Chapter 5.5 Separated by a Wall, a Couple's Secret
Zhao Zhixue didn't return until 3:45 PM. Jiang Ninghui put the noodles in the pot, and the couple ate dinner, washed up, and then went back to their room.
A kerosene lamp was lit in the small house next door, indicating that Pei Duo had not yet rested.
Jiang Ninghui sat in front of the couch, massaging Zhao Zhixue's shoulders to relieve his fatigue: "My lord, why are you so late coming back tonight?"
Zhao Zhixue: "There were some things I didn't quite understand, so I talked to the teacher for a few more minutes."
The autumn examination will be held next August, which is less than a year away. He must study hard and try his best to become the top scholar in the provincial examination next year. Then he can go to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination. Now is a critical period, and he must not slack off. Since he is not as talented as his younger brother Pei, he will work harder.
He believes that diligence can make up for lack of talent.
The two lay down in bed, and Zhao Zhixue's hand climbed up Jiang Ninghui's waist.
Her waist was slender and supple; he could easily hold half of her waist with one hand. Zhao Zhixue thought of what Liang Wentao had said in the classroom today, and he felt that his wife's waist was even more slender and supple, and no one could compare to her.
Zhao Zhixue told Jiang Ninghui about what happened today. Jiang Ninghui was stunned, then sat up. Her long black hair cascaded down her shoulders and landed on her fair hands pressed against the mattress.
Jiang Ninghui's shoulders tensed: "Does my lord mean that Young Master Pei hit that person today?"
Zhao Zhixue didn't understand why she was reacting so strongly. He held Jiang Ninghui's tense shoulders and back, saying, "Lie down quickly. It's getting chilly, don't catch a cold." He then asked, "Wife, why are you reacting so strongly?"
Jiang Ninghui nestled in Zhao Zhixue's arm, her lips pressed tightly together, and remained silent.
She recalled that during dinner that evening, Young Master Pei had inexplicably asked her if she had gone to the street with Sister-in-law Mu.
So, he guessed it back in school?
Jiang Ninghui couldn't quite describe her feelings; she only felt a sore and swollen sensation in her chest.
From childhood to adulthood, she had only ever been submissive and submissive. No one had ever stood up for her. At home, her parents considered her a burden and would beat and scold her constantly. Her younger brother, taking advantage of their parents' favoritism, also made things difficult for her in every way.
After marrying into her husband's family, she often suffered cold treatment from her father-in-law and verbal abuse from her mother-in-law.
The young man was so engrossed in his books that he knew nothing of these matters.
This is the first time that someone has stood up for her and gotten into a physical altercation with someone else.
A slight pain shot through her waist; Zhao Zhixue had pinched the soft flesh there.
Jiang Ninghui snapped out of her daze and gave Zhao Zhixue a reproachful look: "Why did you pinch me?"
Zhao Zhixue chuckled, annoyed. "I've been talking to you for ages and you haven't paid any attention to me. What's wrong with you?"
Jiang Ninghui considered it for a moment, but still didn't tell him that the young lady Liang Wentao was talking about was her.
Firstly, Liang Wentao has already learned his lesson.
Secondly, if her husband finds out, and she clashes with Liang Wentao again, her mother-in-law will definitely skin her alive.
Jiang Ninghui gently shook her head: "It's nothing. I was just surprised. My husband said that Young Master Pei is not one to meddle in other people's business. I never expected him to take action against Liang Wentao today."
Zhao Zhixue did not want his wife to focus too much on Pei Duo.
He rolled over and covered Jiang Ninghui. Jiang Ninghui was startled and pushed his shoulders away with both hands. Her cheeks flushed red and her heart jumped into her throat: "My lord, get down."
Zhao Zhixue pressed his lips to hers: "No, who can stop me from kissing my wife? Neither can our parents."
Jiang Ninghui couldn't push Zhao Zhixue away; instead, he grabbed her hand and pressed it above her head.
The two rooms were separated by only one wall, and the bed was not sturdy, making a loud creaking sound during the act. Jiang Ninghui bit her lower lip tightly, her fingers gripping the mattress beneath her, her cheeks burning red. She tried to calm herself down, but the shameful sounds continued.
Zhao Zhixue whispered in Jiang Ninghui's ear, his voice slightly breathless, "Wife, don't bite your lip, open your mouth."
Jiang Ninghui refused, her porcelain-white skin blushing like plum blossoms falling on winter snow.
