When Ruan Jiaojiao woke up, the daylight was already streaming in.
She soon discovered that the place where she lay was not her dilapidated little shack, nor the servant’s quarters crawling with mice, but Pei Huaiyu’s own bed!
The headache from her hangover made her gasp in pain, and a strange, unexplained soreness throughout her body caused a flood of unbearable memories to come rushing back.
Struck by shame, she dared not look directly at the handsome face sleeping soundly beside her.
"Aren't you supposed to be with Princess Changle..."
"Let me kiss you; don't be angry anymore."
"You don't like being kissed there? Then how about here?"
...
The memories were too vivid—so vivid that she wished she had the gift of suffering from alcohol-induced amnesia.
Ruan Jiaojiao tried to climb out of bed on tiptoe, only to realize that she felt clean and refreshed; Pei Huaiyu must have helped her clean up.
Just as she was reflecting that Pei Huaiyu wasn’t entirely heartless, her feet touched the floor, and a wave of soreness surged through her body, causing her to nearly lose her balance.
Ruan Jiaojiao’s face turned bright red in an instant.
*There was really no need to be so...*
In her panic, she nearly knocked something over. Fortunately, it was a close call, and Pei Huaiyu was not awakened.
She grabbed her outer robe, intending to slip away, but couldn't help glancing back one last time at the sleeping man. Pei Huaiyu was truly Pei Huaiyu; even in sleep, his posture remained composed, as if even his slumber carried a sense of restraint and reserve.
Realizing how seductive his beauty was, Ruan Jiaojiao hurriedly patted her own cheeks. "Resist the temptation, resist the temptation..."
The most important thing now was to escape.
But before her hand even touched the door, it swung open to reveal Chunxing, wearing a fawning smile.
Chunxing was dressed flashily, her face heavily rouged, her intention so obvious that she had left one shoulder exposed, clearly desperate to showcase her plan to seduce Pei Huaiyu early in the morning.
Ruan Jiaojiao was too stunned to even cry out.
Chunxing, however, made a huge scene. "Ruan Jiaojiao! Why are you here?!"
"Who are you?" A cold, sharp voice sounded. Pei Huaiyu had woken up at some point and walked over toward the sound. Although he didn't recognize Chunxing, he recognized the servant's attire she wore. "Which quarters are you from? Is this how Nanny Hu taught you to enter your master’s bedroom at will?"
Though Chunxing admired Pei Huaiyu, she was equally terrified of the icy Lord Chancellor. She fell to her knees with a thud, the food box in her hands nearly spilling. "My Lord, please forgive me. This servant’s name is Chunxing; you may call me Xing'er."
Pei Huaiyu’s tone was calm. "I asked, who told you to come in?"
"Have you forgotten? The estate’s head steward, Nanny Hu, is my mother. You mentioned that the page boy beside you is always clumsy, so Nanny Hu said she would arrange for a more capable maid..." Chunxing blurted this out all in one breath, and as she spoke, she tried to shimmy toward Pei Huaiyu, hoping to grab his leg.
Her intentions could not have been more obvious.
Before Ruan Jiaojiao could even express her disgust, Pei Huaiyu kicked her away and furrowed his handsome brows. "What is that smell on you? It’s so pungent. Even the latrine doesn't reek like that."
Chunxing looked as if she had faced an enemy. This was the perfume she had swallowed her pride to buy from those shameless hucksters, who promised her it was a scent every man would love.
Yet Pei Huaiyu recoiled as if she were toxic, showing the utmost disdain. Chunxing was so angry she nearly ground her teeth to dust.
Ruan Jiaojiao looked Chunxing over. It wasn't just the reeking perfume; she was also sporting two peony flowers in her hair—the mistress of the house wasn't even as gaudily dressed as this maid.
