Pei Yan had followed General Mei onto the battlefield since his youth.
A man who had fought his way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood naturally carried an imposing presence.
Combined with his indifferent temperament, even a single glance from him when expressionless was enough to make people’s scalps tingle.
Mei Wanying was no match for him.
It was obvious that Pei Yan had come seeking answers.
If she met his gaze for too long, she might reveal something.
Looking away, Mei Wanying said calmly,
“What could I possibly have done to you? Pei Yan, stop looking for trouble.”
Looking for trouble?
Pei Yan paused briefly, his eyes darkening.
That strange feeling rose again.
The Mei Wanying of today was abnormal.
And there was still the scene in the study…
Pei Yan did not want to think deeply about it.
Yet he could not stop himself.
This was Mei Wanying.
General Mei had shown him immense kindness.
If something inappropriate had truly happened, he would take responsibility for her.
A surge of irritation welled up inside him.
He hated being forced into anything.
And yet, the person involved was Mei Wanying.
His tone grew colder.
“Mei Wanying, stop playing tricks and tell me the truth.”
One moment she would pretend to twist her ankle and fall into his arms.
The next, she would fake an illness.
Sometimes she would linger in his study, pretending to read while her eyes remained glued to him.
Though born a noble lady, she behaved boldly and flamboyantly, lacking even the slightest trace of a refined young woman.
Only in the past two years had she become somewhat more restrained.
When she was younger, she had been thoroughly spoiled.
Mei Wanying did not want to discuss that night.
But she understood Pei Yan’s personality.
Without a reasonable explanation, he would never let the matter rest.
She would not flatter herself into believing he cared about her.
What he wanted was simply peace of mind.
Rubbing the earring in her hand, she parted her red lips.
“You were drunk. I brought you hangover soup. Seeing that you were completely unconscious, I helped you onto the bed. I probably dropped it then.”
Pei Yan’s expression became strange.
“My clothes… you took them off?”
The wording was far too suggestive.
Even though his tone remained calm, the atmosphere instantly became awkward.
This matter would be easy to investigate.
Mei Wanying could not lie completely.
Only a mixture of truth and falsehood could dispel his suspicions.
She hummed in acknowledgment.
Nothing more.
Pei Yan stared intently at her profile.
Beautiful.
Obedient.
Like her.
Yet unlike her.
“My body…”
Before he could finish, Mei Wanying interrupted.
“My eyesight is poor. I may have accidentally scratched you.”
“And the books?”
Her eyelashes trembled slightly.
No.
He had knocked them down himself.
After she coaxed him into drinking the hangover soup, Pei Yan had stared blankly at her before brushing her cheek with his thumb.
Overjoyed, she had become recklessly bold and kissed him on the lips.
She had told him it was her mark.
After that, everything spiraled out of control.
He had lifted her into his arms and placed her upon the desk…
Blinking quickly, Mei Wanying chased those intimate memories from her mind.
“You threw them yourself,” she said calmly.
“You even smashed the bowl of hangover soup.”
Pei Yan’s gaze openly scrutinized her.
As though weighing how much of her story was true and how much was false.
The look made her uneasy.
Didn’t he claim to see her as a younger sister?
What kind of elder brother interrogated his sister like a criminal?
Irritated, she snapped,
“Believe it or don’t!”
To Pei Yan, however, that looked exactly like guilt.
He stepped closer.
“What happens when someone schemes against me is something you should understand, Mei Wanying.”
Of course she understood.
He had already proven it once in her previous life.
A faint, mocking smile appeared on her lips.
“I have no intention of pestering you, nor have I schemed against you. I was immature before, but I won’t harbor those thoughts anymore. Brother. Your Highness. You can rest easy.”
As though hearing a joke, a cold curve appeared on the man’s lips.
“I don’t believe a single word you say.”
In the past, she often threw tantrums for no reason, declaring that she would like someone else instead.
She had even claimed she would marry another man and make him regret it.
Yet before a single day passed, she would appear before him again, dressed beautifully and smiling brightly.
She would bring him food she had personally made.
