Chapter 23

Lu Nong was deep in self-doubt. What just happened?

After thinking for a long time, she realized that Pei Ji’an had completely ignored her. He had won by being direct, successfully scaring her with just two sentences.

So, Pei Ji’an was just trying to frighten her, right?

Right, right, right?

Lu Nong’s face fell. She decided to skip her afternoon nap and felt like she needed a drink to drown her sorrows.

The Pei family had a wine cabinet, but after searching for a while, Lu Nong found it filled with strong white liquor. She disliked the taste of white liquor, so she reluctantly closed the cabinet and sighed, “Sigh… I’m feeling a bit down.”

“What are you worried about?” a soft voice asked from behind Lu Nong.

Lu Nong: “…”

“Do you know that scaring someone can actually lead to serious consequences?” Lu Nong said, sounding more melancholic than Pei Zheng.

Pei Zheng choked on his words before replying in his normal tone, “Who told you to bury yourself in the wine cabinet in broad daylight, leaving only your legs sticking out? I was startled when I saw you on my way downstairs!”

“You wouldn’t understand.” Lu Nong stood up and decided to make coffee. Well, it was still a way to deal with her worries… coffee would do.

When Pei Zheng heard Lu Nong say he wouldn’t understand, he felt unhappy. He wasn’t a little kid like Xiao Huai who wouldn’t understand anything.

“You must have been scolded by the old man, right?” Pei Zheng said, chuckling. Today, Brother Zhou’s car was half an hour late, which meant the old man didn’t rush back to the base right after lunch.

Lu Nong shot Pei Zheng a glare, suggesting he figure it out himself before walking toward the kitchen.

Pei Zheng followed Lu Nong into the kitchen, watching as she took out a strange little glass pot. She scooped a spoonful of dark brown powder into it and poured hot water inside. Soon, a rich aroma began to waft from the glass pot.

Pei Zheng recognized it as coffee. He wasn’t completely clueless. Out of curiosity about what foreigners ate, he had gone to Western restaurants with Shen Jiming a few times and even ordered coffee. Unfortunately, their Chinese stomachs never got used to bloody steaks or overly bitter coffee.

He hadn’t realized that making coffee could be done at home.

Watching Lu Nong’s skilled movements, Pei Zheng thought that his stepmother was quite cultured, completely out of sync with their family.

Lu Nong found a coffee cup that her godmother had brought from Li Garden and poured the brewed coffee into it.

She took out two matching coffee cups and poured a cup for Pei Zheng.

Lu Nong wasn’t someone who felt the need to have coffee all the time. Compared to coffee, she preferred beer and soda. However, with neither of those modern beverages available right now, she settled for coffee to console herself and feel a bit closer to modern life.

Pei Zheng took a sip and found it very bitter. Curiously, he looked at Lu Nong, who took another sip, and then… gulped down the entire cup in one go without changing her expression.

After finishing, she remarked, “Good liquor.”

Pei Zheng was left speechless. Was this really the proper way to drink coffee?

He picked up his coffee cup, glanced at Lu Nong, then looked down at the brown liquid in his cup. After hesitating for a second, he resolutely raised his cup and mimicked Lu Nong, “gulp gulp gulp.”

Lu Nong: “…”

Lu Nong was stunned. “What are you doing?”

“Cough cough cough… You know what, it’s not bitter at all when drinking this way.” Pei Zheng smacked his lips and savored the taste. He didn’t expect that coffee, like tea, would have a sweet aftertaste.

“Give me another cup,” Pei Zheng requested.

Lu Nong was speechless. Who exactly was drowning their sorrows here?

“Don’t drink too much. This stuff stimulates the nerves. If you drink too much, you won’t be able to sleep at night, and you shouldn’t just down it all at once,” Lu Nong said helplessly as she poured him another cup.

Pei Zheng looked puzzled and asked, “What about you just now?”

“…Mind your own business when it comes to beautiful women affairs!”