In the next room.
Pei Duo stood before the table, his wolf-hair brush poking at the Xuan paper, causing thick, dark ink to smudge onto it.
Even though both rooms were closed, the intimate details between the couple were still clearly audible to Pei Duo. The young man threw down his wolf-hair brush, the tip of which splashed ink onto the Xuan paper.
He opened the door, went straight out of the courtyard, and stepped into the dark and gloomy alley.
It seems that finding another courtyard needs to be put on the agenda.
Almost as soon as Pei Duo opened the door, Jiang Ninghui heard a faint creaking sound in the quiet night. Her body tensed instantly, and her lower lip was bitten so hard that several teeth marks appeared. Zhao Zhixue groaned and breathed heavily while holding Jiang Ninghui.
In the dead of night, Zhao Zhixue fell asleep shortly after finishing his tidying up.
Jiang Ninghui, however, tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
She knew that Young Master Pei must have heard her. What could a wall possibly block?
Although she and her husband were having marital relations, there were still outsiders present. If they overheard, it would be no different for Jiang Ninghui than being stripped naked and thrown into the street to be watched by others.
She opened the window, sat down at the table and chair, and gazed at the cool moonlight, lost in thought.
The closed courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and the creaking sound was clearly audible.
Jiang Ninghui snapped out of her daze and looked towards the direction of the courtyard gate. There she saw a young man in a jade-colored robe bathed in the cool moonlight. His handsome and refined features suddenly entered Jiang Ninghui's field of vision. He seemed to have noticed her as well, and lifted his eyelids to look at her.
The window was wide open, and the person inside was dressed in a light purple dress. Her long black hair, which used to be tied up with a wooden hairpin, was spread out behind her shoulders, and the loose strands of hair on her forehead were blown by the wind and stuck to her eyebrows and eyes.
The woman's eyes still held the alluring charm of someone who had just finished their lovemaking.
Just like a flower stamen wrapped in petals, when gently touched by a wolf-hair brush, it unconsciously wraps itself around the cold and hard tip of the brush.
Pei Duo was surprised to see her there. He nodded slightly, turned around, closed the courtyard gate, and went straight back to his room.
Jiang Ninghui snapped out of her daze, her cheeks suddenly burning hot.
She quickly closed the window, feeling ashamed, embarrassed, and even embarrassed.
Jiang Ninghui lay back on the couch and looked at Zhao Zhixue, who was already fast asleep. She decided to discuss it with him tomorrow. Not only should they restrain themselves from having sex, but they should also avoid doing so with Young Master Pei.
The next morning, Jiang Ninghui told Zhao Zhixue about sharing a room.
Zhao Zhixue paused in adjusting his clothes: "Alright, let's do as you say for now."
After what happened last night, Jiang Ninghui avoided Pei Duo for several days, not daring to look him in the eye. Even when they ate at the same table, she kept her head down and didn't say a word. Pei Duo, on the other hand, noticed that there was more oil in his bowl and more slices of meat than Zhao Zhixue, while Jiang Ninghui's bowl didn't have a single piece of meat.
It seems she shared some of the meat from her bowl with him.
That night, she and Zhao Zhixue were talking in the room about his relationship with Liang Wentao at school, and he overheard them.
She was repaying him with what little she had and in her clumsy way.
At noon today, Jiang Ninghui made noodle soup as usual. Zhao Zhixue and Pei Duo came in one after the other. Zhao Zhixue placed three bowls of noodles on the table. As soon as he sat down, he saw Pei Duo switch his bowl with Jiang Ninghui's.
Zhao Zhixue looked up in confusion: "Brother Pei, what's going on?"
Jiang Ninghui added some water to the pot, turned around and sat down in the chair, and saw a large bowl of noodles in front of her.
She froze, looking up in astonishment at Pei Duo opposite her.
The young man picked at the noodles in his bowl with his chopsticks: "I don't have much of an appetite today, I can't eat that much."
"Young Master Pei..."
Jiang Ninghui wanted to switch, but the young man had already started eating, so she had no choice but to finish the bowl in front of her.
Only she knew that there were several slices of meat underneath the bowl of noodles.
Jiang Ninghui had no choice but to bite the bullet and eat it.
Zhao Zhixue ate quickly, and after finishing, he went inside to pack his books, leaving only Jiang Ninghui and Pei Duo in the kitchen.
Pei Duo put down his chopsticks and looked up at Jiang Ninghui, who was chewing slowly with her head down.
