Chapter 42

“It wasn’t in secret,” Pei Ji’an said calmly, completely composed.

Lu Nong: “…”

Don’t think she didn’t catch that. The phrase “It wasn’t in secret” didn’t deny the fact that he kissed her. It denied that it was done secretly.

—He kissed her, but it wasn’t in secret.

In the next moment, Lu Nong realized something. If it wasn’t a secret kiss, could it have been an open one?

When did they ever kiss?

Suspicious, Lu Nong said, “Impossible. Why don’t I have any memory of that?”

“Do you really like Journey to the West?” Pei Ji’an’s large hand slid down her back, sending a shiver through her. He grasped the hand she had placed at his waist, his larger hand easily enveloping hers.

“Uh… it’s okay?” Lu Nong replied, slightly breathless, snapping out of her daze. She was confused about why Pei Ji’an suddenly brought up Journey to the West.

Pei Ji’an resumed fanning her and casually said, “I heard someone say that Tang Sanzang and the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom had feelings for each other, and Sun Wukong abandoned Baigujing and fell in love with a woman named Zixia.”

The more Lu Nong listened, the more startled she became. By the end, she was completely frozen. Zixia is a character from a movie made in the 1990s. How could Pei Ji’an, someone from the 1960s, possibly know that?

Also, in the original Journey to the West, the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom and Tang Sanzang never had any romantic feelings. Where did these emotions come from? The notion of romance between Tang Sanzang and the Queen was an invention of the 1986 TV adaptation.

As for Sun Wukong, he loathed Baigujing. The story of “Sun Wukong Battles Baigujing” was no joke. They met, and he killed her with one strike—how could they fall in love?

The idea of Sun Wukong falling in love with Baigujing also came from that 1990s movie. In the film, Sun Wukong was a playboy, falling in love with many female demons and then abandoning them, Baigujing being one of them.

Could it be that Pei Ji’an had experienced something strange like her?

Quickly, Lu Nong came to her senses. No, life couldn’t be that coincidental. Besides, Pei Ji’an’s tone didn’t suggest anything like that. He said, “I heard someone say it.” Wasn’t that “someone” her?

Lu Nong: “…”

Under normal circumstances, Lu Nong would never have said such a thing, but there was one abnormal condition—being drunk.

Unfortunately, Lu Nong did get drunk once at the Pei family’s house.

She felt a bit guilty. Her friends back in the modern world had told her that when she got drunk, she would completely let loose, but she had never known what she was like. She had thought that since she was in a different body, that wouldn’t happen anymore.

With that in mind, Pei Ji’an’s phrase “It wasn’t in secret” made sense. It was very likely that she had made the first move, forcing a kiss on him.

If that was the case, Lu Nong strangely felt a sense of satisfaction. Pei Ji’an, this old pervert, always took advantage of her. She had gotten back at him at least once.

Completely relaxed now, the darkness seemed to embolden Lu Nong just as it had emboldened Pei Ji’an. She reached up, hooked her slender finger under Pei Ji’an’s chin, and tapped his lips. “Yes, who told you that? I think they’re right. Tang Sanzang did fall for the Queen of the Women’s Kingdom, but unfortunately, it was a love without fate.”

“If you were Tang Sanzang and I were the Queen, would you take me and run away together?” She was no queen. At this moment, she was like a mischievous demon tempting the monk to fall from grace.

What started as a playful question took an unexpected turn. Pei Ji’an fell silent, and after a long pause, he quietly said, “I am a soldier. In this life, my first duty is to serve my country, and I consider dying in battle an honor that will never change. After my duty to my country, I will attend to my family. You are my wife, and I swear by my beliefs to remain loyal to you, never leaving or abandoning you.”

As Lu Nong listened, she grew silent too. She sat up in bed and said to Pei Ji’an, “Get up and put your clothes on.”

Though confused, Pei Ji’an complied. He stood up and started putting on his clothes, one piece at a time.

Lu Nong turned on the bedside lamp, opened the drawer, and pulled out her favorite outfit—a blue skirt and white shirt, the last school uniform she had worn when she was sixteen.

