42. Chapter 42 Into the Arms
The next day, Xiaoxiao got up early, but Pei Xiuhan left even earlier. After breakfast, Xiaoxiao went to the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion with the kitten in her arms.
Today is also Mu Wen's coming-of-age ceremony, so Xiaoxiao came a little early. When Xiaoxiao came over, the maid was dyeing Mu Wen's hair red. Mu Xi's toes were chubby and looked very cute. She dyed them pink, which was shiny and dazzling at first glance.
When Xiaoxiao came over with the kitten in her arms, Mu Wen spotted it immediately and stood up in surprise. "Is this for me?"
Xiaoxiao nodded with a smile. Muwen was overjoyed and happily held the kitten in her arms. Xiaoxiao glanced at her toenails and said with a smile, "Be careful and don't move them. Wait until they're dry."
Mu Wen chuckled, held the kitten in her arms, and sat on the couch. She played with it for a while before saying, "It's my cousin's birthday today too. I haven't given him a gift yet. Have you?"
Xiaoxiao shook her head. "Not yet. I'll send it tonight."
Mu Wen said, "He probably doesn't have time to attend my coming-of-age ceremony. If he doesn't come, please give him a gift when you leave this afternoon."
Xiaoxiao nodded. She always felt that Brother Pei would come over. Although he seemed indifferent, he actually valued his family very much. He only had two cousins, Mu Xi and Mu Wen. The coming-of-age ceremony was no different from other ones. Xiaoxiao felt that he should find time to come over.
When Mu Xi came over, he saw the two of them kneeling on the couch, happily teasing the kitten. Mu Xi couldn't help but hold his brows together, feeling somewhat helpless. "The guests will be here soon, and you two are so good."
She sighed and looked at Mu Wen, "No wonder your aunt is worried about your marriage. You're such a grown-up, but you're still acting like a child. Stop playing, your aunt will be here soon."
Mu Wen wrinkled her nose, thinking that she was too nosy.
Mrs. Zhong was indeed worried about Mu Wen's marriage. A girl can get married after the coming-of-age ceremony, but Mrs. Zhong still didn't know who to marry her to. Mu Wen had a good temper and was not competitive. She had been spoiled since she was a child. If she married into a wealthy family, she might not be able to manage the household expenses well. If she let her marry into a lower-class family, Mrs. Zhong would feel that she was being wronged.
Before she knew it, it had dragged on until now. She was even considering whether to marry Mu Wen to the Wu'an Marquis Mansion. After all, the Wu'an Marquis Mansion was her mother's home, the old lady had always loved Mu Wen, and Zhong Yu was a good person. However, she still had to wait and see.
Today, there were many guests who came to watch the ceremony, and the mansion was very lively. People from the Anguo Mansion also came, and even Princess Anhui came. She had no good impression of the Zhenguo Mansion at all, and originally did not want to come, but could not resist the nagging of the eldest princess, so she had to come.
Pei Xiu Han really took the time to come over. He didn't stay for long. He asked someone to deliver a gift and left. Mu Xi took the opportunity to give her gift to Pei Xiu Han, but Mu Wen didn't have time to give hers.
In the afternoon, when Xiaoxiao was about to leave, she found out that what Mu Wen was going to give to Pei Xiu Han was actually a war horse.
Mu Wen happily pulled her into the stable and said proudly, "I spent a lot of effort to get this horse. It's a rare and capable horse. My cousin will definitely like it."
The horse was snow-white and looked so beautiful that even Xiaoxiao, a little girl, was moved by it. Her eyes sparkled and she wanted to pet it. "Can I touch it?"
Like Mu Wen, she likes all furry animals and is also very fond of this warhorse.
Mu Wen smiled and said, "Of course, she has a very gentle temperament, so you have to touch her like this."
Mu Wen took her hand and touched the warhorse. Xiaoxiao curled her lips. She personally led the warhorse back to Prince Yan's Mansion and did not even take a carriage for this.
Xiaoxiao had been looking forward to Pei Xiuhan's return until the hour of You, when she heard Yang Hao say that he would be back soon.
