Chapter 209 No Consummation of the Marriage

Afraid of startling her, Lu Yunqi quickly said, "How about I go to the study first tonight, and you get some rest?"

After saying that, he got up and was about to leave, but his eyes lingered on Yu Qingci.

Yu Qingci snapped out of her daze. She knew that countless eyes would be watching Guanlan Pavilion tonight, and if he left like this, who knew how many messy rumors would spread tomorrow? So she said:

"I have already asked Tong'er and the others to prepare the west study. Why don't you make do with the west study tonight, General?"

The main house she is currently living in has a standard layout, with three rooms in a row and two side rooms. The middle room serves as the main hall for receiving guests, and the east room is the bedroom with a bathroom partitioned off inside.

The west room was her own study, but it was furnished with a large chaise lounge, where she could easily take a nap.

It might be a little uncomfortable for someone as tall as Lu Yunqi to sleep on it, but we can't worry about that right now; we need to keep him here first.

Lu Yunqi took a deep breath. It seemed she was still a little shy; he had been too hasty.

That's fine, let's wait until she gets used to being her husband before we talk about it.

So he obediently followed Yu Qingci into the west room.

After settling Lu Yunqi in, Yu Qingci returned to her bedroom and lay tossing and turning in the soft cloud-shaped curtains. She had been so sleepy just moments before, but now she was wide awake.

Lu Yunqi does seem to be a gentleman, and what he said just now affirmed her efforts. So there shouldn't be any trouble discussing divorce in the future. After all, resolving the trouble sooner and marrying the one you love will save everyone a lot of trouble.

She really couldn't bring herself to like that Luo Yi.

He had originally thought that he could get along well with her, so that even if she left the general's mansion, this relationship would provide her, a woman living alone, with an extra layer of protection.

It seems best to let it go now; Luo Yi probably wouldn't want his ex-wife constantly hanging around under their noses.

The moonlight outside the window was hazy, and Yu Qingci drifted off to sleep, lost in thought.

Lu Yunqi in the west was still wide awake. Ever since he learned at Taijue Temple that she was his wife, he could no longer focus solely on the affairs of the court and the war.

Afterwards, when he was alone, that slender and graceful figure and that unforgettable face would inadvertently appear in his mind.

The first thing he did after arriving in the capital was to find out about the marriage of the Earl's sisters in place of each other. When he learned the truth, he felt not the slightest bit disappointed, but rather a sense of relief.

This young wife, who married into the family by chance, was like an uncarved piece of jade, gentle and reserved, calm and composed in the face of adversity. At such a young age, she single-handedly stabilized the situation in the General's Mansion when it was in turmoil. She was so charming and lovely that he felt the urge to protect her the moment he saw her.

When he lived alone in Guanlan Pavilion, this study was originally where he stored military books and handled military affairs. The layout of the room was simple and cold, even carrying a bit of the solemn atmosphere of a military camp.

But now, there are two pots of vibrant orchids by the window, an elegant celadon brush washer and a pine soot ink with a faint fragrance on the desk, and a soft chaise lounge covered with a light blue quilt embroidered with delicate flowers and plants, which seems to still have a faint fragrance.

This chaise lounge was supposed to be spacious enough, but as he tossed and turned on it, he felt a little cramped. Closing his eyes, the image of his young wife, her hair flowing like a waterfall, her face flushed with shyness, vividly appeared in his mind.

Thinking of this, his throat inexplicably went dry again, and a strange restlessness seemed to be stirring deep within his body. He forced himself to turn over, turning his back to the east room, trying to suppress that inappropriate, erotic thought.

It seemed he had an indescribable dream all night. The next day, Lu Yunqi woke up early, only to find something strange under his body. His handsome face immediately turned red with embarrassment.

Damn it! His self-control, which he had always been so proud of, had inexplicably failed him.

Annoyed, he took advantage of the fact that no one was in the courtyard, rolled up the bed sheets and other items he had soiled on the couch, and quickly left Guanlan Pavilion.

The next day, when Yu Qingci got up, Lu Yunqi was nowhere to be seen. Before she could even ask when the general had left, Granny Wang had already come to the door.

"Greetings to Madam. The old lady said that the young general has now been promoted to Grand General by the court, and from now on the whole household will address you as General and Madam."

The old lady has already prepared breakfast and specially sent this old servant to invite the general and his wife to dine together.

Upon learning that Lu Yunqi had left, Granny Wang opened her eyes wide in disbelief, and then walked around the room in disbelief, only to find that the general was indeed not there.

However, the general's presence or absence did not affect her main purpose for coming today. Last night, the general and his wife consummated their marriage, and she had come to retrieve the original handkerchief on the old lady's orders. Only with the original handkerchief could it be truly proven that the two had become husband and wife.

But judging from the situation, it seems that nothing happened between the two last night, and the general left alone early this morning.

How is she supposed to explain this to the old lady when she gets back?

Yu Qingci blushed and explained to Wang Mama, who was looking at her suspiciously, "The general slept in the east study last night and left early this morning. He probably had urgent business to attend to, so he went out early this morning."

Wang Mama blinked and quickly adjusted her expression, smiling as she said, "Perhaps. The general has just returned and naturally has a lot of official business to attend to. Well then, young mistress, once you've finished getting ready, go and have breakfast with the old lady. The old lady has been in a good mood these past few days and always wants to talk to the younger generation in the family. Young mistress, if you have time, go and keep the old lady company."

Since the general returned, the most noticeable change in the entire household has been in Old Madam Ning. She rarely goes to the small Buddhist hall anymore, and spends her days chatting and laughing with Miss Luo, making Songbai Hall much more lively.

However, seeing that Miss Luo diligently attending to the old lady every day and constantly inquiring about the lady's affairs with the servants, Granny Wang couldn't stand it. She was firmly on the lady's side.

However, the old lady was very fond of Miss Luo, and since Miss Luo had saved the general's life, she, as a servant, could not say much. She could only secretly remind her mistress to show her face in front of the old lady more often.

After Granny Wang returned, Old Madam Ning learned that the two had not consummated their marriage the previous night. Her hands, which were holding prayer beads, paused slightly, and the expectant smile on her face faded somewhat. Finally, she said helplessly:

"This child... Yunqi just returned, and perhaps he is preoccupied with military affairs and his mind is not yet settled, so he cannot think about romance for the time being."

Qingci is a young woman, and she entered the family in such a way, so she probably doesn't understand this.

You should speak to Granny Pei privately; young people don't understand, so you should remind her, as her close caregiver.

Granny Wang: "What the old lady says is true. This old servant will find some time to go and talk to her."

As the two were talking, Luo Yi, who was sitting next to Old Madam Ning, overheard the whole thing. A look of unexpected joy appeared in her eyes, but she quickly lowered her gaze so that no one would notice.