Chapter 26 Chapter 26 First Release
Pei Huaiguang was not afraid when his brother, who had always been gentle and steady, showed an expression as cold as frost and snow. He remembered the first time they met again.
He was a wanderer with old and strange clothes, not recognized by any grassland tribe, while Pei Jinguang was a young general wearing armor and with a majestic appearance, and the people in the border town were looking forward to his victorious return.
At that time, he discovered his presence and thought it was an enemy. The look in his eyes at that moment was as cold as it is now.
Pei Huaiguang thought, perhaps he should be grateful to him for not being more murderous.
Pei Huaiguang slowly sat up straight. Facing Pei Jinguang's obviously shocked and angry expression, he was very calm. He gently picked up some grass debris from the girl's thick black hair and looked at Pei Jinguang sideways. His expression seemed innocent but also like a provocation.
"I'm taking care of her."
"What's wrong, brother?"
Pei Jinguang's fists at his sides tightened and unclamped. He looked at the young man, his voice filled with unwavering determination: "She is your future sister-in-law. I will take care of her. Even if I'm not around, there will be her maids, her doctor, and even others."
"But this person can't be you."
Pei Huaiguang's nonchalant expression froze.
The last time they met, she rejected him in the same harsh way.
Why?
He thought so in his heart, so he asked the same question.
Pei Jinguang took a deep breath. At this point, he didn't know whether Erlang was pretending to be stupid or his experience of growing up on the grassland gave him a special nature.
"She will be my wife, your eldest sister-in-law." Pei Jinguang emphasized this identity. "Men and women should be separated. Erlang, if you really want to do good for her, you should get up."
"That's not your place."
Pei Jinguang spoke bluntly, and Pei Huaiguang slowly lowered his eyes. He had a pair of phoenix eyes that were completely different from his brother's. When he lowered his eyes and didn't speak, it made people feel inexplicably aggrieved.
In the small compartment, no one spoke for a while, only the girl's faint and steady breathing could be heard.
Pei Jinguang fixed his eyes on her pale cheek. She seemed to have lost weight, and with her eyes closed, she looked as fragile as the orchid he had raised in his childhood.
If he isn't careful, the orchid will wither.
But she should not be an orchid, Pei Jinguang thought, she should be a pine, cypress or bamboo with stronger vitality. It doesn't matter if she doesn't fit the current definition of a woman. Pei Jinguang just wants her to be healthy and safe, and grow old with him.
The look he gave the girl was too gentle, and that focused and gentle expression was glaring to Pei Huaiguang.
"Aren't you angry? Don't you want to beat me up?"
Pei Huaiguang took the initiative to speak, and Pei Jinguang glanced at him calmly: "You and I are brothers, I will not use my fists or feet on you."
But he didn't say whether he was angry or not.
The young man leaned his hands on the narrow edge of the bed, his slender fingers almost touching the edge of the girl's pale green dress. He looked at his brother's frown and smiled: "When I was on the grassland, I often saw many men with white cloth tied on their left hands and red flowers on their right hands."
Tying the white cloth was an apology to the gods they believed in. Another warrior was lost on the grassland.
The red flower is a symbol of joy, representing that the deceased's brother can inherit everything he has, including his wife.
Pei Jinguang's cold gaze fell on the boy's beautiful face that did not conceal his malice. He'd better not continue talking, otherwise he wouldn't mind immediately overturning what he had just said.
But Pei Huaiguang was obviously not afraid of him.
Pei Jinguang had noticed as early as the first time they met again that this younger brother who had been lost in childhood and grew up on the grassland was born with a mischievous personality.
"When did you find out?"
His words were a little confusing, but Pei Jinguang understood what he meant.
"A long time ago."
When talking about this, Pei Jinguang's face was very pale. No one knew how turbulent the waves in his heart were at that time, layer after layer, until they were about to drown him, bringing him suffocation and pain.
His beloved fiancée and his younger brother whom he finally found with a sense of guilt.
He couldn't imagine that there would be any relationship entanglement between the two other than his.
"It was you who saved her in Biyou Manor."
"It was you who sent me the message and sneaked into the secret passage to Prince Rong's Mansion to rescue her."
"It all started from the moment you threw that stone upstairs, Erlang," Pei Jinguang said self-deprecatingly, "you don't want to hide your feelings for her anymore, do you?"
Pei Huaiguang didn't say anything for a long while before he spoke: "When the elder brother dies, the younger brother inherits the elder brother's wife. This is the most normal thing. I haven't done anything out of the ordinary, right?"
When he said this, his tone was very calm and his expression was natural, as if he didn't know how shocking it was to reveal one's true feelings like this.
