“Wuwu, no, Tutor…”
Jiang Qingning clutched Pei Ji’s robe even tighter.
This tone brought her back to the days when she couldn’t answer Pei Ji’s questions in class, carrying the same deep fear.
But before she could answer, a voice suddenly came from outside the sedan chair.
“Excuse me, young man, did you happen to see a woman dressed in pink?”
Jiang Qingning immediately fell silent and hastily grabbed at her pink wedding dress.
Oh no, oh no, the driver sent to take her to the Commandant’s estate had come looking for her!
Pei Ji understood the meaning at once upon hearing this.
He curled his lips into a smile tinged with ruthless coldness.
“So—”
“Wuwu…”
Pei Ji had barely begun to speak when Jiang Qingning, who had been kneeling on the ground crying, suddenly found some inexplicable courage. She straightened up and pressed her small hands over his lips.
Cool to the touch, and somewhat soft.
Pei Ji: ??
Someone actually dared to cover his mouth?
[Whoa, they say this female supporting character is timid, yet she dares to manually mute the main villain. And they say she’s bold, but she’s always teary-eyed whenever trouble comes.]
[I’m dying of laughter. The main villain is completely stunned. He’s the one getting his mouth covered, yet she’s the one crying.]
That’s because compared to being given to that old and ugly Commandant Chen, she’d rather fall into Tutor Pei’s hands!
At worst, she’d just get her palms smacked a few more times…
Seeing those golden characters mocking her at this moment, Jiang Qingning silently retorted in her heart.
She timidly raised her tearful eyes to look at Pei Ji, the plea in her gaze needing no words—she hoped Pei Ji absolutely would not give her away at this moment.
“No, I didn’t see anyone.”
Even without Pei Ji’s instruction, since his master hadn’t thrown out the woman in pink inside, the young servant naturally pretended not to know anything.
Hearing this answer, Jiang Qingning immediately looked outside, the joy in her tearful gaze like a small flower touched by dew.
Pei Ji’s face darkened instantly.
Did this girl even know who was the one truly protecting her?
Besides, Jiang Qingning looked soft, but her courage was hardly small!
He immediately grabbed Jiang Qingning’s hand and flung it aside.
Only then did she turn her gaze back to him. Seeing the hint of menace on Pei Ji’s face, she called out in her best obedient manner, “Tutor Pei…”
Her voice carried a slight tremble, as if she had been wronged again.
“Here to capture you?”
Pei Ji casually straightened his robes and began his interrogation right there in the sedan chair.
Jiang Qingning nodded and gave a soft “Mm.”
“Why?”
[Why else? Because you took the female supporting character’s virginity, got discovered by the Jiang family, and got kicked out!]
[Wait, sisters. The driver outside has already been sent away—does that count as the female supporting character escaping disaster?]
[Not really. That driver definitely won’t give up. He’ll probably keep searching on the streets. If the female supporting character goes out, she’ll still be easily caught.]
[Female supporting character, the person right in front of you is a golden opportunity. You’ve already lost your virginity to him—might as well make him take responsibility.]
[Agreed, agreed! I want to see this cold-faced main villain and this crybaby little beauty!!]
Those golden characters were offering her advice again, but Jiang Qingning glanced at Pei Ji and still chose her words carefully before speaking. “Because after I returned, my family discovered I had been carrying on illicit relations with someone. My adoptive parents were furious and cast me out.”
When Pei Ji heard the words “illicit relations,” his originally straight posture seemed to bend slightly.
Both of them knew full well what had happened this afternoon, yet Jiang Qingning deliberately used the term “illicit relations” in front of him. Pei Ji had no reason to doubt that she was subtly pointing at him.
“Did you tell the Jiang family that the person you were carrying on… privately associating with was this Prime Minister?”
【Hahaha, can’t the Main Villain even say the words “illicit relations” about himself?】
【He’s still trying to maintain his dignity.】
Pei Ji cast a cold sidelong glance at Jiang Qingning, unaware that the little bit of concealment in his heart had been completely exposed by the golden characters before Jiang Qingning’s eyes.
Jiang Qingning shook her head and answered with three words.
“I didn’t dare.”
Besides being her tutor three years ago, Pei Ji was also the Left Prime Minister who held sway over the entire court. She had heard more or less about Pei Ji’s deeds over the years.
Previously, court officials had tried to curry favor by sending him several beautiful women and singing girls, but all were returned by Pei Ji—except the singers had their throats poisoned mute, and the dancers had their Achilles tendons severed. He made his stance clear while being utterly ruthless.
Later, noble young ladies from prestigious families tried to pluck this lofty flower, using every means at their disposal. Their fates were either their families being impeached or the young ladies themselves meeting with accidents and being forced into hasty marriages.
It could only be said that Pei Ji’s methods were indeed ruthless, and the noble ladies of the capital had since given up any thoughts of him.
So even though she had been intimate with Pei Ji, she didn’t dare spread it around, because she also wanted to survive under Pei Ji’s rule.
Pei Ji was choked speechless by the frankness on Jiang Qingning’s face.
On second thought, if Jiang Qingning had told them, the Jiang family would probably be beating drums and gongs demanding he take responsibility.
But he had kept himself pure and chaste all this time—how could he have fallen to this little simpleton Jiang Qingning?
No, wait!
Pei Ji’s gaze suddenly darkened. “Then why did you appear before me?”
At this question, Jiang Qingning couldn’t help but glance at Pei Ji with tearful resentment.
“It’s precisely because of losing my chastity that my adoptive parents not only cast me out, but also wanted to give me to Commandant Chen.”
Jiang Qingning grew somewhat agitated, speaking as if tattling: “Master, you know. That Commandant Chen is already over sixty now, and the capital is full of tales of his absurdities. I didn’t want to become his concubine, so I escaped from the carriage. Seeing this sedan chair stopped here, I barged in. Who knew the person inside would be you…”
She said the last sentence in a small voice, her gaze drifting, as if she wasn’t even pleased that the person she’d encountered was Pei Ji.
Pei Ji had initially thought the Jiang family was going too far upon hearing Jiang Qingning’s first few sentences, but seeing her attitude, he laughed in exasperation: “So you’ve come to demand that this Prime Minister take responsibility now?”
【Female Supporting Character, say yes! Maybe the Main Villain will take the opportunity to agree.】
【Exactly, exactly. At least you’ve shared a bed. Isn’t the Main Villain’s face and body better than Commandant Chen’s?】
【Don’t compare our handsome Main Villain in his prime to some old man!】
【Female Supporting Character, you have no one to rely on in the capital. The Jiang family will definitely send you to Commandant Chen’s residence again.】
Jiang Qingning looked at the golden characters worrying about her before her eyes, then glanced at Pei Ji’s expression.
She thought to herself: Ladies, have you at least noticed the murderous look on Master Pei’s face?
Besides, how would she ever dare to harbor such thoughts about Master Pei?
He was the very shadow of her school days.
“Master, can you save me?”
Jiang Qingning thought that Pei Ji bore half the responsibility for her current predicament, and she had also kept his secret for him.
“Save you?” Pei Ji raised an eyebrow. “Have I not already saved you once? Jiang Qingning, how have you repaid me?”
With that, he deliberately touched his collarbone.
That was the very spot where Jiang Qingning had bitten him today.
Jiang Qingning’s face turned pale.
Oh no, Master Pei had always been one to hold a grudge!