[Fantasy] The Beauty's Tribulation (Complete) - 19-21

On the sixth night of the night raid

, at the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), a thousand familiar scarecrows began to slowly descend over the wall once more.

However, the Qin army didn't even bother to fire a few arrows as a token gesture of attention, completely ignoring the things hanging on the wall. They simply pulled their blankets over themselves and continued to sleep soundly. Unlike the Qin army in Jinzhou City, who had roofs for shelter and mattresses on the ground, they camped on the snow in the dead of winter, relying only on layers of straw to ward off the damp cold. But no matter how much straw they laid, it was never very comfortable. These past few nights, they had been unlucky enough to experience frequent heavy snowfalls mixed with hail, making it even more sleepless. After several nights of this, tonight was a rare treat—a clear night, no wind, no snow, no rain, no hail… Even if two small cannons were fired, they wouldn't be disturbed by the exposed scarecrows.

Inside the main tent, General Zhou Fang sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes half-closed, listening to the scout's report with a smug grin. The other generals sitting around him also wore expressions of joy, all looking as if a great weight had been lifted from their shoulders.

According to the scout, Pei Shiwu's army had set up camp a hundred miles away, and one contingent was heading towards Guangnan, presumably to join Pei Nengshang's army. Based on current events, it seemed that Pei Shiwu and Pei Nengshang were merely passing through this area, and neither army's destination was Jinzhou.

As for Zhou Fang, after fighting for so long, he now had a good understanding of the Pei family's military strength within Jinzhou. As long as the Pei family's army didn't arrive from behind, he had plenty of time. Jinzhou was originally his territory; he knew exactly what was there.

It was obvious that the Pei family army in Jinzhou was running out of arrows. As for food, he recalled the dwindling smoke rising from the chimneys in Jinzhou over the past few days. He quickly calculated the situation and felt a surge of satisfaction. His biggest difference from others was his insistence on prioritizing food in the transport of supplies, leaving everything else to come later. By the time he decided to evacuate Runguo, he had already transported the vast majority of the grain back to Qin. The remaining grain in Jinzhou was, at best, enough to feed the old, weak, and disabled Qin soldiers for a month. Now, with the addition of several thousand Pei family soldiers… half a month had passed…

Hmph… Zhou Fang chuckled coldly, drawing a heavy circle around Jinzhou on the map with a brush dipped in thick ink.

Since they couldn't take it by force, they would trap it. He refused to believe they wouldn't starve.

In contrast to the Qin army's leisurely pace, things were much busier in Jinzhou! The entire city was brightly lit, and a thousand masked assassins in black, tight-fitting outfits stood neatly in the square.

Xi Shan personally presented two bowls of wine to Xiao Ziye and Chou, who were in charge of leading the team, and said, "I heard that you two used to work with the eldest brother. If that's the case, I won't waste any more words. This night raid, Miss, the second young master, and I will be here waiting for your good news." After saying that, he also picked up a large bowl, raised it high, and said loudly to the soldiers, "On behalf of Miss, I wish all the soldiers a swift victory!" After speaking, he tilted his head back and drank the strong wine in his hand in one gulp.

Immediately afterward, a unified roar rang out: "Your subordinates will not fail in their mission!"

The group marched towards the city wall in unison. Xiao Ziye paused a few steps behind, stopping in front of Xishan, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong

, Miss?" Xishan looked up at him. This was the first time she had seriously looked at this usually stern man. A broad smile slowly spread across her bright face as she said, "Miss has just caught a cold; it's nothing serious. Besides, the Second Young Master is taking care of her, so you can rest assured."

"Yes, thank you, Miss!" Xiao Ziye, unusually, bowed to her in gratitude.

Xishan didn't say anything more, only returning his smile.

"This Xiao Ziye… he looks kind of familiar!" On the way back, Xishan patted her head, feeling as if she had forgotten something.

In the middle of the night, a thousand scarecrows were quietly taken back, while another thousand men in black were released...

The Qin army sentries watched from afar, scoffing. This scheme had long been seen through, yet the repeated releases and releases continued nightly. The Pei family army was either out of their minds or had nothing better to do.

"Stop looking, what's there to see? Just a few scarecrows!" Sentry B patted Sentry A, then yawned and complained, "Damn it, the weather's so nice tonight, why am I the one on duty?"

Sentry A turned around chivalrously and said, "Brother, you rest, I'll keep watch for you!"

Sentry B had been waiting for this. He shoved his spear into Sentry A's hand, stretched, sat down, leaned against a large tree, and closed his eyes to sleep. But the moment he closed his eyes, a chill ran down his neck, and he could no longer open them.

"Go!" Chou and Xiao Ziye each put down one of the corpses they were carrying, gave a hand gesture to each other to the left and right, and each led a pair of men, quickly dispersing to the opposite sides.

That night, the Qin soldiers inside the tents slept soundly, oblivious to the sounds of battle and the blazing fires outside.

Zhou Fang, disheveled, was helped out of the tent by a soldier. His face was unnaturally flushed, as if he were holding his breath.

"Where are Deputy General Chen and the others?" Zhou Fang asked in a hoarse voice. He looked outside the tent at the soldiers sleeping there, fortunately unpoisoned but unarmed, scattered in disarray, and his anxiety intensified.

"Xiao Wang and Xiao Liu have already gone to find them!" the soldier quickly replied.

"Go! Have those who can still move lead the horses to the path to the east!" Zhou Fang shouted, shaking off the soldiers' orders. He then grabbed a bucket of snow water, thinly covered in ice, from outside the tent, poured it over his head, and shivered, regaining his senses. He then drew his sword and charged into the panicked crowd.

"Everyone, don't panic! Help up the brothers who can still move and gather on the path to the east!" he yelled, grabbing the soldiers rushing around him.

...

A group of ragged, blood-soaked Qin soldiers escaped from the chaotic camp littered with corpses, supporting each other as they walked, exhausted, to a disheveled man.

"How many are left?" Zhou Fang asked, wiping the blood from his face.

"One thousand three hundred and twenty-one!" The deputy general, Chen, pushed aside the soldier supporting him, slowly stepped out of the ranks, and whispered through gritted teeth with his eyes closed. He had followed General Zhou for so long, and had never been so humiliated. He had suffered defeats before, but even against Pei Shiwu, he had never been so utterly crushed. A total of over 25,000 men had camped here to attack Jinzhou, yet of the vast camp, only a mere 1,321 had escaped safely. Many of these escapees were unarmed, running barefoot through the snow, wrapped in blankets, in a sorry state.

Horses were gone, weapons were gone, and the soldiers sleeping in their tents had been inexplicably poisoned; the rest were either killed or captured. Only these 3,121 men had escaped.

Zhou Fang stepped forward and patted the dejected Deputy General Chen on the shoulder, saying, "Let's go. I've placed some fast horses, clothing, and provisions in a small valley about five li ahead. That should be enough for us to return to Qin."

"General..." Everyone's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Touched by the backup plan Zhou Fang had secretly prepared, they quickened their pace, running and walking as fast as they could. After all, no one wanted to die a wandering ghost in a foreign land.

Mile after mile, hope was within reach.

However, there's always a cruel distance between hope and reality.

Suddenly, the surrounding forest lit up, the firelight forming an oval circle that enveloped them.

"General Zhou, where are you planning to go in the middle of the night?"

Zhou Fang had just calmed the panicked soldiers when he heard someone calling him from ahead. Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw a woman in red riding a large black horse, slowly emerging from the jungle, a seven-foot-long sword in her hand, exuding an imposing aura. Behind her, on either side, hundreds of crossbows gleamed coldly, their menacing intent directed at him.

"Madam Lu, in the middle of the night, instead of staying home to care for your husband and children, what brings you here?" Zhou Fang remained calm, asking a question he already knew the answer to. After fighting for so many days, he wasn't foolish enough to not know who the enemy general was. Upon hearing this

, Xi Shan's beautiful eyes curved into a smile, and she suddenly burst into a radiant laugh, hiding her face behind her red sleeve.

“General Zhou, you are too kind. Of course, I have been waiting for your arrival! It’s the middle of the night, cold and foggy, so let’s skip the formalities. Would General Zhou do me the honor of coming with me?”

Zhou Fang glanced around at the bows and arrows, and said decisively, “As long as you spare my colleagues, I will go wherever Madam Lu wants me to go!”

Xi Shan chuckled again, saying, “General Zhou is indeed straightforward!” With that, she waved her red sleeve, and the hundreds of crossbows raised around her were lowered. Then someone brought Zhou Fang a white horse.

“General Zhou!” Xi Shan smiled and gestured for him to ride.

Seeing that his men had escaped death, Zhou Fang gave a few instructions to Deputy General Chen, then mounted his horse and slowly followed behind Xi Shan.

After traveling three miles and leaving the forest, Zhou Fang realized how correct his choice had been.

For miles around, military flags fluttered in the wind, the two large characters "Pei" and "Wu" shining brightly in the glow of the burning firewood.

A figure stood in the distance, with sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, exuding an air of authority, seated on a large black horse.

Zhou Fang's face darkened, staring in disbelief at the man before him.

Pei Shiwu, the war god who should have been a hundred miles away, had actually come!

*********I'm a cj separator line that can't even write a single word*******Walking around, struggling*******

Re-entering Jinzhou felt like stepping into another world.

The same city walls, the same roads, only the flags flying high and the new master were different.

After many twists and turns, he followed his attendants into a beautifully designed, high-walled mansion.

Looking at the familiar scenery, Zhou Fang couldn't help but smile self-deprecatingly. This house, just a month ago, was his residence.

"General Zhou, please!" The attendant who had led him to the door respectfully withdrew.

Zhou Fang stepped into the room and saw three people, a man and a woman, sitting inside. In the center, a woman in purple was covering her mouth and coughing softly a few times. To her right, a thin man in white was talking to her with his head down. To her left, a man with a furrowed brow was also staring at the woman—a man he would never forget.

"Defeated general Zhou Fang greets you all!" Ignoring whether anyone paid him any attention, he entered the main hall, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and shouted in a high-pitched voice, neither humble nor arrogant.

"General Zhou, it's been many years! How have you been?" Shi Wu shifted his gaze from Pei Xiaolei to Zhou Fang.

"Thanks to General Pei's good fortune, even a defeated general can still eat and defecate; I won't die!" Zhou Fang was somewhat angry. He was clearly in such a sorry state; how could she say he was doing well?

"So General Zhou is the general my senior brother always praises, the one who has repeatedly escaped unscathed from his command!"

A compliment came crashing down on Zhou Fang, leaving him completely bewildered! Repeatedly? Escaped unscathed from General Pei's command? Was that true? He scratched his head, wondering why he couldn't remember.

After regaining his composure, he noticed the three people in front of him watching him with interest, so he decided to take the plunge and look them in the eye. What he saw next made his heart skip a beat, and his face flushed slightly. Good heavens! The woman in purple in the main seat, though sickly-looking, was incredibly beautiful.

"Um, cough!" Sensing two unfriendly gazes directed at him, Zhou Fang coughed lightly, composed himself, and instinctively turned to the thinner and safer-looking man in white, saying, "Excuse my boldness, but who fought me in this battle?"

He had initially assumed Pei Xishan was the mastermind behind the war, but after inquiring along the way, he learned it was someone else. However, when pressed further, Madam Lu's lips seemed sewn shut; no matter how much he pressed, she wouldn't reveal a single word, only saying, "You'll know when you reach Jinzhou." It was highly unlikely that General Pei Shiwu would succeed. Leaving aside the distance between the two armies, with the sheer number of troops at his disposal, he wouldn't have needed to resort to a surprise attack; a direct confrontation would have left him no choice but to surrender.

When the white-clad man, whom he considered the commander, slowly turned his gaze to the woman seated in the center, he froze.

When the woman in purple introduced herself with a cool, aloof air, for some reason, despite the cold weather, he suddenly broke out in a cold sweat. A moment later, as if the bombshell hadn't been big enough, the white-clad man continued slowly, revealing his identity before even explaining the reason, and before even asking about his intentions… Zhou Fang, a seasoned soldier with ten years of experience, had already collapsed to the ground, his face ashen, mouth agape, unable to utter a single word.

And our Pei Shiwu, General Pei, from beginning to end, remained silent, only lightly tapping his index finger and smiling faintly…

As the unofficial history says…

Zhou Fang was an ordinary man, fond of flowers, grass, money, power, and women… He loved fighting, cursing, drinking, gambling, and whoring—he indulged in everything.

Yet, Zhou Fang was also an extraordinary man. After a crushing defeat and capture in the Battle of Jinzhou, he met with the three masters of the Pei family. The very next day, he decisively led his remaining ten thousand-plus generals, along with the elderly, weak, and disabled soldiers captured in Jinzhou, to surrender to the most powerful manor in the land. Thereafter, relying on his years of experience transporting military supplies and provisions, his familiarity with the terrain and roads of Qin, and his connections with officials at various levels, he repeatedly and successfully led the Pei family's elite troops safely into the heart of Qin's fortresses. He became not only a force to be reckoned with in supporting Pei Shanyi's smooth ascension to the throne, but also a highly decorated founding marshal of the new dynasty.

Zhou Fang served two emperors, commanding a large number of talented generals. It's said there's a folk rhyme that goes, "To live long in the army, follow Zhou Fang." Actually, Zhou Fang's fame didn't stem from his power or high rank, but rather from the common knowledge that those who followed him in battle were more resilient and less likely to die, even in defeat.

He always left himself a way out, never easily disregarding the lives of his soldiers for personal gain.

Perhaps this is why the war god, General Pei Shiwu, admired him and was willing to promote him.

Author's Note: My mom has recently become obsessed with making dumplings! So, every day she makes different kinds, big and small plates of all shapes and flavors, filling the table with them, which my whole family eats with white rice porridge~~~
o(>﹏<)o, we eat them every day, and now I'm afraid of dumplings!

PS: Although I might be too old for that, I still want to wish everyone a happy Children's Day! o(∩_∩)o

Boy? Girl?

"Xiaolei, Xiaolei..."

Hearing familiar voices calling her, Pei Xiaolei slowly opened her eyes. She had been frightened in her dream and, after being awakened, realized she was covered in sweat.

"What's wrong? Had a nightmare?" Shi Wu helped her sit up, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead as he asked softly.

"Mmm!" Pei Xiaolei responded softly, her eyes still showing some panic from the fright.

"I..." Pei Xiaolei composed herself, looking at Shi Wu's expectant eyes, and murmured a single word before falling silent, her eyes half-closed and hazy, whether from lingering confusion or deep thought.

Shi Wu wasn't in a hurry. He got up and brought her a cup of warm water, then fetched some dry clothes, personally helping her change out of her thin, sweat-soaked garment. His movements were clumsy and slow, though not very skilled, but quite earnest. Pei Xiaolei sat quietly on the bed, letting him serve her, her beautiful eyes following his every move without wavering.

Once everything was settled, Shi Wu felt increasingly uneasy about her appearance. He sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Pei Xiaolei's slightly cool cheek with his fingertips, and asked with concern, "What kind of nightmare scared you like this?"

Pei Xiaolei reached out and touched Shi Wu's hand on her face, gently rubbing it against him like a lazy kitten, which made Shi Wu's heart flutter. However, this kitten seemed to think that she wasn't close enough to him, and suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist, throwing herself into his embrace, burying her head tightly against his chest.

After a long pause, Pei Xiaolei finally said, "Senior Brother, I had a terrible nightmare. I dreamt that you were all gone. I was standing in a strange place, surrounded by silence and cold, a vast expanse of white, and I was all alone. In the dream, I kept running and calling out, but no matter how I ran or called, I couldn't find you!"

Shi Wu frowned slightly, thought for a moment, and then reached out to pat her head. After he had neatly combed Pei Xiaolei's waist-length hair, he breathed a slight sigh of relief and said, "It's probably because you've been too tired these past few days that you're having such wild thoughts!" He thought that the two bloody battles had left some negative psychological scars on her, causing her to be plagued by nightmares. Shi Wu gently loosened his grip, trying to create some distance between them and say a few comforting words.

The woman in his arms seemed to know his intentions, pulling him even closer with her hands, burying herself deeper into his embrace as if drawing warmth from the cold winter: "No, it's not because I'm tired, nor am I afraid of war! It's just that the dream was too real, I was terrified! I've never been so frightened before!"

Shi Wu was somewhat flustered by her closeness, and whispered, "It's just a dream. Don't the old folks always say that dreams are the opposite of reality? We're both fine now, aren't we? " "Right beside you? And think about it carefully, all these years, have we ever let you not find us?" His voice suddenly trailed off with a sigh, a hint of melancholy in his tone. "It's always been you who pushed us away, making it impossible for us to find you!"

With that, Shi Wu nodded towards Pei Xiaolei's head, which was buried against his chest and slightly raised. Seeing the deep furrow in her brow, he continued, following her lead, "If something really happens, and you can't find us for a while, just stay where you are, and we'll come find you!"

