Chapter 4: She was moved by the blow, but for some reason, a subtle feeling arose within her…
Pei Lang didn't speak, but simply used the ruler to lightly lift Lin Zhi's fingertips.
He knew that Lin Zhinu was an excellent embroiderer, and he had heard that her mother was a famous embroiderer in the area, so she naturally inherited this skill.
Her hands were as soft as feathers, delicate and smooth, and she usually pampered them with milk and pearl powder. Her nails, as white as onions, were also as lustrous as jade, making them perfect for splitting hair.
Unfortunately, he was indifferent and showed no mercy or tenderness towards women.
The ruler lingered for a long time without striking, and Lin Zhi's heart was in turmoil, filled with both fear and anticipation.
"Why are you hiding?"
Lin Zhi's hand trembled, and she involuntarily curled her fingers, her eyes reddening.
"Cousin Lang, Azhi knows she was wrong."
Pei Lang glanced at her, and Lin Zhi's usually perfect and dignified face showed a rare, vivid expression.
Pei Lang gently placed the cool, moist bamboo in her palm and said slowly, "Have you carefully read the annotations in the books I sent you last month?"
Lin Zhi nodded, her voice trembling with suppressed tears, "Yes, yes, my cousin's annotations are very detailed... Hmm!"
With a crisp "snap," Lin Zhi's shoulder twitched.
Pei Lang raised his hand not high, but he used skillful force. His palm turned red in the blink of an eye, but there was no sudden sharp pain. Instead, it went from numb to itchy and painful.
The itch spread all the way to Lin Zhi's heart, and she quickly bit her lower lip to stop the groan that escaped her lips.
Pei Lang's indifferent gaze swept over her pained face, but he keenly sensed something was amiss.
"That's a lie. I was busy with official duties last month and didn't have time to make annotations."
"That last slap was punishment for your lack of diligence in your studies, but this slap..."
Pei Lang raised his eyebrows and slightly dragged out his tone.
"Smack!"
"This time, you are punished for lying to your teacher and showing no remorse."
This time the force was greater than before, and Lin Zhi's two tears fell directly onto the wide sleeve, causing her to gasp in pain.
The sultry afternoon breeze of summer, like a wildfire, burned even more fiercely as it brushed against her burning, swollen palms.
Yet, for some reason, a subtle, hidden emotion arose in her heart, so faint that she seemed unable to grasp it, yet she could not ignore it.
Through the tear-stained veil, Pei Lang's sword-like eyebrows and cold eyes were blurred, his chin taut and exuding authority. Yet, those cold eyes held only her, which inexplicably possessed a strange allure. Lin Zhi was already afraid of him, and now, with ulterior motives in her heart, she dared not look up at Pei Lang.
"Don't cry."
"Today's punishment is just a small lesson to deter others. If this happens again in the future, don't blame me for being ruthless."
Let's go.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Zhi withdrew her hand, but still took a deep breath, turned her swollen palm inward, bowed respectfully to Pei Lang, and left the place with her skirt fluttering.
It was as if the earlier loss of composure was just an illusion.
Pei Lang opened the food box and saw the bowl of plum soup filled with ice, but his eyes were colder than the crushed ice.
His calloused hand traced from tail to head, finally reaching the part of the ruler that had struck Lin Zhi. A faint fragrance seemed to linger on the bamboo, but it vanished with his movements, as if the scent of others had been wiped away.
With a snap, Pei Lang stared expressionlessly at his reddened but unresponsive palm, and let out a soft scoff.
"Delicate."
However, this woman is very shrewd and will not easily reveal her weaknesses, even if it means losing face.
Such a person, having set his sights on the simple-minded Pei Mingli, would probably devour him without spitting out the bones.
Chun Tao and the other woman stood outside Lanxue Pavilion, their expressions showing worry. "Why has Miss been gone for so long?"
"I hope nothing bad will happen."
No sooner had she finished speaking than the two maids heard the door creak open and close, and Lin Zhi ran out with red eyes.
The two were quite frightened: "Miss! What happened to you!"