She hadn’t brought this outfit with her when she came for the photoshoot. She had thought that the best age to wear it was when she was sixteen or seventeen, so she wanted to leave it in her memories. But today, she wanted to wear it again because she felt it best represented her as a student.

“Put on your coat and your hat too,” Lu Nong instructed.

Once both of them were dressed, Lu Nong’s face grew serious. “Now, repeat what you just said to me.”

Lying in bed was disrespectful to both their beliefs and the vow itself.

Pei Ji’an’s eyes deepened, as if he were gazing into Lu Nong’s soul. Standing tall, he raised his right hand in a military salute and repeated every word, “In this life, my duty to my country comes first and will never change. After my country, my family. I swear by my loyalty to remain true to my wife, Lu Nong, never leaving or abandoning her.”

When Pei Ji’an finished, Lu Nong smiled. “We never had a proper wedding ceremony when we got married. Let’s consider this our ceremony now.”

“You’re not angry,” Pei Ji’an said as a statement, not a question.

Lu Nong replied, “No, I’m not. Why would I be angry?”

From the 1960s to the future, or perhaps from the past to the future, maybe people’s ideas have changed, and the material conditions of life have improved. But the love for one’s country never changes. Pei Ji’an loved his country, and Lu Nong loved hers just as much.

Soldiers are the first and last line of defense, protecting the land and peace of the country. It is only natural that soldiers put their country first.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Why should she be angry?

Pei Ji’an’s vow was one of pure loyalty and simplicity—to never betray or abandon her.

It wasn’t filled with declarations of love, yet it was the hardest promise to keep. But Lu Nong had no doubt that Pei Ji’an would fulfill it, simply because of the uniform he wore.

Pei Ji’an lowered his head, showing a rare, gentle smile—the kind that made Lu Nong’s heart skip a beat. That famous line from Xu Zhimo’s poem came to mind: “The gentleness of a bowed head.”

In that moment, the reserved and stoic “Flower of Gaoling” smiled tenderly—a fatal blow.

When she came to her senses, she saw this “Flower of Gaoling” undoing the buttons on his clothes. He slowly said, “Since tonight is our wedding ceremony, it should also be our wedding night.”

Lu Nong: “……” Damnthis “Flower of Gaoling”, that old pervert is still the same old pervert.

Lu Nong shot a strange glance at Pei Ji’an. She wasn’t ready to embark on the life-changing journey with her husband, who resembled a silver wax figure. Although she didn’t look down on Pei Ji’an, she was concerned that if he turned out to be inadequate, it might ruin her appreciation for his handsome face.

For now, everything was good. She could enjoy a little advantage and indulge in her imagination. Once she improved her acting skills to the point where she could praise him as “amazing” even if Pei Ji’an was lacking, then she might consider taking things further with him.

Moreover, that old pervert was still recovering from his injuries. Lu Nong found a perfectly reasonable excuse for herself and felt justified in ignoring Pei Ji’an’s words. She said, “Time for bed.”

She took off her clothes and jumped into bed, falling asleep in an instant.

Pei Ji’an: “……”

The next morning, Pei Ji’an took Lu Nong to the hospital for a check-up. Although Lu Nong had refused to go the night before, Pei Ji’an couldn’t shake off his concern.

The test results were the same as Lu Nong expected. The tiny amount of drug powder had long been metabolized by the body and there were no side effects or other symptoms.

After returning home, the four unlucky younger brothers, the baby, and Xiao Zhou were already seated at the dining table. Even Xiao Bai was sitting obediently on the floor, waiting for Lu Nong and Pei Ji’an to come back.

Lu Nong was baffled, “Why aren’t you eating at home this early in the morning?”

“They heard you were attacked last night and insisted on coming to check on you,” Pei Zheng explained.

“Well, thank you?” Lu Nong couldn’t believe it. When did these four unlucky brothers become sensible?

Pei Zheng added, “They also wanted to settle the payment for the little red flowers.”

Lu Nong: “……” Hmph, it seems she overestimated those useless brothers.

With a glum expression, Lu Nong rummaged through her godmother’s sewing basket and pulled out the performance evaluation forms for her four useless brothers.

Pei Zheng and the others: “……” It’s a classic case of looking for a needle in a haystack, they couldn’t find anything for ages.

