Chapter 88 Feeding my cousin
Jiang Ru hurriedly stuffed all the books into her wardrobe and hid them in the deepest part of the wardrobe. These kinds of erotic books were not really suitable for her.
Moreover, the book seems to always achieve things in one step, but given Jiang Ru and Pei Wu's current situation, such a thing is simply impossible.
After putting all the books away, Jiang Ru felt relieved and went back to bed. She decided not to force things and to proceed gradually.
With this feeling in mind, Jiang Ru quickly felt relieved and fell asleep peacefully.
The next morning, Song Shu brought her friends to find Jiang Ru again. Taking advantage of a break, Jiang Ru secretly took Song Shu to her bedroom. She took out all the books in the room, found the one she had been reading the night before, opened a page, and angrily handed it to Song Shu.
Song Shu glanced at it casually, not paying much attention at first, but after she really saw what was written on it, she immediately looked up at Jiang Ru awkwardly.
Jiang Ru confronted her, demanding, "Have you even read these books yourself?"
Song Shu shook her head. She quickly flipped through two more pages, her face instantly turning red with embarrassment. She closed the book, glanced guiltily at Jiang Ru, and whispered, "I didn't know this was written here."
There were still a dozen or so books left, but Jiang Ru didn't dare to even look at them. She could only say, "I'll burn them all when my cousin isn't home in a few days."
Even if Pei Wu couldn't possibly enter her room, Jiang Ru couldn't leave the book behind; otherwise, she would be truly embarrassed if Pei Wu saw it.
Song Shu also agreed: "It's better to burn it quickly; keeping it will only cause trouble in the end."
Song Shu, still not believing it, flipped through a few more books, and the more she looked, the stranger it seemed: "I don't remember this book being this explicit."
The books she had read before were all written in a very subtle way, which is why she recommended that Jiang Ru buy them. Perhaps they made the wrong choice.
No wonder the book vendor told them to be careful not to get caught; it turned out to be for this reason. Song Shu couldn't help but say, "I think you bought the wrong thing. Why don't we go take another look?"
Jiang Ru dared not go again; these past few days had already made her lose face completely, and she really didn't want to go again.
Song Shu didn't dare go any further. The two of them hid the books together, exchanged a glance, and naturally walked out of the bedroom.
Since the book she bought didn't work, Song Shu could only think of another way for Jiang Ru. She had never pursued anyone, so she just taught Jiang Ru to use gentleness and kindness to win over Pei Wu. Jiang Ru was completely confused and felt that Song Shu's explanation was too profound for her to understand.
As Song Shu spoke, she saw that Jiang Ru seemed like a fool, and she was so angry that she didn't want to say anymore: "You wait, I'll go back and talk to my great-grandfather, and ask him to ask your cousin what he thinks, then we won't have to bother anymore."
With the elders involved, Pei Wu will definitely tell the truth. If both sides are willing, things will naturally fall into place.
Jiang Ru quickly pressed her down: "No, no, no, I'll talk to him myself."
Song Shu didn't believe her at all. If Jiang Ru really had a solution, she wouldn't need to ask her. Besides, Jiang Ru obviously didn't dare to tell Pei Wu directly. Song Shu was exasperated, but Jiang Ru was so useless. She could only remind Jiang Ru in an annoyed tone, "I have to tell you this first. If you continue to be so cowardly, it will be a loss if your cousin falls for someone else in the future."
Jiang Ru nodded repeatedly: "Wait for me to try first."
Jiang Ru was confident that Pei Wu wouldn't be interested in anyone else.
After staying at Jiang Ru's house until noon, Song Shu and her friends left one after another, and Jiang Ru was able to go back to her room to keep Pei Wu company.
She dared not read any more stories, so she went to Pei Wu's study and found a few books. Pei Wu had no shortage of books, so she could read a lot. If she encountered anything she didn't understand, she could ask Pei Wu directly.
It wasn't that Jiang Ru hadn't thought about confessing her feelings to Pei Wu, but every time she tried to say it, she would meet Pei Wu's eyes and become speechless.
