TL: Hua
Chapter 52: Good Medicine – Xiao Pei had a headache
“Do you dare to kill someone now?!” After her initial fright, Wang-shi was furious. “Guards! Seize this scoundrel!”
The steward outside the door snapped back to his senses and was about to rush out to call the house guards when a cold shout rang out from beyond the courtyard.
“Enough!” Pei Jintang rushed in, his eyes sweeping over the disheveled flower hall. He said in a deep voice, “Mother, aren’t you making enough of a fuss already?”
Wang-shi snapped, “Are you going to defy your parents too?!”
“Your son wouldn’t dare, but with swords and sticks being drawn at home, your son felt he had to come see,” Pei Jintang said. “Father and Mother want to arrange a marriage for Xiting; just discuss it properly, why force him?”
Wang-shi was so angry she laughed, “A parent’s command, a matchmaker’s word! He has to obey whether he wants to or not!”
“…Xiting is a person, not a tool for your marriage alliances and social climbing,” Pei Jintang mumbled, saying very softly, “Qinghe is also a person, not a tool for your marriage alliances and social climbing.”
There were no secrets in the large compound. As soon as Pei Jintang came out, he just needed to catch someone and ask to find out what had happened. He looked at Pei Yan and Wang-shi, saying, “Young Marquis Mei is a philanderer. Today he takes Qinghe as a concubine, and tomorrow he’ll forget all about her. Do you think forming this marriage alliance will build a bridge with the Mei family? I’m afraid in just a few days, they’ll forget they even took the Pei family’s daughter.”
Pei Qinghe hadn’t been raised by Wang-shi, so Wang-shi naturally had no affection for her. Pei Jintang then looked at Pei Yan, “We only have one daughter in our Pei family, and Father actually begrudges even a shred of fatherly love, nodding his head and pushing her into a fiery pit?”
Bu Suying only just learned about this matter. Hearing it, she couldn’t help but glance at Pei Yan. His face was pale and greenish, as if he had been struck in the heart. She suddenly recalled when Qinghe was first born, Pei Yan holding this little daughter with a face full of fatherly love, saying that this was their only daughter, to cherish her carefully, and that in the future, they must choose a good family for her to marry into so she could live a life of wealth, peace, and contentment.
So many years had passed, and Pei Yan had forgotten everything.
Pei Xiting didn’t miss the sorrow on Bu Suying’s face and couldn’t help but reach out and grip her slender shoulder. Bu Suying turned back, smiled at him, and silently comforted him.
Pei Yan remained silent, while Wang-shi was furious: “Are you blaming your father and mother?”
“If parents are unkind, how can they ask for filial children?”
As Pei Jintang’s words fell, Wang-shi took two steps back, sat back in her chair, and looked at him in disbelief. Pei Jintang didn’t look at them again. He turned to Pei Xiting and said, “Let’s go.”
“No one is allowed to leave,” Wang-shi said. “Pei Jintang, Pei Xiting, don’t forget your surname!”
Pei Jintang’s jaw tightened. Just as he was about to speak, a servant rushed into the flower hall, saying, “Master, Madam, someone from the Longhe Division is here, saying they request Pei-wenshu to return to the government office immediately!”
As his words fell, a tall, slender young man strode quickly into everyone’s view. A horizontal saber was tucked behind his waist, and his aura was sharp, so much so that no one dared to stop him as he walked.
The newcomer first glanced at Pei Xiting, confirming he was unharmed, then cupped his hands to Pei Yan, saying, “I have come uninvited, and I hope Minister Pei will not take offense.”
How could Pei Yan dare to take offense? But before he could speak, he heard Wang-shi say, “The Longhe Division may be powerful, but they have no right to trespass into another family’s residence.”
Pei Yan’s eyelid twitched. Just as he was about to reprimand Wang-shi, the newcomer smiled and said, “There is an urgent matter at the government office, and Pei-wenshu cannot be found. I had no choice but to make a special trip to invite him. At critical moments, our division can use a token to directly enter the palace and meet with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, let alone the Pei mansion? The word ‘trespass’ hardly applies.”
