Chapter 6. Three hundred chapters of subduing demons and monsters, the iron rod stirring...

Liang Shao paused, looking up to see Shan He's eyes sparkling with tears, her almond-shaped eyes clear and bright. Further down, a blush rose to her cheeks. She bit her lower lip, her expression a mixture of hesitation and shy charm. Liang Shao couldn't help but smile, asking, "Hmm? What's wrong?"

Shanhe swallowed hard, wrapping one arm around his neck: "It's late, and my husband is drunk again. Let me go and help him take a bath."

Liang Shao's eyes immediately sparkled, his face, already flushed from slight intoxication, now glowed even redder, as if dripping blood. His lips moved for a long time, but he couldn't utter a single word. Liang Shao's trembling hand grasped Shan He's wrist, and he managed to utter "I," but the rest of his words seemed to be swallowed back. He wanted to kiss Shan He, but felt that his body, reeking of alcohol and sweat, was sticky and dirty, and that it would be too impolite to Shan He. Liang Shao abruptly sat up, creating some distance between himself and Shan He, and stammered, "I...I'll go first." He took a few steps, but couldn't help stopping and looking back, his gaze fixed on Shan He's eyes. He stammered, "Shan Shan...you, you must remember to come."

As Shanhe watched Liang Shao's figure disappear into the night, she hurriedly pulled out "The Tale of the Oriole" from under her pillow and quickly flipped through the twenty-four embroidered portraits, memorizing the various poses. But poses alone weren't enough for Shanhe. Painting requires composition and layout, so Shanhe slipped on her embroidered shoes and got out of bed. Her first task was to open the chest containing her clothes. Unfortunately, she had very few clothes, and almost all of them were plain and dignified. After rummaging for a while, she finally found a light red, thin-sleeved gauze shirt for summer, covered with gold-embroidered flowers and butterflies—originally part of her wedding attire. Shanhe held the shirt in one arm, and with the other, she took out several pearl and jade hairpins that Liang Ye had given her the day before from her dressing case. Then, she picked up a gold-leaf-wrapped candle from the display shelf and carefully placed it in the bronze mandarin duck candlestick used in her wedding ceremony before hurrying to the bathing room.

Liang Shao sat in the bathtub, feeling incredibly hot. The memory of Shan He's shy demeanor earlier sent a rush of blood to his head. Now, half-sober, his vision cleared. Liang Shao carefully rinsed his mouth with tea, and just as he gulped the tea into the basin, he saw Shan He carrying in several things.

Liang Shao blinked, his eyes, steaming hot, gleaming like a deer's, glistening with moisture. He stared blankly as Shanhe placed the crimson gold-leaf-wrapped candle beside the bathtub, adjusted its position, and carefully lit it. Then, she styled her hair, inserted her hairpins, removed her undergarments, and draped a light red blouse over it. Liang Shao's mind was almost blank, but his body betrayed him; his eyes followed Shanhe's every move, and even the creature in the water seemed to burn.

“Shanshan…” Liang Shao’s Adam’s apple bobbed.

After finishing all that, Shanhe finally turned her attention to Liang Shao in the bucket. The man's arms were loosely resting on the rim of the bucket, his eyes red and wet, his lips slightly parted, glistening with moisture. As Shanhe approached, his heaving chest and taut abdomen slowly came into view.

“Ah Shao”.

Liang Shao stared at Shan He with his eyes half-closed, a lazy nasal sound rolling out of his throat: "Hmm?" He seemed to have drunk another large jar of fine wine, his body crawling with soft, bone-eating insects.

"Would you like to wear this, Ah Shao?" Shanhe hesitated for a moment, then pursed her lips and asked. A red musk bracelet dangled from her fingertips.

Shanhe didn't understand why she had turned back after leaving the bedroom and put the red musk bracelet on. She simply felt that if a man wore a woman's personal item, it must have a certain tender and enduring meaning. She had originally wanted to take the crimson bodice with intertwined mandarin ducks, but such a private item was too obvious. If it were included in a painting, it would lose its ambiguity, making it immediately clear that it was just an erotic painting, too cliché and mediocre.

"Huh?" Liang Shao frowned slightly. He had been practicing martial arts since childhood; when had he ever worn women's items?

Shanhe was afraid that Liang Shao would refuse to wear it, and also afraid that Liang Shao would see through her intention to use him to paint. She quickly grabbed his hand and walked straight to the bath tub: "Tonight, when you serve your husband a bath, you must follow my rules."

Before Liang Shao could speak, Shan He had already kicked off her embroidered shoes and stepped into the bathtub, standing upright between his knees. The water rippled slightly, and her silk robe was half-wet. The light red embroidered robe spread out on the water like a rosy cloud, slowly soaking through and turning a deep crimson, before sinking back into the water and draping over Liang Shao's knees.

“I’ll put it on for my husband, okay?” Shanhe smiled.

