you originally planned to do, just do it, don't worry about me. I will pretend I don't know about it."

Pei Yuan was surprised when she said this. In his heart, Bao Ning was the most friendly person, and he was even ready to give up this action, even if he was very reluctant.

"She is not good to me at all, and it is not worth my efforts." Bao Ning wiped her eyes, and Pei Yuan knew that she was talking about Ji Jiaying.

"When she asked me to be her replacement in marriage, she didn't consider my feelings. She thought it was a pit of fire, so she pushed me into it..." Bao Ning glanced at Pei Yuan's expression, and he really turned black. Bao Ning ignored his unhappiness and continued, "She didn't treat me as a sister, and I couldn't treat her as a sister..."

Bao Ning's eyes were swollen: "In fact, I still care about her, but it's like a scale, her weight is too light, if you want to blame, blame her herself. I am narrow-minded, I remember her grudge, and I don't want to help her at the critical moment."

Pei Yuan understood what Bao Ning meant. She was saying that he was more important.

This cognition made Pei Yuan grin.

"I think I am a bad person." Bao Ning covered her face and cried.

After a while, she blew her nose and nodded heavily, "But what I did was right."

"Maybe it's not right, but I think it's right."

"Ningning..." Pei Yuan sighed with a smile, messed up Bao Ning's hair, and kissed her mouth.

"But what you did was wrong! You know I don't like these." Pei Yuan's mood gradually brightened up, and Bao Ning turned her anger to him.

Bao Ning remembered Pei Yuan's words that he would tolerate being beaten or scolded, so she took a step back and kicked him in the stomach. "Do whatever you want, that's your business. If you want to kill someone, go ahead and kill them yourself. Why do you have to involve me? I don't like that kind of life. I've told you many times that I don't like it! I have no ambition, no skills, and no vision. I just want to live a stable life, and you have to involve me!"

As she spoke, she began to cry again.

The few times she hit Pei Yuan, it didn't hurt at all,

just tickled her. Pei Yuan held her foot and pressed it against his stomach: "Kick it, kick it, just be happy, don't cry." Bao Ning kicked him hard, and wanted to pull it back, but was pulled by Pei Yuan. He smiled to please her and kissed the back of her foot. Bao Ning got anxious and pinched his face.

Pei Yuan really didn't fight back this time. There was a bloody mark on his neck from Bao Ning's scratch. He sat there steadily, not even daring to frown.

"I'm going to annoy you to death!" Bao Ning yelled at him and jumped off him. Her shoes had just fallen off, and she was not wearing socks, so she walked barefoot beside the dressing table.

Pei Yuan grabbed her waist and brought her back. He put on her stockings and shoes, and smoothed her skirt until there were no wrinkles. He said, "You want to tie your hair? I'll help you."

Baoning's eyes were red, and she grabbed her hair back: "You're not needed."

"I can do it. I'll do it for you." Pei Yuan rubbed her cheek and coaxed her softly. He took out all of Baoning's buns, clumsily braided a braid, and tied it with a red hair rope. He carefully selected a butterfly hairpin from the dressing table and pinned it on. His fingers were thick and hard, and his posture was awkward. He tried several times before he succeeded.

Baoning looked at his cautious and flattering appearance in the mirror. She still felt aggrieved in her heart, but she felt much better.

Pei Yuan squatted on the ground and praised her: "Our Ningning is the most beautiful, like a fairy who fell from the sky."

"Are you praising me or scolding me?" Baoning stepped on his foot, rubbed her eyes, smiled, and quickly retracted her smile.

"Smile, smile." Pei Yuan stretched out his finger to hook her chin and teased her. Baoning turned her eyes away and ignored him. Pei Yuan went to pick up the lamb.

The lamb huddled in Pei Yuan's arms, and he held its hooves. It twisted around in front of Baoning like dancing. Pei Yuan said: "Look at it, it's making you happy."

Baoning still had a stern face. Pei Yuan helplessly put down the lamb and went to catch Ah Huang.

Ah Huang had already seen this scene, and retreated in fear, barked "Wang", and ran out of the door.

Pei Yuan simply sat on the ground, holding Bao Ning's calf and gesturing to himself: "How about you kick me again?"

Bao Ning really kicked him, Pei Yuan screamed "Ah" and lay on the ground in cooperation. After a while, he sat up again: "Hey, look, a tumbler."

"Are you sick?" Bao Ning burst into laughter, she wiped her eyes and stood up, "I won't argue with you anymore, I'm so hungry, I'm going to eat."

"I'll go with you." Pei Yuan also stood up and followed her.

Bao Ning found his clingy look very annoying: "I don't make bowl balls anymore. If you want to eat them, go to the street and buy them. Don't follow me."

"It has nothing to do with whether you eat them or not." Pei Yuan opened the door for her and supported her arm like a servant supporting the empress. "Or you can wait in the room. I'll go find Madam Liu and bring the meal to your bed."

Bao Ning lowered her head and stepped onto the threshold. Just as she was about to say something to scold him, she looked up and saw Madam Liu and Qiu Lingyan standing at the gate of the courtyard.

They seemed to have been there for a long time, and their faces were a little subtle and embarrassed. Bao Ning thought that the fight between the two of them in the room must have been heard.

Bao Ning moved her arms and wanted to pull them out of Pei Yuan's hands. He didn't let go, and insisted on holding her and straightened her cuffs.

Qiu Lingyan's eyes fell on Pei Yuan's hand, and she bit her lip, not knowing what she was thinking.

"Madam, the seventh lady came early in the morning and said she missed you." Aunt Liu smiled, "I thought the fourth prince was here today, and it would be bad to disturb your reunion, so I was trying to persuade her to leave."

Bao Ning liked this little girl, and smiled indifferently: "What's the matter, since you are here, just sit for a while, I won't disturb you. Let's have breakfast together?"

Qiu Lingyan grasped the hem of her clothes with her fingers and answered quietly.

Bao Ning looked at her reserved look and felt that this child was really strange today. Was Pei Yuan's aura too strong and frightened her?