My apologies for the delayed update. I was unwell, but I am now slowly recovering.

A big many thanks to Ashley and Olena for your support! ? Lots of love to my readers. ? Happy reading! ?

Chapter 40: If You Want To Hit Me, Then Hit Me — But Why Slap Me?!

Both of them were exhausted, and when they woke up, it was already early the next morning. Having slept for a long time, they woke up hungry. After Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan woke up and freshened up, they immediately had breakfast.

Most of the people in the princess’s residence were familiar to Li Rong, and Pei Wenxuan had known them from his previous life. However, starting anew in this life, even though he was aware in his heart, on the surface, he had to pretend to meet them for the first time.

After breakfast, the two spent the morning getting familiar with the personnel in the princess’s residence. Only then did they have some time alone.

Pei Wenxuan’s marriage leave was a total of nine days. He would return to his normal court duties after nine days. Having met the people they needed to see, with some time left, Li Rong thought for a moment and said to Pei Wenxuan, “Shall we go visit Shangguan Ya first?”

Currently, Li Rong was most concerned about Li Chuan’s wedding. Pei Wenxuan didn’t object and immediately called for a carriage. Together, they headed towards the Shangguan residence.

On the way, Pei Wenxuan wrote some notes. While writing, he couldn’t help but ask, “How did you know she’s here?”

“I had people keep tabs on her since before the wedding,” Li Rong lazily replied, sitting on the side, reading a book. “She arrived before the wedding, but I was busy at that time and didn’t have time to bother about her.”

Speaking of which, she looked up at Pei Wenxuan, “Is the note ready? Let me see when it’s done.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled, “It’s just a greeting card. Nothing special to see.”

“Ah Ya is particular. If your note isn’t well-written, she might not bother to meet you,” Li Rong said casually.

“You can rest assured about that,” Pei Wenxuan handed over the completed note. “She might dare not see me, but she definitely wouldn’t dare not to see you.”

Li Rong was pleased to hear this, but she still took a look at Pei Wenxuan’s note. Pei Wenxuan had written it beautifully, even if you only considered the characters. Li Rong couldn’t help but praise, “You, beautiful both inside and out. Handsome and with beautiful handwriting.”

“Your words,” Pei Wenxuan laughed and sighed, “are you making fun of me or yourself?”

“How am I making fun of myself?” Li Rong raised her eyebrows in confusion. Pei Wenxuan took the letter back from her hand, moved a bit farther away, and chuckled, “After all, your handwriting isn’t that good.”

Upon hearing this, Li Rong tapped her fan on her palm, “Do you think this carriage is so big that it can provide you protection?”

“But,” Pei Wenxuan changed the topic immediately, saying, “Her Highness’s is not only outwardly beautiful but also inwardly excellent, perfect in every way.”

Li Rong burst into laughter, and they didn’t continue teasing each other. Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment and expressed some concern, “If we go directly like this, what if miss Shangguan is not at home?”

“If she’s not at home, she must be at some tea gathering or poetry event. She has only a few places she used to go before entering the palace. We have plenty of time; it’s easy to find her.”

Li Rong said confidently, and Pei Wenxuan nodded, not worrying too much.

The two arrived at the Shangguan residence, presented their invitation, and after a while, the steward of the Shangguan family came out personally, respectfully saying, “Your Highness, I apologize. Today, our young lady was invited by the Literary and Poetry Society to attend a tea gathering. If you don’t mind, you can return to the princess’s residence first. When our young lady returns, I will have her personally visit the princess’s residence to apologize.”

“It was our boldness to come without notice,” Li Rong smiled, “There’s no need to blame the young lady. Since she’s at the Literary and Poetry Society, I’ll go there.”

In the noble circles of Hua Jing, it was common for aristocratic youths to establish poetry societies. They often gathered in teahouses for tea parties, composing poetry and engaging in refined conversations, making it an elegant social activity.

However, such events had high entry barriers in terms of status, and participants were expected to possess considerable knowledge. Shangguan Ya’s ability to receive an invitation from the Literary and Poetry Society within a few days of arriving in the capital demonstrated her extraordinary talents.

Li Rong wasn’t surprised. Sitting in the carriage, she laughed with Pei Wenxuan, “I told you she would either be at home or at the poetry society. Do you believe me now?”

Pei Wenxuan nodded, “You do understand her.”

