Who do you want squeezed between the two of us?
Acting on a sudden impulse.
Pei Ji immediately had Yuan Rong move his clothing and other belongings into the Qing Courtyard, including his everyday accessories. He ended up moving several large chests over, making quite a bustling commotion.
He Zhile, being physically incapacitated, could only lie face down on the bed and watch Pei Ji direct the servants as they moved back and forth. The Qing Courtyard was an annex, already small to begin with, and living in it alone was already a bit cramped; with Pei Ji added to the mix, the courtyard instantly felt even tighter.
He didn’t really want Pei Ji to live here, always feeling as though some conspiracy was brewing, as if Pei Ji might push him out and cast him aside at any moment.
“What are you thinking about?” Pei Ji sat down by his bed.
Candles had long since been lit inside the room, and the dim, warm candlelight cast upon their faces made them look as though they were veiled in a wisp of gentle light, appearing exceptionally tender.
He Zhile belatedly realized that spring had already arrived.
“Ah.” He gently gestured with sign language, his gaze falling upon the chests inside the room. With so many things, sleeping here was going to be cramped.
Pei Ji narrowed his eyes and smiled. “You think us living together in harmony is great too, right? Look at you, you’re so happy you can’t even speak!”
He Zhile stared back in silence.
I’m mute, of course I can’t speak!
The more Pei Ji looked at him, the happier he felt, wishing he could just lie down right beside him at this very moment, his heart and mind completely filled with He Zhile.
The chests in the room were filled with Pei Ji’s garments, which quickly squeezed their way into He Zhile’s wardrobe, pushing his few thin garments off to the very edge of the closet and making them look exceptionally pitiful.
Pei Ji, however, felt this was for the best; from now on, whenever the little mute picked out his clothes, his gaze would have to sweep across Pei Ji’s garments first.
He Zhile, on the other hand, felt a lingering sense of unease. Why stay here when there was a perfectly good, spacious main courtyard? If his mother found out, she would likely be displeased.
He secretly raised his gaze to steal a glance at Pei Ji, only to find himself locking eyes with him right as he did. Panicked, he lowered his head. He had no idea why Pei Ji had suddenly changed so much; he just prayed Pei Ji wasn’t planning to tease or bully him.
Otherwise, he would truly be heartbroken.
“Fourth Master, Principal Husband, the small kitchen has finished preparing the meals.” Chun Jian was also stunned by the bustling scene before hurrying to report on business.
“Good then. Bring the food inside. I want to personally take care of the Principal Husband’s meal; all of you, get out.” Pei Ji lowered his voice to chase the servants away. No one was going to stay here and disturb the time he spent getting along with his spouse.
Especially that Chun Jian!
Chun Jian hesitated for a moment before being dragged away by Yuan Rong, who caught a meaningful look from Pei Ji.
Who would dare disobey the young master’s will?
“Ah.” He Zhile visibly tensed up, struggling to prop up his upper body in an attempt to explain something to Pei Ji, yet not daring to voice any of it.
He hated this version of himself that could only make such meaningless sounds.
And he was terrified that Pei Ji would hate him even more.
Pei Ji kept his eyes fixed on every movement he made. Seeing his eyelids flutter gently and his fingers twist together, he understood exactly what the other meant.
He reached out directly and scooped He Zhile up by his armpits, lifting his entire body up with a slight exertion of strength.
“Ah.” Panic-stricken, He Zhile instinctively grabbed tightly onto Pei Ji’s shoulders, not daring to move an inch, like a civet cat suddenly grabbed by the scruff of its neck.
“Hold onto me.” Pei Ji chuckled softly.
His body reacted before his brain could, and He Zhile couldn’t care about anything else. He quickly wrapped his arms around Pei Ji’s neck, immediately sensing someone supporting him underneath his buttocks.
He Zhile froze in utter shock.
Feeling the stiffness throughout He Zhile’s entire body, Pei Ji gently tapped his head against his, his brow and eyes softening. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you fall.”
