After the Pitiful Little One Seduced the Feudal Big Daddy - Chapter 23

The night was deep.

Pei Xuan sat at the desk facing the window, his head propped on his hand as he drifted in and out of sleep. Inevitably, his head dipped lower and lower, until he was on the verge of falling over.

Knock, knock, knock.

The dormitory door finally sounded. It must be Xie Yunqing! This was what Cui Ji had instructed him to do before going home: stay in the dormitory, don’t go back to the main Pei residence, and absolutely don’t go to sleep early, because Xie Yunqing would likely come looking for him tonight.

Pei Xuan had asked Cui Ji how he knew. Cui Ji, for once, didn’t insult him. He merely frowned and said, “Yunqing’s face was very wrong after reading that letter. Whatever happened to his father must be serious…”

Pei Xuan opened the door to find Xie Yunqing standing there. He instinctively asked, “Yunqing, is your father’s matter resolved? Do you need my help?”

Xie Yunqing was visibly stunned. After a moment, he grew flustered and looked down, nervously picking at his own wrist. Pei Xuan’s eyes widened as he noticed the boy’s hands. “What happened to your fingers? Why are your tips all bruised and dark?”

Xie Yunqing hurriedly hid his hands behind his back, stammering that he had accidentally tripped and had already applied medicine. Pei Xuan could indeed smell a heavy medicinal scent coming from him. He “forgave” Xie Yunqing’s clumsiness—after all, the boy was so thin a breeze could knock him over—and pulled him into the room.

“Yunqing, did you come to ask for my help with your father?”

Xie Yunqing looked up, his eyes glassy with unshed tears. “…My father… is already fine.”

“Really? That’s wonderful!” Pei Xuan was sincerely happy.

Xie Yunqing watched Pei Xuan’s smile, and a pang of indescribable agony hit him. He almost wanted to give up Ruan Ci’s plan. How could he exploit Pei Xuan’s kindness and genuine heart? “I…” I want to leave.

“What?” Pei Xuan leaned in. “I didn’t catch that.”

Xie Yunqing’s heart jumped as the pain in his fingers reminded him of the reality. He couldn’t give up his father’s only hope. “I… I heard that seven days from now is the Chancellor’s birthday,” Xie Yunqing’s soul felt as if it were floating above his body, watching himself weave a shameless lie. “My brother brought a jar of wine, a specialty from my hometown. Could I… give it to the Chancellor as a gift?”

“Of course! I almost forgot his birthday myself,” Pei Xuan laughed. “My brother doesn’t usually celebrate. At most, the family just has a meal together.”

“Then… may I go?” Xie Yunqing felt his soul ache as the deception deepened. “I… I admire the Chancellor very much and want to…”

“You must come!” Pei Xuan grabbed his wrist, looking proud. “I know. You’re so scared of him, yet you want to please him it must be for my sake! You consider me a great friend and want to get along with my family. This is called… loving the house and the crow!”

Xie Yunqing was dazed.

“And don’t be afraid of him!” Pei Xuan grinned. “I’ll make sure he drinks all the wine you bring, and then I’ll tell him it was from you. He’ll have taken your gift, so he’ll have to be good to you in the future.”

In the following days, Xie Yunqing was in a trance, as if his spirit had left him. On the night before Pei Yanzhi’s birthday, he finally mustered the courage to open the book Ruan Ci had given him. His head buzzed as Ruan Ci’s instructions on how to “ease the process” echoed in his ears.

He couldn’t breathe. His mind was too frantic to focus. He forced himself to flip through a few pages of the illustrations before falling onto his bed, too exhausted even to pull the covers over himself. He eventually fell into a deep sleep.

He dreamed of a dark, sweltering place. His body was burning, and he was searching desperately for relief. Just as he was about to fall into an abyss of despair, a powerful arm caught his waist. He felt the heat of the skin and the pulse of the veins.

In the dream, the arm moved to his belly and began to stroke downward. It was hot, yet it magically cooled his internal fire. The arm became a hand, brushing his cheek. When it moved to pull away, Xie Yunqing grabbed it, pulling it toward the source of his discomfort. He knew that being touched there would make him feel better.

