Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Pei Jing was always alert. The moment Yu Qizhi pushed him away, he woke up.

The man slowly opened his eyes and met Yu Qizhi's gaze.

Noticing the unusual atmosphere between Yu Qizhi and Pei Jing, Xiaoxiao hesitated for a moment before telling Yu Qizhi that she would go to Sister Huo Qiu's house first.

Yu Qizhi turned to Xiaoxiao and shook her head. "Xiaoxiao, stay in your room."

After last night’s incident, Yu Qizhi wasn’t comfortable letting Xiaoxiao go out alone again.

But she had something she wanted to ask Pei Jing privately.

"You didn't leave last night..." She frowned. "Are you hurt?"

After Xiaoxiao returned to her room, Yu Qizhi carefully examined Pei Jing in front of her.

Pei Jing wore dark clothing, so any injuries weren’t obvious. It was only after a night that the dark red scabs from untreated wounds became visible.

Yu Qizhi was quite surprised that Pei Jing could be injured.

Long ago, Yu Qizhi had witnessed Pei Jing’s swift and precise skills. His moves were sharp and accurate, making it difficult for ordinary people to get close to him.

Could it be that their opponent last night had weapons, and Pei Jing had to rescue Xiaoxiao from them, leading to this oversight?

Pei Jing sat up at the edge of the bed. He quietly observed Yu Qizhi’s changing expressions, then slightly curled his lips into a half-smile.

"I'm not invincible, you know," he said calmly.

Yu Qizhi pursed her lips tightly. She had initially been suspicious, but seeing Pei Jing’s reaction confirmed her belief that he had intentionally gotten hurt.

He had deliberately injured himself and made sure she discovered it. Yu Qizhi had pretended to die, allowing him to catch her off guard. By involving her in Xiaoxiao’s situation, he could use it as leverage to make demands.

This tactic of advancing by retreating wasn’t just something she knew; Pei Jing employed it ruthlessly.

While she was deep in thought, Yu Qizhi suddenly found herself pulled into his embrace.

Her body instinctively stiffened.

Being woken up in Pei Jing’s arms was already enough to irritate her. Yu Qizhi didn’t care about his shoulder wound and struggled fiercely in his arms.

In the end, she couldn’t break free from his iron grip, and Pei Jing’s face paled slightly.

Yu Qizhi caught a glimpse of this and felt a twinge of satisfaction.

Before she could react further, Pei Jing bit down hard on her neck.

"Ouch!"

Pei Jing’s bite was genuinely painful, causing Yu Qizhi to cry out. She didn’t know if he had broken the skin.

Was Pei Jing really acting normal on the surface but actually a little crazy?

But then, his lips and teeth moved against her neck, grinding and caressing the spot he had bitten. Pei Jing’s hot breath brushed against her neck, creating a damp sensation.

As the sensations continued, Yu Qizhi realized something was changing. She tried to control her reactions and keep her voice from sounding like playful banter.

Her indifference only made him more uncontrollable.

"You’re truly heartless."

Pei Jing’s voice near her ear became strained. "Six months, and you left without a word."

Finally releasing her neck, he wrapped his arm around her waist, keeping her seated on his lap.

Fortunately, he didn’t make any further moves.

"Have you ever considered my feelings after all those times you deceived me?"

After a moment, Pei Jing asked coldly.

Yu Qizhi remained rigid, pretending not to hear his question.

"Were the people last night after Xiaoxiao...?" She asked what she needed to know.

She thought that if this were true, she would take Xiaoxiao away. With Huo Qiu here, they could wait for news from Xiaoxiao’s parents before contacting anyone else.

"I said I would handle it; you don’t need to worry about this." Pei Jing paused, then said in a low, cold voice:

"Xichuan is more chaotic than you think. When things are settled, come back with me to Chang'an."

"I won’t go back with you," she blurted out without hesitation.

Yu Qizhi was firm on this matter.

"Our connection has ended," Yu Qizhi added coldly. "If you force me to go back, I’ll escape again."

Pei Jing slowly released his grip on her waist.

He chuckled, and being away from Chang'an seemed to give Yu Qizhi more confidence.

At least she no longer pretended with him but spoke her mind openly.

Did she believe he wouldn’t do anything drastic to her?

But he was also afraid of pushing her too far.

Pei Jing had long realized that Yu Qizhi was someone who, once she made up her mind, wouldn’t easily change it.

She was even willing to fake her own death, a risky move. He didn't want to see Yu Qizhi do anything else that would harm her body. At present, between Yu Qizhi and Pei Jing, it was Yu Qizhi who had the upper hand.

Moreover, he had to admit, compared to when they were in Chang'an, Yu Qizhi looked much better now.

If she wanted space, he could give it to her. Yu Qizhi, however, was still on guard against him, unaware of his change.

"Since you like staying here," Pei Jing took a deep breath and said calmly:

"It's fine; I'll wait until you come to your senses."

This was his concession, giving Yu Qizhi time to think things through, but not too long.

Xichuan was far away, with complex situations, and Yu Qizhi's identity was awkward. She needed to stay in Chang'an for him to feel at ease.

As soon as Pei Jing released her, Yu Qizhi immediately stood up, maintaining a distance from him.

"Then you should leave." Yu Qizhi remained skeptical about Pei Jing's words.

Pei Jing's wound had been neglected due to the delay in treatment, making his body very hot. When he held her earlier, even in winter, she felt overheated.

"I'm injured," Pei Jing smiled faintly and said softly: "I need to recuperate."

"If you're injured, go find a doctor," Yu Qizhi's tone was firm:

"This isn't a clinic."

