Chapter 160 The Cause of Gu's Death
Pei Yanzhi didn't notice anything unusual in her words. He gently pressed his forehead against the top of her head, his fingertips unconsciously cupping her chest.
It brings a slight tingling sensation.
After a moment of contemplation, his voice was deep and resolute as he said, "I never do anything I'm not sure of. Even if that day comes, Xingjian will take over my mission."
Ji Shu thought to herself: If he really dies one day, I'm afraid it will be just as he said in his study. He won't let her live in this world and be taken by his son or other men.
That's probably what he truly thinks.
At the same time, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. Yes, this was the real him. The world's dominance was what mattered most to him, and everything else was just an appendage.
Even though she held a place in his heart, she was still insignificant compared to his grand ambitions.
What she wanted was nothing more than the old couple at that tea stall, the old man who only had eyes for his wife from beginning to end.
Instead of someone who could discard her like trash at any time and kill her on a whim.
His heart is too big, and the corner he can give her is too small.
Noticing the low spirits of the person in his arms, he assumed she knew he was about to go to war and was feeling somewhat unhappy.
Pei Yanzhi decided to stop talking about it. The night was too short, so he turned her around, pressed her against the edge of the bathtub, and kissed her.
The soft, sweet taste was so irresistible that he couldn't bear to put his mouth down. He pried open her lips and held them tightly.
Ji Shu closed her eyes, reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, offering herself to him willingly, a gesture different from the first time she had taken the initiative.
Back then it was just a kiss, but this time I truly gave myself to her.
Pei Yanzhi's Adam's apple bobbed, and his jawline tightened to its limit: "Shu'er... are you trying to make me die on your body?"
Perhaps it was the last night, or perhaps she simply didn't want to think about anything else and just wanted to immerse herself completely in this infatuation.
The sound of dripping water came from the bathroom. The water level, which had reached Ji Shu's neck, dropped considerably and spilled out of the tub, leaving the floor wet.
Even when Pei Yanzhi finally picked her up, the two were still not separated. He carried her step by step to the bedside.
Feeling the close embrace of her body, Ji Shu buried her head in his chest, her soft sobs carrying all the way to the bedside.
Autumn rain began to fall outside the window, and the wind lashed against the carved window frame again and again, first whistling like a whisper, then turning into a loud banging.
The window paper soon bulged up really high.
Then it suddenly sank in, making a soft, crackling sound.
I don't know how much time passed before the rain outside the window gradually stopped.
Pei Yanzhi kissed her cheek, letting her slowly calm down in the afterglow. He even thought for a moment how wonderful it would be if he could hold her in his arms like this forever.
Don't think about anything, do nothing, just do this.
Pei Yanzhi pressed against her back, his palm stroking her shoulder, and whispered, "When I was twenty, I was fearless and only thought about how to lead Yanzhou to prosperity."
"At that time, I felt that there was nothing more satisfying than this, until later, after Gu married into the family."
His Adam's apple bobbed. This was the first time he had opened his heart to her, to tell her about that unbearable past, the only thing he wanted to tell her.
Upon hearing the name "Gu Family," Ji Shu suddenly opened her eyes, turned to face him, and softly asked, "And then?"
Pei Yanzhi recalled that time in a low voice: "The Gu family was chosen for me by my mother. Her father's family was a prominent family in Youzhou, and he was also the chief administrator of Youzhou at that time."
"At that time, there was constant warfare in Yanzhou. In order to consolidate my power, I obeyed my mother and married her. Not long after the marriage, I led my troops out of Yanzhou, and she stayed in the mansion."
As he said this, he looked intently at Ji Shu, his eyes filled with emotions she couldn't decipher, but they were certainly not good news, and the matter must be closely related to Gu Shi's death.
He continued, "I have no feelings for her. I thought she would just serve my mother and manage the household well, but I never expected... she would become pregnant."
Ji Shu froze, remembering the conflict that had occurred at Shanshui Residence because of the Gu family.
The veins on the arms wrapped around her waist suddenly tightened, making Ji Shu gasp softly. Only then did he come to his senses and loosen his grip.
"But that child...is not mine."
Ji Shu's eyes widened in shock.
He continued, "I touched her on our wedding day and found out she wasn't a virgin. After that, I never got close to her again. It wasn't that I cared about that, but later I discovered that she was having an affair with her cousin."
"After I found out, I took the opportunity to give her a warning. Seeing that she seemed to have restrained herself, I thought I would deal with her after I came back. I just didn't expect that she would be pregnant. My mother originally thought that she was my child."
Ji Shu was secretly shocked. She hadn't expected such a secret past. Gu Shi was really bold to openly have an affair with a man outside the mansion.
She even secretly became pregnant, no wonder she didn't have a good end.
"When I found out about this, my mother probably didn't want to dirty my hands, so she had already secretly disposed of her. I heard... it was a fully formed male fetus that was born."
He looked down at Ji Shu, whose face was somewhat pale, and kissed her forehead.
He said in a low voice, "You must understand, I do not like her. When I learned all this, I just felt disgusted. My Pei family, a family with a hundred-year history, has been tarnished by her."
Ji Shu murmured, "If she didn't want to marry, she should have made it clear. Instead, she had an affair with her cousin. I never expected..."
Pei Yanzhi merely gave a cold laugh, not revealing the full extent of the filth in his words, not wanting to offend her ears.
The Gu family later even tried to confuse the bloodline, to replace the real child with the fake one, so that such an illegitimate child could be born as the heir of Yanzhou. This was simply wishful thinking.
Not only vicious, but also stupid.
Even if his mother hadn't dealt with her back then, he would never have let her live after his return.
He simply didn't want to tell her about these bloody things; she could live her whole life under his wing, free and at ease.
Ji Shu had no idea what he was thinking. Only now did she truly understand that back in the study, if she and Pei Xingjian had really had something going on...
Does he mean to abolish his position as heir apparent and disappear without a trace, just like the old lady did with Madam Gu?
How could this not terrify her?
Such a man, with such immense power, will soon ascend to that position.
The desire to leave grew stronger, but—
She shifted slightly in his arms, silently stroking her lower abdomen. This child had come at the worst possible time.
Fortunately, it's only been a little over a month. After leaving, I'll find an opportunity to dispose of it quietly.
That would be the best outcome.
Pei Yanzhi reached into the blankets to touch her hand, but seeing that her hand was resting on her lower abdomen, he placed his hand on it as well.
He said in a deep voice, "Xingjian was adopted by the imperial clan in the third year after Gu's death. When my mother saw that I had no interest in matters of love, she decided to adopt Xingjian."
Ji Shu's heart sank. He had said a bit too much tonight. What did he mean?
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