Naturally, Tang Guiniang and Aunt Zheng gathered around to check Pei Xia's allergic injury. They even fetched honey to apply on it.
Pei Xia had no choice but to say, "I've already applied medicine. It's a minor issue. Don't worry."
When Pei Li and Pei Jin returned, the whole family sat around the table and finally had a warm and delicious meal.
Qi Jiao found an excuse to send A Li and A Jin into the kitchen to carry dishes. She gave them a stern warning not to mention Xuan Niang in front of others.
The siblings readily agreed.
Pei Jin felt sorry for Qi Jiao and told her everything that had happened on the way.
After hearing this, Qi Jiao felt even more tortured deep in her heart.
So they were childhood sweethearts. No wonder, no wonder.
Her throat felt bitter. She just gave Pei Jin a smile and told her to go and have dinner.
Qi Jiao returned to the dinner table and still sat next to Pei Xia.
Pei Xia picked up dishes for her, and Qi Jiao ate them all.
The more Pei Xia looked at her, the more frightened he became. Jiao Niang seemed no different from usual, but her eyes had turned cold.
In the evening, after arranging rooms for Lady Lin, Third Lady Hua and the others, Qi Jiao dragged her exhausted body back to the east wing.
The workshop connecting the Pei family and the Ye family was completed. Five more bedrooms were built at the back in case there were guests. Now they just came in handy.
Qi Jiao was extremely tired, both physically and mentally.
There were candles lit in the east room, but it was empty.
She didn't have the energy to think about where Pei Xia was at this moment. After a hasty wash, she went to bed.
Lying in bed, her limbs were weary, but her mind was very clear.
The more she wanted to fall asleep, the more sleepless she became.
Unexpectedly, Xuan Niang's face appeared in her mind. Qi Jiao was so annoyed that she sat up straight away, got out of bed, and bolted the bedroom door.
That heartless man! He'd never share the same bed with her again.
Pei Xia waited until Tang Guiniang and the others had fallen asleep before quietly going to the kitchen to boil medicine. Just now when Qi Jiao went to the workshop next door, the Qu brothers had brought a medicine packet for clearing heat and removing toxins, which was specially for lacquer allergy.
He drank the last mouthful of the medicine juice, then went to the bathroom to take a bath and rinse his mouth. It was not until the smell of the medicine on his body had completely disappeared that Pei Xia returned to the east wing.
He heard Jiao Niang coughing faintly inside the room, but the candles were out.
Pei Xia pushed the door, but it didn't budge.
He got anxious and whispered through the door, "Jiao Niang... Jiao Jiao... Wifey, baby..."
Qi Jiao had heard Pei Xia coming from the other end of the yard.
She quickly blew out all the candles, and the room was plunged into darkness.
The man called her one after another, and every call went straight into her ears. He was so affectionate.
Qi Jiao simply covered her head with the quilt and pretended to be asleep.
After a while, Qi Jiao heard that there was no sound outside. She lifted a corner of the quilt, tiptoed to the door, and waited for a moment. Then she quietly unbolted the door.
She peeked out, but there was no sign of Pei Xia.
The night wind blew her nightgown, and only the rustling sound of the fabric could be heard.
Qi Jiao looked up at the starry sky. There was a crescent moon in the sky, hazy and dim.
She folded her arms and was about to close the door when, in the next moment, a long leg stepped over the threshold. Pei Xia suddenly appeared and squeezed in without any room for refusal.
Qi Jiao couldn't help but let out a scream, but he picked her up in one go.
His lips covered hers, and a passionate kiss fell.
All the outside sounds faded away, and the heavy gasps were hidden in the night.
Qi Jiao pounded on Pei Xia's back vigorously.
His body was burning hot, and a refreshing mint fragrance wafted from his neck. As Qi Jiao pounded, tears streamed down her face.
Pei Xia kissed away her tears bit by bit, hugged her tightly, and pressed his face against hers. He said guiltily, "Jiao Niang, I was wrong. I made you sad. You can scold me or beat me. Do whatever you like. As long as you calm down..."
Qi Jiao pushed him away, frowned, and scolded, "You always bully me."