If the girl lying behind him was the woman in the tent on the grassland, Pei Huaiguang would cut the throat of the tent owner without hesitation. The glittering gold and gems in the tent were all dead things to him. He came only for the weak and beautiful hostess in the tent.
"This isn't the grassland, and she's not one of those grassland women who can be bullied and sold like merchandise." Pei Jinguang's eyes flashed like swords. "She's just your sister-in-law. Don't think of anything else."
Pei Jinguang has been burdened by his family's heavy responsibilities since childhood. He knows he should, like his father, wield sword and bow, shouldering the heavy responsibility of protecting the peace of the Jin Dynasty. However, his family demands that he be more than just a reckless man. Years of moderate upbringing have made him resolute and patient. When considering the greater good, his personal life, death, honor, and disgrace are of no importance.
But he is not a stone. He also had his first love. He would stop when passing by different cities to choose some gifts for his fiancée who was far away in Jinling.
He guessed what expression would appear on her face when she received the gift, and what tone she would use to speak to him. These fantasies were once the only sweetness in Pei Jinguang's life in the cold and harsh northern border.
"Erlang, she can only be your sister-in-law."
Pei Jinguang repeated it again.
"I can give you the title of marquis, the position of commander, gold, silver and treasures, and I want nothing else. But she can't do that."
The only soft spot in the heart of a cold-hearted person is something he cannot let go of.
Pei Jinguang stood on the opposite side. The light in the medicine house was not very good, and it fell on his tense and handsome face, giving it an inexplicable gloom.
Pei Huaiguang also looked at him steadily.
"Do you think these things are important to me?" He smiled maliciously, his smile falling on a face more delicate and beautiful than a woman's, revealing an almost innocent cruelty. "Brother, you always say you feel guilty about me and won't fight with me for anything. Why have you changed now?"
He was still sitting there, his fingers pressed tightly against the girl's skirt. He seemed to be enjoying the closeness and the forbearing and unhappy look on his brother's face.
Everyone in Jinling City is equally hypocritical.
This was the first time Erlang called him "brother" after returning home.
But it is under such circumstances.
Pei Jinguang said in a cold voice: "A gentleman has his own ways and his own ways. Besides, I am not a gentleman, Erlang."
Everyone has selfish desires, and Pei Jinguang never thought of himself as a noble person.
His selfish desires were far greater than Erlang had imagined.
"Besides, she's not an object, not something that can be passed around between us brothers. She's a living, breathing person with flesh and blood who can cry and laugh." Pei Jinguang looked at him, a sigh hidden in his eyes. "Erlang, do you think you really like her? You're just unwilling to accept it."
Not reconciled?
Pei Huaiguang snorted coldly: "Where did you come up with this fallacy?"
He just had an obsession with the girl behind him, it wasn't really love.
In fact, he didn't even know what the feeling of liking something was.
He subconsciously follows his heart.
There was a roar, trying to take this precious and lovely prey into his tent.
Why did Pei Jinguang reject everything he did? Isn’t liking the prey the same as liking it?
Seeing the boy's unconvinced look, Pei Jinguang didn't laugh. He keenly noticed that the girl's breathing suddenly became panicked for a moment.
Jiro was still angry and didn't notice.
Pei Jinguang's words clung to his lips, turning them over before he continued, "You've just returned home, and it's already difficult for you to accept A Niang and the others as your family, let alone a stranger like her. It's only out of curiosity and vigilance that you pay so much attention to her and do all these things. Erlang, in reality, your concern for Jingxun is just that of a family member, nothing more."
He spoke so forcefully that Pei Huaiguang almost wanted to sneer out loud. Did he think he could fool him?
Pei Huaiguang thought he was not as talented as him, nor as proficient in both literature and martial arts, but he also knew why he was so concerned about Wu Jingxun.
It's just about wanting to get something.
When the two brothers were on the verge of a fight, Wu Jingxun's eyelashes, which had been trembling, had calmed down.
At this time, the medicine boy lifted the curtain and was startled by the tense confrontation between the two people in the room, but he still mustered up the courage to say, "I've picked up the medicine, but you haven't given me the silver yet... Who can give me some?"
"he."
"he."
The two brothers said almost in unison.
Pei Jinguang said expressionlessly: "I don't have any money with me, but I know you have some in your purse."
The medicine boy bowed to the young man with an even uglier face and said politely, "Please come this way!"
When Pei Huaiguang passed by Pei Jinguang, he glanced at him coldly, but he also knew that a hypocritical Jinling noble like his brother still had some advantages.
At least they will be firmly bound by those etiquette rules and will not easily offend the prey he has set his eyes on.
