“Pei Mingting.”

Li Buyan properly called his name once.

“I’m someone whose nature can’t be gentle. My eyes can’t tolerate even a grain of sand. I like to throw straight punches and pull them back straight.

I’m also rough and careless in my actions, forgetful of things. Most importantly, my brain doesn’t work well—I’m as dumb as a pig. Many things everyone else has figured out, but I still don’t understand.”

She paused.

“But I have one good quality: if you treat me with a true heart, I’ll return it with a true heart, without any water mixed in. That…”

She paused again.

“If you’re willing to come with me, the remaining five mountain territories are all yours. Sons will take your surname, daughters will take mine. Think it over carefully.

Oh right, taking concubines is impossible—don’t even think about it.

If you follow me, in life you’re my person, in death you’re my ghost. If you dare philander outside, I’ll give you two choices.”

Pei Xiao asked dazedly: “Which two?”

“Either I make you a eunuch, or you make me a widow.”

Li Buyan sighed and sighed again: “No choice—this is my mother’s weak point and also mine. I have to be ruthless!”

Pei Xiao first felt his crotch go cold, then his neck hurt. Then he slowly turned his head to look at Xie Zhifei beside him.

Brother, pinch me—this shock is a bit too much.

Xie Zhifei met his eyes and shook his head very slowly: Everyone’s watching—not convenient to do it.

Pei Xiao: Should I go with her or not?

Xie Zhifei: I advise you not to court death.

Pei Xiao: But if I just agree like this, where do I put my dignity?

Xie Zhifei: Dignity or happiness—you choose.

Both dignity!

And happiness!

Pei Xiao slapped the table and suddenly stood up, arrogant as anything: “Li Buyan, I also have my conditions!”

“Speak!”

“First, you can’t use your martial arts skills to beat me up.”

“Don’t worry, I absolutely won’t commit domestic violence.”

“Second, you can’t be arrogant toward me just because you have money.”

“From now on, you’ll manage the money.”

“Third, you can’t hit the children—not even touch them with one finger.”

“The children are also yours to manage.”

So readily?

Pei Xiao was puzzled: “Then what do you manage?”

Li Buyan said generously: “I manage you!”

Pei Xiao: “…”

The mountain territories are mine now;

Financial power is also mine;

The children will be raised by me from childhood and listen to me;

I can totally control this!

Pei Xiao coughed and kept a straight face: “That… lifelong matters cannot be taken lightly. Let me think about it more. Wait for me a little while.”

With that, under everyone’s dumbstruck gazes, he walked into the courtyard with his head held high and chest out.

Xie Zhifei lowered his voice and said to Li Buyan: “From what I know of him, he’s gone off to secretly celebrate!”

Yan Sanhe: “Right now he should be happily stomping his feet and swinging his fists.”

Xue Zhao: “Perhaps he’s even wiping away some tears.”

Lu Da: “It’s also possible he’s covering his mouth and shouting a few times.”

Han Xu snorted: “Men!”

Xie Zhifei’s heart skipped a beat, and his gaze drifted lightly toward Han Xu.

Han Xu noticed and lowered her head to drink.

…

In the courtyard.

Someone had gone mad—completely mad.

Laughing one moment, crying the next;

Stomping his feet one moment, swinging his fists the next;

Covering his mouth one moment, howling to the sky the next.

Li Buyan, who had followed him out, leaned against the door, watching the person jumping around in the courtyard, wailing and whimpering. Suddenly her eyes grew hot.

When did she start to see this person in a new light?

It was the day Zhao Yishi was in danger. He climbed up from the ground and urgently shouted to her: “Li Buyan, you fucking be careful!”

It was when Yan Sanhe left with Dong Chengfeng. Xie Zhifei wasn’t at ease and rushed to Muli Mountain to fetch her. Pei Xiao, who was usually inseparable, stayed behind for the first time.

