Li Rоng did nоt sреak.
Listening tо thеsе wоrds, shе felt a wordlеss sоftness gentlу envelор hеr.
Suсh gеntlеness was diffiсult for her to comprеhеnd, yеt it brought hеr аn ехtraоrdinаrу sеnsе of рeacе. Fоr a mоment, she felt аs if she werе eighteеn аgаin.
Оnlу аt еighteen did shе hаve thе right tо rеleаse hеr еmotions withоut rеstraint аnd still receivе understanding and соmfоrt.
She lоwered her hеаd, tаking a lоng whilе tо соmрosе hеrself, bеforе finally lоoking uр аnd sаying sоmеwhаt shеepishly, "I must hаve embarrassed mуself in front of уou."
"Not аt all," Реi Wenхuan laughed. "Seeing Your Highness in such a state actually makes me happy."
Hearing this, Li Rong glared at him with her still-reddened eyes. "Do you get an itch if you aren’t scolded for a day?"
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan said, tucking his hands into his sleeves. "Today, you were the one who wronged me. Shouldn’t you show some remorse? Do you know how expensive the flowers you blew up today were?"
"Weren’t they bought with my money anyway? Have you forgotten where your money comes from?" Li Rong scoffed coldly. "Spending money on such trivial things day after day—I’d be doing you a favor by not causing trouble for you, and you still dare to ask me for compensation?"
"Your Highness," Pei Wenxuan said, flicking his sleeves with a touch of pride. "I’m afraid you’ve forgotten that I inherited my father’s fortune."
Only after Pei Wenxuan’s retort did Li Rong remember that ever since the incident with the Pei family, he had taken full control of the wealth left by his father.
Li Rong raised an eyebrow. "Did I underestimate you?"
Pei Wenxuan nodded gracefully. "It’s good that Your Highness realizes it."
Li Rong was momentarily speechless. She waved her hand dismissively and walked forward. "Forget it, I won’t argue with you. It’s freezing."
As she spoke, Li Rong hurried toward her room. After only a few steps, she felt the warmth of Pei Wenxuan’s cloak draped over her shoulders. She glanced at him, noticing he wore only a thin robe as he walked along the corridor, a faint smile on his lips, saying nothing.
Li Rong quickly averted her gaze and lowered her head as she continued forward.
She didn’t know why, but while speaking, she hadn’t felt anything. Yet after their exchange, Pei Wenxuan’s interruption left her with an indescribable awkwardness, making her entire face flush with heat.
Pei Wenxuan glanced at Li Rong from the corner of his eye and noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. Suppressing a smile, he chose not to add fuel to the fire at that moment.
The two entered the room, with Pei Wenxuan accompanying Li Rong inside. The thought of having to sleep face-to-face with Pei Wenxuan again that night made her even more nervous.
Yet she didn’t want to push him away after they had just reconciled, so she pretended nothing had happened, turning her back to him as she busied herself washing her hands.
Pei Wenxuan watched Li Rong deliberately occupy herself with trivial tasks, refusing to look back at him. He didn’t enter the room either, instead leaning casually against the doorframe with his hands tucked into his sleeves, smiling as he observed her bustling about. After a while, Li Rong, hearing no movement behind her, finally turned around curiously and saw the young man standing at the door. She couldn’t help but ask, "Why aren’t you coming in?"
"Didn’t Your Highness permit me to sleep in the study?"
Pei Wenxuan replied with unwavering confidence.
Li Rong was taken aback. For some reason, her nervousness suddenly subsided considerably. At the same time, a worry arose—was Pei Wenxuan still angry? But as soon as this thought surfaced, she forcibly suppressed it, feeling that caring about whether he was angry or not was somewhat awkward.For a moment, her thoughts churned back and forth. Pei Wenxuan watched as her expression shifted repeatedly, until finally, he heard Li Rong say, "Then why are you still standing at the door?"
After speaking, Li Rong seemed to feel her words were too harsh and softened her tone, adding, "Rest early. You still have court tomorrow."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan immediately laughed. He straightened up, bowed to Li Rong, and said respectfully, "As Your Highness commands. This humble official will take his leave now."
Li Rong gave a stiff acknowledgment and watched as Pei Wenxuan turned and walked away leisurely.
