wind and rain
The houses in the vicinity are connected, and the alleyways are winding and hidden deep inside, with the hems of the two people's clothes fluttering in the wind.
Lu Lan finally put down his bow and arrow. As the commander of Yanjing, he was very familiar with the terrain map of the surrounding area due to his daily patrols and defenses.
Their path ahead is a dead end; they will emerge from it in no time.
A servant boy bowed and said, "My lord, after investigation, it turns out that the person hiding in the shadows was... one of Governor Pei's men."
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Lan frowned and asked in confusion, "Why did he send people here?" With a slight movement of his face, an old scar that had spread from behind his right ear to his face seemed to come alive, baring its teeth and claws.
This servant was quite adept at stirring up trouble: "Governor Pei must know that Your Excellency is coming to fetch the bride and wants to ruin your good deed! Last night, Governor Pei sent men to the Bai residence, and they kept candles lit all night long. I wonder what they're plotting..."
Standing solemnly against the cold wind, Lu Lan thought to himself: This is truly absurd.
He glared at the still-talking guard with his fierce eyes, his gaze darkening slightly. He waved his hand, and someone dragged him away and executed him on the spot.
"Is this guy stupid, thinking he's in charge?"
The guard, Xiao Liang, glanced at the servant who was still crying out for justice and curled his lip: "He's hopeless."
Suddenly a strong wind arose, and it looked like a heavy rain was about to fall. The dilapidated teahouse at the corner was about to collapse. A gust of wind swept through, scattering the straw and sending it into the air.
Lu Lan suddenly sensed something was wrong and turned her gaze to the alley entrance. A quarter of an hour had passed, and there was still no one there!
At the deepest part of the alley, there was no other way but a high wall covered with vines and grass. Fortunately, a strong wind blew down an old rope, which they could use to climb over it and successfully cross the dead end.
Mei Sheng helped Bai Qi jump down from the damp mud wall before asking in confusion, "Could he be the man your family wants to marry?"
Bai Qi sighed deeply, patted the dust off his coat, and his face fell. "Yes." He then took the opportunity to recount some of the man's misdeeds, such as killing people like slicing melons, and drawing his knife at the slightest disagreement, regardless of good or evil.
No wonder she feared him like a snake.
Logically speaking, the two of them were not fleeing quickly, and that person should have arrived here in the blink of an eye. So why was no one chasing after them? Even though Mei Sheng was full of doubts, she did not stop.
Fortunately, once past this wall, due to the higher elevation, one could see in the distance that a main road led beyond the path. The main road was wide, and occasionally a galloping horse would trot out, splashing mud and water.
A light rain suddenly began to fall, accompanied by a rustling wind. Mei Sheng thought to herself, "This is bad luck; my makeup isn't waterproof."
Then he pulled at his clothes, covered his face, and hurriedly looked for a roof to shelter from the wind and rain.
After the two stopped and considered their own itineraries, they realized they were different. Bai Qi thanked her for a while and then left on an oxcart on the road.
This area was sparsely populated, so the arrival of the oxcart was unexpected for Mei Sheng. However, the cart was piled with miscellaneous items and could only accommodate one person. The two had no choice but to wave goodbye and part ways.
Under the empty thatched hut, only Mei Sheng remained.
It's easy to see from the reflection of the rainwater on the ground that her face was covered in a colorful array of colors, which was quite startling.
Not only that, but the brown residue on his hands and neck also flaked off and stained his outer shirt, and his exposed skin gradually revealed its original color.
Just as Mei Sheng squatted down, scooped up the clear water from the mud puddle, and hesitated whether to wash it off, three or four horses suddenly came galloping down the official road. The riders were all wearing straw raincoats and came with a fierce momentum.
Mei Sheng met the gaze of the leader, whose eyes were cold and icy.
The next moment, she splashed the water in her hand onto her face, trying to wash it off, but there wasn't enough time, and in the blink of an eye, the group stopped in front of her.
Just then, the cold wind grew stronger, so Mei Sheng had no choice but to wrap her clothes tighter and furrow her brows: "Master."
I can't let him know that I can do makeup.
Mei Sheng was still puzzled. Yesterday had just passed, so where had things gone wrong that he was able to find them so quickly? Pei Jue had also mentioned in the past few days that he was not at home and had gone out on important business.
The disappearance of a maidservant shouldn't require him to drop everything else to look for her? He had intended to use the incident of the master offending her yesterday to obscure the complexity of her escape; even if he wanted to find her, he shouldn't have done so so quickly.
Mei Sheng straightened up, but before she could explain, she saw Pei Jue dismount, casually unfasten his raincoat, and let the rest fall to the ground, getting covered in mud.
Pei Jue was dressed in indigo silk, with a neatly overlapping collar, wide sleeves, and a plain jade pendant hanging from his waist.
He stepped forward and forced Mei Sheng into a corner of the thatched hut, where she could not move an inch. He chuckled and said, "I've come to deliver something to you."
Mei Sheng positioned his elbow between the two men, so close that they could clearly hear his heartbeat as he spoke.
She subconsciously touched her chest, but looked puzzled and asked, "What?"
Just then, another carriage drove up on the road. The carriage was simple, and the driver was someone we knew, Han Zhou.
Once the carriage came to a safe stop, Pei Jue moved aside, gesturing for Mei Sheng to get in. Seeing that she was getting in too slowly, he picked her up and strode over to her.
After they were seated, Pei Jue still didn't let go of Mei Sheng, holding her tightly as he sat on the soft couch, pouring himself a cup of tea and placing it on a small table.
