The man’s voice brooked no argument. Xi Ning couldn’t pretend not to hear it. The moment the carriage caught up, Aunt Wang had already stopped the oxcart.
Stepping onto the footrest, she boarded the carriage and lifted the curtain, meeting Pei Zhao’s deep, penetrating gaze.
“Third Master.”
Xi Ning called out softly. Pei Zhao slightly lifted his chin, gesturing for her to sit opposite him.
The Pei family’s carriage was not spacious. Despite Xi Ning pressing herself as close to the wall as possible, the hem of her clothes still brushed against the tip of his shoe.
Incense burned inside the carriage, the faint scent of pine and ink curling in the air. It was the first time the two had been so close, and Xi Ning felt an inexplicable tension in her heart.
“Has Third Master just returned from handling matters?”
Unable to bear the quiet atmosphere in the carriage, Xi Ning spoke up first.
Pei Zhao glanced at her. The carriage curtain blocked the light, casting his features in shifting shadows, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
“Mm.”
After Pei Zhao’s reply, silence stretched endlessly once more.
Xi Ning felt a knot of frustration tightening in her chest. She didn’t understand why Pei Zhao had called her into the carriage, only to remain silent afterward. Was he punishing her for leaving the house without permission, deliberately tormenting her?
Xi Ning felt she had guessed correctly.
Last time, she had thought this Third Master Pei was tolerant and magnanimous. Who knew he could be so petty deep down?
Xi Ning lowered her head, silently grumbling to herself, completely unaware that the man opposite her had been watching her all along.
Pei Zhao frowned. Ever since leaving the outer courtyard last time, he had found himself thinking of her from time to time.
The Pei family’s breakfasts were light and bland, unchanged for over a decade. Pei Zhao had long grown tired of them. Every time he ate, he would think of the Green Dumplings Xi Ning had made and that bowl of savory, flavorful wonton noodles.
At the Eastern Palace, Shen Ji, that chatterbox, kept pestering him to meet the Pei family’s cook. Pei Zhao was nearly driven mad by him.
He could have easily mentioned Xi Ning to shut Shen Ji up, yet for some reason, he was unwilling to do so.
Pei Zhao didn’t understand what was happening to him. He had called Xi Ning into the carriage hoping to find an answer from her, but even now, seeing her before him, his mind remained blank.
The man’s gaze was profound, impossible to hide in such a confined space. When Xi Ning looked up, she met his eyes directly.
Her fingers curled slightly, and her throat tightened.
“I brought some snacks when I went out this morning. Would Third Master like some?” If things continued like this, she felt she might suffocate.
She had faced all kinds of situations in her past life, yet in front of Pei Zhao, she couldn’t remain calm and composed.
Pei Zhao’s gaze shifted from her face to her slender, pale fingers. The bamboo basket was small. When Pei Zhao had suddenly called her earlier, Xi Ning had forgotten to leave it behind and had brought it directly into the carriage.
But fortunately, she had brought it with her. Now, at least, she had something to break the silence.
Wrapping her hand in a plain handkerchief, she took one out from the basket. The green vegetable dumpling rested on the plain cloth, looking quite enticing. Pei Zhao, who hadn’t eaten all day, felt a pang of hunger.
“Fine.”
He spoke with an air of aloof dignity. In the dim light, Xi Ning didn’t notice the slight movement of his throat as he swallowed. Leaning forward slightly, she handed it to him.
But just then, the carriage suddenly jolted. Xi Ning lost her balance and lunged forward.
“Mmph!”
One hand pressed against the man’s thigh, the other against his chest. The vegetable dumpling slipped from her hand and rolled several times across the carriage floor.
The woman’s body was petite and soft. Because she had been leaning forward, their faces were level. As she fell, her lips landed precisely against the side of the man’s neck.
Her fragrant, soft form crashed into his embrace, and the man’s breathing abruptly grew heavy.
Xi Ning was stunned as well. She tried to stand up, but in her flustered state, her hand pressed somewhere she shouldn’t have. The man let out a muffled groan, clearly in pain.Xi Ning was truly on the verge of tears now.
