The Grand Secretary has no heir? His concubine gives birth to triplets.

Jiang Guo'er's breath hitched.

The light blue jacket and skirt she wore were a gift from Granny Li, and they didn't fit her well; the sleeves were too loose.

The Prime Minister's hands were so big that they immediately stretched her sleeves until they were bulging.

Pei Yan had long known that her fingers were rough, after all, she was used to doing rough work, and there were thin calluses on her fingertips.

But when my fingertips touched the inside of her forearm, I realized that the skin there was incredibly delicate.

Like a piece of soft jade hidden under coarse cloth.

His eyes darkened, and the restlessness he had just suppressed resurfaced.

Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Jiang Guo'er panicked and instinctively grabbed the large hand that was causing the disturbance.

Pei Yan saw her cheeks flush red, and her eyes glistened with embarrassment, wet like a frightened fawn.

"Your Excellency, the burn is on the back of your hand..."

Pei Yan remained expressionless, his fingertips never stopping: "Let me see if I've burned anywhere else."

Jiang Guo'er: "..."

Well, take a look.

If his hands hadn't been still inside his sleeves, she almost would have believed him.

Just as she was about to offer further advice, her expression suddenly changed.

Jiang Guo'er froze, then grabbed his wrist abruptly: "Prime Minister! The medicine...the medicine isn't finished yet!"

In an instant, her face paled, her ears turned bright red, her eyes were filled with both shame and anxiety, and her voice grew softer and softer.

Outside the window, the intermittent footsteps of the servants pierced through the air like needles.

That bastard, he did it on purpose!

She tried desperately to pry his fingers off, but Pei Yan's ten fingers were like iron clamps, completely immovable.

Jiang Guo'er quickly came up with a brilliant idea, her mind racing.

"My lord! This servant has suddenly remembered an interesting anecdote I heard yesterday!"

"Yesterday, Butcher Wang from the alley entrance was out in broad daylight with his wife in his yard... cough cough, and guess what happened?"

"His big yellow dog mistook him for a thief and bit him on the butt. This morning, the whole neighborhood was laughing at him!"

"In broad daylight... you're likely to suffer retribution in this lifetime, Your Excellency!"

Pei Yan raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a half-smile.

"There are no yellow dogs in my residence."

The more nervous Jiang Guo'er became, the more moist her eyes became.

She was so scared that her fingertips curled up, but she still had to force herself to stay calm.

The dark side that Pei Yan had suppressed in his heart since childhood was instantly brought out by her.

He leaned down and directly silenced those lips that were still about to chatter on.

Jiang Guo'er's mind went blank.

She was trapped in his burning embrace, powerless to break free.

The feeling was strange, like doing something bad under everyone's noses, yet... it also carried a secret thrill.

The window in the flower hall was half open, and someone might stop and look inside at any moment.

She was the eldest daughter of the Murong family, a noble lady from a marquis's household—

He's actually stooped to being treated so intimately in the flower hall!

If my father, mother, and brother knew this from beyond the grave, they would probably jump out of their coffins!

"Enough, that's enough..."

Jiang Guo'er managed to push his chest away by half an inch, her voice trembling.

Pei Yan, however, turned a deaf ear.

This woman is incredibly stupid in everything else, but she's exceptionally gifted in this area.

She deliberately used a novel tie; can she say it wasn't intentional?

The half-open window swayed slightly in the wind, and the footsteps outside grew closer.

Jiang Guo'er hurriedly buried her face in his shoulder, clutching his shirt tightly with both hands, wishing she could shrink herself into a kitten.

Pei Yan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

A flicker of pleasure, unnoticed even by himself, crossed his eyes.

I got up and closed the window.

As if on cue, he dropped the wooden peg.

……

I don't know how much time passed.

The small flower hall finally quieted down.

Jiang Guo'er propped herself up on her arms and sat up, but immediately fell back down.

She instinctively opened her mouth, took deep breaths, and reached for the teacup on the table next to her.

Pei Yan reached out and stopped her.

"The tea has gone cold; you can't drink it."

Jiang Guo'er felt extremely wronged.

They completely disregarded her wishes and bullied her like that just now, and now they won't even let her drink a sip of water!

I had no choice but to purse my lips tightly, forcing myself to produce some saliva, which I then swallowed.

Pei Yan stared at her rosy lips moving back and forth, still covered with a layer of transparent moisture, and his throat involuntarily bobbed a few more times.

He stood up and tidied his brocade robe meticulously, straightening his belt and keeping his hair perfectly in place.

But he threw away the jade crown that the green ivy had touched.

His expression quickly returned to its usual coldness.

