Chapter 34 Successful Escape, One Cup of Wine Causes Collapse
Pei Xiaoyun smiled in a half-smile, but she could tell what Pei Xiaoyun was planning.
Her eyes lit up at the mention of going out, a stark contrast to her previous reluctant demeanor.
“You said it yourself, it was before.” He looked at her, laughing wantonly and maliciously, “You made a mistake, and I’m already being exceptionally lenient by not punishing you. You still dare to mention the mansion to me? You’re delusional.”
Going out isn't impossible; she's been locked up long enough since we brought her back.
If she were more obedient, he might consider taking her out, but that incident still made him extremely angry whenever he thought about it.
Is it enough to just give in and beg him for one night?
Mingying underestimated his despicable and shameless nature.
She was exhausted last night, and she did whatever he said, swallowing her anger and resentment. But when she woke up this morning, he turned on her as if she had wasted her time.
"I've already admitted my mistake, what more do you want?" She glared at him resentfully.
Pei Xiaoyun felt a strange tightness in her chest from that look. "Looking at me like that, is this how you ask for favors?"
He can't even say nice things, yet he wants to make demands of him?
"You've locked me up like a prisoner, and you expect me to be grateful?" Mingying turned her head away. She was already extremely dissatisfied with his broken promise and was getting impatient with his pretense.
She began to carefully consider how to get him to take her out.
Her smooth, dark hair slipped through Pei Xiaoyun's fingers in an instant. He had been rebuffed by her words early in the morning, and as he got up, he coldly left behind the words: "What are you going to do at the lantern festival? Don't even think about it. Just stay put."
After he got dressed and left, Mingying got up and muttered a couple of curses in the direction he had gone.
As the days passed and nights turned, another day went by, and she watched helplessly as the days slipped away, so worried that she couldn't eat.
No one can help her leave the manor; if she wants to succeed, she needs to get Pei Xiaoyun to agree.
In the evening, before he returned, she went to the kitchen and asked for rock sugar and osmanthus flowers to brew a pot of his favorite Osmanthus Dew.
Perhaps because I've brewed this tea so many times before, even though I haven't brewed it for three years, I'm still very skilled at it now.
Sitting by the window, I saw the candlelight lit in the study, and a tall, slender male figure was cast on the windowpane.
She let her hair down, applied some perfume, and brought the tea over.
Pei Xiaoyun stood upright like a pine tree, unfolded a rough sketch, glanced at it hastily, his eyes filled with hostility and extreme dissatisfaction. He then crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it away.
The painters he hired received his rewards every day, yet they couldn't even produce a single painting.
"Kong Qing, give those people three more days. If they still can't finish the painting, chop off their hands!"
Kong Qing went down cautiously and brushed past Ming Ying behind the screen, kindly reminding her, "Miss Ming, the master is angry."
Mingying nodded to indicate that she understood.
She knew perfectly well that he was prone to outbursts of madness, but she had no choice but to come to him.
When Pei Xiaoyun heard Kong Qing call her name, she looked up in disbelief and saw a slender figure standing by the screen with a pot of steaming tea on a tray in her hands.
Given her stubborn nature, she would probably be sullen for a few days after that phone call this morning, yet she was so eager to serve tea.
Under his gaze, Mingying stepped forward and placed the teapot steadily on the table. "As the saying goes, everyone has their own expertise. Just because others can't draw it, does that mean you should chop off their hands?"
A strange light flickered in Pei Xiaoyun's dull pupils as he looked her up and down: "Are you pleased that Lin Xian wouldn't let me draw her?"
“I’m in this state now, you can do whatever you want with me, what’s there to be proud of?” Mingying ignored his words, gripped the teapot handle, and poured a cup into the empty cup.
As the slender white fingers moved slowly, the tea flowed into the cup like a clear stream, and a delicate fragrance of osmanthus wafted over.
