Chapter 4 She resolved, "Husband, it's time for us to consummate our marriage."...

"I...I don't usually read it...no, I don't read it, my grandmother forced it on me!" Her words were incoherent, and she wanted to slap herself. Being seen carrying a book of erotic pleasures with her by her future brother-in-law made her want to dig a hole and bury her head in the sand!

She appeared calm as she picked up the booklet and hid it, her fingertips trembling slightly beneath her wide sleeves.

The fire he set last night flashed through Xu Congjing's mind. He lowered his head and curled the corners of his mouth. "As a new bride, it's normal for you to want to see."

Since ancient times, it has been customary for newlyweds to consummate their marriage, but how could the two of them possibly discuss this matter in words?

"I don't want to see!" Lou Yanxu hurriedly explained when she saw him chuckling. But the more she explained, the more ridiculous she felt. She wrinkled her face, held her breath, and buried her head in self-pity.

He coughed twice to cover his laughter, a ripple of emotion in his handsome eyes. He picked up a teacup with one hand to savor the tea, and with the other, he used fire tongs to add a few pieces of charcoal, causing the heat inside the carriage to rise. She felt warm from the outside in, her small face glowing like a bubbling well.

The carriage was completely silent.

"Why don't you come closer and dry the wet spot?" After a long while, Xu Congjing suddenly spoke, his gaze falling on her skirt, which was soaked with sewage.

She pondered his words, a hint of embarrassment creeping onto her pretty face.

Was he blaming her for dirtying the carriage?

Lou Yanxu glanced at him quickly, wiped away the dripping dirty water with a handkerchief, and stretched out her leg, keeping her body half a mile away from him.

"..."

When the carriage was almost dry, it stopped at the side gate of the Marquis's residence. Xu Congjing reached out and gently blocked her head, explaining, "Going through the main gate might attract criticism. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Lou Yanxu admired his thoughtfulness, thinking that he had always been respectful except on his wedding day, and felt a surge of gratitude. "Thank you, Minister Xu."

He watched her figure disappear casually, then drew back the curtain and leisurely headed towards the palace.

Lou Yanxu returned to the Marquis's residence at Shenshi (3-5 PM). She took a shortcut to Rongyi Hall.

Could it be that Madam Zeng was intentionally using the fact that they hadn't consummated their marriage last night to make things difficult for her? She felt a vague unease and broke out in a cold sweat.

Before long, a servant announced that they should be invited inside. Madam Zeng sat upright in the main hall, her face extremely grim. Lou Yanxu only peeked out before Madam Zeng suddenly slammed her hand on the table and barked an order.

Kneel down!

Lou Yanxu didn't understand what he meant, but silently did as he was told, straightening her back.

"Smack!"

Half of her face was burning from the slap, while the other half was covered in the frost from outside. Despite this, she showed no anger and spoke in a light tone, "I don't know what my daughter-in-law did wrong to anger Aunt Jun."

Zeng felt as if she had punched a cotton ball; her anger remained unchanged. "A wife has a duty to restrain her husband. How can you allow your husband to go out and drink with others before you return home on the day of your return?"

Lou Yanxu found it strange. Zeng Shi had always disliked her disciplining Sheng Yan, so this was truly unusual. Besides, how could she possibly control the actions of the young master? If she wasn't deliberately looking for faults, there must be another reason.

She did not argue, but calmly admitted, "Aunt Jun is right to teach me a lesson."

She didn't react when she was hit, and she accepted it when she was scolded. Zeng Shi was at her wits' end. She then glared at her in annoyance and said, "Da Lang was beaten up at Man Lou. Go and bring him back."

It's really strange. The son was beaten, but the mother wasn't in a hurry to pick him up. Instead, she waited anxiously for her daughter-in-law to come.

Lou Yanxu didn't think much of it and withdrew first, passing through the passageway back to Bibo Pavilion. She dozed off for a moment, and Qingrui had already returned.

Qingrui handed her a hand warmer. "The young master was drinking with his friends at Manlou when he overheard a group of frivolous young men making offensive remarks about the young lady of Minister Weng's family. So he started a fight. Unfortunately, the other side were a group of reckless dukes' sons who beat the young master until he was bleeding from the head. And just then, Minister Xu entered the palace to discuss matters, so the Marquis's mansion dared not make a move."

"So you just sent me there to suffer." Lou Yanxu shook her head helplessly.

"Now you're acting like the Crown Prince's wife!" Qingrui stomped her foot in frustration, then remembered the important matter and pulled out a rolled-up piece of paper from her palm. "Madam, this is a letter from the gatekeeper."

After Lou Yan finished reading, she casually asked her, "Does Madam know?"

She shook her head blankly, "Pointing to the one delivered to you."

Lou Yanxu's face darkened, and she was troubled.

As the wife of the heir apparent, it was not inappropriate for Xu Congjing to send a letter asking her to go to the Xu residence to bring Sheng Yan back. However, she absolutely could not find out before Zeng Shi, otherwise she might be accused of having an affair with her brother-in-law.