Wang-shi suppressed her anger and said, “The Longhe Division may be formidable, but this is a private family matter of my Pei family.”
“The Longhe Division does not bind itself to family ties. Since Pei-wenshu has joined the Longhe Division, he is first and foremost a person of the Longhe Division and only then a person of the Pei family. If our division does not intervene, Pei-wenshu can naturally be taught by the Pei family. But if our division intervenes, then I ask the Pei family…” The newcomer paused slightly, casually gripping his saber hilt, “to step back.”
Pei Yan, fearing Wang-shi would say anything more, knowing the people of the Longhe Division were like tigers and wolves, quickly interjected, “Xiting, why aren’t you going back to your duties!”
Pei Xiting didn’t respond to him. He nodded to Pei Jintang in thanks, then helped Bu Suying turn to leave.
“Bu-shi is not allowed to leave. She is a concubine of the Pei family.”
Pei Xiting abruptly turned, the menace in his eyes making Wang-shi’s heart skip a beat. Yet, she slightly lifted her head, looking at him, and said coldly, “Bu-shi is a concubine of the Pei family. Although the master’s family cannot sell her, there is a written contract as an agreement, and she cannot disobey the master’s family.”
The newcomer slightly frowned but said nothing. After all, the concubine’s contract indeed had restrictions.
Pei Xiting gritted his teeth, about to speak, but Bu Suying reached out and gripped his wrist. Bu Suying looked at him and said softly, “Xiting, don’t be afraid; you go.”
“Yiniang will be taken care of by me; nothing will happen,” Pei Jintang said.
“…Second Brother, I trouble you to find a doctor to check yiniang’s injuries.” After Pei Jintang nodded, Pei Xiting looked at Bu Suying, his voice hoarse, “Yiniang, don’t be afraid. Wait for me.”
Bu Suying immediately shed tears and willingly released her hand.
Pei Xiting glanced at her, then turned and left. He walked quickly, as if eager to leave this place or as if holding in a rage that would explode on the spot if he delayed even a little. Leaving the flower hall and entering the small garden, Pei Xiting’s peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a light yellow skirt fluttering behind a rockery—not the fabric a maid or wet nurse would wear.
Sure enough, the person behind the rockery peeked out. It was Pei Qinghe.
“Third Brother.” Pei Qinghe scurried over to Pei Xiting, looked up at his extremely grim face, and asked worriedly, “Are… are you alright?”
Pei Xiting almost instantly understood why Pei Jintang, who was confined to his courtyard, was in the flower hall. He said, “Did you tip off Second Brother?”
“I was originally coming to pay my respects to Madam and deliver snacks. I overheard the conversation in the front hall, suspected something bad would happen, so I went to Second Brother’s courtyard and used the pretext of delivering snacks to go in and ask Second Brother for help,” Pei Qinghe said.
Pei Xiting frowned, “In that case, Wang-shi will definitely know you reported it.”
“It’s fine.” Pei Qinghe shook her head and smiled. “They can’t kill me, and Second Brother is still in the mansion. Third Brother, you saved my life by rejecting the Mei family’s marriage proposal. Although my strength is weak, I should try my best to repay it.”
Pei Qinghe, now at the age of marrying, had an apricot-like face and snow-white cheeks, completely inheriting the gentle scholarly aura from Li-yiniang and Pei Yan. She looked as delicate as a weeping willow, yet her eyes shone brightly. Seeing Pei Xiting looking at her, she even forced a little smile, as if to show she wasn’t putting on a brave front.
But no matter how resilient and grateful a girl was, as long as her surname was Pei, she would encounter a second and third “Mei Xiu,” a little bird in a cage, waiting to be sold for a good price. Pei Xiting felt a dull ache in his forehead, but his face remained expressionless. He only asked, “I hear you can make incense?”