Pei Xiaoyun recognized this as the tea she used to love brewing for him.
With her hair flowing down her back, she turned gracefully, releasing a sweet fragrance.
Although his eyes were burning with desire, he didn't know what she was up to. Pointing at the tea, he smiled and said, "Is there any poison in this? Take a sip and let me see."
Mingying was speechless for a moment. She picked up her cup and took a sip, her red lips becoming moist from the tea.
"If I dared to poison you, I'd probably be chopped into mincemeat the next moment."
Pei Xiaoyun listened and smiled, "It's good that you know."
After speaking, he took the cup, drank from the water-stained rim of the cup she had just drunk from, and finished it all.
The tea has a rich aroma and a sweet taste; it's a fine cup of tea.
The soft lamplight cast long shadows on her beautiful face, the aroma of tea wafted around her, and her red sleeves added to the fragrance. If only it could be like this every day.
He drank his tea and then ignored her, picking up his pen to revise the other sketches.
Mingying felt a little awkward, unsure if the tea was enough to soften his heart, so she picked up the ink stick and ground the ink for him.
Her fair wrist kept turning, her white fingertips pinching the thick black ink stick (Reviewer, ink for grinding ink, for writing, nothing else, last time I was locked up for grinding ink). Pei Xiaoyun would glance at it from time to time, her eyes dark, the more she looked, the more her fire burned.
Taking advantage of her unpreparedness, he put his arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace; the fragrance of her perfume stirred his desire.
"What do you want from me?" he finally asked in a hoarse voice.
If he heard her plead for Lin Xian, he would probably break that slender waist.
Mingying sensed that he was testing her. To deal with him, she couldn't be too eager or proactive, or she would easily give herself away. She looked at the sketch and circled around him, saying, "Let's see what you're doing?"
"Can you understand it?" Pei Xiaoyun was surprised by the answer. He rested his chin on her hair and chuckled softly, his laughter carrying a hint of mockery.
Mingying bit her lower lip without making a sound.
His words still implied that he looked down on her, believing that she knew nothing and should only serve men in the backyard.
She didn't answer, and Pei Xiaoyun didn't ask any more questions. Holding her was a way for him to temporarily dispel the frustrations of his official duties.
After sketching for a while, he noticed that Mingying remained silent, and a subtle sense of unease arose within him. Could it be that she was thinking of someone from the past while watching him paint so quietly?
His jaw twitched slightly; after all, she and Lin Xian had fallen in love through painting.
"What are you thinking about?" His deep, cold voice pierced her ears.
Mingying replied fluently, "It reminded me of when you taught me to paint and read."
There was indeed a moment when I recalled the past, but the memories of that time were like those shrouded in a cold smog, too painful to recall.
More often than not, it's a deliberate answer to please him.
"So, you really are thinking of me?" Pei Xiaoyun paused briefly, then placed a hand on her chest, touching her heart. "How about we dig it out and see?"
Back when she first started following him, she didn't know many characters. Whenever he was handling official business, he would teach her a few characters and occasionally write a few strokes.
Later, she pestered him to teach her to paint, always wearing a sweet and charming smile. Little did she know that her obedient and shy demeanor was, in the man's eyes, a blatant seduction.
Mingying felt a chill run down her spine and shook off his hand: "Fine, don't believe me if you don't want to."
Pei Xiaoyun whispered in her ear again, "So, you still think I'm the best?"
He didn't believe that their three years together couldn't compare to her three years with Lin Xian.
He nurtured her from a naive girl into a graceful young woman; the affection he shared with her is something no one else can replace.
"What's so great about you?" Mingying muttered.
Pei Xiaoyun's brow twitched. Those romantic dreams were shattered by her words. He pinched the soft flesh of her waist: "What did you say?"
Mingying's neck ached from his pinching, so she raised her head and deliberately shouted, "All you do is make me work like a cow for you, follow you around. I've suffered so much. Every time I'm bullied, you turn a blind eye and don't say a word for me. I can't bear all the good things you've done for me."
