Low, slightly hoarse — paired with his pale complexion, his laugh was even lovelier than a sickly beauty.
Chen Baoxiang turned her head and stared at him, momentarily struck.
Pei Ruheng caught himself, looked away, and said: “If you’re hungry, go eat outside with Rumei. Shoumo is here — there’s no need to trouble yourself.”
“But I — I went through so much trouble to come here and feed you,” she said, wearing a miserable expression as she plopped down on the stool by the bedside. “Earlier, Rumei wanted to leave it to the servants. I talked with her from the great openness of this dynasty all the way to karmic retribution and consequence before she finally relented and let me come. I just—”
Unable to hold it back, Pei Ruheng laughed again.
Chen Baoxiang’s eyes went wide. She turned to Pei Rumei at once: “This is bad — your brother’s really hit his head. We’d better have Physician Wang come take a look.”
“No need.” Pei Rumei laughed too, nudging Chen Baoxiang’s shoulder playfully. “My brother rarely smiles like this — you just stay and eat here. I’ll have the food brought over.”
She called Shoumo and they went out together.
Left alone in the inner chamber, Pei Ruheng rubbed his neck and asked, belatedly: “How did I end up fainting?”
“You got drunk,” Chen Baoxiang said, slightly uneasy. “Don’t drink so much next time.”
“Wasn’t it all because you kept pouring it on me?”
“Well… I won’t pour it on you anymore,” she muttered. “But you were looking down on me — I had to prove I had something to show for myself.”
Pei Ruheng fell silent.
His disdain for her was nothing new — she had always swallowed it without a word before. Today she’d actually pushed back.
He had to admit — when she pushed back, she actually seemed like a proper person.
The food arrived. Chen Baoxiang picked up her chopsticks, then paused to ask her inner Immortal with some trepidation: Immortal, we’ve finally gotten to spend time alone with Young Master Pei. Can we manage to eat a little more gracefully this time?
Zhang Zhixu gave a soft, wry laugh: I am always graceful—
And what about just now?—
That doesn’t count. It won’t happen again.
With that assurance, Chen Baoxiang settled in contentedly to eat.
She had to hand it to the Pei family — coming from merchant stock, they truly had money. Even a casual meal offered three kinds of meat. She ate with relish and genuine pleasure.
Zhang Zhixu ate alongside her with relish and genuine pleasure — and couldn’t help but wonder, as he did: How is it possible that someone can make such simple, ordinary food taste this good?
How delightful. Another spoonful.
Across from them, Pei Ruheng watched her — and found his own appetite unexpectedly stirred. What would normally have been a single bowl’s worth, he found himself eating two without quite realizing it.
One meal, two mouths — and all three of them were thoroughly satisfied.
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