The moment he opened his mouth, he said he wanted to see Li Qingchen alone. Li Wan's head spun, and she stared at him in disbelief. "What do you mean?"
"What could I possibly mean, Wanwan? I only wish to remind you that you are already a wife of the Pei family, the mistress of the Yongkang Marquis Manor. The one in your heart and thoughts should be your husband. Or is it that Wanwan doesn't know that the Yongkang Marquis Manor is your home?" The study had only a small window, and with the doors and windows tightly shut, the light was very dim. The man happened to be standing in the shadowed spot, his brows dark and fierce, his features sharp and cold, like a demon ready to devour. And at this moment, this demon was coming for Li Wan.
Li Wan had a gentle nature and was very patient with people and matters. She grabbed the man's sleeve, trying to explain, "I…"
She wanted to say that she truly only wished to return to Qingzhou because of the academy's inauguration, not because of Li Qingchen.
Before she could finish, Pei Qing cut her off, his voice cold. "If you're upset because Pei Yan was punished to kneel in the ancestral hall, then I apologize. If you want to leave the Yongkang Marquis Manor because of Li Qingchen, then I will not agree."
"But Qingzhou is also my home." Being refuted by him time and again, Li Wan grew angry. Her small face scrunched up as she retorted loudly.
"Is Wanwan only capable of showing her temper at home? Do you have this much fire in front of Li Qingchen?" Seeing this, Pei Qing waved his hand, sweeping the official documents off the desk to the corner. He then wrapped one arm around his wife's waist, lifting her onto the desk, and leaned in to pull her into his embrace.
Pei Qing had always sent people to assist with the Li family academy in Qingzhou. The reason the academy had been able to be restored last year was because Pei Qing, leveraging his position as Prime Minister, had maneuvered behind the scenes to get the old fox of a Qingzhou prefect to relent. Now he was being told that everything he had done was merely paving the way for Li Qingchen, creating opportunities for him to be alone with his wife—was there any logic in that?
"Back in Qingzhou, my brother was also very accommodating to me." Hearing him say this, Li Wan quickly retorted, her picturesque brows carrying a hint of stubbornness.
In her youth, Li Wan had thought that if she never met a suitable match, she would rely on her brother for the rest of her life. If not for him, she would be living freely and carefree in Qingzhou right now.
Unlike now, where even returning home was a struggle. At this point, Li Wan's grievance welled up as well.
Pei Qing made no comment, only pressing his solid frame closer to Li Wan. Because of his aggressive movement, Li Wan instinctively tried to retreat, but behind her was the desk where Pei Qing usually handled official documents—where else could she go?
Li Wan's eyelashes fluttered continuously. Seeing this, Pei Qing let out a soft laugh and a sigh. "Then it must be my fault, for letting Wanwan still remember how good Li Qingchen was to you."
It seemed he wasn't good enough as a husband—otherwise, after twenty years of marriage, why would his wife still remember the kindness her sworn brother had shown her before she was wed?
He advanced step by step toward his wife, and Li Wan could only keep backing away, until her arm rested against the inkstone. The inkstone was made of white jade, cold and smooth. The moment her skin touched it, she couldn't help but shrink back slightly.
She moved her hand away, but Pei Qing reached out instead, slowly stroking her slender wrist.
…
Li Wan didn't understand how what had started as a conversation about returning to Qingzhou had ended up like this.
Her upper body lay on the desk where the man usually handled official documents. She tried to pull away from his embrace, but the desk was too high, and her calves couldn't reach the carpet at all.
"Pei Qing, let me go." Li Wan glared at Pei Qing with some irritation.
"Doesn't Wanwan think her husband treats her badly?" Pei Qing began to undress with a serious expression, untying his wife's garments as well, asking with a smile.
But that wasn't what she meant.
Li Wan had naturally bright, watery eyes, and now, with her anger, those eyes were as lively as a little fox's. Just as she let her guard down, the hairpins in her cloud-like bun came loose. Pei Qing reached out with his long arm and removed the dangling hair ornament from her head. The woman glared at him angrily. "Don't break my hairpin."
"If it breaks, I'll buy you a hundred more." Pei Qing glanced at the purple jade hairpin with the pear blossom pendant. Naturally, the things his wife used were of the finest quality, but the Yongkang Marquis Manor was hardly lacking in gold and jade ornaments. Whatever his wife wanted, Pei Qing could afford to give her.
What she should be worrying about now was whether she would be the one broken by him.
In truth, all men have their base instincts, and Pei Qing was no exception—especially when facing his wife. It was only because his wife favored men of upright character and gentle, jade-like temperament that he always appeared refined and mild-mannered before her.
But as time went on, he found that the more he indulged his wife, the more she wanted to leave him. And there was always that Li Qingchen, lingering like an unrelenting ghost.
At the thought, the corners of Pei Qing's mouth turned down slightly. He gathered his wife's slender neck in one hand and lowered his head to kiss her.
If one day he truly broke her, it would be because she had driven him mad.
Because the desk offered no leverage, his wife could only helplessly lift her chin. Perhaps fearing she might fall, she clung tightly to Pei Qing's shoulders, her posture carrying a hint of fragility.
But Pei Qing loved nothing more than seeing his wife depend on him—this was exactly how husband and wife should be.
