Pei Yuan looked at her in surprise. He didn't react to what Bao Ning meant for a moment, and he couldn't figure it out.

"You have to tell me." Bao Ning made up her mind, leaned over Pei Yuan's thigh, and hooked her arms around his neck. "You are with General Wei every day, and you spend more time with him than I do. I'm afraid he will lead you astray, so I have to keep a close eye on you. Besides, I don't like your fake smile. If you encounter any problems, tell me and I will comfort you."

Bao Ning has tried her best to make her meaning very clear.

After all, she is a girl, and she can't say to Pei Yuan directly: That day I was chatting with Madam Liu, and I heard that her husband went out to fight and was beaten to death because of her carelessness. I was very scared, afraid that you would be like this. If you do anything dangerous, you must tell me.

It was too silly to say that. It was not reserved. Pei Yuan would not like to hear it.

Bao Ning added cryptically, "I will always stand by your side!"

"I..." Pei Yuan stared at Bao Ning. He rarely had such an expression. He looked like a silly goose. The high defense line he had set up in his heart before entering the door collapsed. Pei Yuan did not know why Bao Ning suddenly changed. He suddenly felt a great joy in his heart, but he was worried that he was being too sentimental.

Pei Yuan held Bao Ning's waist with his hand, his face trying to remain calm: "You may not like what I said."

"If you don't tell me, how do you know I don't like it? Maybe you didn't like it before, but now you can try to listen." Bao Ning raised his hand to rub Pei Yuan's wrinkled brows, and said with a smile, "A Yuan, I know you have your own ideas and careers to pursue, just like I want to open Ruyi Tower. Our ideas are different, but it doesn't necessarily have to be one or the other, for you to follow me, or for me to follow you. I'm happy that you can listen to my ideas and support me in doing business, and I think I can make you happier too."

Pei Yuan never knew that he could be so soft-hearted. He was moved by Bao Ning's few words, and his throat was a little tight because of the emotion.

"But, this will make you feel wronged." Pei Yuan buried his face in Bao Ning's neck, his voice hoarse, "I don't want you to feel wronged."

Pei Yuan now looked like a child who needed to be coaxed. Bao Ning put his arm around his back and said softly, "You can be nicer to me in the future."

"Besides, I don't want you to feel wronged either." Bao Ning tilted his head and kissed Pei Yuan's ear, "If you treat me well, I will treat you well too. Isn't this what a couple should be like? If there are difficulties, we will bear them together. There is nothing that cannot be overcome. I will always be with you, as long as you will always be with me."

"I can't leave you." Pei Yuan raised his head, his eyes red, "I'm used to eating the food you cook."

Bao Ning pushed him away unhappily, "Is it because of this?"

"You live in my heart, and I'm used to it. I can't change it to someone else, and no one can get in." Pei Yuan held her hand, "Ningning, you can always trust me. No matter what I have done in the past or in the future that makes you feel terrible, don't worry, because I won't hurt you. I will be the person who loves you the most in the world, more than your aunt and Ji Yan."

Bao Ning smiled: "I know."

Pei Yuan stared at her and continued: "Aunt and Ji Yan will have other people in their lives, and I know there will be other people in your life too. But I only have you."

Bao Ning looked into Pei Yuan's eyes. He seemed like he was about to cry, with bloodshot eyes.

Bao Ning answered solemnly: "I know."

Pei Yuan also realized that he looked too arrogant and embarrassing. He tilted his head and coughed twice, then returned to his usual cold face: "Speaking of serious matters, be serious."

But he didn't last more than two breaths, and laughed again: "Not serious, not serious anymore."

"Ning Ning, I'm really happy today. You are willing to accept me." Pei Yuan held her up and stood up, looked around the room, and finally put her on the table. He squatted in front of her, "How about this, you come and sit on my neck, and let's ride two more laps of horses to celebrate."

Bao Ning laughed: "What kind of celebration is this."

