Chapter 59: In This Lifetime, His Highness Must Find It Very Interesting

Pei Wenxuan steadied his emotions. Now was not the time to think about these things. He helped Madam Wen onto the carriage. On the way, he went over the prepared statements with her several times.

“If His Majesty summons you into the hall, just say you didn’t know about this matter. Say that Second Uncle told you to call me back and that he would harm you if you didn’t.”

After making sure Madam Wen repeated it several times, Pei Wenxuan felt reassured.

He was a bit tired. Madam Wen, observing his expression, cautiously asked, “Your injury…”

“It’s nothing,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. “Mother, don’t worry.”

“Pei Wenxuan…” Madam Wen started to cry again, but Pei Wenxuan quickly said, “Mother, control your tears. I don’t have the strength to comfort you anymore.”

Hearing this, Madam Wen hurriedly held back her tears.

Pei Wenxuan looked at the woman in front of him, feeling nothing much. After all, he had been used to life without Madam Wen for decades.

As a young man, he had felt tired and resentful of such a mother. Later, in her old age, he felt even more annoyed and impatient.

However, when Madam Wen really passed away, he sat in the mourning hall, watching the wind blow the white cloth and the flickering lanterns. He felt like a lonely person, like a floating lamp with no one to care for. Only then did he remember the times when Madam Wen and his father taught him to read and flew kites with him.

Parents and children are the greatest helplessness.

Love is mixed with dissatisfaction, and resentment is hidden with pity.

Having experienced life and death, the long years wore down his edges, making him more tolerant. Now, looking at the quietly crying Madam Wen, Pei Wenxuan didn’t feel annoyed. He just thought of Li Rong and how a girl like her would probably never be like this in her life.

He looked at the increasingly heavy rain outside and couldn’t help but smile. Madam Wen cried for a while and then asked, “Have you been well lately? Has Her Highness bullied you?”

“Hmm?” Pei Wenxuan turned his head and couldn’t help but laugh at her words. “Mother, you’re joking. Do you think Her Highness would bully me?”

“People say the princess is arrogant,” Madam Wen said with a sigh. “You have a good temper. If you were bullied, you might not even know it or tell me.”

“Don’t worry,” Pei Wenxuan’s voice softened when he mentioned Li Rong. “Her Highness treats me very well, and I like her very much.”

Madam Wen didn’t speak for a while, then said hoarsely, “You are very much like your father. He used to protect me like this…”

Madam Wen couldn’t help but mention Pei Lizhi again. Pei Wenxuan listened quietly. When they arrived at the palace, he interrupted her, “Do you remember what I said earlier? Repeat it again.”

Madam Wen was taken aback. She seemed surprised that Pei Wenxuan would interrupt her so decisively. She looked a bit sad for a moment, then repeated everything. Pei Wenxuan nodded, and after negotiating with the guards at the palace gate, he entered the palace with Madam Wen.

Pei Wenxuan steadied his emotions and helped Madam Wen onto the carriage. As they approached the Imperial Study, the heavy rain obscured their surroundings. Pei Wenxuan lifted the curtain and saw someone walking towards the Imperial Study with an umbrella. Recognizing the figure, he realized it was Su Rongqing, who must have returned to the office and rushed over upon hearing the news.

Pei Wenxuan’s pupils contracted, and he shouted, “Stop!” The bearers were confused, but Pei Wenxuan quickly got out of the carriage and instructed, “I have urgent business. Follow with Madam Wen.” He then ran into the rain with an umbrella.

Madam Wen, worried, called out, “Wenxuan, where are you going?!” But Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond, running through the rain towards the Imperial Study.

Li Rong knelt at the entrance of the Imperial Study, her eyes downcast, her clothes and hair soaked. The cold seeped into her bones, and her legs felt like they were being pricked by needles. This pain was a lingering effect from being punished to kneel in the snow as a child. Now, she gritted her teeth, determined to stand against Pei Liwen, despite the pain blurring her vision.

The rain pounded on her head, and several ministers had already collapsed and been taken away. Pei Liwen also trembled but continued to kneel stubbornly. Li Rong didn’t know how long she had endured when suddenly, the rain stopped above her head. Someone stood behind her, breathing heavily.

