Wish You All the Best - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

The letter, flying true, struck Master Pei right on his handsome bridge of his nose before falling at his feet.

He froze, stared down at it for a moment, and slowly bent over to retrieve it. Suddenly, he straightened up, whirled around, and strode to the stove, tossing the letter inside with lightning speed.

"You dare burn it? Try it, just try it!"

A delicate, chirping voice came from behind him.

Master Pei didn't even care about the heat. He scrambled to snatch the letter back from the stove. One corner of the envelope had already been singed by a spark, and he frantically patted it a few times to extinguish the embers.

Jiafu took the envelope from his hand, extracted the paper, unfolded it, and placed it back into his hands.

"Read it," she said, looking at him with a mischievous smile.

Pei You’an held the letter, looking thoroughly awkward. He stood before her for a moment, then suddenly began to cough. The fit grew more violent until he was doubled over, his face flushed a deep red.

Jiafu hurried to rub his chest and pat his back. After a long while, Pei You’an finally stopped coughing. He gripped her small hand tightly and said with deep emotion, "Fu’er, you are truly too good to me."

Jiafu pulled her hand away.

Pei You’an reached out to grab it again.

Jiafu slapped his hand away with a smack: "Don't touch me! Do you think a few coughs will make me go soft? My heart is made of stone! If you aren't going to read it, fine. Eat it yourself—eat the letter, and not a single word can be left behind!"

Pei You’an gave a bitter smile: "My dear Fu’er, spare me. I was truly wrong before. I won't do it again. If I ever do this again, I will..."

"You still want there to be a 'next time'?"

Jiafu sneered.

"I wouldn't dare believe a word you say from now on! Before you left, you looked me in the eye and promised you'd come back for me. The moment you turned your back, how did you treat me? You liar, nothing you say now will make a difference. Either read it or eat it—it’s up to you!"

Having said this, Jiafu ignored him, climbed onto the bed, and curled up comfortably against the headboard, watching him coldly.

Pei You’an slowly followed her, sat on the edge of the bed, and stared at her without a word.

This man was truly as graceful as a jade tree. Having just finished bathing, he wore only a loose undergarment, half-open at the chest, which kept the room feeling warm as spring. There was a faint, sickly pallor to him, yet he possessed an air of refined elegance. His deep, dark eyes looked silently toward her, cold yet piercing, as if conveying a thousand words without saying a single one. After being looked at by him for even a moment like this, Jiafu’s heart couldn't help but pound. Hating her own weakness, she simply turned her face inward, refusing to look at him. Suddenly, she heard him whisper softly:

"Ten thousand miles from old friends, across mountains and passes difficult to cross; from now on, no letters arrive, no blue birds fly. Only this sick, dying body remains, dreams shattered by the camp horns at the fifth watch; do not say the future is hopeless. On the snowy night before Yanran Mountain, a beautiful woman arrives unexpectedly across the Kunlun, her face like a lotus, her smile like a dream."

He paused.

"Fu’er, this is another letter I wrote to you. I, Pei You’an, betrayed you first; what virtue or ability do I possess to deserve your constant companionship, following me all the way here? Yet I was still blinded by my own intentions to send you back—I was truly ungrateful for the blessings I had! Never mind eating a letter; even if you asked me to eat stones, I wouldn't frown. I will eat it now, not a single word left behind!"

Jiafu turned her head and saw him staring at her with a solemn expression. To her immense shock, he actually tore the letter in two, rolled it into a ball, and shoved it into his mouth. She had only been angry and wanted to teach him a lesson; how could she bear to let him actually eat the paper? Besides, every word in the letter sounded like a confession of love to her—how could she bear to let it be destroyed? She lunged forward, snatched the paper ball back, and unfolded it. Seeing it torn in half and wrinkled into a mess, she grew angry again and kicked him: "You owe me!"

Pei You’an caught her foot in one pull, and Jiafu slid down, her clothes rolling up to her waist and hips, instantly revealing two bare, snowy-white legs that were incredibly eye-catching. Jiafu let out a cry, hurriedly pulled her legs together, and tried to pull her clothes down to cover herself, only to be pressed down beneath him.

