Chapter 11: Insider? Fish in the Lake?
I was on guard and slightly leaned away, “Master Pei came just in time. I have something to discuss with you.”
“Oh? Discuss what?” Pei Yanzhen looked down to smooth the wrinkles on his sleeve and carelessly said, “If it’s about Zhan Yue, then there’s nothing to discuss.”
“Why?!” I abruptly raised my head to ask. I remembered Pei Yanzhen let me have my way majority of the time, before because I was his wife, now because I was his niece. As an elder, he should always yield to and tolerate me, so why did he refuse today?
Pei Yanzhen looked at me indifferently, “Is Miao’r hiring Zhan Yue with a tremendous amount of money to thank him?”
“It’s not only for that. I want to be able to see Knight Zhan every day.” I blurted out my true feelings in my anxious state. Once it was out, I regretted that I was too blunt. My act was no different from seducing someone away from him. In that case, I should’ve been more tactful when seducing. With how bluntly I had said it, it was unavoidable to appear as if I was executing highway robbery.
“Oh? See him every day?” Pei Yanzhen narrowed his eyes and slowly chewed on those words.
“I know this will make things difficult for you, but the government office has many others and would not miss one or two officers, right? Moreover, I currently am unable to move about freely and truly need a guard with good kung fu to follow me around. Is it possible to accommodate me on this?” I justified my suggestion, attempting to mend my previous sentence and let him feel that I wasn’t fighting over his subordinate.
Pei Yanzhen walked past me to look at the scenery outside. Quite a while later, he carefully said, “There is still some leeway to continue this discussion.”
“How?” I just knew Pei Yanzhen was easy to persuade!
He stared back at me with earnest and hopeful eyes and slowly said, “The day Miao’r wants to see me daily will be the day I send Zhan Yue over to be your guard.”
This…
“What are you two doing?” I was dazed when I heard another voice. Turning around, I saw Song Xiyuan standing outside the door with knitted brows. His fan banged on the doorframe.
I looked down and saw that I was holding Pei Yanzhen’s sleeve with both hands and leaning as close as possible toward him. Pei Yanzhen was affectionately looking down at me… I must have been too excited talking about Zhan Yue and unknowingly grabbed onto Pei Yanzhen. Now that Song Xiyuan saw us like that, it was hard for him not to think we were in an ambiguous situation.
I hastily let go of Pei Yanzhen and moved away from him, then firmly told Song XIyuan that I was innocent, “It’s nothing. Nothing happened. I won’t do anything to your Yanzhen!”
“Mine?” Song Xiyuan was startled.
“Whose?” Pei Yanzhen paused.
Oh, no! I was in a hurry and accidentally exposed the truth! Their affection was originally hidden in their hearts. It was only because they tried to meet using underhanded means that I found out. They must not be angered! How should I justify my sentence?
I rushed to say, “I don’t know anything.” After saying that, I felt myself digging deeper into the hole.
“Don’t know what?” Song and Pei both said at the same time and stared at me with bright and gloomy eyes.
I lowered my head and stroked my belly, pretending I didn’t hear anything.
“Miaomiao,” Song Xiyuan opened his fan, his voice turned gloomier. He was usually all smiles, so I had never seen him so cold.
I closed my eyes and said out in the open, “You can be at ease. Although, I saw a bit… A bit of your enduring yet abstaining ambiguous passion, but I, Shen Miao, am not a talkative person and definitely won’t speak about this to another person. Besides, I really only saw a bit, a very tiny bit…”
I showed a tiny bit of my pinkie, even smaller than an ant, resolute on my innocence.
“Ambiguous passion…?” Pei Yanzhen’s complexion turned from doubt to alarm and changed to anger. He then gritted his teeth, brushed away his sleeves, and closed his eyes. He had a face of wanting to silence someone, frightening me.
Song Xiyuan’s fan dropped on the floor and broke off, leaving the perfectly good fan in pieces. Looking at the result… It looks like the fan also knew the inside story…
“Miaomiao, I sometimes really want to dig a hole and bury you in it to get some peace!” Song Xiyuan spat out, expressionless. He looked as if he was shamed into anger that he couldn’t cover up the truth.
Their expressions startled me into taking two steps back, about to call for Lu Ying, when Song Xiyuan fiercely asked, “Where did you see that ‘tiny bit’?!”
I was trapped between him and the table with no way to retreat and softly mumbled, “It was… It was in Qinchu Hall… You were eating Uncle’s jealousy… Uncle was eating yours… You both… Both like men…”
Pei Yanzhen pinched the bridge of his nose, lifted his clothes to sit down, and casually raised the teacup beside him to drink from it.