At first, she thought the rain had stopped, but seeing the rain still falling nearby and hearing the breathing behind her, she realized someone was shielding her. This rare, tender feeling made her heart race and ache. She slowly turned and saw a white robe, which didn’t surprise her. Then she looked up and saw the familiar face of Pei Wenxuan.

Pei Wenxuan’s expression changed from complex to surprised, and when he saw her, all emotions seemed to vanish. He felt a deep pain but pretended not to know anything, smiling lightly, “Your Highness, I’m here. Won’t you get up?”

He mimicked her words from when she came to fetch him from the Pei family, intending to tease her, but noticed her pale face. “No,” Li Rong trembled, raising her eyebrows without backing down, “Minister Pei…”

Before she could finish, Pei Wenxuan realized what was happening. He knelt and took her cold hand, scolding, “This is nonsense!”

Li Rong was stunned by his shout. Pei Wenxuan handed the umbrella to a servant and lifted her. “What are you doing…” she protested.

“Stay still,” Pei Wenxuan commanded, carrying her in his arms. The movement reopened his wound, but Li Rong, thinking of his injury, didn’t struggle much, fearing to lose face. She held onto his neck to help him.

Pei Wenxuan, with a servant holding an umbrella, coldly looked at Pei Liwen, “I’ve brought my mother. If you want to confront His Majesty, keep kneeling. If you want to save face, meet at the ancestral hall tomorrow night to discuss with the clan. Don’t embarrass yourself here.”

Ignoring the others, Pei Wenxuan carried Li Rong to the carriage, instructing the servants to take Madam Wen back to the Princess’s residence. Li Rong’s matter was more urgent than anything else.

Pei Liwen, realizing that Pei Wenxuan had conspired with Madam Wen, knew he couldn’t gain anything by confronting His Majesty. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and fainted.

Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan heard the commotion behind them, and Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh softly. Pei Wenxuan gave her a cold look, making her feel a bit guilty. She coughed lightly and said, “Why are you so angry? What’s with the temper?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond. As he carried her to the entrance, they saw Su Rongqing just turning in. He was holding the same umbrella from years ago. Seeing them, Su Rongqing looked surprised. Pei Wenxuan met his gaze, and Li Rong felt a bit embarrassed, saying, “Lord Su.”

Su Rongqing turned to Li Rong, hesitated for a moment, then nodded slightly and saluted, “Your Highness.”

He stepped aside respectfully, allowing Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan to leave.

As Pei Wenxuan carried Li Rong away, she couldn’t help but look over his shoulder at Su Rongqing. Pei Wenxuan, looking ahead, calmly asked, “What is Your Highness looking at?”

“I just remembered,” Li Rong said with some emotion, “the umbrella he gave me back then seems to be this one.”

As she spoke, she couldn’t see clearly anymore. Pei Wenxuan placed her in the carriage, letting her sit down, then knelt in front of her and lifted her skirt.

The carriage was small, and with both of them inside, it felt cramped. When Pei Wenxuan lifted her skirt, she couldn’t help but press his hand, anxiously asking, “What are you doing?”

“Your skirt is wet,” Pei Wenxuan said softly, “keeping it on will hurt more.”

Without waiting for her response, Pei Wenxuan pulled her hand away, lifted her skirt, wrung it out, and tied it up. He then used his sleeve to dry her calves and wrapped them in a blanket from the carriage.

The warmth from the blanket contrasted sharply with the cold on her body. Pei Wenxuan felt his outer robe, then took it off and covered her with it, saying softly, “It’s a bit damp, but it’s better than nothing. Bear with it; we’ll be home soon.”

After speaking, Pei Wenxuan left the carriage and ordered the bearers to hurry and take Li Rong out of the palace.

Li Rong felt better after a while in the carriage. She then realized she was wrapped in Pei Wenxuan’s robe, which had his unique scent—a faint fragrance only noticeable up close. Surrounded by this scent, her heart raced a bit.

She thought it must be the stuffiness of the carriage causing an illusion, so she lifted the curtain with her small fan to get some air. To her surprise, she saw Pei Wenxuan outside.

He walked in the wind and rain, holding an umbrella, looking like a jade-like gentleman. Li Rong stared at him, forgetting to lower the curtain.