When Pei Mingli arrived, he heard Lin Zhi's soft sobbing coming from inside the courtyard as soon as he entered the gate.
What happened?
Seeing the two maids wiping her hands with cool handkerchiefs, Pei Mingli finally noticed that Lin Zhi's left palm was red and swollen.
"Could this be a punishment from my brother?"
Lin Zhi's tears flowed uncontrollably. She didn't feel much pain, but she felt ashamed.
She was never favored by Pei Lang, but today, when he exposed and saw through her, her heart ached and clenched with bitterness.
But she admitted her mistake and deserved to be punished.
Seeing her crying so sadly, Pei Mingli stepped forward, held her forehead, and helped her tilt her head back.
"If you cry too much, you'll have a bad face. You can hold it in by tilting your head back."
Looking at the clear blue sky, Lin Zhi's emotions calmed down considerably.
He asked in a muffled voice, "Second cousin, what brings you here?"
Seeing that he had stopped crying, Pei Mingli finally remembered his important business.
"My mother's birthday is in half a month. I've never been able to be home before, but this time I'm lucky to be able to make it."
"I wanted to give my mother a proper celebration, but I'm a rough person and don't know how to please her..."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the young man's handsome, honey-colored face: "I'll have to trouble you with the gift, cousin."
Lin Zhi's eyelashes were still moist. When she mentioned her aunt's birthday, she sighed almost imperceptibly, "That's wonderful."
"It's so nice to be able to give my mother a birthday gift."
"My mother and aunt were born around the same time, but I will never have that blessing again; I am now all alone in this world..."
When Pei Mingli looked over, he only saw Lin Zhiwei's slender neck as she raised her head.
Even so, a tear still rolled down her cheek.
He wanted to slap himself twice for saying these things in front of his cousin when he knew she had lost her parents at a young age.
Looking into his cousin's tearful eyes, he was overwhelmed by guilt and a sense of responsibility, and for a moment he lost his mind and reached out to cover the back of her hand.
"Azhi! Don't be sad. If you're willing, your cousin is willing to be your support and take care of you for the rest of your life!"
Lin Zhi paused slightly, her expression showing some surprise.
Meanwhile, the two little maids, Chuntao and Xiaying, had already retreated sometime earlier, showing great tact.
Pei Mingli regretted his abrupt words as soon as they left his mouth, but then he saw Lin Zhi burst into laughter through her tears.
"Cousin, do you really mean what you're saying?"
The girl's eyes sparkled, like stars in the night sky.
Pei Mingli thought of his friend's words: "When choosing a wife, choose a virtuous one." His cousin was gentle, filial, and he knew her well.
His confused gaze gradually hardened. "Yes! If you're willing, you'll no longer be afraid of Young Master Lu or Young Master Zheng."
"With your cousin around, no one will dare to bully you!"
Lin Zhixing's eyes curved into crescents, and the smile in her eyes became more genuine.
After nightfall, Chun Tao came in to light the lamps and replaced the dim candles for the young lady.
Looking at Lin Zhi, who was intently embroidering a Guanyin picture by candlelight, she said with some heartache, "Miss, Madam's birthday is still half a month away, and there are only a few Guanyin pictures left."
"There's no rush. It's bad for your eyes and hands to stay up at night. Let's embroider tomorrow."
Lin Zhi continued working with her hands, "Fortunately, it wasn't my right hand that was injured, it's nothing serious."
"By the way, Chuntao, what did the sandalwood shopkeeper you asked say?"
Chun Tao immediately beamed with joy: "Miss is truly a genius! When I went to ask today, the shopkeeper said that the goods would be delivered tomorrow."
"If we had gone even a day earlier, we would have been disappointed. Miss, are you perhaps a fairy descended from heaven?"
Lin Zhi pursed her lips and smiled shyly, "You're so glib. Alright, go and rest now."
"Tomorrow you and Xia Ying will come with me out of the manor to buy incense, so we can burn it during these days."
Lin Zhi's smile faded as she watched the little girl excitedly close the door.
She looked down at her left hand by the candlelight; half a day had passed, but it was still somewhat swollen.
