Xu Qiaoqiao and Xiao Jiu exchanged a glance, seeming to understand yet not fully grasping the situation.
They hurriedly gathered around the charcoal brazier, craning their necks to inspect Cui Xiaoqi for any injuries.
"It was the wild boar that got hurt, not me. Keep an eye on the house," she said, then turned to Xu Qiaoqiao beside her. "Mother, I’m heading to Drunken Immortal Pavilion tonight to sell the boar. You all should rest early."
With that, she cast a meaningful glance at Xiao Ba.
She stood up, reached for the last piece of cured meat hanging from the beam, left the house, and made her way through the darkness to the end of the village.
When she returned, she was driving an ox cart.
Xiao Ba carried a bundle of corn stalks and skillfully spread them over the cart. Having done this many times, her movements were noticeably quicker.
She then helped Cui Xiaoqi lift the wild boar onto the cart.
Watching Cui Xiaoqi drive the cart into the snowy night, Xiao Ba turned back to the courtyard, closed the gate, and propped a wooden stick against the fence door.
Xiao Ba stood by the window next to Pei Ji’s bed, her silhouette blurring into a dark shadow in the night, cast onto the window paper.
In the darkness, Pei Ji’s gaze was sharp as a hawk’s, fixed on the shadowy form on the window.
After a long while, Xiao Ba finally moved, tiptoeing back to her own room. Just then, she heard the faint sound of wheels rolling closer from a distance.
She immediately slipped out of bed, puzzled: Could it be Seventh Sister returning?
Sure enough, Cui Xiaoqi jumped down from the ox cart and glanced toward Wang Shougen’s house in the west of the village. It was pitch dark, suggesting the Wang family had settled down for the night.
"Creak—" The courtyard gate slowly opened, and Xiao Ba peeked halfway out, whispering, "Seventh Sister."
It turned out that shortly after Cui Xiaoqi had driven away from the village entrance, she realized she had borrowed the ox cart with great difficulty using a piece of cured meat. Why not take the man along?
Tomorrow, she couldn’t expect a lame man to walk into the city—it would only waste time.
That’s why she had turned back.
"Yes, I’m taking your brother-in-law with me. We must get his household registration documents as soon as possible to avoid any complications," Cui Xiaoqi said, the term "brother-in-law" rolling off her tongue naturally and smoothly. As soon as the words left her mouth, she slipped into the courtyard, bringing a chill with her, and headed straight for the house.
Xiao Ba: …
Calling Pei Ji—the ruthless and sinister "Living King of Hell," the Dongchang supervisor—"brother-in-law" made her deeply uncomfortable.
She secretly resolved that once the three-day crisis with Seventh Sister was resolved, she would leave Clearwater Village.
If this man recognized her, she would be trapped like a caged bird for the rest of her life…
Cui Xiaoqi entered the house and first walked to the table, lighting the oil lamp with a soft "puff."
When she looked toward the bed, she saw Pei Ji, who should have been lying down, sitting upright at the edge, his back as straight as a pine tree.
What was he doing sitting up instead of sleeping? Cui Xiaoqi was slightly taken aback, wondering how to broach the subject tactfully.
Pei Ji’s gaze fell on her troubled face under the oil lamp—her features scrunched together, filled with hesitation.
His heart stirred slightly; she didn’t seem to be pretending.
He had heard every word of their conversation outside the courtyard, which was why he had sat up—he needed to go into the city.
A faint, wicked smile curled at the corner of Pei Ji’s lips. He stood up and strode toward the courtyard.
Cui Xiaoqi’s eyes widened in disbelief, and she blinked twice.
His leg—could he walk already?
Had he secretly taken an Immortal Pill while she was away?
Pei Ji had already reached her side, pausing briefly. His voice was as cold as ever as he asked, "Not going?"
Cui Xiaoqi nodded instinctively. "Going."
Before she could fully process what was happening, Pei Ji had already left the room.
With a mind full of doubts, she hurried to the bedside, picked up the quilt, blew out the oil lamp, and quickly followed him outside.
