Her softly arched willow leaf eyebrows were lightly touched up, making her eyes appear even more gentle.
Seeing the astonishment in his eyes, Zhi Xia was very satisfied. She deliberately asked in a mischievous way, "Do I look good?"
"Yeah, let's go eat." Pei Jing lightly coughed unnaturally and said before turning around and leaving.
Zhi Xia frowned, seemingly dissatisfied with his perfunctory attitude, but she still followed his footsteps.
The Pei family had not yet divided up, and apart from the eldest son Pei Yong who was not there, the rest were all present, filling up a large table.
After greeting everyone, Zhi Xia sat next to Pei Jing. Old Pei started eating first before everyone else began.
The Pei family had no rules about not speaking during meals or sleep. Everyone chimed in, and it was very lively, mostly teasing Zhi Xia and Pei Jing. She could only smile shyly without saying anything.
After the meal, Zhi Xia hung the washed clothes out to dry outside.
In the autumn breeze, they would probably be dry overnight.
Seeing her return to the room, Pei Jing helplessly sighed and went to the front gate instead.
Old Pei had been observing his youngest son's actions all along while eating. Seeing him like this now, he was even more worried.
After waiting for a while without seeing anyone come back, he was both angry and helpless.
He asked the maid to call Pei Sheng from the second room over and said to Old Pei, "Pei Jing went out. Go find him. Today is the big wedding day. Leaving the new bride alone in the room, what is this about!"
Old Pei had originally intended for his grandson Pei JianGuo to propose to Zhi Xia, but he also knew that the silly boy had some feelings for a girl raised by the An family, so he had hesitated all along.
Fortunately he had never joked about it before, otherwise it would have been awkward.
But Old Pei always believed that no matter who Zhi Xia married, with Uncle An's relationship, she would be like his own child, and no one could bully her.
Pei Sheng rubbed his hands and still couldn't help it. "Dad, I've always been quite puzzled and didn't dare ask. How did you and Uncle An think of marrying Little Jing and Zhi Xia together?"
He definitely didn't believe the two had fallen for each other, especially with their difference in seniority. And looking at his brother's attitude, he didn't seem to like her that much either, seeming more troubled instead.
"If you don't dare to ask then don't ask," Old Pei glared at him. "Just do as you're told. And, Pei Jing has never interacted with girls before either. You... give him more pointers, instead of wandering around not knowing what to do."
This marriage had worried Old Pei to death, and in just a few days, more white hair had grown on his head.
This child Pei Jing had always been awkward. Growing up like this, he had never heard of him getting close to any girl. He was afraid he would just leave her be purely out of responsibility, having married her back.
And Zhi Xia was still young, certainly not knowing how to handle men either.
Over time, how could problems not arise?
Sure enough, it was only the first day and it was already so worrying.
Pei Sheng, full of doubts, went out, and Pei Jing was smoking at the door, with many cigarette butts already on the ground.
"Dad asked me to come find you. Why are you doing this? On your big happy day, not going back to accompany your new bride, hiding alone at the door to smoke, what's going on? Not satisfied with your sister-in-law?" Pei Sheng patted his arm and took a cigarette to light up with a match. Exhaling smoke, he said, "I really can't figure out you and Dad's thoughts, randomly saying you're getting married, bringing her back, and now you're like this."
If he wasn't so familiar with his younger brother's personality, he would have even thought that he had secretly gotten the girl pregnant, so he still married her despite the awkward relationship.
Pei Jing glanced at his second brother. He fiercely sucked on the cigarette again before flicking away the butt. "It's not that I'm dissatisfied. I just don't know...how to get along with her."
He looked intently at Pei Sheng, actually wanting to ask for advice.
Usually when he was alone in the room, he didn't really do anything, just reading books and organizing some things at times.
But suddenly there was another person in the room, and he always felt awkward, as if there was no place for him to step, also not knowing what to do.
Busy with his own things yet afraid of neglecting the other, but with her...he really didn't know what to say.
Pei Jing's worries made Pei Sheng snicker.
"My silly little brother, on the night of the nuptials, you're telling me you don't know how to get along with your new bride?" Pei Sheng finally stopped laughing with difficulty, cleared his throat, and solemnly looked at Pei Jing, sizing him up with puzzlement. Suddenly he had a bad premonition. "Little Jing, tell your second brother the truth, you can't be...not functional right?"
He vaguely remembered that night long ago when it was his turn, after getting rid of the rowdy people, he had...
Ahem!
Sensing his thoughts becoming indecent, Pei Sheng's old face turned red.
"You're overthinking." Pei Jing really regretted telling him about this, but he also didn't expect his second brother to think in that direction.
He stubbed out the cigarette with his foot and turned to go back in.
Pei Sheng's cigarette was only half-smoked. Not knowing whether to throw it or keep it, he fiercely sucked one last breath before putting it out and stuffing the rest in his pocket.
When Pei Jing returned, he saw Zhi Xia picking melon seeds and red dates out of the bedding. She had already washed up, with some dampness still on the hair by her forehead. She had also changed into another set of clothes. The red strappy nightgown still revealed a large area of fair skin on her chest despite the outer layer of a light coat, as well as her slender neck and legs.
"You're back. Where did you go just now? I waited and didn't see you for half a day. Xiang Xiang had to bring me to wash up." Zhi Xia didn't bring up him deliberately slipping away at all, pretending not to know.
She knew he felt awkward inside but there was no solution for it. It wasn't his fault either.
She was the perpetrator, even if it wasn't her intention.
She had just finished speaking when she saw Pei Jing suddenly turn around, his body also stiffening.
"Do you want to...change clothes first?" This time Pei Jing really wasn't avoiding her, just not daring to look.
He was clearer than anyone that he was a normal man.
He just felt that Zhi Xia was supposed to be his junior, yet through a twist of fate had become his wife. So he didn't know how to face her.
Actually there was nothing wrong with Zhi Xia's clothes. It was just normal sleepwear in modern times. For this era it was a little revealing, but fine to wear at home.
Zhi Xia looked down at her clothes. She wasn't stupid, on the contrary she understood what she should.
From the decision to marry, she had worried that Pei Jing only felt responsible and would later treat her as a junior to take care of.
Once this mindset became fixed, it would be hard to change, as it would induce guilt.
So she wanted him to have this awareness from the start - that she was his wife, not a niece who needed his care.
