That cold sneer made everyone in the inner chamber look up—Old Madam was bewildered, Zisu was confused, the other servants were wondering if the Marquis was angry. Only Li Wan never raised her head from start to finish.
She wouldn't look up, but the man's gaze was fixed on her, as if he wished he could bore a hole straight through her. His wife was clever, knowing she'd done something wrong and so afraid to meet his eyes. How dare she agree to such a thing?
"Eldest, what's the matter with you?" Old Madam asked, her cloudy eyes full of confusion.
Pei Qing's heart was cold, his face was cold, and even his eyes were cold. He naturally wanted to demand an explanation from his wife, but she was his lawful wife, the mistress of Yongkang Marquis Manor. If he truly started a quarrel with her here in the main hall, what would the household think of her? So he couldn't do that.
Pei Qing lightly smoothed his sleeve and rose from the armchair. "Mother, I recall there are still official matters to attend to in the study. I'll take my leave now."
Before leaving, Pei Qing gave his wife a long, deep look—a look that made Li Wan feel as if needles were pricking her back. The fingers holding her teacup trembled slightly. What she'd said earlier had partly been out of pique—who told him to be so domineering all the time? She wasn't made of mud; she had her own temper.
But that look he'd just given her made it seem as if everything was her fault.
After Pei Qing left, Li Wan was clearly distracted. Seeing her like this, Old Madam's mood improved considerably. What kind of daughter-in-law was Li Wan? Not a trace of the gentleness and virtue expected of a proper wife.
Old Madam: "I'm tired today as well. If Wanwan has nothing else to do, you may take your leave. Zisu, stay—your aunt has a few more words for you."
Li Wan knew Old Madam didn't like her, so she naturally wouldn't force herself to stay. She nodded slightly and returned to the main courtyard with Tao'er.
In the main room, the wet nurse was watering the narcissus on the windowsill. Seeing Li Wan return with a poor expression, she shot Tao'er a look, and Tao'er immediately followed the wet nurse outside. The wet nurse quietly asked what had happened, and Tao'er told her about Old Madam's ulterior motives—and that their mistress had actually acquiesced.
"And how did the Marquis react?" The wet nurse instinctively glanced toward the main room's window. Given their mistress's temperament, she shouldn't have agreed. This reaction of hers seemed more like she was sulking with the Marquis.
"The Marquis seemed very angry and left immediately, flicking his sleeves." Tao'er said quietly.
According to Tao'er, their mistress was rather ungrateful. The Marquis had already been so good to her, yet she still wasn't satisfied.
The wet nurse sent her off to brew a pot of tea, then entered the main room herself. Their mistress was propping her chin on her hand, staring blankly at the night pearl on the desk.
"Madam, don't you dislike the young miss from the maternal side? Why did you agree to Old Madam's suggestion?" the wet nurse asked, looking at her with pity.
"Wet nurse, tell me—was it wrong of me to want to return to Qingzhou?" Li Wan looked up at her, asking softly in return.
"So Madam is sulking with the Marquis over this matter?"
The man was truly too domineering. Li Wan sometimes wondered whether the refined, gentle person was the real him, or whether it was the one who loved to torment her half to death.
Seeing her mistress gently press her lips together and lower her head to twist her handkerchief, the wet nurse knew she was conflicted inside. She comforted her: "Madam, the Marquis does hold a noble title and serves as Prime Minister. It's only natural his temperament is somewhat forceful. Why not let it go and not argue with him?"
There was no denying that the Marquis treated his wife extremely well.
But Li Wan didn't want to hear any good words about the man right now. She covered her ears with her hands and said in a soft voice, "Wet nurse, please just let me be alone for a while."
Two little figures were pulling at each other inside Li Wan's heart. One told her that although the man's temperament was forceful, he treated her very well, so she might as well let it go. The other told her she hadn't done anything wrong at all—the man was the one who'd gone too far, and if she kept giving in to him, he might become even more excessive in the future.
Seeing this, the wet nurse said nothing more. She placed the pastries Tao'er had brought and the freshly brewed milk tea beside her mistress's hand, then quietly withdrew.
Husband and wife always quarrel at night and make up by morning—the wet nurse didn't take the matter too seriously. But what she didn't know was that these two spouses were about to face a massive confrontation.
Meanwhile, after Li Wan left, Old Madam called Zisu to her side, saying that the kitchen had made osmanthus cakes and snow fungus soup that morning. Since Pei Qing had gone to the study to work, Zisu could deliver them to him there.
"But what if Cousin refuses to see me?" Zisu was delighted to hear this, but thinking of her cousin's cold, stern face, she felt a twinge of fear.
"No matter. I'll have Mama Li accompany you." Old Madam smiled and patted Zisu's fair, delicate hand.
Zisu's timing with Old Madam Li was quite fortuitous—Yun Bai had just gone out on business. When the guards outside heard that the young lady had come on Old Madam's orders to deliver soup to the Marquis, they immediately went in to announce her.
