Реi Wеnхuan's momеntаrу tеndеrness made Li Rоng рause in surрrise. Seеing hеr dаzеd ехpressiоn, Pei Wenxuan cоuldn't hеlp but lаugh. "What's wrоng with уоu?"
Li Rоng starеd аt his fасе for а moment, then lооked uр and pattеd his shoulder, sighing with еmotion. "Му judgmеnt rеаllу is quitе good."
Реi Wenхuаn lоokеd rathеr bеwildered, but Li Rоng hаd alrеady takеn her fan and еntеrеd her оwn cell.
Hеr rооm had аlrеаdу bееn clеаned. Jing Lаn and Jing Мei askеd abоut hеr nеeds, аnd finding nоthing еlsе to attend tо, they withdrew.
Eaсh in their own cеll, they рassеd thе daуs reading books, studying chess manuals, and occasionally bickering when they had nothing better to do.
When evening came, Su Rongqing arrived carrying a food box. He handed the food box and several storybooks to Li Rong, then reported on recent events at court.
As Li Rong listened to his report, she lowered her head to glance at the storybooks Su Rongqing had brought. After he finished speaking, she didn't inquire about court matters, only saying, "These storybooks you brought look quite interesting. I should be able to finish them in a few days. Next time, find me some more like these."
Su Rongqing was taken aback for a moment, then nodded in agreement, hesitantly adding, "Does Your Highness have no messages for me to deliver?"
"Nothing," Li Rong said. After a moment's thought, she added, "In the future, you needn't come so often either. If His Majesty finds out, it won't be good for you."
Hearing this, Su Rongqing fell silent. After a while, he gave a bitter smile and said gently, "Your Highness is right."
Li Rong nodded and said nothing more. Su Rongqing stood at the cell door for a moment, then said, "If there is nothing else, this humble official will take his leave."
Li Rong acknowledged with a sound, her attitude rather indifferent. Su Rongqing bowed respectfully and withdrew.
Only after he had left did Pei Wenxuan open his eyes, leaning against the wall, and remark lightly, "Not going to keep him for a few more words?"
"What for?" Li Rong flipped through the storybook without even looking up. "He's someone who can't be kept anyway."
"Li Rong," Pei Wenxuan said slowly, sitting on a cushion against the wall, knees bent, one hand resting on his knee and the other on his leg. "Do you really not want to rekindle your past relationship with Su Rongqing?"
"No."
"Why?" Pei Wenxuan asked curiously. "Do you still resent him for killing you?"
Li Rong's movements paused. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. Her feelings toward Su Rongqing were far more complicated than those toward Pei Wenxuan.
Between them, there was too much love and hate, too many entanglements. With Pei Wenxuan, it was simply a matter of liking or not liking. But with Su Rongqing, it hovered somewhere between love and hatred. They guarded against each other, yet kept each other company; they gave their true hearts, yet were filled with suspicion.
It wasn't that there had been no stirrings of emotion—she had even impulsively considered divorcing Pei Wenxuan. But Su Rongqing had made it clear to her that he did not want her impulsive gestures.
In her previous life, she had been like a cat cautiously testing the world. Every time she reached out, she encountered flames that burned her. Though Su Rongqing's fire was gentle and beautiful, for her, perhaps admiring that beautiful blaze from afar was far better than touching it.She remained silent, and Pei Wenxuan also fell quiet. He didn't know why, but ever since he realized Li Rong was quite different from his perception, he had been eager to understand her, to know what she had truly been like during the twenty-five years he was absent.
It made him uncomfortable to think about it, yet he couldn't help wanting to ask.
After a long while, Pei Wenxuan finally said, "If you can't figure it out, why not talk to me? I can help you analyze it."
Hearing this, Li Rong couldn't help but laugh. "You're a mess when it comes to matters of the heart yourself, and you want to help me analyze?"
"One cannot see the true face of Mount Lu because one is standing on the mountain itself," Pei Wenxuan immediately retorted, feeling Li Rong was wrong. "I may not understand my own situation, but that doesn't mean I can't understand yours."
Li Rong laughed, thinking Pei Wenxuan was like a doctor who couldn't heal himself, jumping to defend his skills when questioned.
She had no intention of saying more, but with nothing else to do in the prison, she casually began to chat.
Pei Wenxuan asked, and she answered, recounting in detail the twenty-five years he was absent and the life she shared with another person.
Twenty-five years was a long time to recount, stretching from dusk to midnight. Pei Wenxuan listened as she spoke, and occasionally he would share his own stories, which Li Rong found surprisingly novel.
