Ruan Jiaojiao had assumed that Pei Doggy had visited her the night she was beaten. However, after wandering around asking people, they all told her that Prime Minister Pei had been busy with state affairs for several days, had been staying inside the palace, and had only just returned to the manor.
Hearing this, Ruan Jiaojiao briefly wondered if her fever that night had been so high that not only had she lost her memory of the event, but she was now even experiencing hallucinations.
If it wasn't Pei Huaiyu, then it must have been Daniu.
But right now, Daniu was nowhere to be found. He wasn't even in the kitchen where they usually met. It wasn't until she heard the news that Daniu had been kicked out of the manor a few days ago after being given ten lashes for theft that she realized the truth!
They said this was done under Pei Huaiyu's direct orders!
What could a mere child like that possibly steal?
It had to be the ointment he stole for her!
"So, Pei Huaiyu really did come!"
Ruan Jiaojiao marched toward Pei Huaiyu's bedroom. Because of her injuries, her steps were uneven, yet every movement radiated her inner dissatisfaction.
"La—Miss Ruan, you cannot go in there!"
A-Jiu, Pei Huaiyu’s personal attendant, spotted her from afar and quickly moved to intercept her. He had witnessed Pei Huaiyu dragging Ruan Jiaojiao back from a great distance, so he was well aware of her awkward status.
However, the ointment his master had ordered him to retrieve a few days ago was clearly meant for Miss Ruan. This had made him realize, once again, that his master did not care as little for her as he appeared to on the surface.
"Pei Huaiyu! Get out here!"
Ruan Jiaojiao looked at the burly A-Jiu, who even had a sword hanging at his waist. Knowing she couldn’t beat him, she resorted to the most primitive method: standing there and screaming at the top of her lungs.
She had to see Pei Huaiyu today!
A-Jiu looked troubled, but he couldn't let her pass. Ruan Jiaojiao was his master's person, and she was covered in wounds—he didn't dare use force, nor did he even dare to touch her.
Taking advantage of his split-second hesitation, Ruan Jiaojiao threw a handful of flour she had swiped from the kitchen into his eyes, forcing him to squeeze them shut.
Ruan Jiaojiao seized the opportunity and bolted inside.
He couldn't even catch her. "Miss Ruan, you mustn't! The master is changing clothes; he has to meet Princess Changle in an hour. Besides, it’s not appropriate for you to go in now..."
"Come in."
Before Ruan Jiaojiao could break in, a cold, indifferent voice drifted through the bedroom door.
After pushing the door open, she was greeted by the scent of incense. This wasn't a fragrance Pei Huaiyu usually liked, which meant he had lit it specifically for Princess Changle.
"Help me change."
"I will not!"
Ruan Jiaojiao had no interest in dressing her ex-husband, especially when he was trying to deck himself out to meet his new flame. Just how pathetic had she become to fall to this level?
"Was it you who arranged for what happened to Daniu?! He did steal, but—"
Before she could finish, the man extended his long arm, easily grabbing her wrist and pulling her forcefully into his embrace.
"Your wounds have only just started to heal. If you don't want them to tear open again, you had better be obedient."
Pei Huaiyu controlled his strength, but he didn't expect Ruan Jiaojiao, who was always so carefree, to react as if she had truly been struck to the core. She struggled so violently that her wounds began to bleed again.
"Do you care about that man that much?"
"That man? He’s just a teenager. We’re just friends."
"A man and a woman alone in a room, and you even took off your clothes for him to apply medicine? Do you have no sense of propriety, or did you do it on purpose?!"
"So you admit it was you! He only has an ailing grandfather. Now that he’s been kicked out for theft, where else in the Capital can he find a place to stay? It was my decision to ask for his help! If you want to kill or punish someone, take it out on me!"
Pei Huaiyu leaned close to Ruan Jiaojiao's ear, saying each word distinctly, "Whatever I have touched—even if I decide I don't want it, even if it rots—is not for any other man to touch!"
His hot breath fell against the nape of her neck, making her shudder. Yet, her beautiful, lively eyes lost none of their defiance. She forced a smile, acting as if she didn't care. "Pei Huaiyu, I’ve given you permission to find a new lover—a noble one at that, Princess Changle. Why can’t I find someone else? You're being so overbearing—do you think you're the reincarnation of some arrogant CEO?"
Ruan Jiaojiao often spouted fresh, strange terms. Even after knowing her for so many years and living under the same roof, Pei Huaiyu still couldn't fully understand them.
Not that it mattered; he could clearly hear the naked defiance in her voice. He frowned, "You are in no position to tell me what to do."
Ruan Jiaojiao faltered at his words.
In no position to tell him what to do...
Yes, that was right. Ruan Jiaojiao had forgotten most of the plot of the book she had transmigrated into, but the male lead Pei Huaiyu’s destined match was the Princess Changle, the younger sister of the then-Crown Prince, who was now the Emperor.
In the original story, Pei Huaiyu was supposed to fall in love with Princess Changle the moment he arrived in the Capital, and with the Crown Prince's backing, they were meant to betroth themselves and marry shortly thereafter.
Because of her appearance, Ruan Jiaojiao had intentionally stalled on their journey to the Capital, hoping to delay Pei Huaiyu's arrival so he could avoid the romantic plot line with the Princess.
As it turned out, she had succeeded.
But eventually, it was inevitable that Pei Huaiyu would meet Princess Changle. Yet, the stubborn Pei Doggy had kept his eyes on her the whole time, seemingly indifferent to the Princess.
Ruan Jiaojiao had thought they had successfully dodged the plot.
But now, it seemed Pei Huaiyu was back on that path.
So, had he fallen for Princess Changle now?
That was fine, too. In the story, they were, as everyone said, a perfect match.
If Pei Huaiyu married the Princess, no one in the imperial court would dare oppose him, and those who looked down on him would finally be forced to shut their mouths.
It was just... Ruan Jiaojiao couldn't quite explain the strange, sour, aching feeling in her heart that she couldn't seem to shake.
A single warm tear betrayingly fell onto the back of her hand.
Realizing how humiliating this was and hating her own weakness and selfishness, she wiped the tear away forcefully and said stubbornly, "It hurts! It’s all your fault. The wound hurts so much I can’t control my tears."
She didn't know that her voice was laced with a hint of a sob, and every word sounded as if it were being squeezed from the very bottom of her heart.
Pei Huaiyu’s body suddenly stiffened. His heart felt as though it were being tightly gripped by a giant hand, aching painfully, yet his hand, which was still holding her, couldn't bear to let go.
It felt as if, the moment he let go, this person before him would never belong to him again.
He had forced Ruan Jiaojiao back to be a servant, forced her to kneel before the man who had caused her suffering, and humiliated her in front of so many servants—she hadn't shed a single tear then. Yet, now, she was crying for another man.
Pei Huaiyu realized he was losing his composure, but he was nearly drowning in the sight of her tears.
His gaze was filled with panic and tension, yet he acted with feigned fierceness, "Don't you dare cry!"