Though Pei Qinghe didn’t understand why he suddenly asked this, she immediately said, “Yes, I know six or seven out of ten of the incense formulas currently available outside.”
“As the weather gets colder, you can make warming incense to place indoors. The scent should be rich, long-lasting, soothing, and calming.” Pei Xiting looked at Pei Qinghe. “If you make it well, I’ll help you give it to someone.”
Pei Qinghe was intelligent and understood the meaning of his words almost in the blink of an eye. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately curtsied, saying, “Thank you, Third Brother. I will definitely try my best to make it quickly.”
Pei Xiting “hmm-ed” and turned to leave.
Pei Qinghe turned sideways to watch him depart until his figure was no longer visible before she turned and rubbed her reddened eyes.
Pei Xiting quickly exited the Pei mansion, and he saw a carriage was parked in front of the gate. He recognized this carriage; he had ridden it before when he went to Baoci Zen Temple.
The man behind him said, “Pei-wenshu, please get in the carriage.”
“…Mm.” Pei Xiting came back to his senses, nodded in response, then stepped to the carriage, lifting his robe to get in.
The man reached out and pushed open the carriage door. The Crown Prince was seated upright, holding a cinnabar brush. Pei Xiting pursed his lips, bent to enter the carriage, and sat down on the left side, but did not speak.
The Crown Prince looked up and, seeing Pei Xiting’s forehead swollen and his shoulders and neck tensed, said, “Go to Imperial Physician Liu’s residence.”
The man acknowledged, closed the carriage door, and turned the carriage around.
Pei Xiting said, “It’s not a big deal. Any pharmacy will do. No need to trouble the Grand Physician.”
The Crown Prince made a scarlet stroke on the memorandum, closed it, and tossed it aside. He said, “Imperial Physician Liu lives on Baitou Street, near a pharmacy.”
Pei Xiting kneaded the cushion, saying, “Why did you come? Are you monitoring me?”
“Unhappy?” The Crown Prince asked in return instead of answering.
“No, isn’t this helping me out of a difficult situation?” Pei Xiting smiled, his lips pulling at his cheeks, stretching his scalp uncomfortably. He reached up and touched his forehead, then pointed at the porcelain pot on the small table. “Can I have a cup of tea?”
The Crown Prince said, “It’s not tea, it’s agate grape juice. If you want to drink it, feel free to do so.”
Pei Xiting quite liked grapes. Hearing this, he picked up the porcelain pot, poured a cup, and took two sips. “So sweet.” He filled another cup and gulped it down.
“It’s from the palace. If you like it, I’ll have a basket sent to you later,” the Crown Prince said.
Pei Xiting pondered these words and couldn’t help but lean closer to the Crown Prince, looking at him eagerly. “Your Highness, are you comforting me?”
“You’ve suffered grievances at home. If I were to reprimand you further, wouldn’t I force you to fly into the heavens on the spot?” The Crown Prince finished speaking and glanced sideways, meeting Pei Xiting’s glistening but slightly reddish eyes. He paused, then raised the hand holding the brush and gently rubbed the back of his hand around the swelling on Pei Xiting’s forehead. “How did you get hurt?”
Pei Xiting felt proud and said, “Because of my Iron Head Skill.”
The Crown Prince only thought he looked quite silly. He withdrew his hand and said, “Why wasn’t Yuan Fang there, allowing you to resort to such powerful skill?”
“I sent him to Yangliu Street to get something. When I came back, he wasn’t in the courtyard, so I came alone.” Pei Xiting saw the Crown Prince marking each item with a cross and couldn’t help but say, “Your Highness, does this mean they’re all rejected?”
The Crown Prince tacitly agreed, saying, “Ninety-nine out of a hundred words are nonsense.”
Pei Xiting chuckled and said, “Then I guess half of those ninety-nine words are greetings and flattery, and the other half are quoting classics to put on a show?”
“Precisely, a waste of ink,” the Crown Prince commented.
