Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Don't Push Your Luck! The people from Chu Wangfu left quickly. Jia Qingcheng watched them go, then returned to her room to apply medicine. Seeing how protective the Chu Wangfu people were of her mistress, Chunyan felt even more eager for the wedding day to arrive. That way, her mistress wouldn't be bullied at home anymore. "Miss, does it hurt?" "It's just a minor wound, nothing serious." Jia Qingcheng had suffered wounds far worse than this—wounds to the heart. In these past days, she had witnessed with her own eyes the deception and pretense of what she had once believed was a loving marriage in her past life. It was as if she had peeled back the disguised truth with her own hands, revealing the hideous faces beneath... Each face mocked her ignorance and foolishness. Did it break her heart? No, she had long since given up on that scoundrel. The moment Pei Wuliang announced he would marry his cousin, her heart had died. What she resented was wasting her best years playing out that farce of a loving marriage with a faithless husband. Others were merely acting, but she had been trapped in it, unable to extricate herself. "Miss, Pei Wuliang is too much. How can he blame you for everything? He wasn't like this before." "No, you're wrong, Chunyan. This is Pei Wuliang's true face." Chunyan was confused. "Miss, this servant doesn't understand. How can a person suddenly turn into a demon? Just before this, you two were still an enviable couple." "Enough!" Enviable? That was all Pei Wuliang's disguise. It was a deception, a medicinal catalyst to lure her into sinking and falling. "Miss, please calm down. This servant won't speak of it again." "Fine. Go prepare some food. I'm hungry." "Miss, won't you go check on the Master?" It had been a whole day, and her mistress had only gone to see him once. She didn't even know if the Master had woken up yet. At the mention of her biased father, she felt little affection for him anymore. He was now completely bewitched by her stepmother and wouldn't listen to a word she said. "No need. He has people to care for him. He hasn't needed me for a long time." Having suffered betrayal in both family and love, she had long since grown indifferent. "But if this continues, the Master will favor the young cousin even more. Perhaps once he recovers, he'll even have her added to the Jia family registry. What are we to do then?" Hearing this, a strange look flickered across Jia Qingcheng's eyes. "Don't worry. Song Jiaojiao will never be added to the family registry in this lifetime." "Miss, what do you mean by that?" Jia Qingcheng didn't elaborate, simply telling Chunyan to go prepare some food first. In a few days, she would be married. She desperately wanted to leave this suffocating, warmthless home. She couldn't wait another step. Just as Chunyan was about to turn and leave, she suddenly spun around and saw... "You—why are you here again?" Chunyan's face was full of terror. Jia Qingcheng turned to look and saw Pei Wuliang walking into the room under the cover of night, carrying some dishes of food... Chunyan braced herself as if facing an enemy. "Don't come in! Don't you dare hurt my mistress!" Pei Wuliang saw the bandage wrapped around her hand. So she really was injured. He said nothing, but strode forward and set the food on the table, then personally began serving her dishes... His meticulous care for her felt eerily familiar to Jia Qingcheng... Yes, in her past life when she was sick, Pei Wuliang had cared for her just like this, sleepless and tireless. Knowing she loved shark fin soup, he would always have someone prepare a bowl for her. "Alright, stop making a fuss. You and Jiaojiao are sisters, and you're both injured now. My heart aches for both of you." Pei Wuliang's words nearly made her vomit. Seeing him approach with a bowl of shark fin soup, Jia Qingcheng immediately sat up straight. "What are you doing? I don't need your care. Go take care of Jiaojiao instead." "Ha..." Pei Wuliang had completely changed his demeanor, shedding the ugly face he'd shown in the ancestral hall. Now he was showering her with concern and warmth—extremely unusual. "At the end of the day, it's because you care about me so much that you became like this. Qingcheng, I don't blame you anymore." Jia Qingcheng: "..." Pei Wuliang personally brought her a small bowl of shark fin soup, then carefully added a piece of brown sugar. "Your favorite flavor. Try it?" This gesture startled her immensely. He really had been reborn too—he remembered everything from their past life, and naturally remembered her preferences... "Eat. You'll feel better once you do." Pei Wuliang coaxed her gently, but all this warmth and thoughtfulness was nothing but bone-eating poison in her eyes. Pei Wuliang, oh Pei Wuliang. We've both been reborn. What makes you think I'd believe your lies again? He must want something from her, which is why he suddenly changed his attitude. She remembered clearly that today in the ancestral hall, when he saw Song Jiaojiao injured, at that moment he had wished he could kill her on the spot. She had seen the murderous intent in his eyes. "I don't like shark fin soup with sugar. Take it away." "Don't like it?" Pei Wuliang raised his eyes to glance at her, but as he blew on the steam rising from the bowl, he shook his head. "No, you do like it. I remember this is your unique preference. You once said that adding a piece of sugar to shark fin soup makes the flavor even more delicious." With that, Pei Wuliang scooped up a spoonful and tried to feed her himself, but Jia Qingcheng wouldn't be fooled twice. "Eat. It's not hot anymore." Jia Qingcheng remained silent. Pei Wuliang's patience was also wearing thin. "Qingcheng, can you stop making a scene? I've been dealing with a lot lately—my career is failing, my family treats me like a joke. I'm already down on my luck, and you still have to add to my misery every day?" Making a scene? Jia Qingcheng was almost amused enough to laugh. She slowly stood up and looked at Pei Wuliang. "Young Master Pei is joking. There's no connection between us anymore. How can you speak of me making a scene?" "Enough! Don't push your luck!" Suddenly, Pei Wuliang slammed down his spoon. Right in front of Jia Qingcheng, he began to berate her hysterically... "What more do you want from me? I've told you before—while I marry Jiaojiao, I'll still take care of you. Prince Chu is about to die, and it won't be long before you can marry me as a concubine. I'm thinking of your best interests, so why won't you appreciate it?" Every time before, Pei Wuliang had coaxed Jia Qingcheng with these words. But he hadn't expected her to push her luck this time. Since that was the case, she couldn't blame him. Seeing her stay silent, he assumed she was scared and reined in his temper somewhat. "Fine, I don't want to lose my temper with you either. What happened today was indeed your fault. You should be grateful you have such a magnanimous sister. You hurt Jiaojiao, and she's never said a single bad word about you!" Jia Qingcheng found it utterly ridiculous. It was Song Jiaojiao who had stirred up trouble, yet in the end, she, Jia Qingcheng, was always the one at fault. Why? Just because she deliberately made herself look ugly, no one believed what an ugly person said? Ridiculous! "Forget it. If you won't drink, then don't. But wasting isn't a good habit—don't do it again next time! Even though Jiaojiao doesn't blame you, as the older sister, you should still yield to her." Jia Qingcheng didn't want to acknowledge him and simply chose to ignore him. Seeing her stay quiet, Pei Wuliang assumed she was afraid. Good. It was good that she knew fear. He should have just come in and lost his temper from the start instead of bothering to bring her food. What was the point? "You've really angered me today. Here's what—I'll give you a chance to make it up. Go see Lord Hu and have him approve me as the head imperial physician. Then send that flying-fish robe of yours to Jiaojiao as an apology."