17. Chapter 17 Bewitching
Pei Xiuhan took Xiaoxiao to the ice rink. The people of the Great Zhou loved all kinds of sports. Every winter, a large-scale ice skating event was held in the palace.
There are many ice-skating masters among the people, and there are even various ice-skating performances. This ice-skating venue is specially designed to perform ice-skating shows for dignitaries.
When night fell, all kinds of lanterns were lit up, illuminating the ice skating rink. When they came over, the ice skating show had already begun.
Pei Xiuhan took Xiaoxiao directly to the box with the best view. The performance on the stage was extremely exciting. Twenty or so children in their teens performed various movements in unison, including dragonflies skimming the water, purple swallows flying through the waves, and phoenixes spreading their wings.
Xiaoxiao felt that her eyes were too full to see enough. She was completely shocked, and her eyes were shining. She had long forgotten her previous worries. When she saw something exciting, she would unconsciously grab Pei Xiuhan's sleeve and let him take a look too.
Pei Xiuhan was not very interested in ice skating, and he didn't know where he found a book. After coming in, he leaned back on the rosewood chair and spent most of his time reading. He would only glance at the book when the little girl shook his sleeve.
The performance lasted for half an hour. When it ended, Xiaoxiao still felt a little unsatisfied. She just thought they were so amazing!
She thought that the performance was over, but unexpectedly, Pei Xiuhan took her to the practice place behind the scenes.
A group of children aged eight or nine were practicing ice play. From time to time, someone would fall down. Xiaoxiao's heart would be in her throat every time someone fell down. However, the next moment, they would get up again and continue practicing. Some of them became more skilled as they skated.
Looking at how they cheered up again after their failure, Xiaoxiao vaguely understood something and couldn't help but glance at Pei Xiuhan.
Pei Xiuhan stood tall and straight, his profile particularly handsome under the lamp. He was looking at the group of children calmly at the moment. When he noticed Xiaoxiao's gaze, he turned his head and said to her, "The children performing on the stage have stumbled their way to success this way. After a year of learning, you will also become very good. There is nothing to be depressed about. If you don't understand something, you can ask the teacher or ask me."
His tone was not gentle. Perhaps he didn't like the noisy atmosphere. He even frowned unconsciously, looking a little cold.
Xiaoxiao felt that at this moment, he seemed to be shining. Her heart was warm and her eyes were bright. "I will definitely become very powerful and will never let my brother down."
Pei Xiuhan's eyes were filled with a smile, "Okay, I'll wait."
He has deep eyebrows and three-dimensional facial features. He rarely smiles and his expression always seems a little cold. But when he smiles at this moment, it is like ice and snow melting.
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but stare at him, she felt that when he smiled, he was inexplicably charming, his eyebrows and eyes, everything about him was handsome. She felt like she was possessed by a ghost, she wanted to reach out and touch his eyebrows and eyes, her white and tender fingertips couldn't help but curl up.
When Xiaoxiao realized her dangerous thoughts, her face turned red and she quickly looked away.
The little girl often blushed, but Pei Xiuhan was used to it and didn't take it to heart. He guessed she must be hungry, so he said, "Let's go and eat something."
Xiaoxiao nodded and followed him obediently. She lowered her eyelashes and didn't dare to look at him, but her heart was flying and a smile unconsciously appeared on her lips.
The lanterns hanging high stretched the shadows of the two people very long, and because they were close to each other, their figures gradually touched each other.
Seeing her happy little look, Pei Xiu Han couldn't help but sigh, thinking that children are just children and are easy to coax.
As they walked out, they met a young girl. It was Zheng Danyun. She was wearing a bright red dress today. She had fair skin and a moon-shaped pendant on her ear. She looked very bright and beautiful.
She also wrote an invitation to Xiaoxiao, wanting to invite her to the flower viewing party. After being rejected, she felt that she was ungrateful.
Seeing that Xiaoxiao also rejected others, she felt a little relieved. She always knew how to use her personal network. After learning that Xiaoxiao went to the clan school of the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion today, she turned her attention to Zhong Miao and went to visit the Marquis of Wu'an's Mansion in the afternoon.
When people are lucky, good things will really fall from the sky. She had just heard some news about Xiaoxiao and was about to return home when she received another good news.
Naturally, she didn't have the courage to send someone to follow Pei Xiu Han, but she was not short of money, so she asked someone to bribe the street vendors. Whenever the palace's carriage stopped somewhere for more than an incense stick of time, the vendors would let the beggar pass the message to her.
She was the first to learn that Pei Xiuhan had brought Xiaoxiao to the ice rink. She hurried over and even touched up her makeup on the way.
Knowing that Pei Xiu Han would not pay attention to women, she did not make trouble for herself. She just bowed, greeted him, and looked at Xiaoxiao.