She hurried to the small kitchen. She had nothing to do in the afternoon, so she made crucian carp soup and prepared the vegetables in advance. She put them into the wok and started frying them. She moved very quickly because there were many seasonings in the kitchen. Xiaoxiao's cooking skills had improved a lot. The dishes were all delicious and beautiful. Finally, she cooked a bowl of longevity noodles by herself. After she finished, she asked the maid to bring the food to Wuya Hall.
When dinner was served, Pei Xiuhan happened to return. Xiaoxiao curled her lips at him and said with a smile, "I wish you a happy birthday, brother, and all the best."
Pei Xiuhan smelled the aroma of rice on her body, and his narrow eyebrows raised unconsciously, "Did you make it yourself?"
Xiaoxiao was extremely surprised, her dark eyes widened. She didn't know how he could tell. Pei Xiuhan was amused by her and said with a smile, "I smelled it."
Xiaoxiao's cheeks felt hot. She raised her arm and sniffed the smell on her sleeve. It really smelled like food. She let out a small "ah" and said, "I'll go change my clothes."
"No, sit down and eat."
Xiaoxiao was stopped by him and had to sit down obediently. She pushed the longevity noodles in front of Pei Xiuhan and said, "Brother, eat quickly."
Pei Xiuhan didn't hesitate to greet her. The longevity noodles were cooked very well, with chopped green onions floating on top. Pei Xiuhan finished them without realizing it, and even praised her, "Good cooking skills."
Seeing that he liked it, Xiaoxiao was very happy and said, "Then I will make it for you every year in the future."
After Xiaoxiao finished speaking, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated. She felt inexplicably panicked. Seeing Brother Pei glance at her, she managed to calm down and said with a smile: "My brother also likes the longevity noodles I make. I will make them for you in the future."
Pei Xiuhan paused for a moment, then nodded.
Xiaoxiao told Pei Xiu Han about the war horse Mu Wen gave him, and Pei Xiu Han raised his eyebrows in surprise. Mu Wen wanted to buy a war horse but had no connections, so she turned to the Duke of Zhenguo for help. The Duke of Zhenguo was busy recently and was too lazy to help her find one, so he simply asked Pei Xiu Han for help. The horse was actually found by Pei Xiu Han, but it ended up in his hands after many twists and turns.
"Brother, go take a look first."
Seeing the little girl's eyes light up when she mentioned the warhorse, Pei Xiuhan took her to the stable.
At this moment, the sun had just set, and the vast sunset glow cast a warm glow over the entire stable.
Xiaoxiao fed the horse with a sweet and warm smile on her lips. Pei Xiuhan's eyes unconsciously deepened and he stared at her pink lips for a long time.
When Pei Xiuhan realized where his gaze was falling, he put his hand on his brow. His head hurt a little, and he felt that he was finally affected by the dream.
How old is the little girl?
Pei Xiuhan rubbed his eyebrows and forced himself to look away.
When the two returned to Wuya Hall, Xiaoxiao took out her purse. This purse belonged to Sun Yaxiu, and Xiaoxiao took out hers first.
Pei Xiu Han thought it was embroidered by her, so he reached out to take the purse. All his colleagues had purses hanging on their bodies, but he had never worn one. He thought it was embroidered by the little girl herself. Pei Xiu Han couldn't help but smile, thinking that she was thoughtful.
He picked up the purse and took a look. It was embroidered with small fish and lotus flowers. Although he didn't like this kind of pattern that only girls liked, Pei Xiuhan still praised it encouragingly, "Well-embroidered."
Seeing him take the purse away, Xiaoxiao blinked and managed to calm herself down. "This purse was embroidered by Miss Su. Do you still remember her, brother?"
Pei Xiuhan held the purse in his hand and paused. After he understood what was going on, his expression calmed down. "Did she ask you to help deliver it?"
Xiaoxiao nodded, looking a little conflicted.
She actually didn't want to help her send it off. When Sun Ya came to her for help, Xiaoxiao felt a little soft-hearted, but she actually brought her into the palace and let her send it off by herself.