Counting all the pain and suffering, there's so much more than this; it's impossible to describe it all.
If all the bitterness she swallowed were poured out, it could overwhelm several people.
Pei Xiaoyun lowered her head and chuckled for a while, her expression unreadable.
She dared to say he was wrong, saying it was nothing, but she remembered all these old stories.
At the same time, he was also glad that she still remembered these things, and that her mind wasn't entirely filled with that person.
“Even if you can’t bear it, you have to bear it.” He turned around and berated her, “I told you you’re heartless. I spent three thousand taels to redeem you from your servitude, don’t you remember? I gave you all the rare and precious things I had, don’t you remember? When you were sick, I searched for doctors and medicine for you, worried about you day and night, don’t you remember?”
Mingying sneered inwardly. What did all this amount to? She had given everything, while this was merely his charity. He always had to ridiculously compare the two.
She remained silent for a long time, her emotions a mixture of genuine feeling and feigned emotion, before bursting into tears.
Pei Xiaoyun was annoyed by her, and his rock-solid heart softened a little. His rough fingertips rubbed and scratched the corner of her eye: "As long as you obediently come back to the capital with me, I will take care of everything for you in the future. I will put your name in the family genealogy and make you my concubine. You will also bear two children for me. After that, who will dare to bully you? Don't be stubborn and think about people you shouldn't think about. I will give you whatever you want."
Once she holds great power in the future, it wouldn't be unreasonable to give her the title of a palace concubine.
For the first time in his life, he made such a profound promise to a woman.
Mingying felt a chill run down her spine as she listened.
What does she want?
She had once truly hoped to live a peaceful life with this man. But all she received in return was his repeated indifference and repeated heartbreak.
All she wants now is simple freedom and to live well with people who truly respect her.
He reappeared and forcibly shoved her back into the cage.
She and he were never meant to be together; their relationship was merely a facade, a pretense of friendship.
"If I behave and go back to Beijing with you, will you lock me up like a criminal?" Her burning tears dripped onto the back of his hand, her sobbing voice carrying a hint of accusation.
The sketch has been ruined, with ink stains spreading out in layers; it will probably need to be redrawn.
"Stop crying," Pei Xiaoyun commanded, but a sense of relief welled up inside her.
It turns out she had made enough of a scene and wanted to compromise.
She then used the library to entice him, brewed tea for him, and discussed the terms for their return.
But before, weren't we just like birds, hiding in the cage he built every day? What was wrong with that?
It was during these three years, following the wrong people, that her wild nature was fostered.
No problem, there's plenty of time in the future.
He will slowly raise her back to be Mian'er.
"I promise you, after we return to Beijing, you will be free to come and go as you please." A smile curved his thin lips. "I can also take you to the lantern festival on New Year's Eve."
Mingying breathed a sigh of relief after hearing his words.
She had been with him for three years, and although it was like walking on thin ice or walking with tigers and wolves, she had a good understanding of his habits.
He was arrogant and cold-hearted, and liked to have absolute control over people and things.
The more openly you ask him for something, the less likely he is to give it to you.
But if you first beg for peace and humble yourself, and lower your stance, he will have you under his control and will be more willing to loosen his grip and give you some handouts.
—
The Governor's Office.
When Shen Chun heard that Shen Mingshu was determined to save that woman and was even willing to postpone the operation at the Mingye Suburban Prison by an hour, her face immediately turned cold.
"Ashu, why do you insist on rescuing that woman? The plan at the prison can't be delayed any longer."
Taking advantage of the shift change of prison guards on New Year's Eve is a great opportunity. If we delay and keep putting it off, we will only waste the opportunity.
From a broader perspective, Shen Mingshu was in the wrong and therefore dared not refute Shen Chun.
But every time he communicated with Lin Xian and heard him talk about his wife, his eyes would always show deep affection and tenderness.
