CH 24

The sky was a dim shade, and the encompassing darkness draped the Chenxiang courtyard in obscurity. Cui Dai sat shivering on the cold bench, and her vexation flared up like a wildfire. Her cold glare fixed on Ruo who was across from her and had an innocent expression. 

Ruo, the young maid of the pair is the one who told Cui Dai that the Young Madam and Young Master were sleeping, and she didn't know when they would wake up.

As a newly wedded couple, it was only natural for them to sleep during the day. 

Although Pei Xuan was a gentleman, surely ‘he’ longed to start a family and have children. After all, ‘he’ was also a normal human being.

On the other hand, Cui Dai had an extraordinarily thick skin and was unwilling to leave even when she had overstayed her welcome. 

Cui Dai gritted her teeth, her impatience reaching its peak as she eagerly waited for the two of them who had some free time that day then exclaimed, "I want to eat!..”

Hao and Ruo, Cui Ti’s two maids, exchanged a glance before the latter ordered the other servants to bring forth dishes freshly prepared by the back kitchen. 

Soon after, they entertained the brazen Cui Dai with an excellent selection of food and wine.

The maids who looked at this scene whispered amongst themselves, condemning Cui Dai for her shameless behavior. Coincidentally, Cui Dai also criticized Cui Ti in her heart for being similarly shameless. After all, she had slept from the afternoon until now, portraying herself as a flirtatious girl who wouldn't let go of her husband. 

As she remembered Pei Xuan's handsomeness, the food in her mouth lost its flavor.

The most outstanding man in Xijing had entered that blind woman's home, and she couldn't help but wonder what kind of husband her mother would select for her. 

However, regardless of how excellent her future husband's family might be, it would never match up to the grandeur of the prime minister's son.

The food tasted bitter, Cui Dai’s heart was filled with sourness, and jealousy towards Cui Ti.

….

Cui Ti was frozen in place, her body trembling as she recalled Miss Pei’s comments.

She had said that Pei Xuan was a normal human as well, despite her gentle appearance and cleverness in writing, she was inept in everyday matters.

Miss Pei also revealed that Pei Xuan, born into an aristocratic family, was surrounded by people from a young age and treated like a star, leading her to ignore the feelings of others after saying something.

These conflicting thoughts weighed heavily on Cui Ti's heart, leaving her motionless and frightened. The words of Dou Qingyue and Pei Xuan echoed in her mind, reminding her of the dangers of love and the severity of sins.

She couldn't help but think that Dou Qingyue didn't know Pei Xuan well enough; where others saw clumsiness, she saw grace. 

Remembering when Pei Xuan began to peel the shrimps, Cui Ti took notice of her beautiful slender fingers and couldn't help but let out a soft hum but then became ashamed that she was about to turn into a puddle of water. 

How could she, how could she think of that…!?

Pei Xuan, however, was not shy about expressing her love and desire for her wife, and her clear eyes were now filled with worldly desires.

"Ah~ husband..." She let out an "ah" in surprise, and a little bit of residual tears leaked from the end of her eyes. 

Cui Ti tried to close her eyes, and bit her lips to prevent any more of those embarrassing voices from slipping out.

Her body no longer felt like her own, as a strange sensation stirred within her, leaving her questioning her heart. Despite her fear of the unknown, Cui Ti couldn't deny the thrill that accompanied this feeling.

"My wife..." Pei Xuan called her affectionately.

The gentle spring breeze seemed to coax the blooming buds to life. 

Soon night fell upon the elegant Chenxiang Courtyard, illuminating it with the soft glow of lanterns. Cui Dai sat at a stone table, gnashing her teeth as she struggled to eat a chicken bone. 

Watching her, Bai Tang raised her eyelids carefully and observed Cui Dai picking up a round sweet and sour ball, biting it in half with a fierce determination that made her suspect that the ball was the mistress' head.

This thought scared Bai Tang as she sat down to eat with Cui Dai, and the horror and weirdness of the "eating” scene made her feel like she had witnessed a murder. 

The more Cui Dai ate, the angrier she became, feeling suffocated and unable to swallow the rice stuck in her throat. She forced it down and took a few sips of sweet soup, but even the sweetness couldn't alleviate the craziness that had taken hold of her.