Pei You’an gazed at her with deep affection: "Fu’er, forgive your husband this one time, will you?"

The room fell silent.

Jiafu gazed back at him for a moment, then reached out to part his collar, revealing the side of his shoulder she had bitten so firmly just moments before. Seeing the deep teeth marks there, she gently stroked them with her fingertips and whispered softly: "Husband, did it hurt when I bit you?"

Pei You’an nodded, then shook his head: "It didn't hurt."

Jiafu’s eyes filled with pity. She leaned in, pressed her lips against his skin, and kissed him with profound tenderness.

Both wore only a single layer of clothing, and as their skin brushed together, Pei You’an’s body grew soft, while he felt a surge of heat rising below. Just as he closed his eyes to enjoy her kisses, filled with amorous thoughts, a sudden pain shot through his shoulder. His mind cleared instantly. He opened his eyes to see Jiafu had opened her mouth and bitten him hard once more. She only then pulled away, smiling sweetly: "Since you say it doesn't hurt, I’ll bite you again so you remember! So you don't forget your words to me the next time you turn your head!"

Pei You’an touched his shoulder, now covered in teeth marks and saliva, and gave a bitter smile.

Jiafu paid him no more mind. She pushed him away, took the torn letter, got off the bed, and spread it out on the table, busy looking for something to press it flat.

It had been over a year since her grandmother passed away. Although, as the eldest grandson's wife, she still had to observe mourning for another two years, being exiled to this place—the world vast and the wilderness endless—seemed to wash away the constraints that had once bound their natural instincts. A sense of unrestraint she had never known began to grow in her heart.

They had been married for two years, but if you counted the time they were truly together, it was barely a few months, and they had been separated for so long. Meeting suddenly last night, their emotions had been impossible to suppress. Since they had already broken the taboo, she thought that if her grandmother’s spirit were watching, she would not blame them. With no further qualms, he followed her over, picked up the books from the floor, placed them on the table, and then hugged her from behind, lowering his head to kiss the delicate, snowy skin exposed above her collar.

Jiafu found it ticklish and kept shrinking her neck, hiding from him.

Seeing no response from her, Pei You’an helplessly carried her to the bed and whispered into her ear: "Fu’er..." his voice tight with tension.

A small hand reached out under the quilt to gingerly touch him, as if testing the waters, before quickly pulling back.

Jiafu lowered her eyes, blushing: "Big Cousin, are you uncomfortable again?"

Pei You’an felt the blood surge and his heart rate quicken from that light touch, even through his clothing. He gazed at her, his fingers gently caressing her lips.

"Let's sleep. Once you're asleep, you'll feel better!" Jiafu pushed his hand away.

Pei You’an was stunned.

"You didn't take good care of yourself when I wasn't here. The house was drafty, the stove wasn't warm, and you didn't eat your medicine properly. Your health has always been fragile, and you’ve been sick for so long. Last night was one thing, but you want to do it again tonight? Sleep properly. You’re not better yet, so don't be thinking about anything else!"

With that, Jiafu rolled out of his embrace.

Pei You’an pulled her back: "Fu’er... my illness is already gone... if you don't believe me, just watch tonight..."

Jiafu shook her head like a rattle: "No is no! I want to sleep! You sleep too!" Having said that, she turned over with her back to him. After a moment, she turned back, her lips brushing his ear: "Big Cousin, be a good boy. I will be very good to you from now on."

Pei You’an felt that after that long sleep last night, he was full of energy and mostly recovered. He could easily "fight for another three hundred rounds" tonight, yet she refused to let him be intimate with her. He figured that aside from truly worrying about his weak health, she must also have been intentionally punishing him.

He couldn't hit her, and he certainly couldn't put on the stern face to lecture her about "being obedient" like he used to—he had no authority left.

Pei You’an was at a loss with her. He gave a bitter smile, and seeing she had turned her back on him, he could only close his eyes and slowly regulate his breathing. After a long time, he finally suppressed his urges. He opened his eyes to find that she had left him to his own devices and had already fallen asleep.