A few days later, Pei Wu's wound had almost scabbed over and stopped bleeding, so he would get up and walk around from time to time. Xiao Fang and the others had placed a few reclining chairs in the yard, so if he didn't want to go back inside, Pei Wu could also get some fresh air in the yard.
A few days later, Physician Hu came to Pei Wu's house again to remove the stitches from his wound. The wound had been stitched up rather poorly before, and it didn't look very good after the stitches were removed. Pei Wu stared at his chest for a long time and asked Physician Hu for some scar-removing medicine.
He always felt that his injury was ugly and was afraid that Jiang Ru would not like it if she saw it.
His wound had almost healed. Although the emperor had given him leave, Pei Wu was not idle. He would occasionally go out and help with whatever he could.
When the wall falls, everyone pushes it down. With the Empress Dowager gone, no one will protect Chen Ling. The few remaining members of the Chen family who still hold official positions in the court are all keeping their tails between their legs, fearing that one day it will be their turn. However, no matter how humble they are, Song Pingzhang will not let them go. In addition, people in the court have long harbored resentment towards the Chen family, and impeachment letters are flying to the imperial desk like snowflakes.
Without Chen Ling in charge, these people became insignificant, and the emperor ordered them all to be dealt with one by one, with Chen Ling being the last to be dealt with.
At that time, Chen Ling had been in prison for more than a month.
His home was searched, and the amount of silver found was twice that of Chen Ming's. Perhaps due to the excessive torture he had endured, he could no longer bear it and signed a document admitting his guilt.
He was guilty of several crimes, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to sentence him to death by a hundred cuts. However, considering that he was a member of the imperial family, the emperor spared him a complete corpse and gave him poisoned wine.
Chen Ling's only wish was to see Pei Wu one last time.
Pei Wu had only recovered from his injury a few days ago and couldn't overexert himself. Most of the time, he stayed at home with Jiang Ru, reading books and occasionally playing chess. He lived a very comfortable life.
Since they came to Beijing, they haven't had such a time in a long time, free from worries every day. The Chen family has fallen, and the people they dislike are gone. Jiang Ru feels refreshed and invigorated.
As for the person who assassinated Pei Wu that day, Pei Wu allowed the emperor to send people to investigate. Although no information was found, he was not in a hurry and waited patiently.
Jiang Ru was unusually concerned about this matter and would ask Song Shu for news from time to time. When Song Shu tried to inquire, she was scolded by Song Pingzhang and dared not ask again.
Since she couldn't get through to Song Shu, Jiang Ru started working on Pei Wu's side, asking him about the progress every day. Each time, she only received a vague response. After a few times, Jiang Ru couldn't help but complain: "Are all the people in the court useless? They can't even figure this out."
Just as she was getting into her rant, the emperor sent someone to invite Pei Wu, saying that Chen Ling's only wish before his death was to see him.
Jiang Ru was already furious, and hearing this news made her so angry that she almost fainted: "He dares to come again!"
Pei Wu comforted Jiang Ru and said in a low voice, "I'm afraid they want me to try and find out some information. After all, not all the money the Chen family embezzled has been found yet, so I'd better go and take a look."
Jiang Ru anxiously instructed, "Then you must be careful. I'm afraid he still has some dirty tricks up his sleeve." Still not entirely at ease, she added, "Never mind, I'll go with you. I'm afraid something might happen."
She wanted to go with Pei Wu, but the eunuch who came to deliver the imperial edict quickly reminded her: "The criminal Chen Ling only wants to see Lord Pei."
The implication was that Jiang Ru could not go with them.
Jiang Ru bargained, "I'll just go with them and stay outside, is that okay?"
Before the eunuch could say anything, Pei Wu turned to look at her and said gently, "It's nothing, I'll be back soon."
Jiang Ru ignored him and instead turned her gaze to the eunuch, asking, "Is it alright?"
After a moment's hesitation, the eunuch compromised, saying, "That young lady must stay outside and not go in."
