Chapter 149: Golden Hairpin, Jade Bracelet, and the Heart of a Beauty

Xu Ping’an had no idea that, thousands of miles away, a woman was constantly thinking of him.

Right now, he was staring in terror at Li Yuer.

This place… was the backyard of the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence, the Shizi’s private villa.

Inside the main hall, the five-piece central hall furniture was arranged in front of the screen: a square solid wood table and two Grand Preceptor’s chairs.

Above the central hall furniture hung a large banner written in bold characters: Be lenient when confessed, be strict when resisted

Li Yuer and Xiao Jing’er sat on the two Grand Preceptor’s chairs, with the banner just behind them.

“Sir, aren’t you going to confess yet?”

“Ah? Confess… confess what?”

“It seems, sir, you really won’t shed tears until you see the coffin… Xiao Jing’er!”

“Yes, Miss!”

In that moment, Xiao Jing’er turned around and suddenly pulled out a willow switch from somewhere, her eyes coldly fixed on Xu Ping’an.

“Sir, this is Xiao Jing’er’s first time using family discipline, so she may not know how severe it should be. Please bear with her…”

“Wait, wait, wait… I confess, I honestly confess. Whatever you want me to confess, I’ll confess!”

It seemed these two girls were serious. To avoid a fight, Xu Ping’an could only helplessly admit it.

No matter what, it was better to admit first.

“Good. Since you’re willing to confess, isn’t it time to explain the matter with Li Zhi’er?”

Ah… so it was about this!

Xu Ping’an was slightly stunned, sighing as he looked at the ropes tightly binding him.

How did it come to this?

“Sir, I have no choice either… His Majesty forced that girl on you, so what could I do? Defy an imperial edict?”

Fifteen minutes ago, he had come to the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence, originally cheerful to deliver the token of love.

Unexpectedly, these two sly girls tricked him into this single room and blindfolded him.

By the time he sensed something was wrong, he was already tightly bound, left and right.

He tried to struggle, but he had to admit… these two girls were quite professional.

He couldn’t break free.

“Sir… now that Zhi’er is with you, the whole Great Qi knows she has followed you. Sir… what do you intend to do with her?”

Li Yuer looked at Xu Ping’an, seemingly wanting to say something but unsure how to start.

“What do I intend to do? You mean, will I marry her?”

“Seems so… hmm.”

Xu Ping’an sighed, shaking his head helplessly.

“I will marry her. Does that answer satisfy you?”

The moment the words left his mouth, Li Yuer suddenly went dazed.

When she came to her senses, Xu Ping’an had already untied his ropes and was standing in front of her.

“Sir, I was forced as well. Everything happened so suddenly that I was caught off guard.”

Seeing Xu Ping’an’s serious gaze, she didn’t know how to respond.

She instinctively shrank back, but behind her was the backrest of the Grand Preceptor’s chair — nowhere to hide.

Yet Xu Ping’an stepped forward, his upper body almost pressing her against the chair.

“Yuer, you know I’m not an irresponsible man. As for Li Zhi’er… since things have come to this point, I can’t change it. So… this is my heart.”

“??”

Suddenly, Xu Ping’an’s hands produced a Jin Chai and a Jade Bracelet.

“Sir, this… what is this?”

“It’s for you. You should understand.”

Xu Ping’an had just come to a realization: so many romantic entanglements, and each flower was precious and hard to part with.

Since he couldn’t avoid it, he wouldn’t avoid it!

In this era, giving jewelry to a woman carried great significance.

A hairpin symbolized fixing her hair. A woman only arranged her hair twice in her life.

Once at fifteen, when she came of age and braided her hair, marking her readiness for marriage.

The second time was on her wedding day, when the braided hair was styled into an updo.

This Jin Chai was for that updo.

A man giving a woman a hairpin was a clear token of betrothal.

At the sight of the Jin Chai, Li Yuer trembled all over.

Her once tense delicate body softened.

“Sir……..”

“I’m giving this to you. You may not need it just yet, but this…”

Xu Ping’an placed the Jin Chai on Li Yuer’s left hand, then took her other hand and slid the two Jade Bracelets onto her fair wrists.

“This is my meaning. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

In ancient times, women usually wore jade bracelets on one wrist, not both.

When two jade bracelets lightly touched on the wrist, they produced a clear, crisp sound — one piece of the ‘clinking jade’ melody.

When a man gave a woman jade bracelets, it symbolized a pledge by jade.

Giving a pair meant “good things come in pairs” — the emphasis on “pairs” more than “good things.”

Li Yuer’s peach blossom eyes reddened slightly.

The next second, Xu Ping’an felt a pair of jade arms suddenly loop around his neck,

a warm touch brushing past his lips.

Looking down, Li Yuer was half-hanging on his neck, her delicate neck bowed in shyness.

“Yuer… finally waited for this day.”

“How can you say ‘finally’? We’ve only known each other a few months, haven’t we?”