At the bedside, he carefully asked her: “Want to eat lychees? I’ll peel one for you.”

It was when she worried about Yan Sanhe’s safety and forced him to go to Zhu Yuanmo to divine fortune or misfortune—he went without a word.

It was after divining three great calamities. She was restless, and he dragged her to Spring Breeze Tower, saying don’t worry, let’s think of a solution together first.

It was when they couldn’t think of a solution and she wanted to go burn incense at the temple late at night, but he was mindful of her reputation as a maiden and said to wait until dawn and he’d accompany her then…

One matter after another—water dripping through stone.

Her hard and smelly stone heart had been softened and melted by this person.

She believed if she handed him a bowl of egg fried rice, he’d immediately take it with both hands, happy as anything, shoveling rice while praising how delicious it was.

She believed if she said she hurt, he’d come running over, panicked and flustered, asking: “Where does it hurt? Does it hurt badly? Hang in there—I’ll go get a physician right away.”

She believed when encountering supernatural things, he’d hide behind her faster than anyone, but when truly dangerous situations arose, he’d stand in front of her without hesitation.

Suddenly, the person who’d gone mad in the courtyard froze as if pressure points had been pressed.

Then he spun around sharply.

Their gazes met. The surroundings suddenly quieted.

Very quiet.

Only then did Li Buyan notice his eyes were red-rimmed, and tear stains at the corners hadn’t been wiped dry.

She smiled: “Young Master Pei, if you don’t come with me, the one who should be sad is me. Why are you crying?”

Why am I crying?

With that one sentence from her, Pei Xiao’s tears burst forth like a dam breaking.

Was confessing something a young woman should take the initiative to do?

And so suddenly—which man could handle that?

Crying a few tears was light—he’d nearly gone mad with happiness!

Pei Xiao fiercely wiped away tears, choking out: “Can’t you wait even a little while? Why is your temperament so impatient?”

Li Buyan sighed: “I have no choice but to be impatient—it’s a lifelong matter!”

Pei Xiao’s heart beat wildly, tears nearly gushing out again.

He forcefully sniffed, “From now on, you must get my permission before giving away things. Those five mountain territories were your father’s dowry gift to you. Can dowry gifts be given away casually?”

Li Buyan laughed: “Then shall I ask them to give them back?”

“That’s not necessary—they’re not outsiders anyway.”

Pei Xiao reached into his breast and rummaged around, pulling out several bank notes.

“The rest of my private savings were all conned away by Xie Fifty. These five thousand taels are what I saved for myself to marry a wife—I couldn’t bear to give them to him no matter what.”

He licked his dry, cracked lips.

“Our Pei family’s betrothal gifts for the bride’s family are generally fifteen thousand taels. I still owe ten thousand taels, which I’ll earn later and make up to you.”

Li Buyan didn’t take them, raising an eyebrow: “Is Young Master Pei…”

“Going with you!”

“Going with you!”

“Going with you for this whole lifetime!”

Pei Xiao shouted until his own tears came down again.

What did money matter? What did wealth and honor matter? What did Zhao Yishi matter?

In this lifetime, up to this moment, Young Master Pei was already satisfied, content, fulfilled.

Through tear-blurred vision, he saw his girl’s eyes curve into crescent moons, the corners of her mouth lifting high in an arc.

Her slender fingers gently pulled from his hand, drawing the bank notes over, then tucked them into her breast like treasure.

“Don’t worry, Young Master Pei. I’ll treat you well!”

————

I don’t know what happened with these two chapters today. As I wrote and wrote, tears just fell.

Perhaps it’s because the book is ending, or perhaps because I love this couple.

Young Master Pei and Hero Li are supporting characters I put a lot of thought into—though actually they’re not supporting characters. In my heart, they are protagonists.

At this point in the story, if I can control my writing power, there should be only two or three final chapters left. Those of you following along must read to the very end—there’s a surprise, or perhaps a shock!