Ambiguous tug-of-war
This news was like a bombshell, leaving everyone stunned.
The first person to react was Qian Tao.
"You heartless bastard! Our employer has treated us well, yet you harbor such evil intentions, helping outsiders to cheat us!" She spat on the ground: "When this is found out, you'll get a slap from me first!"
Everyone's reaction was slightly different, but they were all indignant, surprised, and doubtful.
Pei Qingwu looked them over one by one, but didn't find anything unusual for the time being.
“I will investigate this matter thoroughly,” she said calmly. “And I will not tolerate it. Once I find the mole, I will get rid of him no matter what the reason.”
After saying that, she turned and left.
Gu Heng followed closely behind: "Sister, do you need me to keep watch for you?"
"No need. Today I've stirred up trouble. If they panic, they'll come out on their own." Pei Qingwu smiled at him. "Let's not worry about that for now. News has come from the Princess's residence that the Princess has given birth to a baby girl. The invitation for the baby's one-month celebration is already in my hands."
Princess Shouchun's childbirth was difficult; she endured the pain for a full day and night before finally giving birth to her daughter. Therefore, she cherished this bond between mother and daughter all the more and held a grand celebration for the baby's one-month birthday, inviting the celebrities of Qinzhou City.
Pei Qingwu naturally received an invitation as well.
"Come with me to pick out a gift for the young lady."
"good."
She was dressed too simply at the moment, in a drab gray cotton dress, which was convenient for working but not for going out. So she went back to her bedroom and changed into a light purple dress with a dark floral pattern of twin lotus blossoms, and put on a scarlet fur cloak, which made her fair skin and beautiful face even more striking.
"Let's go, it's a good opportunity to go for a walk and relax." Pei Qingwu extended her hand to Gu Heng.
Gu Heng smiled and readily grasped the hand.
It was snowing lightly today, and there weren't many people on the road. Pei Qingwu became bolder and leaned into Gu Heng's arms, letting him hold her as they walked.
Gu Heng was initially flustered, but he quickly adapted and held Pei Qingwu tightly in his long arms, with no gap between them.
Princess is of noble birth and has seen all kinds of fine things since childhood. She is just a merchant girl. No matter how much money she spends to send treasures, she probably won't catch the princess's eye.
Since that's the case, why not take a different approach and send "thoughtful gifts" instead of "expensive ones"?
"Aheng, what do you think of me giving the young lady a 'Hundred Blessings' quilt?" Pei Qingwu pondered for a moment: "I'll make it myself and add some auspicious meaning."
"Hmm... If it were me, I would probably like it." Gu Heng scratched the back of his head.
"Okay, this will do." Pei Qingwu was amused by his silly appearance and gently tapped the tip of his nose.
Having made up his mind, Pei Qingwu took Gu Heng to the best silk shop in Qinzhou City. He carefully selected soft and skin-friendly fine silk and cotton cloth as the quilt cover and lining, and also matched them with various colored silk threads, preparing to embroider the "Hundred Blessings" pattern and auspicious decorations by hand.
This time-consuming and laborious gesture is far more precious than gold, silver, or jewels.
Having bought everything he needed, Gu Heng naturally took over all the packages.
The two walked side by side on the street where light snow was falling. Even though they were carrying things, Gu Heng still held Pei Qingwu's other hand tightly, as if afraid that she would get lost.
As I walked to a rather quiet street corner, I suddenly saw a little girl, about seven or eight years old, huddled in the corner with a small bamboo basket in front of her, in which a pile of handmade silk flowers were neatly arranged.
The silk flowers were made of ordinary materials, but the colors were fresh and the workmanship was clearly very meticulous. The petals were layered and overlapping, making them quite unique and lovely.
On this cold, snowy day, passersby hurried by without stopping. The little girl, dressed in thin clothes, was pale with cold, her small body shivering slightly in the wind, her big eyes filled with hope and helplessness.
Pei Qingwu paused, a wave of emotion washing over him.
