Chapter 63 Peeling Shrimp and Eating Grapes
When Pei Jingyi returned from his shift, he paced back and forth in the courtyard a few times. He would look up at the rustling, yellowing autumn leaves overhead, and then look down at the black ants lined up in the corner of the wall, working together to carry away the crumbs of snacks.
After dawdling for quite some time, Si Xiang "kindly" reminded him, "Young master, don't wait any longer. The young mistress has been locked in her room painting all afternoon; she probably forgot the time. You..."
Don't expect her to come out to greet you.
"Oh, I just had a sudden thought to see if the layout of Jiusiyuan needs to be changed or repaired."
Pei Jingyi straightened up, put his hands behind his back, and explained to Si Xiang in a serious tone, then asked, "Has Madam been painting all day?"
Si Xiang nodded, suppressing a smile. "Yes, she's drawing very seriously. We shouldn't go in and disturb her."
"knew."
Pei Jingyi walked straight into the room as if nothing had happened.
Seeing his back view, which was half a step faster than usual, Si Xiang finally couldn't help but lower her head and secretly laugh.
The eldest son has been independent and strong-willed since childhood, acting like a little adult even at a young age. But after getting married, he has become even more clingy, eagerly waiting for his wife to come and fetch him even for the short distance from the courtyard gate to the house.
...
Pei Jingyi moved quietly and pushed the door open to enter.
Yan Yi leaned over the desk, holding a thin pen, sketching on the paper without looking up, completely unaware of his arrival, her eyes lowered and her mind focused.
The large desk was piled high with sketches. Pei Jingyi peeked through the gaps and saw some that were finished, some that were only outlined and not yet colored, and some that she had abandoned, with a big X drawn on them in a huff.
He gently pulled out a drawing, which depicted a kitten playing with a ball, looking adorable with its long, orange-white fur flowing gracefully, as fluffy and light as piled-up snow.
Pei Jingyi recognized it at a glance as Meng Wanyin's favorite fluffy ball.
He said, "I remember the orange patch on the fluffy ball's back extended all the way to its right hind leg. It seems a bit short here?"
Startled by his voice, Yan Yi quickly raised her wrist to avoid drawing the lines crooked.
"You're back? Why didn't you call me sooner?" Yan Yi patted her chest and gave him a light, nonchalant glare.
"I saw that you were so focused on your painting that I didn't want to disturb you."
Pei Jingyi placed the painting of the fluffy ball in front of her and pointed to the kitten's hind legs, repeating the same thing.
Yan Yi recalled for a moment, "That's really how it is." She quickly dipped her brush in paint and gently touched it up.
She held up the drawing paper, blew on it, and then asked Pei Jingyi, "Is this right?"
"Yes, it's very similar." Pei Jingyi praised without reservation, "It turns out my wife is a hidden master of painting."
Yan Yi was a little embarrassed by his praise and explained, "My mother asked me to draw these pictures. She said that some of these kittens are already seven or eight years old, which is considered middle-aged or elderly according to human lifespan. She wanted to leave some portraits of them while they are still healthy and lively, so that they can stay by her side for a long time."
"Yes, I still remember when the fluffy ball first came to our house, it was a tiny little thing, not even as big as my hand. Its fur was long and soft. It didn't know how to lick itself yet, and it often got itself all wet and messy. My mother would press it down on the mat and comb it out little by little with a small comb."
Pei Jingyi recalled the past, then sat down in the rosewood armchair and put his arm around Yan Yi, who sat on his lap.
He had a good memory and could recall events from seven or eight years ago in great detail, making Yan Yi feel as if she were there herself.
She was a little tired after drawing all afternoon, so she leaned against him and rubbed her wrists. She turned her head and met his clean and sharp jawline, which was handsome and distinctive, making even her, the artist, feel a little itchy to draw.
Yan Yi couldn't resist touching him, her fingertips sliding down his chin and over his Adam's apple, feeling it roll slightly.
Pei Jingyi lowered his eyes to look at her, his peach blossom eyes filled with focus and tenderness, deep and moving.
He reached out and caught her mischievous fingertips, gently kissed them, and gazed at her with his deep eyes, watching as a blush gradually spread across her cheeks.
Pei Jingyi said quietly, "Madam is such a good painter, she even painted my grandfather, whom I've never met, and the family's cat. Why is mine not included?"
