“You…”
Wen Yining looked at him, suddenly at a loss for words.
Although she hated this man, she had to admit that he had saved her three times at crucial moments: during the shootout, at the railing, and now…
Even if he had been the reason she’d needed saving each time.
“I know you want to thank me. You can skip the words and show me you mean it.”
Pei Xiao leaned back against the sofa, resting both arms along its back and stretching his legs out carelessly, like a king surveying his subjects. “Come over and kiss me.”
“…”
Wen Yining glanced around at the people present and hesitantly shifted closer, making her reluctance obvious. “There are too many people here…”
Pei Xiao swept his gaze over the room and said, “Everyone out.”
At his command, the bodyguards filed out in an orderly fashion, taking the maid with them as they left.
Wen Yining looked at the maid, who was barely breathing, unable to bear the sight. Grabbing his sleeve, she asked, “Can you not kill her?”
“That depends on how well you behave.”
Pei Xiao watched her at his leisure, looking every bit like a man waiting to be waited on.
“…”
Wen Yining inched over to him. Turning sideways, she tilted her head and leaned toward him.
Pei Xiao turned his head, dodging her just in time. His brow furrowed. “Is that how you treat the man who saved your life?”
“…”
What life-saver would ask her to do something like that?
“Sit on my lap.”
Pei Xiao tilted his head to indicate what he wanted.
“…”
Wen Yining rose from the sofa. Seeing the man’s legs spread wide, she had no idea how to approach him, so she went to the middle and knelt on the edge of the sofa.
His face filled her vision.
Delicate brows and eyes, a high nose bridge, features as if carved, combining Eastern and Western characteristics like a work of art.
Even if she looked at him ten thousand more times, she probably still wouldn’t be immune to him.
Thinking about it another way, she wasn’t exactly losing out, was she?
Wen Yining pressed her lips to his.
What came next… she didn’t seem to know.
Wen Yining could only keep her lips against his and rub them gently against his, while the hand braced on her thigh grew increasingly sore.
Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms. Her full weight landed on his firm body, and the impact hurt a little.
“Wen Yining.”
Pei Xiao frowned and complained, “Did you study at kindergarten?”
“…”
She wasn’t like him, with all his experience.
But Wen Yining only dared to complain back silently in her mind. Bracing herself against the sofa back, she pushed herself upright and retorted, “Then what do you expect me to have studied?”
“…”
Pei Xiao was momentarily at a loss for words at her retort.
After a while, he reached out and covered her lips with his thumb, rubbing them back and forth as he teased, “You’ve got quite a sharp tongue. Too bad… after all those kisses, how come you still haven’t learned?”
With that, he supported her by the hips and stood, carrying her toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
“…”
W-what was he planning to do?
Wen Yining went rigid all over and struggled to jump down.
“Be good.”
Pei Xiao tightened his arm, pinning her firmly against him. “I’m not taking you tonight. Just learn properly.”
Then he pressed her against the glass and leaned over her, using it for support.
His forceful presence swept over her. Wen Yining couldn’t think at all, and even forgot the most important thing she’d meant to ask.
…
The next morning.
When Pei Xiao woke, he found no one beside him.
“Wen Yining!”
He threw off the covers and strode downstairs without even putting on any clothes.
As soon as he stepped out into the hall, he saw her standing at the top of the stairs in her pajamas, wearing a beige apron and oven mitts. She looked up at him.
“I made breakfast. Want to try some?”
Wen Yining’s eyes were soft as she gave him a faint smile, bright as spring blossoms.
“…”
Had the sun risen in the west?
Pei Xiao eyed her suspiciously and started to step downstairs, but then noticed he was wearing only his underwear. He turned around and headed back to the bedroom, tossing over his shoulder, “Wait.”
“…”
Watching him disappear at the top of the stairs, Wen Yining let her smile drop.
When he realized she wasn’t there, he’d rushed downstairs without even getting dressed. If she ran away… this man would be so furious he’d want to chop her into mincemeat.
Wen Yining rubbed her arms and massaged her stiff facial muscles. Then she returned to the kitchen and set bacon, eggs, toast, and milk on the dining table.
Pei Xiao came downstairs soon after. He didn’t pick up his chopsticks, but narrowed his eyes at her as if interrogating her. “What are you feeling guilty about?”
“…”
Wen Yining swallowed her mouthful of food and took a sip of milk. “What could I possibly feel guilty about?”
“…”
Pei Xiao glanced at the milk beside her, picked it up, and tipped it back, drinking it in one go.
“!!”
Wen Yining’s eyes widened.
Didn’t he have his own? Why was he drinking hers?
Pei Xiao put down the glass and wiped the milk from the corner of her mouth with his finger. Then he brought it to his lips and licked it gently, savoring it as if what had been on her mouth weren’t milk but honey.
“…”
Realizing what he was doing, Wen Yining’s scalp prickled. She quickly raised the back of her hand and rubbed her mouth in a fluster.
“Since you’ve gone to the trouble of trying to please me, tell me what you want.”
Pei Xiao asked lazily, picking up his chopsticks and beginning to eat.
“…”
Wen Yining swallowed. Her voice was so quiet it was almost a mosquito’s buzz. “Could I… use your study to get online sometimes? It’s so boring here…”
“Boring?”
Pei Xiao’s eyes turned cold in an instant.
Being with him was boring?
“…”
Wen Yining realized she kept stepping on this man’s land mines, so she shut her mouth at once.
“You’re just bored because you have nothing to do.”
Pei Xiao pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.
“Put on more ointment today. Tonight, you wait for me in bed.”
With that, he took a vicious bite of his toast. It wasn’t enough, so he stuffed the rest into his mouth in one go, as if venting his frustration.
“…”
Wen Yining stared at the empty plate, her heart sinking to the bottom.
…
Fortunately, she eventually got permission to go online.
As soon as the man left, Wen Yining rushed to the study, turned on the computer, and began searching for information about the island.
The first news story that came up caught her attention.
The Lu family’s eldest young master, Pei… Xiao? Was he the Pei Xiao she knew?
Unable to resist, Wen Yining clicked on it.
The Lu family of Jiangcheng was a top-tier family in Country A, the foremost clan south of the Yangtze River. They had made their fortune in Southeast Asia in their early years, and it had taken three generations of leaders to gradually bring the family’s business into the legitimate world.
Pei Xiao was the eldest son recently acknowledged by Lu Qingcang, the current head of the family. His mother’s identity was unknown.
Lu Qingcang had three wives. First Madam Zhuang Yulan had devoted herself to Buddhism for years and kept to a secluded life; she had no children after marriage.
Second Madam Yang Yahui came from a rural background and had once been a maid in the Lu family. After the “climbing into his bed” scandal, she gave birth to a son, Lu Junyi, and successfully secured the position of Second Madam Lu.
Third Madam Su Qing was only in her thirties. She had maintained her looks and figure well, and had one son, Lu Shiyu.
From morning until noon, news about the Lu family kept popping up—there was an absurd amount of it. As for what she actually needed, Wen Yining only managed to find the island’s name. She found nothing else.
“…”
Now she finally understood why the maid last night had risked her life to climb into Pei Xiao’s bed.