Pei Zhaolin's eyes darkened slightly. Slowly, he shifted his gaze and landed it on Cui Jintang's angry face.
The Grand Elder immediately felt as if facing a great enemy. With the help of the servants, he finally managed to struggle free from the restraint of the iron cavalry with difficulty.
Leaning on his walking stick, he stepped in front of A Xun and rebuked Pei Zhaolin.
"Such blatant disregard for etiquette! Killing people wantonly whenever you're dissatisfied. Can Your Highness the Prince Pei still be considered a loyal subject?!"
However, no matter how much the Grand Elder rebuked Pei Zhaolin.
Pei Zhaolin took her hand and slowly leaned the other side of his face into her palm.
His tone was tender, and there was nostalgia in his eyes.
"I want this side too."
Cui Jintang looked utterly incredulous. She quickly withdrew her hand.
The sudden loss of warmth made Pei Zhaolin's movements freeze.
The tenderness in his eyes instantly stagnated. When he looked up again, there was a hint of darkness like a deep pool.
The tips of Cui Jintang's fingers still retained the burning sensation from touching his cheek.
She took several steps back. Her back hit a thick tree trunk before she regained a bit of clarity.
"Pei Zhaolin," her voice trembled slightly.
Looking at Pei Zhaolin's face, the face that had appeared in her nightmares several times, her restless heart gradually calmed down.
Cui Jintang pulled out the hairpin from her bun and pointed it straight at Pei Zhaolin. Her words were sharp: "There's a deep - seated hatred between us. Have you forgotten?"
Even with the hairpin in her hand, Pei Zhaolin still slowly took a step closer to her. Even when the hairpin pierced into his shoulder, he remained unmoved.
Until his figure completely enveloped her.
Pei Zhaolin raised his hand and propped it on the tree trunk, blocking all of Cui Jintang's retreat. His gaze locked onto her like a net.
"A deep - seated hatred?" He repeated in a low voice, his breath brushing over her forehead hair.
Pei Zhaolin's fingertips gently lifted her chin, forcing her to look into the pain and unwillingness surging in his eyes.
"Tangtang, you're a smart person. You know that what happened back then wasn't that simple."
Cui Jintang frowned, but increased the force on her hand, pushing half of the hairpin into his shoulder.
"So, even now, you still don't want to explain."
This was a statement.
Pei Zhaolin smiled faintly: "If you're willing to stay by my side for the rest of your life, I'll tell you."
Even if it was hatred, it was better than being ignored.
The deeper the love, the deeper the hatred, wasn't it?
Even the birds hiding under the eaves flapped their wings at this tense moment.
The servant who had blocked the arrow for Cui Jintang earlier was still lying on the ground. The pungent smell of blood filled the air.
As if sensing Cui Jintang's stunned state, Pei Zhaolin's mood gradually improved.
His fingertips were casually twirling a strand of Cui Jintang's hair that had fallen on her shoulder.
His words were intimate, low, and a bit coaxing.
"As long as you stay by my side, I can tell you everything and fulfill all your wishes."
— "Let her go!"
The originally closed mansion gate was suddenly broken through by the hooves of horses.
Chu Yingfeng in a blue robe reined in his horse and stopped.
Having traveled all night, the hem of Chu Yingfeng's official robe was still stained with water.
He held up the official seal of the Magistrate of Qinghe high in his hand, but his voice was filled with boundless anger: "Your subordinate is ordered to govern Qinghe. Please withdraw your troops immediately, Your Highness the Prince!"
Pei Zhaolin didn't even lift his eyelids. He just let out a soft snort.
He said very calmly: "A mere fourth - rank magistrate dares to talk in front of this prince?"
After saying that, he suddenly exerted force with his wrist and hugged Cui Jintang even tighter into his arms.
Facing Chu Yingfeng, there was an even more crazy look in Pei Zhaolin's smile.
"Didn't you, Lord Chu, praise this prince for 'stabilizing the border and making great contributions to the country' in your imperial examination essay half a month ago?"