Pei Xiting was amused and also felt that His Royal Highness was truly burdened, having to receive a large amount of rubbish information every day. He “eh-ed” and asked curiously, “Your Highness, do you have anyone around you who helps you review memorandums?”
“Of course,” the Crown Prince glanced at him. “Thinking of moving to another position?”
“How would I dare? I don’t know how to review memorandums,” Pei Xiting mumbled. “I was just concerned about Your Highness, afraid you’re too tired.”
He spoke candidly and straightforwardly, casually and sincerely. The Crown Prince paused for a moment before “hmm-ing” but didn’t say much else.
“Oh, right, I heard that Doctor Su went to the East Palace this morning. Are you ill?” After Pei Xiting spoke, the Crown Prince’s brush paused, but he didn’t look at him. Pei Xiting suspected there was some secret that couldn’t be spoken to outsiders, so he quickly added, “I wasn’t intentionally prying into East Palace affairs. Chief Lu said he was ill, and he got the prescription from Doctor Su at the East Palace this morning, so I just asked.”
The Crown Prince closed his eyes and said, “Nothing, just some internal heat from the autumn dryness recently.”
Pei Xiting was relieved to hear this and said, “It’s good that you’re not ill.”
But then he thought again: even if the Imperial Hospital wasn’t available, the East Palace had imperial physicians. Why would His Royal Highness still make Doctor Su come? Pei Xiting intuitively felt there was something going on, but he didn’t ask further, fearing he might intrude on the Crown Prince’s privacy.
The carriage soon stopped. A moment later, the mansion gate opened. Imperial Physician Liu was standing outside the carriage door, saying, “This humble servant was unaware of Your Highness’s arrival and failed to greet you from afar. Please forgive me, Your Highness.”
Pei Xiting got out of the carriage first. Seeing Imperial Physician Liu bow sideways to him without looking up, he quickly moved aside. He wasn’t His Royal Highness, after all.
The Crown Prince then got out of the carriage and said, “Rise. I came uninvited; it is I who disturbed you.”
“Your Highness’s presence illuminates this humble abode,” Imperial Physician Liu straightened up. He looked up and saw that the Crown Prince’s complexion was normal, but the person beside him looked unwell. He understood immediately and said, “Your Highness, please come in. This…”
“Secretary of the Longhe Division, Pei Xiting.” Pei Xiting cupped his hands. “I have troubled Imperial Physician Liu.”
Imperial Physician Liu bowed and said, “Pei-wenshu, please come in.”
Pei Xiting followed the Crown Prince into the Liu mansion. The residence, though smaller than the Pei mansion, was elegant and tranquil, filled with the aroma of medicine.
The Crown Prince told Imperial Physician Liu not to bother with formalities and just to examine Pei Xiting’s injuries. Imperial Physician Liu dared not say more and invited them into the pharmacy.
Pei Xiting was pressed onto the couch for a thorough examination, had a cooling ointment applied to his head, and even received a few acupuncture needles.
The Crown Prince walked to the couch and stood still, looking at the listless Pei Xiting, and said, “Are there any other injuries? Let Imperial Physician Liu take a look.”
“My back took a hit from a rattan cane,” Pei Xiting said. “A little ointment will fix it.”
“Is Pei-wenshu a doctor? If not, then please take off your clothes and let me see what the injury looks like, so I can know what medicine will work best for you,” Imperial Physician Liu said from the side.
Pei Xiting “oh-ed” and reached out to untie his sash, took off his outer robe, and slid his inner shirt down to his back, revealing the marks.
They were about two fingers wide, with subcutaneous swelling and bruising, stark against his pale back, making it quite startling at first glance.
The Crown Prince’s brows furrowed slightly. He stepped forward and stood before Pei Xiting, reaching out to brush his hair aside, and said, “Bring the Snow Jade Ointment.”
“…” Imperial Physician Liu had to say, “Your Highness, although Snow Jade Ointment is precious and best for external wounds to prevent scarring, Pei-wenshu should first apply compresses and then use blood-invigorating medicine to heal the injury almost completely first.”