“After all, I’ve known her for so many years.” Li Rong, thinking about meeting Shangguan Ya soon, couldn’t help but feel happy. The fan in her hand twirled as she reminisced about the first time she met Shangguan Ya, “Speaking of which, it’s regrettable that we didn’t meet her this early back then. Although she’s a woman, she embodies the elegance of a noble family, conversing with her is both dignified and humorous, delighting people. The only regret is,” Li Rong sighed, “she’s too formal.”

Pei Wenxuan listened quietly, sipping tea without much comment as Li Rong casually shared amusing stories about Shangguan Ya from the past. They arrived at the Literary and Poetry Society.

The Literary and Poetry Society was the most prestigious and wealthy poetry society in Hua Jing, with its own tea house dedicated to discussions and tea gatherings.

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan got off the carriage, and after stating Pei Wenxuan’s name, they entered. As they stepped into the tea house, attendants approached and inquired about the group they were there to meet. Li Rong smiled and directly said to the receptionist, “I heard miss Shangguan Ya is here today. Could you kindly inform her?”

“Miss Shangguan?” The person from the poetry society seemed puzzled. “Miss Shangguan is not here today.”

Upon hearing this, Li Rong stopped in her tracks, turned around with a hint of surprise, and asked, “She didn’t come?”

“No, she didn’t,” the receptionist said with a smile. “Miss Shangguan only visited our place once since she arrived in Hua Jing.”

Li Rong immediately sensed something was wrong. Pei Wenxuan, standing beside her, cleared his throat and chuckled, looking at Li Rong. “I told you she must be somewhere else. Young man,” Pei Wenxuan turned to the attendant, “do you happen to know the places Miss Shangguan usually frequents?”

“Well, I…” Before the attendant could finish, Pei Wenxuan revealed a silver coin from his sleeve. He nodded, and the attendant hesitated for a moment before saying, “We don’t know miss Shangguan’s whereabouts. However, I’ve heard someone mention that they saw miss Shangguan with a pass to the Jucai Inn. Maybe you can check there?”

Upon hearing this, Li Rong showed a shocked expression, but Pei Wenxuan wasn’t too surprised. He handed the silver coin to the attendant and then pulled the incredulous Li Rong out.

Once outside, Pei Wenxuan instructed a servant to borrow a pass to the Jucai Inn from a friend. He then took Li Rong onto a carriage heading towards the Pavilion.

It took Li Rong a while to recover from her surprise in the carriage. She immediately exclaimed, “Are you really going to the Jucai Inn?!”

The Jucai Inn was the most famous gambling den in Hua Jing, and once Li Rong regained her composure, she found the idea dubious. She immediately said, “That person is definitely talking nonsense. Don’t waste time going to such places.”

“Since we’re already here,” Pei Wenxuan lifted his tea cup, glanced at Li Rong with a smile, and said, “Why not go and see? There might be a pleasant surprise.”

“Impossible.” Li Rong, noticing Pei Wenxuan’s amused expression, became displeased. She sneered, “Don’t waste your time. I know you have some opinions about Ah Ya…”

“Stop, stop, stop,” Pei Wenxuan interrupted Li Rong, raising his hand. “I have no opinions about miss Shangguan. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“So, in the past, if I praised her, you criticized her,” Li Rong sneered, “and now this? What’s this?”

“I genuinely have no opinions about her,” Pei Wenxuan took a sip of tea, casually pointing the tea bowl lid in Li Rong’s direction. “My opinions are about you.”

Li Rong: “…”

For a moment, she actually felt like there might be some truth in his words.

“I’m just curious,” Pei Wenxuan chuckled, “living for a lifetime, wouldn’t it be interesting to see some different scenery?”

“It might be different,” Li Rong asserted confidently, “but definitely not this kind of thing.”

“How about a bet, Your Highness?” Pei Wenxuan raised his hand to the window sill, smiling. “If miss Shangguan is at the Jucai Inn today, what would you do?”

“If Ah Ya is at the Jucai Inn,” Li Rong, feeling bold, declared, “I’ll immediately buy you a carriage.”

“Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan waved his fan, “I have entered the princess’s residence now. Do you think I still care about a carriage? Are you looking down on me, or are you looking down on yourself?”

Pei Wenxuan’s words made sense, and Li Rong nodded, saying, “You make a valid point. What do you propose then?”

Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment, not sure what he wanted.

He had gambled with Li Rong before, but now it was out of the question. Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment and then said, “I can’t think of anything for now. How about we make a bigger bet? The princess promises to do something for me. It will be something personal and unrelated to court matters, maintaining the princess’s integrity. For example, doing laundry, cooking, fetching water, or dressing up,” Pei Wenxuan said with a smile, unable to hold back his laughter, “serving me like a little maidservant wouldn’t be bad.”