Pei Qing was resting with his eyes closed. At the news, he opened his sharp eyes, and his servants immediately understood his intent. They were about to send her away when Pei Qing said to let her in.
When Zisu heard that her cousin was willing to see her, she was overjoyed. She straightened the hairpins in her coiffure and walked in with graceful, elegant steps. Before her cry of "Cousin" could even leave her lips, the man seated above had already spoken: "Do you want to die?"
Pei Qing's tone was calm, his voice devoid of any warmth—like a pool of stagnant water.
Zisu was so frightened she collapsed to the ground.
She couldn't understand why her cousin, who always appeared refined and gentle before others, would want her dead.
"C-Cousin…"
Pei Qing was idly toying with a sharp dagger in his hand, his tone indifferent. "Do you know how many people's blood this dagger has tasted?"
Zisu's teeth were chattering. She could feel that the man above truly wanted to kill her.
With her life hanging in the balance, Zisu had no room for any other thoughts. She knocked her head against the floor. "Cousin, I was wrong. I was truly wrong. Please spare me."
Pei Qing said, "Go right now and tell the Madam and Old Madam that you already have someone you admire. The Yongkang Marquis Estate will provide you with a dowry."
His wife was kind-hearted, but Pei Qing naturally would not be soft-handed. As a qualified husband, he would handle all troubles for his wife.
Of course, the consequences his wife ought to bear were still hers to bear.
As soon as Zisu left the study, she hurried straight to the main hall. "Madam, the young lady says she has something she wishes to see you about."
Li Wan rubbed her forehead. "Let her in."
The next moment, Zisu came running in from outside. The instant she entered, she knelt before Li Wan. "Sister-in-law, I know I was wrong. I won't pester Cousin anymore. Please ask Cousin to let me go."
"What happened?" Li Wan's eyes held a hint of confusion. She truly didn't understand what this was all about. That morning, the girl had been perfectly fine at Old Madam's place—why was she suddenly speaking nonsense now?
Zisu naturally didn't dare tell her what had happened in the study just now. She only kept murmuring that she already had someone in her heart and would never pester Cousin again. Li Wan furrowed her brows slightly. "Summon a physician for the young lady."
She guessed that Zisu's reaction must have something to do with a man.
So after Zisu left, Li Wan quietly said to her wet nurse, "Go tell my brother that I thank him for finding someone for me before, but I no longer need that person. Also, take a hundred taels of silver from my private treasury and give it to them."
Li Wan's parents had left her a generous dowry before their deaths. Her elder brother, Li Qingchen, had also acquired many fine things for her after entering officialdom—not to mention that all of Pei Qing's imperial rewards went straight into Li Wan's private treasury. So Li Wan never lacked for money.
The wet nurse nodded with some relief. "Yes, Madam."
Li Wan rubbed her somewhat throbbing head and was about to lie down on the bed when the tall, slender man entered. He strode swiftly toward his wife.
Seeing that his mood seemed off, the wet nurse quickly asked, "May I ask what tea the Marquis would like? This old servant will have it prepared."
Pei Qing waved his hand directly, his voice unusually cold and sharp. "All of you, leave. I have something to say to the Madam alone."
The wet nurse opened her mouth, looking worried. Li Wan nodded to her, and only then did the wet nurse withdraw.
"Does the Madam have nothing she wishes to say?" The main hall fell into silence—so silent that even breathing became clearly audible. The man asked unhurriedly.
Li Wan said, "Zisu's condition seems off. Did you do this?"
Pei Qing let out a light laugh, his brows handsome and refined. "Yes. Because I was worried you might be wronged, so I took care of the trouble for Wanwan. So doesn't Wanwan have anything to say?"
Li Wan furrowed her brows slightly, her voice small. "Thank you."
Zisu was Old Madam's person. Li Wan hadn't actually intended to let Zisu have any real connection with him anyway.
Pei Qing raised an eyebrow. "That's all? Wanwan wasn't even thinking of arranging a concubine for me."
"That's because you went too far." Seeing him pressing her so relentlessly, Li Wan couldn't help speaking her true feelings.
"Is it me who went too far, or is Wanwan who has no conscience? Everything I did was to protect Wanwan. And what did Wanwan do? So eagerly pushing her own husband away. Wanwan, you be the judge—between the two of us, whose fault is it really?" Pei Qing's smile was faintly cold as he asked in return.
"I didn't." Li Wan couldn't bear to face him after what he said and turned her head away.
Clearly, his actions had been just as excessive, yet he made it sound as though everything was entirely her fault.
"Look at you—before I've even said two words, your eyes are already red. But Wanwan, I haven't even cried yet. What are you crying for?" Staring at the slightly reddened corners of her eyes, Pei Qing suddenly smiled. He reached out his large hand, pulled his wife into his embrace, and his right hand stroked her flat belly. "Let's have another child."
Today, he no longer wished to be so indulgent with her.