After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 132 Red Clay Stove, Enjoying the Snow in the Evening

Encircled by Pei Yanzhi, Xiang Ning couldn't do anything. The room grew warm, and before long, she too fell asleep.

She didn't know how much time had passed when she woke up again, and Xiang Ning met a pair of deep, unfathomable black eyes.

Pei Yanzhi sat leaning against the headboard, changed his clothes, and was reading a book in his hand.

Xiang Ning rested her head on his lap, covered with a blanket.

She was sleeping even more soundly than he was, completely unaware of all the things he had done while she was asleep.

His gaze fell on her face, and he reached out to brush the stray hairs from her forehead.

"woke up?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning propped herself up and tried to get up.

Pei Yanzhi's current behavior really struck her as very strange.

Apart from the morning when he said a few harsh words to her, he always spoke in the same tone after he came back.

She was so gentle, it was as if she had become a completely different person.

It was as if she had never run away, never left him.

They were in the Ink Pine Garden.

"Are you hungry?"

Pei Yanzhi closed the book and put it aside, glanced at Xiang Ning, and asked this question.

"what you up to?"

His gaze made Xiang Ning feel uneasy. She wanted to back away, but he had his arm around her waist, leaving her nowhere to retreat.

Upon hearing this question, Pei Yanzhi chuckled: "You asked twice, wasn't my answer clear enough?"

“Come back to the capital with me, A-Ning. I can pretend these things never happened.”

As they spoke, Pei Yanzhi pulled out a gold bracelet from somewhere and put it on her wrist.

A chill ran through her, and she instinctively pulled her hand back slightly. Pei Yanzhi pulled her into his arms.

“It has my personal seal on it.”

In other words, as long as Xiang Ning wears this gold bracelet, everyone who sees her will know her identity.

Moreover, no one but him knew how the bracelet closed, so Xiang Ning couldn't remove it.

After saying this, Pei Yanzhi reached out and touched her face: "Stay by my side, and I will give you whatever you want."

Besides freedom.

His eyes held a gentle smile, but Xiang Ning felt a chill creeping up her spine.

The bracelet was a shackle he gave her, binding her firmly to his side.

Xiang Ning shook her head, turned around and was about to get out of bed. She wanted to leave this place, to leave the place that frightened her.

Pei Yanzhi's smile faded, and he used only one hand to wrap his arms around her waist, causing her to fall back onto the bed.

"Where does A-Ning want to go?"

"madman!"

She raised her hand, and he reached out and grasped her wrist: "Has no one ever told you that I've never been a good-tempered person?"

Pei Yanzhi has no patience for people, and even less tolerance for betrayal and deception.

But Xiang Ning broke all these principles, and he was willing to be more patient and tolerant towards her.

"But it's okay, you're special."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiang Ning's clothes ties came loose. She tried to struggle, but Pei Yanzhi held her hands tightly, not letting her break free even a little.

"If you can't remember something with words, then remember it by doing it."

If spoken words cannot be etched in one's memory, then intimate kisses will certainly be unforgettable.

The long-awaited reunion made both of them feel a little restless, and the rising temperature inside the curtains made Xiang Ning's fair skin even more rosy.

A blush crimson, like the rising sunset, climbed up as he embraced her from behind, showering her neck with delicate kisses, followed by her injured hand.

"pain?"

Feeling Xiang Ning's slight trembling, Pei Yanzhi tightened his grip on her hand. She seemed somewhat resistant, as if she was unwilling to be close to him.

But the hand around her waist held her tightly, making it impossible for her to break free.

Pei Yanzhi's deep voice echoed in her ears, its burning heat seeming to scorch her. Through the curtain, she saw the snow falling softly outside the window, gradually swallowing up the entire world.

The flickering flames danced in her eyes, and the hot breath she exhaled was like the breath of an immortal.

The teapot on the small stove seemed to have reached its peak; the boiling water pushed the lid off, and a flash of white appeared before her eyes. She heard the steam escaping.

Something was dripping on the back of her neck, and she bit her lip.

A small red clay stove, enjoying the snow in the evening, the pure white expanse outside the window gradually spread in her eyes.

Pei Yanzhi held her hand the whole time, his soft fingertips gently tracing the scars again and again.

Occasionally, when emotions ran high, he would call her A Ning, and, enveloped in all his tenderness, roll around on her again and again.

Xiang Ning didn't like this kind of intimacy, but she was so tired that she couldn't push him away or make him shut up.

So he coaxed her, calling her "A-Jing" countless times.

"remember?"

Pei Yanzhi put his arm around Xiang Ning, parted his lips, and bit her shoulder as he asked a question.

He only let her go after seeing her nod weakly.

While her consciousness was hazy, Xiang Ning felt something warm being fed into her mouth, along with the aroma of white porridge.

Then, another period of slumber ensued.

She stopped having nightmares and only felt a burning embrace that she couldn't break free from.

A steady heartbeat, like music, dispels all malice.

The next day, Xiang Ning felt a slight swaying around her. When she opened her eyes, she saw Pei Yanzhi sitting next to her.

She lay beside the carriage, covered with his black cloak.

Is this... going back to the capital?

"woke up?"

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Pei Yanzhi, looking as satisfied as a glutton, clearly seemed to be in a good mood.

Xiang Ning rubbed her eyes, making the corners of her eyes quite red.

"Is he mute?"

She didn't reply, so Pei Yanzhi turned to look at her and asked a question.

Xiang Ning opened her lips, but didn't know what to say; she and Pei Yanzhi had nothing to say to each other.

"After you return to the capital, you will stay in Mosong Garden, where Bitao will serve you."

"Just tell her what you want."

He reached out, and Xiang Ning took a step back. His hand paused in mid-air, then he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't care about the contraceptive medication; I'll just let it heal on its own."

As he said this, Pei Yanzhi placed his hand on Xiang Ning's lower abdomen and gently massaged it.

There are no shortage of good doctors in the capital; we are sure to find one who can treat her.

"If I have a child, will I still have to hand it over to the mistress to raise?"

Xiang Ning wanted to slap Pei Yanzhi's hand off her, but she knew that resisting would not end well.

He has many ways to control her.

So he said it in a low voice.

People can't change overnight, but if she wants to leave the Pei family, it's inevitable that she'll have to please Pei Yanzhi.

"I'll keep it by your side."

Pei Yanzhi's lips curled slightly as he looked up at her: "A Ning, I've said it before, you're different from others. Of course, you'll raise our child."

"I have no other choice now, so I thought about it and if you promise me one thing, I can slowly accept it."

She tugged at Pei Yanzhi's clothes, her eyes still filled with struggle. Pei Yanzhi's hand landed on her cheek, stroking it tenderly.

"Go ahead."

He also wanted to see what other tricks she had up her sleeve.

I could coax him, deceive him, and then run away, just like last time.

(End of this chapter)