Chapter 130 The children are afraid of thunder
As dawn broke, the crabapple blossoms were already in full bloom. Ye Wanning, wearing a light jacket, tiptoed silently to the flower trellis. Her fingertips lightly touched the petals, which carried a refreshing coolness.
Pei Zhi said he liked crabapple blossoms, so she wanted to pick one and put it in Pei Zhi's study. Ye Wanning stood on tiptoe to reach the highest blossom, the one that was the most vibrant red. But she wasn't tall enough; her toes went numb, and her fingertips were still an inch short.
"Is Madam deliberately making trouble for Hua?" A familiar voice came from behind. Ye Wanning was stunned when suddenly a hand appeared on her waist. Pei Zhi supported her from behind, his palm pressed against her waist and abdomen, warming her with his unique warmth, making her tremble.
"I want to pick that flower and put it in a vase for you." Ye Wanning turned around. Pei Zhi was wearing a moon-white casual robe, his hair still damp from just waking up, so he must have just woken up as well.
Pei Zhi lowered his head and chuckled, his fingertips brushing against her waist: "You're taking such a risk at this height? What if you fall?" He raised his hand and gently plucked the crabapple blossom.
The morning dew on the petals dripped onto the back of his hand, but he didn't notice. He held the flower up to Ye Wanning's hair a couple of times, then deftly tucked it into her hair bun: "It looks better this way than in a vase."
Ye Wanning raised her hand to cover the flower in her hair, her ear tips burning: "You just know how to make fun of me."
"How could I dare to laugh at you?" Pei Zhi pinched her cheek, his gaze falling on her reddened earlobes. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen, it should be ready soon."
Steam rose from the steamer, filling the kitchen with a sweet aroma. Ye Wanning stared at the steamer, a cookbook in her hand, her brows furrowed. This was her first time making osmanthus cake. She had watched Chun Tao make it yesterday and thought it was easy, but when she tried it herself, she realized she had added too much water to the dough, and she was worried about not cooking it hot enough.
"Miss, don't be nervous. I'll taste it for you once it's steamed." Chun Tao peeled lotus seeds beside her and couldn't help but laugh when she saw how nervous Chun Tao was.
"No, I want Pei Zhi to eat first. He likes sweets the most."
Finally, the steamer sizzled and steam rose. Ye Wanning quickly turned off the heat and carefully carried the cake out. The freshly steamed osmanthus cake was steaming hot, golden yellow, and had a faint osmanthus fragrance.
She picked up a piece with her chopsticks, blew on it, and presented it to Pei Zhi, who had just entered the room: "Try it and see if it's good."
Pei Zhi bent down and took a bite. The sweet fragrance instantly spread in his mouth, carrying the refreshing scent of osmanthus, not cloying at all. Just as he was about to speak, he saw Ye Wanning staring at the corner of his mouth, her eyes sparkling.
"What's wrong? Is it not good?" Pei Zhi was taken aback.
Ye Wanning didn't speak, but raised her hand and gently wiped the corner of his mouth with her fingertips—there was a little icing sugar on his lips when he bit into it.
Her fingertips were soft, brushing against his skin like a feather's touch, and Pei Zhi's ears instantly turned red. Ye Wanning herself realized what was happening, her hand freezing in mid-air, her face also burning.
The two stared at each other, neither speaking, the only sound in the kitchen being the sizzling of steam from the steamer.
"The General and his wife are sweeter than cake!" Chun Tao suddenly laughed, almost dropping the lotus seeds in her hand. "Miss, the way you apply icing sugar is even more cloying than osmanthus cake!"
Ye Wanning blushed even more, quickly withdrew her hand, and turned to look at the steamer: "I...I'll take a look at the other cakes."
Pei Zhi watched her retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips. He reached out and touched his lips, which he had just wiped; the warm, sweet taste still lingered. He walked to her side and said softly, "It was delicious, even better than the imperial kitchen's."
Ye Wanning looked up and met his gentle gaze, her heart pounding like a rabbit's. She lowered her head and whispered, "Then...then I'll make a few more baskets and send some to the children at Ci'an Hall as well."
Pei Zhi nodded and helped her take the steamer down: "I'll help you light the fire, and you teach me how to knead the dough. I'll make it for you in the future too."
The afternoon sun was shining brightly, streaming through the study window and falling on the unfolded letters. Pei Zhi took out a wooden box from the bottom shelf; inside were letters he had written to Ye Wanning when he was at the border, each one neatly folded and still carrying a faint scent of ink.
"Why did you keep all of these?" Ye Wanning leaned closer and saw that each letter envelope was addressed to Wanning. The handwriting was more childish than it is now, but every stroke was carefully written.
He sat down by the window and began to read aloud, word by word: "The wind was strong at the border today, the first snow fell at the border today, what delicious food did the border general buy today, how many mice did the border general see today... and, today I saw a gazelle, it ran very fast, just like the little tiger you drew last time."
Ye Wanning listened to him from close proximity, as if she could see him writing a letter under the border lamp: armor, pen, and Pei Zhi changing the letter paper with a gentle gaze, his eyes full of warmth.
"I'm craving your red bean buns again today. The ones you sent last time, I shared with the soldiers, and they all said they were ten times better than the steamed buns in the camp." Pei Zhi put the letter away and smiled at Ye Wanning beside him.
Ye Wanning suddenly tilted her head and kissed him on the cheek. Her soft lips brushed against his cheek, still carrying the faint scent of her medicine. Pei Zhi froze, and the letter in his hand stopped moving.
"I'll make it now, and there'll be plenty." Ye Wanning's ears turned red, but she still looked at him seriously. "From now on, I'll make whatever you want to eat. You won't have to think about it in letters anymore."
Pei Zhi realized what was happening, pulled her into his arms, and held her tightly. He rested his chin on the top of her head, his voice a little hoarse: "Okay, you don't have to think about it anymore."
Ye Wanning nestled in his arms, inhaling the sandalwood scent emanating from him, feeling a sense of peace. She reached out and opened an unopened letter, smiling as she asked, "This one's still unopened. What did you write in it?"
Pei Zhi took it, scratching his head sheepishly, "It seems... it seems I wrote that I couldn't sleep because I missed you, and Vice General Zhang laughed at me."
Ye Wanning couldn't help but laugh. She opened the letter and saw that it read, "I can't sleep at night, my mind is full of you." At the end, there was a crooked little tiger drawn, just like the one he was drawing now.
"You could draw little tigers back then?" Ye Wanning held up the letter, her eyes full of laughter.
“Back then, when I missed you, I would draw a little tiger to represent you.” Pei Zhi pinched her cheek. “Now it’s all good. I can hold you every day, so I don’t need to draw tigers anymore.”
The weather was fine in the afternoon, but suddenly it changed. Dark clouds gathered, and soon a downpour began. The raindrops pounded on the roof, making a terrifying, pattering sound.
Ye Wanning sat by the window watching the rain, feeling anxious—the children at Ci'an Hall were still in class, and with such heavy rain, they certainly wouldn't be able to get home. She grabbed an umbrella and was about to go out when Chun Tao stopped her.
"Miss, the rain is too heavy. Let's wait until it subsides before we go!"
"No, the children will definitely be afraid of thunder." Ye Wanning pushed open the umbrella. "I'll be right back."
Just as I reached the door, I saw a familiar figure in the rain – it was Pei Zhi. He was walking quickly towards me, holding a large umbrella. Half of his shoulder was soaked by the rain, water dripping down, but he held the umbrella steadily, keeping the things in his arms dry.
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