"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Pei Zhiyan took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat off Song Ruotang's forehead. He tucked the hair sticking to her face behind her ear. "Did you have a nightmare just now?"
Song Ruotang nodded. She reached out and hugged Pei Zhiyan around the waist, nestling in his embrace. "I dreamed about the past and also about you, sir. But in the dream, you were going to abandon me..."
Pei Zhiyan patted her on the back. He felt something in his heart melting little by little. He softened his voice. "It's all over now."
Song Ruotang nodded. Pei Zhiyan bent down. Taking advantage of the position where Song Ruotang was hugging him, he put his arm around her waist and lifted her up into his arms.
Song Ruotang let out a soft cry of surprise and grabbed the front of Pei Zhiyan's robe tightly. Pei Zhiyan carried her straight towards their courtyard and covered her with her cloak on the way.
Song Ruotang nestled obediently in Pei Zhiyan's arms. She looked at his handsome profile and asked softly, "Sir, if one day you find out that I'm not as perfect as you thought, will you abandon me?"
Hearing this, Pei Zhiyan paused in his steps. He looked down at Song Ruotang with a hint of a smile in his eyes.
He reached out and tapped the tip of Song Ruotang's nose. His voice was gentle and soothing. "No one is perfect. I know you'll have your flaws."
"Sir..." Song Ruotang gave him a coquettish look. Pei Zhiyan tightened his hold on her and let her rest her head on his shoulder. He whispered, "I won't abandon you."
Song Ruotang stopped moving. She had been testing Pei Zhiyan all along. Even the last sentence of her mumbling in the dream was fake.
She had woken up as soon as Pei Zhiyan first called her.
But when she finally got Pei Zhiyan's answer, she felt a bit lost. The restlessness in her heart was out of control. A strange feeling was taking root and sprouting like a tiny seed.
She could actually feel that her purpose towards Pei Zhiyan had changed.
At first, she just wanted to use him. But now, her heart would flutter when she looked at him.
But she had already tasted the bitterness of love once. She was a bit afraid to trust and fall in love again so easily.
Moreover, he was also from the Pei family...
Song Ruotang didn't say a word. She just buried her head in Pei Zhiyan's arms, soaking up his warmth.
Pei Zhiyan carried her all the way back to the room. After tucking her in, he straightened up. Looking into Song Ruotang's bright eyes, his gaze softened. Suddenly, he bent down and gently kissed her forehead, like a dragonfly skimming the water, fleeting.
Song Ruotang was stunned for a moment. Pei Zhiyan stroked her cheek with his hand and whispered, "Ruotang..."
Song Ruotang's heart was pounding. She didn't dare to meet Pei Zhiyan's deep gaze directly. She turned her head to avoid his eyes.
Suddenly, there was a soft noise outside the window. Pei Zhiyan immediately turned his head and asked warily, "Who's there!"
Like the wind, he dashed to the window and pushed it open. But outside, there was only a vast expanse of snow. There was nothing unusual.
Song Ruotang sat up. Seeing Pei Zhiyan standing by the window for a long time, she pursed her lips and guessed, "Could it be the sound of the snow falling from the tree outside?"
Pei Zhiyan looked at the snow on the ground. There were no footprints. So he could only assume it was the reason.
He closed the window again and then lay down with Song Ruotang. "It's late. Get a good rest."
The next day, Pei Zhiyan left early as usual. Without the interference of the Song family, Song Ruotang had a comfortable time these days. She just heard from Xiaoxi that there were always some small items that girls liked appearing at the back door of the mansion. Maybe it was something sent by the boyfriend of a maid in the mansion.
Song Ruotang didn't take it seriously. It was sunny today for the first time in a while. So Song Ruotang took out the clothes of the past few days to dry.
It was not until evening when the maids went to collect the clothes. A young maid rushed in and whispered something in Xiaoxi's ear.
Xiaoxi's face changed instantly. She walked quickly to Song Ruotang. "Madam, there's a man outside looking for you. He said that..."
Xiaoxi hesitated, not knowing how to continue. Song Ruotang sensed something was wrong. She had lived in the Song family's estate for so many years and had never had any contact with any men. Who could this man be?
"What did the man say?" Song Ruotang asked Xiaoxi as she walked outside.
Xiaoxi pursed her lips. "Madam, perhaps I should just have someone drive this crazy man away to avoid any misunderstandings."
Just as Xiaoxi finished speaking, there was a commotion outside the door. A strong man in coarse cloth broke free from the restraint of the doorman and rushed straight into the courtyard.
"Who are you? How dare you break into a private house!" Xiaoxi stepped forward to block Song Ruotang behind her and looked at the man warily.
The strong man looked at Song Ruotang's face and showed a lewd smile. His voice was deep and rough. "Xiaotang, now that you've become a madam, you've forgotten your old flame, haven't you?"
"What are you talking nonsense about? Who's your old flame? If you keep talking nonsense, when our master finds out, he'll surely have your mouth torn apart!" Xiaoxi spat and scolded angrily.
Song Ruotang frowned and looked at the strong man. She recognized him. This man was a tea porter named Xue Mang who was responsible for carrying tea leaves for the Song family's estate. He was not a servant of the Song family but an accomplice who bullied her with the Song family.
But now she didn't want to have anything to do with him. She just said calmly, "I don't know you. If you insist on slandering my innocence, I'll have to hand you over to the government and let the magistrate decide."
"Humph, now that you're living a good life, you don't recognize me anymore." Xue Mang sneered. He didn't seem panicked at all. He probably had a premeditated plan. "You weren't like this when we were in love."
"You say you have a relationship with me. What evidence do you have to prove it?" Song Ruotang knew that the man was so brazen because he probably had some handle on her.
Now she had to trick him into showing his handle so that she could come up with a countermeasure.
Sure enough, Xue Mang scoffed. He took out a pink lotus-colored bellyband from his bosom, weighed it in his hand, and said indifferently, "You were so sweet and loving with me just a few days ago. Now you're acting like a madam. Your thing is still in my hands. Do you still want to deny it?"
Xiaoxi also recognized the bellyband. She looked at the thing in Xue Mang's hand in surprise but couldn't believe that Song Ruotang would be involved with this dirty man.
After all, who would prefer an ordinary-looking strong man over the handsome Pei Zhiyan?
Song Ruotang narrowed her eyes slightly. There was a surge of emotions in her eyes. Xue Mang came straight for her as soon as he entered the door. He didn't mention any demands but insisted that she had an affair with him. It was obvious that he wanted to frame her.
This crude method was obviously designed by Song Wanying.
She really didn't give up.
"Someone, arrest this man who broke into a private house and slandered my innocence and hand him over to the government," Song Ruotang said calmly. "I'd like to see who's behind you and wants you to harm me like this."