Jiang Ru nodded quickly.
The sedan chair that was there to pick up Pei Wu was already waiting outside the door. Jiang Ru got into the sedan chair. The thought of meeting Chen Ling made her mood instantly sour. Even though he was about to die, Jiang Ru couldn't help but grit her teeth when she mentioned him.
The disgusting things she did back then, including her attempt to kill Pei Wu, all of which filled Jiang Ru with resentment.
She was still angry when Pei Wu handed her something. He had bought some dried fruit sometime during the day and had secretly carried it with him. He had taken it out while Jiang Ru was sulking by herself. The paper bag he was holding contained dried fruit. Pei Wu said, "It's not worth getting sick because of him. I've noticed you've been enjoying this lately. Try some."
The candied kumquats in Bianjing are exceptionally well-made. They are a clear amber color, fragrant and enticing, sweet and soft. Jiang Ru likes to pop a couple into her mouth while reading. However, while these kumquats are delicious, they are a bit expensive. Jiang Ru only buys some to eat when she has a craving.
Upon seeing the bag of dried fruit, Jiang Ru's anger vanished without her noticing. Her previously bristling fur seemed to have been smoothed out. She glanced at Pei Wu somewhat embarrassedly and muttered, "I'm not angry."
She picked up a piece of dried fruit and ate it. The sweet and sour aroma exploded, as if her whole body was filled with the fragrance of fruit. Pei Wu looked at her without looking away.
Noticing his gaze, Jiang Ru slowly raised her head. Pei Wu, staring at her face, didn't have time to look away and was caught red-handed, so he hurriedly looked away.
Jiang Ru found his expression amusing and raised the corners of her lips: "If you wanted to eat it too, you should have said so earlier."
She picked up a kumquat; the flesh was small and translucent in her hand, like a small gem. Jiang Ru held the candied kumquat to Pei Wu's lips: "You eat some too."
The fingers in front of him were as white and tender as scallions. They had been well-cared for in Bianjing for some time and had recovered considerably. The tips of her fingers were a faint pink, and there were sugar stains stuck to them. Pei Wu stared at them for a while, then realized that his gaze was too direct and raised his hand to take them.
But just as his fingertips were about to touch Jiang Ru's hand, Jiang Ru dodged back, preventing him from touching it. When Pei Wu looked at her with a questioning gaze, Jiang Ru's eyes held a mischievous glint: "No, you can't just eat like that."
The candied fruit was too small. If Jiang Ru were to feed him, he would inevitably touch her hand, which was too much for Pei Wu, especially since he and Jiang Ru had not yet established a relationship.
Pei Wu decided to eliminate this possibility altogether, saying, "I won't eat it."
Jiang Ru wasn't about to give up so easily. She stubbornly insisted, "No, you have to eat it."
Pei Wu: "Then I'll take it and eat it myself."
"He's such a blockhead," Jiang Ru said, annoyed. "I'll take it, you eat it."
Pei Wu struggled to find a way to refuse Jiang Ru, but this reaction displeased Jiang Ru. She withdrew her hand, put the candied fruit into her own mouth, and said with dissatisfaction with Pei Wu, "If you don't want to eat, then don't eat. I didn't mean to feed you."
The journey to Bianjing prison was still too far. The sedan chair carried by the porters swayed precariously. Pei Wu secretly observed Jiang Ru's expression and saw that her cheeks were flushed with anger. He felt uneasy and said, "I didn't mean anything by it, I just wanted to..."
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Ru snorted coldly, even turning her posture towards the curtain, leaving Pei Wu with only her back to him.
This was really worrying for Pei Wu. He looked at Jiang Ru helplessly, wanting to explain that he didn't mean it and that he was just afraid of offending her. But his current behavior seemed to be an offense to Jiang Ru.
After a fierce internal struggle, Pei Wu felt increasingly guilty. Jiang Ru only wanted to share her food with him, but he overthought things and became indecisive, which angered Jiang Ru.