Then she would deliberately show him a tiny wound and insist that he blow on it.
Pei Yan remembered every one of those incidents clearly.
She was a spoiled young lady who never understood subtle hints.
When it came to persistence, no one could match her.
As far as Pei Yan was concerned, Mei Wanying possessed absolutely no credibility.
“Are you really hiding nothing else from me?”
Meeting his deep gaze, Mei Wanying replied,
“If you don’t trust me, then why should I say more?”
Pei Yan stared back.
Silent.
No one knew what he was thinking.
This time, Mei Wanying did not avoid his gaze.
She calmly accepted his scrutiny.
After a long while, he finally spoke.
“You only have one chance. If you choose to hide something, then from this day forward, no matter what you say about tonight, I will never believe you.”
“Even if you threaten death, I won’t care.”
“Mei Wanying, you will bear all the consequences yourself.”
His cold presence pressed down on her like an invisible weight.
Her breathing faltered.
Her chest rose and fell several times.
She wore a pale jade-colored robe.
Her silky black hair flowed freely down her back.
Without makeup or jewelry, she resembled a lotus freshly risen from the water.
Under the candlelight, her graceful figure was faintly visible.
Long, slender legs.
A willow-thin waist that seemed small enough to grasp with one hand.
Pei Yan abruptly looked away.
He even stepped back half a pace.
A moment later, he resumed his usual untouchable demeanor.
His thin lips were pressed together.
His eyes were indifferent.
His dark robe was immaculate, carrying an air of cold detachment.
Neither yielded during the silent standoff.
For the first time in his life, Pei Yan felt confused.
What answer was he even seeking?
He did not love Mei Wanying anyway.
Since she insisted nothing had happened, why was he so fixated on it?
She was spoiled and troublesome.
Bold and noisy.
Constantly chattering around him.
Unable to read expressions or understand rejection.
She loved him with unwavering stubbornness, no matter how often he pushed her away.
Perhaps the wine had been too strong.
Pei Yan remembered absolutely nothing that had happened in the study.
Alcohol truly caused trouble.
Mei Wanying had always harbored improper feelings toward him.
From now on, he could not allow her any opportunities.
This time she had merely removed his clothes.
Next time…
Who knew what she might do?
At that moment, Dingxiang entered carrying a bowl of medicine, interrupting the tense silence.
“Miss, it’s time to take your medicine.”
The dark liquid emitted a bitter smell.
Mei Wanying accepted the bowl and drank it without hesitation.
Her expression never changed.
She did not even frown.
Pei Yan glanced at her from the side and found her behavior even stranger.
Given her personality, she should have been acting weak right now.
She should have been looking at him pitifully, demanding a few comforting words before obediently taking the medicine.
That was how willful she usually was.
Though she had become more restrained over the years, her nature had never truly changed.
After handing the empty bowl back to Dingxiang, Mei Wanying looked at him.
“Your Highness still isn’t leaving?”
The title irritated Pei Yan.
For some reason, it felt as though she were mocking him.
Then he remembered that she had just taken medicine and was enduring abdominal pain.
Suddenly, he no longer wanted to argue.
The pressure surrounding him eased slightly.
“I won’t forget General Mei’s kindness. I’ll deal with the Crown Prince myself. I won’t allow you to enter the Eastern Palace.”
She was beautiful but naive.
If she entered the Crown Prince’s residence, she likely would not survive until the New Year.
Pei Yan sighed softly.
Perhaps it was pointless to argue with her.
No matter what trouble Mei Wanying caused, he would still have to clean it up for General Mei’s sake.
“I regard you as a younger sister…”
Mei Wanying nodded.
“Brother, can you leave now?”
Pei Yan’s jaw tightened.
His eyes darkened as though suppressing something.
In the end, he cast one final, heavy glance at her before turning and walking away.
As his cold presence disappeared, Mei Wanying finally let out a long breath.
Then she laughed softly at herself.
This was exactly the outcome Pei Yan wanted.
As he had said, he would only investigate this matter once.
Without her standing in the way, he could finally marry the woman he loved.
He should be happy about that.