Chapter 169: Stealing Fragrance (24)
Xiao Ran had only seen Pei Yinnian once before.
Unfortunately, it had been late at night, and Pei Yinnian had been drunk; he had been carried away by Xiao Ji almost as soon as he entered.
Now, looking at the young, handsome, and terrifyingly imposing man before her—who was clearly not someone to be trifled with—she recognized him immediately.
The anger she had just partially vented flared up again.
She felt that Pei Yinnian had bullied Xiao Ji.
If it weren’t for Pei Yinnian, Xiao Ji would be teaching at the National First High School right now, instead of lying at home listening to the neighbors’ filthy gossip.
Thus, Xiao Ran merely gave Pei Yinnian a glance before slamming the door shut, locking him outside.
Seeing the situation, those women had already scurried back to their respective homes, peeking through the cracks of their doors to watch the show.
Looking at the soldiers’ posture, they all felt they had come to find trouble.
Particularly when Xiao Ran slammed the door, several men behind Pei Yinnian subconsciously raised their guns.
Just as everyone held their breath, thinking the Xiao family was surely doomed today…
They saw Pei Yinnian simply stand outside the door, let out a long sigh, and raise his hand to knock gently:
“Xiao Ji, open the door. I was wrong.”
However, no one inside opened the door.
Pei Yinnian’s earlobes were already red. To hide his embarrassment, he glanced back at the soldiers following him.
He saw two of them still pointing their guns.
Startled, he kicked one of them and slapped the back of the other’s neck:
“Why don’t you just point it at my forehead? You blind idiots.”
The two men, having been disciplined, hurriedly stowed their guns and lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound.
Pei Yinnian turned back, knocked on the door again, and continued to call out:
“Xiao Ji, I really know I was wrong. Can you let me in first?”
Inside, Xiao Ji was facing off with Xiao Ran.
Xiao Ran blocked him. “You have to tell me how he offended you to make you come back so angry.”
“If he cheated, or wants to take a wife, or did anything to betray you, you aren’t allowed to go.”
Xiao Ji looked down at Xiao Ran, who was like a thin little chick, and spoke the truth:
“He didn’t. He didn’t betray me.”
Xiao Ran looked at him suspiciously. “Are you sure? Then why did you come back?”
Xiao Ji said, “The night he was attacked, he only took one person out with him and nearly died out there.”
Xiao Ran froze. Before she could say anything else, Xiao Ji had already walked past her.
Before Pei Yinnian could knock for the fourth time, he opened the door and let him inside.
The soldiers behind Pei Yinnian consciously split into two groups, standing on either side of the door; they had no intention of following him in.
Pei Yinnian didn’t want them in either. He closed the door behind him and looked at Xiao Ji.
As their eyes met, Pei Yinnian suddenly felt as if he hadn’t seen Xiao Ji in an eternity.
He opened his mouth, subconsciously wanting to say, “Nothing for so long? Are you tired of living?”
But the words reached his lips and Lin Shu’s previous words began to play on loop in his mind.
Ultimately, Pei Yinnian swallowed those words. He lowered his head and said to Xiao Ji:
“It was my fault. Come back with me.”
Xiao Ji looked at Pei Yinnian and asked the same question:
“What did you do wrong?”
Unlike the last time when he had immediately flared up and cursed, Pei Yinnian was significantly more submissive this time. He said to Xiao Ji:
“I shouldn’t have locked you in the house just because I was angry. I shouldn’t have gone to the ballroom, and I shouldn’t have stayed out all night…”
“In the future… I will respect you… don’t be angry anymore.”
Xiao Ji was taken aback, then he frowned:
“Is this the result you’ve reflected on for all these days?”
Pei Yinnian was also stunned. “It wasn’t because of that?”
Pei Yinnian’s bewildered expression, combined with what he had just said, made Xiao Ji fall into deep thought.
He suddenly realized that in this cold war, he, too, seemed to have an issue.
He sighed and said to Pei Yinnian:
“Let’s talk inside.”
Pei Yinnian followed Xiao Ji into his room, feeling a bit cramped and unsure whether to stand or sit.
Xiao Ji sat on the small rattan chair by the bed. After thinking for a moment, he said:
“What I cared about was that you only took Lin Shu with you that night.”
“Young Master Pei, no one knows your status and your circumstances better than you. You really shouldn’t have lost your head and disregarded your own safety.”
His eyes were pitch black as he looked at Pei Yinnian, showing a rare seriousness and gravity.
Pei Yinnian was speechless.
In his past perception, people were selfish.
To him, all disputes, conflicts, and contradictions were ultimately about fighting for one’s own interests.
Those interests might be material or spiritual.
On the day of the quarrel, he was even doubting Xiao Ji’s sincerity toward him.
Pei Yinnian suddenly felt a pang of distress.
He walked up to Xiao Ji, knelt on one knee at his feet, lowered his head, and pressed his cheek against Xiao Ji’s knee. After a long while, he whispered:
“I’m sorry.”
The first apology, at the entrance of the high school, had been perfunctory.
The second apology, just now in the courtyard, had been a mix of compromise and the guilt of trying to win him back.
But this time, it was truly from the heart—an apology born of realizing where the core of the problem lay.
Xiao Ji reached out and patted his head. “I was afraid.”
Leaning against his knee, Pei Yinnian said it once more:
“I’m sorry.”
Sorry for not protecting himself and making Xiao Ji worry, and sorry for his initial malicious speculation about Xiao Ji’s feelings.
Emotions are mutual; if only one side constantly compromises and tolerates, the conflict will eventually explode, and love will surely be worn down and consumed.
Pei Yinnian had taken the step toward Xiao Ji, and Xiao Ji didn’t care for putting on airs to intentionally make things difficult or block his path.
He gave Pei Yinnian an out and asked him:
“Did you miss me?”
Hearing this, Pei Yinnian knew the matter was settled.
He didn’t speak; he only lowered his eyes and unfastened the frog buttons on Xiao Ji’s long robe, kneeling…
The soundproofing in the Xiao house was poor, much worse than in the Pei Residence.
The rooms were also very close to each other.
But between adults, especially after a quarrel and a short separation, there are only a few ways to vent longing that shouldn’t be seen by others.
Pei Yinnian wanted it, and Xiao Ji wouldn’t refuse, but he would cover Pei Yinnian’s mouth, making him restrain himself as much as possible.
However, whether it was the locked door or the tightly drawn curtains, their actions were exposed.
Thus, Mother Xiao and Xiao Ran could only awkwardly hide in the other room and eat their meal in secret.
Originally, both thought that, barring any accidents, Xiao Ji would be going back to live at the Pei Residence tonight.
But to everyone’s total surprise, after it was completely dark, Xiao Ji came out of the room to fetch hot water and said to Mother Xiao:
“He said he wants to stay at home for a few days. He won’t come out to greet you tonight; he’ll see you tomorrow morning.”
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