Mei Sheng sat quietly, and despite her reluctance, she asked again, "What is that object?"
Inside the carriage, a small, exquisite silver incense ball was fixed in place, its fragrance filling the air and soothing the mind.
Pei Jue closed his eyes for a moment before opening them to look at Mei Sheng from afar, his tone carrying a deeper meaning: "I wonder what Mei'er thinks it is?"
The name Mei'er struck her like a thunderbolt, piercing her heart. Mei Sheng's eyes flickered slightly, and she snapped back to reality in a moment.
Pei Jue rolled up a corner of his sleeve, slowly untied the jade pendant's cord, and then handed it to her without hesitation, raising an eyebrow and smiling, "A gift from an elder in your family, surnamed Mei?"
Mei Sheng took it, but the force on the other side was so great that even if she used all her strength, she could not take the jade pendant back.
The implication is that if you don't agree, he won't give it to you.
Mei Sheng was filled with fear and anger. Her heart raced and her face quickly turned cold. He knew everything, so what was she pretending for?
Pei Jue lowered his eyes and sighed softly: "I gave you a jade pendant, why do you treat people like this?"
After saying that, he approached Mei Sheng and tied the jade pendant firmly around her neck. His words were gentle, unlike what Mei Sheng had expected, and unlike the coldness she had just seen.
Mei Sheng was surprised, but the jade pendant visible on her outer robe was none other than hers.
Seeing the bewildered look on her face, Pei Jue found it even more amusing. He had come all the way here in the rain, and he was not without anger, but looking at her pale face in the cold wind, his anger lessened a bit.
Holding her in his arms, the initial restlessness had mostly dissipated. Pei Jue secretly comforted himself, thinking that this girl was young, prone to mischief and fussing, and her temperament was unpredictable. He would teach her properly in the future.
Moreover, news of the investigation into her background has already arrived. She was just a child abducted from the north and bought by the Zhou family. She is truly pitiful, which explains her cautious nature.
Even so, how could Pei Jue let her go? He had no intention of finding her relatives. Their repeated encounters were destined by fate.
Pei Jue reached out and dampened the plain white handkerchief, laughing at her, "Why are you covered in mud after the rain?" He then gently wiped Mei Sheng's forehead, and looking at the light brown stains on her upper body, a thought stirred in his heart.
What muddy water? Mei Sheng looked at the brown stain on the handkerchief and then fell silent: "It was an accident."
But then Pei Jue put his arm around her waist, untied her soiled outer garment, threw it on the ground, and then familiarly pulled out the bundle wrapped around her waist and tossed it onto the soft couch. He then casually grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around Mei Sheng.
Seeing that Pei Jue made no further move, Mei Sheng tightened the blanket, found a corner to sit in, and slightly raised her eyes, only to be met by Pei Jue, who saw her smiling and soft-spoken question: "What is it?"
Mei Sheng had already thought of the reason for leaving the mansion. She used the fact that the master was forcing her to do so as the reason. Before jumping into the pond, she also shouted that she could only have him. If he really wanted to find her, he would naturally know about these things.
She composed herself, her voice tinged with a hint of grievance, and tentatively asked, "Master, are you blaming me for running away from the manor? It was all the master's fault..."
Unexpectedly, after exchanging a few affectionate words, her lips were covered by a large hand, and Mei Sheng instinctively took a step back.
Pei Jue raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on her, as if to say, "If you are so fond of me, why are you reacting like this?"
Mei Sheng had no choice but to touch his palm. At first, she felt that his palm was warm and that she could feel the veins throbbing strongly. The unfamiliar touch almost made her drop the hand abruptly.
Under Pei Jue's deep gaze, she confessed that leaving the manor was merely a momentary, impulsive thought born of anger, and that she deeply regretted it...
In this way, whether he believes her or not, she will not have committed any major wrongdoing and will have a legitimate reason to be punished. Even if he punishes her, he will not punish her severely.
Seeing this pretentious and manipulative rhetoric, Pei Jue interrupted in time, not wanting to listen anymore, and chuckled: "Mei'er, what is your full name?"
Under Pei Jue's subtly coercive gaze, Mei Sheng had no choice but to tell the truth. The man, who was leaning against the soft couch, nodded with pleasure upon hearing this and did not ask any further questions.
As the rain intensified and the road became increasingly difficult to traverse, the carriage sped up, occasionally lurching along. By sheer bad luck, Mei Sheng bumped into the roof of the carriage.
Before she could even feel the pain, she was pulled forcefully into his arms, and she immediately felt a surge of heat. When she looked up, her eyes met Pei Jue's.
Pei Jue's eyes darkened slightly. He moved his hand that was around her waist upwards, pinched her chin tightly, and gently rubbed his thumb against her moist lips, teasingly saying, "Mei'er, you live up to your name."
This lip color is just like plum blossoms in winter snow; even when lightly pursed, it resembles a plum bud on a branch, delicate and vibrant.
He was in a great mood, staring intently at Mei Sheng's lips, his voice low and hoarse: "I gave you a gift, is there any reward?"
Mei Sheng seemed to sense something, her hands clenched her clothes tightly, then slowly relaxed, still asking the question that had been bothering her: "Master, weren't you outside the manor? Why did you return so early?"
Pei Jue rubbed and kneaded for a long time, finally unable to control himself, and slowly ground the soft and delicate piece in his mouth until Mei Sheng cried out in pain, only then did he say, "It's all for you."
As he bit and gnawed, Pei Jue seemed to have become fierce. The anger left in his heart did not disappear with his actions, but instead intensified.
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