Zheng Danyun smiled and said, "You must be Xiaoxiao, right? I'm good friends with Zhong Miao's sister, Zhong Yan. I heard from Zhong Miao that you also went to the clan school at the Zhenguogong Mansion. She praised you for a long time, saying that you are a very good person and even more beautiful than A Yan. I didn't believe it at first, but I didn't expect that you really are a little beauty."
Xiaoxiao was naturally beautiful, and today she was wearing a dress made for her by the embroiderer in the mansion. Although the style was simple, the fabric used was the finest silk.
The red jacket and white skirt made her skin look even more like jade. If she was not too young and still had a hint of childishness between her eyebrows and eyebrows, which posed no great threat to her, Zheng Danyun would definitely not be able to laugh at this moment.
Xiaoxiao was a little confused by the compliment and blinked her bright eyes, "Who are you?"
Zheng Danyun smiled and said, "I'm Zheng Danyun from the Duke of Han's Mansion. You can just call me Sister Zheng. I sent you an invitation two days ago. Actually, it was a friend of mine who invited you first. She said she hadn't received a reply from you, so I invited her as well, but she declined."
She always had a smile on her face and didn't get angry when she mentioned being rejected. Xiaoxiao felt a little embarrassed and explained in a low voice, "I still have to go to class and don't have time to appreciate the flowers."
"It's okay. You don't have classes every day. When you have a break, you can come find me and I'll take you out to play."
The course schedule in the tribal school is five days of study and one day of rest, which is indeed not available every day. Xiaoxiao was a little at a loss and didn't know how to answer. She just felt that she was a little too enthusiastic.
Pei Xiuhan didn't have the patience to listen to her nagging, and after seeing Xiaoxiao's expression, the displeasure in his eyes became even more obvious.
He grabbed Xiaoxiao's arm and said, "Let's go. Aren't you hungry? Why are you talking nonsense with a stranger?"
He didn't even look at Zheng Danyun and pulled Xiaoxiao away. Xiaoxiao smiled apologetically at Zheng Danyun, but was pulled away before she could apologize.
Zheng Danyun couldn't maintain the smile on her face. Her pretty face turned red and white, and she was extremely embarrassed. She had seen Pei Xiuhan at least several times, although they didn't say much every time. After all, she was the legitimate daughter of the Duke of Han's family. How could she be just a stranger?
She was so angry that her heart and lungs ached. When the two disappeared around the corner, she couldn't help but curse, "You bastard."
But she is just a servile person. The more indifferent he is and the less he is moved by women, the more she likes this energy in him.
Pei Xiuhan didn't let go of Xiaoxiao's hand until they walked out of the ice rink.
Knowing that Brother Pei was trying to help her out, Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue embarrassedly and said, "Thank you, Brother."
Pei Xiuhan tutted his words, tapped her little head, and said in a somewhat fierce tone, "Silly, you don't want to deal with it, can't you refuse?"
It’s not that Xiaoxiao doesn’t want to deal with her, she just doesn’t know how to respond. Afraid that Brother Pei would get angry, she quietly defended herself, “I, I don’t have much experience. Few people have taken the initiative to talk to me before.”
The little girl was timid and inexplicably pitiful. Thinking of her previous experience, Pei Xiuhan was silent for a moment, regretting that he shouldn't have been so fierce. After a while, he said, "I don't blame you."
There were still vendors selling candied haws on the street, and Pei Xiuhan bought her a string of candied haws. The syrup accidentally got some on his hand, and he frowned in disgust and quickly stuffed the candied haws into Xiaoxiao's hand.
Xiaoxiao couldn't help but be stunned. When she went to the town with her brother, her brother bought her some candied haws. He only bought one string at that time and was reluctant to eat it himself.
Thinking of the past, Xiaoxiao felt warm and bitter in her heart. She raised the candied haws and said softly, "Brother, you have some too."
The street was dimly lit. Xiaoxiao instinctively pushed the candied haws towards his lips, and the candied haws just happened to touch the corner of his lips. Pei Xiuhan frowned, tilted his head, and said, "It's just a toy for kids. Why should I eat it? Eat it by yourself."
Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment. When she took her hand back, she couldn't help but smile, "Brother, are you kidding me?"
Pei Xiuhan glanced at her sideways, and after meeting the little girl's eager gaze, he tutted his lips and reached out to rub her little head, "Eat yours."
Xiaoxiao obediently licked the candied haws. When the sour and sweet taste spread in her mouth, she felt the sweetness penetrate her heart. She shook the candied haws in her hand again, looking very happy. "You really don't want to eat it? It's very sweet."
Pei Xiuhan licked the corner of his lips subconsciously, and then his brows furrowed.
It’s so annoying. It’s really just a toy for kids.
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