Chapter 5 Admitting Mistakes and Maintaining Moderation
A very low chuckle sounded in his ear. Pei Ji did not withdraw his hand, but moved even closer. His pupils were light in color, making him seem aloof, but he always had a smile on his face and spoke gently, which slightly eased the distance between them.
Yu Man was jolted back to her senses by the laughter, and her heart, which had just softened, hardened again. She pulled his hand away and glared at him.
Don't think she's forgotten; the two of them had a fight just two weeks ago.
Although it was just a small matter, she was still upset. The man just watched her quietly, without arguing or saying anything. He waited until she finished speaking and then handed her a cup of tea to soothe her throat.
On the day he went to the academy, Yu Man didn't even show her face. It was too early, and she couldn't get up at all. For the past two weeks, she had been enjoying some peace and quiet and had almost forgotten about him.
The warmth failed to reach him, and Pei Ji, as was his habit, withdrew his hand and instead picked up the fish soup. The thick, white soup exuded a fragrant aroma, and he gently stirred it with a white porcelain spoon, the rising steam blurring his handsome features.
"Drink the soup first." He said calmly, scooping up a spoonful and carefully blowing on it to warm it.
Yu Man wanted to say she would do it herself, but the person couldn't pull her at all and simply held the spoon to her lips.
She gave up and obediently accepted being served.
After finishing the fish soup, he put the bowl down and looked back at her face: "Are you calm now?" He clearly remembered what happened half a month ago.
Yu Man: "You know you were wrong?"
Pei Ji: "...Hmm." Knowing Yu Man's temperament well, he astutely chose the safest answer.
He added, "I won't stop you next time, but desires should not be indulged; moderation is key."
Yu Man had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this and almost choked. Even someone as strong as her would blush.
No, what dangerous statement? It was just a kiss!
She simply closed her eyes and pretended to be dead, retorting, "As the ancients said, food and sex are the greatest desires of humankind."
This time there was no sound, replaced by the crisp scent of ink, mixed with a faint herbal aroma, creating an atmosphere that was both comforting and unsettling.
Then the shadow slowly leaned down, its warm breath brushing against Yu Man's forehead.
He kissed him.
It was originally just a fleeting touch on the corner of his lips, a tentative, comforting tenderness. His lips were always slightly cool, unlike hers, especially when the sun was hot. She always liked to get closer to him to absorb some coolness. She had sighed countless times that this man had become like a bamboo spirit.
However, the coolness did not last long before turning into scorching heat, and Yu Man turned her face away in dissatisfaction.
Pei Ji seemed to have guessed her little thoughts. He held the back of her neck with one hand and kissed her lips with delicate, continuous kisses. At first, the kisses were slow and tender, and his fingertips rubbed her face again and again, causing a slight itch.
Yu Man thought that if Pei Ji didn't take the imperial examination, he could become a carpenter, since no one had more patience than him.
A few breaths later, she slightly opened her mouth, trying to get some oxygen, which gave him the perfect opportunity.
His tongue, with an irresistible force, skillfully pried open her teeth, the ambiguous scent accompanying his patient exploration while simultaneously enticingly hooking the tip of her tongue.
Yu Man simply opened her eyes and met his gaze. He still possessed an undeniable gentle restraint and a face as beautiful as a jade statue. She reached out and clung to his chest, thinking to herself, "It's no wonder, this man is simply too handsome to resist."
Pei Ji slowly stepped back and saw the girl in front of him smiling foolishly. He first tidied her slightly messy hair before managing to straighten his own clothes, which had been torn open.
"Do you want to sleep more?" His gentle voice was slightly hoarse.
Yu Manxin comfortably used him as a pillow, letting him play with her finger bones, and shook her head: "I'm not sleepy anymore."
I noticed a familiar bamboo basket on the wooden table inside the house. The basket was finely woven and sturdy, with a simple design, just like the kind commonly used in the village. There seemed to be something inside the basket, covered with a piece of coarse indigo cloth.
A slight tremor ran through her heart, and she asked, "Did Aunt Liu come by?" The Aunt Liu she referred to was naturally Pei Ji's mother. Ever since their betrothal was arranged, that kind and gentle woman had treated her like her own daughter, even more attentively and considerately than she had treated her own son, Pei Ji.
Pei Ji: "Hmm. I came over this afternoon." As he spoke, he gently placed his hand on her forehead. A comfortable coolness washed over her, and Yu Man couldn't help but sigh contentedly.
“When she heard you were sick, she prepared some of her own eggs and some freshly dug bamboo shoots from the back hill, saying they were to help you recover.” Pei Ji’s voice was calm and gentle, and he spoke patiently about these everyday matters. “When I came, I saw you sleeping soundly. I stayed by your bedside for a while, wiped your sweat, and when I came back from preparing the medicine, she gave me a few more instructions before hurrying back, saying she was afraid of disturbing your rest.”
As Yu Man listened, the corners of her mouth turned up even higher: "Thank you for making the trip, Aunt Liu. I'll go see her when I feel better."
Originally, the two families were neighbors, separated by a wall. But ever since Pei Ji became a scholar, the county government decided to allocate a piece of land to the Pei family, saying that how could the parents of a scholar live in a humble dwelling?
Yu Man, who has lived in this humble abode for over ten years: ...You're being rude.
Pei's parents didn't want to move, but Yu Man had checked out the place and found it to be warm in winter and cool in summer. Because of their previous moving around, Pei's parents' health wasn't very good. In the end, Yu Man made the decision to let Pei Ji move there with his two elders, which naturally meant they would be quite far away.