“Don’t!” I stretched out my arms to block him and he looked down. That cup wasn’t a teacup but a fishbowl Daddy bought two days ago. If I didn’t kindly prevent him, he would have swallowed a fish and choked to death.
Song Xiyuan scampered around the room a few times and finally stopped in front of the amiable Guanyin statue in the front, his chest still heaving up and down.
Looking at them like that, I didn’t know what to do. Then the baby in my belly kicked me a few times with the style of a Shaolin warrior, leaving me unable to stand, “Ouch.” I supported myself on the table trying not to fall down.
“Miaomiao!”
“Miao’r!”
Both of them came to at the same time and cautiously helped me onto a chair, one on each side. Song Xiyuan lightly stroked my back while Pei Yanzhen crouched down to look at my face, “How is it, Miao’r? Where is it uncomfortable? I’ll go call the doctor.”
I gasped a few times and stopped him when I caught my breath, “It’s nothing.” Pointing at my belly, I said, “The baby had just kicked me a little too hard.”
The two’s complexion slowly turned better, let out a sigh and looked up into each other’s eyes. Right away, their expressions changed into loathing, feeling the other were eyesores.
Pei Yanzhen concentrated a while before solemnly saying, “Miao’r, you’ve thought too much. Young Master Song and I have no relations whatsoever. We didn’t in the past, don’t have any now, and definitely won’t in the future!”
Song Xiyuan firmly said, word by word, “Miaomiao, I don’t know about Master Pei, but I, Song Xiyuan, have never liked men! I’ll reiterate again, that day, I was only doing business with others and picked out the little groom for Boss Cheng!”
“Now, do you believe?” Pei Yanzhen asked.
I timidly looked at them and saw them staring back trying to crack me open. I dared not disagree and could only force out an expression of dropping the matter. I trembled in my mind and softly said, “I believe.”
“Really?” Song Xiyuan looked as if he was about to take out a contract for me to sign.
“Really!” I promised with my words, but in my mind, I was still rolling around. If they don’t have an ambiguous passion, then previously… Could it be…
Forget it. It was better to stay away from muddy waters. Finding out the truth might bring more trouble.
After the two of them obtained my repeated assurances, they left with righteous indignation, joined against the same trouble.
I resentfully sang a few songs and happily spent the next two days in leisure when no one showed up at the door. I was simply depressed that the business with Knight Zhan was hopeless. The baby in my belly grew bigger like someone blowing up a balloon, leaving me unable to go anywhere, especially if the place was crowded. This left me with only one thing to do, which was fishing.
I couldn’t say I have a talent in other things, but I have some ability fishing. Every time I swing the pole, a fish would bite in a few minutes. I pulled the fish ashore to see what type of fish it was then had Lu Ying set it free. I wasn’t lacking in fish to eat and just wanted to take pleasure in fishing.
Today, I was fishing for about ten minutes by the lake and had caught two koi, one red and one white. Setting it free, I heard a grandpa beside me say, “Madame has good fishing skills and kind intentions!” I haven’t heard anyone praise me for a long time, so I was inevitably elated. Endlessly satisfied in my heart, I reservedly acknowledged, “You flatter me.”
I was enjoying the praise when I heard a sneer from under the willow tree. Shortly after, someone stepped out from the shade with bright eyes and glistening teeth. He was wearing a silver robe which looked simple and neat at first glance but carried the air of arrogance and extravagance with another look.
He said, “Is the Miss here to fish or to feed fish?”
I was about to answer when he said disdainfully, “Miss doesn’t think this way of feeding fish is troublesome?”
A bucket of ice water was poured down my head.
The words coming out of his mouth were all taunts. Evidently, the fish love my bait and just because I didn’t kill them, he said I was feeding them. Why couldn’t I act as I please?
I said, unhappy, “Not troublesome at all. I’m doing as I wish. Since this Young Master is saying so, then you must have excellent skills. Why don’t you let me observe?”
That person raised his brows and disdainfully looked down on me, “Since the Miss has already thrown down the gauntlet, how can I not reciprocate? How about we compete for a round today?”
“Very well.” This person’s arrogance is what others despise and deserves to be pushed down a notch or two.
He rolled his eyes and said, “Since it’s a competition, then there must be a winner. You must stake something for it to be interesting.”
“Okay.” I was certain of my victory so bluntly replied, “How much are you gambling?”
He looked at my eight month round belly and gave a baffling smile, “Not money. Let’s gamble on a question. If Miss loses, then you have to answer my question.”
Those words made me feel uncomfortable, from the tips of my hair to my toes. Not only was he blindly overconfident, but he also used a tone as if he was bestowing a gift. Which family let this young master out without letting him see the world?
I looked up and glared at him, “And if I win?”