Pei Xiting looked at the narrow waist close by, and for a moment, overcome by lust, said, “What His Highness says is naturally the best. This is how it should be treated.”
“Don’t speak,” the Crown Prince gently pinched the back of Pei Xiting’s neck. “Listen to the doctor.”
Pei Xiting said, “Whatever you say, Your Highness.”
Imperial Physician Liu was shocked by the extent of Pei-wenshu’s favor with the Crown Prince, but he showed no trace of it on his face. He immediately went to prepare the medicine packs.
When the medicine was applied, Pei Xiting shivered. The Crown Prince said, “Does it hurt?”
“A little.”
Bu Suying had taken two blows, and being a woman, who knew how much pain she must be in. Pei Xiting pursed his lips, having already made up his mind to get Bu Suying out of the Pei family.
“Pei-wenshu, bear with it for a moment. The pain will go away soon.” Imperial Physician Liu comforted, seeing Pei Xiting’s unhappy expression. He was about to call someone to hold the medicine pack so he could prepare the ointment, but then he saw His Royal Highness very naturally take the medicine pack from his hand and sit down behind Pei-wenshu.
“…” Imperial Physician Liu’s mind reeled. He immediately said, “This humble servant will step away for a moment.”
Pei Xiting also felt a bit uncomfortable, especially after Imperial Physician Liu left, and only the two of them remained. The Crown Prince sat behind him, his gaze falling calmly on his back.
His Royal Highness was a righteous gentleman, open-minded, but he, Pei Xiting, was a lustful devil taking fire-reducing medicine!
Pei Xiting secretly sighed. Just as he was about to find a topic to distract himself, he heard the Crown Prince say, “What was the trouble about?”
Pei Xiting didn’t expect the Crown Prince to care about the trivial matters of the Pei family, but upon further reflection, His Royal Highness had already come in person… Even if he were to protect him, there was no need to be so considerate, right?
With that thought, Pei Xiting’s heart pounded like a drum, shamelessly lost in a thousand fanciful notions.
“Hmm?” Not hearing a reply, the Crown Prince made a sound.
Pei Xiting snapped back to reality and said, “Oh, they wanted to set me up with Vice Minister Wang’s daughter, but I refused.”
“Pei Yan’s wife is from the Wang family, isn’t she?” Seeing Pei Xiting nod, the Crown Prince instantly understood the crux of the matter and said calmly, “You shouldn’t agree. That marriage isn’t the best choice for you.”
“If I truly liked someone, I wouldn’t care about these interests,” Pei Xiting said. “I don’t have to marry, nor do I have to fall in love. Unless I meet someone I genuinely like, I won’t sell myself, even for immense wealth.”
The Crown Prince frowned slightly. “What ‘sell myself’?”
“It’s just a rough way of speaking.” Pei Xiting smiled indifferently.
The Crown Prince then asked, “And then what? How did things get physical?”
“They wanted to use family disciplinary rules on me, and of course, I refused, so I fought back,” Pei Xiting paused. “My yiniang came forward to protect me and also got hit a couple of times. She was implicated because of me. My heart was burning with anger, so I smashed the flower hall.”
He had expected the Crown Prince to call him disrespectful or overly presumptuous or too aggressive, but to his surprise, the Crown Prince merely “hmm-ed” and then said, “Have you considered that if this matter gets out, it will affect your reputation?”
“I don’t aspire to be a sage, nor do I demand a good reputation,” Pei Xiting said. “If I’m forced to go against my will and conscience in everything, I won’t agree. I will surely resist with all my might. Even if I’m driven to a dead end, I still have death as an option.”
This was a free bird, seeking only its own world, regardless of what lay before or behind it.
Imperial Physician Liu arrived. The Crown Prince put down the medicine packet and stood beside Pei Xiting.
Imperial Physician Liu gently applied ointment to Pei Xiting’s wound, wrapped it with a thin layer of medicated cloth, and finally, while giving instructions, handed a cloth bag to Pei Xiting, saying, “Both internal and external medications are inside. The methods and precautions are written on the paper.”
