Chapter 61: She Thinks He Is Seducing Her

“Since the princess has spoken,” Pei Lixian struggled for a moment before finally speaking, “then I have no more concerns.”

“Then I will have someone come over tomorrow,” Li Rong said directly, “to inventory the finances and move them to the Princess’s residence.”

“Your Highness,” upon hearing this, everyone became anxious, “are you planning to separate Wenxuan from the family?”

Li Rong fell silent, and Pei Wenxuan smiled, “Of course not. The princess is only coming to inventory the finances and take over the warehouse keys. Wenxuan is a member of the Pei family and will not leave. He will just temporarily stay at the Princess’s residence due to the princess’s noble status.”

Hearing this, everyone felt relieved.

Pei Wenxuan turned to Pei Xuanqing and respectfully said, “Grandfather, if there are no objections, let’s proceed as planned. In the past, I did not consider things thoroughly and did not interact with the family often, making everyone think I did not care about the family. In the future, I will visit more frequently to see you and take care of our relatives. Blood is thicker than water, and there is no stronger bond than that. I hope that in the future, we can support each other and move forward together.”

“Your intentions make me very pleased, Wenxuan. You have grown up,” Pei Xuanqing said, looking at Pei Lixian, “Let’s proceed as he said.”

Pei Lixian bowed, agreeing to the arrangement.

With the matter resolved, Wen Shi finally couldn’t hold on and collapsed. Li Rong quickly supported her and whispered, “Hold on.”

Wen Shi looked at Li Rong with tearful eyes and managed to stand up again.

Pei Wenxuan exchanged pleasantries with everyone and saw them off one by one. When only a few family members remained in the hall, Li Rong, supporting Wen Shi, said to Pei Wenxuan, “Mother-in-law is not feeling well. I’ll take her home.”

Pei Wenxuan nodded and respectfully said, “Thank you, Princess.”

Li Rong nodded and left with Wen Shi.

Pei Wenxuan sat in the hall for a while, chatting with Pei Xuanqing and the others. After a while, Pei Xuanqing, feeling tired, also left.

In the end, only Pei Lixian and Pei Wenxuan remained in the hall. Pei Lixian nodded at Pei Wenxuan and said, “Wenxuan, you should go back. I won’t see you off.”

As he was about to leave, Pei Wenxuan called out, “Second Uncle.”

Pei Lixian stopped, and Pei Wenxuan walked up to him, standing side by side at the door. In a calm voice, he said, “Father once told me that a family is never built by one person. The future of this family lies in inheritance, not conflict.”

Pei Lixian remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan continued, “I remember when I was young, you took me kite flying. I am not naturally rebellious. Second Uncle, trust me a little more.”

Pei Lixian listened to Pei Wenxuan’s words and turned to look at him.

He remembered Pei Wenxuan as a child, and now, in the blink of an eye, he had grown up, taller, younger, and with a brighter future.

Pei Lixian quietly looked at Pei Wenxuan. After a long time, he softly asked, “Do you hate me?”

“To be honest, that depends on what you do next,” Pei Wenxuan replied, looking at Pei Lixian. “But I believe that deep down, you still care about the family and want the best for the Pei family.”

Pei Wenxuan finished speaking, smiled gently, and bowed, “I will take my leave now. I will visit you again another day.”

After speaking, Pei Wenxuan got up and left the Pei family residence.

Li Rong had already settled the frightened Wen Shi and was waiting for him in the carriage. When Pei Wenxuan got in, Li Rong was leaning against the table, flipping through a book. “Did you talk to your second uncle?”

“Yes,” Pei Wenxuan replied, then asked, “How is my mother?”

“She was shaking when she came out, but she’s now resting in the back carriage,” Li Rong said.

“Is she alright?”

“What could be wrong?” Li Rong laughed. “Your mother has outlived quite a few people.”

Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan felt completely at ease. His mother, who was always crying and sickly, indeed had a longer life than several other elders.

Pei Wenxuan sat down, and Li Rong, noticing his smooth movements, couldn’t help but ask, “Is your injury healed?”

“Not so quickly,” Pei Wenxuan laughed. “I’m not a warrior; the wound is still there.”

“You didn’t aggravate it today, did you?” Li Rong asked, putting down her book and gesturing for him to come closer. “Let me take a look.”

Pei Wenxuan hesitated for a moment, instinctively wanting to refuse, but then he remembered something and smiled, “It does hurt a bit. Can you check if the wound has reopened?”