“You dare to think about that,” Li Rong sneered, “What if she’s not here?”

“Well,” Pei Wenxuan thought, “Your Highness, what do you suggest?”

“After your secret guards are established, assign the Falcon Squad inside to serve as my guards,” Li Rong made a bold request, leaving Pei Wenxuan helpless, feeling that this person lacked a sense of humor.

His secret guards were divided into four teams: Falcon, Tiger, Wolf, and Fox. Li Rong asked for the entire elite Falcon Squad. Pei Wenxuan sighed and, thinking Li Rong believed he wouldn’t agree to the bet, was about to make a sarcastic remark. However, Pei Wenxuan raised two fingers, “Twenty members of the Falcon Squad, how about that?”

“The Heavenly Character Squad members?”

“Sure.” Pei Wenxuan nodded, and Li Rong immediately smiled, as if she had gained some advantage, “I thank master Pei in advance.”

Pei Wenxuan chuckled without saying a word. The carriage soon arrived at the entrance of the Jucai Inn. Both dismounted, and the guard who had previously gone to borrow the pass was already waiting at the entrance. He handed the pass to Pei Wenxuan, who nodded. Leading Li Rong, they entered the inn together.

The two didn’t want to attract too much attention, so they had the guards wait at the door. Walking towards the Jucai Inn together, a gatekeeper stood at the entrance. As they reached the entrance, the gatekeeper loudly shouted, “The Jucai Inn is open to all. Whether you have money or not, come on in. Are you two rich or not?”

Listening to the coded message, Pei Wenxuan handed over the pass and smiled, “We are rich.”

Taking the pass, the gatekeeper carefully examined it and then turned to say, “Esteemed guests, please—”

After the gatekeeper’s call, a middle-aged man came from inside, inviting Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan to enter. The middle-aged man guided them through the inn, introducing various areas along the way. Both were distracted, and when they entered the main hall, Pei Wenxuan nodded, “You don’t need to attend to us. We’ll explore on our own for a while.”

The middle-aged man smiled and agreed, then walked away.

Strolling through the crowd, the place was lively, with people bustling about, showing great excitement regardless of gender.

Pei Wenxuan, concerned about people bumping into Li Rong, had to raise his hand to shield her in the middle, creating a clear path for her. As he protected her and moved forward, he said, “I’m doing this for your sake. Don’t read too much into it.”

Li Rong glanced faintly at Pei Wenxuan, “The more someone says not to think too much, the more they’re thinking.”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

There was some truth in her words.

They wandered through the crowd, and Li Rong’s tension gradually eased. She couldn’t help but say, “What I said earlier, how could Ah Ya possibly come to a place like this, master Pei…”

Before she could finish her sentence, they both faintly heard a familiar voice in the crowd, excitedly shouting, “Big! Big! Big!”

The moment Li Rong heard that voice, it felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Both turned around and saw a figure in the crowd that resembled Shangguan Ya, leaning over a gambling table, vigorously banging on the table’s “big” character. Her eyes were fixed on the dice cup about to be revealed, shining with excitement.

But the person was wearing men’s clothing, and Li Rong couldn’t see the face clearly. She couldn’t be sure if she had misheard the voice or…

Before she could react, the table started cheering and lamenting as they opened the screening cups. The short girl shouted, “I concede, I concede,” while picking up the money in front of her.

However, halfway through collecting the money, she seemed to realize something. She stood up, exchanged a few words with the people nearby, and walked towards a small door on the side.

Li Rong immediately realized and said, “Catch up with her.”

She had to make sure if this was really Shangguan Ya. If it wasn’t Shangguan Ya, that’s fine. But if it was Shangguan Ya…

Did Shangguan Ya deceive her in her past life?!

Li Rong was shocked internally, urgently chasing after the girl. Pei Wenxuan quickly followed, pushing through the crowd.

The girl was quite clever; she noticed that Li Rong had caught up with her and accelerated, running towards the outside.

Li Rong, forgetting about etiquette for a moment, ran after the girl, urging Pei Wenxuan, “Chase her! Can’t you even catch a girl?!”

Pei Wenxuan, helpless, increased his speed to catch up with the girl.

Shangguan Ya, running ahead, realized that Pei Wenxuan was getting closer. Knowing that she would be caught if she continued like this, she quickly surveyed the surroundings, raised her hand, pushed against a nearby window, and jumped through the small circular window.

The window was too small for Pei Wenxuan to pass through. He froze in place for a moment. Li Rong, seeing this from a distance, muttered, “Is she a monkey?”

