Chapter Seventeen (Part 2 of 2)

Six years ago the emperor arranged a marriage between Pei Jin and Yewu.

After Pei Jin and Yewu’s betrothal was announced a celebratory banquet was held in the palace. Pei Jin initiated a conversation with Yewu but she was cold toward him. After a brief period of interactions with her, he realised why she was always cold toward him – she wanted to be empress and she couldn’t be empress if married to an unfavored prince.

After Pei Jin understood the situation, he happily kept his distance from Yewu. Then one day while he and her father were discussing imperial court matters in the palace, they saw Yewu seducing Pei Zhang… a few days later Yewu died of a mysterious illness.

Pei Jin remembered what Yewu’s father said to him at Yewu’s funeral, ‘Thank you ninth prince for not exposing Yewu in front of the emperor, in the future ninth prince can ask for my help if needed.’

Pei Jin walked on the wet and muddy path to his and Yan Shi Ning’s chamber. He didn’t tell Bei Dou that he honestly wasn’t involved in Yewu’s death and didn’t know what happened to her until her father said those words to him at the funeral. Initially he wanted to amicably break the betrothal. He didn’t expect her father would force her to kill herself.

Pei Jin thought about his seventh brother. Seventh brother only saw two kinds of women in the world. One were women that could be used and the other were women that couldn’t be used. It was a pity Yewu in seventh brother’s eyes couldn’t be used. Seventh brother’s heart never grieved Yewu’s death.

Pei Jin pushed the chamber door open, stepped to the bed and hugged Yan Shi Ning who was eating on the bed.

Pei Jin was happy he only needed to wait another four days.

Pei Jin kissed Yan Shi Ning’s cheek. ‘Wife, if you washed your face then why is there makeup on your face?’

Yan Shi Ning poked her tongue out and laughed playfully.

Pei Jin understood the reason why Yan Shi Ning wore makeup to bed.

Pei Jin pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear. ‘Wife, if you haven’t washed your face then let’s bathe together.’

Yan Shi Ning’s face immediately paled.

‘This is called taking one li and stretching it longer,’ Pei Jin teased.

‘Ah!’ Yan Shi Ning cried out.

Yan Shi Ning would rather die than let go a pole of the bed.

Pei Jin saw Yan Shi Ning pitifully bite her lips and he let go of her. ‘It’s alright if we don’t bathe together, but you need to be good and wash the makeup off your face.’

Yan Shi Ning jumped off the bed and ran to wash her face.

Pei Jin shook his head, four days were too long! If he didn’t fear his desire would burn him to death then he would have dragged Yan Shi Ning to bathe together with him long ago.

Pei Jin stood and stepped to the vanity table. He got rid of all the makeup to make it hard for his wife to wear makeup in the future.

Yan Shi Ning returned to the bed, laid down and rolled over so she couldn’t see the face of someone who deserved a beating.

‘Wife, if you sleep in that position,’ Pei Jin said. ‘Your chest will be flattened.’

Yan Shi Ning played dead.

Pei Jin pulled the blanket off Yan Shi Ning and slipped a hand beneath her undergarments.

A while later Yan Shi Ning laughed happily. She had waited patiently for Pei Jin’s head to crawl onto her skin.

‘Wife, what did you put on your body?’ Pei Jin asked.

Yan Shi Ning watched Pei Jin jumped off the bed to look for water. ‘It’s nothing, only chili pepper.’

‘Wife, come here!’ Pei Jin said.

Pei Jin silently vowed that four days later he was going to punish his wife.

Yan Shi Ning saw Pei Jin’s pitiful state while drinking water and she laughed continuously. That night she dreamt a beautiful dream. But a day past then another day past and she noticed Pei Jin’s eyes gradually became more devious as though… soon she couldn’t escape.

***

End of Chapter Seventeen (Part 2 of 2)