He could have avoided touching Jiang Ru's hand if he had been careful, but he still refused her; it was really his fault.
Pei Wu looked at Jiang Ru's retreating figure and said softly but firmly, "Cousin, can I eat it?"
Jiang Ru refused: "It's too late, I won't share with you anymore."
Pei Wu felt a chill in his heart, overwhelmed by feelings of loss and self-blame. He mumbled, "Okay."
This kind of blockhead has no tricks up his sleeve, nor does he know how to say sweet words to make Jiang Ru happy. He only knows how to overstep the bounds in this way and that way, but it is precisely because of this kind of person that Jiang Ru likes him.
Jiang Ru could tell from his tone that he was arguing internally again. She turned around and saw Pei Wu with his eyes downcast, his fists clenched, and his lips tightly biting. If Jiang Ru hadn't been there, he probably would have buried himself in the covers and cried all night.
Jiang Ru's heart was already completely softened even without seeing him, let alone seeing him like this, Jiang Ru's heart melted even more, and tears streamed down her face.
She handed the kumquat to Pei Wu, not wanting to play the "I feed you" game with him, and said, "I'm not angry, you eat it, I'm not playing anymore."
Pei Wu was like a broken piece of porcelain, his white jade-like cheeks and sharp lines contrasting each other, his thick and long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings, directly trembling into Jiang Ru's heart: "Cousin, can you feed me again?"
Still thinking that it was because of what had just happened that Jiang Ru was angry, Pei Wu didn't want to play the clever trick anymore; he just wanted to appease Jiang Ru.
Little did he know that such a gesture would be enough to make Jiang Ru agree to anything he asked. Jiang Ru couldn't help but regret that she shouldn't have pressured him like this. She had agreed to proceed gradually, but she had treated Pei Wu like this.
At this moment, Pei Wu raised his eyes, his gaze clear and pure, like ripples slowly spreading across a lake: "Is that alright?"
Jiang Ru forgot everything and slowly reached out, pinching a piece of candied fruit and offering it to Pei Wu's lips.
Pei Wu glanced at it, but because they weren't that close, he could only lower his head to bite the kumquat in Jiang Ru's hand. When he got close, his warm breath landed on Jiang Ru's hand. He was very careful not to touch Jiang Ru's hand, but the kumquat was too small, and even though he was very careful, his lips still touched Jiang Ru's.
That instant was like a flash of lightning, crackling and popping so loudly that both of them shuddered. Pei Wu, with a kumquat in his mouth, forgot to chew, stiffly maintaining his head-down posture, subconsciously pursing his lips and tasting the sweet sugar stains.
Jiang Ru's fingertips were warm, and Pei Wu wasn't sure if he had touched them. He stared at Jiang Ru's hand, struggling to control his impulse. His thoughts were too far-fetched, so much so that he dared not make a move.
Jiang Ru's mind was also blank. She was probably the first person to be so seductive as to make herself like this. Pei Wu's lips were so soft that she forgot to breathe when they lightly brushed against her hand.
After realizing what had happened, Jiang Ru rubbed her fingertips together. Pei Wu had also recovered from his earlier actions. He seemed embarrassed, his cheeks turning bright red, and he even forgot to chew the kumquat in his mouth.
Jiang Ru stared at her fingertips, both of them blushing. Jiang Ru had known for a long time that Pei Wu would be shy, after all, he would blush even if she touched him before.
Jiang Ru prided herself on her composure, but she never expected that her heart would nearly leap out of her chest in such a short time. Inside the sedan chair, her heartbeat seemed to be directly between the two of them, and she wasn't sure if Pei Wu had heard it.
Jiang Ru stiffly withdrew her hand, staring blankly at her fingertips for a moment before mechanically reaching for a piece of kumquat to put in her mouth. She needed to find something to do to control her emotions.
However, just as she was about to reach for the bag, she felt as if a gust of wind had swept past her. Then, Pei Wu grabbed her hand and squeezed her wrist. Perhaps in his haste, he forgot that his actions were already crossing the line. He held Jiang Ru's wrist through her sleeve, while using his other hand to wipe her fingers with a handkerchief.