"What if you can't find me?" Pei Xiaolei persisted.

"How could we not find you? Even in the most desolate places, we can always find some clues!" Shi Wu's voice was gentle, yet carried a convincing power.

"I see... If that day really comes, I won't go anywhere, I'll wait for you here!" Pei Xiaolei's voice trailed off, a smile slowly appearing in her eyes, the furrow between her brows gradually fading. What had been a terrifying nightmare, after hearing what her senior brother said, truly felt like just an ordinary dream, something she had simply overthought. Her depressed mood eased considerably, and a sweet and sour pink bubble floated in her heart.

"By the way, where's Second Senior Brother?" She looked around, waited a moment, but still couldn't see Shan Yi.

"Second Junior Brother went to the military doctor's place. He's an old friend of both Military Doctor Chen and Military Doctor Lin, and since they had a rare opportunity to get together today, they dragged him away early!" Shi Wu replied, his hand pressing on her forehead, checking her temperature. "Are you feeling unwell? I'll send someone to fetch him!"

"No, no need, I'm fine, nothing's wrong!" Pei Xiaolei pulled his hand away, her voice soft, her words a little hurried.

"Don't talk like that! You clearly caught a cold. You coughed all night yesterday. Did you really think I didn't know?" With that, he called out to someone to bring back the skilled doctor.

"No need, you can all leave now. Senior Brother, I'm really fine. It's just a minor cold. I'll be fine after a good night's sleep!" Pei Xiaolei panicked and quickly stopped him.

"A minor cold is still an illness. What if it turns into a serious problem? When did you become so afraid of illness and doctors?"

"No, actually, I, I, I didn't catch a cold!" Pei Xiaolei saw Shi Wu's expression suddenly turn somewhat serious and panicked. She quickly grabbed his hand and explained.

"Didn't catch a cold?" Shi Wu's eyes narrowed, revealing a dangerous glint.

She lowered her head, her flickering eyes darting away, unable to look at Shi Wu's expression. Her hands began to unconsciously twist the corner of the blanket until Shi Wu pulled the crumpled blanket from her hands. Then she murmured softly, "I'm afraid if we don't do this, Second Senior Brother will personally lead a night raid on the Qin army. I don't want him to go, but every time I look at him, I can't bring myself to say it. I know very well how much time and effort he spent planning this night raid, but every time I think of how he looked when he was injured in the plum grove, I feel terrified!"

"And," she took a breath, continuing with a sob, "although he seems fine now, he was seriously injured. How can he just be cured? He knows medicine, and so do I. He can fool others, but he can't fool me!"

"So!" Shi Wu's tone softened, and he whispered, "you should lie to him and say you're sick, so you can keep him here!"

Pei Xiaolei nodded, her head drooping even lower. She knew very well how bad her plan was.

"I'm being stupid, aren't I?"

"Of course you're incredibly stupid! If you don't want your second junior brother to participate in the night raid, you can just tell him directly. How can you joke around with your own health?"

"I... but..." She opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to explain, but in the end, she couldn't say anything.

"No buts. Nothing in this world is more important than you. Don't even mention a small night raid; even if his life were at stake right now, he would stop for you if you just asked. Over the years, he has taken care of your health. Every time he changes a prescription or medicine, he personally tests it to confirm its effectiveness before letting you take it. Of the four of us, he values life and death the least, yet he values you the most. Xiaolei, your second junior brother, although he doesn't show it on his face, he is very clear-headed. If you weren't sick, you would never be able to fool him. He doesn't say anything, but he has his reasons. But, no matter what he thinks, you must talk to him properly tomorrow. In the future, never use your health as an excuse again."

"Yes, I understand!" Pei Xiaolei listened, her heart aching, her voice hoarse, and she lowered her head in agreement.

"Xiaolei!" Shi Wu lifted her face, looked into her eyes, and said earnestly, "I've never asked anything of you, but there's one thing you must remember!"

"Remember what?" Pei Xiaolei was slightly startled by his expression.

"Remember firmly that we are your husbands. Whatever you ask for, we will do our best to fulfill it for you. Over the years, we have become capable enough to protect ourselves and you! You've always done a great job, but sometimes I wish you were just an ordinary woman, a little more dependent on us, a little more vulnerable, not always so stubborn and self-reliant. Leave many things to us. My Xiaolei, even if you have extraordinary talent and grand ambitions, you only need to sit in the manor, tending to your flowers in your spare time, occasionally offering guidance to the Ming and An departments when busy, and focusing on maintaining your good health on ordinary days."

"You are our wife. Being able to protect you, love you, and fulfill your needs is something we are more than happy to do!"

Actually, she felt that she could jump and run now, and could do many things herself. However, her thinking was obviously too naive. Even though she won the Battle of Jinzhou gloriously, she still couldn't escape her senior brother's scolding. In his eyes, he stubbornly believed that putting herself in danger was a mistake that even winning a hundred battles couldn't make up for.

********I'm feeling very irritable lately, my face is covered in acne.********

Outsiders always say that her senior brother is cold as ice, sparing with words, and doesn't talk much.

But actually, they are all wrong. Her senior brother isn't quiet; he just likes to save all his words for her.

Sweet words plus a sharp stick—that day, she deeply understood that you can deceive anyone in this world, but deceiving your own man is absolutely unacceptable. From now on, whether it's war or a fight, if she encounters such a situation, she must go far away, prioritizing her own safety. If she encounters any problems, she must remember to hand them over to her husband to solve immediately…

This is probably what a real man is like!

That day, her second senior brother didn't return. He spent the entire night at the army doctor's place, supposedly catching up with several doctors and some old acquaintances. They hadn't seen each other for years and were happily drinking a lot. In the end, about ten grown men were sprawled out, drunk and with a hangover all night.

That night, when her eldest senior brother stayed in her room, she nestled in his arms and asked, "Eldest senior brother, do you like boys or girls?"

This question, I don't know what nerve it touched, excited him immensely. Following the implication of her words, he used various methods to torment her all night.

In the middle of the night, as she lay exhausted on him, she suddenly realized that her eldest senior brother hadn't formally answered her question at all. When she tried to ask again, he leaned down and pressed down on her… After that, she didn't even have the strength to think, let alone speak or look.

It was a painful lesson. From then on, she never asked anyone such a silly question as whether they liked boys or girls again.

The next day, her eldest senior brother got up very early! Well, of course, before he got out of bed, he inevitably discussed the scientific and profound question of the child's gender several times.

During this time, she got annoyed and weakly kicked him. Missing, she gritted her teeth and kicked again, and... both her ankles were caught, and her lower body was lifted up.

After that... well...

anyway, in short, she was "bullied" terribly that day! o(>﹏<)o

In that ups and downs, she seemed to agree that, under the protection of her eldest brother's elite black cavalry, she would move back to the manor along with her eldest sister's five thousand personal guards. At the same time, no matter what happened on the way, she absolutely could not meddle in other people's business and cause any more complications like those in Jinzhou City. Her second brother, because he was the heir to the Qin throne by imperial decree, had to accompany the army into Qin to demonstrate legitimacy. The third and fourth senior brothers had already laid out their traps around the Run Kingdom and the Qin Kingdom, as well as along the Qin-Chu border. Including the large and small tribes surrounding the Qin Kingdom's border, Qin was practically in their grasp.

After so many years of preparation, now the timing, the terrain, and the people were all in their favor… Now she just needed to stay

at the manor and wait for their good news! Actually, she didn't understand why her eldest brother sometimes liked to discuss both private and official matters with her in bed

. However, many times, although it was called a discussion, it was actually just her eldest brother talking intermittently, sweating profusely, and she, in her tossing and turning, would vaguely agree. Later, he would pat his behind, leave, and go out to manage military affairs, feeling refreshed, leaving her alone, limp on the bed like a dead fish, without even the strength to sneeze.

Ruomei was much more alert than before; the moment her eldest brother left, she came in. Carrying a large wooden bucket, the steaming water filled the room with a hazy mist, but the subtle, knowing smile on her face couldn't escape Pei Xiaolei's eyes. Understanding

what she was smiling about, Pei Xiaolei blushed, burying herself awkwardly under the covers, sobbing… So be it, even though her senior brother had already chased the guards far away, the commotion so early in the morning was indeed a bit too loud.

Author's Note: ps: Hmm, this is called subtle~~~high H, I wonder if everyone noticed the passion? (*^__^*)…

Conflict (Part 1)

Bottle after bottle of wine was poured into his stomach, burning hot, leaving a bitter and spicy taste in his mouth.

Lin De beside him hesitated, looking at him, wanting to advise him but not daring to.

Smashing his empty wine jug, he shouted with boundless enthusiasm, "Brothers, tonight we won't leave until we're completely drunk!"

The dozen or so army doctors and generals below, their faces reeking of alcohol and staggering, were already quite intoxicated. Encouraged, they immediately joined in the frenzy, smashing their empty jugs to the ground and yelling at the guards outside, "Bring us wine! Tonight, we'll drink with Doctor Pei until we drop, even if it kills us!"

He disliked drinking, believing it was both disastrous and harmful to his health. He had always disdained the idea of drinking all night to drown one's sorrows.

However, tonight, in his final act as Doctor Pei, reminiscing with these generals, he displayed all his former disdain. His rare display of boldness today became the talk of the town among the army doctors and generals. Some even teased, "The Second Young Master has finally shown his true manliness at the dinner table!"

A true man? He laughed and cheered along with the others, but the bitterness in his heart couldn't be masked by any amount of alcohol.

Would she come? Tonight, he looked towards the door more than once. Even after ordering Lin De not to disturb her, after personally telling his senior brother that he would be catching up with the army doctor tonight, and after hinting that the woman tonight belonged to him, he still couldn't suppress that last glimmer of hope.

Would she come?

Would she come... would she come...?

Until noon the next day, no one entered the door except for the soldiers who brought in wine.

The first thing he did after sobering up was to walk quickly towards Pei Xiaolei's room, but the closer he got, the slower he walked. When he was three or four meters away from the room, he stopped, hesitating whether to go in or not.

"Second Young Master?" Lin De saw him stop and frown deeply, so he called out in a low voice.

"You may leave!" He raised his hand and dismissed his personal servant. He slowly walked to the door, his hand about to push it open, when his personal maid blocked his way. His expression changed slightly, his face darkening as he looked at the wooden door behind the maid. He turned and walked away.

"Second Young Master!" Ruomei immediately caught up with him, stepping aside to half-block his path, her smile as usual. "Miss is still sleeping! Would you like to, um, take a bath and wash up before coming back?" "

Wash up?" Nengshang was slightly taken aback, looking down at himself. He realized that he had rushed over early in the morning, his face unwashed, his teeth unbrushed, his hair disheveled, and he reeked of alcohol.

"Then I'll come back later when Xiaolei wakes up!" With that, he left amidst Ruomei's warm smile.

Once Nengshang was out of sight, Ruomei rushed into the room, shaking the still-sleeping Pei Xiaolei awake, and hurriedly called for hot water to be prepared.

"What's wrong?" Pei Xiaolei was woken up groggily and then inexplicably pushed into a tub of hot water, while Ruomei kept sprinkling flower petals into the water.

Ruomei was running around busily, busy as bees, and only stopped when Pei Xiaolei called out to her. She stammered, "The second young master came by just now!"

Pei Xiaolei was taken aback, and after a long pause, she asked seriously, "When did he come?"

"About half an incense stick ago. He reeked of alcohol and looked a bit strange!"

Pei Xiaolei turned her face away, her eyes half-closed, and said nothing more. She only instructed Ruomei to change the sheets and burn sandalwood incense in the room.

That day, Pei Xiaolei stayed in the room, her eyes constantly glancing at the door, anxiously waiting for Shanyi. Although they had been together day and night, there were still some things she couldn't say to him.

She waited a long time, from sunrise to sunset, until after dinner, when the stars first appeared in the sky, before the man she longed for finally reappeared.

"Second Senior Brother!" She immediately stood up and went to greet him, taking the bowl of dark medicine that Shanyi routinely handed her every day, looking at him as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

"Hmm? What's wrong?" He looked at her, smiling gently as always.

"I..." Pei Xiaolei held the medicine bowl on her knees with both hands, took a deep breath, and said loudly as if she had mustered up a great deal of courage, "I didn't actually catch a cold. I lied to you the other day!" After saying this, she held her breath and stared intently at the doctor.

The doctor lowered his head, took the medicine bowl from her hands, scooped some out with a spoon, blew on it to cool it, and then brought it to her mouth, saying softly, "This is just some nourishing medicine!"

Sure enough, he knew.

She opened her mouth, swallowed the medicine in one gulp, but her eyes remained fixed on him. The bowl of medicine was quickly emptied, and he gently covered the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, the movement so practiced and natural, just like hundreds of times before, until there was no medicine left on her lips, before putting the medicine bowl back on the table.

"Second Senior Brother, are you angry?" Pei Xiaolei asked softly, a hint of fear hidden in her voice.

"No! I will never be angry with Xiaolei!" His voice was calm and gentle. His slender fingers lightly traced her eyebrows, tracing a path down her forehead to her neck. His fingers paused, the tenderness in his eyes darkening, a strange emotion slowly welling up from the depths of his dark eyes. His chest felt heavy, as if something was about to burst forth. He abruptly withdrew his hand, as if he had been electrocuted.

"It's getting late, you should rest!" He stood up abruptly, holding the bowl, and strode out.

"Second Senior Brother!" Pei Xiaolei panicked and stood up as well, taking a step forward and reaching out to pull him. With a tug on her wrist, she knocked the medicine bowl from the doctor's hand, shattering it with a loud crash.

"Careful!" The doctor, quick-witted and agile, caught Pei Xiaolei, preventing her from moving an inch. He wrapped his arm around her waist, lifted her gently, and with a graceful spin, they both retreated several feet away.

"How could you..." The doctor lowered his head, about to reprimand her, when he noticed Pei Xiaolei's face flushed as she tightly clutched her coat. It turned out that in his haste to protect her, he had accidentally stepped on her belt before leaping away, and with a quick spin, he had moved so fast that Pei Xiaolei didn't even have time to pull her belt back.

She was only wearing two layers of clothing, with nothing underneath, not even a bra. With the belt slipped off, her clothes hung loosely on her body, revealing glimpses of her jade-like skin below her neck. Faint red hickeys were clearly imprinted on her fair skin.

His mind went blank; it felt as if something had ripped open his chest, bursting from his heart, making his eyes bloodshot.

"Ah!" Pei Xiaolei cried out in surprise. Before she could react, she felt a sharp pain in her back and was slammed heavily against the wall.

"Second Senior Brother!" Before Pei Xiaolei could finish her second sentence, her thin shirt was suddenly ripped open, falling loosely to her waist. Countless pink marks were etched onto her delicate, jade-like skin, from her neck to her chest, the faint red hue gradually disappearing into her trousers.

Shan Yi, gazing at the scene before him, his eyes reddened even more, the ferocity in his gaze burning fiercely. He lowered his head and kissed the red marks on her neck, a rough, hot kiss pressing heavily against her neck. His movements were brutal, biting and nibbling, as if he wanted to devour her.

"Second Senior Brother, let me go!" Pei Xiaolei's heart tightened, terrified by his unusual behavior. She cried out urgently, desperately trying to push away the man who was pressing down on her. Her ears were ringing, her heart filled with shock and fear! Only one thought echoed in her mind: she didn't like this, she disliked it terribly.

*Hiss…* With a piercing tearing sound, Pei Xiaolei felt a chill run down her spine. Her trousers, covering her lower body, were ripped to shreds and scattered on the ground. Her legs were forcibly spread apart.

“No…” Pei Xiaolei almost cried, trying harder to push away the completely unfamiliar man pressing down on her. However, her pleas and resistance only fueled the man's possessiveness, not his demonic control. In the struggle, her wrists stung, and her hands were quickly restrained, pressed tightly against the cold wall.

“Second Senior Brother, stop! I don’t want this!” She twisted her body, making a final, desperate struggle.

“Uh…” Suddenly, her head snapped back, her body trembled, then stiffened, she closed her eyes, finally giving up.

He forced his way in, without a trace of gentleness, penetrating deep inside her, thrusting heavily several times before beginning his relentless assault.

She arched her body, panting softly from the thrusting, and whispered, "Second Senior Brother, let go of my hands, I won't move again!"

The doctor narrowed his eyes and readily released her hands.

Pei Xiaolei, now free, immediately reached forward to wrap her arms around the doctor's neck, burying her face in his neck. She heard the man's heavy, rapid breathing, and felt a burning pain in her lower body. The large, foreign object was like a sharp sword, piercing her narrow body again and again. Without any foreplay, her dry, sensitive passage was forced to accept this beast-like, savage object.

The burning pain in her body was nothing compared to the bitterness in her heart.

Hot tears slid from the corners of her eyes, a large drop rolling down her cheek and landing squarely on the doctor's exposed neck. "Drip..." A tiny splash of water rose on his neck and then disappeared into his clothes.

