Chapter 41 Sharp Teeth and Clever Tongues
For example, roasted mutton, crab roe soup dumplings, and bird's nest porridge are her favorite dishes.
But today she had no appetite at all, especially when she met those unfathomable eyes.
Pei Yanzhi took the porcelain bowl, ladled a bowl of chicken soup for Ji Shu with a spoon, and said in an unusually gentle tone, "Did I make you feel unwell this morning?"
Lu Changming glanced at the rooftop. Their lord had never been so humble as to beg for forgiveness from a young woman. Luckily, there was no one else in the room, so he pretended not to see it.
Their eyes met, and Ji Shu realized that he was giving in.
Ji Shu said softly, "If Marquis Yan wanted me to feel at ease, he should be on his way back right now, instead of staying at my house and saying these things."
Pei Yanzhi ignored her sarcasm, picked up a piece of roasted meat from the food counter, put it in his mouth, chewed slowly, and after a while said, "Why is Madam Ji so afraid of me?"
His voice deepened slightly: "Or are you afraid I'll do something to you, hmm?"
Seeing his shamelessness, Ji Shu didn't want to say anything more to him, and picked up her chopsticks to eat without tasting her food.
The meal was very quiet; apart from the sound of chopsticks hitting plates, there was almost no other noise from the person opposite.
He is extremely well-mannered and disciplined.
Ji Shu was startled. Her thoughts had wandered to this extent. What was even more frightening was that she was no longer afraid of him.
Pei Yanzhi noticed that the dishes in front of her had barely been touched. He turned to look at her and saw that she kept her head down as if counting the grains of rice in the bowl, revealing a bit of her fair and slender neck.
Pei Yanzhi put down his chopsticks and smiled as if he had just thought of something: "What's wrong? Doesn't it suit your taste?"
Ji Shu also put it down: "No...no, I'm just not very hungry."
As their eyes met, Pei Yanzhi took the teapot, slowly poured in the tea, and leaned over to pour her a cup.
Ji Shu accepted the teacup with both hands, "Thank you, Marquis Yan."
Pei Yanzhi said slowly, "My courtesy name is Jingchen. You can call me that."
Finally, he added, "Fine, call me whatever you want."
Ji Shu was startled. In her panic, she pinched her palm, furrowed her brows, and whispered, "How dare I address you like that?"
Pei Yanzhi shook his head noncommittally, then suddenly asked, "Can you grind ink?"
Ji Shu didn't want to stay in the same space with him any longer, so she shook her head and said no.
As if sensing her thoughts, Pei Yanzhi slowly withdrew his gaze: "It's alright if you don't know, I can teach you."
A gentle breeze stirred Ji Shu's skirt, and the rosy light gilded her fair skin with a golden glow—a beauty that could not be matched by anything but gold and jade.
He went with him to Tingshui Pavilion, which was originally his father's study. Since his father's death, there were no male members in the family, and he rarely stepped into the room.
Unexpectedly, when they stepped back in, they were with a stranger.
Seeing him sitting calmly in the armchair, his gaze falling on her, but he didn't speak, only nodding slightly to indicate that she could begin grinding the powder.
The ink in the study is all of the finest quality, with some pieces even being rare, top-grade pine soot inks.
These are all passed down from generation to generation. Such treasures are rarely seen by ordinary people. As Pei Yanzhi smelled the ink, he suddenly realized that this woman had been pampered and raised in a world of luxury.
Bathed in the soft sunlight, her plump skin appeared even more supple and jade-like, yet her wrists were remarkably slender.
Holding the ink stick and grinding it evenly with focused concentration, the wrist bends gently and appropriately, creating a pleasing and delightful picture.
A barely perceptible hint of pleasure flashed in Pei Yanzhi's eyes; the presence of a beautiful woman was indeed remarkable.
Ji Shu was sitting and handling official business the whole time, and hardly ever looked at herself.
She cursed inwardly, thinking that she had probably made him wait several hours during lunch, deliberately tormenting her.
Overwhelmed with grief, I didn't know how I would get through the next few days.
By the time Pei Yanzhi put down the bamboo slips in his hand, set down his wolf-hair brush, and looked up at Ji Shu, the sun had already begun to set in the west.
“After that day, Madam Ji seemed to fear me as if I were a dragon’s den or a tiger’s lair.” Then Pei Yanzhi got up from his chair and stood behind Ji Shu, looking down at her porcelain-white face.
Ji Shu felt a sense of panic and unease as he approached. Her back tightened, and she wanted to leave, but he was behind her. If she wanted to leave, she would have to get past him, and she might accidentally fall into his arms.
Whether he did it on purpose or not, she bit her lip and pretended to be calm, saying, "Lord Yan is probably overthinking it. You are a regional overlord, and others can only respect you. How could they possibly think that way?"
Pei Yanzhi took another step forward, and Ji Shu's lower abdomen pressed against the edge of the table, leaving her with nowhere to retreat.
He braced his arms on either side of the desk. If an outsider were to look from inside at this moment, they would only see that he was standing in the shadows, his entire body encircling her in his arms.
He brought his thin lips close to her ear, "If other people said they respected me, I'd believe them to some extent, but coming from you, it sounds like you're being sarcastic. Hmm?"
A warm breath brushed against his earlobe. "What have you thought about my suggestion from last time?"
Ji Shu's face paled; she had almost forgotten what he had said last time.
That day in Furong Pavilion.
As she finished dressing and prepared to leave, Pei Yanzhi suddenly spoke up: "Madam Ji, why don't you consider marrying me instead of becoming Xingjian's concubine? I will grant you the position of my principal wife."
Ji Shu only overheard it briefly and then left. Now it seems he might not really mean it that way?
Ji Shu's expression hardened, and her voice was calm as water: "I am of humble birth, how could I be worthy of the Marquis? Your noble bearing and elegant appearance are certainly worthy of noble ladies, I will not indulge in wishful thinking."
These words ignited Pei Yanzhi's anger. Such rudeness had been on his mind for the past few days.
They needed to properly settle her identity while also dealing with her past relationship with Xingjian.
Burning with anger, he asked, "Are you afraid that Xingjian will find out about our incestuous relationship and be completely unaware of what's going on?"
Although Ji Shu was intimidated by him, she couldn't tolerate him doing it again and again. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, she turned around and said, "You..."
As soon as she turned around, her tender, flower-like lips fell into the trap. Pei Yanzhi lowered his head and took her lips in his mouth before she could react at all.
Like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey.
After such a long journey, I can finally enjoy my own special meal.
All her sobs and resistance were swallowed up. Behind her was a cold desk, and in front of her was his strong, burning body. She was trapped in this small space, unable to move.
Ji Shu snapped back to reality when she felt a sensation on her waist. She took a big bite, letting out a muffled groan as the taste of rust filled her mouth.
He then grabbed his hand, his deep eyes fixed on Ji Shu like a hawk's, and wiped the corner of his mouth.
Sure enough, he was bitten until he bled. He lifted Ji Shu's chin without caring and saw that her lips were red and swollen from his sucking. His smile deepened: "Sharp teeth and sharp tongue."
Ji Shu hurriedly ran past him and left. Pei Yanzhi watched as her skirt fluttered in the wind and she finally disappeared at the doorway.
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