Chu Yingfeng's jaw tightened. He pointed his whip at the corpses in the courtyard: "But Your Highness is slaughtering the people of the Great Yan today!"
"Those who block this prince deserve to die."
Pei Zhaolin finally looked up. His gaze was like an ice pick stabbing over.
"Lord Chu has just entered the court and doesn't understand the depth of the court. For the sake of our old acquaintance, this can be considered a piece of advice. Don't narrow your own path."
As soon as the words fell, the sound of swords being drawn suddenly rang out among the iron cavalry. The cold light illuminated Chu Yingfeng's angry face.
Just when the situation was at a stalemate, Cui Jintang, who had been restrained for a long time, suddenly raised her head and let out a soft laugh.
"Yingfeng."
Cui Jintang's voice was very soft, but it made Pei Zhaolin's hand that was restraining her suddenly freeze.
She said word by word: "You don't have to argue right or wrong with an outsider."
A storm suddenly rose in Pei Zhaolin's eyes: "Outsider?"
However, Cui Jintang turned to Chu Yingfeng, and there was even a hint of tenderness in her eyes.
"Has Your Highness the Prince forgotten? Yingfeng and I were engaged by our parents since childhood."
The tips of Cui Jintang's fingers were still full of Pei Zhaolin's blood.
But she gently placed her hand on her lower abdomen: "This child should have a legitimate father."
Chu Yingfeng's pupils dilated sharply. But the moment he met her eyes, he suddenly tightened the reins and shouted: "That's right! Cui Jintang is my lawfully - wedded wife. Please let go, Your Highness the Prince!"
Pei Zhaolin suddenly let out a low laugh. The laughter made Cui Jintang's eardrums ache.
He leaned over and whispered in her ear. His breath was as hot as a curse: "What a show of deep - seated love between husband and wife..."
"But Tangtang, do you think I'll care about such a trick?"
After saying that, Pei Zhaolin's hand landed on her shoulder.
The next moment, he violently tore open the clothes on her shoulder, revealing her smooth skin.
There was a small red mole on the inside of her forearm, which was particularly eye - catching.
Since the virginity mark was still there, how could Cui Jintang be pregnant?
"You faked your death and escaped five years ago, which makes me have to think carefully about every word you say."
Pei Zhaolin's fingertips slowly rubbed her trembling lips. His voice was hoarse: "You can only stay by my side. Even if you're already someone else's wife!"
However, when his gaze swept over her forced - calm eyes, there was a fleeting trace of panic in his sinister eyes.
Maybe even Pei Zhaolin himself didn't notice.
"Jintang!"
Chu Yingfeng rushed forward, but was kicked in the abdomen by an iron cavalry soldier. He rolled on the spot twice. When he looked up again, he directly spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Don't hurt him!"
Cui Jintang's face suddenly changed. She immediately turned back and stared fixedly at Pei Zhaolin. She almost gritted her teeth and said: "I'll go with you!"
Pei Zhaolin squinted his eyes slightly.
Forcing down the discomfort in his heart, in front of everyone, he directly grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms.
He whispered: "Alright."
"No—"
Just as Chu Yingfeng was about to get up, he was kicked away again by an iron cavalry soldier.
This weak and incompetent appearance made Pei Zhaolin's eyes darken.
Discarding the memory fragments that suddenly flashed through his mind, Pei Zhaolin helped Cui Jintang onto the horse.
When A Xun rushed over to stop them, Cui Jintang was quicker than Pei Zhaolin and held A Xun down.
In her ear, she whispered in a very soft voice: "Take good care of An'er. You mustn't let anyone find him!"
After saying that, she turned around. Looking at the hand Pei Zhaolin offered, her delicate eyebrows frowned slightly.
She directly avoided it and got on the horse.
A Xun followed, running several steps with tear - filled eyes. Her lips opened and closed. Her face turned red from holding back, and she could only let out a few short sounds occasionally.
"Sis—"