Xiaoxiao always felt that it was inappropriate for her to pass on such a matter, but after Sun Ya stuffed the purse into her hands, she ran away.
Xiaoxiao thought about it again and again, and finally decided to help.
Pei Xiuhan returned the purse to her. Perhaps because his expectations were dashed, his expression unconsciously faded, and his voice became a little serious. "She asked you to send it, so you sent it. What do you think this place is for your brother?"
Xiaoxiao was stunned for a moment.
Fearing that she would collect random things again in the future, Pei Xiu said coldly, "Don't do this kind of favor for others in the future. Just have them return it. You have no obligation to help her."
Seeing that he was unhappy, Xiaoxiao clenched the purse in her hand. She apologized in a low and soft voice, "Brother, don't be angry. I was inconsiderate. I will never do this again."
Pei Xiuhan wasn't angry, afraid of scaring the little girl, so he rubbed her head again and said, "I'm not mad at you. Just stop accepting these messy things. I don't need them either. When have you ever seen me wearing a purse?"
Xiaoxiao lowered her head. She didn't take out the purse she had embroidered. She nodded, her tone slightly frustrated, "I understand."
She thought Brother Pei would like it, so she specially embroidered a goshawk, which matched his temperament very well.
Pei Xiuhan always felt that something was wrong with her mood, thinking that she didn't know how to explain to Sun Ya, and he didn't think much about it.
Xiaoxiao was in a dilemma. If she didn't give him a purse, what should she give him? With two hours left, his birthday would be over. The more Xiaoxiao thought about it, the more anxious she became. She whispered to him, "Brother, is there anything you want?"
Pei Xiuhan finally smiled, "Want to give it to me?"
Xiaoxiao nodded. "I've been thinking about it for a long time, but I still don't know what to give my brother. Let's do this."
Xiaoxiao ran to the desk, took down a piece of letter paper, and wrote a line on it: With this letter paper, Brother Pei can command Xiaoxiao to do any three things.
Xiaoxiao finished writing, signed her name, and pressed her handprint. Her eyes finally lit up, and she handed the letter to Pei Xiuhan with a smile, "Brother, this is a gift from me to you. You can use me as you please. If you want something, you can. I'll save up some money and buy it for you."
Pei Xiuhan found it interesting and put the letter away. "Anything is fine?"
Just then a breeze blew by, ruffling Xiaoxiao's hair. She reached out and pushed her hair back, revealing her small, white earlobe.
Xiaoxiao nodded. She believed that Brother Pei would definitely not let her do anything that would harm the world.
Seeing her nod without hesitation, Pei Xiuhan's eyes darkened inappropriately, and he thought of those uncontrollable dreams at night. If he...
He couldn't help but lower his eyes to look at her. The little girl was looking at him with a smile, her clear eyes full of trust. The heat in Pei Xiuhan's heart instantly dissipated.
He pressed the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth. At that moment, even he felt that he was not a human being.
Although the purse was not given away, Xiaoxiao became happy again when she saw that Brother Pei was quite interested in the contents of the letter.
Time passed extremely quickly. In the blink of an eye, a few days passed. The weather gradually warmed up, and many flowers in Prince Yan's Mansion bloomed.
On the day of Qingming Festival, Xiaoxiao got up very early.
When she left Zhangjia Village, she took her grandmother's tablet with her. She would talk to her grandmother from time to time. At this moment, Xiaoxiao placed fruits and her grandmother's favorite meat dumplings on the table, then lit three incense sticks and knelt down to kowtow to her grandmother.
Xiaoxiao said, "Grandma, my brother will arrive in the capital in five or six days. His leg has completely healed. Don't worry about him. When he comes back, I can take you to our own house. The house is quite big and there is enough space for us to live in."
"I've been doing well recently. Brother Pei has been very good to me. I just miss grandma and brother a lot. Fortunately, brother will be back soon."
"Brother Pei said that my brother is amazing. He saved several people on the battlefield. It's really good outside. Many people in the barracks like my brother. Grandma, don't worry about us. When my brother comes back, I will bring him to see you."
