Just moments ago, he had asked her why she was kneeling, and now he was coldly ordering her to kneel again…
Su He’s mind raced, and she put on an innocent expression. “My lord, you shouldn’t take your anger out on me just because you’re upset.”
“How am I taking it out on you?” Pei Yan glared at her, his expression dark.
“I didn’t fight back earlier because I’m gentle and kind, tolerant and generous. I don’t stoop to the level of petty people, I respect my elders, and I have a broad mind!” Su He met his gaze, showering herself with praise.
Pei Yan’s fingers tightened around the teacup. He stared at her for a moment before slamming it back onto the table with a clatter.
“You don’t know what’s good for you!” he scolded.
Su He rolled her eyes inwardly: What do you know…
If she had been born a princess or a noblewoman, she would certainly have had the courage to fight back.
But what was she now? Just a Minor Concubine, someone who couldn’t even attend banquets. Who could she possibly fight? He had always been high above, never truly able to understand her feelings.
Survival had been her greatest hope for the past seventeen years.
But now she had a new hope—she wanted to live a little better, and then even better… She had no intention of causing trouble for herself at such a critical moment.
“Forget it. Go change your clothes and come with me,” Pei Yan said, seeing her stubborn expression. For the moment, he lost the desire to argue further and waved his hand, dismissing her to her room.
Zhang Jiulu glanced at Su He’s retreating figure and took the initiative to arrange for a carriage to be prepared.
A short while later, Su He returned to the courtyard, properly dressed.
A faint floral fragrance drifted over, and Pei Yan, who had been dozing on a reclining chair, opened his eyes.
Su He had changed into a vibrant misty butterfly dress, her hair styled in a high bun. She wore no jewelry, only a delicate rose tucked into her hair. She didn’t own a single piece of jewelry worthy of public display, so she had asked Qiu Yun to cut a few roses from the garden. The tender skin on her cheek had been scratched, but she had cleverly used rouge to paint half a rose over it, covering the bruise and adding a uniquely charming allure.
Truly, she was more captivating than the flowers themselves.
Moreover, Su He had eyes that were both pure and seductive, shimmering like spring light, enough to make one’s bones melt at a glance.
Pei Yan looked at her face, his tongue pressing hard against the inside of his cheek as he forcibly suppressed the urge to toss her back onto the bed right then.
“Come here,” he said, extending his hand and crooking a long finger toward her.
Su He obediently walked over.
Pei Yan’s large hand grasped her wrist, pulling her onto his lap. From his sleeve, he produced a small medicine bottle, and with a flick of his thumb, the lid popped open with a soft pop.
“From now on, if anyone hits you, hit them back. If I find out you didn’t fight back, I’ll hit you myself! Think carefully about that.” He poured the medicine into his palm, rubbed it until it melted, then scooped a small amount with his fingertip and gently applied it to her wound.
A cool sensation seeped into her bones.
The burning pain on her cheek immediately eased.
Su He snapped out of her thoughts, tilted her small face upward, and sincerely thanked him. “Thank you, my lord. But I’m very weak and can’t possibly fight back against others. So whether I retaliate or not depends on the situation. For someone like me, a commoner, survival is the most important thing. Enduring a moment of anger can lead to a long and peaceful life.”
Pei Yan: …
“A long and peaceful life? Are you a tortoise? Enough, let’s go.” His expression darkened as he tossed the medicine bottle onto the table, stood up, and pulled Su He toward the door.
…
The carriage soon left the Princess’s Mansion through the back gate. As night deepened, the entire imperial city was enveloped in darkness. Lanterns along the streets and alleys were lit, forming a sea of light in the night.
Su He had never ridden in a carriage before!
Curiously, she touched everything inside the carriage, occasionally lifting the small curtain of the window to peer outside.
“My lord, what does it feel like when the carriage moves?” she asked eagerly.
“The feeling of me jostling you while you sit on my waist,” Pei Yan replied bluntly.
Su He’s face flushed slightly as she whispered, “Impossible.”
“Come and try it,” Pei Yan patted his leg.
Su He hesitated for a moment but actually straddled his legs.
Pei Yan had only intended to tease her, never expecting her curiosity to be so strong that she would actually come and try it.
Just then, a child ran in front of the carriage. The Guard driving quickly tightened the reins, causing the carriage to lurch backward violently. Su He tumbled into his arms, pressed against him without the slightest gap.
“Hmm~” he grunted softly, gripping her slender waist and holding her firmly in place.
“My lord, a child ran past just now,” the Guard whispered apologetically.
“Understood,” Pei Yan pushed Su He off his lap, lifted the curtain with his long fingers to glance outside, then bent down and stepped out of the carriage, saying quietly, “Wait here for a moment. I’ll be right back.”
“Yes, my lord,” the Guard replied.
Su He also peeked outside curiously but remained seated.
“Come out,” Pei Yan knocked twice on the carriage from outside.
Only then did Su He react, quickly following Pei Yan out of the carriage.
At this moment, twilight spread like a tide before their eyes. Lanterns were lit in the shops along the street, with taverns and entertainment houses bustling the most. Some cosmetics shops were also open, but their business was clearly not as good as those offering food, drink, and entertainment.
Su He followed behind Pei Yan. Dressed in a charming manner, she drew the attention of everyone on the road, especially the men, whose eyes seemed glued to her face. She regretted not dressing more plainly, feeling as though she had given these lecherous men a free show.
But before long, Su He noticed that the unwelcome gazes had disappeared. Looking up, she saw that Pei Yan, who had been walking ahead, had slowed his pace and was now almost walking side by side with her. Dressed in black with two short knives at his waist and a horsewhip in his large hand, his imposing aura radiated around him, making those men too afraid to glance in her direction again.
“This way,” Pei Yan suddenly stopped, took her wrist, and turned toward a shop by the roadside.
Shopping!
Su He had shopped before too. When sneaking out to sell things, she had once gone inside to look. But the feeling of seeing beautiful things she couldn’t have and enduring the shopkeeper’s disdain was too unpleasant, so she stopped going after one or two visits. The most extravagant moment of her life was on her coming-of-age day, when she bought herself a silk flower from a street vendor.
“Young master, madam,” the shopkeeper spotted them immediately, his face lighting up with a smile as he bowed respectfully with a half-bend.
“Bring a few sets of plain yet elegant clothes,” Pei Yan walked past the shopkeeper without a glance and sat down on a nearby armchair.
The shopkeeper turned to look at Su He and immediately began recommending the most expensive dresses in the store. The fabric of Su He’s current outfit was of exceptional quality, and the embroidery was a rare masterpiece. Even the priciest garment in the shop couldn’t compare to a single sleeve of Su He’s attire.
Su He looked at this one—she liked it. She looked at that one—she liked it too! She truly had never seen such fine things before, her tastes were unsophisticated. Gently stroking the fabric, she couldn’t help but think of her mother. Her mother used to have a few dresses in similar colors, but later they were sold off to exchange for silver to buy medicine for Su He. Eventually, all of her mother’s valuable possessions were sold…
If only her mother were still alive, she would definitely buy beautiful clothes for her to bring home. And Granny Liu—Granny Liu’s clothes were worn through with several large holes, patched over and over again.
“No need for anything too expensive, just something convenient for going out,” Pei Yan reminded her, noticing her lingering touch on the clothes.