“Ahem, let me read the evaluation results for Pei Zheng, Zhang Kaiping, Shen Jiming, and Jiang Yu, along with their little red flower and black cross scores. Ahem… Give a round of applause!”

Seeing that no one responded after a long pause, Lu Nong had to remind everyone quietly.

“Oh, right, right, let’s applaud.”

Aunt Wu was the first to respond, though her expression was troubled. She glanced at the foolishly grinning Pei Zheng and thought to herself, that silly boy, you’ll have your turn to cry soon.

The others didn’t understand Aunt Wu’s concern and joined in applauding. Even the baby clapped his tiny hands. He looked down at Xiao Bai by his feet and thought the dog should applaud too. So, when no one was looking, he crawled under the table to play a clapping game with Xiao Bai.

Only Pei Ji’an remained calm.

Lu Nong waved her hand, “Alright, everyone now knows that little red flowers can be exchanged for money, and black crosses will have penalties, understood?”

Without waiting for a response, she nodded and continued, “Great, since everyone understands, let’s begin. First up is Comrade Zhang Kaiping, who has earned a total of seven little red flowers and zero black crosses, currently in first place!”

“Last night, Zhang Kaiping exchanged six little red flowers for three yuan. He now has one little red flower left.”

“Next is Comrade Shen Jiming, who has earned six little red flowers, also exchangeable for three yuan.”

Lu Nong was surprised and looked at Shen Jiming. She didn’t expect this guy to be so reliable. She had entrusted the awarding of little red flowers to her godmother for supervision, and getting six from her meant Shen Jiming had truly performed well.

Noticing her gaze, Shen Jiming smiled gently, as if to say, Did you misjudge me?

Lu Nong pouted and continued, “Jiang Yu and Pei Zheng are tied for third, each earning five little red flowers.”

They were quite competitive, none of these four had received black crosses. But would that be enough for them to successfully take her money? That seemed unlikely.

“Well, it looks like everyone will get some money. However, this is just a household performance evaluation form. I also made a study evaluation form for each of you, and I’ll go upstairs to get them.”

Pei Zheng and the others looked at Lu Nong in disbelief. Lu Nong remained fearless and stared back, as if to ask, Do you have a problem with that?

Pei Zheng and the others: “……” How can we voice our concerns?

Aunt Wu’s worries were justified because Lu Nong not only brought their study evaluation forms but also created a chart for every family member.

Let’s not even mention how Pei Zheng and his friends got five big black crosses each for sneaking out to play basketball instead of studying, which canceled out their five little red flowers. Suddenly, they went from wealthy kids to broke ones. Zhang Kaiping even ended up owing Lu Nong four little red flowers.

Pei Zheng and the others: “……” You’re so cruel.

Even Aunt Wu, the baby, Xiao Bai, and Pei Ji’an couldn’t escape their fate. Lu Nong first turned to Aunt Wu and said, “Godmother, did you forget to get up for your morning exercise today? That won’t do. I’m calling you out once and marking you with a black cross, hoping you’ll keep up the effort from now on.”

Aunt Wu nodded blankly.

After finishing with Aunt Wu, Lu Nong turned to the next subject of rewards and penalties, the baby, “Student Gu Xiaohuai you’ve been very… Huh? Gu Xiaohuai, why are you hiding under the table?”

She pulled the baby and Xiao Bai out from underneath the table, one in each hand. Xiao Bai flailed its four paws, and the baby found it amusing, mimicking the dog’s antics with his little hands and legs.

Lu Nong: “……”

The baby was quite clever. He quickly learned how to hold chopsticks after just a little guidance from the adults. However, the main problem was Xiao Bai, who kept leaving messes around the house instead of going to the designated spot.

Lu Nong solemnly announced, “Since you are the primary caregiver for Xiao Bai, the black cross it received will be counted against you. I declare that Gu Xiaohuai will be deducted a small snack.”

“……”

Pei Zheng looked at the baby, who was still unaware that he had just received the most serious punishment from his mother.

