Chapter 13 On New Year's Eve, will you serve me, or will I serve you?
Pei Xiaoyun worked non-stop for over ten days and finally finished dealing with the affairs. There were only three days left until New Year's Eve, and all the government offices were on holiday.
He braved the wind and frost to rush back, the dew on his eyelashes melting away as he entered the house.
She was dressed in purple, with gentle and graceful features. She was sitting sideways, threading a needle, her petite figure trembling slightly with the movements of her hands.
I haven't seen you for a few days, and you seem to have lost a lot of weight.
Mingying casually wiped away her tears with her sleeve, a beautiful smile blooming on her face. She stood up to greet him, "Why are you back at this hour, young master? I'll go prepare some tea."
Pei Xiaoyun noticed that her expression was off, grabbed her wrist through her clothes, and pulled her to sit down: "Lin Xian is gone. I didn't even know when he left?"
He looked at her tear-filled eyes, waiting for her answer.
Mingying pinched her fingertips under her sleeve.
In no time, she suddenly grasped his hand and showed him the newly made knot: "I don't know either, perhaps I was too engrossed in making knots. You liked the last one, so I thought I'd make you another one."
Hearing her answer, Pei Xiaoyun felt relieved and gently rubbed her warm eyebrows and eyes: "Why are you crying?"
"When I was getting dressed just now, the hidden button caught on my ear." Mingying didn't dare to touch it, pointed to her right ear, and leaned closer to him.
Pei Xiaoyun looked at them and saw that their fair and delicate earlobes had turned a dark red. Although they had scabbed over, they didn't seem to be healing very quickly.
"Have you applied the medicine?" he asked.
"I've already applied it." Mingying lowered her almond-shaped eyes. She wasn't sure if she had dispelled his doubts, so she could only say cautiously, "If you apply the medicine for me, it might help me recover faster."
"Okay, I'll go in your place."
Pei Xiaoyun smiled and pulled her even closer.
He had been traveling for several days, and now, smelling her fragrance, his confused thoughts calmed down considerably. "I took a break before the New Year to spend it with you."
—
For the next three days, Pei Xiaoyun indeed stayed at home.
On the 29th day of the twelfth lunar month, the last snow fell. The elm tree in the courtyard lost its leaves, leaving its branches bare, inevitably creating a desolate and bleak atmosphere.
Mingying and her team tied bright red lanterns all over the trees. When the wind blew, the lanterns swayed, creating a festive atmosphere from afar.
Door gods, peach charms, and banners were also hung up; they were so busy they barely had time to breathe.
After feeling stifled for so many days, she finally broke into a knowing smile upon seeing this brand-new atmosphere.
No matter what, that's still her identity.
She was troubled by the past, which displeased him, and she herself would not feel good either.
Take the charcoal in her room, for example. When he was in a good mood, he would replace it with red charcoal, which was smokeless and dust-free, and made the whole room warm. When he was in a bad mood, he would only offer her a few pieces of damp charcoal, which made her cough all night.
Pei Xiaoyun sat leisurely under the eaves, sipping tea, while all he could see were servants tending to flowers and plants, hanging curtains and lanterns.
From childhood to adulthood, he never looked forward to the New Year holidays; in fact, he found them rather noisy.
When Mingying rolled up the curtain and came out, holding two couplets, asking him which one to hang, he brushed aside the red and white characters, put one arm around her waist, and said, "Why are you always busy with these things? Leave these matters to them."
The courtyard was filled with maids sweeping and cleaning. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Mingying struggled slightly, but he only held her tighter. Her face flushed slightly: "Don't you think it would look better if it were all hung up like usual? If everything looks the same as usual, it won't feel like New Year's."
The past year has been a rollercoaster ride, from Yangzhou to Beijing, and I've experienced so much. It hasn't been a good year.
But in any case, we should welcome the new year and have new hopes.
She glanced at the man holding her, her gaze dimming slightly.
After the New Year and the arrival of spring, he was to get married, but for her, there was no new hope.
Why do we seem to be getting more and more complacent each year?
"Fine, if you want to make a fuss, go ahead and hang it up." Seeing that she was genuinely happy today, Pei Xiaoyun let her be.