Pei Zheng remembered how Lu Nong had just leaned over the liquor cabinet searching for drinks. He looked at her in disbelief and asked, “You didn’t drink coffee instead of alcohol because you can’t handle it, did you?”

The more Pei Zheng thought about it, the more he felt he had figured it out. He looked down on Lu Nong for being afraid to drink real alcohol while feeling angry with himself for being foolish like her. So he teased, “Does drinking coffee make you tipsy?”

“Haha, that shouldn’t be the case, right?” Lu Nong laughed awkwardly, realizing he had seen through her silly thoughts.

Pei Zheng scoffed, “Hmph, coward. Did you get scolded by the old man or something?”

Lu Nong was speechless. “…When did I say I got scolded by your dad? No, no, no! Stop assuming things.”

“What’s this ‘assuming’ you’re talking about?” Pei Zheng asked in confusion. He could somewhat understand what Lu Nong meant, so he continued, “Then what are you worried about?”

Lu Nong: “…” Can I tell you that your dad said to try it tonight, little brother?

The truth was, she had a bit of a fear of marriage. Although Lu Nong was already married to Pei Ji’an, they had not yet become a true couple. They were still living separately without interfering in each other’s lives. In Lu Nong’s eyes, this arrangement was at best a roommate relationship.

But once they became a real couple, there would be no turning back. Not to mention that Pei Ji’an clearly seemed to be the type who wouldn’t just play around and walk away. More importantly, Lu Nong viewed marriage as something sacred. In her mind, marriage should be like that of her uncle and aunt—filled with trust, equality, and mutual love, where they could share joys and sorrows alike.

Setting aside trust and equality, how difficult could it be to share both joys and hardships?

In a few years, it would soon be the decade of disaster. How many loving couples would sever ties when faced with calamity?

In the novel, the original owner died halfway through the disaster. Once she was gone, Pei Ji’an’s future would no longer be hindered as he soared high. This meant that although the original owner could survive the disaster, Pei Ji’an, who married her, would still have to pay a price.

If the original owner had lived a few more years, would Pei Ji’an still choose his wife over his career? Even if he chose his wife, could he truly do so without resentment later?

Lu Nong didn’t want to die so young, so this question became an issue between her and Pei Ji’an.

In addition to that, there were the differences in worldviews, personality traits, and habits shaped by different eras. They were all different, and if one were to dig deeper, it would reveal countless potential pitfalls.

In the end, the core issue was that Lu Nong was simply not prepared.

However, she couldn’t share these thoughts with Pei Zheng, so she could only shake her head and sigh, “Sigh…”

“Could it be that you really have a boy toy outside?” Pei Zheng guessed in horror.

Here we go again. Lu Nong couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “You should really write novels. It would be a waste of your imagination!”

“What’s that about?”

Pei Zheng pressed his lips together. “Is it because of my mom? That day, my aunt said…”

Lu Nong hadn’t thought of that. Being reminded by Pei Zheng, she realized there was indeed a mine there.

Her interest piqued, she twirled her eyes and made a pitiful face, saying, “Are you going to tell me about your parents?”

“They…” Pei Zheng began.

“Uh-huh,” Lu Nong said, her face full of expectation.

Wait, Pei Zheng only managed to say two words before stopping. Was Lu Nong really the type to show such a pitiful expression?

Based on Pei Zheng’s understanding of her, it was obvious she wasn’t.

He was being tricked again! Pei Zheng shot Lu Nong a glance and said, “If you want to know, it’s simple. Why don’t we exchange secrets?”

Lu Nong regained her composure. This kid had learned how to fish!

But would she admit defeat? No way! Today, she wouldn’t let him find out the secrets of the King of Horses, her surname wouldn’t be Lu!

Lu Nong put her hands on her hips and said, “Sure! Or we can play a game where we ask each other questions. If you don’t want to answer or can’t, you have to drink a cup of coffee. How about that?”