She had long known that Pei Lang looked down on her, regarding her as a lowly maid, but she never expected him to act this way.
Recalling the ruler that had landed on her palm during the day and Pei Lang's aloof and indifferent expression, Lin Zhi bit her red lips, her heart fluttering.
But realizing she was lost in thought, she quickly patted her cheeks to clear her mind.
"This is practically your teacher! Isn't all the homework he gives you enough?"
Her gaze shifted to the books on the table, which were about half her height, and Lin Zhi suppressed the budding feelings in her heart once again.
Even marrying Princess Shang would be beneath someone like Pei Lang.
She could only hope that he still cared about family ties and would be lenient with her after she married her cousin.
The next morning, Lin Zhi felt that the sky was somewhat overcast.
He frowned and told Xia Ying to go back and take an umbrella.
"I'll come back early from Xiangfang today, because I'm afraid it will rain this afternoon."
Before leaving, Lin Zhi paused for a moment as she lifted her skirt, then turned her head to give her some instructions.
"Chuntao, go and inform Yushu that her uncle and two cousins have gone to the palace for court. The weather is not good today, so have the servants in the manor prepare a carriage and wait at the palace gate."
"Hey!" After Chun Tao jogged in and out, the three of them, master and servant, boarded the carriage.
Most noble ladies in the capital loved perfumes and face powders, but this perfume shop only offered incense, which was nothing new, so there were hardly any customers inside.
As soon as the Pei family's carriage stopped, the incense shop manager came out to greet them with a smile.
"Miss Lin, your timing is perfect. The sandalwood you ordered has arrived. Please come in."
Lin Zhi, supported by Xia Ying, nodded with a slight smile.
As the girl in flowing clothes entered the shop, the people on the second floor of the teahouse put down their teacups, a slight smile playing on their lips.
"Shopkeeper, this price isn't what you told me before. How can you raise the price on the spot?"
Lin Zhi was very satisfied with the incense, and just as she was about to ask Chun Tao to pay, the shopkeeper informed her that the price had gone up.
The refined-looking man smiled and stared at her: "Miss Lin, this incense is only available in our family throughout the entire capital."
"If you think it's too expensive, then you don't have to buy it."
Lin Zhi clenched her hands, which were hanging in her sleeves, but decided it was better to avoid trouble. She took the purse from Chun Tao and placed the silver in front of him.
"Wrap up all the sandalwood in your house for me, Your Highness."
The young man's lazy, flippant voice drifted in from outside the door, and Lin Zhi's back stiffened instantly.
The shopkeeper, upon seeing Lu Jue, beamed from ear to ear: "Young Marquis, what an honor to have you grace us with your presence! I am so sorry for not welcoming you sooner!"
But Lu Jue didn't even glance at him and walked straight up to Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi lowered her eyes and stared at the dark gold embroidered brocade robe of Young Master Lu. She suddenly thought that Pei Lang also had a similar robe, but the same clothes looked completely different on different people.
"Sister Azhi, why didn't you invite me to come to Xiangfang today?"
"If I hadn't been waiting for you here so early, I'm afraid I would have missed seeing you..."
Although Lu Jue was handsome and effeminate, he was a notorious playboy who already had three concubines in his backyard before he even reached adulthood.
Now that His Majesty is seriously ill, there are rumors in the capital that Marquis Lu is of high status, brave and resourceful, and is more suitable to sit on the throne than the current Crown Prince.
Lin Zhi already disliked Lu Jue's recklessness, not to mention that Pei Mingli had been implicated and punished by him a few days ago.
Lin Zhi suppressed the disgust on her face, bowed calmly, and prepared to leave.
Lu Jue reached out and grabbed her wrist.
"Isn't this a bit too disrespectful to me, Sister Azhi?"
Lu Jue's lustful and flirtatious gaze swept over Lin Zhi, and he sneered, "You're just an orphan girl living in the Pei family. Do you really think you're the master?"
"Even Pei Lang must be respectful in front of me!"
The two maids were sweating profusely with anxiety. Lin Zhi's heart sank, but out of the corner of her eye, she saw the incense shop manager trying to close the door!
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