As a light rain began to fall in the night, Pei Wenxuan was talking about how, because he had no children, his clan speculated he was incapable and desperately tried to arrange an heir for him. Li Rong listened intently, feeling both engrossed and drowsy. Amid the pattering of the rain, Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked, "Did you cover yourself with a blanket?"
Li Rong snapped out of her daze, lazily got up, pulled a blanket from beside her, draped it over herself, and said, "I'm covered now. Go on."
"Does your leg hurt?" Pei Wenxuan suddenly asked again. Li Rong knew he was thinking of her leg pain on rainy days and replied with a smile, "I'm still young. A little rain like this doesn't hurt."
"You were young back then too," Pei Wenxuan said gently. "But you still easily felt pain in the autumn."
Li Rong fell silent. She remembered those autumn nights when her legs ached. At first, she hadn't told Pei Wenxuan, but he noticed she couldn't sleep well at night and looked unwell. After inquiring, he learned it was an old ailment from kneeling for too long as punishment in her youth.
So he learned massage. One rainy night, as she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, Pei Wenxuan got up, tucked her in, and gently pressed the acupoints on her legs, softly asking, "Rongrong, does it still hurt?"
That was the first time she slept peacefully through an autumn rain. At that moment, she felt that marriage was much better than she had expected.
Thinking of herself and Pei Wenxuan back then, perhaps because it was so long ago, even with the unhappy outcome that followed, she still felt a touch of warmth.
When Pei Wenxuan brought it up, he continued, "Did your leg still hurt later?"
"It did," Li Rong sighed softly.
Pei Wenxuan gazed ahead, listening to the light rain. "Didn't Su Rongqing take care of it?"
"He did," Li Rong said gently. "But as one grows older, the body naturally weakens."
"He was good to you."
"He was very good. It's just that there was too much standing between us."
They fell silent, momentarily forgetting the original purpose of their conversation. Li Rong felt drowsy, grabbed the blanket, and stood up. "Let's sleep."Then she got up and returned to bed, wrapped herself in the blanket, closed her eyes, and fell asleep.
After Li Chuan left, the two of them had little to do and mostly just waited.
Jing Lan came daily to clean Li Rong’s cell and, in passing, shared news from outside. Li Rong asked Jing Lan to relay her words to the Empress, urging her to cooperate by causing trouble with the emperor, hoping he would recall Li Chuan from the border and not worry about whether she was in prison or not.
Only if the Empress showed reluctance for Li Chuan to go to the border would the emperor believe that sending Li Chuan there was beneficial to him, not to Li Chuan.
And if the Empress ignored her, it would also appear to Li Ming as a sign of possible discord between the Empress and Li Rong.
Even if it wasn’t a sign, it would serve as an excuse for Li Ming to sow discord between Li Rong and the Empress in the future.
The two of them spent their days in the cell, maintaining their health while waiting for news. When bored, they bickered, chatted, or found games to pass the time.
Pei Wenxuan was well-read, having dabbled in all sorts of miscellaneous books. Even topics like beauty regimens, cats, and dogs were familiar to him. In his previous life, aside from political struggles, he had also collected plenty of gossip. With nothing to do in prison, they chatted about these things and found them surprisingly enjoyable topics.
Besides chatting, they also placed a chessboard outside their cells, separated by a wall, and played chess by reaching out their hands. They also played rock-paper-scissors, riddles, and when utterly bored, they even played a game to see who could move their hand faster.
Li Rong complained that Pei Wenxuan was too strong, so Pei Wenxuan was tasked with dodging while she tried to hit him. Pei Wenxuan was clever and almost always evaded her strikes, leaving Li Rong’s hand slamming painfully against the ground each time.
Su Rongqing occasionally visited Li Rong, each time bringing storybooks and reporting on the situation outside. He was respectful and proper, leaving no room for criticism.
At first, Pei Wenxuan felt a pang in his chest whenever he saw Su Rongqing, but he reminded himself that he should learn to face Su Rongqing, to be more open-minded and generous. Through constant self-persuasion, he gradually eased up. At the very least, when they met, he could somewhat control his emotions and refrain from sarcastic remarks.
A month and a half passed in prison. When they first entered, the flowers had just faded, and now they heard that summer lotuses were in full bloom.
Finally, news of victory arrived from the front lines. Not only had Li Chuan held the border, but he had also captured three cities in succession. The Yang family was detained by Li Chuan for colluding with the enemy, and both the people and evidence were sent all the way to Huajing.