Mingying gripped the couplet in her hand tightly, slowly raising her head to look at him: "Besides, there will be happy events in the mansion after spring begins, so a lively atmosphere is a good omen."
The words "happy event" reached Pei Xiaoyun's ears in her melodious voice, causing him to pause slightly.
He looked into her bright eyes and chuckled softly, his expression ambiguous.
She, however, was always thinking of his happy occasions.
For some reason, he thought of Lin Xian again and squeezed her fingertips tightly: "Even if I get married, you will still serve me as usual. Don't think about anything else, understand?"
"You and the county princess grew up together, won't you send me away?" Mingying asked, mustering her courage.
She had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
I just never had the chance, nor did I dare to speak up.
"Didn't I say I'd take you as a concubine?" Pei Xiaoyun looked at her, his eyes darkening. "Do you intend to leave?"
Mingying rubbed her fingertips, which he had pinched until they were red, and hurriedly replied, "To be your concubine is such a blessing, I am eternally grateful."
She herself didn't know what answer she wanted to hear from him.
Should we send her away, burning all the affection we've built up over the years, or keep her and let her be a slave for the rest of her life, watching him have children with other men?
Her heart felt heavy, as if something was stuck in it, something she couldn't swallow or get out.
A cluster of bright red lanterns caught her eye, and her eyes welled up with tears.
There will be many more years like this, filled with forced smiles.
—
The next day, Ling Shuang and the other maids, including Yu'er, were able to ask for leave and go home as they wished. Pei Xiaoyun didn't seem to care much about their departure. In their eyes, he was naturally a reasonable and understanding master.
Only Mingying had seen many sides of him and knew perfectly well that the more generous and doting he was, the less he actually cared.
On New Year's Eve, the whole place was brightly lit.
Brilliant fireworks soared into the sky, exploding into a shower of bright sparks.
Mingying went to the main courtyard to get the warmed New Year's wine. She found the main courtyard full of people, who were exchanging congratulations and enjoying themselves. They had even invited an opera troupe to perform.
The further you walk towards Lanqingzhuoyuan, the quieter it becomes; the noisy fireworks seem out of place in this courtyard.
She came in covering her ears, poured two cups of Tusu wine, and the two of them sat facing each other as usual.
She had only drunk half a cup when she felt hot all over, so drunk that she almost collapsed on the stove.
In a daze, I fell into a warm embrace.
Pei Xiaoyun knew her drinking capacity all too well, so he immediately tried to snatch her glass. When she still wouldn't give up and tried to hook it with her hand, he slapped her wrist and said, "If you're drunk, will you serve me or will I serve you?"
"It hurts! Why did you hit me?" Mingying was very drunk, and her voice was childlike. She leaned into his arms and cried, her tears soaking his clothes.
Although she was drunk, she knew it was him the moment she smelled his scent. So she suppressed the many things she wanted to say, afraid that he would hear her if she said something.
So she didn't speak, she just sobbed.
Pei Xiaoyun's chest heaved with her movements, and looking at her tearful eyes, he felt somewhat at a loss.
She used to get drunk, and when she was drunk, she would tell him about her childhood.
For example, she got pricked by a fish bone while eating fish, fell into a trap while picking mushrooms, and cut her hand while playing with her father's carving knife. She talked incoherently, and he got tired of listening to her.
This time, she didn't say anything to him, she just cried so sadly.
I don't know if she was drunk and stupid, but she even tried to grab his clothes to wipe her snot and tears.
He decisively slapped her hand away, his tone questioning but not overtly angry: "Following me, do you think I'd make you suffer? Why are you crying like this for no reason?"
Mingying heard his words clearly and uttered two words haltingly: "It hurts...it hurts..."
It was the unfinished conversation from that night.
It hurt when he forcibly pierced her earlobe, and it also hurt when he tattooed those two words on her body.
Pei Xiaoyun was slightly stunned for a moment, then forcibly turned her head, forcing her to look at him: "Who told you to be disobedient and insist on getting entangled with that Lin Xian, and even dared to accept his things behind my back? Don't think I don't know what you and he talked about at Fuguang Tower."
Mingying did not answer him.
She felt he was being unreasonable. Why could he get entangled with other women, while she was treated like this just for exchanging a few words with someone else?
