Chapter 38 She actually mistook him for Xiao Chongheng? ...
The gates of the prison were easy for Pei Shen'ai to enter. She didn't think much of it and took her daughter and daughter-in-law there in a carriage.
Xiao Yuzhen sat obediently in the carriage, carrying a food box containing snacks for Yang Chongheng.
"Mother, will my eldest brother get beaten inside?"
Xiao Yuzhen was a little scared. She had only heard of prisons before, but had never seen one in person.
"Don't be afraid, Minmin, no one dares to torture your older brother..."
Although that's what she said, Pei Shen'ai wasn't sure herself; she only said it to comfort her daughter.
After all, this concerns Yang Chengxiu... I'm afraid Pei Shang'er won't treat Yang Chongzheng well.
Upon arriving at the prison, the guards stopped Pei Shen'ai and her group.
"How dare you stop me!" Pei Shen'ai glared angrily at the guard.
The guards were embarrassed, but they wouldn't budge: "I'm sorry, Your Highness, we are just following orders."
"Is it Princess Jin'an or the Empress?" Pei Shen'ai stared at the guard.
"It is His Majesty the Emperor. His Majesty has ordered that you are not allowed to enter the Imperial Prison. You should return to your residence first."
"snort."
Pei Shenai snorted coldly.
The Emperor, it seems her good third brother won't let her in to see her son.
"Mother."
Xiao Yuzhen stepped forward and tugged at Pei Shenai's sleeve, advising, "Since His Majesty does not allow visits, let's leave first."
After saying that, Xiao Yuzhen handed the food box to the guard and slipped him a few taels of silver.
"Guards, you've worked hard too. There are some snacks inside that I wanted to give to my older brother, Yang Chongzheng. Could you please take them in?"
The two guards opened the package, glanced at it, confirmed it was pastries, nodded, and had it taken inside.
Seeing that her plea for help was fruitless, Pei Shen'ai decided not to waste any more time and headed back with Xiao Yuzhen and Pei Chanlian.
Pei Chanlian's heart pounded. Luckily, she didn't see Yang Chongzheng, otherwise her fake pregnancy would probably have been exposed.
***
Early in the morning, Ling Zhenli woke up to find no one beside her.
She summoned palace maids to do her hair and asked about the prince's whereabouts, but the maids knew nothing about it.
Ling Zhenli felt a strange palpitation at first, but thinking that Pei Xuanlin should be back by lunchtime, she felt less uncomfortable.
And so, they waited and waited.
Ling Zhenli hadn't seen Pei Xuanlin since she opened her eyes during the day, and he hadn't returned even late into the night. Although he did have official duties to attend to, Ling Zhenli couldn't help but feel anxious.
Ling Zhenli had been neglected and ignored by Xiao Chongheng before, and she was extremely terrified of this feeling. Being alone in the room was not a pleasant experience for her. She was so scared that she had to call her maid to go to the courtyard to chat, creating a lively atmosphere to dispel her anxiety and unease.
Soon, Ling Zhenli realized that her empty heart could no longer bear the pressure, so she asked someone to bring her a pot of wine, and she drank it all by herself in the room.
It wasn't until dawn that Ling Zhenli, lying in bed, too sleepy and drunk to stay awake any longer, finally saw Pei Xuanlin return.
Through the bed curtains, Ling Zhenli could vaguely see a figure undressing.
The shadow of Xiao Chongheng returning home at night to undress in the old Drunken Immortal Pavilion overlaps with Pei Xuanlin's current action of undressing, the interplay of light and shadow making it difficult to see clearly...
Ling Zhenli was half-asleep, completely drunk and dizzy. She reached out to touch the person in front of her, but couldn't grab anything.
Her eyelids kept drooping, and she finally couldn't hold on any longer and closed her eyes, but she was still conscious and couldn't help but mutter to herself.
"Who exactly are you...?"
"Um?"
Pei Xuanlin noticed that Ling Zhenli seemed to still be awake and was still talking, but he couldn't hear her clearly, so he moved closer.
He knew that he had spent too much time discussing the ambush plot against the Yang family with the ministers today, and had not returned to the East Palace to spend time with Xue Yingyue. He felt deeply indebted.
"It's me, I'm back."
Pei Xuanlin approached, leaned forward and gently stroked Ling Zhenli's forehead, his movements soft and careful, conveying a sense of comfort.
Despite having taken a bath, Ling Zhenli still smelled of alcohol, indicating she was drunk. We need to make sure she drinks less in the future to avoid harming her health.
"You're back..."
Ling Zhenli was extremely sleepy, but she tried to open her eyes, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open them. She could only barely open her eyes a crack, and even then, everything was blurry and she couldn't see clearly.
