Chapter 34 - Stunned
"M'lord has returned?"
The gate warmly greeted the master's return to the mansion.
Lost in his own thoughts, Pei Xuan nodded and stepped into the courtyard.
If one has eyes but doesn't use them, how can they see? Was she overthinking? Was it her overthinking, or...
She walked along the long corridor, her face pensive. The young servant behind her dared not make a sound.
It was a beautiful day, and as dusk approached, Bai Tang supported the young lady as they stepped out for fresh air. Spotting M'lord approaching the yard, she was about to greet him when she noticed Pei Xuan placing his index finger on his lips, clearly signaling her to stay silent, wanting to surprise his wife.
Bai Tang was happy to play along.
Cui Ti, being frail, had rested almost an entire day. Even now, her hips swayed awkwardly as she walked. Pei Xuan noticed and discreetly observed his wife.
She was heavily reliant on Bai Tang for support; it was unmistakably clear that she was blind. Doubts began to creep into Pei Xuan's mind: could it really be a coincidence?
A coincidence or not, my wife was born blind. It was because of this disability that the Cui family had been so harsh on her.
He felt as if he was losing his mind.
How could he ever doubt Ti?
Beneath the tree, Cui Ti sat steadily on a chair with a fluffy rabbit on her lap. Pei Xuan looked at the rabbit, recalling the day when she had teased her wife and then played with the rabbit's body and ears...
The image of Cui Ti, blushing and taking the rabbit away, flashed through her mind.
With her doubts unresolved and heavy on her heart, Pei Xuan approached stealthily.
"Has my husband not returned yet?"
Bai Tang glanced at the approaching figure and feigned ignorance, "I believe he hasn't."
Cui Ti held the rabbit in silence, evidently lost in thought about someone.
Hao Zhong, Rao Liang, and others, along with Bai Tang, discreetly retreated, leaving only the couple in the courtyard. The faint sound of footsteps reached her ears, and she looked up.
Pei Xuan stood still, holding her breath, fixing her gaze on her.
"Who is it? Who's there?"
Cui Ti saw her but wasn't ready to confront her openly.
It seems she really can't see me. The realization hit Pei Xuan hard. How could she have hoped that a blind person would suddenly regain sight one day?
"Who's there? Is it Xing Guang?"
Cui Ti clutched the hem of her dress, asking anxiously.
"It's me."
She quickly approached and took her hand, "My wife, it's me."
"Why didn't you speak earlier?"
"I..." Pei Xuan chuckled, "I was just...mesmerized."
She waved her hand in front of Cui Ti's eyes, but there was no reaction. Her hopeful and excited heart plunged into despair.
She must have truly lost her mind.
It was merely a coincidence. It was impossible for all the good things in the world to belong to her alone. Her wife was already more than perfect.
Pei Xuan squeezed next to her on the modest pearwood chair, "I bought some glutinous rice cakes. Are you hungry? Want to try a bite?"
She unwrapped the paper.
The freshly baked glutinous rice cake was sweet and soft. Cui Ti took a small bite, and Pei Xuan nibbled next to where she had bitten.
"Feeling better?"
Referring to that made Cui Ti quite shy. Pei Xuan was so gentle and meticulous that after a night of fun, her thighs still felt sore. A big part of it was because she was too clingy last night. She had never been intimate with someone before, and she never expected their first time to be so messy.
"Much better."
Her voice was muffled, but thankfully they were close, so even her soft utterance was clear to Pei Xuan.
Both of them blushed simultaneously.
"Another bite?"
Cui Ti enjoyed squeezing close to her. Her red lips parted slightly, showing a hint of wanting to be fed.
This made Pei Xuan's thoughts wander, "Shall we... go back to our room?"
She wanted to kiss Cui Ti and felt it wasn't appropriate to do so in the courtyard.
Catching the subtle implication, Cui Ti intended to chastise her for being frivolous, but when the words reached her lips, they melted into a soft compromise.
The door was closed securely.
With her back pressed against the door, Cui Ti felt her heart racing, threatening to jump out of her throat. She scolded herself internally for being so nervous. After all, they were already man and wife, but her legs still turned to jelly.
"Cui Ti..."
"Hmm?"
Pei Xuan gently removed a grain of sticky rice stuck to her lip, "You've turned into a little tabby cat, haven't you?"
Flush!
Warmth spread across her fair face, and Cui Ti fumbled for words, "Ah, have I?"
She teasingly licked the corner of her lips, completely unaware of her allure.
"Do you want me to help?"
With ulterior motives hidden behind his question, Cui Ti wrapped her arms around his neck, murmuring, "You're such a hassle. If you want to kiss, just kiss..."
Always trying to tease and embarrass her.
After spending a day without seeing Pei Xuan, without embracing him, without feeling the warmth of his body, Cui Ti felt as though she had been lonely for ages.