Chapter 11: Insider? Fish in the Lake?
I was on guard and slightly leaned away, “Master Pei came just in time. I have something to discuss with you.”
“Oh? Discuss what?” Pei Yanzhen looked down to smooth the wrinkles on his sleeve and carelessly said, “If it’s about Zhan Yue, then there’s nothing to discuss.”
“Why?!” I abruptly raised my head to ask. I remembered Pei Yanzhen let me have my way majority of the time, before because I was his wife, now because I was his niece. As an elder, he should always yield to and tolerate me, so why did he refuse today?
Pei Yanzhen looked at me indifferently, “Is Miao’r hiring Zhan Yue with a tremendous amount of money to thank him?”
“It’s not only for that. I want to be able to see Knight Zhan every day.” I blurted out my true feelings in my anxious state. Once it was out, I regretted that I was too blunt. My act was no different from seducing someone away from him. In that case, I should’ve been more tactful when seducing. With how bluntly I had said it, it was unavoidable to appear as if I was executing highway robbery.
“Oh? See him every day?” Pei Yanzhen narrowed his eyes and slowly chewed on those words.
“I know this will make things difficult for you, but the government office has many others and would not miss one or two officers, right? Moreover, I currently am unable to move about freely and truly need a guard with good kung fu to follow me around. Is it possible to accommodate me on this?” I justified my suggestion, attempting to mend my previous sentence and let him feel that I wasn’t fighting over his subordinate.
Pei Yanzhen walked past me to look at the scenery outside. Quite a while later, he carefully said, “There is still some leeway to continue this discussion.”
“How?” I just knew Pei Yanzhen was easy to persuade!
He stared back at me with earnest and hopeful eyes and slowly said, “The day Miao’r wants to see me daily will be the day I send Zhan Yue over to be your guard.”
This…
“What are you two doing?” I was dazed when I heard another voice. Turning around, I saw Song Xiyuan standing outside the door with knitted brows. His fan banged on the doorframe.
I looked down and saw that I was holding Pei Yanzhen’s sleeve with both hands and leaning as close as possible toward him. Pei Yanzhen was affectionately looking down at me… I must have been too excited talking about Zhan Yue and unknowingly grabbed onto Pei Yanzhen. Now that Song Xiyuan saw us like that, it was hard for him not to think we were in an ambiguous situation.
I hastily let go of Pei Yanzhen and moved away from him, then firmly told Song XIyuan that I was innocent, “It’s nothing. Nothing happened. I won’t do anything to your Yanzhen!”
“Mine?” Song Xiyuan was startled.
“Whose?” Pei Yanzhen paused.
Oh, no! I was in a hurry and accidentally exposed the truth! Their affection was originally hidden in their hearts. It was only because they tried to meet using underhanded means that I found out. They must not be angered! How should I justify my sentence?
I rushed to say, “I don’t know anything.” After saying that, I felt myself digging deeper into the hole.
“Don’t know what?” Song and Pei both said at the same time and stared at me with bright and gloomy eyes.
I lowered my head and stroked my belly, pretending I didn’t hear anything.
“Miaomiao,” Song Xiyuan opened his fan, his voice turned gloomier. He was usually all smiles, so I had never seen him so cold.
I closed my eyes and said out in the open, “You can be at ease. Although, I saw a bit… A bit of your enduring yet abstaining ambiguous passion, but I, Shen Miao, am not a talkative person and definitely won’t speak about this to another person. Besides, I really only saw a bit, a very tiny bit…”
I showed a tiny bit of my pinkie, even smaller than an ant, resolute on my innocence.
“Ambiguous passion…?” Pei Yanzhen’s complexion turned from doubt to alarm and changed to anger. He then gritted his teeth, brushed away his sleeves, and closed his eyes. He had a face of wanting to silence someone, frightening me.
Song Xiyuan’s fan dropped on the floor and broke off, leaving the perfectly good fan in pieces. Looking at the result… It looks like the fan also knew the inside story…
“Miaomiao, I sometimes really want to dig a hole and bury you in it to get some peace!” Song Xiyuan spat out, expressionless. He looked as if he was shamed into anger that he couldn’t cover up the truth.
Their expressions startled me into taking two steps back, about to call for Lu Ying, when Song Xiyuan fiercely asked, “Where did you see that ‘tiny bit’?!”
I was trapped between him and the table with no way to retreat and softly mumbled, “It was… It was in Qinchu Hall… You were eating Uncle’s jealousy… Uncle was eating yours… You both… Both like men…”
Pei Yanzhen pinched the bridge of his nose, lifted his clothes to sit down, and casually raised the teacup beside him to drink from it.
