Chapter 21

Chapter 21

The sound of Pei Yufeng's voice brought Ji Yunshu fully awake. Memories flooded back like a tide, her mind completely taken over by what had happened the night before.

Seeing their hands clasped together, Ji Yunshu yanked hers back as if she'd been shocked.

Their fingertips had brushed, and his warmth still lingered on hers.

She'd actually married Pei Yufeng...

It finally hit Ji Yunshu. From now on, she'd be nothing like the version of herself in her dreams. Although she and Pei Yufeng had only seen each other occasionally over the years, and she didn't know him all that well, she knew he would never abandon her like He Jianjun had in her dream, leaving her to die lonely and full of resentment.

If only everything in that dream really was just a dream, Ji Yunshu thought.

She blinked, but the light didn't feel harsh. Maybe worried the sunlight would bother her sleep, Pei Yufeng hadn't opened the curtains, but bright light still snuck in through the cracks. Ji Yunshu slowly blinked her eyes open and saw Pei Yufeng sitting beside her in a crisp white shirt, quietly watching her... and the two very obvious scratches on his neck.

Ji Yunshu's ears burned.

They'd both been clumsy and new at this last night. The moment Pei Yufeng kissed her, she didn't know where to put her hands, and it didn't even occur to her that she hadn't clipped her nails in three or four days. She only remembered that before she was completely filled, the hard thrusts made her cling to his back for dear life, and her long, sharp nails had naturally left marks on his skin. She just hadn't expected his neck to have them too, and... so obviously.

If anyone saw him later, wouldn't everyone know!

Ji Yunshu, rarely flustered, asked in a low, embarrassed voice, "What time is it?"

"Almost noon." Pei Yufeng reached over with his free hand to check her forehead and asked again, "Are you sore anywhere?"

"My waist hurts." Ji Yunshu tried to turn over and sit up, but the moment she put pressure on her waist, it ached so much she hissed. She frowned, rolled over to lie on her stomach, and buried her head in the pillow. "You were so rough last night."

Pei Yufeng's voice came from above, a hint of disappointment in it: "Was it that uncomfortable?"

"No, just really tiring." Ji Yunshu moved her leg slightly and felt a dull soreness down there. Pei Yufeng didn't look all that big, but somehow they were completely mismatched in size, and when he held her, she just couldn't take all of him.

The size difference was pure torture for Ji Yunshu. Her thighs ached like she'd climbed a mountain over a thousand meters tall. Ji Yunshu raised a hand to thump her waist, then let it drop in exhaustion. "Rub my waist."

Ji Yunshu knew she'd never stop making trouble for herself. Actually, she liked being held tight in his arms, liked nuzzling into the crook of his neck to breathe him in. Pei Yufeng smelled amazing—even later, when they were both drenched in sweat and his dripped onto her chest, she didn't mind. But Pei Yufeng was hard all over, and it hurt where he pressed against her, and he didn't seem to notice, just kept coaxing her, wanting her to take all of him.

Ji Yunshu just couldn't. She got so frustrated she cried, and Pei Yufeng would stop and kiss her tears away.

But when he stopped, she felt even worse. Ji Yunshu could only angrily try to kick him to speed up, but he caught her ankles and held them still, leaving her no choice but to take his deeper and deeper kisses.

They went back and forth like that all night, and only managed twice. Ji Yunshu had no idea why it took so long each time, but she didn't know how other couples did it either, so she had nothing to compare it to. Ji Yunshu felt like a fish on a cutting board, gutted and gasping yesterday, and now just waiting to be filleted.

But today, the executioner seemed unusually gentle. When he massaged her waist, he was gentle, and he kept asking where it hurt and if she wanted more or less pressure.

Ji Yunshu knew Pei Yufeng sometimes massaged Grandma's head and shoulders, but she hadn't expected him to be this good at it. Through the thin sheet, Pei Yufeng's hands kneaded her sore waist. At first, she wasn't used to the touch and even flinched, but soon she got used to his rhythm, relaxing like a lazy cat, her curled fingers slowly unfurling.

When the soreness in her waist had mostly eased, Ji Yunshu waved her hand and said she needed to get up and wash up.

Pei Yufeng stepped aside. He had intended to help her up, but she rolled over to the edge of the bed, shot him a glare from the side, and silently rejected the hand he extended again.

Pei Yufeng didn't say anything. He knelt down, swiftly put shoes on Ji Yunshu's feet, and before she could react, stood back up beside her.

"What are you doing!" Ji Yunshu felt so embarrassed. "I can put on my own shoes."

