Chapter 29 The First Kiss—this phrase was a harbinger of taking out the ruler in the past…
Because she had just applied medicine, Lin Zhi was wearing very little clothing. Pei Lang lowered his eyes, not wanting to look around, and simply found a place to lie down, letting her upper body rest on him to dry her wounds.
He steadied her with both hands to make sure she wouldn't move around and press on her wounds, then slowly exhaled.
The softness in his arms was something he had never felt before. Even when he pretended to be drunk and held Lin Zhi in his arms that day, she was still tense and wary, unlike today when she was completely relaxed in his arms.
Staring at the canopy above the bed, Pei Lang's eyes gradually filled with dissatisfaction; he regretted it.
Those two old women should have had their hands chopped off, but cutting off a few fingers was far too lenient on them.
Pei Lang was still displeased as he looked at Lin Zhi, who was obediently frowning and closing her eyes. For her sake, he had messed up his deal with the Crown Prince.
He once used her as bait to exploit her weaknesses, and he willingly handed over his secrets to the Crown Prince to reassure him. That was his own initiative, so it cannot be compared to her actions.
Initially, he only wanted to take revenge on Pei Mingli and his son, which is why he started with Lin Zhi. But now he's wasting more and more energy on her. If Pei Mingli comes back...
The thought of this scene unconsciously darkened Pei Lang's eyes, and he tightened his grip on Lin Zhi's hand.
Noticing his own unusual behavior, Pei Lang simply scoffed, "I didn't go to all this trouble just to raise my brother's wife."
Lin Zhi used to be cautious and timid, beautiful but a wooden beauty. Now, although she is impulsive, she is also lively and agile, like a cunning cat. It is not easy to find someone so agreeable, and it would be good to keep her by my side to relieve boredom. I can't let Pei Mingli have her.
When he opened his eyes again, it was almost dawn. Pei Lang looked down at her, her soft cheeks peeking out from under his chest. He poked her with his finger and heard the girl groan and then flutter her long eyelashes.
Seeing that Lin Zhi had opened her eyes but didn't speak, Pei Lang couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. He hadn't expected her to accept the two of them in this position so well.
Why aren't you saying anything? What are you thinking about?
Feeling the vibration from a warm chest, Lin Zhi was momentarily stunned before realizing she was being held. After a moment of internal struggle, the pain overcame her confusion; at least this made her more comfortable.
"I'm waiting for my cousin to blame me."
Lin Zhi's voice was sweet with a slight huskiness. Upon hearing it, Pei Lang carefully moved her aside and got up to fetch a cup of warm water.
Lin Zhi frowned and sat up despite the pain. She naturally saw that she was now disheveled in front of Pei Lang, with a thin blanket lying beside her. But after hesitating for a moment, she did not reach out to take it to cover herself.
Lin Zhi drank about half a cup of water from Pei Lang's hand before turning her head away from the cup, saying, "That's enough."
Pei Lang deliberately scanned her from head to toe in front of her. Her light pink dress accentuated her fair skin and exquisite figure. Although he had some suspicions before, he never expected that he would still underestimate Lin Zhi.
This is also why Pei Lang hesitated to bring Lin Zhi back to the Pei residence. If they were caught, Lin Zhi's reputation would be completely ruined.
"She even endured torture for Pei Mingli, what does my cousin mean by this? She trusts me far too much."
Pei Lang casually set the teacup aside, stood by the couch, and stared at her with an open and honest gaze, devoid of any intimacy. He casually lifted the thin blanket to cover her, leaned closer, and pinched her delicate chin: "I can help you this once, but this is the last time."
Seeing Pei Lang stop and prepare to leave, Lin Zhi reached out her heavily bandaged injured left hand and hooked it around his hand. Her fragile fingers hooked around his little finger, with little force, yet she managed to keep him there.
Turning around, Pei Lang stared at the thin blanket that seemed about to fall off her shoulder, his eyes flickering slightly: "What are you doing?"
But Lin Zhi seemed to have his tacit approval, and went further, reaching up to his forearm, trying to pull him to sit down. However, her injured left hand was not strong enough, and all Pei Lang could sense was the change in Lin Zhi's eyes.
He sat down on the edge of the couch following her movements, but before he was fully seated, he felt a weight on his lap. Pei Lang's dark eyes trembled slightly as he watched Lin Zhi straddle his knees, her hands slowly clenching into fists at her sides.
The girl's soft, sweet fragrance wafted into his nostrils, carrying a faint hint of bitter medicine. Pei Lang remained calm, his eyes fixed on his nose and his mind, seemingly unmoved by her bold actions.
"Get down."
Lin Zhi moved a little closer to him and found a comfortable position to sit down.
"Stay away from me."
Lin Zhi stretched out her arms and wrapped them around his neck.
"Disobeying again?"
Feeling Lin Zhi's soft breath near his face, Pei Lang's composed demeanor faltered slightly, and he frowned as he stared at her. These words were once a harbinger of him taking out the ruler, but now Lin Zhi boldly pressed her cheek against Pei Lang's face.
She spoke softly, "I'll accept any punishment from you, cousin."
The sudden smoothness on his cheek startled Pei Lang, whose emotions were usually calm and collected. He frowned and scolded in a low voice, "Lin Zhi, what kind of behavior is this?"
But Lin Zhi felt her heart finally settle down the moment she touched Pei Lang.
"Cousin, that night was not a dream."
"It's true."
Lin Zhi felt Pei Lang's body stiffen beneath her, looking at her with disbelief, before quickly turning his head away in a flustered manner: "What dream? I don't know what you're talking about."
Lin Zhi wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent him from dodging: "You said you often dream about me, and you also want to kiss me."