He lowered his head and whispered close to Yan Yi's fair and rosy earlobe, "I want to see Madam paint our portrait, just that night..."
Yan Yi was practically burning up, wishing she could cover his mouth. Her misty eyes widened slightly, and she bared her teeth and claws like a cat with its fur standing on end. "...Is this something that can be drawn? You're not allowed to say anything more."
Pei Jingyi chuckled softly. He loved seeing her teased to the point of being all claws and teeth, yet unable to do anything about it.
“What’s there to be afraid of? It’s only natural for us to be husband and wife. Besides, this is a ‘masterpiece’ that only the two of us can appreciate. I will definitely treasure it carefully and never let a third person know about it.”
Pei Jingyi coaxed her gently, taking her hand and guiding it to his high, straight nose, his tone slightly seductive, "Didn't you just praise my nose the other day, saying it was so easy to touch..."
Yan Yi hurriedly covered his mouth, "Stop talking."
That wasn't a compliment at all! It was clearly... it was because she simply couldn't take it anymore...
Yan Yi glared at him angrily, her eyes full of accusation: This guy has recently become addicted to this, he seems never to be satisfied, he's always...
If she knew that Shen Lingyue had the same troubles, she would tell her: It turns out that men don't necessarily become celibate just because they have jobs.
Pei Jingyi almost made her cry before reluctantly letting go. He then leaned close to Yan Yi's neck and took a deep breath, his voice low and tired: "The Ministry of War has endless official documents to read every day. Fortunately, I have my wife to keep me company when I get home."
Yan Yi felt as if she had turned into a human-shaped catnip pillow, being hugged and rubbed by a big cat.
She gently patted his back and asked, "Isn't the case of embezzlement of military supplies supposed to be closed? Why are you still so busy?"
"The weather is getting colder day by day. When the winter comes and the water freezes, we will have to guard against the Tartars from the northern deserts raiding southward. The pressure on the border will be even greater, and we cannot relax our vigilance in the capital."
Pei Jingyi held Yan Yi in his arms, took her slender, fair fingers and played with them over and over. When he saw a little paint on the side of her fingertips, he picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped it clean for her.
As their marriage progressed, he discovered that Yan Yi was not the kind of sheltered young lady who knew nothing about the outside world. On the contrary, she was very interested in court affairs. Pei Jingyi would share some non-confidential political matters with her, and she would offer some unique insights, even insightful ones, that were no less impressive than those of seasoned officials who had been immersed in the bureaucracy for many years.
Pei Jingyi sometimes couldn't help but wonder where Yan Yi learned these things. Given the Zhou family's indulgence and neglect of her, it would be difficult to cultivate such a bright and intelligent woman.
But it's just a thought.
None of that matters. What matters is that she is the wife he wants to spend his life with.
Pei Jingyi felt very lucky. There were so many infatuated men and women in the world, so many people who couldn't stand each other, but he and Yan Yi were brought together by an imperial decree and were so compatible, both in body and soul.
"A-Tan, it's so good to have you."
Pei Jingyi gently kissed her forehead, tracing her outline downwards until his kiss stopped at the corner of her lips. He murmured, as if in a dream, "I wish I could turn you into a tiny little person, so I could hold you in my arms every day and take you to work."
Yan Yi gave him a push, both amused and exasperated, "I don't want to be Thumbelina."
It's terrifying that the two of them are glued together all the time.
She counted on her fingers and earnestly explained to him, "I also need to help my mother manage the household accounts, have tea and chat with my younger siblings, and go out to visit relatives and friends... I don't want to be around you all day."
Pei Jingyi's eyes darkened slightly, and before Yan Yi noticed, he lowered his eyes gently, as if he had suffered a great injustice, and mumbled a "okay".
“If you need your own space, then it’s my turn to revolve around you.”
Pei Jingyi suddenly stood up, picked her up, and walked steadily toward the bed opposite.
Yan Yi instinctively grabbed his collar and whispered, "My painting is almost finished."
She blushed and glared at him, "It's not even dark yet, and you're already..."
Pei Jingyi stopped at the table and placed her on a round stool.
Yan Yi was still a little confused when she saw his innocent expression: "It's almost time for dinner. I'm carrying Madam over to sit down. Have you misunderstood?"
Yan Yi: ...
He did it on purpose; this is definitely revenge!
Yan Yi turned her head away in anger, refusing to look at him.