The night was as dark as ink, yet the glistening white snow illuminated the surroundings brightly, even more so than moonlight.
Although Pei Ji could walk, his joints were injured, causing him to limp slightly.
He looked at the cart with displeasure.
"Having an ox cart to ride is already good enough. I traded it for the only piece of meat in the house, so don’t complain!"
Cui Xiaoqi didn’t want to beat around the bush and made her point clear. Besides, there was no other choice anyway.
After speaking, she stood on tiptoe and draped the quilt over him. "This way, you won’t feel cold."
Pei Ji turned around and saw that she herself was dressed thinly, shivering slightly from the cold.
He lowered his eyelids, remained silent for a moment, then sat on the edge of the cart, tacitly accepting it.
Cui Xiaoqi grinned. That was more like it.
If she had really brought home a demanding master to serve, she wouldn’t have been able to stand it and would have surely turned hostile.
"Let’s go." Cui Xiaoqi plopped down onto the cart and flicked the ox whip against the ox’s rump.
The old yellow ox shook its head and turned around.
Xiao Ba kept his head lowered the entire time.
Pei Ji’s gaze swept lightly over Xiao Ba, his brow lifting slightly as a flicker of interest flashed in his eyes—things were getting more and more interesting.
The ox cart moved against the wind, the howling cold breeze tousling Cui Xiaoqi’s high ponytail, her hair quickly filling with snowflakes.
Even though she huddled, wrapped her arms tightly around herself, and hid behind the ox’s rump, the biting chill still seeped deep into her bones.
Suddenly, the cart wheel rolled over a protruding stone, causing the cart to jolt violently.
Cui Xiaoqi tilted sideways, falling toward Pei Ji’s embrace.
Pei Ji’s index finger was already pressed against her back, just barely preventing her from falling into his arms.
Was he that disgusted by her? Cui Xiaoqi turned around, glaring angrily at the man’s calm face, and reached out to tug at his quilt. "Move over here, we’ll share the quilt."
Pei Ji grasped her wrist, his fingertip subtly resting on her pulse. Not a trace of Internal Energy—just a farm girl?
Cui Xiaoqi tilted her head and, taking advantage of his distraction, pulled half of the quilt over to cover her own shoulders.
Wrapped in the quilt carrying his body warmth, it felt cozy.
Just a moment ago, he seemed utterly disgusted, so why was he holding her hand now without letting go?
Did he think he could take advantage just because he was good-looking?
Cui Xiaoqi pursed her lips and struggled forcefully to break free from Pei Ji’s grip.
Pei Ji said nothing, moving to Cui Xiaoqi’s side, his entire body exuding an icy, distant aura. Covered in night snow, he seemed even more chillingly cold.
Cui Xiaoqi lowered her head and sniffed the quilt. There was no scent of blood, but an indescribable, pleasant fragrance.
She didn’t notice that this somewhat "creepy" little action was fully observed by Pei Ji, who shifted his body slightly farther away.
For the rest of the journey, the two remained silent.
Qingshui Village wasn’t too far from the capital, and the ox cart arrived in two hours.
The Great Yu Kingdom had no curfew, but to enter the city gate, one needed to present a travel permit for inspection.
With a "travel permit" in hand, one could travel freely throughout the Great Yu Kingdom.
But at this moment, Pei Ji didn’t have one.
Amid the wind and snow, the torches at the city gate had long been extinguished.
Cui Xiaoqi looked at Pei Ji and came up with an idea, her gaze shifting between Pei Ji and the wild boar on the cart—her meaning couldn’t be clearer.
"While it’s still dark, hide under the wild boar. The guards won’t inspect that carefully. Sorry to trouble you, please, please…"
Pei Ji pressed his thin lips together, unmoved.
Cui Xiaoqi: …
"If we don't enter the city, you won't get your household registration, and I'll be randomly matched by the Official Matchmaker." Cui Xiaoqi's voice was thick with tears as she let out two symbolic sobs.
Pei Ji cast a cold glance at the feigning Cui Xiaoqi and tossed out a sentence in the chilly wind, "I'll go into the city myself. Meet at Drunken Immortal Pavilion."
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