She stood quietly in the room, momentarily unable to grasp Pei Wenxuan's intentions. They had been speaking just fine moments ago, so why was he suddenly insisting on sleeping in the study?
As she pondered this, she heard footsteps outside again, and soon Pei Wenxuan returned. He stopped at the doorway and smiled, saying, "I almost forgot something."
"What—"
Before she could finish, Pei Wenxuan approached her, bent down, and gently kissed her cheek, whispering softly, "Goodnight, Your Highness."
Then, without waiting for Li Rong to react, he straightened up and walked out.
Li Rong stood in place, expressionless. After a moment, she raised her hand and wiped her face, muttering, "All flash and no substance."
With that, she finally relaxed, took off Pei Wenxuan's outer robe, hung it aside, and walked to the bed, sitting down gently.
She hadn’t been sitting long when Jing Lan entered, observing Li Rong cautiously before saying with restraint, "Your Highness, I heard the Imperial Son-in-Law will be sleeping in the study tonight."
"Hmm," Li Rong replied indifferently. "Add an extra blanket for him."
"Your Highness," Jing Lan said with difficulty, "what quarrel between husband and wife lasts overnight..."
"We’re not quarreling. Don’t worry unnecessarily," Li Rong lifted her eyelids and said calmly. "This is just a bit of fun between the Imperial Son-in-Law and me. Don’t bother us."
"Ah?" Jing Lan exclaimed in surprise. Li Rong stood up and walked toward the washroom, instructing Jing Lan, "Later, send a bowl of ginger soup to the Imperial Son-in-Law so he doesn’t catch a chill. Also, have someone find out how much he’s spent on peonies and such recently. Withdraw the money from the treasury and send it to him."
Jing Lan listened silently to Li Rong’s words, growing more and more alarmed. Returning money for his expenses—what kind of fun was that? This was clearly a separation.
But she understood Li Rong’s temperament. If she said more now, Li Rong would likely grow annoyed and resent her as well. So Jing Lan could only swallow her words, remaining silent as she noted down Li Rong’s instructions.
Meanwhile, Pei Wenxuan made his way to the study. Once inside, he closed the door and, thinking of Li Rong’s stunned expression earlier, couldn’t help but laugh happily.
He lay down on the small couch, but before long, he heard Tong Ye’s voice from outside: "Young Master, I’ve brought the blanket."
Pei Wenxuan quickly sat up and called out, "Come in."
Tong Ye squeezed through the door, carrying the blanket. Pei Wenxuan stood up and watched as Tong Ye spread it out. While arranging the blanket, Tong Ye couldn’t help but say, "Young Master, why are you picking a fight with Her Highness? Moving here to sleep so willingly—Her Highness must be furious with you."
"Ah, what do you know?" Pei Wenxuan said dismissively. "This is called retreating to advance, feigning refusal to welcome. It’s a tactic."
"I don’t understand your tactics."Tong Ye made the bed, muttering, "I knew it. This small couch in the study is as hard as a rock. If you really want separate beds, why not find a guest room to sleep in? Sleeping in the study is just torturing yourself, isn't it?"
"Go on, go on," Pei Wenxuan waved dismissively as Tong Ye finished making the bed. "Is the study the same as a guest room? Sleeping in the study is to wait for Her Highness to summon me back. If I sleep in a guest room, what reason would I have to return?"
"Then why don't you just stay?"
Tong Ye asked with righteous confidence, leaving Pei Wenxuan momentarily speechless. After a moment, he snapped back to his senses and hissed, "I say, your courage is growing by the day, isn't it? Do you not want this job anymore?"
"I'm just worried about you," Tong Ye said earnestly. "Young Master, feelings can't withstand too much turmoil. Since you care about Her Highness, you should be more direct. Be shameless and persistent—even the most virtuous woman fears a persistent suitor. You already had the advantage of being close at hand, but now you've moved yourself to the study. It's cold, hard, and lonely. What's the point?"
"What's the point?" Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it's for the princess. Enough," he walked over and waved his hand. "Go on. I'm going to sleep."
Seeing that Pei Wenxuan wouldn't listen, Tong Ye sighed and turned to leave.
After Tong Ye left, Pei Wenxuan extinguished the lamp and lay down on the bed.