Pei Jingyi walked around, raised his hand to flick her nose, bent down and asked, "Are you really angry? Actually, if you want to... I can of course."
Yan Yi turned around again and raised her voice towards the door: "Si Xiang, you can set the table now."
Give him absolutely no chance to argue!
Pei Jingyi sat down opposite her with a sullen expression. Soon, Si Xiang and Dian Cha came in with food boxes and quickly set the table. Just as they were about to leave as usual, Yan Yi called them back.
"You two stay here and serve the food."
Si Xiang and Dian Cha exchanged a glance and were about to step forward when Pei Jingyi spoke up: "It's enough for me to serve Madam her meal. You two can leave."
The two were suddenly caught in a dilemma, frantically exchanging glances.
Are they having a disagreement?
Wasn't everything fine when you came in just now, young master?
Should we stay or leave?
The atmosphere remained tense for a while before Yan Yi finally gave in, forcing a smile at the two of them, "As you wish, young master, you may leave."
"yes."
Si Xiang and Dian Cha quickly slipped away.
As soon as the door closed, Pei Jingyi grabbed Yan Yi's hand and honestly admitted his mistake: "Madam, don't be angry. What would you like to eat? I'll get it for you."
Yan Yi pointed to the plate of stir-fried river shrimp in a huff, "I want to eat this, you peel it."
Pei Jingyi immediately put down his chopsticks and dutifully peeled shrimp for her.
The small river shrimp are stir-fried with their shells on. Each shrimp is only about the size of a thumb, and the shells are tightly stuck to the shrimp meat, making them very difficult to peel.
Pei Jingyi knew he was in the wrong, so he remained silent even when Yan Yi deliberately made things difficult for him. His long, slender fingers were soon stained with juice, and he would occasionally be pricked by the sharp spines of the shrimp heads. His cold, jade-like skin turned slightly red, as if he were a banished immortal who had fallen to the mortal world and was covered in filth.
At first, his movements were a bit clumsy and awkward, but he gradually seemed to have mastered the knack, peeling the shrimp quickly and well, piling up a small mountain of whole river shrimp in front of Yan Yi's plate.
Yan Yi saw that he hadn't eaten anything for a long time, and remembered that he had said that the lunch boxes provided by the Ministry of War were almost inedible. She couldn't bear it and was about to tell him not to peel them.
Pei Jingyi suddenly hissed and frowned.
"What happened?" Yan Yi quickly got up to check. "Did you get scratched by a shrimp shell?"
Pei Jingyi immediately hid his hands behind his back and shook his head, "It's nothing, I just accidentally pricked myself."
He then gestured to the plate of shrimp in front of Yan Yi, saying, "You eat first, and I'll peel them for you after you're done."
Yan Yi refused, making him hold out his hand, "Let me see."
Pei Jingyi wanted to resist, but seeing Yan Yi staring at him stubbornly with a hint of tears welling up in her eyes, he had no choice but to slowly extend his hand.
Yan Yi examined his hands thoroughly, turning them over and over, and finally found a small bead of blood on the tip of his index finger.
She frowned in annoyance, "It's all my fault, I shouldn't have let you peel so many. No, I have to get Sixiang to bring the medicine box right away..."
"It's just a small cut, it's nothing serious." Pei Jingyi softened his voice to coax her, and raised his hand a little higher, "Madam, please blow on it for me, just a little blow will do."
Yan Yi glared at him with teary eyes, "What are you bragging about? I'm not medicine."
"Of course you are—"
Before Pei Jingyi could finish speaking, Yan Yi had already let go of him and quickly walked to the door to call for someone.
When Si Xiang came in with the medicine box, Yan Yi held his hand and washed it carefully several times, then checked it repeatedly to make sure there was only this one wound, and then personally applied the medicine to it.
If Pei Jingyi hadn't insisted, she would have even called a doctor to come into the mansion to take a look.
After all that fuss, the food had gotten cold, so Pei Jingyi told the two maids to take it away and reheat it.
Yan Yi sat at the table in a daze. He walked over and hugged her from behind. "It's all my fault. I wanted to make you happy, but I ended up making you angry again."
"I'm not angry, I'm..."
Yan Yi didn't know how to explain, so she tightened her face and emphasized to him, "Don't get the wound wet tonight, don't touch it, and check for fever before bed, otherwise you won't be able to save your finger... I'm not joking with you, be serious."
"Alright, I'll do whatever you say, Madam."