Li Rong received this news at noon. Su Rongqing had learned of it during the Morning Court Assembly and rushed over immediately to inform Li Rong. Li Rong showed no expression on her face. She lightly tapped her palm with a folding fan and said calmly, "Minister Su, you are thoughtful. I am already aware of this matter. However, as I am still a convicted person, I cannot concern myself with outside affairs for now."
Hearing this, Su Rongqing’s expression changed slightly, but after a moment, he lowered his head and bowed respectfully, saying, "As long as Your Highness is aware, that is enough. This humble official merely came to inform you."
Li Rong acknowledged him with a sound. Seeing that Li Rong remained as aloof as usual, Su Rongqing withdrew.
Once he left, Pei Wenxuan laughed. "Minister Su keeps running into your hard wall every day. I’m starting to feel a bit sorry for him."
"You’d better save your pity for yourself," Li Rong retorted, already pondering the next steps.
Pei Wenxuan shrugged, not particularly bothered. After all, he was used to being rebuked, and one more remark made little difference.After a while, Li Rong stood up. Now that Li Chuan had sent the Yang family over, it was time for her to act.
She walked to the desk and began pondering how to draft this memorial.
The Yang family’s case had reached a critical point. She needed to request permission from Li Ming to leave the prison and continue investigating Yang Quan’s case. However, if she wrote this memorial herself at this time, she feared Li Ming might suspect her of colluding with Li Chuan in this matter.
After much deliberation, she finally realized that this matter might still require Pei Wenxuan’s help.
Hesitating for a moment, she ran to the corner and called out to Pei Wenxuan, “Pei Wenxuan, quick, help me with something.”
Pei Wenxuan had long been leaning against the wall, waiting for her. Hearing her finally come, he lightly tapped his shoulder with a folding fan and said leisurely, “Your Highness jests. How could a pitiful official like me be of any help to Your Highness?”
“Don’t play dumb,” Li Rong said, seeing him seize the chance to retaliate, and hurriedly added, “This is serious business. Don’t mess with me.”
“Your Highness just said I was pitiful, and now you want to use me. I don’t understand what Your Highness means.”
Li Rong understood. If she didn’t humble herself a little, Pei Wenxuan would likely drag this out all night.
She glanced to the side and saw Pei Wenxuan’s clothes poking through the wooden bars, indicating he was leaning against the wall waiting for her. After a moment’s thought, she reached out and grabbed the hem of Pei Wenxuan’s robe.
Pei Wenxuan looked down curiously, only to hear a sweet, cooing voice from next door: “Brother Pei~~”
Pei Wenxuan shuddered, so startled that his fan fell to the ground.
Hearing the sound of the fan hitting the floor, Li Rong burst into laughter, leaving Pei Wenxuan quite exasperated.
“Li Rong, you can curse at me, but you can’t scare me like that.”
“Enough nonsense. Will you write it or not?”
Hearing Li Rong’s temper flare, Pei Wenxuan raised a hand to his forehead and sighed. “Fine, fine. This gentleman is magnanimous and won’t argue with a woman. Since you called me ‘brother,’ I’ll help you with this.”
Then, Pei Wenxuan emphasized his words deliberately: “My dear Rong, Rong, mei, mei.”
Author’s Note: [Mini Theater]
Question: “Li Rong, how do you think Pei Wenxuan managed to win his way into your heart and become your best friend?”
Li Rong: “With his unique skills in recommending products.”
(Chat Scene)
Pei Wenxuan: “I read in a book before that applying pearl powder to your face can moisturize and brighten your complexion.”
Li Rong: “Really? I’ll try it.”
Pei Wenxuan: “But I think you’re already quite fair. You don’t need pearl powder.”
Li Rong: “Then what do I need?”
Pei Wenxuan: “Come closer, let me take a closer look?”
(Touching her face, pinching her cheek, leaning in to stare)
Pei Wenxuan: “Your skin is a bit dry. Use more cucumber slices lately. Oh, and I’ll write you a prescription for a bath that softens the skin and leaves a fragrance…”
…
Question: “Then how did you deepen your friendship?”
Li Rong: “Well, by pursuing love together.”
Question: “???? Pursuing love??”
Li Rong: “Yeah, he’s very knowledgeable. He often helps me analyze my emotional troubles and plans how to chase men.”
Question: “…And later? Did you succeed?”
Li Rong: “Then we ended up together.”
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