Even as she said that, being attended to by Pei Yufeng felt really nice, and there was a hint of sweetness in Ji Yunshu's heart.

But the moment her feet touched the floor, her sore legs made her stumble instantly, unable to stand up right away.

Ah! It's all his fault! Ji Yunshu grumbled inwardly at Pei Yufeng.

As if he could hear her thoughts, Pei Yufeng let out a soft sigh. Before Ji Yunshu could move again, he bent down directly, slid one arm under her shoulders, and used the other to support the bend of her knees. With a slight effort, he lifted her up.

Ji Yunshu was startled and instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing?"

"Carrying you to wash up," Pei Yufeng said, in the same casual tone one might use to say "the weather is nice today."

Ji Yunshu's face flushed all the way to her ears. She wanted to say "I can walk by myself," but Pei Yufeng was already carrying her out of the bedroom. The stairs were narrow, so he descended slowly, making sure each step was steady before taking the next, holding her tightly as if afraid she might fall.

Ji Yunshu rested against his shoulder, breathing in his faint scent, her face buried in the hollow of his neck, her ears burning.

At the bathroom door, Pei Yufeng set her down, squeezed toothpaste onto her brush, and prepared a towel before stepping out. Ji Yunshu closed the door and looked at herself in the mirror. Her face was flushed, her lips slightly swollen, and there were a few faint red marks on her collarbone. She quickly dampened the towel with cold water and pressed it against them, but after applying it for a while, they hadn't faded much.

Ji Yunshu dawdled through her washing and came out to find Pei Yufeng still standing by the bathroom door. Without waiting for her to speak, he carried her straight to the dining table.

Grandma was already seated. It was hot out, so her lunch was simple—just two cold dishes and two stir-fries, with rice and cooled mung bean soup as the staples. When she saw Pei Yufeng carrying Ji Yunshu over, her eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth slowly curved into a knowing smile.

"Up already?" Grandma's voice carried a hint of amusement. Her gaze swept briefly over Ji Yunshu's neck, and she said nothing, but that smile wouldn't fade.

"Mmm... I slept a bit late." Ji Yunshu's face grew even redder under Grandma's gaze. She sat down in the chair, head lowered, wishing she could bury her face in her bowl of porridge.

"Well, you've got nothing to do anyway, so sleeping in is fine. Grandma was worried you might not sleep well in a new place," Grandma said.

Pei Yufeng sat down beside her and pushed the stir-fried eggplant and braised beef—Ji Yunshu's favorites—in front of her, then added an extra spoonful of sugar to her mung bean soup. Grandma watched the two of them, took a sip of her porridge, set down the bowl, and said slowly, "Good, good. Seeing you two like this puts my mind at ease."

Ji Yunshu bit into a strand of eggplant and couldn't help shooting Pei Yufeng another glare.

He pretended not to notice.

After the meal, Pei Yufeng cleared and washed the dishes. Ji Yunshu was chatting with Grandma when Pei Yufeng brought over paper and a pen. "Xiaoshu, think about what you need to bring. I'll write it down."

Ji Yunshu thought for a moment and said, "Clothes and shoes, definitely. I'll buy a bicycle and a sewing machine once we're on the island. I don't know what's available there and what isn't... Oh, and I need to bring my pillow. Your pillow is a bit too firm to sleep on."

Pei Yufeng was very concerned about this: "Uncomfortable?"

"No, it's just that I prefer really soft, taller pillows—ones where my head can sink in when I lie down. My pillow is latex, super soft. Only a cotton pillow could barely compare!" Ji Yunshu snorted.

Latex pillows were a rare commodity in this era. They had been special-issue supplies given to Ji Haiguo by a comrade-in-arms who worked in foreign affairs, sent as a gift of a pair. He Qiuxia and Ji Yunting couldn't get used to such soft pillows—they preferred buckwheat or husk-filled ones, which stayed cool in summer—so both of Ji Yunshu's favorites had been given to her.

"Alright." Pei Yufeng noted it down. Even if it was hard to come by, whatever Ji Yunshu wanted couldn't be missing.

"Let me think... and my harmonica, my music box, and some of my books—wait, isn't that too heavy to carry? Maybe I should have Mom mail them over. But wouldn't they get wet shipping by sea..." Ji Yunshu rambled on, thinking as she spoke.

"If you wrap them in oil paper before mailing, they won't." Pei Yufeng paused mid-writing, then looked up at Ji Yunshu as if remembering something. "There's nowhere good to buy clothes on the island. This afternoon, I'll take you to buy some new ones."

