“I’m eager?” Pei Yan repeated.
To Mei Wanying, he was clearly pretending not to understand.
“Can you stop meddling in things that don’t concern you?”
Her tone was terrible. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, making it obvious how angry she was.
“You’re really annoying!”
Pei Yan frowned.
“Where are your manners?”
Although she had always been delicate and prone to little tantrums, she had still been raised according to the standards expected of a noble young lady.
Wasn’t she being a little too fierce right now?
He had only asked a casual question.
If she hadn’t looked at the list, he wouldn’t have scolded her.
Nor would he have forced her to marry anyone.
So why was she so angry?
Perhaps because he was used to seeing Mei Wanying smiling sweetly at him. Her suddenly turning hostile and yelling at him felt strange.
It made him uncomfortable.
Uncomfortable from head to toe.
Grinding his teeth, he thought that since he already felt so miserable, why should he continue yielding to her?
In a sarcastic tone, he said,
“I was only taking you home so certain people wouldn’t run off and complain again.”
The words came so suddenly that Mei Wanying stumbled.
Caught off guard, she crashed into the man’s broad back.
Pei Yan wasn’t as bulky as most military generals.
When dressed in fine robes, he looked noble and aloof, with a restrained elegance about him.
But beneath those thin layers of fabric was a body forged through years on the battlefield.
Hard as steel.
The moment Mei Wanying collided with him, pain shot through her nose.
An itchy sensation spread through her nostrils, followed by something warm flowing out.
She didn’t even have time to take out a handkerchief. Her free hand immediately covered her nose.
Already upset because Pei Yan kept provoking her, and now this happened.
She felt wronged.
And hurt.
Large tears began rolling down her cheeks.
What exactly did Pei Yan want?
Why was he always making things difficult for her?
The impact left Pei Yan’s body tingling.
Every muscle tightened.
His heart pounded wildly.
An overwhelming excitement surged through him.
He hated losing control like this.
Turning around, he was about to scold Mei Wanying for not watching where she was going and behaving like a child.
Instead, he saw blood seeping through her pale fingers.
The bright red color was startling.
Pei Yan froze.
He couldn’t understand how a simple bump had made her bleed.
After the shock came helplessness.
And guilt.
If he had known she was this fragile, he would have let her walk in front of him.
If he had been watching her, she wouldn’t have bumped into anything.
Mei Wanying suffered from poor eyesight and couldn’t see well at night. She was prone to tripping and falling.
Although he felt no romantic affection toward her, after all these years he had developed a habit.
Protecting her whenever possible.
Making sure she didn’t get hurt.
Just now, however, her attitude had irritated him enough to make him lose his composure and act so roughly.
Regret filled him.
His lips moved slightly, but he couldn’t force out an apology.
Mei Wanying’s tears fell like broken strings of pearls.
Without saying a single word, she drove his guilt to its peak.
In a stiff voice, he said,
“Stop crying.”
Taking out a handkerchief, he tried to help her cover her nose.
But she immediately retreated, refusing his help.
Pei Yan pressed his lips together and ignored her resistance.
The scent of cedar drifted toward her.
A handkerchief covered her bleeding nose.
Supporting the back of her head, Pei Yan held the cloth carefully, terrified of hurting her again.
Nervous beyond measure, yet still speaking harshly, he muttered,
“Mei Wanying, you’re unbelievably stupid.”
She had only been walking, yet somehow managed to injure herself and start bleeding.
He truly didn’t know how she had survived this long.
“Get lost!”
Mei Wanying’s eyes widened.
There were tears in them.
And disgust.
Pei Yan’s hand froze.
The look in her eyes made his chest ache.
The feeling spread through him like countless needles.
Not exactly painful.
Yet impossible to ignore.
Lost in thought for a moment, his grip loosened.
Mei Wanying immediately took the opportunity to push him away.
Pulling out her own handkerchief, she covered her nose again.
Then she turned and left.
“Where are you going?” Pei Yan asked from behind.
Mei Wanying remained silent.
She just kept walking.
Anywhere was fine.
As long as it was away from Pei Yan.
She wouldn’t even spare him another “get lost.”
Holding the bloodstained handkerchief tightly, Pei Yan stared at her retreating figure.
Seeing no sign that she intended to stop, he ground his teeth.
Just like before.
Whenever they disagreed, Mei Wanying would simply run away.
His body reacted before his mind could catch up.
Striding forward, he grabbed her arm.
Before she could continue walking, his other arm slipped beneath her knees.
In one smooth motion, he lifted her into his arms the way one would carry a child.
The movement was swift and decisive.
Mei Wanying was startled.
Afraid of falling and hurting herself again, she instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
A childhood memory surfaced.
Back then, she had been small and had only seen Pei Yan as a big brother.
There had been many occasions when he had carried her like this and placed her into a carriage.
A sharp ache spread through her chest.
The angry words she wanted to say never left her lips.
Pei Yan tilted his head and took in every detail of her face.
Her soft arms circled his neck.
Her faint fragrance surrounded him.
Through several thin layers of fabric, her hand rested on his shoulder.
And sitting on his arm was a soft, warm weight.
Suddenly, details from his dream became startlingly vivid.
Heat surged through his body.
His face grew hot.
As though some wild beast inside him was trying to break free.
So this is what it feels like…
The thought startled him back to reality.
Afraid she would notice something strange, he quickly carried her to the carriage.
After setting her inside, he climbed in as well.
The driver cracked his whip, and the carriage bearing the insignia of the Prince Chen Manor headed toward the Mei residence.
The palace attendants standing nearby were dumbfounded.
They exchanged looks.
“Your Highness… what exactly was that?”
“Doesn’t that count as physical intimacy? No brother carries a grown-up younger sister like that.”
“You dare gossip about noble people? Are you tired of living?”
“…”
Inside the carriage, Pei Yan dampened a handkerchief with tea and tried to wipe the blood from Mei Wanying’s face.
Having regained her senses, she turned her head away.
“Stop acting like a child,” he said, his face darkening once more.
“You’re not a little girl anymore.”
Mei Wanying felt exhausted.
She didn’t even have the energy to argue.
She no longer wanted to guess what was going on in Pei Yan’s mind.
Soon she would leave the capital.
Whatever he was thinking had nothing to do with her.
Taking the damp handkerchief from him, she said distantly,
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
She had once again returned to that cold, detached demeanor.
And once again, Pei Yan felt uncomfortable.
He would rather have her yell at him.
At least then she felt alive.
Unlike now, when she looked at him the same way she would look at a stranger.
Sitting across from her, he watched as she carefully wiped away the blood.
His gaze deepened.
Pei Yan said nothing.
And Mei Wanying had even less desire to start a conversation.
She was no longer the girl she once was.
She would not foolishly believe that talking to him more would somehow bring them closer together.
Silence filled the carriage.
An oppressive silence.
So quiet that Pei Yan became increasingly restless.
It was a feeling he had never experienced before.
After a long while, he picked up a clean handkerchief.
Pinching Mei Wanying’s chin, he stopped her from turning away.
His deep gaze settled on her rosy lips.
Up close, he could even see the tiny pearl-like fullness at the center of her lower lip.
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“Don’t move,” he said hoarsely.
“You missed a spot.”