Chapter 7: Bullying honest people will incur divine retribution

Pei Yuan was reflecting on the fact that he had caused trouble twice in a row, and in the end, he had unwittingly revealed his real name without even using a pseudonym. If his father found out, it would surely lead to a significant uproar, which made him feel quite regretful. To his surprise, the girl across from him seemed completely oblivious to everything, and she called out to him as "Young Master Pei." Upon hearing this, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. However, the expression of relief was clearly written on his face, and he did not hide it at all.

The young man answered honestly with three words, which made Ling Bo even more frustrated. This damned brat, even if he was really looking at her, did he have to respond with such a stiff three-word reply? At this moment, she was particularly grateful that she had just reserved a small private room; otherwise, if it had been in a public setting, she could hardly guarantee how many people would turn to look if she slammed the table like this

Pei Yuan had just arrived in Luoyang, and due to his simple and honest nature, he had already suffered numerous setbacks in the past few days. Unexpectedly, this time he encountered such an amiable young lady, which filled his heart with indescribable joy. After a moment of contemplation, he came up with an idea: "My family already raises quite a few horses, and I have some knowledge of veterinary medicine. If the young lady does not mind, I could go to your home to take a look at that horse. Even if I am not capable, I have brought along a few family members who will surely be able to help."

Gently tapping her fingers on the table, she curiously examined the young man before her. True to his simple nature, this fellow was certainly not the handsome, dashing youth one might expect. Compared to the locals of Luoyang, his complexion was slightly darker, giving him the appearance of someone from beyond the borders. His features were quite regular, and he had a tall, slender build, lacking any noticeable muscle, which made him seem somewhat frail. However, from just the brief contact they had, she knew that this so-called frailty was merely a facade.

"Stop, stop!" Ling Bo did not expect that whatever she said, this stubborn fool would believe. She was truly frightened by this obstinate young man and quickly interrupted his words, "Since you say you want to compensate for my horse, I must know, what is your name? Where are you from?"

Taking a deep breath, she repeatedly warned herself in her heart before finally asking in a calm tone: "Let me ask you, a few days ago, were you not almost in a collision with a horseback rider at the intersection of Jianchunmen Street and Dingdingmen Street?"

I am watching you

At this moment, Ling Bo was sitting with the honest young man, Tu Shu, in the renowned Qingfeng Tower in the southern market of Luoyang. Although she felt dizzy and had fallen quite hard from the earlier incident, it was truly unnecessary to make a trip to the pharmacy for this. As for hitting him a couple of times or offering two pearls as compensation, she was neither in the mood for that nor did it align with her principles. In any case, she was quite hungry, so she might as well enjoy a meal at the expense of this unfortunate fellow. As for hitting him a couple of times or offering two pearls as compensation, she was neither in the mood for that nor did it align with her principles. In any case, she was quite hungry, so she might as well enjoy a meal at the expense of this unfortunate fellow

If it were someone else, they would surely hesitate for a long time. However, Pei Yuan, being naturally simple-minded, felt that changing a title was not a big deal; instead, he felt more at ease and thus agreed without hesitation. This demeanor, in Ling Bo's eyes, made her find this simple-minded boy endearingly charming, and her gaze towards him softened by three points.

The young man replied without a moment's hesitation: "My surname is Pei, and my given name is Yuan. I am from Tingzhou."

Some people are either exceptionally talented, eloquent, charming, or skilled in maneuvering, but he possesses only one virtue—honesty. To put it in a more colloquial way, as his mother would say, he will always remain that ordinary small landlord and will never become a significant figure. After his aunt was elevated to the status of a queen and granted titles to her relatives, although he was conferred a title of nobility following a large group of cousins, he held no official position beyond that of a noble. As a result, instead of becoming shrewd, he became even more honest.

Oh? The young man was momentarily taken aback, and then he stepped forward and bowed deeply to the ground, expressing utmost sincerity. "Including today, I have offended the young lady twice; I am truly sorry! I will certainly compensate for the young lady's horse..."