The red musk bracelet dangled from his fingertip, swaying and spinning. Liang Shao suddenly felt his back teeth tighten. Before him, Shan He's black hair was like a cloud, held in place only by two pearl hairpins. The loose strands fell loosely over her fragrant shoulders, slithering like snakes into her apricot-red bodice. His voice was hoarse: "What kind of man wears this..." But his hand honestly reached under the red musk bracelet.

Shanhe smiled, squatted down into the water, knelt between his knees, and lowered her head to put the red musk beads on his wrist. As the red musk beads brushed against his wrist, Shanhe smiled and looked up: "Ah Shao, it's on—" The next moment, Liang Shao grabbed Shanhe's wrist and, with a little force, pulled the warm and soft body into his arms.

The loose-fitting, light red floral-patterned robe, which could be worn as an outer garment, sank completely into the water, clinging tightly to Shanhe's back and covering the two people in the bathtub. Liang Shao leaned closer, his palms cupping the back of her head as he gently pressed her against the rim of the tub.

He raised his wrist, and the red musk beads swayed softly in front of Shanhe's eyes. Liang Shao frowned: "Why are you wearing them?"

Shanhe naturally didn't want to tell the truth. She slowly twirled the red bead between her fingers, feigning regret: "Don't you like it?" She frowned slightly: "I think it's very beautiful. What do you think, Shao?"

Liang Shao followed her gaze and saw that it was indeed a rare item, each pearl round and full, the color of freshly congealed blood, shaped like a newly formed pearl from an oyster. Now, in the warm candlelight, a thin layer of moisture clung to them, giving them a truly lustrous and precious appearance. Liang Shao was about to praise it when he suddenly seemed to remember something, his brow furrowing, and his voice turned somewhat cold: "A gift from my brother?"

Shanhe paused for a moment, then smiled and asked, "Why are you suddenly asking this?" She took Liang Shao's hand and let him touch her face.

Liang Shao felt somewhat uneasy. Although it was alright for his elder brother to give Shanhe those jewelry pieces—it was out of kindness—he still felt uneasy if they were truly from his brother in the current situation. Liang Shao's eyes slowly lowered.

Shanhe noticed his thoughts and had no intention of teasing him. She explained, "It has nothing to do with you, brother. I bought it myself last year. The shopkeeper said that red musk has a miraculous effect." She paused, deliberately keeping him in suspense.

"What?"

"To ward off evil spirits." Shanhe smiled at him, her lips pursed.

Liang Shao didn't react at first, and echoed, "Oh, warding off evil spirits, that's it." But then he saw Shanhe smiling mysteriously at him, and then Shanhe burst into laughter at his words, her eyes curving like a crescent moon in the night sky. Liang Shao stared at Shanhe's face for a moment, then was immediately struck dumb, and couldn't help but laugh and scold, "What a strange little woman! Calling your grandpa an evil spirit!"

After saying that, Liang Shao scooped up a handful of water and splashed it on Shan He. Shan He was not going to back down and immediately retaliated, drenching Liang Shao from head to toe.

Liang Shao laughed loudly, his movements continuing. In an instant, ripples spread across the bucket, splashing a few drops onto the brick floor. The noise grew louder, the water droplets swirling, and the bowl of mouthwash beside the bucket crashed to the ground. Startled, Shanhe quickly stopped, hastily grabbing his shoulder, and said through clenched lips, "Keep it down, keep it down."

"What are you afraid of?" Liang Shao deliberately unleashed a gust of wind from his palm, then pushed a handful of water into Shan He's arms.

Shanhe was struck by the water slap, her face turned to the side, water dripping from the tip of her nose. She squeezed out words intermittently: "The maids are still sleeping in the outer room. With such a commotion, be careful that the whole mansion will be summoning the Second Master in the middle of the night tomorrow..." Another wave of water hit her, and a few more words were swallowed up by the sound of the water, which covered her soft moans.

Liang Shao deliberately stirred up the snow waves, panting and chuckling, "Hmm, it's said that Second Master Liang subdued a demon in the middle of the night..." As he finished speaking, Liang Shao's voice grew softer and softer, more and more sticky, as if bewitching one's soul. He pressed his head against Shan He's forehead, his hands submerged in the water, wrapped his arms around Shan He's waist, and pulled her completely into his embrace.

When the clouds dispersed and the rain stopped, Shanhe and Liang Shao lay side by side. Liang Shao leaned against the tub, his long arm outstretched and resting on the rim. Shanhe leaned back against Liang Shao's chest and abdomen, still panting. Turning her head, Shanhe saw that the hand adorned with the red musk beads dangled outside the tub, water droplets trickling down the muscles and falling to the ground. Shanhe's mind was clear; wasn't this pose perfect for a painting?

Liang Shao flicked his finger at the soaked red sleeve of his robe and asked lazily, "Why have I never seen you wear this before?"

Shanhe glanced at him sideways and replied casually, "I wore it, on my wedding night."

