By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 21 Pei Rujing, So Easy to Coax

Snapped--

Lost in thought, Pei Rujing failed to catch the mahjong tile she threw. It landed on the table, bounced to the ground, and rolled a few times before coming to a stop.

Pei Rujing snapped back to reality.

The maidservant quickly picked up the mahjong tiles and put them back on the table.

This mahjong set is made of jade, with a bright luster and a very smooth surface, but its flaws are also obvious; even the slightest damage is very noticeable.

Pei Rujing immediately noticed a small tear in the lower right corner of the mahjong tile. She froze, raised her hand to touch the tear; it wasn't big, but it was extremely noticeable.

A perfectly set of mahjong tiles is now imperfect because of this gap...

At this moment, Pei Rujing's emotions burst forth like a floodgate being opened.

Tears flowed uncontrollably, becoming increasingly torrential.

Granny Feng was startled: "Princess, what's wrong?"

Pei Rujing choked back tears: "Grandma, I feel so bad."

She felt incredibly sad, but couldn't explain why.

Granny Feng hugged Pei Rujing with heartache, not knowing how to comfort her.

Pei Rujing buried herself in Granny Feng's arms, not uttering a word, only silently shedding tears.

After a while, Pei Rujing showed no signs of stopping. Granny Feng was worried that Pei Rujing's eyes would become swollen from crying and that her eyes would definitely feel uncomfortable when she woke up tomorrow.

Pei Rujing is delicate; even the slightest discomfort can affect her mood for the entire day.

Granny Feng sighed, knowing that the one who tied the knot must untie it. She glanced in the direction of the study and then gave Qinghe a wink.

Qinghe understood and quietly withdrew, heading straight to the study: "This servant has something to ask of the young master."

This was the first time the main wife had sent someone after Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing had quarreled.

Changdong hurriedly went in to report.

A short while later, Qinghe was allowed to enter.

Upon entering the study, Qinghe greeted Wen Zongji and then knelt down on the ground with a thud: "Please go and see the county princess, sir. She is crying incessantly, and even the nanny can't comfort her."

Wen Zongji was taken aback: "What's going on?"

Qinghe lowered her head: "This servant does not know."

Wen Zongji put down his book, got up, and left the study.

Qinghe followed closely behind him.

The study was only a few steps from the main room, and Wen Zongji walked quickly, arriving in no time.

Wen Zongji strode in.

The maids all greeted him.

Upon entering the inner room, Wen Zongji saw Pei Rujing nestled in Granny Feng's arms, and he could faintly hear her sobbing.

Granny Feng helped Pei Rujing up and stood up to greet Wen Zongji: "This old servant greets the young master."

Pei Rujing was startled when she saw Wen Zongji, then turned her head away, not wanting to look at him.

Wen Zongji waved his hand: "All of you, leave."

Granny Feng immediately left with her people. She had asked Qinghe to invite Wen Zongji, hoping that Wen Zongji would comfort Pei Rujing.

Wen Zongji walked over to Pei Rujing and saw that she was still silently shedding tears, seemingly feeling extremely wronged.

Wen Zongji stood before her and sighed softly, "Princess, please don't cry, okay?"

He still preferred to see his young wife being arrogant and domineering, full of vitality and exuberance, unlike now, when she was like a withered flower.

Pei Rujing stubbornly refused to look at him.

Wen Zongji sat down beside her, his tone helpless: "It's the county princess who's angry. The porcelain in the room has been replaced time and time again, hasn't the county princess vented her anger yet?"

"I'm much worse off than the county princess. The bed in the study is so narrow and small that I don't even dare to turn over at night."

The image of Wen Zongji, a dignified seven-foot-tall man, huddled on a small bed, too afraid to turn over, instantly flashed through Pei Rujing's mind, and her distress miraculously dissipated.

Wen Zongji watched her expression and continued to play the victim: "My second brother came to see me just now and saw the bedding in the study. He ridiculed me quite a bit, saying that I was useless and had no sense of husbandly authority at all."

I would rather die than my fellow Daoist!

I can only apologize to Wen Zongjing for now.

Pei Rujing, always protective of her own, was displeased upon hearing this: "It's our own business, what right does an outsider like him have to interfere? He's four years older than you and still unmarried, an old single man, how dare he meddle in our affairs!"

Wen Zongji's lips twitched, and he almost lost his composure.

Wen Zongjing is only twenty-four years old, but he's already considered an old bachelor?

I suddenly realized that Pei Rujing has a pretty sharp tongue.

Seeing that Pei Rujing's attention had shifted, Wen Zongji pressed on: "These past few days, I haven't been sleeping well and I can't concentrate on my studies. I wanted to see the county princess, but I was worried that she would kick me out."

The young wife is simple-minded and responds better to gentle persuasion than force. Wen Zongji is not a chauvinist, and besides, there's nothing shameful about coaxing one's wife.

Upon hearing this, Pei Rujing's expression softened completely, and she said arrogantly, "Don't try to pin this on me. You were the one who wanted to sleep in the study; I didn't force you."

Wen Zongji said helplessly, "I acted impulsively. There are some things the county princess doesn't know, and I'm embarrassed to say them. Now, to avoid creating a rift between us, I can only tell the county princess the truth."

"My aunt and younger sister have been very good to me over the years. They not only saved money to buy me writing brushes, ink, paper and inkstones, but also made me new clothes every year. But I was blinded by greed before. I not only spoke ill of them, but also always trampled on their kindness."

"It wasn't until I married the county princess and saw her bright eyes and outstanding demeanor that I realized I would be utterly unworthy of her if I continued my despicable behavior. Only then did I repent and decide to treat my aunt and younger sister better from now on."

Pei Rujing listened in silence, never expecting Wen Zongji to have such a change in mindset. She also thought of Wen Shuyu's obedient appearance and wondered how badly Wen Zongji had bullied her in the past.

For a moment, I felt that it was really wrong of me to argue with Wen Zongji because I was jealous of Wen Shuyu.

Pei Rujing pursed her lips and whispered in her defense, "I didn't mean to stop you from being nice to Aunt and Shuyu."

Wen Zongji held her hand and said gently, "I know the county princess isn't one to hold grudges. It was my fault; we've been married for so long and I haven't even bought her a decent piece of jewelry."

Pei Rujing whispered even lower, "I can also be nicer to your aunt and Shuyu."

Seeing her obedient appearance, Wen Zongji gently embraced her, saying, "The county princess is so kind!"

This was the first time the two had been so intimate and affectionate since they got married.

Pei Rujing blushed slightly, but instead of pushing Wen Zongji away, she obediently leaned into his arms.

Wen Zongji rested his chin on Pei Rujing's head, his gaze becoming deep and unfathomable.

The little girl is so innocent and easy to coax; it's his scheming that's the problem.

But Wen Zongji didn't have much of a mental burden. He believed that if you could pretend to be someone for a lifetime, the fake could become the real thing.