If there were a thermometer, Jiang Ru suspected that his temperature would be close to fifty degrees Celsius, because his cheeks were as red as a poisoned apple. He was frantically and nervously wiping Jiang Ru's fingers, and his tone was full of apology, with a slight stutter: "I'm sorry, cousin, I... I accidentally... touched... it."
As for where they met, both of them knew perfectly well. Jiang Ru stretched out her hand and let him wipe her face. After wiping for a while, Pei Wu suddenly realized what he had done and hurriedly stuffed the handkerchief back to Jiang Ru, his face already as red as could be: "Cousin, wipe yourself. I really... I really deserve to die."
He was awkward, and so was Jiang Ru.
Jiang Ru twirled the handkerchief in her hand. It was a gift she had given to Pei Wu. It was embroidered with a few peach blossoms. Pei Wu probably hadn't used it before, because even though he had kept it in his bosom for so long, it was still spotless.
To wipe Jiang Ru's hands, he even took out the handkerchief he had treasured for a long time.
Jiang Ru took the handkerchief and gently wiped her hands clean. She then gathered the handkerchief around her neck and said, "I'll wash them and return them to you."
The next moment, a hand snatched the handkerchief from her hand, and Pei Wu said, "No need, I'll wash it myself."
Then he neatly folded the handkerchief and stuffed it back into his pocket.
Jiang Ru stared at him blankly the whole time. Unaware of how red her face was, she turned her head to look out the window, lifted the curtain to let a little breeze cool her face, and pretended to be nonchalant: "Whatever."
Fortunately, the sedan chair, which had been moving very slowly, finally arrived at the Bianjing prison. The two people, each preoccupied with their own thoughts, did not look at each other. Pei Wu got up as if fleeing, and before getting out of the sedan chair, he did not turn back, but told Jiang Ru in his dry voice, "I'll be right back."
Jiang Ru didn't look at him, and responded indifferently. Only after the hem of her clothes had left the sedan chair did she let out a long sigh of relief.
After Pei Wu alighted from the sedan chair, the eunuch who had been following him exclaimed in surprise, "Oh!" and asked worriedly, "What's wrong with Lord Pei? Why is his face so red after only a short while? Could he have developed a fever? We should call the imperial physician to take a look."
Through the sedan chair, Jiang Ru heard Pei Wu's feigned calm voice: "No need, it's just that the carriage is too stuffy."
The eunuch was half-believing and half-doubting, but dared not ask, so he led Pei Wu to the prison.
Jiang Ru leaned against the windowsill, secretly lifting the curtain to peek at Pei Wu's back. Pei Wu was tall and straight, with a steady gait. Dressed in simple clothes, he was otherworldly and refined. When his sleeves fluttered, he was like a solitary crane, elegant and graceful.
Jiang Ru stared intently at Pei Wu until he walked into the gloomy iron gate of the prison and disappeared from sight, only then did she look away.
The dungeon was cold and damp, with a strong smell of blood in the cells. The floor was wet. The eunuch walked in front, occasionally telling Pei Wu to watch his step. On both sides of the cell were prisoners whose faces were not visible. Their hair was like dry straw, and their prison clothes were tattered beyond recognition.
The ticking sound echoed in the cell, but Pei Wu kept his eyes straight ahead, unconcerned about whether the cell would soil him. A foul stench filled his nostrils, and even the eunuch in front of him couldn't help but cover his mouth and nose, but Pei Wu remained unfazed.
There were a few fires outside the cell, barely enough to see the way. A chilling atmosphere swept over him. By the light of these few fires, Pei Wu finally arrived at Chen Ling's cell.
After several months apart, Chen Ling was unrecognizable. He used to take good care of himself and his hair was still quite black, but now it was all white. He lay on the straw in a sorry state, with wounds of all sizes all over his body, and he was almost covered in blood.
Even the slightest movement caused him pain, but he still sat up straight when Pei Wu approached, raising his already filthy head.