He lay flat at first, then turned over after a while, wondering what Li Rong was doing and thinking at that moment.
He could tell that Li Rong was likely very embarrassed after their conversation earlier that day. She might need a long time to accept him, so he stepped back to give her that time.
And to give himself some time as well.
He hadn't expected Li Rong to say those things to him, but when she did, he saw clearly for the first time how deep the wounds left by their past life truly were.
He thought time had healed those wounds, but now he realized that wounds don't heal on their own. They are merely hidden in deeper corners, as if they no longer exist.
But they remain, and they silently influence countless choices in life.
Li Rong was afraid of love.
Proud all her life, she had no confidence in herself when it came to matters of the heart. Knowing she was destined to lose, she would decisively withdraw at the very beginning.
This was the deadlock between them—she couldn't accept herself, and he was too weak.
So, in their past life, even without Qin Zhenzhen or Su Rongqing, they would have eventually driven their relationship to a dead end over other matters.
He couldn't force her.
Pei Wenxuan thought quietly. Li Rong was like a cat newly entering the world of emotions—afraid of everything. He could only let her explore, not lay everything before her all at once.
She must be the one to come and go. Only with enough agency would she have enough sense of security.
This was likely the kind of waiting Li Rong needed.
The distance between them should be decided by Li Rong, not him.
And the fact that Li Rong was willing to take the first step, willing to decide that distance, was already a good start.
In the darkness of the night, Pei Wenxuan pursed his lips and couldn't help but smile.
Each lost in their own thoughts about the night's events, they drifted off to sleep. When dawn broke, Li Rong faintly heard someone calling her to wake up. Instinctively, she wanted to call for Pei Wenxuan, only to remember that he had gone to sleep in the study.She murmured drowsily, and Jing Lan entered holding a lamp. The harsh light momentarily blinded Li Rong, and soon she was called out of bed.
In the past, when Pei Wenxuan woke first, he would cover her eyes with a handkerchief, then return to the window, using his shadow to block the light, preventing the sudden brightness from hurting her eyes. Then he would bring her clothes under the covers to help her dress, ensuring she wouldn’t be chilled in the slightest.
Now that he was gone, even if the servants did their best, they couldn’t match such thoughtfulness.
Just this small detail made Li Rong recall Pei Wenxuan’s kindness. She sighed softly and turned to ask, “Has the Imperial Son-in-Law risen?”
“The Imperial Son-in-Law is already waiting in the dining hall,” Jing Mei replied as she helped Li Rong dress, smiling. “Will Your Highness be joining him for breakfast?”
“Of course.”
After replying and finishing dressing, Li Rong made her way to the dining hall.
Pei Wenxuan was already seated in his official robes, reading the newly delivered intelligence reports. When Li Rong entered, Pei Wenxuan looked up and greeted her with a smile, “Your Highness, good morning.”
“Good morning,” Li Rong returned the smile, her gaze falling on the newly arrived reports. “Any special news today?”
“Nothing much,” Pei Wenxuan set down the report and studied Li Rong. “Did Your Highness sleep well last night?”
“Quite well,” Li Rong replied, taking a seat beside Pei Wenxuan. “And you?”
“Not bad either,” Pei Wenxuan answered. Li Rong nodded, searching for a topic of conversation, but before she could think of one, Pei Wenxuan spoke up, “Regarding yesterday’s assassination attempt, does Your Highness plan to bring it up in court today, or would you prefer to wait and see?”
“Let’s wait and see,” Li Rong replied, noticing Pei Wenxuan’s shift to serious matters. “Perhaps the mastermind will accuse himself before we even bring it up?”
“That’s not impossible,” Li Rong nodded slowly. “Let’s observe the situation for now.”
Pei Wenxuan acknowledged her words and began discussing other official matters with her. He made no mention of the events from the previous night, as if they had never happened.
Li Rong followed his lead in discussing official affairs, but a faint unease lingered in her heart.
She felt she should say something, yet she didn’t know what.
After breakfast, the two headed to court together. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan walked side by side along the corridor. Usually, Pei Wenxuan would find some excuse or method to hold her hand, but today he remained perfectly proper, as if they were merely colleagues, with no hint of intimacy, discussing only court matters.