The doctor suddenly looked up, his eyes bloodshot with rage, staring at Pei Xiaolei in astonishment. A second tear, a third tear… He turned his palm over, looking at the hot tears that had fallen from Pei Xiaolei's cheek and dripped into his palm.

He quickly staggered back a few steps, glancing at Pei Xiaolei, who was leaning against the wall, her body limp, looking at him with tearful eyes, then at his own trembling hands. The violence in his eyes vanished, replaced only by regret and utter disarray.

“What…what am I doing? What am I doing?” He slammed his fist against the wall, leaving a clear, bloody fist mark.

“Miss…?” Ruomei and Chen’s anxious voices came from outside the door. The two outside had noticed the unusual commotion inside and seemed ready to break down the door.

“I’m fine, all of you, get out of here!” Pei Xiaolei regained her composure and immediately shouted towards the outside. While shooing away the two sisters outside, she ran to the doctor, grabbed his hands, and forcefully pulled him away from the wall.

"What are you doing?" she cried, cradling his bloodied and mangled hand.

"Yes, what am I doing?" he asked, looking at Pei Xiaolei, who was now barely clothed, her lips bleeding from being bitten.

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have lied to you about being sick. And I shouldn't have kept what happened with our fellow disciples a secret from you. I should have told you sooner. It's all my fault. Don't be like this, Second Senior Brother, don't be like this..." She sobbed uncontrollably, her voice breaking with sobs as she looked at his injured hand.

The healer shook his head and whispered, "It's not your fault! It's the demons in my heart that are causing this!" He then propped his head up with one hand, his fingers running through his hair. "Even though I know they are also your husbands, even though I never fantasized about having you all to myself, but... but I just can't accept you in their arms. When I saw the marks on your body just now, I really wanted to kill Senior Brother!"

Pei Xiaolei listened quietly, her head slowly lowering as she took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, picked up a single garment from the floor, draped it over her shoulders, and casually tied the belt. She then took some clean strips of cloth and some hemostatic and anti-inflammatory medicine from the cabinet and placed them by the bedside. She pulled the doctor to sit down on the bed, then lowered her head and carefully applied medicine to his injured hand, binding it tightly with the cloth. No matter how complex or self-reproachful the doctor looked at her, she remained silent from that moment on.

The room was quiet. The doctor clutched his hair, speechless. After applying the medicine, Pei Xiaolei gracefully rose, took a small brocade box, and brought over a cup of hot water.

"Xiaolei…this is 'Chaoyang'!" The doctor recognized the brocade box before him, his heart skipped a beat, and he quickly regained his senses. He opened his mouth to stop her, but Pei Xiaolei had already taken a 'Chaoyang' pill with the water and swallowed it.

These 'rising sun' pills were ones he had personally concocted to prolong her life and maintain her health. Now that her supernatural powers had been removed, these potent pills, besides nourishing her and regulating her breathing, were now a superior aphrodisiac perfectly suited to her constitution.

She let down her long hair, sat silently on the edge of the bed, her delicate face flushed with the effects of the drug. She brought her lips close to his, gently covering them, her soft lips touching his thin lips, moist and lingering. Her tongue entered his mouth, entwining with his, until their breathing became heavy, before she pulled away from his lips.

"Xiaolei!" After enduring her passionate kiss, Shan Yi, though somewhat unsatisfied, gently pushed her away. He hesitated for a moment, then said, "I..."

Pei Xiaolei's dark eyes dimmed slightly after being pushed away, a fleeting hint of pain crossing them. Then, with a "shh..." she pressed a finger to his lips, cutting off the rest of his sentence. Her long, still damp eyelashes trembled slightly, and she leaned closer, straddling his lap. Beneath her thin clothes, her slightly raised body intentionally or unintentionally rubbed against him, teasing his desire. Her delicate lips kissed his ear, nibbled at his Adam's apple, and one hand unbuckled his belt, slipping inside his shirt. A familiar scar on his shoulder was gently traced by her fingers, moving downwards, circling his lower abdomen before her fingers pulled down his trousers, revealing an erect, towering manhood.

Pei Xiaolei reached out and gently grasped it. The intense heat entered her palm, frighteningly hot. She rubbed her fingers back and forth a few times. After Shan Yi couldn't help but groan, she raised her body, her other hand reaching between her legs. Her middle and index fingers pinched the two lush petals of her private parts, slowly spreading them open under the man's gaze. The pink, tender flesh inside was pressed down, against the tip of the thick, smooth penis, taking in the most vulnerable spot.

At that moment, she suddenly raised her head, looking into Shan Yi's eyes, and slowly opened her mouth to ask in a low voice, "So, do you think I'm dirty?"
03-07
Conflict (Part 2)

"So, do you think I'm dirty?"

Her cold voice was just like her a year ago—indifferent and distant.

How could he? How could he possibly think she was dirty? What nonsense was she talking about?

He rolled over and pinned her down, deftly undressing them both. Half-turned, he used his injured hand to support her neck, while his other hand pressed against her private garden, his long, slender fingers sinking into the warm, moist depths. His eyes darkened, and his low voice whispered in her ear, "Don't make me angry like this… In my heart, no one in this world can compare to your beauty!" His warm lips landed on her earlobe, gently biting it. Pei Xiaolei immediately trembled, a tingling, numbing sensation spreading through her chest. She sighed softly, her long legs involuntarily clamping together, trapping the man's hand between her thighs.

“You knew perfectly well!” he sighed, his thin lips moving to her rosy lips. His wet tongue traced the fullness of her lips, while his slightly curved fingers, placed between her legs, probed and teased her increasingly moist vulva. His thumb pressed against the transparent protrusion at the tip, gently rubbing and swirling. Just as Pei Xiaolei could no longer endure the torment and arched her back, struggling to escape his grasp, he pressed down with his thumb. That slight touch was enough to make Pei Xiaolei obey. After a few gentle twists, she succumbed to this primal arousal.

“How much I love you!” The second half of his sentence, mixed with his breath, entered her slightly parted mouth. His warm breath grew heavier, and his lips pressed tightly against hers. His long tongue then slipped inside, teasing hers and entwining with hers. Their scents mingled, indistinguishable.

Pei Xiaolei felt extremely uncomfortable, her mind a jumbled mess. Her body felt like it had just run 800 meters, hot and sweaty, yet her heart was itchy, empty, and unbearably thirsty.

She knew very well that the effects of the "Sunrise" drug had begun to take hold, her mind growing increasingly clouded. A familiar yet strange surge of passion, following the movement of her private parts, slowly spread throughout her body. She arched her back slightly, her eyes half-closed, breathing softly, enduring and responding to the punishment and grace this man was bestowing upon her.

After the kiss ended, Pei Xiaolei suddenly grabbed the hand that was pressing against her private parts. Her eyes were half-open, her long eyelashes trembling a few times before she stared intently at Shan Yi. She guided his hand, still wet with her love juice, to her inner thigh. Her legs parted slightly, revealing several scattered, mottled purplish-red hickeys on her fair skin—the marks left by her senior brother the previous night.

"Would you still want me like this?" She stared intently at the man on top of her, her eyes shimmering, veiled in mist, making them indistinct.

The man's response was a light kiss, landing on her eyes. With a quick roll, his legs parted wider, and he knelt down beside her.

The next moment, her delicate chin was lifted, and the doctor's slender hands gently caressed her cheeks, his eyes deep and unfathomable beneath his slightly furrowed brows.

"I'm...very angry," he finally said, his voice bitter.

"Mmm!" Pei Xiaolei responded softly, tilting her head back to look into his eyes, silently waiting for his next words.

"Very angry..." His fingers traced her neck down to her firm breasts, gently rubbing around the red marks, as if trying to erase them, yet the movements were incredibly tender and loving.

"Mmm!" She stirred, responding softly again, but her tone was slightly softer than the previous murmur.

"I'm sorry!" Pei Xiaolei squinted, biting her red lips, trying to keep herself clear-headed.

"It's my fault, it's not your fault!" The doctor's voice hardened, as if he didn't agree with her words. He slightly tightened his grip, cupping her breasts in his palm, kneading them a few times with his slender hands, his fingertips gently pinching the blossoming bud in the center.

"Uh..." She trembled slightly, shifting her body uneasily, turning her flushed face to the side. Her chest heaved rapidly; the effects of "Chaoyang" were beginning to control her body, making her extremely sensitive.

Her long legs involuntarily tried to close together, but the man kneeling between them forced them apart, maintaining a perfect boundary, seemingly within reach but ultimately unattainable.

"Second Senior Brother, do you... still want me?" Her voice softened, delicate yet trembling. Her clenched fist was sweating profusely. She knew she was making a gamble she couldn't lose, but why was she still so afraid? Her nose

stung, and her nails dug into her palms, almost drawing blood.

Some fine powder was sprinkled on her body, a familiar scent, the unique fragrance of "Chaoyang."

"Second Senior Brother!" She saw him holding some powder and pouring it down into the crevice of her private parts. A small pinch, moistened by her love juices, was kneaded into a ball and pressed against the tight opening of her vagina.

"Besides you, what else do I have?" His soft lips returned to hers, his nimble tongue licking the scattered "sunrise," finally taking her erect, hard nipple into his mouth, his tongue pressing against that bright red spot, kissing and sucking wantonly.

"Mmm..." Soft moans escaped her lips. Pei Xiaolei shifted her body uneasily, and with that slight movement, the fingers pressed against her private parts were pushed further in, forcing half of the man's fingers into her narrow passage.

"If not you, who else could I have?" Pei Xiaolei raised her tightly clenched fist, the hand wrapped in bandages by the doctor. His lips landed on her palm, slowly prying open her fingers, kissing away the blood from her flesh, then pressing this equally scarred hand against his chest.

"There's no room for anything else here but you!"

************I'm Kavenka, the CJ dividing line that makes me want to bang my head against the wall******God, grant me some inspiration******

"I love you very much, it's true!" Her other hand touched Shan Yi's brow, her fingertips trembling slightly, gently stroking his furrowed brow. After a light sweep, and receiving a joyful look from Shan Yi, she slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had Shan Yi's hand on her heart. The mist in her eyes had dissipated, leaving a heavy, dark void, as if it contained many things—suppression, pain, and despair. She opened her mouth and said in an almost humble, pleading tone, "But I've also fallen in love with them. They already have a place in my heart. I can't do without either of them!"

Shan Yi pursed his lips and remained silent, just listening quietly and gazing at her silently.

Just as she was about to burst into tears from the oppressive silence, his lips touched hers. "I know!" His voice was as gentle as ever, without a trace of displeasure.

"Promise me, don't hurt them!" she demanded further.

"Okay!" His voice remained gentle.

"I'm sorry!"

"You're not wrong. It was me, it was me who went astray, that's why I said such things! I thought I could accept it, I prepared myself mentally for so many years, I thought I could accept it calmly. But I was wrong, really wrong. Actually, I was very selfish!" He pointed to his chest, saying each word clearly.

"Say it again!" the doctor suddenly said in a low, incoherent voice.

"Say what?" Pei Xiaolei's eyes trembled slightly, her heart aching as she asked the question.

"The words you left unsaid in the garden that day!" The words he wouldn't let her say... (P.S. Friendly reminder: the garden refers to the back garden in Pei Xiaolei's residence in Chapters 7 and 8.)

The same tone, the same expression, just like the way she hid in his arms that day, laughing and talking, "I, Pei Xiaolei, in this life, will only love Shan Yi, and belong only to Shan Yi. If I break this vow, I will..." Before she could finish speaking, her mouth was sealed again.

"Enough, that's enough!" As soon as she finished speaking, he lifted her up, and at the same time, pulled out a pillow from the side and quickly stuffed it under her waist and hips.

"Uh... Second, Senior Brother!" Before she could even react, she screamed, and then her waist and hips arched upwards as if stimulated, and a high-pitched groan burst from her throat.

"Mmm...mmm...ah..." She tilted her head back, mouth open, breathing rapidly. Her face was flushed as if it were on fire, her pupils wide, all clarity gone from her eyes. Her hands gripped the blankets tightly, crumpling them into a ball.

Her legs were folded up, spread wide to the sides. Shan Yi's heavy breathing fell on her most private parts, parting the already wet and slippery pink slit. His delicate tongue slipped inside, licking away the moist "morning sun" powder covering it little by little.

His soft tongue first gently licked, hooking the bright red labia minora into his mouth, gently nibbling at them. After Pei Xiaolei trembled as if electrocuted, his tongue then followed the engorged flesh upwards, reaching the slightly protruding, translucent point. After a delicate circle, his tongue hardened, curling into a hard rod, pressing firmly against that sensitive spot.

"Hmm... Ugh..." Another wave of tingling, itchy sensation washed over her. Unable to withstand the stimulation, her body convulsed a few times, a short groan escaping her lips. She instinctively tried to escape this embarrassing sight by squeezing her legs together.

Her heels twitched, but the doctor's hands held her firmly in place. He silently raised his head, his face flushed an unnatural red, his lips glistening with a layer of moisture, a few specks of morning glory powder clinging to them.

"I feel so bad!" she cried, her voice choked with sobs, her eyes blurry and confused.

"I know, Xiaolei, be good, just bear with it a little longer, it'll be alright soon!" came a suppressed, restrained voice.

She remembered that first time, when she was teetering on the brink of death, she had pleaded with this man for help in the same way.

And he had answered her in the same way.

This man, the first, the purest, the first to enter her heart.

Now, she was using the cruelest knife of memory to stab him in the heart.

The double-pointed blade, one end piercing his chest, the other his own heart.

With each inch it pierced the other, it also pierced his own flesh; neither could gain an advantage.

Another "Sunrise" was crushed; he swallowed half, and pressed the other half against her swollen vaginal opening. His slender hand slowly pushed it in, cramming as much powder as possible into the opening. The dried powder was quickly flushed out by the vaginal fluid, but the doctor wasn't in a hurry. He took some more, slowly inserting it, then pulling it out again, repeating this several times until half of the "Sunrise" was completely inside her.

"Mmm...hmm...hmm..." She felt very hot, all her senses focused on the sensation. The doctor's long fingers, probing inside her, circled along the vaginal walls, slowly spreading the powder evenly around the walls of her vaginal canal.

The "morning sun" applied to her body, once moistened, quickly merged into the slippery fluid. A faint floral fragrance wafted from her body, and an even stronger surge of passion washed over her with the gradually intensifying scent.

It was unbearable; an indescribable stimulation welled up within her. She abruptly reached out and tightly grasped Shan Yi's wrist, pressing it forcefully against her body before he could react. His fingers immediately plunged deeper into her, showing no self-pity whatsoever.

She held his hand tightly, arching her body to meet his thrusts, her private parts contracting tightly, refusing to let him withdraw. Her eyes, glazed, gazed at Shan Yi, whose eyes were equally red, and she murmured a plea: "Don't torture me like this..."

The cry from deep within her body, like a hurricane, was about to sweep away all her restraint.

Love me, embrace me, possess me... At this moment, she could think of nothing else but these things.

"Xiaolei, I love you! I really love you, do you understand?" These touching words had barely reached her ears when Shan Yi's enormous, burning penis plunged forcefully into Pei Xiaolei's body. Although her narrow passage had been invaded once before, that brief, brutal invasion clearly hadn't caused her much damage; it remained incredibly tight, like a narrow, dark path, stubbornly resisting this massive intruder.

"So tight..." he sighed, struggling to penetrate two-thirds of the way, only to be stopped halfway. He was hot, and she was hot too, like red-hot iron in a furnace, only his iron expanded with the heat, while her furnace shrank. Two people who were so perfectly matched suddenly found it difficult to be intimate.

"Mmm..." She shifted her body, responding to the man lying on top of her, his breathing heavy and disordered. She tried her best to relax, slowly unfolding her body, hoping to accommodate him more. However, despite her efforts, her body was like a shy child, refusing to open the door any further, no matter how much she coaxed and tempted him.

He stood there, unable to move forward or backward; he was uncomfortable, and so was she.

After being doused with the fuel of "morning sun," the two flames had no choice but to embrace each other, letting the flames burn out completely.

Author's Note: Yes, the reason I haven't updated for so long is because...
at this crucial juncture...
I... got... writer's block... and... it was... incredibly... heartbreaking... *tears*! t_t
I understand the pain of falling into this pit too~~ So, I'll post what I can squeeze out first~~
I'll try my best to climb out of the pit this week~~ o(>﹏<)o
－－－－－－－－2009.06.12

This chapter is a bit angsty~~~
If we're talking about the purest love in Pei Xiaolei's heart, the person closest to it should be Shan Yi~~
It's just a pity that this is a harem novel that follows a warm and harmonious route, so I have to make do with Xiao Erzi~~
ps: Brother Koukou, here again! Trembling~~
－－－－－－－－2009.06.14 Early morning

conflict (part 2)

How could he not get in? It's just that he couldn't bear to see her in pain!