“I’m… I’m sorry, Third Master, I didn’t mean to.”
Would Pei Zhao think she was trying to seduce him? Xi Ning felt like crying but had no tears. She had indeed taken advantage of him, but it wasn’t her fault—who knew the carriage would suddenly jolt like that?
“Third Master, Miss Xi, are you both alright? There was a stone on the road just now, and I didn’t notice it in time.”
Chang Lin’s voice came from outside. Xi Ning glanced up discreetly at the man’s expression.
So dark!
Besides the darkness, there was also a suppressed pain.
Xi Ning clenched her fingers, her palms burning with an astonishing heat. She wasn’t an innocent young girl; she knew exactly what she had just touched.
It was said that Pei Sanlang was impotent, but what she had felt just now—so hard and so hot—didn’t seem like the work of an impotent man.
Xi Ning lowered her head, her ears flushed crimson. Fortunately, the carriage was dimly lit, and the man couldn’t see her.
Pei Zhao clenched his fists, his eyes tinged with a bloody red. The soft, fragrant scent of the woman still lingered in his nostrils, like a feather teasing the tip of his heart—itchy and trembling.
“Go back and receive your punishment!”
Unable to vent his anger on Xi Ning, Chang Lin once again became the scapegoat.
“Yes.”
Chang Lin drove the carriage, his face scrunched up like a bitter melon. He had already been punished twice this month. Would his master find another servant and abandon him?
A sense of crisis welled up in Chang Lin’s heart.
No way! He couldn’t let those little vixens take his place. He was the most useful person by his master’s side.
Because of the earlier accident, the atmosphere inside the carriage became even more suffocating.
Xi Ning didn’t dare bring up giving him the vegetable bun again. She curled up in her corner, keeping her mouth shut and pretending to be mute.
But her quail-like demeanor only made Pei Zhao’s chest feel like it was about to explode.
Last time, this woman had scratched his palm; this time, she had kissed his neck, and her hand had touched… that place. And now she was pretending nothing had happened.
Pei Zhao had never encountered such a bold woman before—taking advantage of him and then trying to walk away as if nothing had happened.
If it were anyone else, he would have had Chang Lin drag them out and beat them to death. But facing Xi Ning, Pei Zhao was angry, yet he couldn’t bring himself to lay a hand on her.
Was it because her food was delicious, and he couldn’t bear to?
Pei Zhao’s brows were nearly knotted together. His gaze fell on the dull, grayish vegetable bun under the carriage seat, and a flicker of regret passed through his eyes.
He hadn’t even tasted it yet.
Though this woman was shameless, her cooking skills were unmatched.
For the sake of food, he could forgive her.
Pei Sanlang, who had always been vengeful, found his bottom line constantly lowering when it came to Xi Ning. If outsiders knew, they would surely be shocked.
The carriage was much faster than an oxcart. In less than an hour, it had already entered Wutong Street.
“It’s getting late. Would Third Master like to stay for dinner?”
After getting off the carriage, Xi Ning exchanged a few routine pleasantries. Given the earlier accident, she guessed he definitely wouldn’t want to stay, but Pei Zhao deliberately went against her expectations.
“Sure.”
“Ah?”
Xi Ning hadn’t expected him to actually agree and couldn’t help but widen her eyes in surprise.
Seeing her astonished expression, the anger in Pei Zhao’s chest suddenly dissipated.
“I said I’m staying.”
He enunciated each word clearly. Even if Xi Ning were foolish, she could tell this man was doing it on purpose.
But it was just a meal—she could afford it.
Besides, Pei Zhao was now her boss, holding her deed of sale. She couldn’t afford to offend him completely.
Once she figured this out, Xi Ning curved her lips into a smile, her charming face blooming with a radiant expression.
“Alright, then please come inside and have a seat, Third Master. I’ll go prepare.”After saying that, she picked up the bamboo basket and entered the kitchen. Pei Zhao watched her hurried figure, a faint glint flickering in his eyes.