“Many thanks, Imperial Physician Liu,” Pei Xiting said, tidying his clothes. “I’ve troubled you today.”
Imperial Physician Liu hastily said, “You’re too kind,” and respectfully saw the Crown Prince out of the mansion. Only after the carriage left did he wipe the sweat from his forehead, genuinely envying the Pei family for having such a good son, who was about to soar to great heights. Pei Xiting couldn’t “soar”; after returning, he flopped onto his bed and closed his eyes listlessly.
Yuan Fang smelled the medicine, identifying external injury remedies within it, and frowned, saying, “Where did you go?”
Pei Xiting didn’t answer but asked in return, “Did you see Lingling?”
“I gave him the earrings, and he absolutely loved them,” Yuan Fang said. “He heard they were a design you made yourself and asked me to tell you, ‘Now that I have this pair, you’re not allowed to make the same ones for anyone else!'”
Pei Xiting chuckled softly and said, “Got it. How did he look?”
Yuan Fang hesitated for a moment. Pei Xiting noticed, acutely turning his head to look at him, staring intently.
Since Pei Xiting had fallen into such a state, Yuan Fang initially wanted to hide the matter from him. But receiving such a look, he had no choice but to speak, “When I went there, he had a fever, his face was burning red, his lips had blood marks, and his neck had several bruises, bitten by some insect, I think. He said he’d be fine after a couple of days and told me not to tell you.”
“…” Pei Xiting sighed, “I guessed right.”
Yuan Fang asked, “What do you mean?”
“Back when I made that bet with Mei Xiu, Lingling was too close to me. Prince Zong was slightly displeased, but Lingling didn’t notice, so I didn’t really say goodbye to him when I left. Of course, there might have been other reasons.” Pei Xiting said.
Yuan Fang asked, “So Prince Zong hit him?”
“…” Pei Xiting blinked, “Fang, you’re a pure boy—I know you haven’t secretly admired my drawings while I was away.”
Fang said expressionlessly, “I glanced at them, but I didn’t peek—you drew them and didn’t put them away, just left them on the table. I thought they were your usual drawings. How would I know you were drawing indecent things?”
“What do you mean ‘indecent things’? Kissing and making love are just like you eating steamed buns and meat pies—they are ways to express liking and satisfy desires. Of course, you don’t eat every steamed bun and meat pie you see, so kissing and making love also require choosing clean, delicious partners. You can’t eat steamed buns and meat pies indiscriminately, so you can’t kiss indiscriminately, and you can’t make love indiscriminately,” Pei Xiting said solemnly. “Do you understand, little Fang?”
Yuan Fang said, “Your analogy is very vivid; I understand.”
Pei Xiting was very pleased.
“So,” Yuan Fang said, “what about your injury?”
Pei Xiting: “…”
Eyes met in a standoff, and Pei Xiting lost.
He had no choice but to briefly explain what happened. Not hearing Yuan Fang’s response, he said, “Don’t take it to heart. I was the one who sent you away, so consider it fate that I was meant to get beaten today.”
If Yuan Fang had been there, he definitely wouldn’t have let Pei Xiting get hit. Hearing this, he just said, “Something happened after just half a day of not following you.”
Pei Xiting said, “But you can’t follow me all the time either. I come home late and leave early every day; I can’t even pinpoint the exact time I leave the Longhe Division. You can’t wait outside for half a day, can you?”
Why not?
The next day, Yuan Fang escorted Pei Xiting to the gate, then set his basket down, placed his small stool on the ground, and began… carving wood.
Pei Xiting stood beside him, “…Brother, what are you doing?”
“Carving wood,” Yuan Fang said with a “are you blind?” expression. His hands were skilled, but he had a slight regret. “If it weren’t for the inconvenience, I would rather make cakes. Once I’m done, I’ll take them back and put them in the pot. I’ll eat them myself tonight and take out the rest to feed the little beggars.”