Her feet wrapped around his waist, her hands tightly hugged his back, she closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and suddenly pulled the man down with all her might. With this force, his huge hardness smashed open the door blocking the way.

"Hmph!" Pei Xiaolei groaned, her fingers digging into Shan Yi's sweaty back. Her body arched slightly, a sharp, stinging pain shooting through her vagina, yet a feeling of fulfilling happiness filled her heart.

"Move!" she trembled, clenching her fist and punching the man on top of her, both angry and annoyed. He was already flushed red with desire, what was he still holding back for?

He lowered his head slightly, his eyes gleaming with a radiant light. He kissed her earlobe, his heavy breathing and erratic heartbeat falling on her ear.

"I love you!"...

Suddenly, he pulled away abruptly, his wet penis retreating to the entrance. Without falling for even half a second, he thrust in again with lightning speed.

"Uh... Hmph..." Her eyelashes trembled slightly, half her soul seemingly ripped away by the fierce thrust. The subtle pain fueled an even fiercer resistance. Her private parts, where he had penetrated, were soaked with fluid. Her swollen vulva was forced to swallow his thick, hard penis. With each inch he thrust in, she contracted an inch. Beneath the sensual friction of their bodies, his brows furrowed slightly. He didn't speak of the pain and pleasure he felt, but his face betrayed it. A sound of

pleasure mixed with suppressed emotion lingered in his throat. Shan Yi's lips were tightly pressed together, forming a thin line, and large drops of sweat trickled down his cheeks. His desire was tightly enveloped by Pei Xiaolei's body. Her soft inner walls were moist and tight, and his large, hard penis felt hot and painful from being squeezed, as if something was greedily swallowing and sucking it from within. He lifted his body slightly, and with a slightly dissatisfied moan from Pei Xiaolei, he withdrew shallowly from her tight, deep body, his brown tip pointing upwards, leaving a thin strand of transparent white.

A smile curved his lips.

She was already soaking wet.

"Give it to me!" Pei Xiaolei punched him hard, her hoarse and trembling voice filled with urgency.

The doctor aimed at the swollen and tender entrance, thrusting his hips forward, and then forcefully inserted his penis, plunging it all the way into the dark, moist, narrow passage, hitting her most sensitive spot. His injured hand pressed against the edge of the bed to steady his balance, while his other warm hand caressed her waist and abdomen, stroking upwards from her navel, finally landing on her high, firm breasts.

"How much?" he asked, his eyes red.

"All of it, I want all of you!" She grabbed his shoulders, her eyes equally red, her voice trembling.

His fingers squeezed her full, white breasts, then his fingertips cruelly pinched her pink nipples. As the tingling pain shot through her, he thrust forward, his manhood penetrating her body even deeper with a gasp from Pei Xiaolei. His scrotum slapped against her wet vulva with a "slap, slap."

"I'll give you anything! No matter how much you want, I'll give it to you!" His voice, broken by heavy breathing, came through the air.

"Hmm... ah... hahaha..." Pei Xiaolei's mouth parted slightly, letting out uncontrollable gasps, her mind a jumbled mess, as if exploding. Her body trembled with excitement, the walls of her vagina tightly gripping Shan Yi's thick, frighteningly hard manhood, the flesh walls tightening little by little, as if trying to swallow this food that had offered itself up. She arched her body, moving up and down to meet each of his thrusts.

Her moans grew increasingly urgent, her ten fingers gripping his back, leaving ten clear claw marks.

He gave deeply and thoroughly, each time with all his might, each entry with exquisite skill, as if he wanted to give her not only the most, but the best.

Her private parts remained as tight, narrow, and deep as they had been a year ago, possessing an irresistible allure that drew him in, making it impossible to pull away. And this body, more voluptuous and delicate than before, exuded a fatal charm that he couldn't help but notice in every gesture after their lovemaking.

She moaned softly, occasionally rising slightly with his roughness. Her slightly parted lips, under his repeated thrusts, would hoarsely call out "Second Senior Brother." "Faster," he'd say, and amidst the swaying, she'd blurt out, "Good Doctor!"

She'd never called him by his name before, always just "Second Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother." Only tonight, in this soul-stirring, bone-deep entanglement, did she utter, "Good Doctor."

"Say it again!" After several deep thrusts, he retreated to the entrance, his low, hoarse voice gently coaxing her, still desperately arching his body towards her.

She stared at him blankly, her slightly damp face showing dissatisfaction and confusion.

What should she say?

"Good Doctor!" he coaxed again.

"Good Doctor," she murmured, and after receiving a smile from the man, she added, "Faster!"

Good Doctor's face darkened, and as if turning the pages of a book, his gentle smile transformed into a fierce, wicked grin.

Pei Xiaolei's feet slipped, her lower body lifted into the air, her two long, slender, fair legs draped over Shan Yi's shoulders, her waist lifted, leaving only her head and back pressed against the bed. She immediately lost her balance. Pei Xiaolei quickly removed her hands from Shan Yi's back, which she had gripped so tightly it was unrecognizable, and grabbed the sheets on either side. She touched the thick mattress; it was damp—the spot where her waist and hips had just been.

Pei Xiaolei's face flushed slightly, but she couldn't think further. A fierce, savage, large thief had once again invaded her private parts. Mixed with the faint fragrance of "morning sun," clear, crystalline love fluid overflowed with the man's rapid, deep thrusts, making a "sizzling" sound as it was squeezed. A few drops fell onto the sheets, a few along the point of contact, dissolving into the man's swollen, thick penis, and trickling down the smooth shaft into his pubic hair.

"Uh...uh...humph..." Her heart pounded rapidly, as if it would burst from her chest. Her legs swayed limply in the air, completely erratic. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly, her knuckles white. Her pale belly rose and fell, her waist held firmly by the man's large hands, his waist pinned down, leaving her no chance to resist or yield.

The doctor pressed her closer, penetrating her even deeper. His brows furrowed, his lips pressed tightly together, his thrusts swift and relentless, without the slightest hesitation. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, almost blurring his vision.

After several deep penetrations, he suddenly raised his head, pressed down, and placed one hand on Pei Xiaolei's sweat-drenched cheek, saying tenderly, "I'll give you something even better!"

Before Pei Xiaolei could react, his large penis, which had retreated to the doorway, thrust in quickly and accurately, reaching her sensitive spot.

"Ah..." A high-pitched groan escaped her lips. Pei Xiaolei's lower abdomen contracted, her back arched sharply upwards, her entire body tensed, and she convulsed several times. Then, a huge vortex of pleasure pressed down on her head, a tingling pleasure shooting from deep within her to her brain, then spreading outwards, reaching her toes. She felt as if she had been electrocuted; her body stiffened abruptly, her lower body contracting rapidly, constricting tightly, making the man's massive, penetrating member painfully constrict.

She clenched tightly, screaming repeatedly as the hot, burning walls of her vagina clung to his throbbing, veiny penis, like countless mouths sucking at it.

He growled, his mind a jumble of chaotic desire, a surge of energy in his groin desperately seeking an outlet. "Xiaolei, Xiaolei..." he murmured repeatedly, his narrow waist beginning to tremble wildly.

He penetrated deeply, exiting only shallowly, their most vulnerable points rubbing rapidly together, a slight burning pain, intense orgasms, wildly stimulating the two intertwined beings.

The fierce insertions and rapid withdrawals, each thrust more intense and faster than the last, drove Pei Xiaolei, pinned to Shan Yi's waist, nearly mad. She tried to struggle, but only received a firmer grip. He pressed her down steadily, embedding her into his body again and again, forcing her to endure his entirety.

"Ah...ah ah...uh ah..." Hoarse sounds piled up, Pei Xiaolei's face flushed, eyes narrowed, head tilted back, legs spread wide in a daze, trembling and yielding beneath Shan Yi's waist. "Slower...a little...um...too fast...! Ah ah..." She gasped for breath, her body pitifully rising and falling with the man's thrusts, her full, firm breasts bouncing like rattles.

Clearly, Pei Xiaolei's reaction pleased Shan Yi greatly. He curled his thin lips into a smile and began to thrust even more vigorously; each of her pleasurable moans was a source of his motivation.

He thrust wildly, penetrating deeper and deeper with each stroke, his eyes moist, unsure if it was from sweat or tears welling up inside.

He truly loved her, loved her so much, a love so intense it almost tore him apart, an emotion he couldn't suppress. He pounded with such force, his glans even touching her cervix, yet it still wasn't enough. No matter how tightly he held her, no matter how many times he possessed her, no matter what he did for her, it was never enough. He didn't understand why this emotion had spiraled out of control almost a year later. He only knew he couldn't control himself; he couldn't bear the slightest distance from her, couldn't bear the slightest tear she shed for him.

He could endure it, he could accept it, as long as she stopped looking at him with such a distant gaze. He would do anything she wanted.

Pei Xiaolei, I love you so much, I really love you, do you know that?

***********I'm an incompetent writer, a writer who's run out of ideas. I hate writer's block, and I hate being stuck on writing explicit content even more! Pei

Xiaolei regretted it. If she had known that her casual remark would elicit such a strong physical reaction from her second senior brother, she would never have said it.

Who could believe that this man, so thin that even a hug felt awkward, possessed such astonishing explosive power and such a rapid frequency? She couldn't even describe it; she only knew she was trembling, her blood was boiling, and all her nerve cells were focused on the place where she was connected to him. She could clearly feel his hard, pillar-like size, and the force of each thrust. He was thrusting quickly and heavily, and the "plop plop..." sound there never stopped.

Her eyes were closed, her body swaying and heaving, her mind blank, her heart pounding like a drum, her fingers and toes curling and clenching. This life-threatening orgasm had completely thrown her off balance; each of his rapid, forceful thrusts felt like it was going to knock her heart out of her chest.

"Ahhh...ah...slower...a little...hmm...too fast...hmm..." Her throat was dry, and a few broken pleas for mercy were drowned out by the sounds of their young bodies slapping against each other. The speaker was indistinct, and the listener didn't seem to care.

"Hmm...hmm...ahhh..." Unable to bear it any longer, Pei Xiaolei trembled, struggling to reach out a hand and grab Shan Yi's arm. Her palm felt cold, and she touched it, finding it sweaty. She looked at the man who was trembling even more than she was. In this passionate entanglement, his excitement was no less than hers.

He was quiet, unlike her, who was always making "hmm haha" noises. He only had a flushed face, a sweaty body, and increasingly heavy, labored breathing.

"Xiaolei" "Xiaolei"...Shan Yi suddenly started calling her name. With each short call, his movements became more rapid, his hot, hard member precisely hitting her G-spot with each thrust.

"Hmph hmph hmph..." Her moans grew shorter and more intense. Her lower body was filled to the brim, the muscles of her inner walls contracting and spasming repeatedly, being pulled and stretched again, stirring up the passageway inside and out. Clear fluid gushed from their point of contact with Shan Yi's movements, soaking the bedsheets beneath.

"Hmph..." After several bursts of intense pleasure, Shan Yi suddenly let out a low growl, thrusting his hips powerfully, penetrating Pei Xiaolei completely.

"Uh..." Pei Xiaolei's head snapped back, her lower abdomen contracting and relaxing a few times as she endured the man's final blow.

A surge of heat shot deep into her body. The penis, enveloped by the passageway, stopped, remaining obediently inside her, no longer thrashing about, but insidiously pressing against her G-spot. He didn't move, but his penis was restless, throbbing inside her.

Pei Xiaolei arched her body sharply, feeling a shudder run through her. Her lower body tightened its grip, and her legs, having completed their task, were finally freed from Shan Yi's shoulders. She arched her legs, thighs and calves bent and pressed against her lower abdomen, her body still churning with the surging current, leaving her bewildered and unsure what to do.

Pei Xiaolei was slowly lowered. Shan Yi carefully supported her waist and hips, ensuring a steady landing. She half-closed her eyes, biting her lower lip, tears welling in her eyes. Her breathing had calmed slightly, but her mind was still adrift.

Shan Yi kissed her lips, pried open her teeth, and sucked on her slightly swollen lower lip before lifting himself, trying to create some distance between them.

"Don't move..." His small movement caused Pei Xiaolei to react like a startled bird. She pressed her hand against their joined bodies, "Don't move..." she pleaded pitifully, her eyes filled with a turbulent, watery tenderness.

The doctor was taken aback, then laughed.

He pressed down and inserted himself a little more at an angle, his still-rough breathing very close to her ear.

"I won't leave..." he said in a low, hoarse voice. Then he pulled her away and lifted her off the bed again, making her straddle his waist. Thus, their two bodies, now intertwined, were once again pressed together.

Having just regained a little of her senses, Pei Xiaolei was already completely drained and utterly powerless to resist. In this situation, all she could do was pitifully protest in her heart, "Waaaaah..." This man had completely distorted her true nature, and she could only grit her teeth and swallow the large, thick penis that was now inserted into her again, tears welling in her eyes.

She knew the effects of "Chaoyang" all too well. After taking it, as long as she retained a shred of consciousness, her body was no match for even the slightest temptation from a man.

In fact, her "Don't move" truly meant "Don't move," with absolutely no intention of continuing the advances—well... at least not for now! But the doctor clearly misunderstood, and her own extremely sensitive body's instinctive reaction only deepened and confirmed this misunderstanding.

As soon as Pei Xiaolei sat down, her body instinctively began to contract her lower abdomen, her sensitive and delicate inner orifice rhythmically opening and closing, encompassing, squeezing, and swallowing, while also gradually feeling the changes in the hot, foreign object inserted deep inside her.

It was still expanding, its shaft as hard as a red-hot iron pillar, thrusting straight into her body. The slight throbbing pulse, in sync with his breathing, struck her heart.

Having taken "Chaoyang," her second senior brother was certainly not much more relaxed than she was. She sat up slightly, half-kneeling between his legs. He pleased her, and she wanted to please him too.

She cupped his face in her hands; this thin yet handsome face, which she could never get enough of looking at.

"Second senior brother, you are so handsome!" Pei Xiaolei gazed at Shan Yi with eyes as clear as autumn water, her fingertips tracing delicate lines along the corners of his eyebrows, her rosy lips parting slightly, her breath sweet as an orchid.

The doctor, his lips slightly parted and red from being sucked and bitten, looked back at her with some surprise, seemingly stunned by her sudden and direct praise.

A short while later, Pei Xiaolei leaned in, her pearly white teeth parted with captivating charm. Just as he had done to her earlier, she gently bit his lower lip, forcing him to open his mouth, then began to suckle and lick his upper lip, carefully rubbing and licking it before reluctantly pulling away. She thought her sex teacher would retaliate fiercely, but after waiting for a while, there was still no counterattack from her second senior brother. Pei Xiaolei curiously looked down again and was surprised to find that the man who had just been so fierce to her was now blushing, his face as red as a peach, even his ears were red!

...This...

*smack*

Her mischievous side resurfaced, and she maliciously nibbled at Shan Yi's chin again. Seeing him flinch slightly, her eyes gleamed with a bright light. She lowered her body, her large, watery eyes filled with affection, and said softly, "Second Senior Brother, let's play a game, okay?"

"A game? Now?" Shan Yi felt a tickle in his heart, a slight anxiety rising within him, but he maintained his gentlemanly demeanor. However, even the best man in bed is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Our new, good man, Pei Xiaolei's second son, the revered great doctor, was now, while maintaining a gentle and innocent facade, he impatiently placed his hands on Pei Xiaolei's fair buttocks, and as she focused on teasing him, slowly pressed her raised body back down.

"Uh..." Pei Xiaolei's body tensed, swallowing his thick, hard shaft again. Its long, thick size filled her private parts until they were swollen and full. He penetrated so deeply that she felt a slight soreness inside.

"Hmm...hmm hmm hmm...hmm hmm..." After a while, Pei Xiaolei began to moan softly. Shan Yi's movements on his hips gradually quickened. He pressed one hand against her buttocks and the other against her waist, supporting her as she moved up and down, forcing her to respond to his rhythm. He loved the way she moaned on him, so alluring, so beautiful, so captivating... Only at this moment did her every smile and frown bloom solely for him, without any impurities.

"The game, how do we play?" After riding her for a while, he suddenly looked up at his wife, whose eyes were brimming with tears from his ravaging, and asked.

"Huh?" Pei Xiaolei was somewhat confused by the surge of passion he had aroused. After fluttering her long eyelashes, still wet with tears, she responded, bewildered.

"It's a game!" Shan Yi turned her around, so she was facing him sideways. He adjusted their position, bent one of her legs, and pressed it against her chest. He then turned to the side, shifting their positions forty-five degrees before launching another fierce attack. The sounds of flesh slapping together, mingled with the sizzling sounds of eroticism, filled the room. Streams of fluid, some clear and some cloudy, clung to her genitals and buttocks as they continued to combine and change positions, while most of the fluid landed on Shan Yi's thighs and penis. Occasionally, they would catch glimpses of each other in their frenzied state. Yet, such erotic scenes were most likely to ignite their most primal senses. Nothing could soothe this primal attraction better than embracing one's beloved. A thick, sensual atmosphere lingered around them. In the midst of this battle of sex, only the skilled physician could still find the mood for conversation.

