After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 23 Pei Yanzhi: A Man Who Repays Kindness with Enmity

Madam Pei was filled with remorse whenever she thought about it.

"Alright, you're right. When the time comes, once Yanzhi's new bride enters the household, she won't need to do anything anymore."

Hearing Madam Pei's words, Madam Kang nodded in agreement: "Madam is right. You must not get angry over these things anymore, it's not worth it."

As she spoke, Madam Kang patted Madam Pei's back again.

Back at Qionghua Courtyard, Qin Bijun remembered the old lady's words and took a deep breath with her eyes closed.

“Why can’t my son marry a princess? But she’s chosen the daughter of a vice minister.”

Qin Bijun's only goal in life was to become a Lady of Imperial Decree.

Therefore, she has always been very strict with Pei Yanzhi since he was a child. While other children were having fun, Pei Yanzhi was already sitting in the school reading.

He worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, and of course, he did not let his years of hard study go to waste.

He passed the exam on his first try, then entered the Court of Judicial Review, and eventually became the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.

Pei Yanzhi was Qin Bijun's pride. Whenever she went out to attend social events with wealthy women, people would say that she had a good son.

She had raised Pei Yanzhi for so many years, and she absolutely could not let his marriage be arbitrarily arranged by the old lady.

Looking at the determination in Qin Bijun's eyes, Madam Liao shook her head. The First Madam still didn't understand the Old Madam's good intentions.

It's just a pity for the eldest young master.

In the evening, Pei Yanzhi came out of the Dali Temple and was about to go home when he saw a carriage, which belonged to his father, Pei Feng.

Pei Yanzhi's gaze fell on the carriage, watching Pei Feng help a woman out of the carriage, and then he carried a seven or eight-year-old child down.

A dark glint flashed in his eyes, his gaze carrying a hint of coldness.

Pei Feng works at the Water Resources Bureau, and because of his work on water management, he rarely goes home.

The father and son could only see each other a handful of times a year.

He always said he was busy and didn't go home. Pei Yanzhi knew that he didn't want to see his mother.

Pei Feng's keeping mistresses was hardly a secret within the Pei household.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, Pei Yanzhi's heart couldn't help but be somewhat moved.

His father, in his past life, played the role of the unfaithful man his mother described.

Pei Yanzhi never received the fatherly love that Pei Feng gave to others.

"Let's go."

Cheng Hua, who was standing beside him, naturally saw this scene. He hesitated to speak, and looking at Pei Feng's careful and protective manner, he felt only mockery.

Pei Yanzhi's carriage passed by Pei Feng, and the sound of the carriage came from behind. Pei Feng looked over and saw the words "Pei Mansion" hanging on the carriage.

"Master, what's wrong?"

The woman next to him saw him in a daze and came forward to take his hand.

Seeing this, Pei Feng shook his head slightly: "It's nothing, let's go in."

Today is his youngest son's eighth birthday, and he booked a table at Wangjiang Tower early this morning to bring his son for a meal.

Pei Feng bent down, picked up the child, and took the woman's hand as they went inside.

But he couldn't help but think of that carriage; it seemed to belong to his eldest son, Pei Yanzhi…

Xiang Ning, in Qingyi Residence, estimated that Pei Yanzhi would be returning soon, so she ordered someone to prepare bath water.

He ran into Pei Yanzhi as soon as he stepped out of the house.

"Master, you're back..."

She was only halfway through her sentence when Pei Yanzhi, without even glancing at her, went inside and instructed his men not to come in.

Xiang Ning looked at Cheng Hua with some doubt.

"I met you outside today."

Cheng Hua only said one sentence, and Xiang Ning nodded in understanding.

When she entered the manor, she heard that the eldest master and the first mistress did not have a good relationship. Besides the matter of the third young master's birth mother, it was because the first mistress had never allowed the eldest master to take a concubine for many years.

Everyone says that the first wife is very strict with the first husband, and since the first husband is away controlling floods all year round, the first wife is suspicious and always doubts the first husband, so the relationship between the couple is naturally getting worse and worse.

Could Pei Yanzhi be in a bad mood simply because he saw his father?
Xiang Ning couldn't understand, but he said he didn't need anyone to tell him what to do, so Xiang Ning didn't go any closer.

After waiting for a quarter of an hour, she pretended to ask Pei Yanzhi if he wanted to take a bath and change his clothes, but the reply from inside was no.

Pei Yanzhi did not come out of the house until the end of the Xu hour.

Xiang Ning came out of her room and saw the light still on in the direction she was looking, so she yawned.

She was almost asleep when Pei Yanzhi's door remained closed. She suddenly became curious about what had happened today.
Just as Xiang Ning was thinking about this, she saw the door open and Pei Yanzhi's figure appear in the doorway.

The two looked at each other, and Xiang Ning felt inexplicably awkward.

"Master."

Since everyone had seen it, Xiang Ning felt embarrassed to leave, so she had no choice but to step forward and bow to Pei Yanzhi.

The man's gaze moved down and landed on her, noticing that she was wearing a thin undergarment with an outer garment draped over her shoulders.

Her black hair fell loose, making her face appear even more beautiful.

Bathed in moonlight, her eyes seemed to soften when she looked at Pei Yan.

He didn't speak, but just stared at her intently, making Xiang Ning's scalp tingle.

"Is Your Highness hungry? Let me make you a bowl of noodles."

At this hour, Granny Xu had long since retired, so Xiang Ning could only give Pei Yan a bowl of clear soup noodles.

Pei Yanzhi did not refuse and nodded in acknowledgment.

Xiang Ning smiled and nodded. She went back to her room to change her clothes and fix her hair before going to the kitchen.

Sometimes she wondered if there was some inexplicable constraint between her and Pei Yanzhi, and why they always seemed to run into each other at just the right time.

She just wanted to appease Pei Yanzhi and stay peacefully in the Pei residence until she had saved enough money to leave.

As Xiang Ning pondered these things, she cooked noodles. Before long, a steaming bowl of clear soup noodles was served.

Pei Yanzhi sat at the table, reading a book in his hand.

"Sir, the noodles are ready."

As the fragrance wafted over, Pei Yanzhi put down his book and looked at Xiang Ning.

"My cooking skills are not as good as Mama Xu's, please make do with this bite, sir."

Xiang Ning pushed the bowl of noodles toward Pei Yanzhi, who took the chopsticks, took a bite, and then stopped.

Xiang Ning assumed it wasn't to her taste, and then Pei Yanzhi asked, "What are you doing in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"what?"

Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning exclaimed "Ah!" before realizing what she meant.

"I was worried about you, sir, so I came out to check on you."

If she were asleep, where did this bowl of noodles he's eating come from? How dare he suspect her of having ulterior motives?

Fortunately, Xiang Ning was able to learn some things from spending time with Pei Yanzhi.

"So worried about me? Then from now on, you can keep watch for me at night."

Pei Yanzhi slightly raised his eyes to look at Xiang Ning's expression. Seeing her somewhat surprised and incredulous look, he smiled faintly.

Her annoyance and frustration dissipated considerably, mirroring her expression.

He enjoyed seeing her expression of having unspeakable suffering.

It seems that even the dull and boring life has become a bit more vibrant because of the little liar's words.

Xiang Ning's expression only lasted for a moment before she quickly composed herself.

She vowed that she would never do such a thing again.

I kindly cooked him noodles, and he repaid kindness with enmity!
(End of this chapter)