He couldn't bear to leave her alone and couldn't help but try his best: "Don't worry, Godfather, we will not let this matter go wrong. Doctor He has already passed the message to Madam Lin. Madam Lin is fine, which means she has a chance to escape. She has enough sleeping pills to keep people asleep for several days. If she succeeds first, we can proceed with the rescue of Young Master Lin as planned. In this way, we will be able to proceed smoothly and break through the enemy's defenses."
Shen Chun raised her eyebrows and asked, "What if it doesn't work?"
He wouldn't tolerate the slightest surprise; it was either a sure victory or a complete rout.
He couldn't understand why his adopted son was becoming increasingly indecisive.
“It doesn’t matter if we don’t succeed…” Shen Mingshu paused, his voice becoming noticeably hoarse with a hint of regret, “Then tomorrow night, in the latter half of the night, we will still set fire to the prison and rescue Young Master Lin.”
Shen Chun treated him like a knife, and it was not the right time to break ties with him. He shook his head and sighed, "A-Shu, your father is not a heartless person. It's not that I don't want to save Madam Lin, but if we rescue that woman from under Pei Xiaoyun's nose, I'm afraid he will bite our governor's mansion like a mad dog."
Shen Mingshu said, "Godfather, rest assured, once the plan succeeds, I will take Young Master Lin and the others to the Northwest to hide for a while."
He had already thought all of these things through.
Pei Xiaoyun will definitely pursue this to the end, and the Lin family will no longer be able to live openly in Hangzhou.
He might as well take them to the Northwest, at least then they won't have to hide here and there. As for the map that Young Master Lin promised to make, he is a gentleman and he will surely keep his word.
Shen Chun harbored a burning anger within her, and looked at Shen Mingshu with extreme disappointment.
What he wanted was a ruthless and merciless weapon, a tool for his own ends, not a hesitant and indecisive fool.
He nodded in agreement, and after Shen Mingshu left, he summoned a deputy general and ordered, "Secretly withdraw all the guards stationed along West Street tomorrow night."
He had witnessed Pei Xiaoyun's methods before, so he didn't want to openly break ties with him. Rescuing Lin Xian was already provoking this mad dog, and now he was trying to steal his woman. He, Shen Chun, wasn't tired of living yet!
"My lord, but... those were the people the young master specially deployed on West Street to meet Madam Lin."
"You traitor!" Shen Chun kicked the deputy general and roared, "This governor's mansion belongs to the Shen family. This bastard who came from who-knows-where has managed to win over a bunch of good dogs like you!"
"Yes, yes!" The lieutenant scrambled out in a panic.
—
Mingying served Pei Xiaoyun diligently for several days, doing everything according to his preferences.
Snow fell outside the window, and the accumulated snow broke pine branches, which fell to the ground with a heavy thud.
The two sat around the hot stove, eating mutton hotpot and drinking warm wine. To onlookers, it was a picture of blissful intimacy.
This rare peaceful scene lasted for several days. On New Year's Eve, Pei Xiaoyun kept his promise and returned to the mansion early to pick her up.
Mingying finally got her wish and left the lofty mansion.
A few days ago, she ran into He Lianqing again outside the study. He secretly gave her a package, but there was no chance to say anything else.
She stuffed the items into her sleeve and carried them with her. Everything was ready, but she was still uneasy.
Should she take the opportunity to drug Pei Xiaoyun?
What He Lianqing gave her must not be poison, otherwise, if she had really poisoned him to death, who knows what kind of storm would have broken out in Hangzhou.
In the carriage, she glanced at the man beside her without making a sound. He was cunning and shrewd. How could she possibly outmaneuver him this time?
"What are you thinking about?" Pei Xiaoyun saw that her eyes were glazed over and she was absent-minded, clearly thinking about something else, so he squeezed her palm hard.