Xiaoxiao's eyes were sore. She chattered to her grandmother for a long time. Just as she stood up, Lian Qiao suddenly ran over and said, "Miss, your brother is back! He's at the palace!"
Lian Qiao had a day off today and had planned to go home, but as soon as she left the house, she saw Zhang Li and others. She vaguely heard a few words and knew how much Xiaoxiao was looking forward to Zhang Li's return, so she ran back to report the good news.
Xiaoxiao's eyes widened in surprise, "Are you really back?"
Lian Qiao nodded, "Really? When I ran back, the guards had already brought him in."
Before Lian Qiao could finish her words, Xiaoxiao ran away like a gust of wind. She ran so fast that when she reached the corridor, she saw her brother.
His facial features were very strong, and when he walked towards him from afar, his posture was as straight as a pine or cypress. Not only had he grown taller, but his body had also become stronger. Xiaoxiao's eyes were sore, and she quickly threw herself into his arms.
Zhang Li also saw her. After not seeing her for more than two years, the little girl seemed like a different person. Her originally delicate face had completely grown up, and in an instant, she transformed into a great beauty.
Even though he knew that his sister had always been beautiful, Zhang Li had never expected that she would be so beautiful after wearing silk and satin.
His eyes softened unconsciously, and the next moment, the little girl threw herself into his arms, "Brother."
She cried out in tears, like a child who had been wronged, "You are finally back. I have been waiting for you for a long, long time."
In Zhangjia Village, that night when they encountered the bad guys, Xiaoxiao even thought she would never see her brother again. The little girl burst into tears, her body shaking slightly from crying.
Zhang Li's eyes were also a little sore. He reached out and touched her head, "Don't cry, brother will not leave you."
Pei Xiuhan received the news early in the morning and knew that Zhang Li would return early. He wanted to give the girl a surprise, so he didn't tell her. It happened that he was not busy today, so he also returned home.
He came in with Zhang Li. This was the first time the little girl didn't see him. Even though she knew that Zhang Li was her brother, Pei Xiu Han felt a little uncomfortable.
He stared at the two hugging figures for a moment, then said, "Don't cry. Your brother has been traveling for several days in a row to return home soon. I guess he hasn't even had a meal. Let's go inside first."
Xiaoxiao sniffed and smiled foolishly, "Look at me, Brother Pei is still thoughtful. Brother, come back with me."
Zhang Li's eyes were full of smiles. He touched Xiaoxiao's head again, then turned around and clasped his fists to Pei Xiuhan. "Your Highness, I am grateful for taking care of Xiaoxiao for so long. I will never forget your kindness. If you need me in the future, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."
"You're welcome."
Pei Xiu Han took care of Xiao Xiao not for the sake of repaying him. In fact, after his real brother came back, Pei Xiu Han was still a little uncomfortable. He inexplicably felt like the little girl was taken away.
Xiaoxiao pulled Zhang Li back to Suyuexuan. Looking at their clasped hands, Pei Xiuhan felt inexplicably dazzled.
After returning to Suyuexuan, Xiaoxiao discovered that her brother was accompanied by a young boy.
The young boy was looking straight at her. His facial features were very delicate, his eyes were very light in color, and he was so handsome that he didn't look like a boy.
Xiaoxiao then looked at Zhang Li, "Brother, who is he?"
Zhang Li also looked at the young man. He followed them all the way, and it was not until later that Zhang Li learned that the boy was looking for someone. The young boy looked to be only twelve or thirteen years old and was a mute. Fearing that something might happen to him alone, Zhang Li simply took him with him.
"He is Xiaoxing, and he came to the capital to visit relatives."
Zhang Li didn't know much about him. This young boy was very strange and seemed unable to speak. At first, he could only follow them secretly. Later, Zhang Li discovered that he could read.
His name was written for him by Xiaoxing.
Xiaoxing's eyelashes trembled when he noticed Xiaoxiao's gaze, and he quickly lowered his head. He had never imagined that Zhang Li's sister would look so much like his mother's portrait.
Could she be the older sister?