"Hmph... Ahh... Ahhh..." Pei Xiaolei's mouth was dry; she had no time to pay him any attention. She weakly punched him, then said in a fit of venting, "You bad guy, I won't tell you!"

"Tell me!" He flipped her over again, this time with her back to him, her legs bent, like a child urinating, as he lifted her. His hot, large penis pressed against her wet, swollen vagina, gently rubbing and teasing, but refusing to penetrate. His chin rested on her neck, his deep, pleasant voice sounding utterly like a rogue.

After more than a decade together, she only realized tonight that her second senior brother was also someone who would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.

Gritting her teeth, she gave a defiant hum, shook her head, and made an expression befitting her current posture, saying, "I won't tell!"

"Really won't tell?" He moved!

"Uh... hum..." She shuddered, her body trembling violently, her back arching as she spasmed several times, squeezing out several clumps of the white fluid hidden inside her vagina.

How insidious! When she tearfully discovered a man's finger protruding from her clitoris, she silently accused him through tears, then succumbed to the overwhelming physical stimulation. She collapsed in the baptism of orgasm, panting softly as she closed her eyes.

Finally, she gave in.

Shan Yi, his lips pursed, worked tirelessly, sweating profusely, while attentively listening to Pei Xiaolei's fragmented and indistinct descriptions of the game. His hands covered Pei Xiaolei's small hands, pressing them together at their joined juncture, their palms sticky with their secretions.

Before she could even catch her breath, Shan Yi moved his large hand, guiding her small hand into her crevice, gliding it through the slippery surface. He moved her, gently and forcefully, completely under his control.

She was exhausted, her body felt like it had fallen apart, barely able to lift her arms, forced to follow Shan Yi's movements like a puppet on strings. Her body was so weary, yet her desire remained undiminished. It was as if with just a flick of Shan Yi's finger, she would eagerly rush to him, lying down on her own without him needing to subdue her.

Whether this physical instinct was good or bad, she no longer wanted to delve into it.

Sometimes, she preferred to think, like Ah Q, that perhaps this instinct, faced with four strong, lustful husbands, was a blessing from heaven.

"Hmm...uh...ahh..." Her soft moans returned, rising and falling with a sob, indistinguishable as to whether they were from pain or pleasure.

"Let's play!" the doctor said, his breath heavy.

Huh? Ah?

"Play?"

"Yes! Play!"

...

After the first rooster crowed, dawn was approaching.

Pei Xiaolei lay sprawled on the bed, her back aching, limbs outstretched, utterly exhausted, tears welling in her eyes.

The doctor, satisfied, got off her and reached to untie her hands, which were bound to the bedpost…

“I really like this game!” he said, biting her earlobe with a cheerful tone.

*Sobbing* Pei Xiaolei blinked, but the tears wouldn't fall, stubbornly remaining in her eyes, glistening and watery.

Second Senior Brother, this isn't how you play your game…

*Sobbing* She didn't want to be the one bound! o(>﹏<)o

Author's Note: This chapter was very difficult to write. I revised it repeatedly, struggling between being more angsty and less angsty, and in the end, I didn't write anything. So, staring at the blank Word document, I comforted myself, saying maybe it was because I was stuck in a writer's block that it was so difficult to write. But then I thought about it again, and it seems like it took me over a month to finish writing that scene about the ability to communicate!
...Then, on a scorching hot summer day, I was walking to work in the 34-degree Celsius heat when it suddenly dawned on me, and it dawned on me—it's because I don't have the potential to be an erotic novel author! o(≥﹏≤)o

PS: Getting back to the point, I think it's about time to wrap up the story! Because this story was written for my own enjoyment, I started it very irresponsibly, and the updates were incredibly slow. To those of you who fell into my trap, honestly, thank you for your hard work!
A lot has happened in the past year, and I think it's a miracle that this story is still alive on this page today. I am truly, truly grateful to those who love and cherish this story, and to all the readers who have accompanied it along the way!
I want to say, you are the most adorable people. *group pounces* *kissing* When I woke up

back at the manor

, the man beside me was gone. Pei Xiaolei slowly sat up, curling up in bed and hugging the quilt, her body covered in red and purple marks—two days' worth of hickeys piled together, a rather shocking sight.

Her head was buried in her knees; for the first time, she felt disgusted with herself.

Looking at the empty "Sunrise" brocade box beside the bed, her eyes gradually welled up with tears.

She had ultimately schemed against him.

Chen heard the noise and knocked on the door. Upon entering, she was startled by Pei Xiaolei's appearance.

"Miss!" Chen rushed forward, lifting the curtain to look closely. Her face flushed red, then turned green, her expression drastically different. Seeing Pei Xiaolei sitting there, hugging her knees and remaining silent, she felt even more panicked. She took a deep breath, steadied herself, and cautiously called out, "Miss..."

Pei Xiaolei looked up, and in an instant, the despondency in her eyes vanished, as if the tenderness from before had never existed. She looked at the person standing before her with some surprise. If she remembered correctly, Chen, the captain of the secret guards, had never overstepped his bounds or taken over his sister's work. What was wrong with him today? She paused for a moment, lost in thought, before finally asking with a hint of doubt, "Where's Ruomei?"

"She went to prepare lunch, leaving me here to assist her!" Chen straightened up, realizing he had overstepped his bounds, and loudly explained.

Since they were all women, Pei Xiaolei didn't really care about the difference between an outer guard and an inner maid, and then asked her second question, "And what about the second young master?"

"This morning, the eldest young master sent someone to take the second young master away?" Speaking of Shan Yi, for some reason, this captain of the secret guards, who usually praised the second young master so highly, was unusually unfriendly today.

Pei Xiaolei paused slightly upon hearing this, then gave Chen a deep look before continuing her inquiry after a long while: "Have you prepared the hot water?"

Chen nodded and immediately replied, "It's ready, it's warming up in the side room!"

"Send someone in, I want to take a bath, come help me!" With that, Pei Xiaolei frowned slightly, moved her aching and weak body closer to the edge of the bed, and pointed to a coat on the stool, indicating that Chen should bring it over and help her put it on. However, the closer they were, the more clearly Chen could see all the marks on Pei Xiaolei's body. Normally, if Ruomei had seen this, she would have teased her young mistress with amusement, and perhaps even fantasized about things that hadn't even begun.

But Chen was not Ruomei; faced with all this, she remained silent, behaving quite quietly. The shock of last night, coupled with the shards of broken bowls and torn clothes scattered all over the floor, brought back a series of horrific images of violence. She slowly clenched her teeth, her fists forming, her heart nearly overwhelmed by rage.

Even if he was the second young master, even if he was the young lady's darling, he couldn't treat her like this.

"What's wrong?" Seeing Chen remain motionless, Pei Xiaolei frowned, looked up at her, and asked.

"The second young master... he dared to humiliate the young lady like this! This subordinate... this subordinate..." Chen finally couldn't hold back her curses. Although she couldn't bring herself to chop Shan Yi into mincemeat and feed it to the fish, her grip on the sword at her waist, her expression one of wanting to fight to the death, clearly conveyed her inner thoughts.

Poor Chen, who was filled with indignation, was suddenly covered by Pei Xiaolei's hand and burst out laughing. Then, heartlessly, she pinched Chen's pouty cheek and said with a smile, "Second Young Master, how do you feel about this bullying me? Hmm..." She trailed off, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled mischievously, offering her a suggestion, "How about this, next time I'm with the young master, if you hear me screaming in bed, you must ride a white horse to rescue me. What do you say, is that a good idea?" She then lifted Chen's chin, her breath sweet as orchids, her alluring eyes gazing at her with seductive charm

...

Chen was stunned, standing there like a wooden doll, her round eyes staring at this frivolous young lady who was so casually holding her chin. A surge of heat rose in her chest, her heart skipped a beat, and her face flushed crimson.

That, that cold, unsmiling young lady, she, she, she…

she was actually flirting with her.

Chen pinched her thigh hard until the pain made her realize she wasn't daydreaming.

"Alright, my captain, it's time to snap out of it!" Pei Xiaolei, seeing that she had scared Chen enough, waved her wrist in front of Chen's eyes as if summoning a ghost.

"But, the second young master, he, he clearly… he dared to offend the manor lord, he should be punished!" Chen was a stubborn person, and after regaining her senses, she still clung to the previous topic, determined to get Pei Xiaolei's permission to offend the doctor.

"Who should be punished!" Suddenly, Pei Xiaolei's smile vanished, and she stared at Chen quietly, the temperature in her eyes gradually dropping. Although there was no hint of blame, that indifferent and cold gaze was enough to send chills down Chen's spine.

"I misspoke, please forgive me, Miss!" Almost simultaneously, Chen knelt down with a thud, her head bowed low to the cold floor.

"Get up!" Chen felt a sudden tightening in her arms, and she was lifted up. She looked at her young mistress in surprise. Although the news she had received mentioned that her mistress was in excellent health and could now freely use her internal energy, seeing it with her own eyes still gave her a real fright.

"Second Young Master treats me very well! Chen, don't overthink it!" Seeing her dazed expression, Pei Xiaolei's cold face didn't last long before she smiled again, mischievously pinching Chen's slightly cool cheek, and ordered, "Don't just stand there, quickly go and bring in some hot water!"

"Yes!" Chen responded and quickly retreated, never daring to utter those disrespectful words again.

Just as Chen stepped out the door, she bumped into Ruomei, who was carrying lunch. Faced with her cousin's questioning, Chen's eyes reddened, she huffed, pouted, and turned away, refusing to acknowledge her. Ruomei glanced at her but ignored her completely, instructing her to bring water inside before shooing her out.

An hour later, Ruomei found her younger cousin sitting in a secluded corner of the main courtyard, lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" Ruomei asked, sitting down next to Chen.

Chen looked at her cousin, took out two jugs of wine from her bosom, tossed one to Ruomei, and uncapped it, taking a large gulp. The fiery liquor burned her stomach, and she began to ramble on about what had happened at noon, eventually bursting into tears. Ruomei was startled.

"What are you doing?" Ruomei snatched the liquor from her hand, pulled out a handkerchief, and roughly wiped Chen's face twice, showing no pity whatsoever. "I told you, it's all because Miss spoils you too much that you've become so arrogant and ignorant. Who is the Second Young Master? Who is Miss? When did their affairs become our business to meddle with! You actually wanted to draw a knife on the Second Young Master and even said you wanted to punish him. What has been in your head for the past eighteen years besides fighting and killing? Miss would risk her life for the Second Young Master, and now you dare to brazenly tell her you're going to beat him up. Aren't you just deliberately trying to make things difficult for Miss?" "

But you saw what happened in the room this morning. The Second Young Master clearly humiliated Miss. How could we just stand by and do nothing?" Chen, getting a little impatient from being scolded, shouted angrily.

"And what else did you hear in the middle of the night?" Ruomei asked coolly.

"I heard..." Chen trailed off. She and Ruomei had kept watch outside the door all night, and apart from those embarrassing sounds, they hadn't heard anything else—no smashing bowls, overturned chairs, or torn clothes.

"What did Miss say this morning?" Ruomei asked again.

"Miss said the Second Young Master treats her very well! She told me not to overthink it!" Chen answered reluctantly.

"That's enough! As servants, we obey Miss's orders. Acting on our own is the worst thing we can do."

Chen nodded, tears welling up quickly and disappearing just as fast. After Ruomei's words, she felt enlightened, and reflecting on her actions today, she realized

she had indeed gone too far. "Alright, don't overthink it anymore. Besides the Eldest Young Master and the other young masters, Miss dotes on you the most, you little rascal, you should be content!"

Chen, thin-skinned, blushed again upon hearing this. Finally, as if to corroborate Ruomei's words, she said in a hesitant, soft voice, "Just now... just now, Miss actually flirted with me!"

"Huh?" Ruomei didn't hear clearly and leaned closer.

"Just now, Miss... flirted with me!" Chen gritted her teeth and shouted, her face flushed.

"Oh—?" Ruomei drew out the sound, looking at her little cousin with a smile.

"Really! Miss is acting so strange lately!" Chen thought Ruomei didn't believe her, so she immediately recounted Pei Xiaolei's flirting in detail.

Ruomei laughed even harder, pinched Chen's round face, and said with a regretful look, "Silly girl, Miss was just changing the subject, giving you a way out!"

"Huh?"

"What 'huh'? Don't be so silly. Since Miss's health improved, she's become more witty and cheerful every day. If you can't keep up with her pace, be careful you don't lose your position as captain of the secret guards!" Ruomei rarely had the chance to tease Chen like this, so she impulsively used a strong drug to scare her.

Chen, lacking a sense of humor, panicked upon hearing this, grabbing Ruomei's hand and shouting, "Really? Miss really will transfer me away from the secret guard?"

Ruomei was taken aback; her attempt to steal a chicken had backfired, and she was startled by Chen's sudden attack.

Looking at Chen, whose eyes were beginning to well up with tears, Ruomei sighed deeply, thinking that her mistress's words and actions had far too much influence on her younger cousin. It seemed she couldn't casually touch upon the issue of her position anymore. She said, "Just remember, we are servants, and Miss and Young Master are masters. Once they close the door, whatever happens inside is none of our business. You know Miss's temperament; if she truly doesn't want to, no one can harm her. Besides, you know the character of these young masters; none of them would allow Miss to suffer even the slightest grievance."

Chen silently lowered his head.

Seeing this, Ruomei continued, "You were personally promoted by Miss from the Dark Guard. She's always been accommodating to you because of your young age, but that can't be a reason for you to be arrogant. The eldest young lady and the four young masters are the people Miss values most. If you're disrespectful to them, you're disrespecting Miss! Think carefully about what makes a qualified Dark Guard captain!" With that, Ruomei patted Chen's shoulder and got up to leave. Turning the corner, Ruomei saw Chou, who was hiding behind the artificial hill and leading the way. She grinned, pointed to her younger cousin behind her, and gestured for him to go over; she could go back herself.

Ruomei looked up at the azure sky and smiled softly. *

Little cousin, actually, Miss is sometimes so good to you that it makes me jealous!

* As soon as Ruomei returned to the main courtyard, she noticed something amiss. There were many more servants in the courtyard. She pulled one aside and asked, only to learn that Miss had ordered everyone to pack their bags and leave Jinzhou early the next morning to return to the First Manor Under Heaven.

Upon hearing the news, she hurried to her mistress's boudoir, gently knocked on the door, and after receiving permission, pushed it open. She saw her mistress sitting on the bed, while the eldest daughter of the Xi Shan family sat on the edge, talking to her mistress and occasionally giggling.

She quietly retreated to the wall, watching the two young ladies' beaming faces, and smiled as well.

*******This is a scene divider from CJ's perspective. Chen's feelings for Xiao Lei are purely admiration and worship, nothing more! ********

That night, Shi Wu and Shan Yi spent the entire night making deployments with the soldiers; neither of them entered her room. At dawn the next day, she was awakened from her sleep by a sharp object. Opening her eyes, she saw her eldest brother, his face covered in stubble, nibbling at her lips.

"Awake?" After a while, Shi Wu released her, his fingertips tracing her rubbed, rosy lips, seemingly still wanting more.

"You didn't sleep all night again?" She looked at his weary face, feeling a pang of heartache.

"When will the army depart?" she asked.

"Chenshi!" Shi Wu leaned down and stole another kiss on her lips.

Pei Xiaolei looked out the window, saw it was still early, then pulled back the covers and dragged Shi Wu onto the bed.

"Wife, the battle is imminent, do you want to drain your husband dry?" Shi Wu said innocently as soon as he climbed onto the bed, but his large hands had already begun to wander. His rough palms slid along her lower abdomen and brazenly slipped inside Pei Xiaolei's trousers...

Pei Xiaolei shrank back, fiercely slapping away the wolfish hands. Looking at this lustful man, she said with a hint of annoyance, "Sleep!" Really, doesn't he think about who's draining whom here?

"Really not coming?" A deep sense of disappointment washed over her.

"Not coming!" Pei Xiaolei stood firm, pulling his two wolfish hands to her waist and placing them there. She then wrapped her arms around Shi Wu's head and commanded domineeringly, "Now, close your eyes and sleep!"

Shi Wu chuckled softly and obediently rested his head on her soft chest and fell asleep.

A soft snore filled the air. Pei Xiaolei looked down at the man who was fast asleep, sighed, and reached out a hand to gently untangle his hair. Their hair immediately became intertwined. His resolute face softened in sleep, but the weariness between his brows was still evident even in his sleep. Counting on her fingers, from the moment her senior brother rushed to Jinzhou day and night, to the past few days of persuasion, troop deployment, and supply transport… and then to that night of tender intimacy with her, her senior brother hadn't had a single good night's sleep.

