Her Husband is Both Delicate and Fierce; The Little Stutterer Coaxes Him Through Tears - Chapter 5

Yu Tingzheng thus settled into Pei Qingyu’s room.

Throughout the entire day, he had nothing to do. It was the first time in his life he had been so idle; having no work to perform felt strange and unsettling. He sat for a while, then stood for a while; he grew drowsy, yet did not dare to sleep.

Maidservants and manservants bustled in and out. They were either decocting medicine and lighting incense for Pei Qingyu, or bringing him tea, water, books, and brushes. They ground his ink and even hauled in stacks of ice blocks to place around the room, making the interior significantly cooler in an instant.

Before Yu Tingzheng could even begin to enjoy the comfort, he saw the manservant carry two of the ice blocks back out. Pei Qingyu sat at his desk, covering his mouth as he coughed twice before continuing to write.

The Young Master was like a delicately nurtured flower, too much heat was unacceptable, yet too much cold was equally forbidden. He required the perfect temperature and the exact right humidity to thrive. Only a family like the Peis could cultivate someone as exquisite as Pei Qingyu.

Yu Tingzheng found that whenever he looked at Pei Qingyu’s face, he could not tear his eyes away. He was like a simpleton who, upon seeing a beautiful maiden, wished he could embed his very eyeballs onto the other person’s body.

As he was staring, a brush flew through the air and struck him squarely on the forehead. Ink smeared across his brow in a thick, long stroke.

“Ah!” Tingzheng tumbled backward onto the floor. He clutched his head and looked toward the source of the flying brush in confusion.

He met a pair of indifferent eyes.

“Who taught you to look at people like that?” Pei Qingyu said, his eyelids drooping slightly as he looked at him. His thin, pale lips moved slightly. “Impertinent.”

So, I am not allowed to stare at people like that?

Yu Tingzheng scrambled up from the floor, his cheeks burning. He picked up the brush and glanced at it, wanting to return it, but fearing that Pei Qingyu would find it dirty. He wasn’t sure if he should take it away to wash it first.

Fortunately, a maidservant came over and took the brush. She also reminded him that his face was stained. Yu Tingzheng followed her to the courtyard to wash away the ink. By the time he returned, Pei Qingyu was no longer at the desk.

The maid hung up the clean brush. Seeing Tingzheng looking around with ink still lingering on his face, she covered her mouth and giggled. “The Young Master has likely gone to bathe and change. In the future, Young Master Zheng must not stare at him so. The Young Master does not like being watched in such a manner.”

Yu Tingzheng nodded obediently and looked outside. The sky was still early, yet Pei Qingyu had already begun his evening wash. Do people in wealthy households go to sleep this early?

He was supposed to sleep with Pei Qingyu tonight. Does that mean we have to go to bed at the exact same time? Tingzheng didn’t understand the protocol and felt that going to bed either before or after the Young Master might be inappropriate. Pei Qingyu seemed to place great importance on etiquette; he might become angry over such a thing.

Tingzheng asked where the washing area was. The maid pointed him in the right direction but added that Pei Qingyu did not allow them to come near while he was bathing, so she could not lead the way.

Following her directions, Yu Tingzheng headed toward the washroom and proceeded to enrage Pei Qingyu once again.

Having hovered outside for a long time, he finally stepped into the room with a trembling heart. Through layers of gauzy curtains, he glimpsed the Young Master, who was currently unclothed.

Yu Tingzheng’s face turned a shamed red. He turned to run, but a sudden sharp pain struck the back of his calf. His knees buckled, and he slid to the floor, falling into a kowtow position. At the same time, he spotted a black go-stone rolling on the floor.

A moment later, a mist of steam drifted over. A pair of feet as white as porcelain, wearing wooden clogs, appeared before his eyes.

Pei Qingyu had draped a moon-white inner robe made of ice-silk loosely over himself. He looked down at Tingzheng with a dark, sinister expression. “Who taught you to peep at others while they are bathing?”