Pei Wenxuan’s failure to hold her hand left Li Rong with an indescribable sense of strangeness. She had grown accustomed to it, and his sudden change made her feel… unsettled.
She didn’t show it outwardly but quietly moved closer to Pei Wenxuan, walking shoulder to shoulder with him.
Pei Wenxuan felt Li Rong draw near, their sleeves brushing against each other. As they walked, her hand inadvertently grazed the back of his, a fleeting touch that stirred an inexplicable itch. Pei Wenxuan couldn’t help but glance at her before pretending nothing had happened and continuing to discuss official matters with a serious demeanor.
He didn’t pull away, but neither did he take the initiative, allowing Li Rong’s sleeve to brush against his as he kept his eyes lowered, speaking softly to her about court affairs.
“According to what you said, if Xie Lanqing truly instructed Lin Feibai to assist the Chen family in assassinating you, would the Xie family still be willing to support the Crown Prince given their current stance?”Pei Wenxuan spoke as the two arrived beside the carriage. At last, he extended his hand for Li Rong to place hers upon, assisting her into the carriage.
Li Rong’s hand rested on the back of his, their skin finally overlapping in a broad touch. Pei Wenxuan maintained a calm expression, treating it as nothing more than a courteous gesture.
But Li Rong took advantage of their overlapping hands to slowly and lightly trace her fingertips across the back of Pei Wenxuan’s hand. She felt this gesture of goodwill should have been clear enough, yet Pei Wenxuan remained unmoved.
Once both were seated in the carriage, Pei Wenxuan continued his analysis for Li Rong: “Moreover, given Xie Lanqing’s intentions, he will likely take the initiative to impeach the Chen family at today’s Morning Court Assembly. If Your Highness waits until another day to submit your own impeachment, won’t it be too late?”
“Let’s wait and see,” Li Rong replied distractedly.
After all, Xie Lanqing was like a grasshopper after autumn—he wouldn’t be jumping around for much longer. Right now, she was focused on only one thing.
They had agreed perfectly well last night, so why had Pei Wenxuan gone back on his word today?
What exactly did Pei Wenxuan mean? If he had rejected her last night, he shouldn’t have come back to kiss her afterward.
If he had agreed, why did he go to sleep in the study and act so indifferent to her this morning?
Li Rong pondered this left and right, letting Pei Wenxuan’s words go in one ear and out the other. After all, these were issues she had already considered the night before, and she had no desire to revisit them.
She simply listened as Pei Wenxuan spoke beside her, occasionally glancing his way.
Catching her gaze, Pei Wenxuan understood—by yielding just an inch, Li Rong had indeed taken the bait.
Keeping his expression unchanged, he continued to ramble on nonsensically about court matters.
Li Rong thought it over the entire journey. When they descended from the carriage, Pei Wenxuan reached out to help her down. Li Rong cleared her throat softly, deciding to make her goodwill even more apparent: “Pei Wenxuan, that… the small couch in the study isn’t very comfortable to sleep on, is it?”
“Reporting to Your Highness,” Pei Wenxuan replied with a smile, “after sleeping on a high bed with soft pillows for so long, the small couch offers a different kind of charm.”
Seeing that Pei Wenxuan still wasn’t taking the hint, Li Rong couldn’t help but laugh gently. “If it’s so comfortable, why don’t you sleep in the study for the rest of your life?”
“Your Highness jests,” Pei Wenxuan immediately responded. “This humble official must still return eventually. After all, Your Highness and I,” he lifted his eyes to meet hers, a faint smile playing on his lips, “have a long future ahead of us.”
Li Rong fell silent. She stared at Pei Wenxuan’s smiling face for a long while before finally understanding.
This batch of peonies really was a bit expensive.
She finally realized—Pei Wenxuan wasn’t planning to part ways with her. Rather, he had likely agreed to her proposal but was still upset about the destroyed hillside of peonies, deciding to vent his frustration and put on airs with her.
After a moment of thought, Li Rong lightly tapped her palm with a small fan and said understandingly, “I understand what you mean.”
Pei Wenxuan looked somewhat bewildered. Li Rong raised her eyes and said earnestly, “I will compensate you for the peonies, but from now on, you must not be so willful.”
Pei Wenxuan: “…”
Every word made sense on its own, so why did they become incomprehensible when put together?
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