Finally, Lu Nong pulled out Pei Ji’an’s evaluation form and said, “Comrade Pei is the best performer in the family. Not only does he drink a big bowl of Godmother’s nutritious soup every day, but he also diligently follows his English study plan. Great job, keep it up! You earn three little red flowers.”

 Lu Nong avoided looking at Pei Ji’an the entire time. By day, it felt like a line of caution separated day from night. At night, she acted like a carefree spirit, while during the day, she quickly reverted to a state of not knowing Pei Ji’an well.

Pei Ji’an: “…”

Pei Zheng glanced at his father, confused. He wondered how one could earn praise just by drinking nourishing soup. Furthermore, why did he need to learn English when his father spoke it better than him, a university student?

Pei Ji’an calmly returned Pei Zheng’s gaze. Is there a problem?

Pei Zheng: “…” There must be no problem.

After a round of conversation, Lu Nong began her self-reflection process. Well, she thought, she had no faults at all.

Still feeling somewhat unsatisfied, she turned her gaze toward Xiao Zhou, the only person present who hadn’t been dragged into the unfolding drama.

Xiao Zhou was engrossed in watching the scene. He hadn’t expected to find himself at the center of it, so he quickly waved his hands to change the topic. “Comrade Lu, I’m here to report on my work. There has been some progress in the matter of the girl who chased the car and Zhao Ming.”

To be considerate of Aunt Wu, Xiao Zhou used the girl who chased the car to refer to Qian Yu. “The girl chasing the car is a serious issue. She once helped the spies planted in the house across the street. There are also problems with her father’s family. Now they have all been controlled. I will continue to follow up on this matter.”

“As for Zhao Ming, he confessed sincerely at the police station, but his factory director uncle hasn’t shown up at all.”

At this point, Xiao Zhou explained, “By the way, it turns out that Zhao Ming’s father is not actually the factory director. The factory director is his uncle. He is the only male in his family and his uncle’s family, so the whole family treats him like their lifeblood. His mother cried and made a scene at the police station last night, demanding that the police release Zhao Ming. She was very arrogant.”

Pei Ji’an nodded without showing any expression. If someone extended their reach too far, he wouldn’t mind cutting them down. They were just pests.

Pei Zheng and Zhang Kaiping realized the situation too late. Xiao Zhou recounted how Zhao Ming had tried to flirt with Lu Nong but ended up being taught a lesson. Pei Zheng frowned tightly, meaning that Lu Nong had encountered two dangers last night.

He decided to follow Lu Nong closely to and from school from now on. He couldn’t afford to relax for a moment; if he and Zhang Kaiping hadn’t been playing around last night, Lu Nong wouldn’t have faced so many problems.

After finishing their meal, Pei Ji’an personally drove Lu Nong and Pei Zheng to school. The family, in their own way, was becoming more conscious of protecting Lu Nong.

Upon arriving at the school, Lu Nong stopped Pei Zheng to ask about Zhao Xin. Pei Zheng pondered for a moment. “Do you think she acted on purpose last night?”

Lu Nong was surprised. As expected of a novel’s male lead, he was indeed sharp and insightful.

“Don’t look at me like that. Her timing was too convenient to be just a coincidence. Plus, I have a very poor impression of her. She is Song Laixi’s stepmother. Since marrying Uncle Song, it seemed like Song Laixi was living better on the surface, with everything in the house at his disposal. However, his relationship with Uncle Song deteriorated, and eventually, Song Laixi couldn’t take it anymore and packed his bags to head to the northwest to contribute to the country.”

Pei Zheng pursed his lips. “He’s only a year older than me.”

Lu Nong hadn’t expected such a backstory. This meant the issues surrounding Zhao Xin’s stepmother alliance were significant.

“I will write to ask Song Laixi about his stepmother. You should be careful these days and avoid being alone with her,” Pei Zheng said, exhaling deeply.

Lu Nong nodded to show she understood.

After they parted ways, Lu Nong went to the dormitory to get her things. As soon as she entered, everyone except Cheng Duoduo looked at her strangely.

Confused, Lu Nong met Cheng Duoduo’s gaze. Understanding what was happening, she found her belongings and walked out of the dorm with Cheng Duoduo.

“Were you at the clothing factory dance yesterday?” Cheng Duoduo asked as they walked.