After what felt like an eternity, Sang Zhi felt her legs growing numb from standing.
Only then did she hear a voice from above say, "If Sanlang behaves improperly in the future, you may inform me."
Sang Zhi agreed, but in her heart, she did not take it seriously.
She understood well the difference in closeness between Lang Jun and Jia Zhu, and between herself and Jia Zhu.
It was only after walking a good distance from Qingfeng Courtyard that Sang Zhi felt she had escaped from that indifferent, cold gaze.
Holding the food box for Lang Jun, she took a deep breath and entered his room.
But as soon as she stepped inside, she was met with a reprimand.
"Where have you been all this time? Did you run off to slack?"
Sang Zhi walked around the screen with the food box and said, "I went to the kitchen. I wasn’t slacking."
"Going to the kitchen takes this long? Are you a turtle? I never saw you act so delicate before. Now that you’ve only been in Pei Mansion for a few days, you’ve become delicate?"
Even though Sang Zhi was used to such belittling remarks, she couldn’t help but feel a dull ache in her heart.
She apologized skillfully, "I’m sorry. Next time, I won’t."
Pei Xiyue’s anger only grew upon hearing her apology—the same old excuses.
All she ever did was apologize, like a wooden stump.
He sneered and said, "Fine, if you want me to forgive you, then stand guard at the door tonight. Stay there until dawn!"
It was already early autumn. Although the nights weren’t as cold as in winter, there was already a chill in the air.
Standing guard outside all night would surely make her fall ill.
Pei Xiyue stared intently at Sang Zhi’s expression, hoping that if she begged him, he might take back his words.
But Sang Zhi simply placed the food box on the table and whispered, "Then, remember to eat."
Otherwise, if her mother-in-law found out, she would surely scold her for not taking proper care.
With that, she stood up and prepared to stand guard at the door.
Seeing her leave without looking back, without even attempting to plead, Pei Xiyue felt an inexplicable frustration welling up inside him. He grabbed the pillow beside him and hurled it violently to the ground.
Before Sang Zhi had fully stepped out, she heard the noise and wondered what had angered him this time.
Night had already fallen, and a cold, bright crescent moon hung in the deep blue sky.
Amidst the mist, a chill crept in through her ankles.
It clung to her calves, sending waves of cold through her.
Sang Zhi had no choice but to stand up and pace in small steps, exhaling warm breath into her palms and rubbing them together.
Inside the room, Pei Xiyue heard the sound of footsteps echoing against the doorframe, and his irritation only grew.
Even like this, she wouldn’t come in to plead or make amends.
What a block of wood!
The more Pei Xiyue thought about it, the more annoyed he became. He turned over, pulled the blanket over his face, completely blocking his view.
After a day of playing around and being disciplined by A Xiong, he was utterly exhausted and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, outside, Sang Zhi continued pacing back and forth, trying to keep warm.
Suddenly, a cat appeared out of nowhere, entirely black except for a patch of snow-white around its mouth.
Its golden pupils glinted with flecks of green in the darkness.
It let out a sharp meow.
Hearing the sound, Sang Zhi looked up. When she saw Linu crouching on the roof beam, she couldn’t help but break into a lively smile.
"Linu, what brings you here?"
Linu licked its paws, casting a rather disdainful glance at the two-legged creature below.
Then, with a sudden leap, it accurately jumped into Sang Zhi's arms.
Skillfully finding a comfortable position, it nestled in.
A sudden warmth burrowed into her embrace, and Sang Zhi's slightly chilled fingertips instantly sank into the furry body.
It warmed up in no time.
Sang Zhi stroked Linu's plump head and then its neck.
Perhaps due to eating too well these past few days, its already short neck was now almost completely hidden.
Sang Zhi held it for only a moment before feeling its weight.
She really couldn't give Linu any more treats. If this continued, who would be able to carry it…
Blowing the dust off the steps, Sang Zhi finally sat down.