Pei Huaiguang followed the medicine boy out with a sour face to pay the bill.
Pei Jinguang's gaze as calm as the sea fell on the girl lying on the bed. The time they spent alone was rare and precious. He silently and greedily enjoyed this moment of peace and happiness.
He seemed unaware of how intense the feeling would be for the person being stared at when such a silent yet anxious gaze fell on them.
Pei Jinguang noticed her abnormality.
The girl's originally pale cheeks slowly turned red, more gorgeous than the morning glow in the desert he had seen, and more beautiful than the peonies in the palace garden.
Pei Jinguang didn't say anything, but his originally stern expression softened a lot. He just looked at her struggling with a bit of amusement.
Wu Jingxun was indeed struggling with when it would be best to wake up.
...It's easier to face one person than when both of them are present, right?
While Pei Huaiguang was not back yet, Wu Jingxun acted out a scene where she woke up slowly and was very surprised to find Pei Jinguang.
Pei Jinguang looked at her with a smile.
"It wasn't me who saved you, it was Jiro. Do you still remember him?"
If she hadn't just overheard some of the conversation between the two brothers, which frightened her, Wu Jingxun would have almost thought that this sentence was just a simple question.
but……
Wu Jingxun bit her lip and said weakly, "Vaguely... I still have some impression."
Standing behind the door curtain, Pei Huaiguang, carrying several packets of medicine, swooped in. Ignoring Pei Jinguang's frown, he curled his lips at the beautiful girl who shrank back, seemingly frightened by the noise he made. "I saved you three times, yet you only vaguely remember me?"
He also said that he would find more pearls to give him in the future.
fraud.
Wu Jingxun was in a dilemma and looked at Pei Jinguang for help.
Pei Huaiguang did not ignore the nervous and helpless look in her eyes.
He became even angrier.
The anger he showed was just more sullen and his aura was colder.
Wu Jingxun silently shrank back to the corner of the bed.
Pei Jinguang took a few steps forward and stood in front of the bed, acting as a guard.
"Erlang, you can't be so rude to your sister-in-law." Pei Jinguang looked at his brother reproachfully, his eyes gentle but helpless. "After getting familiar with her, maybe your sister-in-law will recognize your face."
What is he talking about? Could it be that he has an ordinary face?
No matter how dumb Pei Huaiguang was, he could still hear the sarcasm in his words.
No one remembers you, so what's the point of you jumping around there?
...Liars, all of them are liars.
Pei Huaiguang threw the medicine packets on the table and said coldly, "Take one dose a day. Don't fall sick on the street again. My brother is busy defending the country and can't save you all the time."
As for him? He was unwilling to do such thankless work anymore.
Pei Huaiguang left.
Wu Jingxun raised her eyelashes and said nothing else. She just asked Pei Jinguang to help go to Wu Mansion to call her maid over.
Pei Jinguang didn't force her: "Okay."
Cuiping and Ziping came over quickly. Seeing Pei Jinguang was also there, they were surprised at first, and then happy.
Wu Jingxun felt a headache and headache, so he asked two maids to support him. He reluctantly said goodbye to Pei Jinguang and left in a hurry.
Pei Jinguang stood there for a long time, looking a little fragile with his head down and silent. Just when the medicine boy was hesitating whether to ask him to take his pulse, he left.
·
Wu Jing returned to Yuzhaoyuan, and her brain, which was already buffeted by the remaining illness, became even more uncomfortable because of the conversation between the two brothers.
Zi Ping boiled some medicine and handed it to her to drink. Seeing that she closed her eyes and finished drinking it, she handed her a plate of candied fruit with a distressed look: "My lady, have some sweet food before you go to sleep."
Wu Jingxun had no appetite. She felt that her heart was even more bitter than the medicine she had just taken.
Prince Pei knew about it.
He was still trying to comfort Pei Erlang, saying that it wasn't true love, it was just out of concern...
Did he really think so? Did he really not mind?
The more Wu Jingxun thought about it, the more his headache grew. He just pulled the quilt over his head and wanted to have a good sleep, but he heard hurried footsteps.
Madam Tong came over in a hurry and saw her lying on the bed. She glared at her and said, "I just spared you for a few days, and you're so lazy now?" As she spoke, she grabbed the quilt and said, "Get up quickly!"
Wu Jingxun felt weak and powerless. She knew she could not win against Mrs. Tong, so she did not struggle. She just sat on the bed and looked at her expressionlessly.
Mrs. Tong felt that her behavior was very unfamiliar, and subconsciously scolded her: "Well, you think you are so great about getting married that you don't even listen to me?"
"Be obedient, why wouldn't I listen?" As soon as Wu Jingxun saw Mrs. Tong, he remembered what she said at his bedside a few days ago.
