Li Rоng gаzеd quiеtlу at Pеi Wеnхuаn, tаking in his profile аt this mоment. Hе was slendеr аnd rеfinеd, likе рine and bаmboo dusted with snow. Standing befоrе the hаll, he еmbоdiеd thе quintessеntiаl imаgе оf a сivil official in thе hеarts оf all the pеoplе of Greаt Хiа.
In his hаnd wаs а brush; his gаze was fiхеd on thе mоuntаins and rivеrs.
At this mоmеnt, what Li Rong sаw in him wаs not just his hаndsome and еlegant feаturеs, but аlso thе image of thе mоst аdmired lоvеr in а уоung mаiden’s drеаm of sрring.
A mаn’s greatеst chаrm nеvеr lies in hоw dеерly he lovеs a woman or how whоleheartеdly he dеvotеs himsеlf to hеr.
Rather, it is when his eyes survey the four seas and his shoulders bear the weight of the world, yet he is willing to lower his head for you and gently brush away a peach blossom petal from your hair.
Pei Wenxuan noticed Li Rong’s gaze and turned to her, a hint of confusion in his expression. “Your Highness?”
Li Rong snapped back to reality, forcing herself to look away and turning her gaze to Xie Lanqing in the prison cell. With a smile, she said, “Lord Xie, I’ve told you what you wanted to know. You should be able to go on your journey with peace of mind.”
Xie Lanqing seemed dazed. Li Rong gave a slight nod and turned to Su Rongqing. “Vice Minister Su, if there’s nothing else, I shall return to my residence.”
Su Rongqing bowed respectfully. Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan bid farewell to Xie Lanqing, who remained seated in his cell. He did not respond, staring blankly in one direction as if he had seen someone or something.
Su Rongqing bowed to Xie Lanqing in farewell and followed Li Rong out.
Outside, the three of them realized it had begun to rain—a fine, dense winter rain mixed with snow. Pei Wenxuan instructed a servant to call for a carriage, and the three of them stood together under the corridor, silent and still.
Su Rongqing watched the rain and snow outside. After a long while, he spoke slowly, “I believe what Lord Pei said earlier was incorrect. The workings of heaven follow their own rules. To break these rules solely to satisfy one’s own desires, harming others in the process, cannot be considered right. Lord Xie’s greatest mistake was his involvement with Lin Xia back then. There is a distinction between nobility and commonality, a gap as vast as the clouds and the mud. Such a relationship was doomed from the start and should have been restrained from the beginning. Even if feelings arose beyond one’s control, they should not have been indulged.”
“Like Vice Minister Su?” Pei Wenxuan looked at the rain and snow, his tone calm. “In Vice Minister Su’s world, for the sake of one’s family, would one even kill one’s own wife?”
As he spoke, Pei Wenxuan turned to look at Su Rongqing. Li Rong’s heart tightened, and she said coldly, “Imperial Son-in-Law, why speak such inauspicious words for no reason?”
“I was merely asking casually,” Pei Wenxuan smiled, raising his hand in a salute. “Vice Minister Su, please do not take offense.”
“I do take offense,” Su Rongqing said, his voice slightly hoarse. “I hope Lord Pei will not joke about my wife.”
“Vice Minister Su is not yet married, is he?” Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow. “To be so protective of this title already—do you have someone in mind?”
“Whether I do or not,” Su Rongqing stared at Pei Wenxuan, unwavering, “it is not a matter for Lord Pei to jest about.”
Pei Wenxuan smiled and turned away, reminding him with a light tone, “Vice Minister Su, it seems you have yet to address me as Imperial Son-in-Law?”
Su Rongqing stiffened. Just then, a carriage was led over. Pei Wenxuan watched it approach and naturally reached out to take Li Rong’s hand, reminding Su Rongqing, “At present, the rank of Imperial Son-in-Law is still higher than that of a Supervisory Censor. It’s one thing for Her Highness to be accustomed to addressing me informally, but Vice Minister Su comes from a distinguished family and is known for his adherence to propriety. Such slips of the tongue should not be repeated.”With that, Pei Wenxuan took an umbrella from someone nearby, raised his hand to place it over Li Rong's shoulder, and said gently, "Your Highness, let's go."
Li Rong was guided forward by him. In the hidden spot where others couldn't see, she quietly elbowed him in the waist and whispered, "Did you eat gunpowder?"
Pei Wenxuan smiled without answering, simply leading Li Rong forward. After they had taken a few steps, Su Rongqing suddenly spoke up, his voice trembling and hoarse: "Your Highness..."
Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan both turned around. Su Rongqing looked at Li Rong, his gaze entirely fixed on her. He seemed to want to say something, countless emotions of sorrow and joy hidden in his eyes. Li Rong watched him quietly. Seeing him remain silent for so long, she couldn't help but say, "Vice Minister Su?"
Su Rongqing was brought back to his senses by Li Rong's voice. Li Rong watched as his gaze gradually calmed. He took a deep breath and smiled. "The New Year is approaching. This humble official wishes Your Highness an early Happy New Year, with all your wishes fulfilled."
Su Rongqing was clearly not accustomed to offering such simple blessings. Li Rong was somewhat surprised to hear him say it, then she smiled. "Then I also wish Vice Minister Su a Happy New Year and a bright future."
"Thank you, Your Highness." Su Rongqing smiled. Li Rong turned back and entered the carriage with Pei Wenxuan.
Once inside the carriage, the two sat on opposite sides. As the carriage began to move, Li Rong inadvertently looked up and saw, in the moment the curtain lifted, a figure revealed through the window.
A figure in white robes, holding an umbrella, walking through wind and rain. Under the vast sky and wide earth, he stood alone.
Li Rong was momentarily stunned. Pei Wenxuan poured himself some tea, held the teacup, leaned against the carriage wall, and said sourly, "Stop looking. He's already gone."
"He doesn't seem to have taken a carriage?"
Li Rong found it strange. With the Su family's wealth, how could they let Su Rongqing walk back?
Pei Wenxuan stirred the tea leaves with the lid of his cup and said slowly, "Walking back is good exercise. Very healthy, isn't it?"
"You're right," Li Rong nodded, then turned to look at Pei Wenxuan. "I wonder where today's bowl of vinegar you drank was produced?"
Pei Wenxuan didn't answer, blowing on his tea. Li Rong gave him a faint glance and couldn't help but say, "Stop blowing. The tea leaves are flying everywhere."
"What a pity," Pei Wenxuan looked up. "Why didn't they fly onto Your Highness's face to wash your eyes?"
"With a beauty to feast my eyes on," Li Rong smiled, "I don't need your tea leaves."
"Li Rong," Pei Wenxuan placed his teacup on the table, rested his hand on the table, leaned forward, and said with a smile, "you really know how to hit where it hurts."
"This princess has no habit of indulging others." Li Rong also placed her hand on the table, leaning toward Pei Wenxuan. "After all these years, the Imperial Son-in-Law still hasn't learned well."
"Will Your Highness teach me?" Pei Wenxuan raised an eyebrow. Li Rong lifted her chin. "Figure it out yourself."
"Could Your Highness point the way?"
Li Rong nodded, lowering her voice as if sharing an extremely confidential matter. "Since you're sincerely seeking guidance, I'll tell you your only merit. You must contemplate it well."
"Your Highness, please speak." Pei Wenxuan played along, also lowering his voice and leaning in to listen. Li Rong dipped her finger into the water from Pei Wenxuan's teacup and wrote a character on the table. As she wrote, she said, "This is a secret. The Imperial Son-in-Law must not reveal it. Please look."
With that, the character was finished. Pei Wenxuan turned to look and saw a neatly written character: "face."Pei Wenxuan remained silent. Li Rong reached out and patted his shoulder. "With such a talent, the Imperial Son-in-Law must make good use of it."
"How should I make use of it?" Pei Wenxuan looked up and sneered. "Shall I perform the 'Thirteen Strokes' for you?"
Li Rong hadn't expected Pei Wenxuan to say something like that. She thought seriously for a moment, then leaned in and whispered, "When? Where? I'll definitely come."
"Get lost." Pei Wenxuan pushed Li Rong away. "A young lady should have some modesty."
Li Rong laughed, leaning toward Pei Wenxuan and placing her hand on his shoulder, softening her voice. "Pei Wenxuan, have you forgotten? I'm fifty years old."
"Don't talk like that," Pei Wenxuan said, sitting upright as he pushed Li Rong away, speaking seriously. "You sound like a spirit, it's eerie."
"Now that you mention it," Li Rong mused, "I realize you really do resemble a little Taoist priest." She winked. "Quite charming."
Pei Wenxuan's expression remained unchanged, as if he were lost in thought. Li Rong sat up straight, poured herself some tea from the table, and said quietly, "But seriously, why did you tell Su Rongqing about the past life? He doesn't remember anyway, so what's the point?"