Pei Wenxuan noticed her gaze, looked up, and frowned, “Put the curtain down, or you’ll catch a cold.”

Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh. Instead of lowering the curtain, she placed her hands on the window and leaned her head out, saying, “Pei Wenxuan, I just realized, you’re really good-looking.”

Pei Wenxuan silently tilted the umbrella towards her and said, “Even now, you still care about looks. You’re something else.”

“Pei Wenxuan, are you angry?” Li Rong’s voice trembled, unsure if it was from the cold or pain. 

Pei Wenxuan frowned and asked, “Does it still hurt badly?”

“Not as much,” Li Rong said softly, “the blanket you covered me with helped a lot.”

“I’ve already ordered someone to prepare a medicinal bath at home. When we get back, change clothes and soak in the bath immediately,” Pei Wenxuan detailed the plan. “The medicinal bath is the same one you used to take. You’re still young in this life, so take good care of yourself.”

By “used to,” Pei Wenxuan referred to their previous life.

In their previous life, she had met a famous doctor who prescribed a new formula that worked well for pain relief, but it couldn’t cure the root cause, which was damage from her youth.

Hearing Pei Wenxuan’s words, Li Rong focused on something else, “You even know my prescription. You’ve placed quite a few people around me, haven’t you?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t expect her to bring this up. He hesitated and then said, “That’s all in the past. We agreed not to dwell on it. Besides, you also placed people around me, so we’re even.”

Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh at Pei Wenxuan’s words. He helped her onto the carriage, where they had their usual spare clothes. Pei Wenxuan said softly, “Your Highness, please change your clothes first.” He then sat with his back to her.

Li Rong didn’t think much of it and shivered as she changed. After a while, she said, “I’m done.”

Pei Wenxuan turned around to see Li Rong huddled in a corner, covered with a blanket. Seeing him look at her, she quickly explained with a smile, “It’s warmer this way.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t say anything. After a moment, he moved closer, making Li Rong nervous. She leaned back against the carriage wall and asked warily, “What are you doing now?”

Pei Wenxuan reached out and pulled her into his arms. The wide sleeves of his freshly changed outer robe pressed against her back. His embrace was calm and without any hint of impropriety. “It’s warmer this way,” he said.

Li Rong didn’t dare speak. She let Pei Wenxuan hold her quietly. After a long time, she managed a smile and said, “Why do you like holding me so much lately?”

“Because we have a good relationship,” Pei Wenxuan replied smoothly. “We’ve even shared a bed. Are you still going to fuss over this? Do you even realize how cold you are? Why suffer like this?”

“And last time…” Li Rong began.

“I was feeling sad,” Pei Wenxuan interrupted immediately. “I offended the princess, but you agreed to it, didn’t you?”

Li Rong couldn’t find the words to respond. She felt a strange sense of unease.

Seeing her silence, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but laugh and added, “You said we’re good friends. You don’t have any thoughts about me, do you?”

“Don’t accuse me of that,” Li Rong quickly said. “We’re so familiar with each other. I’m not that kind of person.”

Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly. Li Rong, feeling nervous, asked, “Why are you laughing?”

“Nothing,” Pei Wenxuan said, adjusting his position so she could lean against his chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and said, “I just think that you and I are really in sync. I was thinking the same thing.”

“That’s good,” Li Rong nodded, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

They sat quietly for a while. Pei Wenxuan seemed tired and leaned against the carriage wall, closing his eyes to sleep.

Leaning against him, Li Rong felt a warmth and sense of security emanating from him. She couldn’t help but feel drowsy and soon fell asleep.

After a short nap, they arrived at the Princess’s residence. Pei Wenxuan carried Li Rong out of the carriage. She had grown accustomed to his actions and naturally wrapped her arms around his neck. Seeing this, Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but laugh, “You really know how to take advantage.”

“What,” Li Rong raised an eyebrow, “are you a pole, Lord Pei?”

Seeing her in the mood to joke, Pei Wenxuan replied, “Then are you a monkey, Your Highness?”

“You never miss a chance to get the last word,” Li Rong sighed. Pei Wenxuan chuckled, “There are times when I do lose.”

“Oh?” Li Rong asked.

“Hmm,” Pei Wenxuan thought for a moment and said seriously, “When we were pretending to be husband and wife, didn’t I suffer enough?”

Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh, “You call that suffering? We weren’t even familiar with each other.”

“You’ve got it wrong,” Pei Wenxuan said earnestly. “I’ve always been patient with my wife. If you want me to suffer, that’s the only way.”

Li Rong was stunned for a second, feeling that Pei Wenxuan’s words had a deeper meaning. But she also thought she might be overthinking it. After all, Pei Wenxuan often spoke without much consideration, easily leading to misunderstandings.

Before she could respond, Pei Wenxuan continued, “Unfortunately, Your Highness won’t have that chance.”

“You…” Li Rong sighed, feeling a bit helpless. She changed the subject, “Aren’t you going to deal with the Pei family now?”

“Pei Liwen pretended to faint and ran away. I don’t want to bother His Majesty with such a small matter.” Pei Wenxuan carried Li Rong to the bath, where the medicinal bath was already prepared. He placed her on a small couch and said calmly, “The Pei family is still useful. I’ll talk to them tomorrow. Don’t worry, Your Highness.”

Pei Wenxuan called Jinglan over and explained the key points of the medicinal bath. Then he said to Li Rong, “Your Highness, please take your bath. I’ll be leaving now.”

Li Rong lazily responded, and Pei Wenxuan left. Standing at the door, he folded his hands in his sleeves, listening to the laughter and the sound of water inside. His mind couldn’t help but conjure up corresponding images.

He had hardly ever been to Li Rong’s bathhouse in this life, let alone stayed there with her. Now, just a brief pause stirred up countless memories, flooding his mind like a torrent.

In the past, he might not have thought much about it, but now, recalling those moments, he couldn’t stop. It was like a floodgate had opened, and the memories rushed out.

This made him realize how clearly he remembered every detail of the past, even the smallest ones.

Heaven and hell intertwined, he stood quietly at the door. A maid approached and asked, “Consort, do you need to prepare a bath?”

“Yes,” Pei Wenxuan replied, “Add more cold water.”

He then turned and went to his room.

After her medicinal bath, Li Rong felt much better. Still cautious, she wrapped herself in a thick coat before returning to her room.

When she entered, she found the room not just warm but almost hot, with the brazier burning brightly.

Pei Wenxuan, wearing a single layer of clothing, was kneeling by the desk, working. When Li Rong entered, he said softly, “Close the doors and windows, don’t catch a cold.”

Li Rong, wrapped in her coat, squatted in front of him. Pei Wenxuan paused his writing and looked up to see her.

The white fur trim on her coat made her look somewhat cute, a rare sight compared to her usual image. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but smile after watching her for a while.

“Does it still hurt?” he asked.

“Doctor Xue’s medicine can cure much worse things. This is nothing,” Li Rong replied.

“Go lie down,” Pei Wenxuan said gently. “The documents you want to read are by the bed. Read them under the covers. I’ll finish these papers and give you an acupressure massage tonight.”

“Why don’t you teach someone else?” Li Rong suggested. “It would save you the trouble.”

“Teaching someone else is more tiring. Please don’t trouble me,” Pei Wenxuan said, looking at the documents. “It wasn’t easy for me to learn back then.”

Li Rong was taken aback by his words. Seeing her silence, Pei Wenxuan looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Li Rong smiled. “I just suddenly realized that you were actually quite good to me back then.”

Pei Wenxuan paused, then said, “Your Highness, don’t be too easily moved. This is nothing. Don’t give your heart away just because someone is kind to you.”

Pei Wenxuan’s words had a deeper meaning, but Li Rong didn’t catch it. She nodded, “You’re right. You were so good to me back then, but didn’t you have other thoughts?”

Pei Wenxuan felt a pang in his heart. He looked up, a bit angry, “Your Highness, it’s not like you said…”

“Rest, rest,” Li Rong quickly interrupted, seeing he was about to explain. “I misspoke, don’t mind it. I’m leaving.”

She ran off, and Pei Wenxuan, holding his pen, didn’t know whether to be angry or amused. He sighed and continued his work.

Li Rong reviewed all the recent information. Xun Chuan had been chasing witnesses, but Luo Juan had moved them several times, and their whereabouts were unknown. Xun Chuan had already left Huajing in pursuit.

