My elder sister forced me to become a concubine; I was reborn and remarried into the emperor's

Just a simple sentence.

Pei Ji's eyes widened slightly, his whole body stiffened, and even his breathing became shallow. He was even a little afraid to touch her, fearing that she was just drunk, or that she had mistaken him for someone else.

But he didn't care; he just didn't want her to wake up.

He was like the most greedy person, wanting to continuously draw upon her warmth.

Then he saw the jade pendant she was holding, which was clearly the birthday gift he had given her.

When he dropped the dagger, he hesitated for a moment. It was specially made for him by his elder sister, and he never parted with it. But now he felt that the jade was too small, and the stone was not clear and delicate enough. He should have a new one carved for her.

Before coming, Pei Ji had thought about what to say to her, but now, after hearing her words, all his words seemed so pale.

His Adam's apple bobbed, his hand froze in mid-air, and he was about to pull her into a tight embrace.

Before he could even hug her tightly, he felt his arms go empty. The little girl who had been softly and gently embracing him just moments before had sat up again.

She even crawled to the other end of the chaise lounge, as if she wanted to distance herself from him.

The stark contrast between her behavior before and after left him bewildered, and for a moment he even doubted whether she was truly drunk.

"Ah Yue?"

Pei Ji frowned and subconsciously moved to sit next to her, but she shook her head, and he was afraid she would fall over again.

She was completely oblivious and smiled at him happily, saying, "That's enough, one hug is enough."

Pei Ji slowly clenched his outstretched hand into a fist and lowered it: "How could that be enough?"

He really couldn't understand her. Whether in the past or now, he could clearly feel her affection and care.

If you like him, why push him away?

If you like something, you should get to own it.

"I'm not greedy, just a little bit is enough."

As she spoke, she adorably gestured with her finger to indicate a tiny bit, her face showing no sign of reluctance, but rather a genuinely happy expression.

She was happy, but he couldn't smile at all.

“If you just open your mouth, it won’t just be a little bit, it can be the whole thing.”

But she smiled and shook her head emphatically, "Not all of them."

Pei Ji felt annoyed when he saw her smiling face; she was there to torment him. Remembering how she had pinched his cheek earlier, he couldn't resist reaching out and tugging at one of her small braids.

Sure enough, he heard the little girl cry out in pain. He remained expressionless and snorted coldly, "So you do know what pain is."

"Why don't you want me? Do you hate me?"

The little girl tilted her head, seemingly trying to figure out what he meant. After a long time, so long that he almost thought she had fallen asleep.

Then the girl's soft voice said, "I don't like the palace, I don't like competing with many people for a man, and I don't want to lose myself for a man."

For a moment, Pei Ji thought she wasn't drunk at all; she just wanted to use the alcohol to express what was on her mind.

Just as he was about to think that way, he heard her obediently say, "I am my mother's good daughter. I will listen to my mother and never become a concubine in this life."

"That's why I like you, you're a poor scholar. If your surname is Pei, I won't like you."

How could I not think about it? After all, it was someone I truly loved. To say I can let go so easily is just lying to myself.

But liking someone doesn't mean you have to be together. Compared to freedom, liking someone is nothing.

Wei Nanxun felt that she had really enjoyed the wine today. Not only was it delicious and could make her forget her worries, but she could also dream of Pei Ji and hold him in her arms. Then she would have no regrets.

Ignoring everything else, she found a comfortable position, rested her head on her arm, and lay down.

Pei Ji was left lost in thought.

What Wei Nanxun just said were things he hadn't considered. He was always decisive in his actions, doing whatever came to mind, and never relying on others for what he wanted.

Before meeting Wei Nanxun, he didn't think he would ever like anyone, let alone get married.

When he fell in love with this woman, all he wanted was to be with her; wasn't it enough that they liked each other?

As for getting married, it seemed to be outside his understanding, let alone considering her thoughts.

It wasn't until just now that he realized that men and women are completely different.

Women are inherently unfair in this world. At home, they obey their fathers; after marriage, they obey their husbands. They can never rely on themselves.

Once a woman is married, she is confined to the inner quarters for the rest of her life. Even her mother and sister, who are an empress and a princess respectively, are still controlled by the palace and the royal residence. In the end, they are just living in a larger house.

He didn't initially intend to get married, not because he wanted to like anyone other than Wei Nanxun, or because he looked down on her family background.

He must be the person in the world who cares least about social status.

Rather, it was because he had witnessed the power struggles among the women in his father's harem since childhood. Even his mother, who was born as empress, had to constantly use childbirth to win the favor of men.

This made him extremely averse to marriage and also disgusted by the petty squabbles and rivalries among women.

Only now did he vaguely realize how foolish it was to not reveal his true identity when he fell in love with her.

When the lie was exposed, he didn't apologize; instead, he said the two of them were now entangled.

He was the one who pushed her away, making her distrust him.

When Pei Ji looked up again, the little girl had already curled up and fallen asleep on the armrest.

She was very quiet when she slept, without moving or making a sound. Her eyelashes were curled, and her cheeks were rosy. She was so well-behaved that it broke your heart.

Just like the last time I fell asleep drunk.

She trusts him completely, so he must live up to that trust.

Pei Ji stood up, his robes trailing on the ground. He gently lifted the person in his arms and carried them slowly and steadily until he placed them on the couch.

He longed to express his longing over the past few days and to tell her what was on his mind.

But seeing her sleeping peacefully, I couldn't bear to part with anything.

He stared at her face for what seemed like an eternity before slowly leaning down and, with great restraint and forbearance, gently placing a kiss on her forehead.

Sleep well, his little girl.

-

Wei Nanxun slept for a long time. Whether it was because of the alcohol or something else, she felt that she slept very well, as if she were lying on a cloud, and she slept very comfortably.

She seemed to have a dream, a dream about Pei Ji, in which she boldly hugged him and told him she missed him.

After arriving in the capital, she often felt depressed and unable to find relief, but after she uttered the words "I miss him" in her dream, it seemed that nothing could bind her anymore.

Once you express your longing, you should let it go.

But she still felt someone was holding her and talking to her. Wasn't that a dream?

Wei Nanxun looked around but didn't see the person she had imagined. If it were him, he would definitely wait for her to wake up and would never leave first.

Just then, Lingxi came in.

"Young lady, are you awake? Do you have a headache or feel unwell anywhere?"

Wei Nanxun propped himself up on the bed and gently shook his head: "Although this wine has a strong aftereffect, it doesn't cause dizziness or discomfort. It is indeed a good wine."

Lingxi wrung out a cloth and came over to wipe her down, smiling as she said, "Yes, our prince also likes it very much. If he knew you appreciated this wine so much, he would be delighted."

"Lingxi, did you help me to bed? I don't remember anything."

Lingxi paused slightly and nodded: "It was this servant. I saw that you were asleep on the couch and was afraid that you would fall if you turned over, so I helped you to bed to rest."

It really was a dream.

Wei Nanxun had no suspicions. He asked about the time and found out that it was already late afternoon.

"Why is it so late? The palace gates will be closed soon. I need to leave the palace quickly."

"Please slow down. The Empress Dowager said that you drank some wine earlier and might get a headache from the wind on your way back. She suggested that you stay in the palace tonight."

Wei Nanxun was stunned: "How can this be..."