Observing the struggling expression of another is not a pleasant experience; at least Ling Bo does not have such a perverse hobby. Moreover, a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone this seemingly simple-minded fellow. She gently cleared her throat, feigning ignorance, and nodded with a smile, saying: "So it is Young Master Pei."

Ling Bo was deep in thought when he suddenly noticed that Pei Yuan had become stiff in place, a clear expression of regret appearing on his face, and he immediately realized the truth. The Beiting Protectorate is located far in the Western Regions, surrounded by the former territory of the Western Turks. The reason this foolish young man from Beiting has the surname Pei is most likely due to one possibility: he could very well be a convict exiled to the Beiting Protectorate! It is important to note that after the Empress ascended the throne, many prominent families were dispatched to various remote locations.

My beloved mount, Chuqing, might have been injured

Therefore, Ling Bo received the most lessons from her father, which can be summarized as "Be honest and straightforward in life, and marry according to one's own circumstances". Additionally, the second lesson is "Bullying honest people will incur divine retribution"

Ling Bo observed with a smile in her heart, and thus chose not to dwell on the two losses she had suffered: "That day I was riding too fast, so I cannot entirely blame you. Today, it was also my own carelessness, so let us forget about the compensation for the horse. However, Chuqing is my beloved steed, and if it were to be harmed, it would indeed be a serious matter"

A frail person would give her a feeling of a block of iron? That would truly be a sight to behold

The shock of Ling Bo was not trivial, but what was even more surprising was the other party's attitude. Seeing the serious expression on their face, she was about to demand an exorbitant price, but for some inexplicable reason, a certain teaching from the past resurfaced in her mind. Thus, she had no choice but to abandon her plan to continue probing and said directly: "The person who was riding the horse that day was indeed me"

Seeing Pei Yuan's sincere expression and sparkling eyes, Ling Bo could no longer hold back and let out a chuckle: "Don't keep calling me 'young lady', it sounds awkward. I won't ask your age; since your surname is Pei, I'll call you 'Little Pei', and you can call me 'Little Ling' in return"

So it turns out you are from the Beiting Protectorate, no wonder your personality is so different from that of the Central Plains people... Wait a minute, your surname is Pei? That is a prominent surname in the Central Plains, how could you be from Tingzhou

Ah, how do you know! Just now, the innocent and calm youth suddenly became agitated, standing up with both hands on the table, his face full of anxiety. "In the past few days, I have inquired everywhere, but I still haven't found that person! That day, I accidentally got lost and didn't notice that it was getting late, nor did I pay attention to the sound of hooves. If it weren't for that person's exceptional horsemanship, I might have lost my life. However, he leaped his horse in the street, and he must have inadvertently injured the horse! If the young lady knows the whereabouts of that person, please inform me, as I must go and apologize in person!" That day, I accidentally got lost and didn't notice that it was getting late, nor did I pay attention to the sound of hooves. If it weren't for that person's exceptional horsemanship, I might have lost my life. However, he leaped his horse in the street, and he must have inadvertently injured the horse! If the young lady knows the whereabouts of that person, please inform me, as I must go and apologize in person!

Ling Bo's deceased father was an unfortunate man. Although his aunt was already the ruling empress of the world when he was young, he hardly benefited from her status compared to his brothers.

She had thought that honest people had become extinct in Luoyang City at this time. However, today, she finally encountered a rascal who could rival her deceased father in terms of honesty! With this guy's straightforwardness, if he stayed in Luoyang for a few more days, he might end up getting swindled out of his pants as well!

After glancing at the other person, she suddenly realized that the other person's gaze was also fixed directly on her, as if it had not shifted for even a moment. Although she never felt that being looked at by someone would cost her a piece of flesh, such a piercing gaze was quite infuriating. Therefore, without saying another word, she slammed her hand on the table and said, "Hey, what are you looking at?"