“I… I didn’t… p-p-peep…”

“Liar.” Pei Qingyu huffed. “If you weren’t peeping, why did you run? What are you feeling guilty about?” He paused for a moment. “And why is your face so red?”

Yu Tingzheng abruptly buried his head. Now, not just his face, but his ears and neck were burning. Suddenly, he felt a rush of heat in his nostrils, and a warm liquid began to drip.

“…” Watching the drops of blood hit the floor, Yu Tingzheng was ready to cry. What is happening? Why am I suddenly having a nosebleed for no reason?

“Yu Tingzheng, you… you cough cough cough.” Pei Qingyu clutched his collar tight, closing the robe. He coughed several times, glaring at the boy with a flushed face.

“W-what about me?” Tingzheng clutched his nose and scrambled up to find water.

He hadn’t realized that the black go-stone possessed such power; his leg was aching and weak. Because he stood up too quickly, he lost his balance and fell directly onto Pei Qingyu.

Though he was small, Tingzheng was all bone. The impact made Pei Qingyu let out a muffled groan. The veins on the Young Master’s neck bulged, and his face turned several shades paler.

Yu Tingzheng’s hands clamped around the Young Master’s soft, slender waist. His head was buried in the damp chest, his nose filled with a light fragrance. He couldn’t tell what it was, only that there was a lingering trace of medicinal herbs.

His nosebleed intensified.

“Yu. Ting. Zheng.” Pei Qingyu had never met someone so lacking in manners. He shoved the boy away and began to cough violently out of pure rage. He leaned his back against the doorframe, his face deathly white.

Yu Tingzheng clutched his nose, ignoring the blood he had smeared onto the other’s clothes. He apologized frantically, asking if the Young Master was alright.

“Shut up,” Pei Qingyu said, his ears ringing. He snapped irritably, “You’re too noisy.”

Yu Tingzheng fell silent. His heart was thumping wildly, terrified that he had broken the Young Master’s fragile body. His eyes grew redder by the second. He had only been here for one day and had already caused such a disaster. What if the Pei family didn’t want him anymore and sent him back? His parents had just succeeded in selling him for silver; if he were returned, they would be beyond furious.

By the time Madam Pei arrived, Pei Qingyu had already dressed and was lying on the bed with a gloomy expression. Yu Tingzheng stood to the side, trembling with fear, certain that the Young Master’s next words would be to tell him to get out.

The first thing Madam Pei did, however, was express concern for the injury on Tingzheng’s leg. She insisted on seeing it. Tingzheng couldn’t refuse; he pulled up his trouser leg, revealing a red, circular welt on the back of his calf that looked like a giant insect bite.

“Yu’er, what is the meaning of this?” Madam Pei picked up the black go-stone from the table and looked at her son with a stern face. “You actually used this to hit Zheng’er?”

Pei Qingyu’s gaze landed on Yu Tingzheng’s face as he huffed. “He entered the washroom without permission. He saw my body and then tried to run, who else was I supposed to hit if not him?”

“What is so secret about your body that it cannot be seen?” Madam Pei looked as if she wanted to laugh. “You are both men. Are you truly afraid of being seen by Zheng’er?” She paused for a breath. “Besides, Zheng’er is technically your” She stopped herself before she could finish and changed the subject, stating only that the two must live in harmony and not repeat today’s behavior.

Pei Qingyu kept his face cold and said nothing. Madam Pei took his silence as consent. She spoke with Tingzheng for a while to comfort him and ordered the servants to prepare hot water for his bath.

Yu Tingzheng hadn’t expected that Madam Pei would not hold him accountable for his transgression, but would instead comfort him. He was overwhelmed by the kindness and stole a glance at Pei Qingyu.

The Young Master’s exquisite face was twisted in a foul mood. What should I do?

Tingzheng went to wash up, full of anxiety. By the time he returned, the sky was dark. The person on the bed was not yet asleep; he was leaning against the headboard, reading a book.

Yu Tingzheng stared at him for a long time before realizing he should move. As soon as he took a step, he was met with a hostile glare.

He instinctively froze in his tracks, his heart sinking. I suspect I won’t have a place to sleep tonight.