Xiaoxing's body was a little stiff, and his palms were unconsciously covered with sweat. It was not until Xiaoxiao went to talk to Zhang Li again that he raised his head and looked at her quietly.
He was young and looked non-threatening, so everyone almost ignored his presence.
Only Pei Xiuhan paid more attention to him, and always felt that the way the young boy looked at Xiaoxiao was a little strange.
After he came out of Su Yuexuan, he instructed Lu Zhu to pay more attention to the young boy.
After Pei Xiuhan left, Xiaoxiao took her brother to see her grandmother first. Zhang Li had traveled for several days in a row because he wanted to arrive in the capital before the Qingming Festival.
He knelt down and kowtowed to his grandmother several times. Before he could speak, his eyes were red. He kowtowed several more times, "Grandma, the unfilial son Zhang Li is back."
Xiaoxiao's tears fell again. She knelt down beside her brother, her nose red from crying. "Brother, it's all my fault for not taking good care of grandma."
She was crying uncontrollably, and Zhang Li put his arm around her shoulders, "What nonsense are you talking about?"
An hour had passed since they finished paying their respects to grandma. Seeing that her brother's eyes were bloodshot, Xiaoxiao felt distressed. She quickly asked her brother to eat something and let him go to sleep first.
She asked Xiaoxing to go to bed too, but Xiaoxing didn't listen and just stood there in a daze. He had a very strange temperament. He was obviously shy, but seemed very cold. When he looked at people, he always stared at you.
Xiaoxiao felt a little uncomfortable being stared at by him, so she simply found a nine-link puzzle and handed it to him, "If you're not sleepy, play with this for a while."
Xiaoxing caught the nine-ring puzzle and sat aside to play.
He would look up at Xiaoxiao from time to time, as if to confirm whether she was still there. While playing, he fell asleep on the table.
He and Zhang Li traveled day and night for several days and were already tired. He was just trying to hold on and refused to sleep. After he fell asleep, Xiaoxiao called Luzhu and asked her to help carry the boy to the bed.
Xiaoxiao went to Wuya Hall.
She has lived in the palace for a long time. Now that her brother has returned, Xiaoxiao plans to move out in the afternoon.
Everything in Wuya Hall remained the same as before. Xiaoxiao was reluctant to leave and her mood became depressed before she even left.
When she came over, Pei Xiuhan was reading a book. He leaned on the rattan chair, turning a page from time to time, obviously not reading seriously.
In the past, when he was serious, he always read ten lines at a glance and almost kept turning pages. But now he didn't turn a page for a long time. He closed the book when he heard footsteps. It was indeed her.
"Your brother is resting?
Xiaoxiao nodded. Pei Xiuhan hooked his long legs and pulled a small stool over to her. He pointed and said to Xiaoxiao, "Sit down."
Xiaoxiao sat down obediently and didn't say anything for a while.
Pei Xiu Han glanced at her. The girl lowered her head and sat quietly on a small stool. The sunlight shone through the leaves of the sycamore tree and hit her smooth skin. She looked a little sad.
Pei Xiu Han knew that she came to say goodbye, and his heart was originally filled with a strange emotion. But at this moment, he couldn't bear to see the little girl's lost look.
He sat up straight, reached out and scratched Xiaoxiao's nose, and coaxed her, "We've just moved to Guxing Street, only two steps away. You can come back anytime when you miss me."
Xiaoxiao was originally sitting next to his legs. After he sat up straight, they were even closer. When his fingers brushed across the tip of her nose, Xiaoxiao's heartbeat quickened again. Her eyes felt sore and bitter, and she suddenly found it difficult to control her emotions.
No matter how close they are, she can't come here often. It will definitely be difficult to see each other in the future. Xiaoxiao felt a little sad. At this moment, she couldn't suppress her emotions at all.
The moment the crystal tears fell, she suddenly reached out and hugged Pei Xiuhan's waist, and threw herself into his arms.
The girl's body was soft, with a faint fragrance. She hugged him tightly, and after hugging him, she refused to let go.
Pei Xiuhan's heart beat violently several times, and he felt that this scene overlapped with a scene in his dream.
His body stiffened uncontrollably.
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