Pei Jingyi sensed her nervousness. Although he didn't understand why, comforting her was the most important thing right now.
When the food was reheated and put back on the table, Yan Yi pushed his favorite dishes towards him and said shyly in a low voice, "You've been busy all day, don't worry about me, just eat."
Seeing that Pei Jingyi didn't move, she realized that he was injured in the hand that he used chopsticks.
Pei Jingyi looked over calmly, "Madam just told me not to move around, so will you feed me?"
His injury was also caused by her... Yan Yi sat down next to him, scooped up a small spoonful of rice, added some vegetables on top, and fed him with the spoon.
Pei Jingyi obediently swallowed it in one gulp, but when Yan Yi fed him a second spoonful, he shook his head and said, "Madam, eat with me."
Yan Yi had no choice but to listen to him.
They ate their meal in this way, taking turns to eat, almost forgetting why they had been angry earlier.
...Oh right, what was it again?
A rare look of confusion appeared on Yan Yi's face.
Peace reigned until bedtime, when Yan Yi stopped Pei Jingyi's restless hand and said seriously, "You're injured, so get some rest tonight and don't do anything reckless."
Then she blew out the light, got into bed first, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, and closed her eyes with her back to him.
Pei Jingyi stood on the dark ground, raised his finger, and stared at the tiny, almost healed wound on it, no bigger than a grain of rice.
Wouldn't you say he lost more than he gained by trying to gain something small?
...
Dan Yue Xuan.
Tonight, Pei Jinghuai brought back a basket of grapes, which were much fresher than those that the Marquis's residence usually buys, and they were even covered with a layer of white frost.
"They were sold by a caravan from the north. They said it was a grape variety from the Western Regions, and that it had a better flavor than the grapevines we grow ourselves."
Pei Jinghuai had a plate washed, then personally peeled a fruit for Shen Lingyue and fed it to her, pleading for praise, "Isn't it delicious? I finally managed to grab the last basket."
Crispy and sweet, bursting with juice.
Shen Lingyue chewed and chewed, then gave a thumbs up.
Recently, Pei Jinghuai has been going out to eat and drink with his group of brothers, but he resolutely refuses to stay out overnight. No matter how late it is, he always goes home, and he never comes home empty-handed.
Sometimes it's a dish ordered specifically for her, sometimes it's a novelty she saw at a street stall, and sometimes it's even a flower that she doesn't know who picked from the wall.
Shen Lingyue highly praised his "hunting" behavior and encouraged him to continue.
The two were happily eating grapes when she suddenly rolled her eyes, leaned back, rested her head on Pei Jinghuai's lap, and opened her mouth: "Ah—"
Pei Jinghuai understood immediately and fed her the freshly peeled grapes.
Shen Lingyue chuckled. From this angle, she could perfectly appreciate someone's large and hard pectoral muscles, and she reached out and pinched them twice.
My aunt eats well outside, but she doesn't eat badly at home either.
Shen Lingyue comfortably crossed her legs and pointed like a lord, "Hurry up, I haven't had enough yet."
Pei Jinghuai looked down and saw that her nonchalant manner made her look like someone who frequented brothels for drinks.
He remained silent, then fed Shen Lingyue a few more grapes. While she was squinting in blissful contentment, he leaned over with a grape in his mouth and fed it to her in a sticky, gooey manner. "...Is it sweet?"
As the grapes were being eaten, they were moved from the small couch to the bed. The tender grape skins were pitifully crushed repeatedly until the last drop of juice was squeezed out, at which point they were reluctantly spat out.
Pei Jinghuai wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, cruelly increasing the pressure, his canine teeth gently biting the back of her neck, and asked slowly, "Are you satisfied, guest? Would you like some more grapes?"
...
After a long while, Shen Lingyue turned into a puddle of grape juice, lying there limply and unwilling to move.
Pei Jinghuai was still full of energy. He cleaned up the mess with ease and then lifted Shen Lingyue's head and helped her drink a small cup of warm water.
He asked considerately, "Would you like more grapes?"
Shen Lingyue glared at him.
Pei Jinghuai blinked. "I'm talking about real grapes. There are still a dozen or so left on the plate. They won't taste good if they're left overnight."
Shen Lingyue snorted, "...You go peel it!"
The two leaned against the headboard and ate their meal, taking turns eating.