Hmph, if she ends up making him drink a belly full of coffee and running to the bathroom, she wouldn’t feel guilty at all.

To her surprise, Pei Zheng wasn’t intimidated. Instead, he crossed his arms and disdainfully replied, “Fine, but drinking coffee is so boring. You won’t get drunk. If you want to drink, let’s have some alcohol.”

Lu Nong: “…” Aren’t you learning bad things too quickly?

“You’re not even of legal age. What alcohol can you drink? Do you think your dad won’t beat you?” Lu Nong warned him.

“Just treat it as giving my life for a gentleman. Are you in or not? Can you handle it?” Pei Zheng straightened up and looked down at her.

“…” Help, who even talks like that? Who is really the one who time-traveled here?

“Alright, come on! Who’s afraid of whom?” Lu Nong agreed, feeling nervous. She could handle red wine, beer, or cocktails. Surely, white liquor was fine too, right?

Pei Zheng let out a hum and stepped out of the kitchen to open the liquor cabinet. He pulled out several bottles of differently decorated liquor and read them out loud for Lu Nong: “Flying Moutai 53-degree raw liquor, Shaodaozi, Jingzhi 62-degree, Fenjiu Zhuyuqing…”

Lu Nong gasped, “So many! Where did your dad get all this alcohol?”

“My dad’s comrades-in-arms gave it to him. My dad has friends all over the place, and each place has its own local specialty liquor. But he usually doesn’t like drinking, so it just piled up over time.”

Pei Zheng finally picked the Flying Moutai liquor. He had long wanted to taste this particular bottle but finally found the chance.

Lu Nong felt something was off. “Your dad doesn’t like drinking, but his comrades-in-arms sent him liquor?”

Pei Zheng glanced at her. “Have you ever seen him like anything else?”

Lu Nong: “…” Alright, I understand now.

Pei Zheng opened the bottle and took out two small cups, filling them up and asking Lu Nong, “How do you drink if you can’t answer?”

Lu Nong extended one finger.

Pei Zheng replied, “One cup? Fine.”

Lu Nong shook her head. “One sip.”

Pei Zheng looked at her disdainfully, but Lu Nong didn’t care. She wasn’t impulsive or thoughtless. She understood the meaning of knowing her limits.

Lu Nong stated, “Listen carefully to the rules. You must answer the first question. Starting from the second question, if you refuse to answer, drink a sip of liquor. I’ll go first. Why did your dad divorce your mom?”

Pei Zheng fell silent, not expecting Lu Nong to ask the crucial question directly. After a moment, he replied in a muffled voice, “Because someone has fallen in love with another person and wants to be free.”

Lu Nong felt a jolt as she processed his words. She quickly realized that the “someone” he referred to was his mother, Shen Yimei. The novel hadn’t made this clear; it only indicated that the male lead had a mediocre relationship with his mother, which also affected the female lead’s relationship with her mother-in-law. Now, she understood the truth.

It was Pei Zheng’s turn to ask questions. He asked, “How did you meet my father? And how did you marry him?”

Lu Nong thought Pei Zheng would question her about any young men in her life, but instead, he asked this. She was surprised that Pei Ji’an hadn’t told him about her background.

“That’s actually two questions. Which one do you want me to answer?”

“The second one,” Pei Zheng said, feeling frustrated.

Lu Nong shrugged. Technically, these two questions were one and the same. She explained how her late husband had entrusted her to Pei Ji’an after his death in battle.

Pei Zheng was completely shocked. He never expected this to happen. He always thought that the relationship between Lu Nong and his father was that his father took a fancy to Lu Nong and married her. He was wondering why the iron tree suddenly blossomed.

Lu Nong continued, “Now it’s my turn. When your aunt came, why did your dad say he was a country bumpkin?”

Pei Zheng thought for a moment before responding, “Maybe it’s because my dad grew up in the countryside. I heard that during the war years, he was left behind by my grandparents to be raised by a local family. It wasn’t until things settled down that they brought him back, but I’m not sure about the details.”