*And she calls herself "capable"... she’s lucky she isn’t a complete idiot.*
Pei Huaiyu seemed to be recalling whether he had ever said such a thing. Chunxing, meanwhile, was the first to notice the bite-like marks on Ruan Jiaojiao’s lips and the faint hickey peeking out from her collar. She decided to strike first. "My Lord, I have something to report. Ruan Jiaojiao is lazy by nature; she didn't show up at all yesterday. You should cast this slothful servant out of the estate immediately! In fact... in fact..."
Chunxing glared at Ruan Jiaojiao, as if she had done something unforgivably shameful.
After stammering for a long time without managing a complete sentence, she continued, "...In any case! It’s a disgrace to the reputation of our Prime Minister's Estate. You must be sensible, my Lord, and absolutely must not be fooled by this..."
Before Chunxing could finish her slanderous remarks, Ruan Jiaojiao leaned over and quickly kissed Pei Huaiyu on the cheek.
She didn't care that Pei Huaiyu’s earlobes turned red instantly.
Ruan Jiaojiao looked at Chunxing with nothing but provocation in her eyes, the corners of her mouth lifting. "Go on then, say it. What kind of person am I? The Lord and I are a match made in heaven, unlike you—you can only sit there and pine for him."
"You shameless wench!"
"Well, you can't kiss him, can you?"
"I... I..." Chunxing opened her mouth, but her voice faded to a mosquito-like hum, cold sweat breaking out on her back.
She wasn't afraid of Ruan Jiaojiao’s provocation; she was terrified of Pei Huaiyu’s icy gaze.
Pei Huaiyu spoke, "You are no longer needed here."
"Then, my Lord, tomorrow..."
"You won't be needed tomorrow, either. Leave the breakfast and never let me see you again."
Chunxing turned deathly pale. A-Jiu, hearing the commotion, hurried over. "Master, it wasn't my intention to let her in. She said it was on your orders that she bring breakfast."
"If there is a next time, you can get out as well."
...
Ruan Jiaojiao had originally intended to run away, yet somehow, she found herself sitting at the same table as Pei Huaiyu, eating breakfast.
She had only meant to spite Chunxing, but it seemed she had trapped herself in the process.
She buried her head in her food, thinking that if she finished quickly, she could end this awkward situation sooner.
But...
Ruan Jiaojiao felt a strange prickling on the back of her neck. She peeked up, only to find her gaze locked with Pei Huaiyu’s.
*A wise person doesn't fight when they are at a disadvantage...*
Unable to outstare him, Ruan Jiaojiao turned her head away and pushed the plate of steamed buns toward him. "Why don't you eat something too? After all, you had a hard night."
Pei Huaiyu, who was drinking tea, nearly spat it out.
"One should not speak while eating, nor talk while sleeping."
Ruan Jiaojiao knew Pei Huaiyu would spout those old-fashioned moralisms. She muttered under her breath, "No wonder the kid grew up to be so uptight."
Even with Pei Huaiyu watching her eat, Ruan Jiaojiao’s appetite remained excellent. After all, ever since coming to the Prime Minister's Estate, she had been fed nothing but thin porridge or plain buns; she only got to taste a bit of oil or meat if she was lucky enough to steal some from the kitchen with Daniu.
And all of this was thanks to Pei Huaiyu.
But why had this "Pei Doggy" suddenly changed his tune?
He wasn't fattening her up for the slaughter, was he?
Ruan Jiaojiao shivered, frightened by her own thoughts. *No, surely not. Pei Huaiyu’s character isn’t so twisted that he would be that vicious to his ex-wife.*
Pei Huaiyu asked with gentle concern, "Are you cold? The wound on your back hasn't fully healed yet. If you have time today, I shall apply medicine for you again."
Ruan Jiaojiao stopped the bun she was about to put into her mouth, rubbed her eyebrows, and squinted. "You didn't poison these buns, did you?"
Pei Huaiyu looked as if he’d just swallowed a fly. "If you aren't going to eat them, I'll take them away."
Startled, Ruan Jiaojiao gobbled the bun down and giggled. "Don't, don't, good brother, I was wrong."
Ruan Jiaojiao felt uneasy without asking, so she coughed twice and probed, "You don't expect me to take responsibility for you, do you?"