But she dared not say anything, and tried to lie back down to continue crying, but he picked her up.
"Do you dare to do it again?"
Mingying quickly replied, "No, no, it is my honor to serve you, young master. I am willing to serve you like a slave to repay your great kindness."
Pei Xiaoyun felt a strange sensation. Her words sounded sincere, yet they sounded so awkward.
He pulled her off him and placed her on the couch. He kissed her rapidly opening and closing lips, which tasted sweet and refreshing, with a hint of wine. He then probed her tongue and bit it hard.
Mingying craned her neck and cried out in pain, but he pressed down on the back of her neck, suffocating her mouth and nose on the pillow.
He always liked this pose.
She couldn't see him, and could only follow his movements, sometimes moaning softly, sometimes sobbing quietly.
He, however, could see her clearly and control her reactions from his superior position.
She was relieved that he was much gentler than that night.
Gradually, the effects of the alcohol wore off, and she clung to his chest, bobbing up and down.
...
When the lovemaking ended, Mingying was still awake, clinging to his arm and forgetting to let go. Listening to the sounds of fireworks outside the window, a long-lost warmth filled her entire body.
She blinked quietly, as if she had returned to the feeling of spending the New Year with him in Yangzhou, a time of quiet, with only the two of them.
Pei Xiaoyun felt comforted and used her fingertips to feel the trembling of her eyelashes, talking to her casually, "In the future, we will have a daughter as lovely as you."
Mingying's calm eyes flickered, like the reflection of fireworks.
Does he mean he wants to have a child with her?
She has been drinking contraceptive soup ever since she started serving him, and this year marks the third year she has been drinking it without missing a single time.
Sometimes she would think that he felt she was not worthy of bearing his children, which was why he made her drink bowl after bowl.
They kept their relationship to themselves and never mentioned the children.
Tonight, he actually brought it up on his own initiative.
Her voice trembled slightly: "Will the young master like it?"
"Of course." Pei Xiaoyun pecked her lips.
Just as they were about to go deeper, Kong Qing's urgent voice came from outside the door.
"Sir, something terrible has happened!"
Pei Xiaoyun propped herself up on one side, her brows furrowed with displeasure, and called out, "What is it?"
Kong Qing shrank his neck.
During the Lunar New Year, he didn't want to spread such unlucky rumors, but he really didn't dare to delay, so he reported the truth: "The old lady of the Prince Yi's mansion has passed away. The county princess is so sad that she has suffered an asthma attack and said she wants you to come and visit her."
Pei Xiaoyun's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.
Mingying naturally heard it too, but pretended not to.
She didn't let go of his hand, which was clasped with hers, but the tighter she gripped, the less she could resist his force as he pulled away.
Tonight is New Year's Eve, and he will be with her.
She felt a chill in her palm, and the sense of security she had felt vanished. Then, he threw off the covers and got up, bringing in a gust of cold wind.
She sighed softly and got up to help him change his clothes.
"You go to sleep, I can do it myself."
Pei Xiaoyun got off the bed, put on a black cloak, and as he was about to leave, he glanced at her fair and gentle face and said, "I have some urgent business. You should rest well. I'll give you a big red envelope tomorrow morning."
“Mm.” Mingying nodded stiffly.
The sound of him opening the door was deafening, even drowning out the roar of the fireworks.
She turned over and lay on her side, unable to sleep all night.
The next day, dawn was breaking.
She put on her new clothes and saw the leftover wine and a few plates of snacks by the fireplace. The warmth of last night had vanished in an instant, like a dream.
In the past, he would give her a red envelope on the first day of the Lunar New Year.
But today, even though the sun is high in the sky, he still hasn't returned.
Looking out the window at the swaying lanterns on a tree, she suddenly realized that it was the first day of the new year and she should treat herself well.
She took out a large red envelope, stuffed all her money into it, handed it from her left hand to her right, and said auspicious words.
"Ah Ying, Happy New Year, and may you have peace and safety every year."
A note from the author:
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There is a second male lead, and the female lead will have a storyline with him, but it's not about the second male lead winning her over! The synopsis says it's a melodramatic, forced-take story, so that's exactly what the title suggests. To each their own, so please don't argue. [pleading][crying]
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