"No." After the kiss ended, Li Wan grabbed Pei Qing's sturdy arm and shook her head firmly.
"Why not?" Pei Qing's large hand hooked a strand of his wife's dark hair, smiling.
"Back to the room." Knowing full well how forceful the man could be, Li Wan spoke softly, a trace of helplessness in her expression.
Pei Qing's tone was gentle, indulgent as he smiled: "I don't have an extra couch here. If Wanwan thinks it won't do, I can hold you."
The man's "hold" truly meant "hold." Li Wan's small face flushed crimson, like the most delicate crabapple blossom in spring. "If I agree to my husband, will he agree to let me return to Qingzhou?"
His Wanwan was truly clever—even at a moment like this, she didn't forget to negotiate terms. But how did she think he would ever agree to let her spend time alone with Li Qingchen?
Pei Qing pitied her naivety. His palm gently wiped the fine sweat from her forehead, his voice warm as he spoke: "Since Wanwan puts it that way, your husband will naturally consider it."
Li Wan clung tightly to his shoulders, her heart relaxing. The moment she let down her guard, the man's fingers threaded through hers, inseparable from her own.
Li Wan had grown up in the inner chambers and simply couldn't match the man's stamina. So in the end, Pei Qing simply lifted her up, holding her like one would soothe a child.
From time to time, he stroked her back to comfort her.
The study's lighting was dim, making it impossible to tell the hour.
After a full circuit, Li Wan buried her head tightly against his chest—she could no longer bear to look at this study.
Seeing how shy she was, Pei Qing curled a smile at the corner of his lips and said slowly, "What is Wanwan shy about? It's your husband who handles official business in this study, not you."
In truth, Pei Qing found his wife rather amusing. She was clearly a gentle, naive, and innocent girl, yet she had once saved him without hesitation, unafraid that he might be a bad man.
But he happened to be a beast in human clothing. The moment he realized his feelings for her, he had already planned how to marry her and bring her home.
Li Wan said nothing. When she stayed silent, Pei Qing pressed her to speak: "Does Wanwan not like it? I remember there were quite a few storybooks in your boudoir before—surely those storybooks had this chapter?"
Li Wan's face burned at his words, and she bit down hard on his shoulder. Pei Qing looked at her with a helpless expression, lowering his voice, "Wanwan's bite is weaker than a rabbit's. From now on, you'll need to eat more at all three meals."
Seeing his expression soften, Li Wan looked at him with anticipation. "Then has my husband agreed?"
The smile at the corner of Pei Qing's lips faded slightly, and his face tightened for a brief moment. To be honest, he would agree to any request his wife made—except when it came to leaving him, leaving the Yongkang Marquis Manor.
He wanted to cut off all her hopes at this very moment, but if he did so directly, she would surely make a fuss. His wife was completely childlike in temperament.
So occasionally, a kind lie was necessary.
Pei Qing lowered his head and kissed her lips, speaking in the tone one uses to coax a child: "Will Wanwan let her husband think it over?"
This "thinking it over" was naturally meant to sever all his wife's hopes—only, his naive and innocent wife had no idea of her husband's dark intentions.
Li Wan's face reddened, and her fair little hand grabbed his arm hard. "I'm not a child anymore."
Pei Qing let out a low chuckle and took her to bathe. It was only then that Li Wan realized his study had a place for rest.
Pei Qing wrapped his wife in a silk robe and carried her to the warm chamber. Since it was where he had rested while studying in his youth, the overall decor was exceptionally plain—the canopy bed simply held a thin quilt and two gold-thread pillows, nothing else. Moreover, the quilt and pillows were in a deep, somber ink color. In contrast, the mandarin-duck quilt in the main chamber had intricate patterns and vibrant colors, accompanied by a pear-scented bed curtain that had a calming effect. Worried his wife might not adjust, Pei Qing didn't place her on the bed, asking softly, "If it feels uncomfortable, shall I carry you back to the main chamber?"
Li Wan didn't want to be moved again. She gently shook her head at Pei Qing. He lowered his head to kiss her lips, then set her down on the canopy bed where he usually rested. His wife's skin was snow-white, while everything on the bed was ink-black—the clash of black and white was like a visual feast. Pei Qing's pupils darkened slightly. After his wife fell asleep, he gathered his outer robe and returned to the study.
The traces in the study had already been tidied up. On the windowsill sat narcissus flowers in a celadon jade vase. Pei Qing looked at the desk piled with memorials and said, "Go fetch that sable-hair brush from the storeroom for me."
"Marquis, is it the one gifted to you by Prince Xuanqing?" Yun Bai asked with a curious look.
That sable-tip brush was worth a fortune and hard to come by—a treasure Lord Pei had kept since his youth. He had always assumed it would serve as Lady Pei's dowry when she married, or as part of the young master's betrothal gifts when he took a wife. He never expected the marquis to bring it out today.
Pei Qing gave a slight nod. Thinking of his wife resting in the warm chamber, he touched the corner of his mouth with no small satisfaction—perhaps he would have use for it next time.
The next moment, however, his expression sobered. "Zhou Yi, go to the Li residence. Tell them the weather is fine today, and I invite him to come sit at the manor."