"You must have guessed by now," Pei Jing didn't mind her unfriendly attitude; his voice was low: "I came to Xichuan this time as an inspector."

Not long after Yu Qizhi faked her death, Pei Jing wanted to bring her back quickly.

At that time, there were many issues in the Imperial City that required his attention. But being busy didn't make things better; his heart felt desolate.

Yu Qizhi had hidden her whereabouts well, making it difficult for his subordinates. After some time, when Pei Jing learned that Yu Qizhi was safe, he suddenly felt it was enough.

This time, he wouldn't push her too hard. But letting her go was out of the question.

Hearing this, Yu Qizhi was briefly stunned. She quickly understood what Pei Jing meant—

An injury to an imperial inspector sent by the court was no small matter.

Pei Jing's face was very pale, and his body was indeed burning hot, a sign of his shoulder wound worsening due to lack of timely treatment. He looked genuinely weak.

Yu Qizhi also realized that he was using this to manipulate her again.

Yu Qizhi wasn't aware of Pei Jing's plans. But before Pei Jing arrived, life in Wochang Town in Xichuan was peaceful, and she didn't want the people around her to be affected.

"What do you want me to do?" she asked.

Pei Jing's expression softened.

He gave Yu Qizhi the address of the inn and a seal, instructing her to get medicine from his subordinate.

Yu Qizhi agreed. Pei Jing didn't plan to publicize his injury, which was good.

Once Pei Jing recovered, with official duties, he couldn't stay in Wochang Town for long.

The inn wasn't far. Yu Qizhi showed the seal to the person Pei Jing mentioned and relayed the news of his injury.

Seeing that Pei Jing's companion wasn't Weichuan, Yu Qizhi breathed a sigh of relief.

It made sense; as Pei Jing's trusted aide, Weichuan would naturally stay in Chang'an.

Half a year ago, when she faked her death, she had used Weichuan, and she felt guilty about it.

But Weichuan's elder brother had done a favor for Pei Jing, so Yu Qizhi believed that even if Pei Jing was angry, he wouldn't blame Weichuan too much.

In the inn, Pei Jing's subordinate hesitated slightly upon seeing her.

Yu Qizhi sensed that the subordinate recognized her.

The subordinate quickly fetched the medicine, glanced at Yu Qizhi with a complicated expression, and said: "I'll go with you."

The subordinate wasn't questioning Pei Jing's decision; rather, only a few people in the Imperial City knew that the head of the Fourth Prince half a year ago was just a ruse.

The remnants of the Fourth Prince were likely hiding in Xichuan, near the south, and the commander's presence here was partly to investigate this thoroughly.

However, Pei Jing getting injured was not part of their plan.

Pei Jing's subordinate wanted to confirm his safety, and Yu Qizhi didn't stop him. Where she lived was already known to them.

...

After Yu Qizhi left, Pei Jing tended to his wound briefly.

A pair of eyes peeked at him from the courtyard. Xiaoxiao emerged from her room.

Pei Jing opened the door and examined the child before him.

Upon closer inspection, Pei Jing noticed that Xiaoxiao bore a resemblance to Yu Qizhi. No wonder Yu Qizhi liked her so much.

The little girl just stared at him without speaking. In the courtyard, Pei Jing initiated the conversation.

"What is your relationship with Ao Ying?" he asked.

Xiaoxiao was a smart child. After Pei Jing saved her last night and got injured in the process, her hostility toward him had diminished, though she remained cautious.

Pei Jing squatted down, bringing his gaze level with hers, and produced a piece of candy from nowhere.

He offered the candy to Xiaoxiao, but she still dared not eat it.

Pei Jing had considerable patience, slowly peeling the candy wrapper. Xiaoxiao cautiously accepted it and placed it in her mouth.

Pei Youning had caught a cold recently, and this candy was originally meant to comfort her. It seemed that children were all similar; what worked for Pei Youning also worked well for Xiaoxiao.

After savoring half of the candy, Xiaoxiao's tense expression relaxed.

"Ao Ying is my sister," Xiaoxiao said. "She helped me wait here for my mother."

That day at the Ferry Terminal, Xiaoxiao was with her family. Her mother was holding her baby brother in her arms and leading her by the hand. Somehow, her mother's grip on her hand loosened, leaving her alone on the dock.

Upon hearing this, Pei Jing's heart softened slightly. Yu Qizhi's decision to take in Xiaoxiao had nothing to do with any other man.

Considering Yu Qizhi's background, he easily guessed why she wanted to help Xiaoxiao so much.

"Your name is Xiaoxiao? Which characters?" Pei Jing still crouched down to speak with her.

The little girl was a bit shy. She didn't have a name at home; Xiaoxiao was the name Yu Qizhi gave her.

Xiaoxiao quickly wrote the strokes of her name in Pei Jing's palm. Her name was also taught to her by Yu Qizhi.

"Xiaoxiao, the early morning sun rising."

Pei Jing slightly curved his lips: "The person who named you hopes your future will be full of light and hope."

...

When Yu Qizhi and Pei Jing's subordinate entered the courtyard, they heard Pei Jing saying these words to Xiaoxiao.

Before Yu Qizhi could react, the subordinate was stunned first.

Usually, Pei Jing was rational and decisive in front of them. In the past six months, the commander's demeanor had been as cold as ice.

Now, hearing their commander speaking in such a gentle tone, the subordinate had never experienced this before and wasn't sure whether to enter or not.

While the subordinate hesitated, Yu Qizhi stepped into the courtyard ahead of him.