He glanced at Pei Xiting, quite proudly, “Li Meat Pie is nothing to me now.”
Pei Xiting chuckled, thinking this was indeed a good idea. Just as he was about to speak, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.
“What are you standing here for? Go inside,” Uncle Wei said, approaching with a few ducks. Seeing Yuan Fang, he let out a surprised “Oh.” “Where did this handsome young man come from?”
Yuan Fang’s identity and whereabouts had been exposed, and he was too lazy to disguise himself when he went out today, so he was looking very clean and handsome.
Pei Xiting smiled and introduced him, “This is Uncle Wei, the head chef of the Longhe Division. Uncle, this is my friend Yuan Fang.”
The two greeted each other, and Uncle Wei asked in wonder, “Why are you carving wood here?”
“He wants to protect me closely, but he can’t enter the Longhe Division, so he brought his small stool here,” Pei Xiting said.
Uncle Wei immediately noticed the wound on Pei Xiting’s forehead, assuming it was from a street fight. His mind turned, guessing that Pei Xiting had encountered something outside, but he didn’t probe further, saying, “Well, there’s no way around that; it is a government office inside, after all.”
Yuan Fang said, “This place is quite nice, peaceful.”
“Then sit down. At noon, I’ll bring you a meal too,” Uncle Wei said.
Yuan Fang had long heard Pei Xiting talk about Uncle Wei’s cooking and immediately thanked him. Pei Xiting patted him on the shoulder and followed Uncle Wei inside.
Today, You Zong was at the division. After finishing his duties in the document building, Pei Xiting went to the front hall to grind ink for You Zong.
You Zong finished reviewing the documents before saying, “Speak.”
Pei Xiting smiled shyly and said, “I just came to help you grind ink.”
You Zong looked at his forehead, which was greenish-yellow with medicine, and said with a smile, “Well, you’ve finished grinding it now; you can leave.”
“Could you please help me deliver something?” Pei Xiting no longer pretended. He pulled out a small brocade pouch from his sleeve. “I couldn’t sleep last night, so I drew a bookmark.”
If it were someone else’s personal item, You Zong wouldn’t easily agree to deliver it to the Crown Prince, but this was Pei Xiting.
“Alright, leave it,” You Zong said.
Pei Xiting thanked him, gently placed the bookmark on an empty spot in front of him, and couldn’t help but reach out to touch it. He looked up to find You Zong watching him.
He withdrew his hand and asked, “My Lord, is something wrong?”
“Don’t go out wandering so much lately. External injuries are minor, but your head needs good rest,” You Zong said.
Lord You already knew about him getting beaten at the Pei residence. Pei Xiting smiled, reached up to scratch his ear, and said, “Understood. Thank you for your concern, my lord.”
You Zong nodded. Pei Xiting bowed and withdrew.
As he exited the courtyard, a commotion came from ahead, followed by Little King excitedly scampering over and stopping abruptly in front of Pei Xiting. Pei Xiting looked at it in surprise, instinctively glancing towards the moon gate ahead, but saw no one.
Little King, displeased at being neglected, bumped its head against Pei Xiting’s leg and opened its mouth, pretending to bite. Pei Xiting, startled, quickly pleaded for mercy from the “Tiger King,” squatting down to pet it and asking, “Did you sneak out by yourself?”
But that couldn’t be right; in broad daylight, even if Little King had wings, it couldn’t silently fly all the way here.
Little King rubbed its head against Pei Xiting’s hand. Pei Xiting just thought it was being affectionate, but when he stroked its head, he realized something was off. He quickly lifted Little King’s watermelon hat, and sure enough, there was something underneath—a piece of note.
Pei Xiting opened the note. The characters were both strong and gentle, unconstrained and informal, and the message was incredibly casual.
“Play with your younger brother for a while.”
Pei Xiting rubbed the words on the paper, then suddenly came to a realization. Staring at Little King, who was of the same generation as him, he grumbled, “Who wants to be your brother? I want to be your dad!”
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