With that, Pei Wenxuan turned his back to Li Rong and began to undress.

His movements were graceful, and his clothes slid slowly off his shoulders like a curtain being drawn. Li Rong, captivated by his dramatic undressing, asked curiously, “Is your clothing stuck?”

Pei Wenxuan: “…”

As she spoke, Li Rong lifted her fan and pressed down Pei Wenxuan’s clothing on his back. She looked up and, seeing no visible bleeding, said, “It doesn’t seem serious. Have someone change your dressing when we get back. It looks like it’s healing well.”

“Yes.”

Pei Wenxuan’s expression remained calm as he slowly pulled his clothes back on, lost in thought.

Li Rong, her mind elsewhere, said softly, “Tomorrow, I’ll go inventory your assets. I’m afraid Pei Lixian won’t let us get the money so easily.”

“Whatever’s left, we’ll take,” Pei Wenxuan said indifferently. “He’s a smart man. He knows he can’t keep the money. He won’t trouble you over these small matters. Just send someone to inventory it. The main thing is to get the land deeds back. Most of my father’s properties are out of town. We can have Tuoba Yan retrieve them.”

Since taking Tuoba Yan under their wing, his commercial talents had proven exceptional. The two of them worked well together. However, Li Rong hadn’t expected Pei Wenxuan to entrust even his father’s inheritance to Tuoba Yan, considering Tuoba Yan was ultimately her person.

Li Rong looked at him curiously. Pei Wenxuan came to his senses, looked at her, and smiled, “Why are you looking at me, Your Highness?”

“Speaking of which,” Li Rong said cautiously, “are you sure you trust Tuoba Yan to handle your father’s assets?”

She didn’t say it outright, but Pei Wenxuan understood her meaning. He paused, feeling a bit bitter. On such crucial matters, he knew Li Rong kept her distance. She had her own plans and never intended to stay with him long-term, not even considering the possibility.

But that was their agreement. It was understandable for Li Rong to think that way. He could only smile as if nothing was wrong and said softly, “Your Highness and I are one now. I have no reason to worry.”

“And the future?”

“The future will take care of itself,” Pei Wenxuan interrupted her. Li Rong grew more suspicious, “Pei Wenxuan, this isn’t like you.”

“Yes,” Pei Wenxuan replied absentmindedly, sipping his tea. Li Rong fanned herself and said, “You don’t plan for the future? You have more schemes than a beehive has cells. If you don’t think about the future, I’m afraid it’s because you have plans you can’t tell me about. That scares me.”

“Your Highness overthinks,” Pei Wenxuan said, realizing his behavior was too unusual. He slowly added, “It’s not that I haven’t thought about the future. It’s just that in all my plans for the future, you are always with me.”

Li Rong paused with her cup in hand, but before she could react, Pei Wenxuan continued, “After so many years together, even if we are not husband and wife, we are still family. In this lifetime, I do not wish to part ways with you, Your Highness.”

It was like a breeze stirring the surface of a calm pond, creating ripples that quickly settled.

Li Rong felt a bit awkward, silently scolding herself for overthinking. She cleared her throat and said, “You’re right.”

“So the title ‘Madam Pei’,” Pei Wenxuan looked up and smiled at Li Rong, “I’m afraid you’ll have to bear it for a while longer.”

“It’s a small matter,” Li Rong waved her hand grandly, “It’s just a title.”

“Your Highness truly has the demeanor of someone who accomplishes great things,” Pei Wenxuan praised softly. Li Rong blew on her tea leaves, quite pleased. She was about to respond modestly when Pei Wenxuan softly called, “Madam Pei.”

The two words seemed to roll off his tongue, carrying an indescribable tenderness. Li Rong’s hand trembled slightly, and then Pei Wenxuan laughed, “Your Highness is still not used to it.”

“You’re joking,” Li Rong waved her hand, “I don’t mind.”

Pei Wenxuan smiled without saying more, not pressing the matter. Instead, he asked, “But Your Highness, you don’t plan to get the list from Su Rongqing now, do you?”

“If you can get the list from the Pei family, I naturally won’t need to get it from Su Rongqing.”

Li Rong tapped her palm lightly with her small fan, “Actually, what you said makes sense. It’s better to keep things simple when it comes to relationships. Getting the list from him is fine, but not getting it is even better. What do you think?”