A moment later, she instructed Qingrui, "Quickly deliver this to Madam Sheng, and tell her that the gatekeeper is too busy to leave, so you delivered it in her place. Under no circumstances should she know that this letter has been in my hands."

Qingrui received the order and rushed out in a hurry.

Afterwards, Sheng Yan was carried back to Bibo Pavilion with his legs straight and not daring to bend them. There was a pool of blood on his waist. Lou Yan was shocked and wanted to serve him as a wife, but he kicked her out.

At night, the stars were scattered, the wind and snow were howling, and the boneless lamp by the door swayed, its colorful glow like a red makeup. The house was so quiet that it seemed to have been forgotten by the world. The couple stared at the top of the tent, silent.

"today……"

Sheng Yan spoke up, and seeing her composed, he said in a serious tone after a moment, "You must have heard about why I was injured today, so I might as well lay it all out on the table with you."

"Chu Chu and I grew up together and are deeply in love. I will definitely marry her in the future. The marriage has already fulfilled your wish. If you behave yourself, you will have a good life. Otherwise, I will definitely divorce you and drive you out of Chang'an."

The woman he admired was Weng Chuchu, the daughter of Minister Weng. He said he wanted to marry her, not bring her into the Marquis's household, which clearly meant he wanted to make her his equal wife. In that case, she would only be holding an empty position.

Lou Yanxu was taken aback, then silently sneered. It was clearly the Chenghua Marquis's family that had intended to arrange this marriage, but it had turned out to be her wish.

What a blatant distortion of the truth!

Her father's dying words echoed in her mind. She swallowed her anger, suddenly sat up straight, and under Sheng Yan's questioning gaze, made up her mind and unbuttoned her nightgown.

In the Marquis's mansion, the child was her last lifeline; she had no other choice. If they didn't consummate their marriage within three days, she feared being looked down upon. Since her husband was unavailable, she would do it herself.

Sheng Yan raised his hand to stop him, his eyes wary. "What are you going to do?"

She feigned infatuation, leaned closer, and said in a sweet voice, "My husband, it's time for us to consummate our marriage."

"Get out!" Hearing this, his face darkened, and he shooed her off the bed, throwing the embroidered pillow down with his hand, roaring, "You have no shame whatsoever!"

That one sentence made Lou Yanxu's head spin. She clutched her collar, trying to hold back her tears. It was only natural for husband and wife to share a bed, so how could it be that she was shameless?

But Sheng Yan showed no pity and sent her to a side room that night.

The next day at noon, Madam Zeng summoned Lou Yanxu to Rongyi Hall and offered her a seat. A maidservant brought tea, and Lou Yanxu took a small sip, finding it to be exceptionally fine.

Zeng Shi rarely smiled; yesterday's slapping incident seemed like a complete dream. She affectionately held Lou Yanxu's hand and exchanged pleasantries, "Have you settled into Bibo Pavilion these past two days?"

Lou Yanxu felt a strange feeling well up inside her, and sat down calmly, saying, "Thank you for your concern, Aunt Jun. Everything is fine."

“You’ve been at the Marquis’s residence for a few days now, and you’ve become quite a well-behaved and polite person. This bracelet was passed down to me by the eldest son’s grandmother, and it’s time to hand it over to you.”

Madam Zeng took out a seemingly expensive blue lotus purple bracelet and stuffed it into Lou Yanxu's hand. Lou Yanxu suddenly felt like she was being bribed, but she still obediently accepted it, saying, "Thank you, Aunt Jun."

Sure enough, after much deliberation, Madam Zeng turned around and revealed her purpose, "Yesterday, when my eldest son stepped in to protect the Weng family's reputation, he caused some gossip and made me so angry that I had a headache. Fortunately, you are a reasonable person. If any gossips come to you, just beat them up."

They were afraid she would gossip in front of outsiders and damage the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, so they tried to get rid of her with a bracelet of dubious origin. This mother and son, one pretending to be a good person and the other acting as a bad person, really went to great lengths to cover up this matter.

She had lived a life of luxury since childhood and often traveled with her father, developing a discerning eye for wealth. She could spot a fake at a glance, but she had no intention of doing so. She decided to do him a favor. "Yes, Minister Weng is my husband's mentor. If he ignores him, wouldn't that be a breach of virtue and a failure to repay kindness?"

Ms. Zeng felt relieved and exclaimed, "That's absolutely right!"

Having achieved her goal, Madam Zeng was about to wave the person away when Sheng Jin came running over excitedly, carrying a zither. "Mother, has Jinglang arrived? I want to play a tune for him on this zither..."

Upon seeing Lou Yanxu, she stopped in her tracks, pouted, and said, "Sister-in-law is here too."

This was the first time Lou Yanxu had met her sister-in-law. She was dressed in brocade robes with gold trim, accustomed to living amidst sorghum and brocade. She was engaged to Xu Situ.

