【Chapter 5: Provoking Him Means Going Back with Him】
"Sorry, did I… scare you?"
After Jiang Mei stepped back, Zhou Hongyuan also came to his senses. He took several deep breaths to suppress the surging desire, handing the umbrella to Jiang Mei with an apologetic expression.
They were husband and wife—it was only natural for him to want to be close to his wife. Why did he need to apologize?
But Pei Jingchuan's carriage was parked not far away. Jiang Mei had no time to explain and lied instead: "Husband, I want some sugar-roasted chestnuts from Li's shop. Could you go buy some for me?"
Li's shop was in the west of the city, far from the tofu shop. The round trip would take nearly two hours.
Zhou Hongyuan never refused Jiang Mei's requests in the first place, and now he readily agreed: "Alright, you go home first. I'll go buy them for you."
"The sugar-roasted chestnuts from Li's shop are quite expensive. I'm afraid Mother will be unhappy if she sees them, so I'd better wait for you at the shop."
Zhou Hongyuan was well aware of Mrs. Li's temper and didn't suspect anything. He escorted Jiang Mei back to the shop and immediately headed for Li's shop.
Once Zhou Hongyuan was far enough away, Jiang Mei hurried over to Pei Jingchuan's carriage.
The wind and snow grew heavier, turning the world into a vast expanse of white. Bai Yi's expression was even colder than before. Wearing a straw raincoat, he sat cross-legged with his chin slightly raised, ignoring Jiang Mei entirely.
Bai Yi knew better than anyone how Pei Jingchuan had treated Jiang Mei back then. Logically, a woman like her, having gained someone's affection, should have been grateful and devoted. Who would have thought she would be two-faced, running off after swindling money?
Running away was one thing, but she even got married!
Earlier, when she had politely asked to see Pei Jingchuan, although he hadn't agreed, he had still reported the matter. Yet upon returning, he had witnessed her being intimate with another man.
Regardless of how Pei Jingchuan felt, Bai Yi felt he had been played for a fool.
Had Jiang Mei grown tired of living?
Jiang Mei also felt she might not have long to live, but she still wanted to struggle a little before her end.
Bai Yi clearly had no intention of acknowledging her, so she addressed Pei Jingchuan inside the carriage: "It's so cold outside. May I come in to speak?"
Dead silence filled the carriage. Only the howling wind answered her.
Jiang Mei gritted her teeth, lifted her skirt, and began climbing up.
Bai Yi frowned disapprovingly, but the carriage remained quiet. Pei Jingchuan didn't tell Jiang Mei to get lost, so Bai Yi could only silently allow her to climb aboard.
Her winter clothes were thick, the carriage was high, and there was no footstool to step on. Jiang Mei's movements were clumsy, and it took her quite some effort to climb inside.
Pei Jingchuan had been tempered in the military and wasn't as delicate as typical noble sons. There was no charcoal fire in the carriage, making it no warmer than outside.
Pei Jingchuan was wrapped in a glossy mink cloak, sitting imposingly in the carriage like a god looking down upon the world, while Jiang Mei was merely an ant at his feet.
Jiang Mei's heart was uneasy. Although she had shamelessly boarded the carriage, she wasn't sure if she could appease Pei Jingchuan's anger. That near-kiss with Zhou Hongyuan earlier felt like an executioner's blade hanging over her head.
After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Mei decided to confess proactively: "What happened earlier was just a coincidence. He didn't kiss me, and I won't let him kiss me in the future either."
Pei Jingchuan was intensely possessive. Back when the madam had secretly made Jiang Mei entertain other clients, Pei Jingchuan, somehow learning of it, had not only beaten that client half to death but also personally chopped off one of the madam's fingers.
Zhou Hongyuan's hands were meant for writing elegant prose. Jiang Mei didn't dare take any chances. If Pei Jingchuan had seen what happened, her honest confession was the only way to avoid implicating Zhou Hongyuan.
Jiang Mei dared not meet Pei Jingchuan's gaze, keeping her head bowed as she awaited judgment. Yet after a long while, Pei Jingchuan remained silent.
Times had changed, and Jiang Mei could no longer guess what was on his mind. The oppressive silence made him seem even more inscrutable.
Having stood outside for a while, snow had settled on Jiang Mei's eyelashes and clothes. Her illness hadn't fully recovered, and as the snow melted, the chill seeped through her garments, making her throat itch uncontrollably.
Jiang Mei fought back the urge to cough when she suddenly heard a muffled, suppressed cough.
Surprised, she looked up to see Pei Jingchuan's stern face as he asked, "Finished?"
Pei Jingchuan's voice was hoarse, and though he tried to maintain his cold demeanor, it betrayed his weakened state.
Jiang Mei quickly understood and asked with concern, "Are you ill too, Young Master?"
Pei Jingchuan frowned, displeased by her evasion and even more unwilling to let her see his vulnerability. Just as he was about to send her away, Jiang Mei's icy hand touched his forehead.
Pei Jingchuan had always been robust; even when he caught a cold, a good night's sleep would usually cure it. But this time, whether due to Jiang Mei's influence or the unfamiliar environment, he had been running a high fever for several days, with no appetite and an unprecedented sense of weakness.
Bai Yi had taken the initiative to buy tofu pudding from the tofu shop and claimed Jiang Mei wanted to see him.
She always avoided him—why would she seek him out now?
He found it hard to believe, yet he came anyway, only to see her willingly take her useless husband's arm, smiling softly and charmingly.
Already feverish, Pei Jingchuan felt his anger flare at the sight. His mind raced through countless bloodless ways to kill, but at that moment, Jiang Mei fearlessly approached him.
To play the part of a respectable woman, she now wore loose, old-fashioned dresses. Running the tofu shop had weathered her face and hands, and the wind and snow made her look even worse. Yet when she gazed at him anxiously, she strangely evoked pity.
Jiang Mei's hand was cold, as if frozen into ice, but when she pressed it against him, Pei Jingchuan felt only relief.
He was burning up, as if all the moisture in his blood had evaporated, and this coolness was just what he needed.
Unaware of Pei Jingchuan's thoughts, Jiang Mei only felt his forehead burning like fire and asked urgently, "You have a fever, and it's quite severe. Have you seen a doctor?"
Jiang Mei thought Pei Jingchuan tended to avoid medical treatment, whether for colds, coughs, or injuries—he preferred to tough it out.
As she spoke, she tried to withdraw her hand, but Pei Jingchuan pressed it back in place.
He stared straight at her, his gaze softening considerably, though it was unclear if he was fully conscious. Then Jiang Mei heard him say, "Weren't you terrified of me? Why are you provoking me now? What, can your useless husband not satisfy you?"
His words made it sound as if Jiang Mei were actively seducing him.
Jiang Mei's heart tightened, and she tried to pull her hand back, but Pei Jingchuan held it firmly, leaving her no room to move. She could only whisper in defense, "I heard you coughing and wanted to check on you. I was just worried and wanted to see if you had a fever. I wasn't provoking—mmph!"
Before she could finish, the back of her head was seized, and Pei Jingchuan kissed her.
Though severely ill, his kiss was anything but gentle—it was fierce and intense, his lips and teeth burning like molten lava, as if trying to consume Jiang Mei entirely.
Her breath was completely stolen away, Jiang Mei's vision uncontrollably darkened. In her dazed state, she heard Pei Jingchuan's voice: "Since you've provoked me, come back with me."
Go back? Go back where?
Zhou Hongyuan would return soon after buying sugar-fried chestnuts—she had to wait here for him.