Besides the difficulty in finding evidence, the biggest problem came from the ministers. Nearly 150 memorials were sent to Li Ming today, all about abolishing the Supervisory Department. The reasons varied, but the goal was the same. If Li Rong couldn’t find strong evidence soon, Li Ming might not withstand the pressure.

After reading through everything, it was already night. Pei Wenxuan came over and, seeing Li Rong’s worried expression, directly took the documents from her hands. Li Rong was stunned for a moment and then exclaimed, “What are you doing?”

“You’ve asked that question many times today.” Pei Wenxuan tossed the documents aside, moved the small table with the documents to the far side, and then turned off the light and returned to the bed. “Lie down, I’ll give you a massage.”

“No need,” Li Rong said, feeling a bit inexplicably nervous in the dark. “It doesn’t hurt today, let’s do it another day. Besides, you’re still injured. You should rest and not exert yourself.”

“Are you really better?” Pei Wenxuan frowned, a bit skeptical. Li Rong quickly said, “I’m better, really. By the way, have you applied medicine to your wound?”

Pei Wenxuan paused for a moment and then said, “It needs to be changed.”

“Hmm? Let me help you.”

Li Rong sat up and patted the bed beside her. “Come, light the lamp and give me the medicine and bandages.”

Pei Wenxuan did as she said, lighting the lamp and fetching the medicine and bandages. He then took off his shirt and lay on the bed.

His movements were smooth and composed. Li Rong repeatedly told herself not to overthink. She focused on Pei Wenxuan’s wound and frowned. “They really went hard on you.”

“It’s family discipline,” Pei Wenxuan said calmly. “All the clan members have been through it. It’s nothing.”

“By the way,” Li Rong lowered her eyes, “did you go through this in the previous life?”

“How could I not have,” Pei Wenxuan said with a bitter smile. “You just didn’t know.”

“Oh.”

Li Rong spoke softly, “Do you hate them?”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond immediately. After a while, he said softly, “You only hate if you care. I hated them when I was young, but later I forgot. It’s not a big deal. Besides, those who should go are gone, and I have what I should have. I don’t want to dwell on them.”

“Pei Lixian,” Li Rong recalled, “you killed him in the previous life, didn’t you?”

Pei Wenxuan remained silent. After a while, he suddenly asked, “What were you worrying about earlier?”

Li Rong knew he didn’t want to talk about it, so she didn’t press. She followed his lead, “Xun Chuan went to find witnesses, but it’s been a long time, and he hasn’t found them. I’m afraid something has happened to them. If they are gone, our best evidence would be to find the people who sealed the mansion and figure out where the gold came from.”

As she spoke, Li Rong sprinkled the medicinal powder on Pei Wenxuan’s wound. He flinched slightly, and Li Rong looked up, “Did it hurt?”

“No,” Pei Wenxuan quickly said. “To prove the gold was planted, you need to find the people involved. Are you worried about not having a list?”

“Yes,” Li Rong thought. “It seems I still need to find Su Rongqing.”

“He won’t give it to you,” Pei Wenxuan said decisively. “You should think of another way.”

Li Rong looked at Pei Wenxuan, who continued, “There’s someone in the Pei family who works in the Ministry of Justice. His position isn’t high, but he manages everyone’s logs. If I can reach an agreement with the Pei family tomorrow and get them to follow your plan, we can find the duty logs of the soldiers who sealed the mansion and identify the people involved.”

“That’s a good idea.”

Li Rong nodded. Pei Wenxuan propped himself up, allowing Li Rong to wrap the bandage around him. He continued, “It’s more reliable than finding Su Rongqing. Did Shangguan Ya suggest this idea?”

“She meant well,” Li Rong laughed. “She wanted to kill two birds with one stone.”

“Feelings can’t be handled that way,” Pei Wenxuan said seriously. “Otherwise, it will lead to misunderstandings.”

“You didn’t say that to me before.” Li Rong tied the bandage. Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment and then said softly, “Back then, I didn’t understand many things.”

“And now you do?”

Li Rong thought for a moment, “I don’t think we’ve encountered anything recently that would make you think of this.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t respond immediately. After a while, he said, “Your Highness, let me give you some advice. If you’re not sure about a relationship, don’t try to develop feelings. It was my fault before. I always thought you and Su Rongqing were meant to be together, so I tried to match you. But now I understand that relationships are about fate, and fate can’t be forced.”