Her mind went blank from drinking, and she snuggled close to Pei Xuanlin's hand, smiling foolishly.
At this moment, Ling Zhenli was half-asleep, forgetting that she was the Crown Princess and everything else, as if she had returned to the days when she lived in Zuixianlou.
The days were lonely and long; only at night, when Xiao Chongheng came, did she have someone to keep her company, and only then did she feel like she wasn't in an empty, cold hell.
Now, Xiao Chongheng is gently stroking her, telling her that he has arrived, that she no longer needs to wait anxiously and fearfully, and that she can freely act coquettishly towards him.
“Chongheng…you’re back so late again…Do you know how lonely I am here all alone without you…So could you please spend more time with me…I’m so lonely…”
Like someone talking in their sleep, her head was still fuzzy after she finished speaking. Feeling that someone was with her, she fell asleep peacefully, leaving Pei Xuanlin, who was struck dumb, staring wide-eyed and completely bewildered.
What did she just call him?
Chongheng?!
Xiao Chongheng?!
She actually mistook him for Xiao Chongheng?!
Pei Xuanlin took two steps back in shock, unable to believe what he had just heard. He suddenly remembered that a long time ago, Pei Chanlian had sent someone to inform him that the Crown Princess and the Duke of Yan were having a secret rendezvous at Huaiming Temple.
At the time, it seemed unbelievable, but now, looking back, it's full of flaws. That night, Xue Yingyue refused to get close to him, and he even saw the red marks on her neck. Although she said it was from mosquito bites, why did the mosquitoes specifically bite the side of her neck? The side of the neck is often kissed and bitten during sexual intercourse.
And then there was the day he accompanied Xue Yingyue to Huaiming Temple to fulfill a vow. At first, Xue Yingyue and Xiao Chongheng were getting along well, but in the blink of an eye, the two of them started arguing...
Could it be that they really have some kind of connection?
Could it be that the two of them were secretly exchanging gifts?
Filled with doubt and anger, Pei Xuan went to extinguish the candles, went to bed, and prepared to torture her the next day.
As Ling Zhenli slept, she sensed someone beside her. At that moment, she was fully conscious and knew that Pei Xuanlin had returned. She instinctively snuggled closer and lay on top of him.
"Ah Li".
Pei Xuanlin called out to her coldly.
"Hmm... Sanlang, you came back so late today. Please come back earlier next time, okay? I'm scared being alone in the palace..."
Ling Zhenli's soft, whimpering voice reached Pei Xuanlin's ear. Pei Xuanlin sighed, his anger subsiding considerably. He embraced her and apologized, "I'm sorry, I was too busy today."
"It's okay, let's go to sleep, I'm so sleepy."
Ling Zhenli was extremely sleepy. She had been in a state of tension and anxiety all day and was already exhausted. She had also been drinking, so it was no wonder that she was half-asleep and mistakenly thought she was still in Zuixianlou.
Pei Xuanlin couldn't sleep.
*
I spent a sleepless night.
Not getting enough rest naturally made her irritable. When Ling Zhenli opened her eyes, she saw Pei Xuanlin staring at her expressionlessly.
Ling Zhenli didn't see Pei Xuanlin all day yesterday, and now that she has, she can't help but feel aggrieved and resentful.
Before Ling Zhenli could even open her mouth, Pei Xuanlin cut her off with his words of complaint.
Why did you drink so much yesterday?
Ling Zhenli tossed her hair in frustration: "I'm really worried because you haven't come back yet."
"Didn't I tell you the other night that I'll be discussing important matters with my court officials soon?"
"But you didn't tell me you wouldn't be back all day. We've never been apart for this long before. You said that, don't you remember?"
Ling Zhenli became increasingly frightened and agitated as she spoke, so she simply got out of bed and looked directly at Pei Xuanlin.
Pei Xuanlin also suppressed his anger, staring straight at Ling Zhenli and meeting her gaze.
"Yes, I said it, I haven't forgotten."
"Then why are you blaming me for drinking? If you dislike me drinking so much, you can just say so. Why are you being so cold, as if I did something unforgivable?"
Ling Zhenli was almost angrily accusing him. She had worried about him all day yesterday and was extremely anxious, but when she looked at Pei Xuanlin, no matter how loud her voice was, he didn't even flinch.
"What do you mean by doing this for no reason? We're husband and wife. Shouldn't I be angry and have complaints if you don't come home?"
Seeing that Pei Xuanlin still had a cold and indifferent expression, even though he was looking at her and had heard her words, he chose not to answer, Ling Zhenli's anger burned even brighter.
"I've been putting up with this all along, are you still going to give me that attitude? I don't owe you anything, so feel free to say whatever hurtful things you want."
Pei Xuanlin finally reacted. He sneered, trying his best to suppress the anger in his chest and keep his voice steady.