Pei Xia lit a lamp and placed it beside the bed, then turned around to close the door.
Qi Jiao was sitting on the bed with red eyes.
Pei Xia felt extremely heart - broken. He knelt on the footstool, held her hand, looked into her clear eyes, and said solemnly, "I, Pei Xia, swear to the four sea gods that in this life and the next, I will only love Jiao Niang. I have never had any improper relationship with others."
The lamp cast a light on Pei Xia's side face. The sincerity in his eyes made it hard to believe that these words were false.
Pei Xia added, "If I break this oath, let me be buried in the sea and be eaten alive by sharks."
Qi Jiao couldn't bear it any longer. She leaned over and hugged him. "Stop talking, stop talking. I believe you."
Pei Xia smiled. He helped Qi Jiao sit up properly, then took out a pair of silk shoes embroidered with the pattern of broken branches from his bosom. They were brand - new and very beautiful.
Pei Xia held Qi Jiao's delicate foot in one hand, rubbed the sole of her foot, and gently put the shoes on for her. His expression was focused and gentle.
Qi Jiao's heart softened. "What beautiful shoes."
Pei Xia smiled and said, "I bought them from a passing merchant. I've been so busy these days that I wish I could fly to the shop every day to see you."
Qi Jiao took out a multicolored silk cord from the bag beside the bed and carefully tied it around Pei Xia's wrist. Her eyes were full of affection. "This is the silk longevity cord I made. It may look a bit ugly, but it can ward off evil spirits. A Xia, you must be well. Never touch raw lacquer again. I heard that in severe cases, it can be fatal. You don't know. When A Li and the others came back and told me the details, my heart almost jumped out..."
Pei Xia looked at her beautiful and gentle face. His eyes became hot. His pent - up longing poured out. His long fingers slipped into her thin clothes, gently lifted it up, and skillfully got inside, searching for the soft embrace he had been longing for day and night.
Qi Jiao's breathing became rapid. She was so provoked that her bones went limp. Her delicate body was soft as she lay in Pei Xia's strong arms.
Up and down, the spring water rippled.
I don't know how long it had passed, but the two of them were snuggled together.
Pei Xia lowered his head and kissed Qi Jiao. His face was full of tenderness.
*
Qi Jiao felt sleepy and was in a daze.
She had a dream.
She was walking on the beach when suddenly a little girl with pigtails came running up, grabbed the corner of her clothes, and said in a very loud baby voice, "Have you seen my mother?"
Qi Jiao was confused. "Who is your mother?"
The little girl didn't get the answer she wanted and burst into tears. Two rows of tears gushed out like small fountains straight towards Qi Jiao's face.
Qi Jiao was so scared that she took two steps back. "Don't cry first. What's your mother's name? Where did she go?"
The little girl said, "My mother is trapped on this beach. She can't go back. Waaah..."
Since it involved a life, Qi Jiao didn't dare to be careless. Without thinking about the loopholes in the little girl's words, she readily agreed. "Okay, okay, okay. I'll go and find your mother right away."
The little girl stopped crying and provided a clue for Qi Jiao. "My mother got lost near the duck farm."
After saying that, the little girl gently pushed Qi Jiao, and she suddenly woke up.
Seeing Pei Xia's sleeping face beside her, she realized it was just a dream.
She lay down again, but she just couldn't fall asleep no matter how hard she tried.
It seemed that she had tinnitus. The baby voice of the little girl in the dream kept echoing in her mind, "I want my mother, I want my mother."
Qi Jiao finally couldn't stand it anymore and decided to go to the duck farm to have a look. What if there really was someone in trouble there?
As soon as she got up, Pei Xia woke up too.
"Where are you going?"
Qi Jiao couldn't explain it, so she just repeated this strange dream.
Unexpectedly, after hearing this, Pei Xia thought of Qi Jiao's ability to attract animals. An unbelievable guess inexplicably popped up in his mind.
"You get dressed first. I'll go and tell A Li to get something."
Qi Jiao understood from Pei Xia's expression. "Could it be a school of fish?"
No matter what it was, when they rushed to the beach outside the duck farm in a hurry, they were still stunned by the spectacular scene in front of them and couldn't come back to their senses for a long time.