He gazed at the woman beside him, her face relaxed in a simple, charming sleep, and his heart gradually filled with an indescribable warmth. He blew out the lamp, reached out to embrace her soft, warm body, and, breathing in her fragrant scent, drifted off to sleep amid the howling north wind outside.

After a night of sound sleep, he woke up to the final day of the year.

Of the seven or eight old soldiers at the feed yard, besides Old Ding and his wife, the rest were solitary men who lived there year-round and had nowhere to go for the New Year. Early in the morning, Jiafu gave Mother Ding some money to shop in town, and Yang Yun took her there by carriage. Mother Ding asked Tanxiang to accompany her, and the three returned in the afternoon. They had bought rice, flour, chicken, pig's head, two halves of a sheep, and local winter vegetables like radishes and cabbage, along with several jars of fine wine.

The old soldiers knew that because the Mistress had arrived, they would finally have a feast tonight. Looking at the ingredients—even the New Year’s feast at the City Commandant’s mansion couldn't be better than this—they were all beaming with joy. As soon as the carriage entered, they rushed over to help unload the supplies. The feed yard’s kitchen became a bustling scene; the firewood crackled, the pig's head stewed in the pot releasing a rich aroma, knives thudded against boards as they chopped filling, and the large iron pot sizzled as scallions were tossed into hot oil. The scent of the food drifted far, and the old soldiers, who rarely tasted meat, could hardly wait until nightfall; they all gathered around the kitchen, swallowing their saliva.

After Jiafu and Pei You’an finished checking on the pregnant mare and came out, they saw Old Ding walking from the direction of the main gate, carrying a food box. Seeing Pei You’an, he eagerly rushed over and called out: "Master Pei, a man just came from City Official Hu’s office. He said since you arrived, the feed yard has been managed quite well. Today is year-end, and as your superior, he ought to show some appreciation, so he specially sent some wine and dishes for you." Saying this, he handed over the box and added happily: "Thanks to the Mistress, we’ll have a feast tonight too. It's getting dark, so I’m going to go lock the front gate." With a bow, he turned and hurried away.

Jiafu went to open the lid, but Pei You’an gently blocked her: "No need to look."

Jiafu became suspicious. Ignoring his obstruction, she forced it open. Inside was a plate of rotten cabbage leaves, a chicken carcass that had clearly been chewed over, and a few other scraps—obviously leftovers. She froze, and the truth dawned on her: Hu Liangcai must be using this opportunity to humiliate Pei You’an. Her rage surged, and she kicked the food box over and stamped on it fiercely.

"Let it be. Be careful not to hurt your foot."

Pei You’an smiled, walked over, took Jiafu’s hands, rubbed them, and breathed warm air onto them.

Thinking of how he had fallen from grace and was being treated like this by these people, even if he didn't care, Jiafu’s heart was still filled with pain as she stared at him, motionless.

Pei You’an lightly pinched her beautiful nose and smiled: "Let's go. Back inside; it's cold out."

As the sky grew dark, Old Ding lit a firecracker string tied to a bamboo pole and stuck it in the snow. It popped and crackled for a while. By then, the New Year’s feast was ready, and the old soldiers sat at a large table. Jiafu didn't dwell on what had happened earlier and decided to cheer up. Out of gratitude to Yang Yun, Tanxiang, and Muxiang for following them through such a long, freezing journey to the bitter frontier, she told the three to join the table, ignoring the traditional distinction between master and servant. They firmly refused, and Jiafu, realizing that forcing them would only make them uncomfortable, let them have their way. She divided the food and wine, letting them eat with Mother Ding, while she and Pei You’an closed the door to their room. They sat across from each other at a small table with a few dishes and a small stove warming a pot of sweet rice wine. The wine was rich and the atmosphere spring-like, shutting out the frozen world beyond the doors and windows.

Because Pei You’an still had a sporadic cough, Jiafu snatched his cup away after he drank just one, forbidding him from having more and only allowing him tea. Since the wine was sweet, she had drunk several cups herself without realizing it and gradually began to feel warm. She stripped down to just a thin, water-colored bodice, unfastened two buttons, revealing a patch of snow-white skin beneath her collarbone that shone with brilliance, followed by her plump, peach-like breasts.