"How frustrating!,” Cui Dai exclaimed. 

As someone accustomed to being dominant, she couldn't fathom waiting for someone for an hour. The frustration building inside her threatened to make her lungs explode.

With a fierce grip on the bowl filled with sweet soup, Cui Dai didn't even blink before she shattered it onto the ground, producing a loud clang that startled a young girl in the inner room, who was sweating on the bed.

Cui Ti felt as though half of her soul had been snatched away by the people near her, leaving only a struggling half that desperately tried to remain conscious. She couldn't bear to surrender herself in this cold, unfamiliar place. 

Anywhere else would be better, just not here.

Feeling Cui Ti's resistance, Pei Xuan immediately withdrew her presumptuous thoughts, and they both resumed their original postures. Pei Xuan nestled herself against the side of Cui Ti's neck, taking in the fragrance of her soft skin, and whispered, "It's me, your husband."

"No, no..."

Cui Ti was afraid of Pei Xuan reverting back to her "honest gentleman" persona, so she panicked and grasped her hand, confessing, "My heart wants you."

In an instant, Pei Xuan's self-blame and guilt turned into a blooming flower, filling her heart with sunshine and gentle winds, as the flowers danced in the breeze. Her eyes were clear and full of joy as she exclaimed, "Wife, you are so kind!.”

As she murmured in reply, Cui Ti shyly lowered her head, catching a glimpse of Pei Xuan's beautiful, slender knuckles resting on her chest for a long time. 

She timidly poked at her hand, noticing the fabric on her own clothes was already a bit crumpled and the tip of her nose was sweating. 

Seeing this, Pei Xuan let out a contented sigh and tidied up her disheveled clothes.

"Don't doubt,” Pei Xuan cautioned Cui Ti. The remark caused Cui Ti's face to flush, and she vehemently denied the accusation. She was afraid of falling into the same trap as she did in her past life, where Pei Xuan tried everything to prevent them from becoming intimate.

Meanwhile, Cui Dai became increasingly irate and threw her bowl on the ground. 

She glared at her silent servants and seethed with anger. She felt foolish for waiting so long and regretted not storming into the room and exposing the adulterous couple. 

However, she restrained herself and acknowledged that the Chenxiang courtyard belonged to her sister now.

She couldn't risk causing a scandal by barging in on her sister's intimate moments with her husband, especially since they were uninvited guests.

Moreover, the shame of the Xining Mansion would fall on Cui Dai and be unbearable. 

When the topic of marriage arose, the nanny would often need to intervene to prevent Cui Dai from acting recklessly. 

"Move out of my way!" Cui Dai demanded, as she tried to storm off in a fit of anger.

"I can’t let you..,” the nanny remarked.

"I see, move for your master," Cui Dai declared firmly, unsheathing the soft whip that hung from her waist. She lifted it high and lashed out at the nanny who blocked her way.

The pair of maids who served Cui Ti were surprised at the scene while Bai Tang merely twitched the corners of her mouth in amusement. Cui Dai's show of power was nothing but an attempt to impress Pei Xuan.

The sound of cursing, begging, and pleading reached their ears, but before anyone could intervene, Pei Xuan's disapproval voice had already reached them.

"What's all this noise?.”

Cui Dai paused her whipping hand and looked up to see her brother-in-law. 

"Brother-in-law," she greeted ‘him’, acknowledging ‘his’ bright future and status, unlike her disregard for her own sister.

Pei Xuan calmly led Cui Ti forward as Cui Dai put away her weapon and bowed respectfully to them.

However, Cui Dai was not entirely foolish. Seeing Pei Xuan frown slightly, she quickly added, "Sister, I have a gift for you."

The whole family had dinner together, but Cui Dai hid in the Baishao courtyard and was not able to come.

At this moment, Cui Ti's heart skipped a beat at the sound of Pei Xuan's voice. Even though she couldn't see, she could sense her presence and felt a flutter in her chest. 

Cui Dai clapped her hands and commanded, "Bring it forward."