He called her "sister-in-law".
Jiang Ninghui didn't look up, only hummed in response.
Pei Duo saw that her head was almost buried in the bowl. Knowing that she was shy, he said in a low voice, "The matter of Liang Wentao is over. I appreciate your care these past few days, sister-in-law. You don't need to do that again in the future."
Jiang Ninghui didn't expect that Pei Duo would still see through her.
She still didn't look up, but she nodded her head slightly.
Pei Duo noticed that the tips of her ears seemed much redder than before, and his handsome eyebrows lifted slightly.
After lunch, Zhao Zhixue and Pei Duo went to the school.
In the afternoon, Mu Hua brought her child to the courtyard to talk to Jiang Ninghui and relieve her boredom. She stayed until it was almost time to prepare dinner before leaving. After Jiang Ninghui finished preparing dinner, it was getting dark. She waited and waited but her husband and young master Pei did not appear. So she took a kerosene lamp and waited outside the courtyard, staring blankly at the narrow alley.
It takes two streets to get from the school to the courtyard.
Pei Duo returned first. When he reached the corner of the alley, a hint of cold mockery crept into his clear, cold eyes. He stepped into the alley, and the dim night gradually swallowed the tall, imposing figure of the young man.
In an instant, his tall figure blended into the night.
Three footsteps approached from behind. Two men were carrying a large sack with sticks at their waists, while the third man held a stick. They cautiously approached the young man in front of them, step by step.
If the young man spotted them first, he could take the opportunity to hit him on the head with a stick.
"set!"
One person gave a low shout, and two others simultaneously raised the sack high, about to put it over Pei Duo's head.
Unexpectedly, the young man suddenly shifted his body to the side, and his palm strikes were like knives, slashing at them. In just two blows, the two men who were about to put sacks on their shoulders screamed in pain as they clutched their necks.
After those two blows, they even felt as if their shoulder bones were broken, and their right arms seemed to be useless and they couldn't lift them.
Seeing this, the man holding the stick gritted his teeth and smashed it down on Pei Duo's head.
"Damn it, I'll fight you to the death!"
Before he could get close, the young man spun around and a pebble struck the man's hand hard. The pebble was so powerful that it embedded itself in his flesh. The man stared in shock, and the pain belatedly hit him. His scream echoed through the alley.
Jiang Ninghui, who was in the distance, could vaguely hear the wailing sounds from afar.
She was startled. Her husband and Young Master Pei had not returned by this hour. Could something have happened to them?
Jiang Ninghui was both worried and anxious, and she took the kerosene lamp and peered forward.
Light, shuffling footsteps echoed through the narrow alley. Jiang Ninghui had been in town for over ten days, and Pei Duo knew her footsteps by heart.
The young man lowered his eyes, his gaze cold and indifferent as it fell on the three screaming figures, his sparse eyebrows furrowing slightly.
"Noisy".
With a single kick, the young man sent the man in the corner crashing into the other two. The three men collided violently and passed out without even uttering a scream.
Pei Duo stepped into the alley, and a slender, petite figure was reflected in his dark pupils.
"Young Master Pei?"
Jiang Ninghui raised the kerosene lamp a little higher, using the dim light to see the people a few steps away.
The young man had a book bag slung over his shoulder. The cool moonlight shone on half of his body, splitting his handsome face into light and shadow. On the side swallowed by darkness, his eyes were dark and unreadable, and his facial features were sharp as a blade. On the side favored by the moonlight, his eyebrows and eyes were cool and gentle.
Pei Duo's gaze was fixed on Jiang Ninghui, his voice as cold and indifferent as ever: "Why did you come here, sister-in-law?"
Jiang Ninghui: "I heard some noise over here, and since you and your husband haven't returned for a long time, I was worried that something had happened to you, so I came out to check."
Pei Duo stepped forward, his tall figure illuminated by the light of the kerosene lamp, revealing his refined and elegant appearance. He said, "Just now, three drunkards were fighting. Brother Zhao is asking the teacher some questions and will be back in a quarter of an hour."
Jiang Ninghui breathed a sigh of relief.
It's good that you're alright.
She thought something had happened to her husband or Young Master Pei.
A note from the author:
----------------------
There's a red envelope in this chapter, and there will be another update at 7 PM this afternoon!
Pei Duo: Don't frighten your sister-in-law.
Three people: So that's the reason you knocked us out?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com