"Just a casual remark," Pei Wenxuan smiled. "Your Highness need not take it too seriously."
"Speaking of which," Pei Wenxuan suddenly remembered, "how do you plan to spend the New Year? Do you intend to enter the palace?"
"I'm already married, why go back?"
Li Rong shook her head. "Let's just spend it at the Princess's Manor. You arrange it."
Pei Wenxuan nodded and began thinking about the Spring Festival.
The two returned home together. Starting the next day, they began their holiday leave as stipulated by the court. Li Rong slept in every day until she woke naturally, while Pei Wenxuan rose as usual. After getting up, he led people in cleaning the courtyard, directing them to hang lanterns, paste Spring Festival couplets, arrange the placement of items in the rooms, and personally selecting incense.
From major layouts to the placement of a single vase, he handled everything himself. By the time New Year's Day arrived and Li Rong woke up, she found the Princess's Manor seemed almost the same as it had been in their previous life.
Li Rong walked through the courtyard, and Pei Wenxuan accompanied her to the dining hall. Looking at the rockery in the courtyard, Li Rong couldn't help but remark, "You used to love this style, and you still do."
"It's not so much that I love this style," Pei Wenxuan smiled, "but I always feel that parting the way we did back then was regrettable. I wish it had never happened."
"And then?"
Li Rong turned to him. "If it never happened, what would you do?"
"Then I would have stayed with Your Highness as a newlywed couple, doing household chores together and celebrating the New Year."
Li Rong raised an eyebrow. "Household chores? You'd dare make me do household chores?"
"I'll do them," Pei Wenxuan quickly said. "You can watch."
Li Rong laughed at this. "Then I'll watch."
Pei Wenxuan kept his word. He led Li Rong to the dining hall, where she sat down and smiled at the sight of the peach blossom porridge.
The porridge looked decent, but the details lacked refinement, clearly not the work of her chef. Pretending not to notice anything, she sat down and ate the porridge. Pei Wenxuan feigned nonchalance and asked, "How does Your Highness find the peach blossom porridge?"
"Hmm," Li Rong said lightly. "It's not as good as it used to be."Pei Wenxuan's expression turned somewhat displeased, and Li Rong continued, "But I actually quite like it." As she spoke, she looked up at Pei Wenxuan, hinting meaningfully, "I can finish it all."
Hearing this, Pei Wenxuan seemed to brighten up. He picked up his chopsticks and said to Li Rong, "Later, I’ll go with Your Highness to put up the Spring Festival couplets and the character 'fortune', and then I’ll do some cleaning.""
"You’re just looking for things to do."
Li Rong found him tiresome, but after the meal, she still went with him to put up the character 'fortune' and the couplets.
At first, Pei Wenxuan did the pasting while she directed from behind. After a long while of her instructions, he still couldn’t get it right, and Li Rong grew a little annoyed, scolding, "How can you be so clumsy!"
With that, she walked over, took the horizontal scroll from Pei Wenxuan’s hands, and prepared to paste it on the door, instructing, "It should go here."
Pei Wenxuan smiled without a word, watching as Li Rong stood on her tiptoes to reach upward. Seeing her adorable struggle, he reached from behind her, took the scroll, and pressed it directly against the wall, spreading it out. He then looked down at Li Rong in his arms and asked, "Your Highness, is this the spot?"
As he raised his arms behind her, Li Rong felt as though she were completely enveloped by him, his presence overwhelming her. For some reason, her ears suddenly grew warm, and she whispered softly, "Mm."
Pei Wenxuan pursed his lips in a light smile. He had someone bring the paste, and after the scroll was fixed in place, the onlookers wore varied expressions, as if wanting to say something but not daring to. Once the two of them finished, Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan stepped back to look—it was indeed crooked.
The two of them stared quietly for a moment before Li Rong frowned and said, "I think I pasted it crooked."
"No," Pei Wenxuan immediately replied, "the scroll Your Highness pasted could never be crooked."
"But I feel—"
"It’s not crooked," Pei Wenxuan tilted his head slightly. "It’s people’s eyes that are crooked, not Your Highness’s scroll. Look, from this angle, it’s perfectly straight."
"Pei Wenxuan, you really know how to tease me."
Li Rong glared at him, and Pei Wenxuan laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder and nudging her forward. "It’s already pasted, so let’s move on to the next thing. Come on."
With that, Pei Wenxuan guided Li Rong inside, and she followed him, only to find that he had led her straight to the kitchen.