She pulled Gu Heng over, squatted down, and asked softly, "Young lady, how much are these silk flowers?"
When the little girl saw someone asking the price, her eyes lit up instantly. She straightened her stiff body and timidly held up two fingers: "Two, two coins a flower."
Pei Qingwu looked into the bamboo basket; there were about twenty or thirty flowers.
She smiled, took out enough money from her purse to buy all the silk flowers, and stuffed it into the little girl's cold little hand: "I want all of these silk flowers."
The little girl was stunned, staring at the unexpectedly large number of copper coins in her hand. She was both surprised and delighted, almost unable to believe it, and stammered, "All...all of them? Thank you, sister! Thank you, sister!"
She hurriedly handed the entire bamboo basket to Pei Qingwu, her face flushed with excitement.
Pei Qingwu took the bamboo basket, but did not leave immediately.
She picked out a delicate crimson silk begonia flower, turned around and handed it to Gu Heng, her eyes crinkling with a mischievous smile: "Aheng, help me put this on."
Gu Heng's ears turned slightly red as he looked at the silk flowers she offered. Under the little girl's curious gaze, he accepted them as instructed.
He carefully and gently pinned the silk flower to the side of Pei Qingwu's dark hair bun.
The sight of her face and the flowers complemented each other, making her smile even more radiant and her beauty beyond compare.
"Is it pretty?" Pei Qingwu tilted her head and asked him.
Looking at his beloved, who was smiling sweetly before him, Gu Heng's gaze was so tender it could melt hearts, and he nodded emphatically: "Beautiful."
Pei Qingwu smiled with satisfaction, then turned her gaze to Gu Heng's handsome face, a mischievous smile flashing across her face.
She picked up the remaining silk flowers from the basket, one, two, three... and without saying a word, began to insert them into Gu Heng's hair and temples.
Gu Heng was completely taken aback by her move and froze on the spot, at a loss for what to do.
"Sister, sister?" His handsome face turned bright red. He wanted to dodge, but he was afraid of hurting her, so he could only stand stiffly and let her "do as she pleased".
Pei Qingwu, however, was in a playful mood and giggled as she arranged the flowers, "Don't move! Our Aheng is so handsome, he'll definitely look good with flowers on! This is called... adding flowers to brocade!"
Before long, Gu Heng's head, ears, and even the cloth used to tie his hair were covered with colorful silk flowers inserted by Pei Qingwu.
Red, pink, yellow, purple...
The once handsome and upright young man was now dressed up like a walking "flower stand," looking both comical and strangely beautiful.
The little flower seller, seeing this scene, forgot about the cold and covered her mouth, secretly laughing.
With his head covered in silk flowers, Gu Heng looked at Pei Qingwu, who was laughing so hard she was shaking, feeling both embarrassed and helpless. In the end, he gave up struggling.
He simply gazed deeply at her with those peach blossom eyes brimming with indulgence and doting, and murmured softly, "As long as sister is happy..."
As long as she's happy, what does it matter if he's the strangest flower-wearing man in Qinzhou City?
Pei Qingwu finally stopped laughing, looking at Gu Heng's obedient appearance, which seemed to be at his mercy, and the bunch of incongruous yet surprisingly harmonious silk flowers on his head, and felt a warm glow in her heart.
She reached out and straightened a small purple flower that was about to fall, then smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore. Let's go home."
She took his hand as if it were a beautiful flower basket that belonged only to her, and walked calmly and confidently toward the Sushan Market amidst the surprised or amused gazes of a few passersby.
The snow continued to fall, gently and quietly.
Back at the shop, Gu Heng's comical appearance inevitably drew a few more laughs from the others.
"Oh my, our Ah Heng is a little flower goddess."
After laughing for a while, Pei Qingwu and Yin Lan Jinniang went to prepare dinner for the evening.
Winter is getting colder and colder. At this time of year, having dumplings and a bowl of hot mutton soup is a great choice.
Yin Lan was in charge of chopping and mixing the meat filling, Jin Niang was in charge of making mutton soup, and Pei Qingwu was in charge of rolling out the dumpling wrappers.