Pei Lang's ears turned red when she saw through his secret, and he became angry and embarrassed: "Lin Zhi! You said yourself that you would get married after Pei Mingli's triumphant return, why humiliate me like this?"
But the next moment, Lin Zhi's soft lips came close and continued what they hadn't finished that night.
Their lips met, and neither of them moved.
After a while, Lin Zhi, still breathless, patted Pei Lang's back, her face flushed, feeling as if she had been mesmerized by the pleasant scent of cedarwood on him.
She spoke, slightly out of breath: "No one has ever cared about A-Zhi as much as my cousin."
"My cousin risked his life to save me time and time again. His injury hurt me. It was also my cousin who told me that I am the best girl."
“Azhi also loves her cousin.”
"My relationship with my second cousin is merely that of brother and sister. The marriage is just a temporary measure."
Pei Lang squinted, a hint of unfulfilled desire in his eyes. He slowly slid his large hand, which had been tucked into Lin Zhi's hair, down to her bare back, the heat making the person in his arms tremble involuntarily.
"Is that really true?"
"But Pei Mingli's feelings for you don't seem like those of a typical brother and sister."
Pei Lang's voice was already clear and melodious, but now it was tinged with a sense of control, making it even more captivating.
Lin Zhi didn't look up at him, somewhat evasively: "It's different. If my second cousin knew the real me, he wouldn't like me anymore."
Pei Lang paused for a moment, then chuckled and pulled the man into his arms: "You answered well, but you can't escape punishment."
"Once your injuries have healed, come to me to receive your punishment."
Hearing this, Lin Zhi's cheeks flushed slightly, and she buried her face in Pei Lang's neck for a long time before finally letting out a soft "Mmm".
She knew there was no future with Pei Lang, yet she still let herself sink deeper into despair.
The feeling of being on the verge of death after being tortured was unforgettable. It was Pei Lang who pulled her out of the mire. She didn't want to think about her aunt or the vast difference between the two of them. She just wanted to live for herself for once.
Pei Lang has done so much for her, and she doesn't want to hurt his feelings.
Even if there's only the slightest chance, she's willing to take the gamble.
Feeling the person in his arms breathe steadily again, Pei Lang's eyes grew cold. After settling the person in comfortably, he pushed open the door and left the room.
"Any news about Pei Mingli?"
Xingyun emerged from the shadows: "Not yet, but since you, young master, are discussing important matters with the crown prince, surely the crown prince will also protect the second young master?"
However, Pei Lang's tightly furrowed brows did not relax: "That's not right. The Crown Prince has already found out Lu Jue's whereabouts, and Marquis Lu will definitely not be without a backup plan."
"I just hope Pei Mingli isn't too stupid and falls into their trap too easily."
Xingyun cautiously glanced at the room where the young master had spent the night, her expression hesitant, unsure of how to begin.
Pei Lang clicked his tongue impatiently: "Once Pei Mingli returns to the capital, he can find a good house for Lin Zhi to settle down. There's no need to put in too much effort."
Although Xingyun agreed, she knew in her heart that this was an arrangement for a mistress, and it seemed that the young master did not really care about Miss Biao.
During the three days of recuperating, Lin Zhi felt dizzy and unreal. Every day when she woke up, Pei Lang would personally feed her porridge. Those hands that were used for impeachment, advice, sword-wielding, and horse-reining were only meant for her.
Their eyes met unexpectedly, and the two of them, no longer as bold as they had been that day, tacitly looked away.
“I stopped you from entering the palace. Neither Father nor Mother knew. I only told them that you were sick in your room and couldn’t get up, and that Xia Ying would pretend to be you in the room.”
On the carriage back to the manor at night, Lin Zhi obediently leaned on Pei Lang's shoulder, listening to his arrangements for her, and unconsciously tightened her grip on his thumb.
The two had been extremely intimate for the past three days, and now that they had to part ways as soon as they returned home, she couldn't help but feel disappointed.
Feeling the slight tickling in his palm, Pei Lang held her hand in his palm without looking at her, and squeezed it reassuringly: "You don't need to worry about anything. Whether it's Father, Mother, or Mingli, I'm here for you."
"We just have to wait, wait for the right opportunity."
Lin Zhi nodded, feeling much more at ease: "Of course I'll listen to what my cousin says."
Pei Lang's eyes were expressionless, but his movements became even gentler.
"Aunt and uncle are well. These days, Azhi has fallen ill again, which has worried the elders."
Seeing that Lin Zhi's face was a little pale but her spirits were still good, Lin Shaowan didn't care about anything else and quickly told her to sit down.
"It's not your fault. It rains all the time, so it's common to catch a cold."
Pei Lang was summoned to the palace by the Crown Prince early in the morning, and there were only the three of them at the lunch table.
After the dishes were all prepared, Lin Shaowan dismissed the servants and handed the prepared items to Lin Zhi: "Azhi, take a look. This is a letter from Mingli. It was delayed on the way and only arrived yesterday."
"A great victory at the border! Mingli must hurry back to the capital!"
Lin Zhi felt a moment of relief as she held the letter in her hand: "I hope Second Cousin is doing well."
But Lin Shaowan held her hand and smiled, "Mingli is in a hurry to return to the capital because he has something else to discuss. He said he wants to arrange a marriage with you as soon as he gets back."
"My aunt means that since we know each other well, we don't necessarily need to get married. How about we set a wedding date sooner?"
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Author's note: Thank you all for your collections and nutrient solutions~ The appetizer is finally served!
To find out what happens next... welcome back on Tuesday! [heart emoji]
Please save this post so that my cousin can win back his wife soon!
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