Hidden in the darkness, the owner of the hand let him do as he wished. But this time, no matter how hard Xie Yunqing tried, he couldn’t reach that state of comfort. Just as he was about to cry, the hand took initiative fingertips grazing, palm rubbing.

Xie Yunqing shuddered. He desperately wanted to see who this person was. He fought to open his eyes against the darkness, but saw nothing. Then, he heard a soft sound—like a light chuckle.

He woke with a start, gasping for air, his clothes soaked with sweat. Then he froze. His hand moved toward a hidden place… How could it be… it’s wet there, too.

His logic collapsed. Panic gripped him. He couldn’t sleep anymore.

Morning came, and Pei Xuan arrived to take him to the Pei residence. After a brief nap on the carriage, Xie Yunqing regained a sliver of sanity, only to lose it again upon entering the estate. He remembered what he had to do.

“Yunqing, if you’re really that scared, I should take you back,” Pei Xuan said, worried.

Xie Yunqing gripped his hands and shook his head. “I’m just… nervous.”

“True, few people aren’t nervous seeing my brother.” Pei Xuan patted his shoulder. “It’ll be fine once he drinks your wine. Let’s go see Grandmother!”

At the Old Madame’s quarters, they found Cui Ji being questioned about Cui Xuan’s absence. Pei Yanzhi’s birthday banquet was a small family affair. Xie Yunqing was seated near the Old Madame, a short distance from the Chancellor’s seat.

When Pei Yanzhi entered, Xie Yunqing felt his breath hitch. Dressed in black, the man’s features seemed deeper and his aura colder than usual. Xie Yunqing dared not look at him once—partly due to the man’s presence, and partly due to the treasonous act he was about to commit.

Pei Xuan spent the evening coaxing his brother to drink. To Xie Yunqing’s surprise, the Chancellor actually complied with several rounds. Pei Xuan eventually took the wine jar—the one Xie Yunqing had brought—and sat by his brother, insisting he finish it.

“Must it all be finished?” Pei Yanzhi asked, his voice cold. In that moment, Xie Yunqing felt as if the man’s eyes had swept over him, as if the question were directed at him.

Pei Xuan steeled himself and nodded. Pei Yanzhi didn’t ask again and drank the jar dry. But the man’s tolerance was high; even after nearly three jars, he showed no sign of intoxication.

Only when the final cup remained did Pei Yanzhi stop. No matter how much Pei Xuan coaxed, he wouldn’t move.

“Chancellor Pei… I… I toast you,” Xie Yunqing said, his voice trembling.

Pei Xuan was amazed that Xie Yunqing had the courage to speak. To everyone’s surprise, Pei Yanzhi drained the cup instantly. Then, the man closed his eyes, appearing finally drunk.

Pei Xuan helped his brother back to his room, with Xie Yunqing following closely behind. “I… I want to look after the Chancellor,” Xie Yunqing whispered. “After all, it was my wine that… made him drunk.”

Pei Xuan, touched by Xie Yunqing’s “sense of responsibility,” let him stay and instructed the guards not to disturb them.

Once alone, Xie Yunqing closed the door. Before following them, he had drunk a cup of wine himself—one laced with an aphrodisiac. It was his own idea; he couldn’t do this while sober. He hoped that, like in his dream, he could pretend he knew nothing and let instinct take over.

He looked at Pei Yanzhi on the bed. The man’s breathing was steady. In the dim light, his face was slightly flushed, but his aura of majesty remained. Xie Yunqing closed his eyes and unfastened his own belt.

His clothes fell to the floor one by one. Naked and shivering from the cold, he gathered his courage and lifted the Chancellor’s quilt, sliding in beside him. He lay there silently, trying to think of himself as a lifeless object an object that could save his father.

But the heat of the man beside him was impossible to ignore. He turned on his side, his eyes landing on Pei Yanzhi’s sharp jawline. Closing his eyes again, he reached into the covers to unfasten the man’s robes.

Just as his fingers touched the Chancellor’s belt, Xie Yunqing’s eyes snapped open in disbelief.

His wrist had been grabbed!