“I naturally agree with Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan said, casually cracking some melon seeds as if chatting idly, “So, does Your Highness plan to follow Shangguan Ya’s suggestion and approach Su Rongqing?”

“Let’s leave it to fate,” Li Rong sighed. “It’s awkward. We’re still married, and approaching him feels inappropriate. But if I wait until after the divorce, he might be married by then.”

“Do you like him, Your Highness?”

Pei Wenxuan, eyes downcast and cracking melon seeds, showed no emotion, as if chatting with a friend. Li Rong thought for a moment and said softly, “I suppose I feel regret.”

“Like, no. But there’s some lingering attachment. You said—”

“Forget I ever said anything,” Pei Wenxuan quickly interrupted, seriously adding, “I wasn’t thinking clearly before. Anything I said about Su Rongqing doesn’t count. Don’t take it to heart.”

“But I think you made sense.”

Li Rong frowned, puzzled by Pei Wenxuan’s sudden change. Pei Wenxuan tossed the uncracked seeds back into the fruit bowl and looked up with a smile, “When have I ever not made sense?”

Li Rong, sensing something was off, was about to speak when Pei Wenxuan winced, “Ow.”

“What’s wrong?” Li Rong asked quickly.

“It feels like my wound reopened.”

Pei Wenxuan frowned, “I was trying to lean against the wall to get some sleep, but when I moved…”

“You want to sleep?”

Li Rong looked at the road ahead, “We don’t have much longer to go. Just hold on a bit.”

“I’m a bit tired,” Pei Wenxuan said with a bitter smile. “To be honest, if you weren’t there today, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to my family.”

“They’re all family,” Li Rong nodded, understanding Pei Wenxuan’s difficulties.

Pei Wenxuan lowered his eyes, looking somewhat sorrowful, “With the family in such chaos and being injured recently, I haven’t had a moment’s rest.”

“What do you want then?” Li Rong interrupted him, “Do you want me to give you my seat to lie down?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Pei Wenxuan shook his head, looking at Li Rong with a bit of embarrassment, “I just wanted to ask if Your Highness could lend me your shoulder to lean on.”

“You should have said so earlier,” Li Rong laughed, moving to sit beside Pei Wenxuan and patting her shoulder, “Go ahead and lean on me.”

“Your Highness is so kind.”

Pei Wenxuan praised Li Rong and leaned against her.

Li Rong felt Pei Wenxuan leaning on her and asked, “Are you comfortable like this?”

“Comfortable.”

Pei Wenxuan replied decisively, “Your Highness can lean on me too if you want.”

“No need.” Li Rong glanced at his posture curiously. Given his height, leaning on her seemed no easier than leaning against the wall.

But since Pei Wenxuan seemed fine with it, she let it be.

Pei Wenxuan quietly leaned against Li Rong. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Li Rong, did you ever interact with Su Rongqing like lovers?”

“Hmm?”

Li Rong was puzzled, “What do you mean?”

“That’s right,” Pei Wenxuan pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly, “It’s not the relationship between a princess and her consort, but between lovers.”

“I don’t quite understand. What’s the specific difference between these two relationships?” Li Rong thought for a moment. Pei Wenxuan looked at the hand Li Rong had placed on the table and said gently, “For example, if he were your lover, he would hold your hand like this at a moment like this.”

As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan reached out and took her hand, then intertwined his warm fingers with hers.

His movements were slow, and where his slightly rough hand touched, a silent tingling sensation ran up her fingertips. He slowly clasped her hand and then slightly bent his knuckles, interlocking their fingers.

“Like this,” he murmured, his voice low, brushing against her ear.

Li Rong looked up at Pei Wenxuan. He leaned against her, his eyes lowered, his gaze fixed on their clasped hands. He neither let go nor made any further moves.

Li Rong suppressed all her emotions and desires. She wanted to pull her hand away, but for some reason, her body just stayed there.

She was somewhat addicted to the feeling of their fingers intertwined.

Both physically and emotionally.

For a moment, she felt as if this man was seducing her.

But before she could think further, a guard’s urgent voice came from outside, “Your Highness, something has happened.”

Hearing this, Li Rong immediately looked up coldly. She quickly withdrew her hand, lifted the curtain, and asked in a stern voice, “What happened?”

“Lord Luo is dead.”

The guard stood outside the carriage curtain, seemingly having just received the news and rushed over, panting heavily.

“Lord Xun Chuan has been investigating for a long time and just discovered that Lord Luo and other witnesses are all dead.”

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