Mingying was brought back to her senses by the pain in her palm, and frowned slightly: "It's been so long since I've been out, it just feels like a lifetime has passed."
The streets are filled with the sounds of people and horses, and the dazzling lights create a lively and bustling atmosphere unique to New Year's Eve.
The road was not smooth, and her figure was light, her body swaying unconsciously with the carriage. The tassels and hairpins in her hair jingled, but a layer of frost covered her clear eyes.
Pei Xiaoyun sneered inwardly; he didn't believe her words.
Perhaps it was just a fleeting moment of emotion triggered by the scene, reminding me of someone.
"How did you spend the Lunar New Year with him during those years in Suzhou?"
Even though she knew that she and Lin Xian had known each other for three years, she still couldn't help but ask her about her relationship with Lin Xian.
There are some things she keeps buried in her heart, and just seeing her like this makes him feel deeply disgusted. He'd rather she spill everything out, and then he can sweep those things away and put on a new look.
Mingying suddenly looked at him, "If I told you, you'd probably throw me out of the car."
She didn't know why he suddenly asked this, and she could even imagine that he would fly into a rage after hearing it.
"If you don't talk, I'll throw you down right now." Pei Xiaoyun's eyes grew cold, filled with scrutiny and coercion.
Mingying had no choice but to tell the truth, not daring to reveal everything, and vaguely said, "Warm a pot of pepper and cypress wine, and say a few words."
Upon hearing this, Pei Xiaoyun still felt a lingering sense of frustration, unsure whether to feel relieved or resentful.
Just a pot of pepper and cypress wine, and conversation around the fire.
But why should she be able to endure the pain of the poison for three years, spending her days in lonely nights, while she was drinking around the stove with another person?
These are things that should have been done by them.
Seeing his expression gradually turn cold, Mingying immediately shut her mouth.
He forced her to say it, and when she did, he became displeased. He really is a madman.
Pei Xiaoyun's voice was so cold and damp it seemed like it was about to drip water, "From now on, forget him. Those shouldn't be your memories."
If you want to reconcile with him, you must be completely clean in body and mind; he cannot tolerate even a grain of sand in his eyes.
Mingying turned her head away without speaking, lifted the carriage curtain, and lingered on the colorful fish lanterns.
But Pei Xiaoyun pulled her back abruptly, grabbing her chin and demanding, "Speak."
"I heard it." Mingying was pulled hard by him, and her earring slapped against her cheek.
She was already feeling uneasy with something on her mind, and when he suddenly pressed her for answers, cold sweat broke out all over her back.
The carriage slowly came to a stop at a restaurant, where red lanterns swayed in the wind and guests were numerous.
She guessed that Pei Xiaoyun was bringing her here for a meal, so she lifted the hem of her skirt and obediently followed him out of the car.
As she followed closely behind him, she secretly opened the packet of powder in her sleeve, dipped her fingertips in it, and then quietly threw the packet away.
The two entered a spacious and elegant room on the second floor without any hindrance. Inside, there was a bamboo leaf screen, a rockery with flowing water, and several red koi carp.
Mingying looked at the familiar layout, as if she had thought of something.
Back then, he left her alone in an elegant room similar to the one before her, allowing others to humiliate her at will, and even drive her back.
She simply chose to forget, not to be heartless.
Years later, the embarrassment and awkwardness still lingered in her mind, and her gaze gradually dimmed.
Pei Xiaoyun didn't notice her expression and sat down first. She pointed to the surrounding furnishings and explained to her, "This place is called Zhenweizhai. It is said to be owned by the same person as Qianweilou in the capital. The dishes and the interior furnishings are also similar to those of Qianweilou."
He was confident, and his act of giving alms carried a hint of pride: "I still remember the year I brought you out, I neglected you and made you suffer. How about I make it up to you today? So that you won't say that I treated you badly again."
The fact that he still remembers this and is willing to make amends is already a great favor to her. I hope she won't be ungrateful.