Pei Jinghuai couldn't help but laugh at her clumsy yet playful manner. He pinched her chin and asked, "Where did you learn this little trick now?"
At this point, Shen Lingyue was no longer sleepy. She spun around a couple of times, pounced on Pei Jinghuai, hugged his neck, and whispered something.
Suddenly, a loud scream came from inside the bed curtains.
"My aunt...my aunt is seeing a gigolo outside, and she even booked a room at Fengle Tower?"
Pei Jinghuai was shocked and almost threw Shen Lingyue off him, but quickly pulled her back.
"It's true, my sister-in-law and I saw it with our own eyes." Shen Lingyue said confidently, "That pretty boy looked about your age, with red lips and white teeth, broad and straight shoulders, big breasts, and long legs..."
Pei Jinghuai's gaze was deep and thoughtful: "You're quite observant."
Shen Lingyue immediately changed her tune, "I only glanced at him, and I've already forgotten what he looks like, really!"
Pei Jinghuai placed his hand threateningly on her lower back, his eyes dangerous. "But why do you look so envious? Are you thinking of asking your aunt where she found her?"
"How could that be? I only need Brother Xiaozhou."
Shen Lingyue blinked cutely and kissed him several times on the cheek, demonstrating to him through her actions that she was very satisfied.
Pei Jinghuai snorted, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
"Where did this pretty boy come from, daring to deceive my aunt? Tomorrow I'll go to Fenglelou and break his legs."
“That’s not necessary…” Shen Lingyue interrupted, then quickly explained, “My aunt has been single for ten years, so it’s understandable that she has her own hobbies.”
She said to Pei Jinghuai, "Grandmother mainly hopes that my aunt can find a decent man so that she will have someone to rely on in the future. As the younger generation, of course we should share the burden of our elders."
Pei Jinghuai: "That pretty boy is definitely not a decent person. He's so young and already wants to live off women. What kind of good person could he be?"
"That's why we need to investigate carefully and find out exactly what he does, so that my aunt doesn't get carried away and spend money on him."
Shen Lingyue shared important information from Yan Yi: "My aunt has recently withdrawn a lot of money from the public funds, I heard it's several thousand taels."
Pei Jinghuai's eyes widened: "So much money?! No way, I'm going to break his legs—"
"Hey, hey, I didn't say that my aunt definitely spent the money on him," Shen Lingyue quickly added. "Maybe it's for my cousin's dowry. Besides, it seems like Father knows about this. He can't just watch his sister do whatever she wants, can he?"
Pei Jinghuai sighed, "We'll know when we go to Fenglelou tomorrow."
The next morning, Pei Jinghuai accompanied Shen Lingyue to Fengle Tower.
She found a waiter and specifically asked how to contact the guests inside the Peony Pavilion private room.
The waiter said apologetically, "You've come at a bad time. The Peony Pavilion private room expired a few days ago, and the lady didn't pay anymore, so it's vacant now."
Shen Lingyue blinked: Auntie, you've already gotten tired of playing with it so quickly?
While she was still in a daze, Pei Jing had already taken out a silver ingot and tossed it to her. "Don't try to fool me with that nonsense. Tell me honestly, who is that man in the private room, and where is he now?"
The shop assistant quickly pocketed the silver ingots, his face full of apologetic smiles: "Please forgive us, sir. We greet and see off all sorts of people every day, and we can't afford to offend anyone."
In the end, he only told the two that the young man claimed to be surnamed Hua and that on the day he left Fenglelou, he had mentioned Bitao Lane to the driver.
Bitao Lane?
Shen Lingyue was very familiar with this place; it was the street full of mistresses.
As she walked out of Fengle Tower, she asked Pei Jinghuai, "Is my little sister planning to hide a mistress away from the public eye?"
Pei Jinghuai cracked his knuckles and snorted, "Let's go, let's go and meet this 'Jiao' too."
To think that Shen Lingyue could still be so hung up on him… I'll see if I don't tear that pretty boy's mouth apart!
Author's note: Another day of enjoying the gossip and the lovey-dovey moments! [Sprinkling flowers]
The announcement has been revised slightly. Everyone's been so enthusiastic, haha! The extra chapter event is temporarily suspended, otherwise I calculated that I'd probably have to pay it off in my next book. [laughing and crying emojis]
[Let me see][Let me see] But you guys will still keep leaving me comments and watering my plants, right? (starry-eyed) (throwing a tantrum)
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