Carefully placing him onto a cushioned chair, Pei Ji noticed he couldn’t quite reach the table, so he moved both the person and the chair forward together.
“Do you have strength in your hands?” Pei Ji softly inquired.
He Zhile nodded gently.
“That’s good then. It’s inconvenient for you to move around; if there’s anything you want to eat, just tell me and I’ll pick it for you.” Pei Ji instructed, directly picking up a chopstick full of the dish farthest away.
He didn’t care for sweet dishes, yet it had been placed on the table, so there was naturally no need to guess who loved eating it.
He Zhile quickly extended his right thumb and bent it twice.
Pei Ji found the bending of his fingers endearing and couldn’t help laughing. “Is this you thanking me?”
He Zhile obediently nodded. So he was able to understand his meaning after all!
“This is only right and proper for me to do.” With a mischievous glint in his eye, Pei Ji didn’t place that dish directly in front of him, ensuring he would receive a thumb-up of thanks every single time.
It was amusing, very, very amusing.
By the time the meal concluded, the sky outside had grown pitch black.
Although spring had brought warmth, the nights still carried a slight chill.
Pei Ji fell into deep thought as he looked at He Zhile, who could only lie prone after eating. “Do you want to bathe?”
He Zhile abruptly looked up at him, a trace of anticipation in the depths of his eyes. Usually, Chun Jian helped him with this, but since he had been with Pei Ji all evening and the other hadn’t brought it up, he dared not make the request himself.
“The wound on your back cannot get wet. I’ll help you wipe and wash.” Pei Ji said, finishing with a hypocritical inquiry seeking his opinion.
He Zhile naturally shook his head, even wanting to use sign language to tell him to call Chun Jian in!
Seeing him rush to object, Pei Ji felt a slight dissatisfaction stir in his heart, though his expression remained smiling as he said, “You think it’s a great idea too? I think so as well! Once you’re wiped down, we can go right to sleep!”
“Ah.” He Zhile grew so anxious he actually tried to speak aloud, but failing to produce a normal voice, he could only allow Pei Ji to carry him off into the bathing room.
Harboring mischievous intentions, Pei Ji had even brought his own large wooden bathtub over. Hot water had already been prepared inside, but it wasn’t filled to the brim, being only about half full.
He Zhile looked puzzled.
Pei Ji pinched his thin, hollow cheeks and chuckled in a low voice. “I know you feel uncomfortable. I’ll call Chun Jian in to help you wash up. Be careful and make sure your back doesn’t get wet.”
With that, he turned and walked out.
Of course he knew the little mute still held some guardedness toward him and didn’t entirely trust him yet. If he were to push past the other’s boundaries right now, he truly wouldn’t be any better than a beast.
Having been given a second chance at life, he had more than enough patience to spend with the little mute. Even if the other wouldn’t spare him a single glance, and even if he had to wait three to five days just to hear a single “ah” from him, he would gladly accept it.
A flush of red crept up the ears, lingering on the earlobes long after the washing was finished.
Pei Ji had already washed up in another bathing room. Dressed in a thin undergarment, he sat on the bed reading a military strategy book, striking the very picture of an upright gentleman, until He Zhile entered the room, at which point the gentleman instantly vanished.
“Whose little spouse is this, looking so alluring?” He set down the military book and let out a rogue’s whistle.
He Zhile instantly didn’t know which foot to step forward with. He wouldn’t even dare dream in his wildest dreams that Pei Ji would wait for him to share the same bed.
Chun Jian had originally wanted to support him as he walked further in, but upon seeing Pei Ji stand up, he discreetly bowed and backed out of the room without a sound. He understood his young master’s intentions well enough; as long as the young master was happy, that was all that mattered.
Pei Ji smilingly took over supporting him, guiding him down to sit, and lowered his head to gaze at him, his focus fixed on the other’s face without a single thought of looking away for even a moment.
“Ah?” He Zhile let out a soft inquiry, sensing the other’s burning gaze even without raising his head, wondering what mischief he was plotting now.