Xu Ping’an smiled wryly, but unexpectedly, Li Yuer looked up, her eyes moist like rain.

“But these few months for me have felt like half a lifetime.”

Finally, he had coaxed the young lady.

Xiao Jing’er, sensing the change in atmosphere, quietly slipped away, leaving just the two of them.

This time, Li Yuer seemed unwilling to let Xu Ping’an go, clinging to him like that.

Seeing this, Xu Ping’an smiled bitterly.

“Can you let go first? Sir’s waist is getting tired like this.”

“No!”

Li Yuer bowed her head, the redness at her ear revealing the girlish thoughts of the moment.

“Fine, fine, if you won’t let go, then fine.”

If you won’t let go, then can’t Sir fight back?

He wrapped his arms around Li Yuer’s waist, turned, and lifted her legs, carrying her horizontally in his arms.

“Ah!!”

Li Yuer suddenly felt the world spin, instinctively exclaiming.

Her hands clung tightly to Xu Ping’an’s neck, almost pressing his head against the rolling hills.

“Ahem ahem~ Yuer, let go of Sir first, or Sir will be suffocated by you.”

“Ah!”

Hearing his voice, Li Yuer came to her senses and quickly let go of him.

Only then did she realize their positions had swapped.

Xu Ping’an was now sitting in the Grand Preceptor’s chair.

She… was in his arms, completely held.

“Sir…”

Seeing this, Li Yuer felt her whole body weaken; she had no strength left to resist.

“What’s wrong?”

“Now… I can’t…”

“What can’t you?”

Li Yuer lowered her head, her face as red as sunset clouds.

“Yuer… it’s that time of the month.”

Ah?

No, no, he didn’t mean that!

Looking at Li Yuer’s flushed cheeks, Xu Ping’an chuckled softly and touched her forehead.

“What are you thinking? Is Sir that kind of person?”

“Ah?”

Li Yuer seemed to realize, growing even more embarrassed.

Luckily, her rolling curves hid it — otherwise, Xu Ping’an might have suspected she was about to suffocate him.

Speaking of which, women’s bones really were soft — her neck bent to such a degree.

It was almost into the realm of the bizarre.

Not wanting to disturb Li Yuer, he was genuinely afraid she’d break his neck if she put in too much force.

Although he could put it back on, that scenario was just too strange.

He didn’t want to be the one to reattach his wife’s head.

They stayed like that for a while.

Perhaps with time, Li Yuer’s shy expression gradually calmed.

She slowly leaned into Xu Ping’an’s embrace, her bright eyes flickering as her delicate nose twitched.

“What are you doing?”

Xu Ping’an raised an eyebrow.

Why were all the girls he knew like dogs? Meeting him and immediately sniffing?

“The scent on Sir…”

“What scent?”

“Medicinal fragrance…!”

Well, it seemed all the women he knew had dog-like traits, meeting and sniffing right away.

Was the medicine smell on him really that strong?

“Does it smell bad?”

Xu Ping’an sniffed but only caught a faint plum blossom scent.

Looks like last night the girl must have bathed with plum blossom water.

No, he couldn’t think about that.

He wasn’t some legendary scholar with pure thoughts.

Being able to hold a beauty without dirty thoughts was already impressive.

If he thought any more, he might just get into trouble.

“No… it’s Sir’s scent.”

Neither said anything else.

Li Yuer quietly nestled in his arms.

Xu Ping’an’s mind was blank, simply enjoying this rare moment of peace.

About forty-five minutes passed.

Xu Ping’an could hardly believe he had been sitting there, doing nothing but spacing out.

Looking out the window, the sky was already near noon.

“Hm… Yuer, look at the time. I still have to…”

“Sir, don’t move.”

“Hm?”

“Let Yuer remember your scent.”

Sss~

Watching Li Yuer press against his chest, a happy smile on her lips as she spoke those words,

Xu Ping’an took a sharp breath.

Damn it, why were all the women he knew so skilled at seduction?

Those words made his heart skip a beat, and his body, which had been preparing to leave, relaxed again.

“Alright… then, I’ll stay a little longer.”

“Hmm.”

And so, when Xu Ping’an finally left the Duke of the Southern Border’s Residence, it was already afternoon.

After much coaxing, Li Yuer had finally let him off.

“Lord!”

Xiao Hengzi had been waiting under the porch for a long time.

Seeing Xu Ping’an come out, he hurried to greet him.

“Hmm, let’s go.”

“Lord, where are we heading now?”

Where to go?

Back to East Warm Pavilion?

Xu Ping’an thought for a moment.

For so many years, he had lived in seclusion, barely coming into contact with the outside world.

Though surrounded by peach blossoms now, men were often somewhat fickle.

But he was different!

He wasn’t here to pick flowers; he wanted to broaden his horizons.

Yes! That settled it—go and see more of the world!

“Let’s… go to Taohua Alley.”