However, Lou Yanxu didn't think much of it and nodded in return. Instead, her gaze followed the old Qiongguang Qin in the woman's hand, and she asked in a doubtful voice, "Sister, is this qin from my courtyard?"

Sheng Jin showed no politeness whatsoever, "I liked it, so my brother gave it to me. My sister-in-law wouldn't be so stingy, would she?"

"It's not that I'm stingy with a zither, but this one was a gift from my late father, and it's not appropriate to give it away. If you don't mind, sister, I can find you a better one."

Sheng Jin refused, her eyes filled with disdain. "What do you, a merchant's daughter, know about elegance? Keeping you around is a waste. It's better to give you a chance to use your talents."

Lou Yan had heard these words many times and was too lazy to argue anymore, but she still refused to budge, saying, "This is my father's wish, and I cannot give in."

She glanced at Zeng Shi, but was now speechless.

Sheng Jin was a stubborn and impetuous person. He gave a cold smile, took two steps with his zither in his arms and walked up to Lou Yanxu. He loosened his grip on her hands and said, "Since you want it, you can have it."

The guqin struck Lou Yanxu squarely on the instep, causing her to wince in pain. She heard no mockery from Sheng Jin, but instead saw someone kneel down in front of her with a thud. "Sister-in-law, are you alright? It's all my fault for being clumsy. Please punish me."

Footsteps suddenly sounded outside the door. A man in black shoes walked slowly toward Lou Yanxu. She looked up and met a pair of indifferent eyes, and understood immediately.

How can one allow oneself to make mistakes in words and actions in front of the one one loves?

Madam Zeng glanced at Xu Congjing, and finally spoke up, "Your sister-in-law is magnanimous and forgiving, so how could she punish you for such a trivial matter?"

Marquis Chenghua felt he had made a fool of himself in front of outsiders, so he turned cold and said, "Alright, let's serve the meal."

Upon entering the main hall, the maids had already set out the tables and chairs. Marquis Chenghua personally served Xu Congjing chopsticks and soup, and then held up a silver goblet as a sign of respect, saying, "I thank you again, Minister, for what happened yesterday."

Xu Congjing said calmly, "No need to be so polite, we're all family."

The three members of the Sheng family exchanged glances, almost bursting into laughter, before quickly agreeing, "Yes, yes, we're all family."

The family treated Xu Congjing like a fawning, obsequious ally, unlike his future in-laws. Lou Yanxu knew that today's feast was a special occasion to express her deep gratitude to Xu Congjing for his hospitality, so she ate her meal as usual, keeping quiet and listening attentively.

The three exchanged pleasantries, but after a brief silence, Madam Zeng noticed that Xu Congjing's right hand seemed a little weak. She gestured to her daughter to serve him some food, then asked gently, "Is Situ injured?"

Xu Congjing pushed the new dish aside and said without changing his expression, "I was already injured, but it flared up again yesterday when I ran over the edge of the carriage."

It was from the bumpy carriage yesterday that her head was pressed down while protecting her. Are they trying to make her take responsibility now?

Lou Yanxu's silver bowl trembled suddenly. Unsure of his meaning, she looked up and met his eyes, only to see him smile comfortably. "It's nothing, just a small matter."

She felt somewhat bewildered and gradually lost her appetite.

After finishing their meal, the group chatted for a few more minutes before heading out.

Passing by the pale blue gourd-shaped vase on the flower stand, Xu Congjing couldn't bear to put it down and picked it up to examine it several times. Marquis Chenghua was about to use it as a favor, but unexpectedly, Xu Congjing's injury weakened his hand, and the gourd-shaped vase slipped from his grasp, landing squarely on Sheng Jin's instep.

Sheng Jin cried out in pain, and Lou Yanxu instinctively flinched, her instep still throbbing slightly, but she lowered her head and frowned.

"Yunlu! Go and fetch a doctor!" the instigator shouted, then bowed his head and apologized, "It's my fault for being weak. I apologize to Madam Sheng."

Marquis Chenghua dared not blame him, and as was his custom, he bowed and smiled obsequiously, "We are all family, how could Second Madam make a fuss over such a trivial matter?"

After saying this, he winked at his daughter, who, with tears streaming down her face, could not wait for her husband's tenderness and finally nodded, swallowing her grievances.

Lou Yanxu lowered her eyes slightly, unwilling to get involved.

The matter was eventually dropped.

The snow was deep, and the biting wind stung her face. Lou Yanxu wanted to take a shortcut back to Bibo Pavilion.

I sprained my ankle.

She winced in pain, squatted down and tried to twist her leg a couple of times, but still dared not take a step. Seeing that no one was around, she had no choice but to use one leg to reach behind the artificial hill to check her injury.

The wind whistled past her ears, and a cat meowed as it leaped in front of Lou Yanxu. She smiled and gently stroked it, but unexpectedly, a pair of black shoes suddenly appeared in her sight.

Xu Congjing's eyes were bright, and his gaze fell upon half of her jade-like feet.

Very white and very tender.

A note from the author: