End-of-month discussion

The morning sun refracted through the window, filling the room with its light. I could see the dust motes dancing in the air, a peaceful and pleasant sight.

Peng Xuan'an, shirtless, sat on the edge of the bed. He was awake. The person on the bed was still asleep. He ran his hand through his hair in distress, and then became melancholy.

He glanced sideways at her sleeping body, blaming himself for being foolish and for not being able to control himself.

My mind is a mess. What if she wakes up... and then she cuts me up?

His long, black hair hung loose as he picked up a garment and put it on, constantly watching the person on the bed. He was filled with worry and self-reproach, tying the clothes on and pacing back and forth. What should he say? How should he explain? How could he beg for forgiveness?

The light pierced her eyelids, making Pang Linqiu feel a stinging sensation. She groggily opened her eyes. She tried to raise a hand to rub her eyes, but as soon as she did, she realized her whole body ached unbearably, and that her hands were tightly bound together. She had no choice but to raise both hands and rub her eyelids.

Peng Xuan'an approached nervously, forcing a kind smile, "Madam... uh... would you like to take a bath?"

"..." She glanced at him blankly.

Pang Linqiu sat up, her front covered by the mattress, leaning against the headboard. Her bound hands were raised in the air, exposed before him. "Untie," she said, her voice terrifyingly calm.

Peng Xuan'an dared not delay. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to untie the rope.

"Madam... I'm sorry..." She lowered her head humbly, full of apology.

Red marks were left on Pang Linqiu's wrists. With her hands free, she felt a little more relaxed. She raised her hand to brush away the stray hairs that had fallen across her forehead, and a few muffled breaths revealed a hint of helplessness and anger.

Recalling yesterday's scene, she felt angry that the antidote she had kindly found had been thrown away, and that she had to take its place. The thought filled her with rage, but she tried her best to calm herself down. "Please, Lord Peng, leave."

He wanted to say more, hoping to appease her.

"Lord Peng!" She frowned helplessly, her tone calm.

“…Fine…” He reluctantly stood up, knowing that persuasion and apologies were useless. Judging from her posture, she was clearly angry with him.

He looked longingly toward the bed and whispered, "Madam... be careful not to let anger get the better of you." Then he closed the door.

Pang Linqiu quickly dressed, summoned her personal maid to her room, and packed her belongings. In just eight minutes, she was on the carriage heading back to her parents' home, her almond-shaped eyes filled only with the thought of returning home.

Peng Xuan'an tried to stop her but to no avail, because she left behind a harsh threat: "If Lord Peng comes after me, I won't mind living a secluded life in the mountains and rivers for several years, and you will not receive a single word or trace of me."

He dared not pursue her any longer, and obediently waited for her anger to subside. He felt wronged; he was the one who had been drugged, he was the one suffering, he was the one who couldn't control himself, and he was the one filled with regret. He hadn't done it unintentionally...

A month passed quickly, and Peng Xuan'an nervously went to visit, only to be refused. He went to court listlessly, and the emperor, upon hearing this, patted him on the shoulder and comforted him.

In mid-May, Pang Linqiu received a palace eunuch in the courtyard.

He held a whisk in his hand. "Miss Pang is quite capable. Have you forgotten His Majesty's words?" The eunuch, dressed in palace attire, squinted at Pang Linqiu opposite him with a mysterious smile, his tone seemingly sarcastic about her behavior.

Pang Linqiu smiled wryly, not daring to disrespect the important person before her, the emperor's personal servant.

"How could I dare? May I ask what brings you here today, sir?"

"I've come today merely to convey His Majesty's oral decree."

“Please speak, Father-in-law. I am all ears.”

The eunuch snorted coldly, arrogantly raising his chin. "Do you know that the Minister has been listless and dispirited in court lately? His Majesty inquired about the reason, and it all started with you."

“Miss Pang, the affairs of the court concern the people of the whole country, and the Lord is an important minister. After this incident, he has been confused and his ability to handle affairs has been much less efficient than before.”

"..." Pang Linqiu remained silent for a long time before understanding the meaning behind his words.

"I have come today with His Majesty's decree. His Majesty said that if Miss Pang does not perform well as the wife of a Minister, His Majesty will not mind continuing to investigate the salt-selling incident."

Pang Linqiu's body stiffened, but she didn't frown as she looked at her seemingly smug father-in-law. She stood up, bowed, and said, "It was my fault. I will fulfill my duties in the future and will not repeat this mistake."

"That's good then." After receiving a satisfactory answer, the eunuch stood up. "Then Madam should return to the manor as soon as possible, so as not to keep the Minister waiting."

He changed the word "Miss" to "Madam," and his tone became more respectful, making his attitude clear. Was he criticizing her for being ignorant, or was he implying that she was like an unmarried woman who didn't know the proper etiquette for serving her husband?

"Here you go."

"It's getting late, we should head back to the palace."

After respectfully escorting the palace eunuch back, Pang Linqiu packed her bags with resentment.

Upon returning to the mansion, Peng Xuan'an felt flattered and overwhelmed by the favor he received.

He greeted her with a smile, thinking her anger had subsided. "Madam, you're finally back."

"Hmm." Her eyes were aloof, showing no intention of acknowledging him.

Peng Xuan'an sensed something was wrong and tentatively asked, "Madam... are you in a bad mood?"

"You can sleep in the study tonight, or I'll stay out. We'll meet at the stone table in the courtyard at 9 PM on the last day of the month."

Peng Xuan'an was taken aback, not understanding, "?"

"You are not to set foot in the master bedroom for the next fifteen days."

"?!" He wanted to ask why.

She said first, "I'm tired, I'll rest now."

He then walked past him and returned to the courtyard, leaving the bewildered man behind.

Fifteen days passed in the blink of an eye, and he obediently did not step into the master bedroom.

A warm breeze rustles the trees in the courtyard, their leaves fluttering in the air. Darkness descends upon the earth, and dappled stars adorn the night sky. A cold moon casts its light across the land, casting jagged shadows of houses amidst the rustling of leaves.

In the courtyard, the two sat facing each other. On the table were a pot of wine and two cups, the wine in the cups reflecting the crescent moon.

Pang Linqiu looked troubled and found it difficult to speak.

Peng Xuan'an glanced at her. Under the dark and windy night, a man and a woman were sitting in the courtyard talking about their feelings. It would have seemed lively, but it was actually too quiet.

He sat there awkwardly, unsure how to start a conversation.

"I'm sorry..." He avoided her gaze, somewhat unable to look her in the eye.

"It's alright, I was also at fault, let's drop this matter."

The hazy moonlight bathed the beauty's face, her almond-shaped eyes seemingly reflecting the stars, making it hard for him to look away, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat. The bright moonlight seemed to add a touch of gentleness to her, and her image was reflected in his dark eyes.

Silence fell again.

“Xuan’an, let’s make a promise… okay?” She broke the silence first, her tone gentle, just like when she first asked, “Would you marry me?”

Their eyes met, and he realized that his march was "What... agreement?" He forcibly looked away and calmed himself down for a moment.

“From now on, at the end of each month, we’ll meet at a place like tonight. We’ll talk about our feelings and strengthen our bond as husband and wife. At the end of each month, we’ll also reflect on what happened that month.”

"What's going on?"

“Only through mutual understanding can we truly know each other, and only then can we…” She gave a bitter smile, “…last longer… right?” She took a sip of her drink, her voice growing increasingly somber.

Fearing he still didn't understand, she explained in detail: "Take us like tonight, for example. I point out your flaws, and you point out my flaws. After we both understand, we try to change."

“I understand.” He nodded.

"I have thought about this for a long time, and these three rules seem somewhat unfair to you."

"..."

She took out the piece of paper with the three-point agreement. "So, I'm going to cancel these three points." She folded the paper in half, then tore it apart piece by piece. "What do you think?"

Peng Xuan'an was taken aback. This meant he could...

She understood his thoughts and continued, "Of course, we still need to restrain ourselves in bed. I will also fulfill my duties as a wife, but only twice a month."

"What do you mean?"

"From today onwards, you will have two opportunities to have sex each month."

He held up two fingers in disbelief, "Twice a month?" January 30th, minus seven days for menstruation, that means! Only twice in twenty-three days!

That's too little! He definitely won't be happy!

He endured it for three years and several months of day and night, and looking back, it was still very painful.

He was organizing his thoughts...

"If there are any holidays, you can get an extra chance, but it can only be used on that day. As for the remaining two, you can use them whenever you want, and I'll be with you anytime."

He looked at her with a pleading gaze, somewhat disappointed. "Madam... can't we... do it twice a week? That's... too little."

Pang Linqiu felt he was pushing his luck, and gave him a deathly smile. "Do you want it to be once a month, or twice a month?"

"Madam~" he said coquettishly.

"..." This tactic worked on her completely, leaving her unaffected. "Then how about I change it to once a month?"

"No, no! Twice is fine too!" he said urgently.

Once the matter was settled, Pang Linqiu nodded in agreement and continued, "From now on, when we meet at the end of each month, if one party fails to appear, the other party can do whatever they want. My approach will remain the same: I will ignore the other party for one or two months."

This is even better! How could he possibly be absent? As long as she doesn't get angry, ignore him, or run away to some faraway place, everything is fine. This is so much better than those three rules! And punishment is so easy to come by.

He wondered, "How did Madam come up with the idea of ​​having a heart-to-heart talk at the end of the month?"

“That’s what my dad said. He and my mom did the same thing before. My mom taught him that it’s a good way to improve our relationship and get to know each other better.”

"Alright, is there anything about me that you find unsatisfactory, Madam?"

"Easily distracted, impulsive, clingy..." she summarized simply.

Peng Xuan'an listened to everything, but he felt it was normal and difficult to correct his mistakes.

"And you? Do you have anything to say?"

Peng Xuan'an first shook his head, then stopped and pondered for a while, "Yes."

"explain."

"Madam, could you... please stop giving me aphrodisiacs?" He was also feeling uncomfortable after this happened twice already.

"..." She didn't want to either. The first time, she tried to ruin his reputation and almost got strangled. The second time, she just wanted him to "interact" with Mo Mo more, but she ended up shooting herself in the foot.

Too much to say, it's all tears.

"become."

Peng Xuan was relieved, "Madam..."

"Um?"

"The fact that we slept together started from this month...right?" he asked tentatively, pursing his lips.

Pang Linqiu had a bad feeling. "This month doesn't count. We'll start counting from tomorrow."

Peng Xuan'an sighed in disappointment, instantly feeling utterly listless. "Then..."

"However, tonight can be considered tomorrow."

This means that tonight marks the beginning of the next month, and it's a good time to proceed.

He understood. "Really?"

"really."

After finishing his drink, Peng Xuan'an mustered his courage, suddenly stood up, his cheeks flushed, and carried her into the house.