Yu Man then asked, "Where are my father and the others?"
“Uncle Yu and Aunt Deng were worried, but they couldn’t wait to dry the wheat, so I told them to go ahead and do their work in the fields. At this time of year, we can’t afford to be delayed.” He continued, “With me watching over them, they feel at ease.”
Both Yu's father and Deng Sanniang were hardworking and honest farmers. Seeing that their daughter had recovered, they became worried about farming again. With Pei Ji, their future son-in-law whom they had watched grow up and who had already achieved the title of Xiucai, watching over them was much better than them worrying helplessly.
Yu Man nodded, and was about to ask where Xiu Xiu had gone when she heard hurried footsteps from outside. The curtain was suddenly lifted, and a small figure entered.
Her neatly styled double buns were a little loose, with a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty forehead. Most striking was her half-new floral blouse, the front and cuffs stained with dirt, and even a small tear at the knee. She looked as if she had just rolled in a pile of dirt or been in a fight. However, aside from her disheveled appearance, there were no obvious injuries, and her eyes were bright.
Xiu Xiu spotted Yu Man, who seemed to be in relatively good spirits, at first glance, and opened her mouth to call out. But the next second, her gaze met Pei Ji sitting by the couch, and the words that were on the tip of her tongue were swallowed back, her small lips pressed tightly into a straight line.
She always felt that this always-smiling Pei brother was there to steal her older sister away. Before her older sister got engaged, she was always the first person her older sister thought of when there was something delicious or fun to do; but ever since the engagement, it seemed like her older sister had someone else in her sights, and she even spent less time talking to her. Her own parents didn't side with her either, so Yu Xiuxiu felt even more resentful. She would avoid Pei Ji whenever she could, and if she couldn't avoid him, she would stubbornly remain silent to express her dissatisfaction.
However, this time she knew that Pei Ji had saved her sister, so she still braced herself and called out, "Brother Pei." Then she went to the bedside and leaned close to Yu Man's pillow to ask:
"Sister...are you feeling better? Does your head still hurt?"
As she asked, her big eyes nervously looked Yu Man up and down. She reached out her dusty little hand, wanting to touch her older sister's forehead, but then hesitated, afraid that her hand would get dirty, and pulled it back, only wiping it vigorously on her clothes.
Seeing her like this, Yu Man asked directly, "Did you win this time?"
Yu Xiuxiu nodded vigorously, her eyes sparkling with a hint of triumphant excitement: "We won! Xiaochun, Songzi, and I went together! That stinky mouth of Zhao Xiaopangzi was spouting nonsense again, saying that you, sister... that you fell unconscious this time, that you were... that you were a demon in disguise, that it's no wonder God had to punish you! We couldn't stand it, so we cornered him by the ditch and gave him a good beating! Let's see if he dares to talk nonsense again!"
The little girl spoke with righteous indignation, waving her little fists, her face full of pride.
Pei Ji watched from the side without saying much. After Xiu Xiu left, he also took the medicine bag and went out. After closing the door, he beckoned to Yu Xiu Xiu: "Come here."
Xiuxiu was a little intimidated by him, and walked over hesitantly.
Pei Ji took out a small paper packet from his pocket, opened it, and inside were several pieces of sesame candy, the kind only found in town. He took one and handed it to Xiu Xiu, his tone casual: "Has anyone bullied your sister?"
Xiuxiu took the candy, licked her lips, and under the calm gaze of her future brother-in-law, quietly recounted the story again, adding details from before.
Pei Ji listened quietly, his face expressionless, only occasionally humming in agreement. Only after Yu Xiuxiu finished speaking did he ask calmly, "Was it like this before?"
Yu Xiuxiu nodded vigorously, as if she had found someone to accuse: "That's right! And his mother, and those gossipy aunties in the village, they all secretly said! They said that my sister is cursed and will bring misfortune to her family, that... that my sister is not good enough for you, and that she will be... be..." She didn't dare to finish her sentence and secretly glanced at Pei Ji.
Pei Ji's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly, but his expression remained calm. He took out a piece of sesame candy and handed it to Yu Xiuxiu: "I know, go play. In the future, choose a place where no one is around to fight, so you don't get hurt."
Yu Xiuxiu felt as if she had been granted a pardon. Clutching the two pieces of candy, she ran away as fast as she could.
Pei Ji stood there for a moment before turning to brew the medicine and then to prepare the meal.
After trying on the beautiful jewelry that Pei Ji had brought back, Yu Man saw him bring over the food, so she got up and sat down at the table.
It was all her favorite dishes, and the chicken that Aunt Liu brought was also made into stir-fried chicken.
It is said that a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen, but Pei Ji does not seem to have this taboo. The two have known each other for many years, and he has always been the one to cook. Moreover, the dishes he makes are more and more in line with his own taste, mainly because he uses plenty of ingredients.
Yu Man even suspected that he gave half of the wages the academy paid him to his family and spent the other half on himself.
Xiu Xiu was still washing her hands outside. She glanced at Pei Ji's face, which looked calm and expressionless, but she could tell that he was not in a good mood.
"Don't take Xiuxiu's words to heart. I'm not one to suffer losses. If you mess with me, I have my own methods. Right now, it's just a few words." As she spoke, she clenched her fist and placed it in Pei Ji's palm, showing off her fist, which was as big as a sandbag.
Pei Ji looked down at her hands, gently separated them, and then intertwined his fingers.
"I told you, just lie there and relax."
Yu Man couldn't pull herself away, so she let him hold her hand and laughed, "Don't love me too much."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com