“Your Highness doesn’t need to do anything, just wait quietly.”

“Wait for what?”

“Wait for the right fate.”

Pei Wenxuan said, standing up to turn off the light. Li Rong sat on the bed, pondering his words. Pei Wenxuan returned to the bedside, leaned down, and got close to her.

He was very close, and she could clearly see his fair, smooth skin in the moonlight. His gaze seemed to carry a hint of intoxication, making her heart flutter. He smiled faintly, “Anyway, Your Highness has me by your side. There’s no need to rush.”

“If Your Highness feels lonely, I can keep you company. If you need someone to care for you, I can attend to every detail and ensure your satisfaction. Your Highness should focus on state affairs and building the Supervisory Department. Let things happen naturally.”

Listening to Pei Wenxuan, Li Rong couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. “You can do everything?”

“Is there anything Your Highness thinks I can’t do?”

“There is one thing you can’t do,” Li Rong said happily.

“Such as?”

Pei Wenxuan tilted his head slightly, looking as if he was all ears. Li Rong laughed and fell back onto her bed, shouting, “Kiss me!”

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a strong force from behind, pulling her into his arms. One hand wrapped around her waist, and the other grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up.

Realizing what he was about to do, Li Rong’s heart raced. She quickly pushed his face away and said, “I was wrong, I was wrong!”

Pei Wenxuan, his face pushed aside, didn’t turn back for a long time. Li Rong cautiously peeked over, “Are you angry?”

After a moment, Pei Wenxuan chuckled. Li Rong, puzzled, asked, “Why are you laughing?”

Pei Wenxuan, still holding her, laughed and then looked at her with bright, star-like eyes, saying happily, “Your Highness, you are so adorable.”

Knowing he was teasing her, Li Rong didn’t bother responding. She lay down, turning her back to him, and said, “I’m going to sleep.”

Pei Wenxuan didn’t say anything, watching her with a smile.

He had slept more than her during the day, so when Li Rong fell asleep, he was still awake.

After a while, Li Rong turned over in her sleep. Pei Wenxuan propped his head up, watching her sleep peacefully. The moonlight fell on her face, and she seemed to be having a sweet dream, smiling in her sleep.

Pei Wenxuan watched for a while, then leaned over and gently kissed her lips.

The kiss was light, like a dragonfly skimming the water, but he repeated it several times. Li Rong, feeling disturbed, waved her hand to shoo him away and then turned over.

Pei Wenxuan took a deep breath, hesitated, and finally pulled her into his arms.

Li Rong murmured in protest, but Pei Wenxuan chuckled softly and whispered, “Did you think I would just let it go?”

Knowing she couldn’t hear him, he sighed after speaking.

He took a deep breath of her scent and closed his eyes to sleep.

They slept until the usual time for court. Li Rong woke up groggily, still in Pei Wenxuan’s arms. Half-asleep, she tried to get up, “It’s time for court…”

Pei Wenxuan pulled her back into his arms and said, “I’ve asked someone to take leave for you. Go back to sleep.”

Hearing the word “leave,” Li Rong’s willpower crumbled, and she instantly fell back asleep.

When she woke up again, she finally realized something was wrong. She quickly became fully awake and stared at Pei Wenxuan beside her.

Pei Wenxuan, noticing she was awake, yawned and slowly sat up. He looked at her, a bit confused, “Your Highness?”

He pulled his clothes closer and asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You…”

Li Rong didn’t know how to address what had happened. She wasn’t even sure if Pei Wenxuan knew.

They had always slept properly before, so how did they end up holding each other last night?

Li Rong didn’t know what to say, but Pei Wenxuan spoke first, warning her, “You held me all night. Don’t go too far.”

Li Rong: “???”

“You don’t know?” Pei Wenxuan looked at her expression, a bit uncertain. “You kept saying you were cold last night. Did you forget?”

Li Rong: “…”

She had no memory of it.

“I think you’re tricking me,” Li Rong finally managed to retort after a long pause. Pei Wenxuan looked her up and down, then suddenly placed his hand on her leg and asked seriously, “Your Highness, what is this?”