By the time for the family dinner, Prime Minister Pei and Lady Pei had already taken their seats with dishes set out on the table. The two of them arrived fashionably late.
"Dad, Mom, I..."
"Alright, come sit down. We were just waiting for the two of you."
The comment left the young couple, who had just secretly indulged behind closed doors, too embarrassed to lift their heads.
Night had fully fallen.
Pei Xuan was summoned to Prime Minister Pei's study to discuss state affairs, while Cui Ti joined her mother-in-law for a post-meal stroll.
"Cui Ti, I need to apologize to you."
She candidly confessed to having someone place a love-inducing incense in the Zijin furnace the previous night.
Upon learning the purpose of the incense, Cui Ti felt relieved. As long as it was harmless, she, with her easy-going nature, didn't mind. However, she mentally noted to settle this with a certain someone later on.
Night descended with a star-studded sky. After Pei Xuan bathed, he took on the role of a tutor, teaching his wife how to read and write. After half an hour of lessons, Cui Ti was drained of any energy to confront anyone. Overwhelmed by fatigue, she was carried to bed by Pei Xuan.
Their relationship had progressed significantly. There was no longer a need to add any sedatives to the incense burner, which saved them a lot of trouble.
The hem of her clothes was tugged.
Pei Xuan looked down to see a blushing face.
"Another kiss?"
Having gotten used to being kissed to sleep over the past few nights, a drowsy Cui Ti still made her demands. For the entirety of her two lifetimes, all she had ever wanted was Pei Xuan. Now that they were together, she wore the title of Lady Pei with pride and entitlement.
Pei Xuan placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
Cui Ti snuggled into his embrace, continuing to tug at his clothing.
It wasn't enough.
The thought was evident, and Pei Xuan's face turned hot. He whispered teasingly into her ear, "Enough, or I won't be able to hold back..."
Soft laughter echoed through the room filled with the scent of burning incense. Cui Ti thought to herself: Have you lost all your nerve? You dared to tease me at dusk, but now you're all shy.
Pei Xuan, caught in her amusement, didn't know where to place his hands and feet.
Yet, deep inside, he was overjoyed.
She said earnestly, "We need to wait until you're fully recovered. Don't worry, my wife, I'm fine."
She was very patient.
Unless she really couldn't hold back.
Even if she didn't act upon it, just thinking about it was comforting. It wasn't that Cui Ti was insatiable or immodest, but the fact that she and Xing Guang had consummated their relationship just once made it feel like a fleeting dream.
The best 'M'lord' in Xi Jing was now hers.
With the silent moon hanging high, once he was certain that Cui Ti was asleep, Pei Xuan gently kissed her lower lip, carefully licked it, and then guiltily closed his eyes.
In his dream, there were countless rabbits, some with long tails, others with short. A Miss, holding a bunny, covered her mouth with one hand and laughed, "Silly, I saw you ages ago!"
As dawn approached, Pei Xuan chuckled in his sleep.
"Why didn't you tell me if you saw me? My wife, I need to punish you!"
"What's the punishment?"
Pei Xuan paced back and forth, then suddenly grinned, "Your punishment is that you can never leave me. Forever and always, whether I'm a man or a woman, you'll be my wife."
"Sounds wonderful. I've always hoped for that."
Suddenly, the dream took a dark turn. A dark cloud appeared overhead, and the rabbit transformed into a mischievous spirit, kidnapping his beloved Miss. Pei Xuan, in a panic, chased after them.
"Let go of my wife!"
"Release her!"
With a thud.
Pei Xuan fell off the bed.
The commotion startled Cui Ti. A blind person's instinct is to feel with their hands. The residual warmth was still there, but the person was gone.
She suddenly snapped to full alertness.
"Xing Guang?"
The inner chamber was dim. A stumble was enough to make Pei Xuan fully awake. Fearing that Cui Ti might hurt herself, he hurriedly said, "I'm here! I'm okay!"
Without hesitation, Cui Ti flung off her blanket and saw the figure on the ground struggling to get up. Concern filled her voice, "Xing Guang?"
"Huh? Don't---"
Before he could finish, Cui Ti was already supporting him by the arm. "Are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm not made of dough. How could I break that easily?" Pei Xuan noticed her wearing only a light lotus-colored robe, her slender frame filled with worry. All his resolute intentions transformed into soft concern. Suppressing the trembling in his heart, he slowly embraced Cui Ti.
He hugged her too tightly, making it hard for Cui Ti to breathe.
"My wife." He let her go, gazing deeply into her eyes with a sliver of hope, "Ti Ti, can you... can you truly see me?"
"..."
Cui Ti became as timid as a little kitten. She did feel a chill. "I..."
Pei Xuan placed his hand over her heart, feeling its frantic, chaotic beats.
Some things are better left unsaid.
With her heart racing like that, he was sure he was right.
This was too unbelievable.
He was utterly dumbfounded.