Chapter 17 Cousin Xinyue tried to escape but was pulled back; Pei Lang looked like…
Looking at her aunt's hopeful eyes and her uncle's dissatisfaction, Lin Zhi felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on her heart.
It felt as if an invisible hand was gripping his throat, making it difficult for him to open his mouth and speak.
Seeing her troubled expression, Pei Lang lowered his eyes for a moment before standing up: "Mother, what is the truth? Lan Xin is already gone."
“This incident will surely cause unrest in the family. If Mother can go up the mountain to pray for the Pei family, it will be entirely beneficial.”
They said they were going up the mountain to pray for blessings, but refused to say how long they would be gone.
Young Master Lu was sent to the mountain by Marquis Lu, ostensibly for blessings, but in reality, he was placed under house arrest and has not been released to this day.
I'm afraid Pei Lang has the same idea.
After the initial shock, Lin Shaowan's eyes turned venomous, but with her husband present, she could say nothing. She could only look intently at her niece, signaling her to speak up and refuse on her behalf.
The morning was noisy and chaotic, and Pei's father felt a headache coming on: on one hand, there was his eldest son, and on the other hand, there was his second wife. It would be difficult to decide no matter whose opinion he listened to.
Not wanting to get involved, Pei's father raised his hand and beckoned to Lin Zhi: "A-Zhi is usually the most obedient and quiet. Tell your uncle what happened."
Lin Zhi nervously clenched her handkerchief under her sleeve, slowly stepped forward and stood in front of everyone, lowering her eyes to avoid looking at her aunt: "Last night, it was indeed Aunt who met with Miss Lanxin first, but... afterwards, I was punished by Aunt to kneel in the ancestral hall, and I don't know what happened."
“My aunt is a kind person and would never do such a thing! But such a bloody tragedy has occurred in the family. If my aunt can pray for us, things should be able to be resolved in a month…”
After saying this, Lin Zhi didn't dare to look at how ugly her aunt's face was.
But in the end, a one-month deadline was added to this indefinite "blessing," so that Lin Shaowan wouldn't be too embarrassed.
After a moment of contemplation, Pei's father looked at his son, who had already grown tall and slender, and sighed deeply. "Shaowan, that's fine. It's only for a month. I will personally bring you back to the manor then."
"My husband!"
Lin Shaowan wanted to say something, but Pei Lang's cold gaze choked her back. She had no choice but to swallow her anger and agree.
Father Pei was always decisive and efficient. After lunch, he arranged for the carriage and servants and personally escorted Lin Shaowan to the carriage: "The palace has not been very peaceful these days. It's good for you to stay away from this trouble, Shaowan."
Lin Shaowan looked like she had been crying, her eyes were slightly red, but she could only say "Thank you, husband".
Just before getting into the carriage, she held Lin Zhi's hand tightly for a moment, but said nothing.
Watching the carriage rumble down the long street, Lin Zhi's face turned pale. Her aunt's attitude just now clearly showed that she was extremely disappointed in her, but this was Pei Lang's doing, and she had already done her best.
She only hoped that her second cousin would come back and say a few good words for her aunt to persuade her to reconcile.
On the way back through the pavilion, Lin Zhi was already somewhat absent-minded thinking about Lan Xin's death when Xia Ying suddenly exclaimed, "Miss! Where did your hairpin go?"
Lin Zhi paused, raised her hand to touch her hair, and sure enough, one of the small hairpins was missing. "It must have fallen somewhere."
Xia Ying frowned: "These are Miss's favorite pair of hairpins. If one of them is lost, she may not be able to wear it in the future."
Lin Zhi looked back and said, "It's not far, I can go back by myself. You can look for it on the way, and if you can't find it, that's fine."
"Yes, Miss, please be careful on your journey. I'll be there right away."
Without the company of spring peaches and summer cherry blossoms, Lin Zhi was still a little disoriented. Her mind was filled with the scene she had witnessed last night, but it was even more absurd than a dream. She even began to doubt whether she was really dreaming.
But Chun Tao, who was in so much pain that she couldn't get out of bed, and her aunt, who had been sent away, were truly genuine and their actions couldn't be faked.
Lost in thought, she passed by the artificial hill, when suddenly a strong hand pulled her inside!
Lin Zhi was terrified and was about to cry for help when someone tightly covered her lips: "Shh, don't look."
Recognizing Pei Lang's voice, Lin Zhi was not relieved; instead, she became even more uneasy, her almond-shaped eyes widening involuntarily.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw servants carrying a straw shroud past the artificial hill. As they walked, a pale arm fell straight down.
Lin Zhi's pupils contracted, and suddenly her vision went dark as someone covered her eyes with their hand.
With her eyes covered, Lin Zhi heard a slow sigh more clearly, "So disobedient."
Pei Lang looked down at her, his eyes cold in stark contrast to his gentle tone. He felt the long eyelashes fluttering under his palm, as if they were tickling his heart.
Upon hearing his words, Lin Zhi's legs went weak, and she couldn't help but tremble and whimper.
Pei Lang released his grip, only then noticing the fear in the little girl's eyes: "Cousin... I don't remember anything from last night..."
Lin Zhi turned to run away, but someone grabbed her wrist and pressed it against the artificial rockery. The rough rockery pressed against her thin skin, causing her to cry out in pain.
Pei Lang softened his movements, but refused to let go.