She held him tighter, her heart aching slightly.

This man was always like this, always standing before her like a giant, shielding her from the storms of life, supporting the world.

*******I am CJ, a tribute to Michael Jackson. The last superstar in the world has fallen! ******

The next day, early in the morning, the two armies split into two groups, one heading towards the First Manor Under Heaven, the other meandering into the mountains, heading straight for the heart of Qin.

Pei Xiaolei sat in the carriage, holding Lu Xiaohuan, who was dozing on her lap, and began the return journey.

After that night, she hadn't seen her second senior brother again. In Jinzhou, which was so small, she couldn't find him no matter what she did. She asked Ruomei to look for him several times, but the reply was always that he had gone out. Until this morning, before setting off, he had Lin De pass on a few words of advice and give her a letter.

Pei Xiaolei leaned against the soft armrest, holding a thick stack of letters in her hand, filled with words of advice and a bunch of prescriptions for medicine tailored to her physical condition. She sighed, feeling an emptiness in her heart, a feeling she didn't know how to describe. No matter how deep the affection in the letter, she only knew that her second senior brother was avoiding her! This man, who had never said "no" to her in over a decade, who had never left her side

no matter how serious her illness, was running away from her. After traveling twenty miles, the large group suddenly stopped, making a racket. Ruomei peeked out to ask, but the answers she received were vague.

"Auntie!" Lu Xiaohuan, still sleepy, climbed off her lap, rubbing his eyes and complaining, "It's so noisy outside!"

Pei Xiaolei pinched his rosy cheeks and smiled, "After sitting in the carriage for so long, Huan'er, do you want to get off and walk around with Auntie?"

"Yes!" Lu Xiaohuan's eyes lit up at the mention of it, drooling as he nodded several times.

As Pei Xiaolei led Lu Xiaohuan off the carriage, the surrounding guards and black cavalry immediately surrounded her. Looking at the impenetrable encirclement, she couldn't help but laugh. Really, it seemed her senior brother had given them a strict order. With a wave of her hand, she ordered them to make way, and slowly walked towards the front of the army, leading Lu Xiaohuan. Seeing that Lu Xiaohuan was walking too slowly due to his short arms and legs, Ruomei picked him up and, along with the twelve guards, followed closely on either side of Pei Xiaolei. Ahead of the column,

a misty expanse stretched out, and the faint shadow of a high mountain could be seen through the clouds.

A mirage? Pei Xiaolei looked up at the scene before her, her heart leaping with excitement. She only knew of such wonders in deserts and by the sea, but she never imagined she would be fortunate enough to witness such a spectacle on a plain and mountain road.

"Xiaolei!" Xishan's voice could be heard from afar, followed by the clatter of hooves. Soon, Xishan jumped down from a tall horse, flicked the reins, and excitedly strode towards Pei Xiaolei, exclaiming, "It's Mingchi!" Mingchi

? The most mysterious of the three great mountains?

Pei Xiaolei blinked, then turned back to face the hazy mist, her large eyes fixed on the shrouded mountain, unable to look away for a moment.

Beside Pei Xiaolei, Lu Xiaohuan was the only one in the tens of thousands of people unaffected by Mingchi. As soon as he saw Xishan approach, he eagerly broke free from Ruomei's arms, stretched out his arms, pouted, and cried out to Xishan, "Mommy, hug me!" Tears welled in his eyes, ready to spill over.

Seeing the situation was getting out of hand, Xi Shan quickly took her son from Ruomei's arms, playfully twirling Lu Xiaohuan's head against hers for a while, leaving two loud kisses on his chubby cheeks, and then stuffing a gleaming gold ingot into his hand, finally managing to appease the little tyrant.

"Aww...awww...awww..." "Chirp...chirp chirp...chirp..." While Lu Xiaohuan was snuggling in his mother's arms, a fox and a bear, who had run over from afar, seemed to be stimulated by Lu Xiaohuan's antics. Not wanting to be left out, they nudged Pei Xiaolei's calves and knees with their heads. The bear was quite strong, almost knocking her to the ground. Hehehehe... Pei Xiaolei looked at the two little guys at her feet, her heart filled with joy. These two hadn't acted like this in a long time.

"Hehehehe...okay, bear, you're so big, I can't carry you!" Pei Xiaolei said, patting the bear's head and reaching out to pick up the little fox. Unexpectedly, the little fox darted back a few steps, dodging her hand, and returned to her feet. This time, it didn't nudge with its head; instead, it opened its mouth, biting her skirt and dragging Pei Xiaolei backward.

The push and pull made Pei Xiaolei quite disheveled, forced back several steps by the two little creatures.

"What's wrong?" Pei Xiaolei calmed herself, steadied herself, and waved her hand to stop the guards who were about to come to her rescue. After thinking for a moment, she lowered her head and asked Da Xiong, "Da Xiong, is there some danger ahead? You want us to retreat immediately, right?"

Da Xiong's big, dark eyes lit up as he looked at Pei Xiaolei and nodded repeatedly.

Xi Shan put down her son and came over, asking, "Xiao Lei, what's wrong?"

"Retreat!" Pei Xiao Lei looked up at Xi Shan and immediately said, "Senior Sister, quickly order the army to retreat along the original route!"

Xi Shan choked, her previously smiling face slightly frozen. Before she could react, she heard someone shouting loudly beside her, "Young Master, don't run around!" Turning around hastily, she saw Lu Xiao Huan chasing after a little fox, his short legs flailing, chanting "Ding-dong, Ding-dong!" Xi Shan was furious. She had told the child hundreds of times not to run around during the march, and now, after just calming him down, he was causing trouble again.

"Senior Sister, go and order a retreat! I'll keep an eye on Xiao Huan!"

"That little rascal is in your hands!" With that, Xi Shan mounted her horse and galloped towards the front of the column, ordering the generals along the way, "The entire army, turn around and retreat along the road." She didn't ask a single question about the reason for the retreat. In her heart, if her mistress said to retreat, then so be it!

Pei Xiaolei watched Xi Shan's departing figure, then walked towards Lu Xiao Huan's direction. Ruo Mei swayed and blocked her way, saying, "Miss, please get in the carriage.

Let me go and fetch Young Master Lu!" Pei Xiaolei smiled and shook her head, saying, "I'll go. The little fox is a bit shy!" After saying that, she patted Da Xiong's dark head and said, "You can be my bodyguard!" Da Xiong immediately barked happily twice, glancing provocatively at Ruo Mei, then wagging his tail and swaggering after Pei Xiaolei. That arrogant manner infuriated Ruomei so much that she gritted her teeth until they shattered. At the other end of the road to the 03-07
Incident

, on a winding mountain path

, a carriage was sandwiched in the middle of a large, spacious, and comfortable army. Lin De sat in this carriage, feeling uneasy all over. He kept glancing up at Shan Yi's face, his heart filled with both fear and anger. The eldest young master was too ruthless. The other evening, after everyone had finished discussing important matters, without even having dinner, the eldest young master invited the second young master to a duel. It was called a duel, but everyone in the entire Number One Manor knew that dueling with the eldest young master always meant being beaten, with no chance to fight back. Poor second young master, his body had only just recovered a few days ago, and now he had to throw down his sleeves and take up his soft sword.

The intensity of the fight was something he, a servant unskilled in martial arts, had no idea. About half an hour later, the eldest young master came out gracefully, his hair perfectly styled. When he asked the eldest young master to help him up, the eldest young master still held a sliver of hope. He thought that the second young master was, after all, the second-ranked master in the martial arts tournament. Even if he couldn't beat the eldest young master, this martial arts prodigy, he could at least ensure his own safe retreat.

As it turned out, he was wrong, terribly wrong! He stared at the Second Young Master, sprawled on the ground, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. Everywhere he looked—corners of the eyes, cheekbones, mouth—was either bruised or swollen. He panicked, grabbing the Second Young Master's arm to take his pulse. After a long while, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, aside from some superficial injuries, the Second Young Master's internal energy was intact. It seemed the Eldest Young Master had ultimately shown mercy.

But these injuries… uh! Could it be that they had engaged in close combat?

While the external injuries weren't severe, they were still quite shocking. Just thinking about the future King of Qin, the most renowned physician of the most prestigious manor in the land, beaten to a pulp… Ugh… what was he thinking? How could the Second Young Master, so dashing and spirited, look like a pig's head? Lin De, you uncultured pig-headed idiot, couldn't you think of a better description?

"What are you rambling on about?" The skilled doctor put down his medical book and scolded.

"Nothing!" Lin De jumped up and sat up straight, looking very serious. "I was thinking about whether I missed anything when I relayed the message to Miss!" He then glanced at the skilled doctor furtively and continued, "I wonder if Miss carefully read the letter that the Second Young Master wrote all night last night despite his serious injuries!" "Mind your own business

!" The skilled doctor slammed his hand on the table.

"Yes, I know I was wrong!" As soon as the skilled doctor finished speaking, Lin De immediately confessed, his body trembling. He timidly moved his bottom away, feeling incredibly regretful. He knew that yesterday, when Ruomei came to invite the Second Young Master, the Second Young Master looked so conflicted, getting up and sitting down several times before finally letting him go out to deliver the message that he had left. An hour or so later, Ruomei came again. The second young master became restless, pacing back and forth in the room, sighing a few times. He eventually managed to stop Ruomei. However, no sooner had Ruomei left than the second young master sent him to the young lady's courtyard to inquire. Only after learning that the young lady was safe and sound did the second young master calm down. But after that, his expression remained unpredictable, rather gloomy.

However, thinking of this, Lin De secretly glanced at the doctor again, shaking his head inwardly. Although the young lady might be worried and heartbroken seeing the second young master's injured state, his constant avoidance of her, causing her melancholy while he himself suppressed his longing, was just gamble with himself.

"Second Young Master," Lin De gritted his teeth, looking at the skilled physician whose face had already swelled up considerably, and cautiously said, "Your subordinate, there's something I'm not sure if I should say?"

"Go ahead!"

"We haven't gone far from Jinzhou yet, and Miss's entourage probably just set off. If we ride fast horses to catch up now, we can probably catch up in about half an hour." Lin De said cautiously, observing the physician's expression.

"Oh?" The physician drew out the word, his eyes expressionless, it was hard to tell if he was moved!

Lin De hardened his heart and said again, "Before I set off today, I heard Ruomei say that Miss accidentally twisted her ankle yesterday, and this morning her foot was so swollen that she couldn't stand up!"

"What?" The physician's face changed, he grabbed Lin De's collar, and said angrily, "Didn't you say yesterday that she was fine?"

"This...this..." Lin De stammered, not knowing how to lie, his body trembling uncontrollably. He had never seen the Second Young Master so angry.

"Stop the carriage!" the physician shouted, opening the curtain and getting out.

A series of hoofbeats sounded outside. Lin De plopped down on the ground, wiping away cold sweat after a long while, and muttered to himself, "Second Young Master, you taught me to prescribe the right medicine for the illness. You must forgive me later."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Shan Yi rode his horse at full gallop, approaching Shi Wu, and said, "Senior Brother! I want to go back!"

Shi Wu tightened the reins, looking at his second junior brother, whose face was covered in bruises from his beating, without a trace of guilt. "Go back for what? Jinzhou is empty!"

"I'm going to chase after Xiao Lei!" Shan Yi looked directly into Shi Wu's eyes, then added, "I'll be back soon!"

"Do you know why I beat you up?" Shi Wu asked condescendingly.

Shan Yi nodded, his tone still firm: "I'm going to see her!"

Shi Wu turned around, and just as Shan Yi thought he was about to disobey orders and force his way out, Shi Wu's steady voice rang out: "You few, accompany the Second Young Master!" He then turned back to Shan Yi, saying, "I'll only give you one hour!"

"Yes!" Shan Yi spurred his horse, leading six black-clad cavalrymen, and galloped back in the opposite direction of the column's advance.

...

Shan Yi stood on the high slope, watching the small figure chasing the child, running lightly among the stagnant column in the distance, and smiled.

It turned out she wasn't injured.

"Go!" He turned his horse, waved his hand behind him, and led his men down the path.

**************I'm the dividing line for the seriously overweight CJ! I need to try to lose weight! " Alright

! Huan'er, stop fooling around!" Pei Xiaolei lifted Lu Xiaohuan up by his armpits. Seeing this, the little fox leaped onto Da Xiong's back, grabbed Da Xiong's fur, grinned at Lu Xiaohuan, and waved its paws at him from afar.

Lu Xiaohuan, seeing this, panicked. He opened his arms in Pei Xiaolei's arms and struggled to pounce on the little fox again. After another struggle, Pei Xiaolei finally managed to hold her restless nephew securely.

"Miss!" Ruomei suddenly shouted from behind. "Look!"

Pei Xiaolei looked in the direction Ruomei was pointing, her face immediately lighting up with a smile. She took a step forward to greet her. Unexpectedly, Lu Xiaohuan in her arms suddenly burst into tears, followed by a deafening roar. Her mind went blank, her vision blurred, and in her hazy state, she seemed to have thrown Lu Xiaohuan away, seemed to hear many people crying, and seemed to see her second senior brother's terrified, pale face.

Then, everything went black, and her world went dark again!

"No... Miss... Miss..." Chen knelt before the suddenly pressing mountain, her fists pounding the mountain wall frantically, her knuckles a bloody mess. "Ah... Miss... Miss..." Chen cried more and more agitatedly, pushing and shoving with her hands until Chou stepped forward and forcibly pulled her away from the mountain. She was still desperately crying and struggling.

Ruomei knelt on the ground, her hands covered in blood, still desperately clawing at the mountain in front of her. She made muffled noises in her throat, as if something was stuck in her throat. She sobbed and cried out, "Miss, Miss, Miss, please answer me..." Large tears kept flowing from her eyes.

Xiao Ziye stared at the mountain in front of him with red eyes. After taking several steps back, he leaned against a tree by the roadside and slowly knelt down. His whole body was trembling. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. His mouth was full of salty, bitter tears.

No one knew how many generals of the Pei family army were buried beneath this suddenly appearing, precipitous pool. At that moment, everyone only knew that their lord, the last heir of the Pei family, was trapped beneath this mountain.

Countless people frantically dug at the foot of the mountain with their bare hands or iron tools, their faces covered in mud and tears.

But no matter how desperately they dug or how loudly they cried out, the mountain remained unmoved, and those trapped beneath it vanished without a trace.

In the chaos, Xi Shan took the crying Lu Xiaohuan from Shan Yi's arms, put her son on the ground, and then quickly shook her second senior brother, "Shan Yi, what's wrong? Answer me!"

Shan Yi stood there, his eyes fixed on the direction where Pei Xiaolei had disappeared, his body still in the position he had caught Lu Xiaohuan, motionless.

Xi Shan tapped him a few more times, the sound of his muscles thumping. His body was as hard as stone. Xi Shan panicked even more, tears streaming down her face. "Second Senior Brother, say something! Don't scare me!"

After a long while, Shan Yi slowly turned his head, his dark eyes staring blankly at her. His hoarse voice seemed to come from the depths of the earth. "Where's Xiao Lei?"

Xi Shan's face paled. She bit her lip, her voice choked, and shook her head forcefully.

"Where's Xiao Lei?" Shan Yi asked again.

Xi Shan looked at him with tears streaming down her face, finally unable to hold back her soft sobs.

"Where's Xiao Lei?" He took another step forward, a trickle of blood slowly oozing from the corner of his mouth. He opened his mouth slightly, then began to cough violently, large mouthfuls of blood immediately staining his white robe red.

Xi Shan was shocked and immediately sealed several of his vital points, but to no avail. Seeing that he was about to vomit blood, she steeled herself and quickly pressed his sleeping acupoints. Then, she reached out and firmly supported her exhausted senior brother. The blood from his mouth seeped into her bright red robe, soaking it.

She slowly placed the unconscious doctor on the ground, staggered to her feet, and found everyone had stopped, looking at her with tears in their eyes. This sudden turn of events tore at everyone's hearts and threw them into disarray.

"Go..." Xi Shan took a breath, trying to remain calm, and pulled over the first black-clad cavalryman beside her, her voice trembling and incoherent, "Quick, go and inform the young master!" After saying this, she collapsed to the ground, looking at her son who was awkwardly comforting her as she touched the hem of her robe, at her second senior brother's pale face on the ground, and at the sudden, unexpected disaster before her. Finally, she lost control of her emotions and wept bitterly.

"Why did it turn out like this? Why? Why?... Ah..."

Journey to the Underworld (Part 1)

"What do you mean by this?" Pei Xiaolei grabbed the horse-faced man's collar with a ferocious expression, gritting her teeth.

