“I… I…”
Jiang Qingning knelt on the ground, stammering for a long while, her long, slender lashes trembling slightly with her guilt.
If she had known she would run into Pei Ji again, she never would have taken that bite this afternoon.
Pei Ji lowered his gaze and noticed that Jiang Qingning’s fingertips were still restlessly twisting the fabric of her clothes. It reminded him of three years ago when he had supervised her studies—she had looked exactly like this when she had done something wrong and couldn’t face it.
In the past, he had only felt frustration at having to teach a blockhead like Jiang Qingning, but now, a hint of amusement couldn’t help but creep into his eyes.
“Jiang Qingning, do you know what crime it is to gravely injure a loyal minister of the court?”
Pei Ji deliberately deepened his voice, his tone carrying a hint of authority that made Jiang Qingning look up in panic.
His fingers hooked the collar of his robe and pulled it slightly open, revealing a tooth mark still tinged with traces of blood. Even the area around his collarbone was swollen and red.
[Sss, gotta say, that Female Supporting Character’s bite mark is pretty complete.]
[That bite mark on the Main Villain’s collarbone is kinda sexy. Let me take a bite too! (Leering)]
[Hahaha, it’s just a bite mark. Why is the Main Villain making such a big deal out of it, calling it a crime against a court official? Is he deliberately trying to scare our Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character?]
[Then I’m curious how the Female Supporting Character is going to make amends.]
Seeing the “evidence of her crime” from this afternoon, Jiang Qingning had no choice but to acknowledge it now.
She had been hoping those Golden Characters would give her some advice, but who would have thought they were all just waiting to laugh at her.
She bit her lower lip and thought for a moment, then asked timidly, “Teacher Pei, does it hurt?”
Pei Ji was so annoyed by the words she had managed to squeeze out after all that hesitation that he wanted to laugh, but he still put on a fierce expression and gritted out, “What do you think?”
[I can’t stop laughing, folks. She actually has the nerve to ask if it hurts, hahaha…]
[I honestly think the Female Supporting Character is a little cutie sometimes.]
Why were these Golden Characters laughing at her again?
Jiang Qingning didn’t understand. She was just trying to show some concern for her teacher first so she could get closer to him.
Her eyes darted around for a moment, and then she said with the resolve of one facing death, “Teacher Pei, I know I was wrong. How about you bite me back?”
It was only being bitten once, after all. As long as she made amends and begged for Pei Ji’s protection, it was still better than being sent to Commandant Chen’s bed!
Jiang Qingning’s little face was full of sincerity as she pulled open her collar, revealing half of her delicate shoulder. A few raindrops still clung to her fair, tender skin, making the phrase “luscious and tempting” take on a concrete form.
She even shuffled a few steps closer to Pei Ji, like a little lamb offering itself up for slaughter.
Jiang Qingning said, “Teacher Pei, go ahead and bite me. I’ll endure however much it hurts.”
“Absurd! Pull your clothes back up this instant!”
Pei Ji was startled by her actions. The moment he saw the red marks left on Jiang Qingning’s delicate shoulder from his own wanton moments, he couldn’t keep up his composure either.
The tooth mark on his collarbone was Jiang Qingning’s “evidence of crime,” but the love bites on Jiang Qingning’s body were his “misdeeds.”
Yet this girl was still wearing such a serious expression, so honest and guileless.
[Dying of laughter. I knew the Female Supporting Character would tell the Main Villain to bite her back.]
[The Main Villain is completely speechless because of her.]
[Am I the only one who feels like the Main Villain is actually embarrassed? When the Female Supporting Character pulled her clothes open just now, I felt like his eyes went straight for a second.]
Jiang Qingning shrank her shoulders slightly at the scolding, yet still pressed her luck: “It was you who wouldn’t bite, so Teacher Pei can’t be angry with me anymore…”
Pei Ji gritted his molars in fury.
Was this a question of biting or not?
He looked up again, and Jiang Qingning quickly pulled her clothes back together, clearly not sincere in her earlier offer to let him bite her in return.
Besides, of all the students he had rapped on the palms back then, this little girl Jiang Qingning had been the most afraid of pain.
But just that one glance reminded Pei Ji of how he had spent this afternoon grinding against that snow-white skin, planting mark after mark.
Jiang Qingning didn’t know, but he remembered it vividly—how he had indulged in that delicate, faintly cool sensation.
Pei Ji immediately pressed his hand to his forehead, cutting off the wandering thoughts in his mind.