At this moment, Lin Zhi didn't care about overstepping the bounds; her heart was filled with fear of Pei Lang's methods. He could silently and quietly eliminate someone who had been by her side for so long without getting any of her involved.
He could easily attack me if he wanted to, since in his eyes I might not even be as good as Lan Xin...
“Cousin…” Lin Zhi tried her best to remain calm and attempted to negotiate with the other person.
"Ah Zhi only wants to live a peaceful life and protect herself. She has no intention of getting involved in any struggles, nor is she worthy of fighting with others."
"I beg you to show mercy, cousin. I have already seen what happened to Lanxin. As for my aunt's matter, I will definitely keep it a secret and dare not say anything."
Pei Lang hadn't paid any attention at first, but after hearing her words, he raised an eyebrow slightly. "You mean, Lan Xin's death was something I did to make an example of her, to show you?"
Although Lin Zhi did not nod, the slight expression on her face revealed her true thoughts.
A strange, cold glint flashed in Pei Lang's eyes. He hadn't expected Lin Zhi to be so stupid as to be beyond redemption, but people who were too clever rarely had a good ending.
His large hand moved up her arm and touched her slender, delicate neck. As he slowly withdrew his grip, Lin Zhi felt her heart leap into her throat.
But his movements suddenly softened, and he took a half-step back as if his strength had been released, giving a bitter smile: "Did I scare you last night?"
“Azhi, do you know my heart? Lanxin deserves to die. She humiliated and insulted you. I promised you that I would never let her appear in front of you again.”
Pei Lang's dark eyes, as black as ink, even seemed to radiate a hint of warmth as he stared straight at her, as if trying to draw her into a deep vortex.
Lin Zhi's mind went blank for a moment, she never expected Pei Lang to say such things so bluntly! She wanted to escape but was pulled back. As if afraid that she would not understand, Pei Lang said in a low voice, "Ah Zhi, I love you."
"Your mother intends for you to become the young mistress of the Pei family. Mingli is away fighting battles all year round, and he can't protect you. How about choosing me?"
Pei Lang's deep voice lingered in her ear. Lin Zhi was already flustered, and now, hearing his words, her face turned even redder. She hurriedly pushed him away and ran away.
After Lin Zhi left, Pei Lang's expression changed and he quickly left.
"Miss? Miss!"
Lin Zhi was startled awake when she was patted on the shoulder. "Xia Ying?"
Seeing Lin Zhi's flushed cheeks, Xia Ying's face also showed concern: "Miss, are you feverish again? Are you cold?"
Lin Zhi hesitated and touched her cheek with the back of her hand, only to find that it was still burning hot. She quickly grabbed the person who was about to fetch a doctor, "No need, I'm not cold, I'm hot."
Xia Ying looked at the cool, gloomy sky outside the window with some confusion, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated: "Miss, your pearl hairpin has been found. It was dropped by the roadside and was very conspicuous. I don't know why we didn't see it at first."
Lin Zhi was no longer listening to Xia Ying's words; her mind was in turmoil as she sat on the soft couch, clutching at the embroidery pattern.
Ever since that day at the artificial hill, for some reason, I've been running into Pei Lang all the time.
In front of outsiders, she couldn't hide or avoid the situation, and she always ended up blushing.
Something was happening in the palace. Her uncle was leaving early and returning late every day, while Pei Lang was leisurely and often sent people to invite her over to practice calligraphy.
Lin Zhi wavered in her heart and was even less willing to get involved with him. Her life in the Pei family was like being cooked on a hot stove.
After her aunt left home, Lin Zhi was in a bad mood and did not want to see Pei Lang, so she accepted invitations from several noble ladies to attend banquets.
On the way back to the manor, the carriage stopped to let people pass. Lin Zhi curiously lifted the curtain to take a look and saw Xie Zheng leading his men past quickly with serious expressions, as if they were chasing someone again.
She hid inside the carriage, not daring to make a sound. They had only met once before, yet this had already caused so much trouble. She dared not provoke this person again.
After Xie Zheng left, the coachman exclaimed in surprise, "Who goes there!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a girl suddenly ran up to the carriage.
Chun Tao and Xia Ying were startled and quickly shielded Lin Zhi. Before they could say anything, they saw the man collapse in the carriage.
Lin Zhi frowned and told the driver not to make a fuss.
He leaned closer to look at her. The woman was dressed in extraordinary clothes and had a delicate and pretty face, but her lips were pale.
"Xia Ying, this person has probably fainted from hunger." Xie Zheng had just left with his men, and this person came running back in a panic—it was too much of a coincidence...
Fortunately, the carriage always kept Lin Zhi's favorite sweet cakes on hand, and Xia Ying quickly broke them into small pieces and fed them to him.
Seeing that she was soft-hearted, Chuntao worriedly tried to stop her, saying, "Miss, could there be something wrong with this person?"
Staring at her delicate face and features, Lin Zhi leaned closer for a look and felt that she looked somewhat familiar.
Don't you guys think she looks a lot like someone?
Chun Tao and Xia Ying examined her closely but couldn't discern anything. Lin Zhi, however, slowly spoke up: "Doesn't this girl look like Xie Shaoqing?"
With a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind, Lin Zhi's eyes flickered slightly, and without a moment's hesitation, she decided to bring the person back to her residence.
A note from the author:
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Thank you for the nutrient solution! Thank you everyone for your likes and favorites! [Rabbit head with upright ears]
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