Pang Xiao watched as Qin Yining chased Zhao Ge’er with playful little steps, playing hide-and-seek around the table. Her misty apricot eyes sparkled with mischief, and seeing Zhao Ge’er’s serious expression as he was about to cry, his heart ached with tender pain from affection.

Such a wonderful Yining, yet she always suffered grievances because of his incompetence.

Qin Yining finally caught Zhao Ge’er and, after holding the child and catching her breath for a while, fed him the last spoonful of vegetable and fruit puree.

Zhao Ge’er opened his mouth and ate it, but his little mouth was still pouting with an unhappy expression.

After Pang Xiao had watched enough of the fun and played “riding the big horse” with the two children for a while, seeing they were tired, he had the wet nurse carry the children away to rest.

Only the couple remained in the room. Pang Xiao pulled Qin Yining into his embrace, treasuring her as he kissed her cheek: “You’ve been wronged.”

“It’s nothing, just a misunderstanding.”

Qin Yining wrapped her arms around Pang Xiao’s waist, looked up at him, stood on her tiptoes to peck his chin, and said with curved eyes: “I know old madam’s temperament—she just has a sharp tongue. Besides, today was completely an accident. She didn’t deliberately try to set me on fire. Bingtang looked at Ji Yun’s hands—they’ll heal with two days of medicine.”

Pang Xiao looked down at Qin Yining in silence for a long moment, then wearily pulled her into his arms, nuzzling her neck with his cheek like a large cat seeking affection.

Pang Xiao’s voice was muffled: “Don’t say that, Yining. I know you’ve been wronged. I went to inquire about everything just now. It’s because I’m too incompetent and haven’t handled these matters well that you always suffer grievances. If not for me, you wouldn’t have been kidnapped by Si Qin initially, and where would all these later slanders come from? These matters ultimately aren’t your fault—it’s because I’ve implicated you that you’ve reached this point.”

Qin Yining smiled and shook her head, her pale hands patting Pang Xiao’s arched back one stroke at a time: “Don’t overthink it. How could you be doing so poorly? You’ve already done very well. I don’t know how many people in this world envy that I could marry you.”

“But few people know how dangerous it is to marry me, and even fewer know how much suffering you’ve endured after marrying me.”

Pang Xiao shook his head: “Don’t comfort me. I know all of this is my fault. Father-in-law and mother-in-law must be terribly angry, right?”

“Their anger is only temporary. Family is ultimately family—my father and mother won’t hold grudges over such things.”

Pang Xiao pressed his lips together without speaking. After a long while, he said: “I don’t even have the face to see father-in-law.”

“Don’t think so much. Father-in-law, father-in-law—he’s also a father. How could parents hold grudges against their own children over such things? Moreover, father isn’t unreasonable. What does this matter have to do with you?”

“How could it not be related to me?” Pang Xiao sighed deeply, leading Qin Yining to sit by the canopy bed, holding her hands in his rough, long palms and playing with them.

“Father-in-law agreed to betroth you to me because he thought I could treat you well and give you a happy life. But what kind of life have you lived since marrying me? Father-in-law doesn’t need to say anything—I’m clear about all this in my heart. I was too selfish back then. I shouldn’t have dragged you into this mess.”

Hearing Pang Xiao speak this way made Qin Yining feel a pang of sorrow, but she was even more moved by Pang Xiao’s consideration and understanding of her.

Qin Yining pretended to be angry: “What, are you regretting marrying me?”

“How could I?” Pang Xiao smiled and tapped her nose: “I haven’t accomplished much in this lifetime, but the most successful thing I’ve done is winning you as my wife. You’re even smarter than strategists—because of your counsel and planning, I don’t know how many risks I’ve avoided. Anyway, our marriage meant I gained everything while you suffered losses.”

“Enough, did you just eat honey?” Qin Yining laughed: “You don’t need to say these things. Husband and wife are one body—if I can’t help you fight wars, I can only move my lips and offer advice. We’re one family. There’s no talk of who gains and who loses. I only hope our whole family can be safe and sound, and that in the future we can all live together harmoniously and beautifully, never having to live in constant fear again. That would be enough.”

Pang Xiao nodded.

She had never asked for much. But even such simple happiness, he had never been able to give her.

Setting aside everything else, he could pacify the realm, but he couldn’t control Yao Shi’s wild imagination and her mouth that never knew when to stop.

Yao Shi had formed a feud with Qin Yining and the Qin family. Even if everything ended in the future, Yao Shi would very likely continue causing trouble every few days. How could Qin Yining have the simple, peaceful life she wanted?

Like today’s incident—clearly Yao Shi had started the trouble, but in the end it was still his Yining who had to yield, requiring the Qin family to show tolerance.

Yet he couldn’t strangle his own birth mother.

The more Pang Xiao thought about it, the more troubled he became, barely eating anything at dinner.

After washing up, Qin Yining went to check on the two children, coaxed them all to sleep, then returned to the room to change clothes and get on the canopy bed.

Pang Xiao also lay down with Qin Yining, holding her in his arms and gently patting her to lull her to sleep. His treasuring and patient manner was just like how Qin Yining had coaxed Zhao Ge’er and Han Ge’er earlier, his heart and eyes overflowing with tenderness.