Jiang Guo'er swallowed a few mouthfuls of saliva, breathed heavily, and finally caught her breath. She pulled her clothes together and then struggled to get up.

Pei Yan suddenly looked down and saw her clumsy movements. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and he chuckled softly.

However, the next moment, his gaze fell on something interesting.

Jiang Guo'er suddenly felt a void in her chest!

Finished!

Her inner garment had long been torn open by the man, and the things stuffed inside had naturally fallen out long ago.

Jiang Guo'er looked down.

The silk doll was lying slumped at her feet.

Its round little head is facing upwards, and its two cloth arms are outstretched.

Jiang Guo'er's heart clenched, and she quickly reached out to grab it.

But before her fingertips could reach her, a long, slender, pale hand had already grabbed the back of the doll's collar and lifted it up.

Jiang Guo'er's face was blank, and her blood froze instantly.

Pei Yan held the doll up to his eyes.

The little figure's black brocade robe was lifted up when it hit the ground, revealing tiny undergarments underneath.

Judging from the material, it's the same as the new bellyband that Jiang Guo'er is wearing.

What's amazing is that the underwear is made up of different colors, yet there are absolutely no visible seams.

What's worse, lotus root color, indigo, moon white, and emerald green happen to be his four favorite colors!

Because she is his destined woman, she can even sense his preferences.

Pei Yan's lips curled into a chilling smile.

His sharp gaze fell on Jiang Guo'er's face, as if he could pierce through her skin in an instant.

He hooked the doll with his fingertips, shook it a few times, and his lips and teeth were full of coldness.

"What is this?"

Jiang Guo'er suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

She found the doll at Songhe Garden; its origin is unknown.

To tell the truth, one must find witnesses to prove their innocence.

But if the other party really is making dolls to perform witchcraft, she will surely die for hiding the dolls!

In a flash, Jiang Guo'er suppressed her fear and forced a shy smile onto her face.

"It was...it was sewn by me."

Pei Yan's narrow eyes narrowed slightly.

"Did you sew it yourself?"

"Jiang Guo'er, have you eaten the gall of a leopard?!"

He held the doll between his fingers; its small silk face was stitched with lifelike features.

He was tall and slender, and she dressed him up to look like a handsome young man.

Pei Yan asked the question knowingly, but he knew why he had such a wicked thought and wanted to torment her.

He wanted to see how Jiang Guo'er would cover up this lie!

More precisely, he wanted to see her panic, cry, and beg for mercy.

Just like before at the table, with red eyes and a soft voice, she helplessly shook her arm.

"This servant was wrong... Your Excellency..."

In his excitement, he knocked over the blue-and-white porcelain vase with intertwined floral patterns on the table.

"Speak!" Pei Yan unconsciously swallowed, his voice growing colder and harder.

"What is your purpose in sewing such a doll and hiding it inside your underwear? Is it a curse, or...?"

"This servant has fallen in love with someone," Jiang Guo'er interrupted him immediately, her voice barely audible.

Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, and she was so scared that even the strands of hair on her head were trembling.

Pei Yan was suddenly taken aback. "...What?"

Jiang Guo'er's chin tip had already buried up to her collarbone, and blood rushed straight to her head.

"This servant...this servant admires Your Excellency."

Just now, her cheeks were still flushed after the act, but now the tide rose again, and it became even more turbulent.

"From the day I entered the manor, I... fell in love with... the Prime Minister."

Pei Yan's cold expression froze.

"This servant knows her lowly status and dares not presume to ask for the Prime Minister's favor."

Jiang Guo'er raised her head, her eyes bloodshot, looking like she was ready to risk everything.

"But this servant...this servant dreams of serving the Prime Minister!"

"I think about him day and night, but after more than a month in the mansion... I haven't even been able to touch the hem of the Prime Minister's robe."

"This servant was lovesick and became terribly haggard, which is why I dared to act so recklessly..."

She glanced quickly at the doll in his hand, then looked away as if she had been burned.

"Based on the Prime Minister's appearance and stature, this doll was secretly sewn stitch by stitch."

"I would hold it close to my heart while working during the day, and secretly glance at it while sleeping at night..."

"As for... as for that outfit..."

Jiang Guo'er had been a well-bred young lady since childhood, and had never uttered such shameful words.

Her fingertips nearly tore the hem of her jacket, and her cheeks flushed red.

"Also, it's to satisfy the servant's... inclinations that cannot be spoken aloud."

"Dressing it in this close-fitting clothing makes it feel like... like this servant is truly serving the Prime Minister... and being intimate with the Prime Minister..."

At this point, she couldn't continue and covered her face with her hands in shame and indignation.

The flower hall was deathly silent.

Pei Yan, holding the doll, was completely petrified.