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

These words were ambiguous, and Pei Ji pressed himself very close to Wei Nanxun's ear, his warm, moist breath brushing against her earlobe and cheek, bringing a slight tickling sensation.

It made half of her body feel numb.

Who said only women can be alluring? In her opinion, Pei Ji is the most seductive charmer in the world.

"You, let go!"

Her voice unconsciously softened with his gentleness; she was pushing him, but her hand was pressed against his chest, and she had no strength at all.

This doesn't look like pushing someone; it's clearly enticing them to hold on even more.

Pei Ji thought this and did this, tightening his embrace around her little by little.

Wei Nanxun was so embarrassed that she didn't dare to look him in the eye. She turned her head away and pretended to be calm, saying, "That's your niece, so she can't be considered an outsider."

"What niece? I don't know her."

“But she remembers you. She said you took her horseback riding and accompanied her to the lantern festival.”

She had been with him for so long, but she had never seen a lantern festival with him.

She didn't realize that there was a subtle, almost imperceptible, bitterness in her tone.

Pei Ji noticed it, and his smile stretched from ear to ear. His hand, which was pressed against her waist, gently caressed her, and a hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.

"Ah Yue, are you jealous?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Nanxun was suddenly taken aback.

Is she jealous?

She actually got jealous because Pei Ji accompanied her niece on horseback riding and took her to see the lantern festival?

That's why I was so emotional and at a loss just now.

How could this be? In her past life, she was Pei Yuyan's concubine. When he occasionally went to other people's rooms, or when other concubines were pregnant and he wanted to take another concubine, she only felt disappointed.

She never dared to be jealous or have any other extreme emotions; she placed herself in a very humble and lowly position.

But you should get jealous if the person you like is intimate with someone else.

She increasingly doubted whether her feelings for Pei Yuyan were out of obedience to a superior or genuine affection. If she truly loved him, how could she not be jealous?

Or perhaps, she actually likes Pei Ji that much.

The thought of this possibility made Wei Nanxun blush with embarrassment, and then her face turned deathly pale.

She died in her previous life from loving the wrong person; how could she repeat the same mistake and plunge headlong into it again in this life?

They both share the surname Pei, both wield power, and both are currently spouting sweet nothings. Could it be that in the near future, another bowl of poison awaits her?

Even though she knew very well that Pei Ji and Pei Yuyan were completely different people.

Different personalities lead to different attitudes towards her, but once bitten, twice shy. Her actions not only determine her own fate, but also the fate of everyone she cares about.

Besides, haven't all of today's events made her realize the gap between them?

With so many unwanted romantic advances in the Milky Way, even the Crown Prince needs to take a Crown Princess and concubines. How could the Regent Pei Ji not have one? Right now it's Jiang Qiongzhi, and soon there will be other women.

He likes her now and will unconditionally favor her, but what will happen when her beauty fades and she loses her former glory?

She didn't even have a maternal clan to help him, so she couldn't protect herself or even her child.

Then he will repeat his old mistakes.

The more Wei Nanxun understood her own feelings and Pei Ji's, the less she dared to face them. She feared that her deep affection and expectations at this moment would bring even greater pain in the future.

Just like before, Pei Ji could punish those noble ladies without restraint. He was powerful enough that he didn't care whether they would retaliate.

But she couldn't; she couldn't be reckless.

A man's promises and feelings are the most fragile and unreliable things in the world; she can only trust herself.

That's why she wanted to find a son-in-law—a scholar from a respectable family with no power or influence.

Call her timid or cowardly, she really can't afford to gamble anymore.

She used to think that she only had a slight liking for Pei Ji, that she liked his face and was attracted to him because of his looks.

Only now did she realize that she was already hopelessly in love.

When Pei Ji saw that she didn't speak and her face turned from blushing to death, he thought she was being teased, and that the young girl was shy.

Just as he was trying to ease her shyness, he was stepped on hard on the back of his foot.

"release."

The pain was nothing more than a tickle to him, but she seemed a little embarrassed and angry. He was happy to treat it as a playful exchange between lovers and naturally let go of her hand.

Before he could calm the little girl down, the person in his arms had already run away like a rabbit without looking back.

Pei Ji stared in disbelief at his empty embrace.

Just ran away?

He put aside his official duties to help that group of young women resolve the framing and slander tricks that only three-year-old children would play, all to win her favor.

She didn't even say thank you, and just ran away?

Zhou Fuhai waited for a long time before he mustered up the courage to go over and whispered, "Your Highness, Lord Zhang and Lord Li are still waiting outside the Imperial Study."

Pei Ji's eyes were pitch black, revealing no emotion whatsoever; only his still-raised hand clenched in mid-air.

He smirked, put his hands behind his back, said nothing, and strode away.

Zhou Fuhai saw the direction he was heading and realized he wasn't going to the Imperial Study. Thinking of Lord Zhang, who had been left standing outside, and the group of noble ladies kneeling on the ground, he wondered how terrified this man would be once he arrived.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, please slow down!"

He quickly chased after him, but could only catch a glimpse of the ancestor's robe in the distance.

-

Wei Nanxun returned to the front hall. Everyone she met along the way avoided her like the plague.

Needless to say, the news of what just happened must have spread. After all, it's human nature to enjoy entertainment, and who would want to miss out on such fodder for conversation?

Attracting so much attention was not her intention, but it actually saved her from unnecessary small talk, so it was a win-win situation.

Wei Nanxun was about to announce his arrival outside the palace when he ran into Man Xinghe.

They then entered the palace together, and luckily, there was no one else in the warm pavilion except for the Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager.

After kowtowing and paying her respects, she did not rush to get up, but instead recounted what had just happened.

She omitted some minor details and subjective emotions, only saying that there was a small misunderstanding with Miss Zhang, which needed to be resolved fairly by the Regent.

Although she put it simply, a smart person would immediately understand that she had been bullied.

Similarly, her attitude was very endearing; she neither complained about her grievances nor embellished the story, remaining neither humble nor arrogant, simply stating the facts.

Man Xinghe was the first to react: "It's all my fault for leaving earlier, which led to you being bullied."

"It has nothing to do with the young master; it was just a small misunderstanding between the young ladies. Now that the misunderstanding has been cleared up, it's nothing."

Wei Nanxun added, "It's just that friction occurred on such an auspicious day, and I also bear some responsibility for that."

One of the reasons she came to explain things was that she wanted to clarify the matter herself rather than let others exaggerate and escalate the situation, so as to avoid the Empress Dowager misunderstanding that she was the one causing trouble.

Man Xinghe immediately said, "You're the one who's been wronged. What does this have to do with you?"

“Your Highness, since it was because of me, I am at fault.”

"Therefore, I have come to resign."