Upon hearing this, Liang Shao fell silent, lowering his gaze to kiss Shanhe's nape. On their wedding night, he had personally presented her with the divorce papers, never once noticing what jewelry she wore or what clothes she was dressed in. Shanhe was also too lazy to think about the past. Initially, when she married Liang Shao, she genuinely wanted to stay in the Liang family and live a good life. To her at that time, being saved by Old Master Liang and marrying Liang Shao was a blessing earned through countless lifetimes of good deeds. If it weren't for that divorce paper, if it weren't for Liang Shao's cold attitude towards her after the marriage, she would never have considered leaving Mizhou to return to Jinling. After all, it was there that her family was destroyed.

Shanhe's heart grew cold. She suddenly realized that the water, which had been almost overflowing, was now only half full and had long since cooled, so cold that it stung her skin. Shanhe propped herself up on the edge of the bucket and said softly, "The water is cold and dirty. I'll go get some fresh water. You can come out now."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the sound of the night watchman's clapper rang out outside, indicating that it was already the fourth watch.

Shanhe frowned: "Oh no, it's so late, and you still have to go to the yamen tomorrow."

Liang Shao swept her back in his arms, placing Shanhe on his lap again, and teased, "What are you afraid of? Get up early and have the little one ask for leave. I've subdued a vixen tonight, so I need to get some rest."

Shanhe turned her head and stared into his eyes, looking straight into Liang Shao's heart. Her eyes were clear and bright, filled with moisture. Liang Shao's heart trembled, and he immediately sensed that Shanhe's emotions were not right.

Shanhe pursed her lips and said, "Are you being sincere about what you're saying?"

Liang Shao nervously pinched Shanhe's cheek and said with an embarrassed smile, "I was just joking with you, Shanshan."

"Oh." Shanhe struggled to get up and stepped out of the bathtub. "So, saying I'm a monster can make Second Master laugh."

"Shanhe!" Liang Shao suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on Shanhe's figure. "I'm sorry."

Shanhe took off her sleeves and took a cloth to dry herself. Her voice was indifferent: "There's nothing to apologize for. It's getting late, get some rest."

Liang Shao took two steps forward, and water dripped from his body onto the brick floor. He reached out to hold Shanhe's shoulders, but then realized he was soaking wet and that hugging her would only make her more wet, so he reluctantly lowered his hands.

Shanhe changed back into the undergarments she had worn, a slight chill running through her heart. She felt utterly ridiculous. She was now a government slave, completely dependent on the Liang family for survival, yet the thought of Liang Shao's past coldness towards her, his use of the word "demon," still filled her with inexplicable resentment. Her body had fallen into the dust, but her heart still clung to the sky she had seen before she was fifteen. Perhaps this was a case of having a heart higher than the heavens, despite being of lowly birth. But then she thought again, how was she lowly? Before fifteen, she was clearly a respectable young lady from a prominent official family in Jinling. She had studied music, chess, calligraphy, painting, etiquette, and manners. She had never harmed a person or committed a single evil act. She treated Old Master Liang and the Liang brothers as her own blood relatives. She was an innocent person; why should she be considered lowly? Was it because of the mistakes her father had made? But who hasn't made mistakes? Even the emperor makes mistakes, and so do the noble ladies. Why is it that their mistakes are easily overlooked, while their father is beheaded and his family's property confiscated for a single error, dragging her down to the mud and condemning her to eternal servitude as a government slave? The third prince was the one vying for the throne, the third prince was the one who was unfilial, and the third prince was the one who succeeded and ascended the throne, reigning for eternity. So why is it that their father is the one who lost and lost his life?

Shanhe felt a pang of sadness, overwhelmed by a wave of grievance. Clutching a handkerchief, she bit her lip to hold back the tears. Looking down, she saw her bare feet on the brick floor, the chill penetrating to her bones. Her fair skin appeared bluish-purple in the dim candlelight, like a corpse long since dead. A strong wave of nausea rose from her chest, and Shanhe couldn't help but vomit. She bent over, gripping the edge of the bucket, and dry-heaved for a while, but nothing came out; instead, tears streamed down her face.

Liang Shao was stunned for a moment, then rushed over and grabbed Shanhe, anxiously asking, "What's wrong?" He patted Shanhe's back to soothe her while raising his voice, "Someone! Someone! Get a doctor!"

Shanhe pressed his hand down and shook her head: "I'm fine."

Ignoring her words, Liang Shao donned his robe, scooped Shanhe up in his arms, kicked open the door, and hurried towards the bedroom. The maids in the courtyard were all awakened. They came out, dressed, and saw Shanhe, pale-faced but fully clothed, huddled in Liang Shao's arms, her brows furrowed. Liang Shao, on the other hand, was soaking wet, dripping with water, his robe loosely tied at the waist with a belt, revealing his muscular chest and legs. The maids quickly lowered their eyes and ran out to fetch a servant to summon a doctor.

*Ambitious but base: From "Dream of the Red Chamber".

A note from the author:

----------------------

This chapter has been edited [doge emoji]

So, future babies, please remember: playing in the water isn't really playing in the water, it's more like fighting demons and monsters.