Qin Yining gradually fell asleep to his deep, magnetic humming, unconsciously burrowing into his solid, warm embrace in her dreams and extending her slightly cold feet onto his legs.

Pang Xiao held Qin Yining, breathing in her soft, sweet scent. The person in his arms depended on him and was so considerate of him, but even an upright official found family disputes difficult to judge. He wasn’t afraid of bloodshed and sacrifice on the battlefield, yet he was troubled by Yao Shi’s matter.

Today’s incident seemed to be over.

But he had promised father-in-law and mother-in-law that he would give them an explanation.

What explanation could he give?

Would he find excuses to have his mother stay in the guest courtyard with good food and drink, while casting aside all the grievances Qin Yining had suffered publicly?

It was his mother who had bullied others first, his mother who had spoken maliciously, slandering Qin Yining’s chastity and even despising the entire Qin family.

His mother couldn’t be hit or scolded. Having just brought her back from the estate and already having such trouble, Pang Xiao truly didn’t know what to do.

He could kowtow to his father-in-law and mother-in-law in apology, but ultimately it was Yao Shi who had committed this wrong. Could such a perfunctory attitude really work?

Pang Xiao stared blankly at the bed curtains, unconsciously about to sigh. To let Qin Yining sleep comfortably, once she had found a comfortable position in his arms, he had maintained that posture without moving.

But no matter how comfortable the pillow was, even though Qin Yining had dozed off, she still heard Pang Xiao’s sigh.

The moment she heard Pang Xiao sigh, Qin Yining immediately became alert.

She remained pillowed on Pang Xiao’s shoulder without moving at all.

Qin Yining knew Pang Xiao was worried. She also knew what was troubling him.

But with such incidents happening repeatedly, was Qin Yining truly not angry or aggrieved at all? If she really had no emotions about it, Qin Yining would have become a wooden person.

She was also angry, aggrieved, ashamed, and annoyed, her teeth itching with hatred. She had many ways to retaliate against Yao Shi. But because she still retained her rationality, she could only endure these feelings. For the greater good, she could only pretend not to care time and again.

Qin Yining very much wanted to see how Pang Xiao would handle this. She very much wanted Pang Xiao to properly deal with Yao Shi. Only that would completely ease her grievances.

But now she lay in Pang Xiao’s arms in the middle of the night, and this man who could use the sky as a blanket if it fell was suffering from insomnia.

Qin Yining’s heart ached terribly.

Affairs outside were already chaotic enough. Pang Xiao had to command the Pingnan Army’s force of one hundred thousand, with so many people watching him like tigers. He worked so hard outside, yet when he returned home he couldn’t have a comfortable, peaceful environment and still had to worry about family discord.

Qin Yining didn’t want Pang Xiao to suffer such grievances.

“Zhixi.”

Qin Yining’s voice upon just waking carried an indescribable huskiness and softness, as sweet and innocent as a small cat.

Pang Xiao suddenly came back to his senses, his large hand gently patting Qin Yining’s back as he asked softly: “What’s wrong? Are you thirsty?”

Qin Yining shook her head: “Why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I am. I woke up from sleep.”

“Nonsense.” Qin Yining turned over to lie on top of Pang Xiao, smiling: “You’re fooling me again. We’re husband and wife—don’t I know the difference between how you look when you’ve been sleeping versus when you’ve been awake the whole time?”

Pang Xiao couldn’t help but laugh, shaking his head: “Alright, I know my Yining is the most clever. Come lie down properly—I happen to be getting sleepy too.”

Qin Yining couldn’t help but shake her head and sigh: “Enough, I know what you’re thinking about and why you can’t sleep. Don’t worry—our big family won’t fall apart. Setting aside my abilities, just my father alone will surely think of a proper solution to let both our families live safely in Xi Yue.”

“I understand. I’ve always known father-in-law’s capabilities, and I believe he has this ability.”

“So you don’t need to worry at all that father will harbor any grudges, because no matter what, his principles won’t change.”

“I know, I know all this.” Pang Xiao said with a smile.

Qin Yining continued: “Since you know this, then what’s troubling you is another matter.”

Qin Yining smiled as she lay on Pang Xiao’s chest, her raven-black long hair scattered across her back and over Pang Xiao’s chest and arms.

“Don’t worry, I’ll go apologize to old madam tomorrow. Even if father is inclined to help, reconciliation between our families still requires an opportunity. I believe that once I apologize, old madam certainly won’t pursue this matter further.”

Hearing this, Pang Xiao’s heart felt soft, as if his entire being had fallen onto soft, warm cotton.

Having a junior apologize to an elder would indeed be a perfect way to save face. This way, Yao Shi could maintain her dignity and wouldn’t continue to dwell on the matter. Their storm could be calmed as quickly as possible. If he were selfish, he could nod and let Qin Yining go.

But Pang Xiao could never do such a thing.

Qin Yining had suffered such great grievances, and to avoid putting him in a difficult position, she had even proactively made such a suggestion. If he were shameless enough to immediately nod in agreement, that would be bullying Qin Yining!

He couldn’t do anything that would disappoint Qin Yining.