Mingying stood in the dim light, her eyes lowered, her expression unreadable, her heart filled with contempt.
It's ridiculous and laughable.
It's all in the past, yet they still talk about it so shamelessly.
This wasn't out of remorse, but rather a condescending act of charity. Perhaps people like him never feel regret or guilt, not to anyone.
He only selfishly hurts others and wants everyone to obey him.
"I thought you had long forgotten me." She gave a faint smile.
Even just pretending to be polite with him is exhausting.
Pei Xiaoyun raised her voice and laughed, then gestured for her to sit down in the empty seat next to her. She then ordered another pot of pepper and cypress wine.
Mingying gazed quietly at the wine pot, knowing that he wouldn't drink this kind of wine for no reason; there must be a reason behind it.
"Pour the wine." Pei Xiaoyun pushed the wine pot. "Since you like pepper and cypress wine, I'll have a few cups with you."
In the past, when they were together, they drank Tusu wine every year.
But she and Lin Xian drank pepper and cypress wine.
No matter what kind of alcohol it is, she cannot drink it with others.
Mingying's eyes lit up, and she ran her fingertips under the table, feeling the powder particles, but her palms felt cold due to her nervousness.
From the moment he led her into the restaurant, she knew that she wouldn't have the chance to drug him openly in front of him, so she only dipped a little bit of the powder on her fingertip to make it easier to do so.
I originally intended to add it to the dish, but now, this glass of wine is just right.
She picked up the wine pot, held the cup, poured him a cup first, and then poured one for herself.
Pei Xiaoyun smiled and touched the delicate earring he had personally put on her earlobe. He picked up the glass of wine and said, "From now on, every New Year's Eve, the only one who can spend it with you will be me."
After speaking, he did not hesitate at all and raised his cup to drink.
Mingying's heart pounded in her throat, but as his lips touched the rim of the glass, his Adam's apple bobbed, and the drink went down into his stomach, she finally calmed down.
Pei Xiaoyun met her eyes, staring at the still-flowing, cool liquid in her glass, and his gaze turned icy: "Why aren't you drinking?"
Is it that you don't want to drink with him?
Mingying could only lower her head and take a small sip, the coolness soothing her nervousness. "I can't hold my liquor, so I'll drink less."
This pepper wine is a strong liquor; she shouldn't drink too much tonight.
Seeing that she only sipped her wine, Pei Xiaoyun became even more convinced that she was unwilling. He picked up her wine glass and held it to her lips: "Open your mouth."
Mingying's chin was pinched by her, her lips parted slightly, and spicy liquid was poured into his mouth.
"Cough cough..." She choked and coughed, her neck and face turning pink.
Dissatisfied with his coercion, she actually pushed him away.
With a crash, the wine glass fell to the ground...
Pei Xiaoyun leaned against the wall, a wave of dizziness washed over her, and before she knew it, everything went dark, and she collapsed onto the table.
Ming Ying suppressed the burning sensation in her throat, and her blurred vision cleared. She saw him lying unconscious on the table.
Is this medicine working really that fast?!
She reached out and pushed him, but he didn't react.
He kicked him twice more as if venting his anger, the force so great that it made a dull thud, but the man remained motionless.
Seeing this, she was overjoyed. A warm current flowed into her heart, soothing the anger and humiliation of so many days. She had never felt so happy and relieved.
She had drugged him, and she needed to get to Miao's Clothing Shop on West Street before 9 PM.
His guards were all outside the gate, so there was no way to go through the main entrance.
She tiptoed to the window, pushed it open, and saw ten miles of lights in the distance.
Fortunately, it was only on the second floor; looking around, one wouldn't die from the fall.
With both feet on the windowsill, a purple hibiscus earring fell to the ground with the sudden movement, sparkling brightly.
Fearing she would miss the appointed time, she gritted her teeth and jumped.
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Author's note: Awesome!
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