A sarcastic smile appeared on the pale, beautiful face of the girl. "Mother lied to me, saying that she had spent all her last silver on my sick journey to Jinling, forcing you to pawn the heirloom bracelet given by my grandmother in order to continue your journey. That bracelet was supposed to be passed on to my future wife, but because I'm gone, Mother has taken many things from me over the years to give to my brother as a betrothal gift, and I never said a word."
"You mentioned that half a steamed bun. You threw away your dignity and knelt on the ground to beg the boss for it, and he only gave you that half a bun. You couldn't bear to eat it, and you couldn't bear to give it to my brother, so you fed it to me who was still sick. I always remember my mother's kindness and never dared to disobey you. I even listened to such lies for fourteen years without refuting them."
"Mother, am I not obedient enough?"
It was rare for a girl to speak such a long speech. Not only Mrs. Tong, but also Cuiping and the others were stunned.
My wife’s illness... seems to have cured her foolish filial piety by using poison to fight poison!
After the fun, the only thing left was worrying: what if the lady hits me?!
As expected, Mrs. Tong's face turned pale and then red.
She was used to her daughter obeying her in everything, and when she heard the truth of that year suddenly come out of her mouth, Mrs. Tong was so ashamed and angry that she raised her hand high.
No one helped her this time.
Wu Jingxun turned her head to avoid Madam Tong's hastily falling slap. The slap was so swift that it blew the girl's hair that hung on her chest.
Seeing that she still dared to hide, Madam Tong was even more furious: "Rebellious girl! If I had known you were so unfilial, why would I have gone through so much hardship to give birth to you? I could have just killed you with a dose of medicine!"
Wu Jingxun said softly, "If my mother had done this back then, I would have been grateful to you."
Why bring her into this world? She has been a fool for so many years, it's so boring.
Seeing that she dared to talk back, Mrs. Tong covered her chest and cried out in pain.
Wu Jingxun doesn't buy it anymore.
"If you are sick, go see a doctor. I don't have any pills to give you."
Mrs. Tong was so angry at her unfilial daughter's sudden change of temperament that her face turned blue. She kept shouting that she must have been possessed by something dirty, and hurried out to find an old woman who knew some exorcism skills to cast a spell on her.
Cui Ping was a little worried, but also looked at Wu Jingxun with great admiration: "My lady, what if Madam really calls a witch? That talisman water is really smelly."
Wu Jingxun just smiled. A'niang was just looking for an excuse to quickly escape from this embarrassing place.
She doesn't really care whether she is possessed by a ghost or not.
·
When Pei Jinguang returned home, the moon was already at its zenith.
As soon as he stepped into Songfengyuan, he saw an uninvited guest.
Pei Huaiguang sat on the tree with a sour face: "You said that on purpose during the day, didn't you?"
"You know she's awake, you're lying to her."
"How can this be considered a lie?" Pei Jinguang calmly adjusted the sword at his waist, his bony fingers stroking the worn tassels. "Don't involve her. This is a matter between us two brothers."
Pei Huaiguang jumped down and looked at his brother: "Aren't you afraid that I will go straight to her and explain it clearly?"
The boy had a sharp expression, filled with an unresolved hostility.
He finally saw a prey he liked, why couldn't he fight for it?
It has always been like this on the grassland. Whoever grabs it first gets it.
Pei Jinguang looked at his brother with a gentle yet ruthless gaze: "Erlang, don't you understand? She doesn't like you at all."
"Because I don't like you, I pretended to be asleep, and that's why I don't want to face you."
Pei Huaiguang felt a pain in his heart for some reason, but he still said nonchalantly: "I don't care about those." As long as he could see her every day, Pei Huaiguang felt that the endless restlessness in his heart would settle down, and she would no longer clamor in his ear for the most beautiful and precious prey all day long.
Looking at the still young Erlang, Pei Jinguang smiled: "But I care."
"Erlang, let's take a gamble. If you lose, you'll never bother her again. You'll have to accept her as your sister-in-law."
The look between the young man's handsome eyebrows was too determined, and Pei Huaiguang felt that the fighting spirit in his bones and blood was boiling.
Of course, there is a price to pay to snatch precious prey.
"How do you bet?"
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The author has something to say: There will be a second update later tonight, everyone please get up tomorrow morning to read it (*^_^*)
There are red envelopes dropped in this chapter 24 hours a day. Thank you to every little angel who supports Xiaowan. Mua muaji (づ￣ 3￣)づ
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Thanks to my dear wives (urging for more updates) and Yueye Irrigation for the nutrient solution. Thank you very much.
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