"Those who ride big horses are children. You are my child, so you can be more willful." Pei Yuan turned his head, "Don't you like it?"

Bao Ning pursed his lips, thought for a while, and answered honestly, "I like it."

Pei Yuan smiled.

Bao Ning shook his head, "But you have a leg injury now, so you can ride a horse in a few days."

Pei Yuan said, "But I want to make you happier today."

"How about this." Bao Ning suggested him, "You step back a little, open your arms, and say to me in the most gentle tone, come and hug me."

Pei Yuan really listened to her words.

Bao Ning thought, men are really different when they are moved. If it were before, he would never do such a thing, and he might even feel embarrassed and think it was a woman's whine.

Bao Ning watched Pei Yuan take three steps back and stand right under the window. The bright sunlight shone on him and he was also glowing.

"Ning Ning, come here and let me hug you." Pei Yuan opened his arms, and the look in his eyes was extremely gentle, "I miss you so much."

Bao Ning laughed, jumped off the table and threw himself into his arms: "Why are you adding words to yourself!"

"I was inspired."

...

In the evening, Madam Liu clearly felt that the relationship between the Fourth Prince and the Fourth Prince's wife was different.

They had a good relationship before, but it seemed to be better today. The Fourth Prince's eyes wanted to stick to his wife.

He sat under the wall and cracked egg shells. He looked a little impatient and disliked this life, but there was light in his eyes, very bright.

Bao Ning sat beside him, washing apricots and preparing to make dried apricots. He took the time to glance at the jar in Pei Yuan's hand: "No, they're not broken enough. You do it well. Grind them into powder and mix them into the flower soil so that the flowers can grow stronger."

"I don't know where you got this trick from. Are you deliberately torturing me?" Pei Yuan glanced at the dried egg shells piled up next to him, at least fifty of them, with veins bulging on his forehead. "How long will it take to get rid of all of them? Besides, what's the use of your broken flowers growing stronger? Are they stronger than me? Are they prettier than me? You're doing useless things."

"You can complain all you want, but don't stop the work at hand." Bao Ning rubbed the mud off the apricots again and again, and put them in a basin on the side for Aunt Liu to remove the pits.

Now it is the end of June, the apricots are yellow and big, pickled into dried apricots, and can be eaten in autumn and winter, they are sour and sweet. Especially in winter, you can cook meat in the house with a charcoal stove, and eat preserved fruits after eating meat, which is very refreshing.

Pei Yuan said: "There are so many servants, you can share some of these shells and do it together."

"That won't work, they don't have as much strength as you, and they can't grind it so finely." Bao Ning muttered, "You are the only one who can use it."

Pei Yuan rolled up his sleeves: "I-"

"You said you would always be nice to me and listen to me. How come you changed after just having dinner?" Bao Ning's eyes widened, "It's just a small matter, look at how you nag."

"I didn't." Pei Yuan swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue and put on a smile, "I am happy to make trouble for you, willingly, and full of energy."

"That's more like it." Bao Ning smiled and leaned on his shoulder, feeding him half of the apricot meat, "Is it sweet?"

"Sweet." Pei Yuan sucked her fingertips, "Give me another piece."

Bao Ning broke off another piece of meat and stuffed it into his mouth, lowering his head and saying, "In a few days, my little sister's full-month banquet will be held, and my eldest sister should also go. I will talk to her indirectly. My eldest sister is a very kind person, she treats me very well, and she will listen to what I say. Moreover, she certainly doesn't want her husband to go astray."

Pei Yuan had already told Bao Ning about Jia Ling, and Bao Ning accepted it very quickly.

Pei Yuan asked, "If Jia Ling insists on joining forces with Pei Xiao, will your eldest sister choose to kill her own relatives for the sake of justice?"