Today's trip was strictly for her to follow her father's order and present gifts on his behalf. Mr. Xining had learned that Cui Ti had a fondness for raising long-eared rabbits, so he went to great lengths to find a litter of white, soft, and lively ones, and ordered Cui Dai to present them to Pei Xuan.

Cui Ti couldn't see what was happening, so she asked Pei Xuan, "What is it?.”

Pei Xuan was delighted to see seven cute little rabbits locked up in a beautiful cage. 

The servant accompanying Cui Dai brought one over to Pei Xuan with a flattering face and said, "Young Master, take a look."

Since Mr. Xining is a man, it is not appropriate for him to personally present the gifts. 

Therefore, he gave them to his younger daughter to present to Cui Ti.

Everyone has their own preferences. When Pei Xuan received the rabbit, she confirmed that it was a well-behaved and non-biting little cub. So, she happily held it up to Cui Ti and said, “Wife, open your hands."

Through Pei Xuan, Cui Ti saw a fluffy little white bunny with long ears and red eyes, which could be held in one hand and was soft and fluffy.

“Husband, come here." Cui Ti said with a smile as she caressed the plump white rabbit and was able to see it, then continued, "Thank you, sister.”

Cui Dai didn't like animals, so she couldn't understand Cui Ti's fondness for them.

As she thought about how much time she had wasted to give away a litter of unwanted animals, Cui Dai couldn't help feeling frustrated, but she kept her cool. "Sister, you're too kind," she said with a slight tone of impatience.

Pei Xuan barely registered her words, while Bai Tang, who had seen Cui Dai's true nature, rolled her eyes in response.

Cui Dai after finishing her task left the courtyard and went directly to her mother to complain about Cui Ti.

Thereafter, Ruo poked Baitang's arm: "Alright, aren't you tired?.”

Bai Tang was a close friend who served Cui Ti, and were emotionally close. Rou and Shou who were sent by Mrs. Pei, and their backgrounds were different from Bai Tang's, couldn’t understand why Cui Ti had such a maid.

They had served Ms. Cui together before, and the thoughtfulness that Bai Tang had shown to the young lady over the years was undeniable. 

Loyalty was the number one factor for the Pei family when choosing their servants, and although Bai Tang was sometimes crude and unrefined, her unwavering loyalty to Cui Ti was commendable.

After more than ten years of loyal service, it was no wonder that Cui Ti had a soft spot for this little girl. 

Soon, Bai Tang leaned in and whispered, "You don't know how much hardship my young lady and I have endured in this house before. It was tough, more than half of it was-"

“Tangtang," Cui Ti called out, her voice gentle and soothing.

Bai Tang didn't dare to speak without Cui Ti's permission,and soon behaved like a closed-mouthed nun in meditation. Pei Xuan couldn't help but smile knowingly. 

Mr. Xining's plan to give a litter of rabbits to Cui Ti to make up for the years of cold treatment was naive.

Pei Xuan didn't want to stir up any past trauma and sadness, so she hugged the bunny tightly and diverted Cui Ti's attention from the matter.

Cui Ti's heart raced with joy as she watched Pei Xuan cradle the rabbit in her palms, passing her fingers over its ears. She blushed suddenly, snatched the rabbit and secretly poked its belly.

"Tangtang, can you help me get back to the house?" Cui Ti requested, and Bai Tang quickly jogged over, casting a glance at Pei Xuan before accompanying Cui Ti back to the house.

As they walked, Ruo and Shou followed close behind, dutifully waiting on Cui Ti's side. 

In the vast Chenxiang Courtyard, Pei Xuan was left behind, feeling abandoned. She raised her hands, looking at them up and down before mimicking the actions she had done earlier with the rabbit.

Why is my wife embarrassed all of a sudden?.

Why is it when I caress the rabbit through its ears that she leaves?

She repeated her previous actions of stroking the rabbit's body and plucking the rabbit's ears. Pei Xuan blinked, and she understood as her white and tender face suddenly burned.

Enduring the heat in her lower abdomen, Pei Xuan slowly adjusted her shortness of breath, raised her face, and looked at the stars sparkling in the sky.

She really didn't mean to do that…..!