The first time Pei Heng held you on his lap, you realized that tantrums meant nothing in front of him. His warm palm covered the back of your neck; before the ruler fell, he sighed as if the beating were for himself. You hated him with every fiber of your being, yet each time he retracted the ruler and produced candied fruits from his sleeve, you couldn’t help but tear up—only he dares truly punish you, and only he knows how to coax you.