He learned this from overhearing conversations among the elders, who never discussed the past with him. All he knew was that his father referred to Uncle Gu as a brother, and he had later eavesdropped on stories about how his father used to live with Uncle Gu’s family.

“You… your ex-husband isn’t Uncle Gu, is he?” Pei Zheng hesitantly asked.

His father was not a sentimental man. While he might care for a comrade’s child, he would never agree to marry a comrade’s wife. If he did, it must mean that person was particularly significant to Pei Ji’an.

“Yes. Did your mom and your aunt have a close relationship?” Lu Nong continued her line of questioning.

“Yes, they were very close. My mom, my aunt, and Ye Huihui’s mother were known as the three flowers of the courtyard and were the best of friends.” Pei Zheng took a deep breath, still processing that Lu Nong was Uncle Gu’s wife. No wonder he liked Xiao Gu Huai so much, it turned out he was Uncle Gu’s son.

“Do you love Uncle Gu?” Pei Zheng asked, unsure of what kind of answer he wanted.

Lu Nong remained silent, lowering her head to take a sip of her drink. She had never seen Gu Weiguo, so how could she love him?

So spicy! Lu Nong quickly took a big gulp of coffee to ease the heat.

She couldn’t let Pei Zheng control the conversation anymore, so she asked him a question he would never dare face: “Do you like furry things and soft little things?”

Pei Zheng: “…” You’re ruthless.

He took a sip of his drink and savored it. No wonder it was a top-quality Maotai, specially made for foreign guests.

“Are you giving my dad so much nutritious soup because you look down on him?” Although he didn’t specify what he meant by that, everyone understood.

Lu Nong: “…” @Pei Ji’an, your eldest son is worried about you every day and is almost dying of filial piety.

Lu Nong glanced at Pei Zheng and took a sip of the liquor.

The two exchanged questions, each one becoming more challenging, and they drank more alcohol. By the end of the afternoon, they had slowly finished an entire bottle of Maotai, both of them collapsing on the table.

Lu Nong had thought Pei Zheng could hold his liquor, but he passed out after just a few glasses, even worse than she did. He was truly a lightweight, and she laughed at him, only to find herself slumped over as well.

In the evening, Aunt Wu came downstairs to cook and saw the two drunken souls slumped at the dining table, the strong smell of alcohol lingering in the air.

Aunt Wu: “…”

“Nong Nong?” She approached Lu Nong, trying to wake her up.

Lu Nong groaned and tried to push her away, “No, I’m not drunk.”

Aunt Wu then moved over to Pei Zheng, who was completely unresponsive, sleeping like a dead pig.

She sighed again, realizing she couldn’t lift both of them upstairs. If she accidentally dropped one, it would be a disaster. She decided to make some hangover soup first, planning to let Chief Pei figure out how to get them into bed when he returned.

After a while, the sound of a car horn echoed from outside. Pei Ji’an was back.

Aunt Wu emerged from the kitchen and exchanged glances with him.

Pei Ji’an rubbed his forehead and asked, “What happened?”

Aunt Wu couldn’t possibly explain. She hesitated, unable to find the words.

“Let’s just get them upstairs,” he said.

Xiao Zhou noticed Pei Ji’an’s sour expression and quickly rushed over to Pei Zheng, helping him up to the stairs.

That left Lu Nong. Aunt Wu couldn’t manage her alone. Pei Ji’an approached Lu Nong, and the smell of alcohol hit him hard. He frowned and lifted her up. Startled from her drunken stupor, Lu Nong slurred, “What are you doing? Let go of me, I don’t want you to hold me.”

Pei Ji’an ignored her and carried her upstairs, placing her gently on the bed.

As soon as she hit the bed, Lu Nong sprang up, glaring at Pei Ji’an, and declared, “Hey, you monster, show me your true form!”

Pei Ji’an: “…”