Ji Yunshu was surprised: "Buy new ones? Didn't we just buy some?"

Before the wedding, Brother Meng from Su City had come over and specially exchanged nationwide cloth and grain coupons so that Meng Yunzhen could take Ji Yunshu out to buy over a dozen dresses in one go. Sister-in-law had also given her two silk blouses. Her wardrobe already had enough dresses to last her years—why buy more?

"It's different." Pei Yufeng looked into Ji Yunshu's eyes. "Those were from your parents. My salary is decent, and I haven't used up my cloth coupons. I should spend them on you."

Grandma, listening nearby, chimed in: "That's right, A Feng. Take Xiaoshu to buy more. Grandma still has plenty of cloth coupons too, and I don't need any new clothes. You both use them. It's hot on the island, so buy thinner fabrics. Xiaoshu looks good in anything—don't shortchange her on this."

"My dresses really are more than enough!" Ji Yunshu counted on her fingers. He Qiuxia made her at least one new dress every year, and sometimes she'd sew one herself if there was fabric. Ever since Ji Yunshu's height had stabilized, the family had added three or four new dresses each summer, plus the ones bought a few days ago—she had over thirty dresses in total. She could wear a different one every day for over a month!

"It's scorching on the island. I've heard that clothes worn in the morning need to be changed by afternoon because of the sweat—you go through several outfits a day!" Grandma fanned herself leisurely and advised, "Xiaoshu, don't you do the laundry. Let your Brother Pei handle it. Grandma's kept your hands beautiful—can't have them ruined by water."

"But Brother Pei would be so tired." Ji Yunshu said instinctively. Although she truly had no intention of doing laundry or cooking, she did feel a bit guilty about leaving all the housework to Pei Yufeng. Maybe... once or twice a month would be fine, just like at the Ji household!

"I'm not tired," Pei Yufeng said immediately.

Grandma chuckled, "See, see, the more clothes she has, the less you have to wash them. Our little Xiaoshu needs to be dressed up all pretty."

Ji Yunshu, embarrassed by the two of them teasing her together, replied, "Alright, alright, Grandma, if I find something good, I'll get it; if not, no big deal."

"Then let's buy more fabric to take along," Pei Yufeng said. "The fabric options on the island won't be as varied as in the capital. Xiaoshu, I remember you enjoy making clothes, so you can buy some and make them however you like."

Hearing this, Ji Yunshu's lips parted in surprise—how did Pei Yufeng know she liked making clothes? She didn't remember telling him, did she?

Or maybe she had mentioned it and simply forgotten? Ji Yunshu couldn't help thinking of a similar time from her childhood. That time, it was Pei Yufeng who helped her raise a rabbit.

As a child, Ji Yunshu adored small animals like cats, dogs, and rabbits. When she was five, she'd had a snow-white rabbit. But He Qiuxia had a severe allergy to animal fur. When the rabbit was brought home, it almost sent her into shock, scaring Ji Haiguo so badly that he made Ji Yunshu get rid of the rabbit right away. After that, you couldn't even find a piece of clothing with fur in their house.

Ji Yunshu was reluctant to part with her rabbit, but her mother mattered more. After much deliberation, she felt safest leaving the rabbit with Pei Yufeng. At that time, Pei Yufeng's father had just passed away, and he was shrouded in gloom and pain. Ji Yunshu handed him the rabbit hoping it would give him something to look forward to in life and help him bounce back to his former self as soon as possible.

Ji Yunshu remembered she never told Pei Yufeng her intentions. She simply shoved the rabbit into his hands with a boldness she hadn't earned and commanded, "You have to take good care of it. Don't bring it to my house, and don't let it get sick. If it gets lost, I'll never talk to you again!"

Pei Yufeng seemed to understand her meaning. Not only did he gradually emerge from the shadow of his father's death, but he also raised the rabbit until it passed away of old age. Later, the two buried it in the small grove at the north corner of the compound's playground. Pei Yufeng told her he knew she had given him the rabbit to lift his spirits, and Ji Yunshu asked him the same question: "How did you know?"

"You told me," he had said then, looking at her with the same earnest, calm gaze.

"Really? I don't remember." Ji Yunshu puzzled, covered the grave with dirt. Had she really said that? She didn't think she was the type to comfort others so directly.

But Pei Yufeng never lied to her, so she must have said it. Yet she truly couldn't recall.

Perhaps this time was the same, so Ji Yunshu stopped dwelling on it and agreed readily.

She didn't look at Pei Yufeng when she responded, and thus missed the flicker of disappointment that passed through his eyes.

Author's note:

None