His lowered eyelashes fluttered gently like a butterfly ready to take flight at any moment, waiting for whatever day it felt willing to let its wings carry it toward something else.
His face was undeniably beautiful, even stunning.
Yet he always hid himself inside drab, dreary garments, keeping his head ducked in a dejected slouch so that no one would ever see him.
Pei Ji smiled. “It’s nothing. Go lie down on the inside part to sleep; I’ll take the outside.”
He Zhile quickly shook his head. A wife or concubine ought to sleep on the outside to make it convenient to attend to the master when he rises; he could not fail to observe the proper rules.
“You said it’s fine too? Then that couldn’t be better!” Deliberately misinterpreting his meaning once again, Pei Ji helped him down so he lay prone.
The annex courtyard was small to begin with, meaning the rooms were small, and the bed was naturally small as well.
The moment He Zhile lay down, he took up the greater part of the bed. Panicking slightly, he propped up his upper body and scrambled sideways toward the wall, only stopping to shrink back when his shoulder pressed flat against it, not daring to move another inch.
Taking advantage of the moment, Pei Ji lay down on his side, happily accepting the space left vacant for him. He smiled. “With so much space left empty, who do you want squeezed between the two of us? Chun Jian?”
“Ah!”
Of course not!
He Zhile frowned slightly, looking at him in panic.
“Since it’s not him, why aren’t you hurrying over here?” Pei Ji asked with a smile in his voice, his slender, calloused fingertips tapping lightly against the empty space in the middle.
The implication was dripping with suggestion.
He Zhile slowly scooted back to his original spot, his elbows aching slightly from the effort.
Pei Ji curved his lips in satisfaction. “Now we can sleep.”
He Zhile then quickly buried his face in the crook of his arm, making even his breathing tread with cautious care.
Pei Ji stared at him. The little mute was probably feeling genuinely ill at ease, trying his absolute best to control even the sound of his breathing, swallowing his saliva with extreme slowness.
Half the candle in the room had burned down, and Pei Ji was still staring at him.
He couldn’t fathom how such an adorable person could exist in this world.
Even the way he breathed and frowned was cute enough to make someone want to smile.
Frowning?
Pei Ji immediately sat upright. Lying prone for too long was exhausting and put pressure on the chest, yet lying flat would make the wound hurt even more.
He helped the little mute adjust his posture, then used a round fan to gently fan his back as the night hurried past.
Pei Ji felt as though every bone in his body had turned stiff and brittle, creaking at the slightest movement. Even he hadn’t expected that he would actually end up falling asleep sitting the whole night through, but seeing the little mute’s peaceful sleeping face made it all worthwhile.
He stood up quietly, nearly collapsing to his knees on the spot!
The aftereffects of kneeling for three hours yesterday manifested the moment a new day arrived.
“Yuan Rong?”
“This servant is here.”
Walking on tiptoes, Pei Ji slipped outside. After taking a few steps, he managed to adjust to the soreness and achiness. Clearing his throat slightly, he asked, “Did my mother say anything over there?”
“The Madam sent someone over early this morning with a message, asking you to go see her as soon as you wake up, saying she has something to discuss.” Yuan Rong replied.
“Understood. We’re heading back to the main courtyard to wash up.”
“Yes.”
After tidying himself up, Pei Ji hurried over to the east wing room.
Qin Yurong was sipping tea. Seeing him enter, she pointed a finger toward a kneeling mat nearby, so Pei Ji went straight over and knelt upon it.
“Mother has a few words to say to you.” She said softly. “Yesterday’s affair is hereby written off, but I will say this again: even if you dislike him, you ought to bear your responsibilities. Your father said that if you trace the Pei family line back three generations, there has never been anyone as tactless as you! If you bully him again, I will risk my life to beg His Majesty to show mercy and grant the two of you a written annulment!”
Though Pei Ji had no idea why she was being so solemn and earnest about it, he still answered in earnest, “Everything that happened yesterday was my fault. From this day forward, I will surely treat him well.”
Not for the sake of some damned responsibility.
The little mute had never been his responsibility.
He was his true and proper principal wife.