The horse-faced man in a white robe chuckled twice, his bulging eyes wide, his throat making gurgling sounds. He swallowed hard before shouting in a trembling voice, "Miss Pei, you're still alive! You didn't die this time either, cough cough... Men and women shouldn't be like this, let's talk this out, you, you let me go first!" After saying that, he desperately winked at the ghost messengers behind Pei Xiaolei. The ghost messengers immediately understood and ran over to save their superior from danger. Pei Xiaolei's status was special, so they dared not use force. They could only humbly surround Pei Xiaolei, pleading and persuading her. Every word they spoke was earnest and heartbreaking, their voices tearing at their hearts, so pitiful.

Just before the bull's head turned white, Pei Xiaolei succumbed to his garrulous chatter and reluctantly released her grip.

Seeing their superior saved, the ghost messenger, without waiting for orders, quickly brought Pei Xiaolei a chair and served her fine tea.

Knowing she was still alive, Pei Xiaolei didn't stand on ceremony, plopping down in the chair and downing the warm tea in one gulp. Leaning back, she took a deep breath, finally managing to calm herself from her rage. Once calm, she naturally began to observe her surroundings. However, looking at the ghost messenger dressed as a servant, dressed in heavy Hanfu, who had come to refill her tea, and noticing the cordless phone on the antique mahogany table and the enormous LCD TV on the wall, she suddenly felt that this hell was neither ancient nor modern—it just seemed strange! So, she stared at the bull-headed man for a moment and asked bluntly, "What's going on here? Weren't you wearing a suit last time?"

"Well, hehehe..." Seeing that the murderous aura on Pei Xiaolei's face was gradually diminishing, the horse-faced man was overjoyed and gave the ghost messenger an approving look. Then, with a flick of his hand, he produced a fan, fanned himself a few times in a seemingly professional manner, and then bowed slightly to Pei Xiaolei in the manner of a young master, saying, "Miss, you may not know, but recently it's fashionable in the underworld to wear Hanfu, study classical Chinese, and revitalize Chinese civilization! Look, to keep up with this trend, even this 'Underworld Annual Time Travel Creative Survey Form' is handwritten with a brush!" After saying that, he placed a piece of paper in front of Pei Xiaolei, blinked his big eyes, looked at her obsequiously, and said kindly, "This is a survey form from our Hell Office, which concerns the livelihood of our entire department. I would be grateful if Miss Pei could help me fill it out!"

Pei Xiaolei picked it up and looked at it, and the anger she had just suppressed began to burn fiercely again. Among the densely packed calligraphy characters, she saw her own name on the last line. Her creative idea for time travel was "crushed by a mountain." Several rating options followed: [a: Excellent; b: Good; c: Average; d: Shocking; e: Terrifying].

Seeing her staring silently at his line, Horse Face laughed loudly, "How about that? My idea this time is amazing, isn't it? Those sleeping, car crashes, plane crashes, falling into ravines, breaking manhole covers, playing with flushing toilets… none of them are as innovative as mine!" He then tilted his head back, hands on his hips, and laughed smugly, looking like he was about to win.

Pei Xiaolei's face darkened, her mind filled with the four words "crushed by a mountain."

"You're shocking enough, but you dare to ruin my body again, Horse Face! This time I'll definitely kill you!" Pei Xiaolei looked up with fierce eyes, all the old and new grudges surfacing. She drew her short sword from her waist and, gritting her teeth, said each word to Horse Face.

"Misunderstanding! Misunderstanding!" Horse Face took a few steps back, waving his hands repeatedly. Seeing that she remained unmoved and continued to approach, he flicked his fingers, and with a "crack," quickly produced a mirror in front of her, shouting, "Don't believe me? Look for yourself!"

A scene slowly appeared on the mirror: her body lay quietly on a white jade bed, surrounded by wisps of white smoke. A red, spherical object was curled up beside her. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the small red ball beside her was actually the little fox that had been crushed along with her. However, unlike her own lifeless state, the little fox's body was slightly moving, as if it had simply fallen asleep beside her. After a short while, the mirror flickered, and a dark figure appeared in the image. It was carrying a large, red object in its arms, throwing it around the white jade bed. With each object it threw down, the mist in the mirror thickened.

"Little fox, Da Xiong..." Pei Xiaolei stared at the two little creatures that appeared in the mirror, covering her mouth and exclaiming in disbelief.

"Right, right, I didn't lie to you!" The horse-faced man put away his mirror, still somewhat shaken, and said, "Actually, there were two things that prevented me from making this trip to the Underworld! First, your physical body has some problems and needs to rest and recuperate. Of course, don't worry, after this recuperation, your body will be in excellent condition for the rest of your life, free from illness and pain, living a long and healthy life. And, the fox and the black bear have already received our hint; they will take good care of your body in the Mingchi."

"What happened to my body? Wasn't it already fully recovered?" Pei Xiaolei sensed something was wrong and frowned as she pressed for an answer.

"Well..." Horse-faced drawled before saying with a bitter expression, "Because of some errors in our procedures, the internal energy of this half of your body has some flaws. It needs some time to repair and recuperate. But don't worry, after recuperation, this body will definitely be much better than it is now. No matter how many husbands you have in the future, you will definitely have a happy and healthy life!" He then gave Pei Xiaolei a meaningful glance.

Pei Xiaolei's eyebrows twitched, and she shivered. She really didn't believe that her happy sex life would require the concern of the underworld's ghost messengers, so she asked again, "Is that all?"

"Of course!" Horse-faced nodded vigorously.

"Then may I ask, what exactly is the problem? I've been using this body quite well for over a year!" Pei Xiaolei tapped the white paper on the table with her index finger, stopping at [e: Thunderous Strike], her smile turning sinister.

Horse Face stared nervously at the "Underworld Annual Time Travel Creative Survey Form," which concerned his entire department's year-end bonus. He immediately blurted out, "Because you were previously half-soul, half-body, your physical constitution was already half as weak as a normal person's. Childbearing is already difficult enough, and then your body was forcibly injected with a strange martial art that drains internal energy, making your already crippled body even more severely cold. After that, the medicine you took was too strong and too domineering. This constant switching between hot and cold has damaged your internal organs beyond recognition. Forget about childbearing; if you wait any longer, you might not even be able to save your life. However, your fate is predetermined. You absolutely cannot die young. If this continues, I will only end up as a living dead." As he said this, Horse Face glanced at Pei Xiaolei with starry eyes, his eyes conveying the message: See? I had the mountain crush you for your own good.

Pei Xiaolei glared back, saying, "If you hadn't neglected your duties, would I need your kindness?"

The horse-faced man's expression changed slightly. He touched his nose and continued, "The medicine in the mortal realm only treats the symptoms, not the root cause. The human body is too delicate. If we were to bring you back to the underworld for treatment, you would definitely be torn to shreds by the outer barrier before you even entered the gates. We had no choice but to place you in the resting place for immortals and ghosts in the mortal realm—the Mingchi! With the spiritual energy of Mingchi and those rare herbs and minerals, I guarantee that in a few years you will have many descendants and live to be a hundred years old."

Under Pei Xiaolei's skeptical gaze, the horse-faced man's guarantee, delivered with such conviction, almost made him want to swear an oath.

Pei Xiaolei reluctantly accepted this explanation, moving her finger from [e: thunder rolling] back to [d: thunder] on the white paper, then looking up and asking, "And the second one?"

The horse-faced man sighed dejectedly, flicking his finger and, with a "crack," reappearing the mirror.

"See for yourself!"

This time, a young man appeared in the mirror, wearing jeans and a white shirt—a figure from the 21st century, the half of her life she once lived in. Pei Xiaolei stared intently at the man in the mirror, her tightly pursed lower lip bitten until it turned red.

This person was Liu Chen!

The only warmth in that half of her life was now sitting quietly on a patch of grass, gazing up at the sky, his expression numb and indifferent, his eyes empty and devoid of light. Several young men in their early twenties ran over, gesturing and talking, then a fight broke out without warning. Three against one, and with Liu Chen's reckless fighting style, the young men, seeing they couldn't gain any advantage, cursed a few times and ran away. Liu Chen nonchalantly wiped the blood from his face, as if nothing had happened, and lay back on the grass, continuing to stare blankly at the sky.

The scene shifted; in the mirror, it was already midnight. Liu Chen remained in the same supine position, gazing at the sky, until the surrounding streetlights dimmed. Only then did he slowly get up. After walking a few listless steps, he suddenly screamed at the dark sky, "Pei Xiaolei, come out here! Tell them you are real! Those memories aren't my dream, nor are they my illusions!"

Tears streamed down his face.

Pei Xiaolei took a deep breath, feeling something blocking her throat, unable to breathe no matter how hard she tried. Something squeezed her heart painfully, and the forgotten memories surged forth like a tidal wave. Tears streamed down her face, gradually blurring her vision. Liu Chen, the boy who always protected her, never yielding an inch no matter how fierce the enemy, never crying out in pain no matter how badly he was injured, the boy who would just quietly giggle when she bullied him, cried in that world where she was no longer there.

"We clearly erased everything about you from the 21st century, but for some reason this oversight occurred. In that world, only he remembers you! This memory that shouldn't exist has disrupted his life and caused a chain reaction. If it continues, it will cause various problems in the lives of 3,865 people! We sent people to try to remedy the situation, but for some reason, this part of his memory cannot be erased no matter what we do. As the saying goes, 'Heartache needs a cure for the heart, and the one who tied the knot must untie it.' Now we can only rely on you to correct his life." Seeing Pei Xiaolei crying with tears streaming down her face, Horse Face felt sorry for her and put the mirror away.

"So now, what do you want me to do?" Pei Xiaolei wiped away her tears, paused for a moment, and then spoke with a heavy nasal tone.

"I want you to return to the 21st century, possess the body of a seriously ill girl, meet Liu Chen, and use up this bond. Don't worry, this girl only has three years to live. When the three years are up, we'll come to get you immediately."

Upon hearing this, Pei Xiaolei frowned and pursed her lips, remaining silent. It wasn't until she saw the horse-faced man hand her a photo that looked seven-tenths like her that she replied, "And what about after three years? After three years, are you going to let him feel heartache and regret for this imposter for the rest of his life?"

"This!" The horse-faced man was taken aback and said awkwardly, "There's no other way!"

"This matter started because of you. The underworld is so vast, with so many treasures. Besides substituting one thing for another, there must be other ways!" Pei Xiaolei concealed the emotions in her voice and said in a cold tone.

"Uh! This..." The horse-faced man looked troubled.

Pei Xiaolei slowly picked up the "Annual Underworld Travel Creative Survey Form" on the table, carefully reading through the rewards and punishments listed in the notes. She then gently waved it at the horse-faced man, whose face had turned purple, her tone even gentler than before: "There must be another way to deal with Liu Chen, don't you think?"

Her words were soft, her beautiful face even carrying a hint of a smile. However, this gentle, spring-like tone made the horse-faced man feel as if he were soaking in ice water.

The horse-faced man swallowed hard, then said with difficulty, "There's a kind of medicine at Meng Po's place that can make people forget love and affection, but this medicine is extremely difficult to prepare. Meng Po never gives it away easily. If you have the willpower, you can try asking her for it." He then shouted loudly to the ghost messengers behind Pei Xiaolei, "You, why are you standing so far away? Hurry up and come take Miss Pei to find Meng Po!" His bulging horse eyes looked expectantly at the survey form in Pei Xiaolei's hand.

Pei Xiaolei tilted her head slightly, ignoring the horse-faced man's expectant gaze. She casually folded the survey form and slipped it into her sleeve. Then, with an air of superiority, she gave the horse-faced man a polite nod, and said with an air of a wealthy young lady, "I'll keep this survey form for now. I'll return it to you after I get the medicine and fill it out!" Before the horse-faced man could react, she turned and followed the ghost messenger out. "

Finished?" What did she mean by "finished"?

After a long pause, the horse-faced man belatedly chased after her, anxiously watching Pei Xiaolei's receding figure, shouting, "Miss Pei, remember to choose [a: very good]! Remember, it's a, a..."

Pei Xiaolei raised her hand in the distance, indicating she had heard him.

"Looks like you're determined to get the prize money and medal this time!" A sudden gust of cold wind came from behind. The horse-faced man turned around, chuckled, and, too lazy to acknowledge the long-tongued man in white behind him, turned and walked back to his office.

"Oh dear, Brother Horse Face, don't be so heartless! Going through the back door is no big deal, I definitely won't report you..."

Author's Note: Forget it, I think I'd better not throw in any earth-shattering plot twists or make any jokes~^_^! Let Green Dam Girl (a nickname) step aside! ~~
And then, sigh~ it seems I've seen another censorship notice~~ Good heavens! Is this even fair?! At the very end, they still pull this stunt on me!
o(≥▂≤)o
Since we're in the underworld now, in the next chapter, let the eldest son of the Tang family, the great cannon fodder supporting character Tang Huo, make a brief appearance!
Finally, I'll try to finish the main story this month. As for whether I'll write a side story, we'll see.
Liu Chen definitely needs to be dealt with; it has to be a proper ending. Besides, Liu's influence on Xiaolei extends to ancient times—it can't be skipped anymore.
If you don't like it, just ignore this chapter and the next one! He won't appear here again!

--- July 8, 2009, Evening

Journey

to the Underworld (Part 2) Pei Xiaolei followed closely behind the ghost messenger. After passing the Nine Yama Palaces, she saw a large river in the distance. The ghost messenger enthusiastically pointed ahead and introduced the river to Pei Xiaolei, saying that the crystal-clear river was the River of Oblivion, and the small red bridge across it was the Bridge of Helplessness. She walked along this road to the underworld, but strangely, she didn't see any dead spirits. Instead, she encountered a few other beings like herself along the way. The ghost messenger said they were time travelers like her, caused by various reasons. The path they were now walking on was specifically designated for the living and underworld officials. With the population booming, the path for the dead was so crowded that even a pin couldn't fit through it.

Looking at the men and women of various attire and expressions, Pei Xiaolei suddenly realized that she wasn't so unlucky after all.

Upon reaching the River of Oblivion, the ghost messenger asked her to wait. He approached the Bridge of Helplessness, bowing and speaking to someone at the bridgehead. Then, a golden light slowly shone from the bridgehead, revealing a pavilion. A white-haired woman sat in the center, with two attendants standing respectfully beside her. The ghost messenger beckoned to her, urging her to come closer, but the woman looked at her from afar, tilting her head.

Pei Xiaolei had imagined that the legendary Meng Po would be an old woman with white hair, but the Meng Po before her, though with silver hair, looked no more than twenty years old. Strangely, Meng Po was smiling kindly at her. Two attendants, one in green and one in white, approached and flanked her, leading her to the large table in the center of the pavilion. They respectfully invited her to sit down and then busied themselves setting out fruit, dried goods, and other treats.

This was too much hospitality! Pei Xiaolei stared bewildered at the table laden with snacks, turning to ask the ghost messengers for help. But when she turned back, the ghost messengers were nowhere to be seen.

"What's going on?" she thought inwardly, her face remaining impassive. Remembering that this was someone else's territory, and she was empty-handed and needed their help, she dared not be presumptuous. As soon as the two attendants withdrew, she immediately stood up. Unlike the horse-faced woman she had met before, this Meng Po goddess possessed an innate majesty that she couldn't easily bluff her way through with casual banter.

"Meng Po goddess… I am Pei…" It was important to introduce herself first, given it was their first meeting. But before she could finish speaking, Meng Po beside her chuckled and interrupted her, saying with a smile, "Xiao Lei, you really don't recognize me?"

That voice? Pei Xiao Lei frowned, staring intently at the woman before her. After a long while, she hesitantly asked, "That voice...you...are you my mother?"

Meng Po nodded at her, still giving her a faint smile, just as she had many years ago when Xiao Niangzi had comforted her on her sickbed.

"How could that be?" Pei Xiao Lei was stunned. Apart from the voice and expression, Meng Po's appearance bore no resemblance to her mother.

"Hair and skin are nothing but a shell!" Meng Po said, but still turned her head slightly away from her. When she faced her again, her face was that of the Ghost Lady.

Pei Xiaolei paused, finally suppressing her overwhelming shock, and bowed respectfully to Meng Po, saying, "Daughter greets Mother!"

Meng Po smiled and helped her up, raising her head. Her slender fingers lingered on Pei Xiaolei's face for a moment, scrutinizing her closely before she nodded, saying, "You've grown up!"

"Yes!" Pei Xiaolei nodded, her voice trembling slightly. When her mother left her, she was only thirteen, barely a teenager. Now, at nineteen, she was almost as tall as her mother.

"Why are you crying, child?" Meng Po pressed her down into a chair, shaking her head as she looked at the tearful Pei Xiaolei.

Pei Xiaolei sobbed, took a few deep breaths, trying to stop herself, but to no avail. Then, she cried even more bitterly, not knowing why she was crying, only feeling a tightness in her chest, tears streaming down her face like a burst dam.

She didn't know how long she cried, only that her throat was hoarse, her eyes were dry, and she could no longer shed a single tear before finally stopping.