The eunuch stayed by Pei Wu's side, monitoring what they were saying. Pei Wu didn't care; he stood outside the cell, calmly watching Chen Ling.
He did nothing, but Chen Ling suddenly became angry. He looked at Pei Wu with resentment and said, "I hate you the most. You look down on everyone like an ant, and you have no feelings for anyone. If it weren't for Song Pingzhang, do you think you could have climbed to this position?"
Pei Wu never denied that he relied on Song Pingzhang. He was confident that he would eventually reach this position; the only difference was when. Therefore, he was not provoked and simply asked calmly, "You're the one who wants to see me."
After venting his anger, Chen Ling calmed down a bit. He no longer looked at Pei Wu with that gaze, but simply said, "You fools always think you can do something earth-shattering. Let me tell you, if it weren't for my peace talks with Northern Yan, Great Xia would have been crushed by Northern Yan's iron cavalry long ago. It's laughable that you're still alive today."
"The Great Xia Dynasty is beyond saving. You'd better find a way out for yourself as soon as possible and stop trying to change things. You can't do it."
Pei Wu didn't believe Chen Ling would be so kind as to say these words that sounded like advice to him. He also didn't believe that Chen Ling would suddenly have a change of heart before he died. He didn't speak and waited quietly for Chen Ling to continue.
Seeing that nothing he said could provoke Pei Wu, Chen Ling became uncontrollably angry. He looked at Pei Wu coldly and said, "You don't think that the silver you confiscated is all I have, do you?"
He said coldly, "What you've seized is just a drop in the ocean. The rest has already been transferred to Northern Yan. I really want to see what a show it will be when Northern Yan uses Great Xia's silver to destroy Great Xia."
He wanted to see Pei Wu's emotions fluctuate because of him, even anger would be enough to make Chen Ling feel good, but Pei Wu didn't. He just smiled faintly: "Doesn't Prime Minister Ji have anything else to say?"
No matter what was said, Pei Wu remained calm and composed, as if he had always been a joke. Chen Ling could no longer bear it: "If I'm not mistaken, you have quite a few people watching you lately, don't you?"
Pei Wu raised his eyes, his dark, all-seeing eyes coldly staring at him. Chen Ling said, "If I die, you won't live much longer either. They won't let you go."
Chen Ling wanted to pique Pei Wu's interest, so he stole a glance at Pei Wu's expression and, seeing that he remained unmoved, couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you afraid?"
Pei Wu finally spoke: "What's so scary about death?"
Chen Ling knew he would say that. He asked Pei Wu seductively, "Don't you want to know who wants your life? If I wanted to kill you, I would have crushed you when you were still an ant. So you'd better think about who you've gotten in your way. You've been used and then discarded. Your death is not far off."
Pei Wu was surprisingly calm; he simply stated rationally, "You didn't kill me last time."
These words were like a knife to Chen Ling's chest. His expression instantly turned ugly, as if he was laughing in anger: "Just keep being so arrogant. You've already won against me. I'll just wait and see when you'll come looking for me."
He smiled contemptuously: "Even if you're not afraid of death, don't you think about your cousin? Such a beautiful young lady, it would be a real pity if she died."
This was the only thing that could provoke Pei Wu. Seeing Pei Wu's eyes turn cold, Chen Ling didn't care. Relying on the fact that Pei Wu couldn't do anything to him, he started to laugh wildly.
Just then, Pei Wu spoke up: "My cousin will live a good life, and you, you can go now."
After he finished speaking, the eunuch beside him gave an order, and the jailer immediately opened the cell door and pinned Chen Ling down. Chen Ling struggled uncontrollably, but he was no match for him. As his struggles subsided, a bowl of poisoned wine was swallowed whole.
As she lay dying, Chen Ling said in a weak voice, "You'd better be wary of Song Pingzhang; he's no good either."
Pei Wu dismissed such provocative remarks as nonsense, turned and left without looking back, never wanting to see Chen Ling again.
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