Bao Ning hesitated. Most likely not. Ji Xiangzhen has been a lady of a well-known family who strictly abides by etiquette since she was a child. It is difficult for her to betray her family. If she stood against Jia Ling, she would be standing against the entire Chongyuan Marquisate. In the end, no matter what happened to Jia Ling, she would be abandoned. Even if she returned to the Rongguo Mansion, there would not be a good ending.

Ji Xiangzhen seemed to have no reason to help her.

"It's okay." Pei Yuan still couldn't bear to embarrass her. "This is not a problem you should bear. It's a man's business. Just think of it as going back to visit your family."

Bao Ning said nothing.

Pei Yuan said: "After all, it's the full moon banquet for the Duke's wife's daughter. We can't be too shabby. I will take time to accompany you to prepare gifts tomorrow, and we will go together then."

Bao Ning agreed.

Pei Yuan suddenly remembered that since it was such an important occasion, Ji Jiaying would definitely go too. I wondered if Pei Xiao would follow. After they parted at the Prince's Mansion last time, they had not seen each other openly, but they had clashed several times in secret, and had long been enemies. Pei Yuan did not dare to overestimate Pei Xiao's character, and he was not sure whether Pei Xiao would do anything to Bao Ning by taking this opportunity.

Pei Yuan thought that he would have to let Chen Jia follow Bao Ning closely, and he could not leave her alone unless necessary.

The atmosphere was very quiet for a while, and then the sound of Bao Ning playing with the water was heard.

"Yuanzi, Yuanzi, don't cry. Auntie didn't mean it." Su Mingyou's anxious voice came from outside. She walked in holding Yuanzi's hand and kept coaxing her, "A small rattle drum, auntie will compensate you, okay? Don't cry, auntie will compensate you with a few more."

"No! This is a gift from grandpa. Grandpa said there is only one in the world!" Yuanzi pushed her away, ran towards Baoning and threw herself into her arms, "It's broken, auntie, my small drum is broken!"

Su Mingyou stood there awkwardly.

"What small drum?" Baoning looked confused. She asked Aunt Liu to get a handkerchief to wipe Yuanzi's face. "How did it break?"

Su Mingyu said behind her: "I just went out for a walk and saw Yuanzi playing under the tree. I wanted to get close to him. This child has been hostile to me during the day. I wanted to coax him and let him stop thinking about me so much. I saw him holding a rattle drum in his hand, so I took it to play with him. Unexpectedly, Jixiang suddenly pounced on me and bit the drum head."

She sighed self-blamingly: "It's my fault. I caused such an accident."

Pei Yuan pulled out the small drum that Yuanzi was holding tightly in his hand, looked at it in the light, and made a "yeah" sound.

He asked Yuanzi, "Did your grandpa give this to you?"

Yuanzi nodded with tears in her eyes and tried to snatch it back, "Give it back to me..."

"Your family is either royal, or a top wealthy businessman. Making a rattle with black bear skin is such a waste. Even princes and princesses never played with it when they were children." Pei Yuan smiled, "Your grandpa is quite awesome?"

Yuanzi cried, "But it's torn..."

"Bear skin?" Baoning was also a little suspicious, "Yuanzi, tell your aunt the truth, who is your grandpa? What's his name?"

Yuanzi said, "Pig, pig--"

"This kid is being silly again. Why is he so silly?" Pei Yuan frowned and looked at him, tapping his forehead lightly.

"It's okay. My aunt has a piece of black bear skin. It was left by my grandfather during the war. When Ji Yan was born, my father gave it to my aunt. When I return home, I will ask her for it, and the drumhead will be repaired." Baoning touched Yuanzi's head, "Okay, stop crying."

Yuanzi gradually stopped crying.

Pei Yuan looked at him for a while, then suddenly got up and walked out, going straight to Wei Meng's residence.

He threw the small drum on Wei Meng's desk and pointed to the bamboo branch pattern on the drumstick to show him: "The black bear skin is a tribute, and there are a lot of them in the whole Great Zhou. Go and check who has it. Also, what does this pattern mean."