Pei You’an had been eating, but his gaze gradually fixed on her. Seeing her drink cup after cup, her face flushed with the bloom of spring, he slowly set down his chopsticks, took the wine cup from her hand, finished the remaining wine, and stood up. He picked her up, laid her on the bed, sat on the edge, and leaned over to kiss her gently.

"Was I a good boy today?"

His breath was warm, lingering in her ear.

Jiafu was clearly not yet drunk, but her mind felt hazy. She looked at him with wide eyes and nodded foolishly.

Pei You’an smiled slightly. Slowly and methodically, his long fingers unbuttoned her bodice one by one, gradually stripping her bare until she was a tender, white lamb before his eyes—just as he had envisioned earlier.

On this New Year’s Eve of the old year, the creaking of the old bed mingled with the whistling of the north wind over the roof—intermittent, at times slow and at times urgent—continuing for a long while. Of the two maids sleeping nearby, Muxiang, being younger, had drunk a bit too much the night before and fell into a deep, snoring sleep, hearing nothing. Tanxiang, however, didn't look well when she woke up this morning; she was yawning, and her eyes were a bit dark.

On the first day of the New Year, early in the morning, Pei You’an found some scrap wood and reinforced the bed legs himself, so they wouldn't make noise again and cause his Jiafu such anxiety. She always insisted he be lighter, softer, fearing the sounds would be heard by the maids sleeping nearby, which always prevented them from fully enjoying themselves.

While he was busy, he did not know that at this very moment, a thousand miles away in the capital, something had happened.

On this day, the first morning of the second year of Zhaoping, many people were gathered outside the city gates waiting to enter.

Although everyone had stayed up for the New Year's Eve vigil and all businesses were closed today, many people from all directions still arrived early to wait. There was a City God Temple Fair in the city today, and if one were lucky, they might even see the grand scene of officials and local princes entering the palace to pay their New Year’s respects to the Emperor. The harvest had been good this year, and the Emperor had reduced taxes; people wore new clothes and chatted excitedly, every face beaming with joy.

Among the crowd, a young man, travel-worn and weary, stood quietly by the roadside, listening to the discussions around him. When the city gates opened, he followed the flow of the crowd into the capital.

His skin was dark—the color of years of sun exposure, a characteristic of people from the southern coast. Many people there might never have the chance in their entire lives to witness the prosperity of the empire’s capital with their own eyes. But this boy seemed quite familiar with everything here.

He walked through the streets with freshly pasted New Year’s scrolls on the doors, amidst the laughter of children playing, and went straight to the palace. He told the guards he had news of the young Emperor Chengnin. Shortly after, his head and face were covered, and he was brought into the palace. Li Yuangui met the person in secret immediately and questioned him about many things. Finally, he reported to the Emperor that this boy, who claimed to be the person the Emperor’s naval fleet had been searching for, was indeed likely to be Xiao Yu.

He was familiar with the layout of the palace, knew every corner of it, and could even describe how the second golden dragon claw on the right armrest of the dragon throne had a bent toe—because in the past, that nine-year-old child had liked to secretly snap at it every day while sitting there, listening to the ministers talk below. If he had continued to sit there for a few more years, perhaps one day, that dragon claw would have been snapped off by him.

Xiao Lie was filled with immense shock, but he did not meet the person immediately. The Emperor, who had yet to recover from the massive frustration brought by the son left behind by the woman he loved, had been irritable lately, reprimanding his ministers at the slightest provocation, leaving the officials trembling. Harboring suspicion and hatred toward everything, he ordered the boy to be taken to the Peacock Garden in the West Park, and then secretly observed his actions.

Although Xiao Lie and Xiao Yu were uncle and nephew by name, by the time Xiao Yu was born, his imperial uncle had already been away in Yunnan for many years.

This was the first time Xiao Lie had seen what his nephew looked like. He saw a young man standing by the pond in the Peacock Garden, his head tilted slightly, squinting as he looked toward the horizon, his gaze seemingly crossing beyond the Peacock Garden that confined him, beyond the high palace walls, toward the endless horizon in the distance.