He had always been pure of heart and free of desire. He had heard that the fake young lady raised in the Jiang household had fair skin, a beautiful face, and a soft body—but he also remembered that Jiang Qingning called him “Teacher,” and he could never have entertained any such thoughts.
But now that he had broken his vow, how could he become as vulgar as those men in the capital?
Jiang Qingning—she disturbed his Dao Heart.
Outside, the rain seemed to gradually lessen.
Jiang Qingning feared the carriage driver outside might come back looking for her, and she still wanted to beg Pei Ji to save her this once. But when she looked up and saw Pei Ji’s gaze, it was colder than ever before.
“Teacher Pei…”
“Get out.”
She had barely opened her mouth when Pei Ji ruthlessly spat out those two words.
Jiang Qingning froze, thinking to herself that things had been fine just moments ago—why had Teacher’s expression suddenly turned so sour?
[What the hell, how did the Main Villain flip his face so fast?]
[At least they shared a bed—why is he suddenly so heartless?]
“Teacher, I was cast out of my home because of you. If you refuse to help, then… then I can only…” Jiang Qingning desperately grasped at this lifeline, steeling her heart, and even dared to threaten: “I’ll go to the authorities and report you!”
[Silly girl, if you go to the authorities, who do you think they’ll arrest first?]
[It’s over, truly worthy of the Main Villain—not even a shred of gratitude for the night they shared.]
[What about the Female Supporting Character? I don’t want her to exit the story this early.]
The Bullet Chat was filled with wails of lament, but Pei Ji said unhurriedly: “You’ve grown quite bold now, daring to threaten this Prime Minister? But tell me—do you think you can even make it to the authorities?”
“Wuwu, Teacher, please just save me. Take me back to your residence—I’ll serve you like a beast of burden, I’ll do anything. I don’t want to go to Commandant Chen’s estate.”
Jiang Qingning’s threatening backbone collapsed in an instant, and she sobbed and pleaded pitifully.
But this time, Pei Ji showed not a trace of sympathy, only staring at her coldly.
“Go. This Prime Minister will not speak of this matter to anyone.”
This—this irresponsible scumbag!
Jiang Qingning cursed inwardly.
She knew Pei Ji meant what he said, but she had even been willing to let him bite her—how could he be so petty?
Could it be that he thought she hadn’t offered enough of herself to bite?
But at this moment, seeing Pei Ji’s darkened expression, Jiang Qingning no longer had the courage to speak, only gazing at him with tearful, sorrowful eyes.
…
After she was dismissed, the servant outside the sedan waited for Pei Ji’s orders.
Pei Ji lifted the curtain and saw that frail figure in the light rain, hugging her arms tightly to herself, walking with a swaying, unsteady gait.
For the first time in his life, he found himself staring after her for a long, long while.
After Jiang Qingning got out of Pei Ji’s sedan chair, she only realized that she had sprained her foot when she jumped off the carriage, but she hadn’t noticed because she was too nervous about escaping.
Now, with every step she took, she felt a piercing pain, and what hurt even more was Pei Ji’s refusal to help.
[Wuwuwu, the female supporting character is so pitiful.]
[The main villain truly lives up to his name—he’s indeed not the type to help others.]
[This is bad now. The rain is about to stop, and those two coachmen coming to catch the female supporting character will have an easier time finding her.]
[I was hoping the plot would have some new breakthrough.]
Jiang Qingning was like a startled bird at this moment, dragging her injured body, afraid that someone might suddenly jump out from somewhere to grab her.
The violent storm had turned into a light drizzle, but the “drizzle” on Jiang Qingning’s face wouldn’t stop, not to mention the chill in the air that made her feel miserably cold.
With a shiver, Jiang Qingning suddenly plopped down and sat in a puddle on the ground.
At this point, Jiang Qingning could no longer hold it in. She wiped the tears on her face with both hands.
Forget it, why keep running? This was perhaps her own fate.
Who told her she was the cannon fodder female supporting character?
Jiang Qingning gave up on herself, no longer wanting to resist. Even the sudden increase in golden characters before her eyes, she no longer wanted to look at.
Until someone suddenly blocked the rain above her head, and she heard the person behind her scold in a stern voice: “You’re this old, and you’re still sitting in a puddle crying.”
Jiang Qingning turned her head in disbelief.
Pei Ji held an oil-paper umbrella, looking down at her from above and said: “Jiang Qingning. Think it over carefully. If you choose to leave with me, from now on, you’ll be my person.”