Then, without hesitation, she directly crossed over Pei Wenxuan, somewhat clumsily supporting herself, and jumped through the circular window.

Pei Wenxuan widened his eyes, as if he had seen a ghost. Then he heard Li Rong shout loudly, “Go around, you fool!”

Pei Wenxuan realized that Li Rong was determined not to give up on catching Shangguan Ya. He quickly assessed the route and hurriedly circled around the wall, continuing to chase after the two. Li Rong relentlessly pursued Shangguan Ya, maintaining distance but showing great tenacity.

In order to shake off Li Rong, Shangguan Ya quickly sneaked into a small building in the backyard dedicated to resting. Li Rong quickly followed, and when Pei Wenxuan entered the courtyard, he happened to see the two girls going up the stairs. After a brief thought, he decided to pass through the first floor directly. Shangguan Ya couldn’t stay on the top floor all the time; she would definitely find a way to come out of the building and escape from the Jucai Inn.

Shangguan Ya indeed had this plan. Once she went up, she found a route on the second floor. The small building had a relatively low window on the second floor. After jumping down and climbing a tree to cross a wall, she could leave the Jucai Inn. As long as she wasn’t caught red-handed, she would have room for argument.

Shangguan Ya’s plan was well thought out, but Li Rong closely pursued her. She quickly distanced herself from Li Rong, rushed towards the window, intending to climb down slowly. However, before reaching the window, she heard Li Rong shout loudly, “Shangguan Ya, stop right there!”

Startled, Shangguan Ya slipped, trembled, and directly fell from the window.

The headscarf she used to tie her hair had already come off, and when she fell, a nearby branch hooked onto her, causing her dark hair to scatter instantly.

Shangguan Ya let out a soft “ya,” feeling a sense of weightlessness, and panic surged in her heart.

In that moment, the young man below, who had been leaning against a tree with his eyes closed, opened his eyes. He saw a girl falling from the sky and instinctively raised his hand to catch her, pulling her into his arms.

The summer sunlight illuminated the young man, giving him a radiant glow. With a slight smile, he said, “I was just taking a nap and unexpectedly a beauty falls from the sky.”

Shangguan Ya instantly reacted, gave him a slap, and then jumped out of his arms, turning to run. The young man was momentarily stunned, then quickly reacted, grabbing her.

Shangguan Ya angrily shouted, “Let go!”

The young man smiled slightly, saying, “Running away? Let me help you.”

Shangguan Ya was stunned for a moment. He then stuffed her into a pile of grass nearby and quickly covered her with an overturned bamboo basket.

Just as he finished covering the basket, Li Rong arrived at the window. She looked down and saw the young man standing below.

She was slightly surprised, then exclaimed, “Young Master Su?”

Su Ronghua turned around with a smile upon hearing his name. When he saw Li Rong, he appeared somewhat surprised. His gaze quickly swept to the overturned bamboo basket beside him and swiftly looked away, saying, “How could Your Highness be here?”

“Did the young master see a girl dressed in men’s clothing?”

“I did,” Su Ronghua pointed with his fan outside the courtyard, “She ran away.”

Li Rong pursed her lips, glanced at the distance between the window and the ground, and made a quick decision, “Would the young master mind helping out?”

“Your Highness, please speak.”

“I’m jumping down now, catch me.”

Su Ronghua was stunned for a moment. After a while, she reacted and said, “Oh, okay.”

With that, Su Ronghua reached out, and Li Rong, holding her skirt, stepped onto the window. Before she could react, she heard a loud shout from Pei Wenxuan beside her, “Li Rong!”

Li Rong was scared and threw herself down. Su Ronghua hadn’t moved yet when she saw someone rushing over and caught the suddenly falling Li Rong in his arms. Pei Wenxuan came too fast and too urgently. Li Rong was completely bewildered.

He looked visibly angry, and Li Rong lay in his arms, staring blankly at the inexplicably angry Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan didn’t speak. He put her on the ground and asked, “Are you okay?”

“No…” Li Rong rarely encountered such a situation and felt a bit uneasy. “I’m fine.”

Pei Wenxuan nodded, not saying much to her. Su Ronghua, unaware of what had happened, stood behind Pei Wenxuan and smiled, “The girl just now…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Pei Wenxuan turned around and slapped him across the face. The slap stunned Su Ronghua.

Covering her face in shock, Su Ronghua turned to Pei Wenxuan and asked, “Why did you hit me?”

After a moment, he thought of another question, “If you want to hit me, why a slap?”

Anger came late, and Su Ronghua raised her voice, “Are you even a man?!”

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