“A leg,” Li Rong replied, somewhat confused. She then raised her hand to hit him, “What are you doing?”

But Pei Wenxuan was quicker, withdrawing his hand and placing it on his own leg. “And what is this?”

“Your… your leg?” Li Rong was unsure.

Pei Wenxuan laughed, “Exactly, both are legs. That’s how I see our relationship. To be honest, I can’t even tell the difference when I touch your leg. So please, don’t overthink it. Save your rich imagination for the stories you read.”

With that, Pei Wenxuan got out of bed gracefully. “Your Highness, I have other matters to attend to. You should get some more sleep.”

“No need,” Li Rong adjusted her mindset, realizing she might have misunderstood and overthought things.

Given Pei Wenxuan’s nature, if he liked her, he would definitely do something “for her own good” rather than actively holding her at night.

She calmed herself, deciding it was just an accident, and nodded, “I’ll go meet with some officials today and come back to accompany you to the Pei family tonight.”

“Why accompany me?” Pei Wenxuan asked, rubbing a cloth with a half-smile. “Don’t trust me?”

“Yes, yes,” Li Rong didn’t want to argue with him. “With your ability to get injured every time you visit the Pei family, I’m impressed.”

“Don’t worry,” Pei Wenxuan said seriously, dropping his playful tone. “I’ve planned everything. There won’t be any problems this time.”

Li Rong nodded, trusting Pei Wenxuan’s capabilities.

After getting up and washing, they each went about their own tasks. Li Rong began contacting various officials. The Supervisory Department’s reputation was currently poor, and everyone was still observing. The officials she could reach were mostly those without much power or small officials.

But Li Rong didn’t mind. She made a list of people based on their future performance in the previous life and contacted them one by one.

Although Pei Wenxuan was recuperating at home, he didn’t neglect his duties. His intelligence network was extensive, and staying at home didn’t stop him from writing memorials to impeach others.

They both worked until evening. As night fell, Pei Wenxuan changed his clothes and stepped out, seeing Li Rong’s carriage waiting at the door.

Li Rong seemed to hear him leaving the residence. She lifted the curtain with her small golden fan and smiled at him from inside the carriage, her beautiful phoenix eyes full of mischief. “Lord Pei, where are you going? I happened to be passing by and can give you a ride.”

Pei Wenxuan chuckled, walked over, and sat beside her. “After all these years, Your Highness still loves to joke like this.”

“Isn’t it fun?” Li Rong said, tapping her palm with the fan. “Every time we meet, we pretend it’s the first time, even though we know each other well. I find it amusing.”

“Then Your Highness must find this life very interesting,” Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile. Li Rong laughed softly, “Indeed.”

“And my mother?” Pei Wenxuan asked, getting to the point. Li Rong pointed to the carriage behind them. “In the carriage behind. Have you gone over everything with her?”

“Yes,” Pei Wenxuan instructed, “When we get there, just sit quietly and don’t say a word.”

“I know, you’re good at arguing.”

“It’s not arguing,” Pei Wenxuan quickly explained, “It’s reasoning.”

Li Rong smiled without responding. They discussed how to coordinate that night, with one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop. Then they chatted about some interesting topics until they arrived at the Pei residence.

The carriage stopped at the Pei residence. Pei Wenxuan got out first and extended a hand to help Li Rong down.

At the entrance of the Pei residence, Li Rong looked up and saw that the Pei family had stationed guards at the gate, clearly intimidated by her previous visit.

Li Rong opened her small fan and said softly, “So timid.”

Pei Wenxuan held her hand, smiling without saying a word.

With the guards leading the way, they walked confidently through the main gate of the Pei residence, through the corridor, and into the ancestral hall.

In front of the ancestral hall were the tablets of the Pei family’s ancestors. The clan elders sat closest to the tablets, with others standing in order of their status.

Pei Wenxuan supported Li Rong as they entered. Everyone stared at him. Pei Wenxuan smiled and greeted everyone, but no one responded.

Li Rong raised an eyebrow, “What, the consort greets you, but you don’t greet me?”

Pei Wenxuan stood with his hands in front of him, smiling and bowing his head, watching Li Rong’s outburst.

Both sides wanted to intimidate the other. The Pei family remained unmoved, so Li Rong looked up at a portrait…

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