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

Chapter 36 But he had nothing.
Hearing what Madam Pei said, Pei Yanzhi nodded in response.

His marriage was decided not by him, but by others.

Therefore, for Pei Yanzhi, it makes no difference who he marries.

"Grandmother, please make the decision. If there's nothing else, I'll head back now."

After saying this, Pei Yanzhi stood up and took his leave.

Madam Pei sighed as she watched Pei Yanzhi's departing figure.

“You are my son, Pei Feng. If you really don’t want this family, then never come back and never acknowledge me as your mother again.”

Upon hearing Madam Pei's words, Pei Feng frowned and asked, "Mother, what do you mean by that?"

If he truly didn't want this family, he wouldn't have come back today.

"In that case, either break off the relationship with that other woman, or you bring her home as a concubine."

“My Pei family is not so poor that it cannot support a woman and a child.”

Madam Pei said coldly, "What couple could be like Pei Feng and Qin Bijun?"

If it weren't for Pei Yanzhi, Old Madam Pei wouldn't have bothered with them at all.

"Mother……"

"My mind is made up. You can do whatever you want with it."

After speaking, Madam Pei returned to her room from the flower hall, leaving Pei Feng there alone, who let out a long sigh.

After returning from Ningfu Residence, Pei Yanzhi had a cold and aloof expression, making him unapproachable to strangers.

Cheng Hua, who was following behind him, naturally sensed Pei Yanzhi's displeasure.

Upon arriving at Qingyi Residence, Xiang Ning was still nowhere to be seen, and the atmosphere around Pei Yanzhi became even more tense.

Bitao saw Pei Yanzhi from afar and wanted to go into the house to wake Xiangning.

After the two finished dinner, Xiang Ning went back to practice calligraphy again.

In the past, she wouldn't even have had the opportunity to learn to read and write, but now that she has this opportunity, Xiang Ning naturally doesn't want to miss it.

If you can read, you won't be deceived when you go out in the future.

Xiang Ning thought Pei Yanzhi's meal would take a long time, so she fell asleep while writing.

But with Bitao around, she wasn't afraid of falling into a deep sleep.

Pei Yanzhi called out to Bitao, who was about to go inside, and asked, "Is she inside?"

Hearing this, Bitao nodded gently: "Sister is practicing calligraphy inside."

When she spoke, Bitao raised her voice slightly, but Xiangning was exhausted from the whole day and didn't even hear Bitao's prompt.

Pei Yanzhi glanced at Bitao, then stepped into the house.

On the desk that Pei Yanzhi originally used to handle official business, there was a person lying on it.

Xiang Ning still held the pen in her hand, her fair face smeared with ink.

Seeing this scene, Pei Yanzhi's cold expression finally softened.

He walked to the desk and looked at the words Xiang Ning had written on the paper. Her handwriting was not even up to the level of a beginner.

But her meticulousness is evident in every stroke of her pen.

Amidst the somewhat disordered arrangement of the two characters "Xiang Ning" on the full page, the character "Yan" was added.

Was she imitating his name?
"Master?"

In her sleep, Xiang Ning felt something land on her face, with a touch of tenderness that tickled her.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Pei Yanzhi with one hand on the table and the other on her cheek.

His gaze held a complex expression that Xiang Ning found hard to decipher.

She hurriedly got up, but to her surprise, she saw Pei Yanzhi smile.

"I don't know how much of my pine ink you've wasted."

Hearing this, Xiang Ning looked at the Xuan paper. She always used only a small amount, so there was no waste.

Then Pei Yanzhi reached out and pinched her chin, making her look up at him.

The man's clean fingertips touched her cheek, pursed, and left a trace of black.

Xiang Ning then realized where the pine ink she had wasted was, as Pei Yanzhi had just mentioned.

Have you eaten?

He took out the handkerchief from Xiang Ning's waist and gently wiped the pine ink off her face by pinching her cheek.

"I've already used it, Master. I'll do it myself." Xiang Ning was a little uneasy sitting in the chair. Pei Yanzhi was standing in front of her, making her feel like she had nowhere to hide.

She didn't like this kind of coercion, and she wasn't used to Pei Yanzhi's gentleness.

"I haven't eaten, please make me a bowl of noodles."

Pei Yanzhi only let go of Xiang Ning after wiping the pine ink off her face.

Xiang Ning stood up, intending to take the handkerchief back from his hand, but then she heard Pei Yanzhi's words.

It seems he has no intention of returning her handkerchief.

"Is there anything else?"

Seeing Xiang Ning standing silently to the side, Pei Yanzhi sat down and turned to look at her.

Pei Yanzhi tossed the handkerchief stained with pine needle ink onto the table, to his right, out of reach.

"Slave, go now."

Xiang Ning had no choice but to agree to Pei Yanzhi's request and turned to cook noodles.

After leaving the house, Bitao pulled Xiangning aside and said, "I was so loud just now, but you didn't hear me, sister. Luckily, Master spoils you."

Hearing Bitao's words, Xiangning felt somewhat helpless. She hadn't slept well last night and had been forced to practice calligraphy in the afternoon.

But Pei Yanzhi hasn't returned, so she can't rest.

I've been living a life of luxury in this tranquil abode; I'm even feeling tired without doing anything.

Xiang Ning shook her head. It seemed she needed to find something to do to prevent a repeat of today's incident.

If Pei Yanzhi thinks she's lazy and good-for-nothing, that wouldn't be a good thing.

Furthermore, once people relax, they unconsciously reveal too much.

Xiang Ning couldn't afford to gamble with the consequences, so she had to stay alert at all times.

After cooking a bowl of noodles for Pei Yanzhi in the kitchen, Xiang Ning took the noodles back to her room.

Pei Yanzhi had already put away the calligraphy written by Xiang Ning and was currently handling official business.

He fulfilled his duties as Minister of the Court of Judicial Review to the best of his ability, and the prosperity and stability of the capital city are largely thanks to him.

"Sir, the noodles are here."

Xiang Ning placed the noodles on the table, Pei Yanzhi hummed in response, and he put the official documents aside.

Pei Yanzhi looked down at the bowl of plain noodles, where wisps of white steam rose, releasing a fragrant aroma.

It was something perfectly ordinary, but in Pei Yanzhi's eyes it looked different.

"sit."

He picked up his chopsticks and said something to Xiang Ning, who was stunned upon hearing it.

"This servant will remain standing."

"Ok?"

Pei Yanzhi paused, looked up at Xiang Ning, and then she sat down to the side.

Pei Yanzhi is acting so strangely today that Xiang Ning doesn't know how to serve him.

"I don't think I've ever heard you mention your family before."

Pei Yanzhi asked abruptly. Upon hearing this, Xiang Ning lowered her eyes and said, "My parents are gone, and there is no one left in my family."

Do you miss them?

He lowered his head, took a bite of noodles, and asked the question again.

"I think my father and mother are the best people in the world to me."

"Why do you say that?"

Pei Yanzhi frowned, seemingly somewhat puzzled.

Xiang Ning paused for a moment before replying, "There are no parents in the world who don't love their children, so they treat me very well."

After speaking, Xiang Ning looked up at Pei Yanzhi, whose expression showed some confusion, before finally lowering her head.

It turns out that all parents in the world love their children.

But he had nothing.

"Tell me more about yourself, about your childhood, your early years."

Pei Yanzhi, are you tempted?
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(End of this chapter)