“Don’t!” I stretched out my arms to block him and he looked down. That cup wasn’t a teacup but a fishbowl Daddy bought two days ago. If I didn’t kindly prevent him, he would have swallowed a fish and choked to death.
Song Xiyuan scampered around the room a few times and finally stopped in front of the amiable Guanyin statue in the front, his chest still heaving up and down.
Looking at them like that, I didn’t know what to do. Then the baby in my belly kicked me a few times with the style of a Shaolin warrior, leaving me unable to stand, “Ouch.” I supported myself on the table trying not to fall down.
“Miaomiao!”
“Miao’r!”
Both of them came to at the same time and cautiously helped me onto a chair, one on each side. Song Xiyuan lightly stroked my back while Pei Yanzhen crouched down to look at my face, “How is it, Miao’r? Where is it uncomfortable? I’ll go call the doctor.”
I gasped a few times and stopped him when I caught my breath, “It’s nothing.” Pointing at my belly, I said, “The baby had just kicked me a little too hard.”
The two’s complexion slowly turned better, let out a sigh and looked up into each other’s eyes. Right away, their expressions changed into loathing, feeling the other were eyesores.
Pei Yanzhen concentrated a while before solemnly saying, “Miao’r, you’ve thought too much. Young Master Song and I have no relations whatsoever. We didn’t in the past, don’t have any now, and definitely won’t in the future!”
Song Xiyuan firmly said, word by word, “Miaomiao, I don’t know about Master Pei, but I, Song Xiyuan, have never liked men! I’ll reiterate again, that day, I was only doing business with others and picked out the little groom for Boss Cheng!”
“Now, do you believe?” Pei Yanzhen asked.
I timidly looked at them and saw them staring back trying to crack me open. I dared not disagree and could only force out an expression of dropping the matter. I trembled in my mind and softly said, “I believe.”
“Really?” Song Xiyuan looked as if he was about to take out a contract for me to sign.
“Really!” I promised with my words, but in my mind, I was still rolling around. If they don’t have an ambiguous passion, then previously… Could it be…
Forget it. It was better to stay away from muddy waters. Finding out the truth might bring more trouble.
After the two of them obtained my repeated assurances, they left with righteous indignation, joined against the same trouble.
I resentfully sang a few songs and happily spent the next two days in leisure when no one showed up at the door. I was simply depressed that the business with Knight Zhan was hopeless. The baby in my belly grew bigger like someone blowing up a balloon, leaving me unable to go anywhere, especially if the place was crowded. This left me with only one thing to do, which was fishing.
I couldn’t say I have a talent in other things, but I have some ability fishing. Every time I swing the pole, a fish would bite in a few minutes. I pulled the fish ashore to see what type of fish it was then had Lu Ying set it free. I wasn’t lacking in fish to eat and just wanted to take pleasure in fishing.
Today, I was fishing for about ten minutes by the lake and had caught two koi, one red and one white. Setting it free, I heard a grandpa beside me say, “Madame has good fishing skills and kind intentions!” I haven’t heard anyone praise me for a long time, so I was inevitably elated. Endlessly satisfied in my heart, I reservedly acknowledged, “You flatter me.”
I was enjoying the praise when I heard a sneer from under the willow tree. Shortly after, someone stepped out from the shade with bright eyes and glistening teeth. He was wearing a silver robe which looked simple and neat at first glance but carried the air of arrogance and extravagance with another look.
He said, “Is the Miss here to fish or to feed fish?”
I was about to answer when he said disdainfully, “Miss doesn’t think this way of feeding fish is troublesome?”
A bucket of ice water was poured down my head.
The words coming out of his mouth were all taunts. Evidently, the fish love my bait and just because I didn’t kill them, he said I was feeding them. Why couldn’t I act as I please?
I said, unhappy, “Not troublesome at all. I’m doing as I wish. Since this Young Master is saying so, then you must have excellent skills. Why don’t you let me observe?”
That person raised his brows and disdainfully looked down on me, “Since the Miss has already thrown down the gauntlet, how can I not reciprocate? How about we compete for a round today?”
“Very well.” This person’s arrogance is what others despise and deserves to be pushed down a notch or two.
He rolled his eyes and said, “Since it’s a competition, then there must be a winner. You must stake something for it to be interesting.”
“Okay.” I was certain of my victory so bluntly replied, “How much are you gambling?”
He looked at my eight month round belly and gave a baffling smile, “Not money. Let’s gamble on a question. If Miss loses, then you have to answer my question.”
Those words made me feel uncomfortable, from the tips of my hair to my toes. Not only was he blindly overconfident, but he also used a tone as if he was bestowing a gift. Which family let this young master out without letting him see the world?
I looked up and glared at him, “And if I win?”