Finding a support, she felt a bit more relaxed.
Linu, pampered by the two-legged creature before it, narrowed its eyes contentedly.
It let out a rare, wide yawn.
Its two dark paws instantly grew restless.
They began to fiddle with the pouch hanging at Sang Zhi's waist.
Sang Zhi chuckled softly, pulling two prepared meat strips from the pouch and offering them to Linu's mouth.
She carefully attended to it.
Sang Zhi felt as though she were born to toil—first at home, and now, after marriage, caring for Lang Jun.
Now, even a small Linu required her meticulous attention.
But it wasn't Sang Zhi's fault for caring so much; this Linu was simply too delicate.
If food wasn't fed directly to its mouth, it wouldn't eat.
If tossed carelessly on the ground, it wouldn't even glance at it.
Left with no choice, Sang Zhi had to hold this plump Linu in her arms each time, feeding it bite by bite.
Though she thought about putting Linu on a diet, every time she saw it, she couldn't resist giving it a meat strip or two.
After finishing its meal, Linu gleefully pawed at the two-legged creature's pouch again.
Clearly, it hadn't had enough and wanted more.
But when feeding it earlier, Sang Zhi had felt Linu's belly—already round and full.
It had clearly come here already full; she couldn't overfeed it.
So she tightly closed the pouch, shaking her head and saying, "No more, or you'll throw up."
Seeing the two-legged creature remain unyielding no matter what, Linu let out a meow and leaped abruptly from her arms.
It stormed off in a huff.
Sang Zhi watched as the dark figure jumped over the courtyard wall into Jia Zhu's yard, her eyes widening in shock.
She wanted to call Linu back but dared not raise her voice.
Instead, she softly mimicked Linu's meows.
Her heart raced with worry—that was Jia Zhu's yard. What if Jia Zhu disliked Linu and had it killed on a whim?
But the situation was the exact opposite of what Sang Zhi imagined.
After skillfully scaling the wall, Linu used its dark paws to push open the half-closed window.
With a leap, it jumped inside.
Its dark paw prints, mixed with damp soil, instantly left bold evidence on the snow-white paper on the table.
Pei He'an watched as Shuishui entered as if it owned the place, pressing his fingers to his temples and rubbing gently.
He reached out to pick it up but missed.
Somehow, Shuishui had already leaped onto the bookshelf.
Its golden pupils looked down disdainfully at the two-legged creature attempting to ambush it, letting out a contemptuous meow.
Its slender tail rose high, signaling its victory.
The golden eyes scanned the room as if searching for something.
But after a while, it still seemed unsatisfied.
It let out a low meow.
Pei He'an approached the bookshelf, his usually cool voice softening uncharacteristically as he coaxed, "What is Shuishui looking for?"
Linu shot the two-legged creature a rather disdainful glance, its golden pupils about to shift away when—
Its gaze suddenly locked onto the jade pendant hanging from the two-legged creature's waist.
This should be enough.
In the blink of an eye, a swift black figure swooped down, sharp teeth wide open as it bit through the pendant's silk cord in one snap.
Clutching the jade pendant in its mouth, it leaped over the courtyard wall once more and vanished without a trace.
Leaving behind only the torn cord and drifting cat fur.
Sang Zhi waited outside the wall for quite some time before finally seeing Linu return. After inspecting it carefully and confirming it was unharmed, she let out a deep sigh of relief.
She couldn't help but scold the cat threateningly, "Linu, you can't go in there. The person inside might beat you to death. It's very dangerous. Don't do it again, understand?"
After speaking, Sang Zhi made an exaggeratedly fierce expression, raising her hands as if to grab a child, trying to intimidate the cat in her arms.
Naturally, Linu paid no mind to the two-legged creature's feeble attempt at intimidation.
But Pei He'an, separated only by a wall, heard every word loud and clear.
Was he really that terrifying?
Author's Note:
Dà Péi: Heartbroken [sobbing uncontrollably]