"My wife called out another man's name in her sleep last night. This man is my cousin."
Pei Xuanlin was stunned to see Ling Zhenli freeze for a moment, as if she was thinking. She did not refute him, which made him feel even colder. He couldn't help but sneer at himself.
"Ha, you called me Chongheng so affectionately when you were drunk, but you only recognized me after you sobered up? You were just pressuring me to talk to you? Do you know how I was holding back? Come on, tell me your reasons again, and I'll listen to your explanation."
...
Ling Zhenli was stunned and couldn't refute it for a moment.
She called out... Xiao Chongheng's name?
Pei Xuanlin's gaze was like a frost-covered blade, freezing the air around him and leaving no trace of life.
"explain."
With her life hanging in the balance, Ling Zhenli's mind raced. The next second, she immediately put on a smiling face and met Pei Xuanlin's sharp gaze without fear.
"It was just a dream, why are you reacting so strongly?"
“Talking in your sleep.” Pei Xuanlin was even more hurt when he saw her choose to run away. He sneered and continued, “Then tell me, what kind of dream did you have? I want to hear what kind of dream could make you call out a man’s name.”
"It was just a dream, why should I deliberately remember it?" Ling Zhenli tried to cover up her guilt with a righteous tone and a counterattack. "But you, you didn't come back all day yesterday, and you didn't send anyone to tell me what you were doing. There was no news all day. Don't you know I was very worried about you?"
"Worried about me?"
Pei Xuanlin's lips curled into a mocking smile as he glanced at Ling Zhenli's flustered and angry face. He had long since seen through her guilty conscience.
"You're worried about me, but you're talking about someone else's name. Your Highness, you're really bold."
He suddenly moved closer and gripped Ling Zhenli's wrist tightly.
Ling Zhenli was confused and wanted to argue, but Pei Xuanlin suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and brushed his thumb across her lips.
She winced in pain, tilted her head back, and met his burning kiss.
The taste of blood lingered on their lips and teeth, and their anger turned into heavy breathing. The two staggered and crashed into the wall, and in the silence, only the roar of their heartbeats could be heard.
"What exactly is your relationship with Xiao Chongheng?"
Pei Xuanlin spoke these words almost through gritted teeth, his fingertips still trembling from their earlier confrontation, as he fiercely ground them against Ling Zhenli's bitten lip.
Ling Zhenli was unconvinced and bent her knee to strike his abdomen, but her wrist was grabbed and she was pressed against the cold wall.
"say."
The stench of blood mingled with their breaths. As Pei Xuanlin pressed her for answers, he lowered his head and bit the spot on her throat that was throbbing, listening to her swallow a gasp of surprise.
Ling Zhenli, still furious, mustered her strength and pushed Pei Xuanlin away in one go.
"hiss……"
Pei Xuanlin didn't expect Ling Zhenli to push him away. She was clearly guilty, yet she looked angry.
“What relationship could I possibly have with Xiao Chongheng? We’ve only known each other for a short time. Why would I say his name? Even if I did in my dream, it was just a dream. It’s not worth making such a big deal out of it. I think you’re the one with the problem.”
Ling Zhenli was angry because Pei Xuanlin didn't believe her at all, even though it was a lie. She wanted Pei Xuanlin to trust her unconditionally and love her.
After the kiss, Pei Xuanlin had already let the matter drop in his mind. He didn't expect Ling Zhenli to be so angry that she didn't even notice what he was about to do next.
Ling Zhenli was furious and blurted out, "Anyway, you've been busy lately, so I might as well move back to my parents' house."
The anger that was about to be extinguished was successfully reignited. Pei Xuanlin raised an eyebrow and curled his lips slightly, getting serious with her: "Why go back to your parents' home? Just go to Shengguang Temple. It's quiet there, and you can calm down and think about how to talk to me properly. Hmph, I hope you can learn to behave better there."
He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth. Looking at Ling Zhenli's wide, panicked eyes, he seemed to find it hard to believe that he had said such heartless words to him.
Unfortunately, words spoken are like water spilled; they cannot be taken back. Just as Pei Xuanlin was about to make amends, Ling Zhenli's eyes were already red with anger. Although her throat was hoarse and she was unwilling to admit defeat, she stubbornly agreed.
"Alright, then I'll go to Shengguang Temple to reflect on my actions. That suits you perfectly, and I'll make room for you."
Her words abruptly stopped. Ling Zhenli glared angrily at Pei Xuanlin, bumped his shoulder, and left in one swift motion, without the slightest hesitation.
Pei Xuanlin staggered half a step, only managing to catch a wisp of Ling Zhenli's lingering aura.
The next moment, the door was slammed shut with a loud bang.
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