The kitchen seemed to have all the tools prepared, neatly arranged, with everyone standing by. Li Rong raised an eyebrow and looked back at him. "What are you doing?"
"Making dumplings," Pei Wenxuan said with a smile. "I’m taking Your Highness to make dumplings."
"You know how to make dumplings?" Li Rong was somewhat surprised. "A gentleman stays away from the kitchen. Was the Pei family ever that poor?"
"Not exactly," Pei Wenxuan replied, smiling as he walked to the table. Li Rong watched him take an apron from the side, tie it on, and then skillfully sprinkle flour on the table before starting to knead the dough. As he worked, he explained, "This was my parents’ tradition. My father believed that only by making dumplings ourselves could it truly feel like the New Year. Your Highness, please take a seat."
Pei Wenxuan looked up with a smile. "Your Highness can just watch me."
A chair had already been prepared, and Li Rong, finding it novel, sat down, propping her chin on her hand as she began to watch Pei Wenxuan’s performance.
Pei Wenxuan made the dumplings—kneading the dough, rolling it out, chopping the filling—his movements flowing seamlessly from start to finish. He was naturally handsome, and his graceful demeanor made even the act of making dumplings resemble a beautifully choreographed solo dance.Li Rong propped her chin in her hand, admiring the scene for a while before growing bored. She straightened up, asked a servant for an apron, and walked over to Pei Wenxuan’s side. “Need some help?”
Pei Wenxuan looked up and smiled. “Your Highness wants to make dumplings too?”
“Better than sitting idle.”
Seeing Li Rong’s interest, Pei Wenxuan handed her a dumpling wrapper and began teaching her how to fold them.
Though Li Rong usually appeared clever, her hands were clumsy. After making a few, her dumplings looked misshapen and comical, far from Pei Wenxuan’s plump and neat ones.
Li Rong glanced at Pei Wenxuan’s perfect dumplings, then at her own sorry batch—a collection of useless lumps. Her pride stung, and she grew irritated. Pei Wenxuan shot her a sidelong glance and patiently guided her again and again, but Li Rong still couldn’t get it right. Just as Pei Wenxuan was about to speak, she snapped, “Quiet! Do I need you to teach me?!”
Pei Wenxuan fell silent. Fortunately, no one else was around, leaving Li Rong some room to save face.
Unable to make decent dumplings herself, Li Rong wouldn’t let Pei Wenxuan make them either. She simply messed with the flour on her own, forcing Pei Wenxuan to resign himself to kneading dough and mixing filling for her to ruin.
By nightfall, the dumplings were still nowhere near ready. Li Rong glared at them, fuming, until Pei Wenxuan could bear it no longer. He stepped behind her, took her hands in his, and said softly, “Your Highness, like this—pinch here.”
His breath brushed her ear, his voice gentle and patient, without a trace of impatience. Li Rong had been annoyed, but the moment she saw the dumpling in her hands suddenly take on a beautiful shape, she felt a surge of delight.
Pei Wenxuan held her hands, repeating the steps and key points of dumpling-making dozens of times until Li Rong finally got the hang of it. He released her hands and stood beside her, making dumplings together. Li Rong became so engrossed that she absentmindedly wiped her face, leaving a streak of white flour on her cheek. Pei Wenxuan glanced over and found it amusing but didn’t dare say anything, afraid to disrupt her focus.
After making nearly a hundred dumplings, Li Rong’s creations finally looked presentable. Overjoyed, she turned to Pei Wenxuan. “Pei Wenxuan, look! Aren’t these dumplings pretty? For my first time, isn’t this a great success?!”
Pei Wenxuan looked at her flour-dusted face and the dumpling she held out like a treasure, unable to suppress a laugh.
“They’re beautiful,” he said gently. “But Your Highness is even more beautiful.”
Li Rong was taken aback. At that very moment, fireworks suddenly lit up the sky over Huajing, their bursts echoing through the night. Both Li Rong and Pei Wenxuan looked up at the blossoming display. Clutching the dumpling in her hand, Li Rong glanced inadvertently at the young man beside her, his face tilted toward the fireworks.
“Pei Wenxuan.”
She called his name softly.
Pei Wenxuan turned at the sound, and in that instant, he saw the girl rise on her toes, cup his face in her hands, and press a light kiss to his lips.
Fireworks bloomed incessantly in the night sky, brightening and dimming the scene. A stray breeze extinguished the kitchen candle, and Pei Wenxuan leaned down slightly, gazing at the girl before him, her eyes closed in the darkness.
“Pei Wenxuan, Happy New Year.”
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