The kitchen was bustling with activity. Pei Qingwu rolled out dough while observing Jinniang.
Jinniang had been married to Shi Dayong for some time now, and she looked completely refreshed, inside and out. Her complexion had improved a lot, and she looked as rosy as a peach. The clothes she wore and the accessories she wore showed how much care Shi Dayong had put into her.
Indeed, loving someone is like growing flowers; how can life be the same no matter who you live with?
She was so engrossed in watching that she forgot her hands were covered in flour. Feeling her eyes getting dry, she subconsciously raised her hand to rub them.
As a result, flour got into his eyes.
Pei Qingwu grunted and subconsciously closed her right eye, which had been irritated by the flour, causing a few specks of white powder to instantly stick to her long eyelashes.
The slight stinging sensation quickly brought tears to her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Gu Heng, who had been keeping an eye on her, immediately noticed and strode over to her side, his tone filled with obvious urgency.
Pei Qingwu tilted her head back, her right eye still closed, her left eye slightly moist, looking at him with a hint of grievance, her voice unconsciously carrying a touch of coquettishness: "Flour... got into my eye, it hurts a little..."
Her appearance at this moment was completely different from the shrewd, capable, and composed Pei Dongjia of the day; she looked more like a little girl who needed to be cared for.
Gu Heng's heart clenched instantly.
He quickly reached out, carefully cupping her cheek with one hand to hold her head still, while his other hand gently tried to pry open her tightly closed right eye.
"Sister, don't move, let me take a look..."
His voice was very low, with a soothing tone, and his breathing unconsciously became lighter.
His fingertips, warm with the unique touch of youth, brushed against her slightly cool eyelids, sending a shiver down her spine.
Pei Qingwu obediently relaxed and let him do as he pleased.
Gu Heng leaned in so close that Pei Qingwu could clearly see his focused brows and eyes, his long eyelashes, and the tiny reflection of herself in his peach blossom eyes.
He carefully observed her reddened eyes, his warm breath brushing gently around her eyes and cheeks like a feather.
"I see, there is a little white powder..." he whispered, then slightly pursed his lips and gently blew on her reddened eyes.
One, two, three...
The warm air continued to caress the sensitive eyeballs, and the initial stinging sensation was gradually replaced by a slight itch and comfort.
Pei Qingwu could even feel that, in order to control the force, his cheeks puffed out slightly when he blew, and his expression was more serious and tense than ever before, as if he were dealing with a unique and fragile treasure.
She obediently opened her eyes and let him serve her, only to feel her cheek, which he was holding, getting hotter and hotter, and her heartbeat inexplicably quickening.
"Are you feeling better?" Gu Heng stopped blowing on her for a while, anxiously observing her reaction, but he forgot to let go of her face.
Pei Qingwu blinked her right eye, which had finally regained its clarity. Her long eyelashes brushed against his fingertips, and her eyes shimmered with tears as she smiled gently. "Hmm, it doesn't hurt anymore. Our Aheng is really amazing."
Her words were filled with undisguised intimacy and praise.
Gu Heng belatedly realized the overly intimate posture they were in and the soft, delicate touch of her skin beneath his palm.
His ears turned bright red instantly, as if they had been burned, and he hurriedly tried to pull his hand back.
However, Pei Qingwu was one step ahead of him, raising her hand that wasn't covered in flour and gently placing it on the back of his hand as he tried to pull away, pressing his hand even closer to her cheek.
She looked up at him, her voice as soft as if she were telling a secret: "Thanks to you."
Gu Heng froze completely; the warmth of her hands on the back of his hand was even more scorching than when he had held her hands earlier.
Looking at her smiling face so close to his, he felt all the blood rush to his head, his heart pounding like a drum, making his eardrums buzz. He completely forgot about pulling his hand away.
Yinlan and Jinniang were busy with their work and didn't notice anything amiss. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Pei Qingwu tiptoed and gently kissed his cheek.
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