"You child, if you keep crying, I'll have to rename my Meng Po soup to Xiao Lei soup!" Meng Po teased her when she saw she had cried enough.

Xiao Lei soup, indeed! Suddenly, Pei Xiao Lei, her tears flowing like a ripple, burst into laughter. (Legend has it that Meng Po soup is made from Meng Po's tears.)

Seeing that she had finally calmed down, Meng Po took her hand and asked with concern, "Tell your mother, how have you been these past few years?"

Pei Xiao Lei wiped away the remaining tears from the corners of her eyes and began to recount her experiences over the past six years.

Half an hour later, Meng Po gently hugged Pei Xiaolei, saying with reluctance, "You've had a hard time these past years!"

Pei Xiaolei shook her head, not thinking she had suffered. However, compared to her experiences in the mortal world, she was more curious about Xiao Niangzi's changes: "Mother, how did you become Meng Po?"

Meng Po had anticipated this question. She poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip to moisten her throat, and then began to tell her story.

Meng Po was a celestial being, born as a deity. She was in charge of reincarnation in the underworld, responsible for preparing Meng Po's soup. Meng Po's work was complex and demanding. No one but a divinely ordained deity could prepare Meng Po's soup, which is why she had worked diligently in the underworld for thousands of years, only taking two breaks.

Her first break was during the Western Han Dynasty, a thousand years ago. At that time, she first set foot in the mortal world, knowing nothing, and thus used the name Meng Po. She wandered the mortal world for eighty-one years, remaining a virgin until her return to her position. Back in the underworld, she learned from her colleagues about her vacation that her eighty-one years there had been devoid of love and affection, a wasted life.

Several hundred years passed before she received a second vacation. This time, learning from her previous experience, she sealed her memories before reincarnating.

This time, she was transported to another timeline, where, after many twists and turns, she became Zeng Hengzi's only female disciple. She then experienced two passionate love affairs. This short but eventful life was full of ups and downs, and certainly not a wasted one.

Upon returning to her celestial position, she was overwhelmed with the mountain of work, barely having time to reflect on her previous journey. It wasn't until the underworld started some kind of annual creative time-travel competition that she was surprised to find her only daughter, whom she had raised in the mortal realm, listed on the survey. After calculating Pei Xiaolei's fate, she realized her oversight and immediately ordered Horse Face to rectify it.

"So it's because of Mother!" Pei Xiaolei breathed a sigh of relief, finally understanding why Horse Face had treated her so politely this time.

"The potion of forgetfulness is out of stock. It will take three months to prepare a new one. During this time, you will stay by my side, and we, mother and daughter, will catch up!"

Pei Xiaolei nodded in agreement. In this situation, she would wait even three years, let alone three.

After spending a long time by Meng Po's side, Pei Xiaolei quickly became very familiar with Meng Po's two maids, Xiaoqing and Xiaobai. In their spare time, she would take the two maids to walk around. The River of Oblivion was an extremely wide river, and the only means of transportation between the two banks was a small wooden boat propelled by a few boatmen. After the souls of the dead were screened from one hall to another, there were not many ghosts who could reach the tenth hall for reincarnation, so even a few wooden boats seemed to be enough.

After crossing the River of Oblivion, they walked on a vast field of red spider lilies. Xiaoqing and Xiaobai paid no heed to the trampled flowers beneath their feet; to them, these flowers, imbued with legends and stories, and somewhat mythologized, were worthless. Pei Xiaolei, however, showed a certain curiosity towards the colorful blossoms, often picking a few, tying them together with vine roots, and using them as decorations inside the house.

Meng Po had no objection to this, and the two attendants were even less likely to comment. Each time they crossed the river, they allowed her to play with the flowers. But this time, she danced further and further along the riverbank, eventually circling to the end of the Yellow Springs Road.

Although the Underworld had no distinction between day and night, its ghostly officials still needed rest. Therefore, a day here was 24 hours, with a 16-hour workday. However, these excessively long working hours often led Meng Po to complain incessantly, "These days, being a god or a ghost is not as good as being a human!"

At this hour, it was the designated rest time for the underworld's ghost messengers. The normally bustling Yellow Springs Road was deserted, except for a faint outline of a ghost sitting on a roadside rock in the distance. Curious, Pei Xiaolei walked over and stood before him, stunned by her own appearance.

"Tang Huo?" she called out in surprise.

He paid no heed, his cold, hard armor stained with blood and still reeking of it. His long, narrow eyes were fixed on the Yellow Springs Road, oblivious to Pei Xiaolei blocking his way.

"Tang Huo..." she called again, raising her voice.

The result was the same.

"Stop calling!" Xiaoqing came over and pulled her aside, explaining, "This guy has been sitting here for almost a year. He never speaks, refuses to cross the river, and refuses to go back. I don't know who he's waiting for!"

"Yeah, stop calling, it's useless!" Xiaobai also came over and echoed, glancing at Tang Huo and shaking her head. She was more senior than Xiaoqing, having served Meng Po for thousands of years and seen many strange things in the underworld. "So he was a general in this life. I remember the last time he sat here, he was wearing a dragon robe, and the time before that, he was in a peacock purple robe, a prince, and the time before that..." Xiaobai rattled off more than ten "the last time" stories, including scholar, male prostitute, knight-errant, swordsman... all sorts of identities.

Uh!!! Pei Xiaolei was stunned, not realizing that Tang Huo's identity was so complicated.

“Obsession! Obsession!” Xiaobai pulled Pei Xiaolei forward a few meters, stopping in front of another large rock. Pointing to the worn, gleaming stone, she spread her hands and said, “The person he was waiting for, a hundred years ago, sat here waiting for him!”

The person he was waiting for must be Chu Ziyin!

Intuitively, she was certain of this.

“The worst thing for a person is obsession, and the hardest thing to break is also obsession! Look, this is the board. For a single obsession, two people have been endlessly entangled for over a thousand years, and who knows when it will end! Sigh… Enough said, let’s go, it’s time to go back!” Xiaobai sighed, then pulled Pei Xiaolei to the riverbank and beckoned the boatman to come over.

Was it an obsession? If Liu Chen’s continued remembrance of her was his obsession, then what about herself? Her own secret burying of him in her heart, even trying to find traces of him on Tang Heng’s face, was that also an obsession? Mother said that obsession is a two-way street; even the most ardent feelings will eventually fade if only one side is obsessed.

It turns out, the one who prevented Liu Chen from erasing his memories was himself.

Back on the other side of the river, she happened to see Meng Po smilingly coming out of her house. Upon seeing Pei Xiaolei, she cheerfully pulled her inside. Three months had passed, and the specially prepared medicine was almost finished; all that was missing was a single tear from Pei Xiaolei.

"Mother!" Pei Xiaolei wiped away her tears and said, "Please save me an extra bowl of this soup!"

Meng Po patted her hand and said softly, "Okay, I'll save it for you!" "Now, it's getting late, hurry up!"

**********I'm running a high fever, my head is so dizzy, and all my bones ache! Waaaaaa********

21st century. A certain city, the venue for the World Amateur Triathlon.

A short, freckled girl, about fourteen or fifteen years old, wearing a baseball cap, was holding a water cup. Along with countless volunteers, she cheered and encouraged the athletes in the competition, while also constantly offering tea to passing runners.

"Liu Chen, go! The championship is yours!" Dozens of young men and women shouted from afar. She recognized a few of them; they were Liu Chen's classmates. As the group drew closer, the cheers grew louder. Pei Xiaolei, standing in the front row, pulled her baseball cap, which was about to fall off, as she was pushed forward.

How could she have missed him? This Liu Chen was no longer the reclusive boy who stayed home studying all day. In the past year, he had participated in numerous outdoor activities, such as marathons, cliff climbing, and polar expeditions. He had transformed from a bookworm into an all-around athlete, attracting countless fans. In the qualifying rounds of this world amateur triathlon, he had impressively qualified with a first-place finish.

"Ah..." The surrounding crowd suddenly screamed. Pei Xiaolei limped and was pushed forward by the crowd, crashing right in front of Liu Chen. In the cacophony, she only felt a tightening in her waist, but the expected pain didn't come. Still shaken, she looked up at Liu Chen, who was clutching her waist and sweating profusely, and immediately jumped away.

"Be careful," he said indifferently, glancing at the runners passing him one by one, before continuing on his way.

"Water!" Pei Xiaolei sprinted after him, handing the water bottle to Liu Chen from a distance.

Liu Chen continued running without looking at her, completely ignoring her.

"Water!" Pei Xiaolei gasped, barely managing to catch up with him, stubbornly repeating her words.

"Little sister in front, please leave the track immediately!" A short while later, a policeman's shout came from behind.

"Water!" Pei Xiaolei shouted again. Goodness, she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

Liu Chen finally frowned impatiently, took the water bottle from the side, gulped down a few mouthfuls, poured the rest into his hair, tossed the bottle back to Pei Xiaolei, and ran away without looking back.

The police quickly caught up. Seeing this, Pei Xiaolei immediately tossed the water bottle to a girl glaring at her and dashed into the crowd.

A moment later, in a secluded patch of grass beside the competition area, Pei Xiaolei slowly shed her disguise, reverting to her spirit form. Floating high in the air, she slowly drifted down to Liu Chen's head and, with all her might, shouted at him, "Liu Chen, go for it!"

Was it raining? Liu Chen touched the raindrops dripping from his forehead, looked up at the sky, and frowned.

"Have you decided?" Meng Po asked one last time, holding her bowl.

"Hmm!" Pei Xiaolei nodded, clutching a hairpin tightly in her hand, and said firmly, "Such an obsession should have been broken long ago!"

Meng Po reached out and touched her delicate face, saying reluctantly, "My daughter is so beautiful, she really only has herself to do with those rascals!"

Seeing that she wasn't ashamed at all, Pei Xiaolei became embarrassed first, "Mother, those four aren't rascals, they've treated me very well all these years." After saying that, her face turned slightly red.

"Girls are indeed drawn to the outside world! You've already found a husband and forgotten your mother!" Meng Po teased her.

"Mother!" Pei Xiaolei, being shy, threw herself into Meng Po's arms like a child, hiding her face shyly against her chest.

Meng Po stroked her hair, sighing with emotion. This child had always been emotionally shallow. Even when she was still Xiao Niangzi, she had never been so clingy to her as she was now.

"After drinking this soup, you will no longer remember Liu Chen. Also, because you are a living being, this soup will interfere with your soul. After drinking it, you must sleep here for three years to recuperate your soul!" Meng Po finished speaking and handed the bowl to Pei Xiaolei.

Pei Xiaolei steadily took it, tilted her head back, and gulped down the soup, not leaving a drop. After putting down the bowl, she curtsied deeply to Meng Po, saying, "Your unfilial daughter can no longer enjoy her mother's company!"

Meng Po went to help her up, but unexpectedly, her hand became too heavy, and Pei Xiaolei had already fallen into a deep sleep.

Looking at the stubborn little face in her arms, Meng Po finally spoke after a long while, scolding, "Forgetting Liu Chen, is that fair to the four of them? Silly child, love is something you fall in love with, where does fairness come from? You are really too stubborn!"

Qin capital. Jianzhou.

"Thump, thump, thump..." Heavy, loud kowtowing sounds came from the Qin Emperor's study.

The group of eunuchs and palace maids waiting outside the door felt their hearts ease as the sounds from inside the room subsided, but their expressions grew increasingly grim.

Wang Sheng, the Grand Marshal who had risked the extermination of his entire clan by the deposed emperor (Qin Hong) to prove that the current emperor, Qin Ao, was the designated heir to the throne in the edict of succession issued by the late emperor, a veteran of three reigns, now knelt before the emperor, his face covered in blood. His aged face was weary, and his legs were numb and stiff from kneeling for so long, but his slightly hunched back remained stubbornly straight.

"Your Majesty," Wang Sheng said, wiping away the tears streaming down his face, "even if Qin Wei has a thousand faults, he is still your last blood brother. You are unwilling to marry, and if you don't even save this last brother, the Qin dynasty's fragile bloodline will end in your hands."

The Qin Emperor, who had remained silent with his head bowed throughout, suddenly twitched his brow. His slender hand paused slightly, the tip of his brush lifting and retracting. After setting down the brush, he carefully examined the scroll once more before gently waving his hand. His attendant, Lin De, immediately and skillfully moved the scroll aside, laying it out on another flat table.

Wang Sheng, with his sharp eyes, immediately realized that the emperor had ignored him. What he had painstakingly painted all morning was merely a portrait of a lady. Veins bulged on Wang Sheng's forehead in anger. He wiped the blood from his face, staggered to his feet, and unleashed a torrent of abuse at the Qin Emperor.

Wang Sheng recounted a series of absurdities: how he allowed Pei Shiwu to lead the army of the most powerful clan in the land to Qin, controlling military strongholds across the country, and appointing his trusted subordinates as generals to control Qin's military power; how he not only opened the door wide for Pei Nengshang's merchant caravans to monopolize the rice and cloth markets in Qin, but also let a wolf into the house by appointing him as Minister of Revenue and Works; how he allowed Pei Xingwen to control the government, placing his cronies in the court and eliminating loyal and virtuous officials... Wang Sheng spoke these grievances with a hoarse voice.

Finally, he stepped forward, looked up at the Qin Emperor on the throne, pointed at the dragon throne, and roared, "If Your Majesty does not issue an edict today to stop Pei Shiwu and spare Prince Wei's life, I will smash my head against this dragon throne to die, to appease the spirit of the late Emperor!" Without waiting for the Qin Emperor to speak, he preemptively struck, like a wild bull, and rammed his head against the dragon throne.

"Insolence! How dare you act so recklessly before the Emperor!" Just as Wang Sheng was less than three feet from the dragon throne, he heard a furious shout and was thrown several meters away. He lay on the ground for a while before finally managing to get up. He slumped to the ground, feeling his bones cracking and his whole body aching unbearably. Before him stood a pair of women's boots. Looking up, he saw a petite woman in tight-fitting clothes looking down at him, her cold eyes filled with barely concealed killing intent.

"Chen, step back!" Finally, the Qin Emperor on the dragon throne spoke.

"Yes!" The woman in tight-fitting clothes nodded, acknowledging the order, and then vanished into the room in a flash.

"Qin Wei has been gathering the remnants of the deposed emperor's forces in various places and recruiting soldiers on a large scale. He has amassed an army of 50,000 and marched north, committing treason and attempting to usurp the throne. He is once again plunging the people into misery and committing injustice. Is the Grand Marshal aware of this?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sheng's expression changed drastically. While firmly proclaiming his innocence, he crawled several steps on his hands and feet and kowtowed heavily on the blood-stained ground, earnestly pleading for Qin Wei: "Prince Wei is loyal to His Majesty and has no ulterior motives. His northward march was not intended to usurp the throne. He only did not want His Majesty to be misled by treacherous people. He 'punished the three Peis and cleansed the court of corrupt officials'!"

After slowly repeating "punished the three Peis and cleansed the court of corrupt officials?" Emperor Qin suddenly laughed heartily, a lock of white hair sliding down his forehead with the laughter and gently settling on his handsome profile.

"Your Majesty?" Wang Sheng stared at the young emperor with his white hair, whose appearance bore no resemblance to the late emperor. Suddenly, he seemed to understand something.

The Qin Emperor stood up, humbly approaching Wang Sheng, and said softly, "Grand Marshal, you are mistaken! It should be 'Execute the Four Peis'!"

Wang Sheng was stunned, his eyes wide and bloodshot as he glared at the white-haired man before him. "You traitor, I will kill you!" he cried, lunging at the Qin Emperor like a ghost.

The Qin Emperor slightly sidestepped, avoiding Wang Sheng, and shouted towards the door, "Guards! Wang Sheng has committed treason! Take him out of the Meridian Gate and execute him on the spot!" At his command, the eunuchs and guards waiting outside immediately filed in, swiftly seizing the once powerful Grand Marshal, now a disheveled old man shouting like a madman, and carrying him out upside down.

The shouts and cries outside the door subsided, and a young man in his early twenties slowly emerged from behind the screen behind the dragon throne. He casually picked up a stack of impeachment memorials from the towering pile on the desk and opened it. He smiled sarcastically. Coincidentally, this memorial, with its sharp language and detailed listing of over a hundred charges, meticulously crafted to impeach the three Pei brothers, was written by Wang Sheng, the Grand Marshal who had already been expelled from the Meridian Gate.

"Three years!" He put the memorial away and handed it to the Qin Emperor.

The Qin Emperor didn't even glance at it before tearing it up and throwing it on the ground. Turning to her junior brother, who was about the same age as her, she said coldly, "Qin is dead!"

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/16429.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=16429&aspx=1

Previous Page : [Fantasy] The Beauty's Tribulation (Complete) - 13-15

Next Page : [Fantasy] The Beauty's Tribulation (Complete) - 22-24

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

[Fantasy] The Beauty's Tribulation (Complete) - 19-21

comment Open a new window to view comments