Xie Wanqing didn’t say yes or no; instead, she rested her head on his shoulder, thought for a long time, and finally said, "I don’t dare to promise you, because you will deceive me." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Pei Yuqing smiled bitterly, "I will never deceive you again, really."

"Let’s talk about it later then."

Xie Wanqing could no longer fully believe in him; she gave a few perfunctory responses, afraid he’d persist in pressing for a promise, and hurriedly changed the subject, mentioning the events in the peach blossom forest today.

After she finished recounting what happened today, she asked her very clever husband, "Do you think they might have suspected it was me..."

Before she finished speaking, a hand suddenly appeared on her chin, and immediately, their eyes met, and the man’s handsome face was inches away, his beautiful eyes deep as ink, filled with her...

Xie Wanqing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, and she heard him say, "You said Brother Ji saved you?"

She hesitated, just about to nod, but her chin was held tightly by him, so she could only softly hum in acknowledgment.

Then, she saw the man’s Adam’s apple bob once, his voice slightly hoarse, "How did he save you?"

She had just briefly described the incident, without detailing the specifics, after all, he was a jealous person...

Unexpectedly, he was so sensitive, able to catch such a crucial point from these concise words.

Look at what he’s asking...

Xie Wanqing smiled helplessly, contemplating whether to make up a lie or two, but the fingertip on her jaw suddenly increased its pressure slightly.

"Wanwan, be good," his voice became even lower and hoarser, "Look into my eyes and speak."

Her chin was firmly held, forcing her to meet his gaze, an experience that wasn’t particularly comfortable, Xie Wanqing pursed her lips and said, "At that time, the situation was urgent, in order not to be discovered by them..."

At this point, she paused, unsure if her expression had changed, but speaking under his intense scrutiny made her throat unconsciously dry.

Pei Yuqing waited with great patience, even lowering his head to plant a kiss on her forehead.

When his warm lips landed, Xie Wanqing said, "We hid behind the rockery."

Pei Yuqing didn’t speak immediately, after a few moments, he softy murmured, giving nothing away.

Xie Wanqing pushed him back slightly, her voice somewhat dry, asking, "Do you think Cousin Ji shouldn’t have helped me out?"

"Don’t think like that, I didn’t mean it that way," he said, "I will personally visit to thank him."

Saying this, Pei Yuqing curved his lips into a relaxed smile, "In Wanwan’s eyes, am I such an unreasonable and old-fashioned person?"

He smiled like a gentle spring breeze, looking extremely pleasant.

Xie Wanqing’s heart suddenly relaxed; was she too deeply affected by Lu Ziyuan’s antics? She suddenly found herself being cautious even in front of Pei Changqing.

She silently chastised herself, quickly shaking her head, saying, "Of course not, I know you’re the most generous!"

These words were genuine praise, but to Pei Yuqing’s ears, they sounded exceedingly harsh, his jaw clenching slightly, eyes filled with hints of jealousy, staring at her for a moment before he could no longer restrain himself and lowered his head to capture her lips.

Kissing her.

The hand on her chin held firmly, as if fearing she might push him away, however, Xie Wanqing didn’t.

She was only slightly surprised, then obediently responded to his kiss, even wrapping her arms around his neck.

He kissed her passionately, for longer than she had anticipated.

Until the carriage came to a stop, she repeatedly tapped his shoulder with her fists, and only then did he release her lips which had been kissed to a deep red, gasping for breath.

Although it was already spring, the days were still short and the nights long.

The scene of the sunset before boarding the carriage was now completely replaced by darkness when they alighted.

Xuanhua Courtyard was already brightly lit.

Xie Wanqing hurried to the washroom, holding her swollen lips, not even caring to stop the man who followed her into the room.

So, when she came out, the handsome, gentle man was already lying half-reclined on the bed, and upon hearing her footsteps, he even tilted his head to look in her direction.

The girl, her makeup and hair washed off, wore a thin, mist-colored nightgown, her fresh face void of any embellishment, standing a few feet away, her hair slightly damp, her moist almond eyes looking at him with a seemingly dazed expression, water droplets still falling from her hair tips, being gently blotted away by the towel in her hand.

Afraid of scaring her, Pei Yuqing unconsciously swallowed, trying very hard to control his gaze from being too aggressive.