Hejin
Lin Xu nodded slightly in the direction of the voice, and then continued walking forward with Zhu Ling, Granny Qin, and the others.
This was her first time visiting the Dou residence. Although it was late and she was wearing a veil, she naturally couldn't see anything clearly.
Even with limited vision, one could still sense that the decorations inside the Dou residence... revealed a distinct and unique quality.
Unlike the luxurious and extravagant Duke's Mansion, the dignified and elegant Princess Duanhe's Mansion, or the beautiful and refined Lin Mansion, the Dou Mansion uses only simple and understated dark-colored nanmu wood. There is no ostentatious or extravagant decoration.
This was completely different from what she had previously imagined the Dou family to have good taste.
She let her thoughts wander, almost being helped across one high threshold after another, and then walked a long way to the last courtyard. Only then, stepping on the red brocade carpet that stretched for miles, was she helped into the sleeping quarters.
But... is the courtyard where Dou Yanxun lives really this remote?
As she was carefully pushed to sit on the red silk canopy bed, she lowered her eyes and pondered.
Before long, all the maids and servants who had accompanied her to this place withdrew, leaving only a very faint lingering fragrance in the hall.
Zhu Ling's voice quietly rang out:
"Miss, there's no one around right now. You can lift your veil and rest for a while."
She lifted the veil, but her eyes were not used to the bright red festive colors all around her.
Zhu Ling also changed into a red dress, which made her small face look particularly pretty. She smiled and brought over a cup of tea.
"You haven't had tea for quite a while, Miss must be very thirsty?"
Lin Xu took the cup of warm tea and drank it all in one gulp. Only then did he feel much better and looked around.
However, what came into view was not significantly different from the style of the entire mansion, with simple and elegant furnishings as the main feature. Moreover, compared to other places in the mansion, this villa seemed to exude a more desolate atmosphere.
No matter how many big red "double happiness" characters or festive decorations are used, they cannot completely conceal it.
On a black nanmu wood square table inlaid with mother-of-pearl not far away, there were several large round red lacquered and gold-painted trays, filled with dried fruits and pastries symbolizing good fortune and heavy silver coins.
She stood up, walked past the black lacquered sunflower patterned lattice door, and sat down on the purple nanmu chair embroidered with blue phoenixes and peonies. Facing the gleaming double phoenix and rhombus-patterned bronze mirror in front of her, she quietly examined her face in the mirror.
She had always been naturally beautiful with minimal makeup, but this was the first time she had ever worn such elaborate makeup.
The woman in the mirror wore a rosy-red dress with a jade-like face, her slender figure draped in a crimson robe embroidered with two sparrows and a blue phoenix, and a gold-threaded phoenix sash around her waist. The magnificent and loose-fitting robe accentuated her slender waist, making her appear as graceful as a willow branch.
But when she looked at her own face, it felt utterly unfamiliar.
Beside the bronze mirror, two slender red candles burned quietly on a bronze sparrow candlestick. She glanced at the flickering red flames, which melted and fell like teardrops.
Fearing that she would worry, Zhu Ling quickly and gently comforted her:
"The Second Master is probably still entertaining guests in the front hall. Miss, don't worry. Let's have some more hot tea. It's just a matter of waiting a little longer."
But what she was worried about right now wasn't Dou Yanxun's delayed appearance.
Instead, she clenched her hands tightly, fearing that he would burst in drunkenly at any moment—at which point she would truly be trapped in a tiger's den.
If the two of them were to truly find themselves in a state of silence, how would she conduct herself?
Since her rebirth, she has always acted with a strong inner strength and alertness, and has even always prided herself on being exceptionally calm.
But when it comes to getting into bed, she is still a little apprehensive.
...After all, given Dou Yanxun's bad reputation, he probably won't let this matter pass by unscathed, right?
She had been unjustly engaged in her previous life, and had no precedent to follow in this matter. The thought of tonight made her uneasy, and her palms even sweated. She couldn't help but clutch her skirt tightly.
Granny Qin, who had been waiting quietly in the courtyard, lifted the curtain and came in. Seeing Lin Xu's nervous expression, she quickly and gently comforted him:
"Miss, please don't be anxious. Just now, I heard the voices from the front hall in the distance gradually fading away. I suppose the Second Master will be here soon. Are you getting hungry while waiting? Would you like to have a simple late-night snack to warm your stomach?"
It's better than being hungry and anxious, so I stopped refusing.
At Qin Mama's call, several maids immediately brought up a dazzling array of food. After a busy day, the only thing she had eaten was the hot tea that Zhu Ling had brought earlier, and now her appetite was whetted. In no time, she had eaten two golden custard pastries and a piece of eight-treasure cake.
Seeing that she was eating with great relish, Granny Qin couldn't help but smile:
"Take it easy, you might choke."
She took the teacup from Zhu Ling and took a small sip when she heard footsteps outside the door, followed by the cheerful greetings of the two maids guarding the door.
"May you be well, Second Master, and have a blessed marriage."
My heart, which had just calmed down, instantly became flustered again.
The hot tea made her choke as soon as it entered her mouth, causing her to choke several times.
Zhu Ling and Granny Qin were also flustered for a moment. They hurriedly pushed her to the bedside and handed her the veil embroidered with intricate mandarin ducks and twin lotus flowers.
Just as Lin Xu finished adjusting the veil on her head, she heard the palace door creak open.
But Dou Yanxun finally walked in.
However, the footsteps stopped after only a few steps. Then, a young girl's sweet voice rang out:
"Congratulations on your marriage, Second Master. May you and your wife live a long and harmonious life together."
The man chuckled softly, seemingly in a very good mood. After the clinking of several silver coins, the little girl, delighted with her reward, said, "Thank you for the money, Second Master!"
Her heart pounded like a drum, and she felt the bedchamber fall silent in an instant, with only her faint breathing remaining.
As the creaking sound resumed, very light footsteps retreated, and she guessed that Zhu Ling and the others had wisely left one by one.
Finally, only the two of them remained in the hall, along with the overwhelming, thick smell of alcohol.
She couldn't help but frown.
The footsteps were quite disordered, and Dou Yanxun seemed to have drunk quite a bit.
Before she could speak, the bed beside her suddenly sank, and he leaped to the edge of the bed and sat down next to her.
She looked down at her hands, which were clasped together, her index fingers tightly locked, when a warm hand grasped her hands tightly in its palm.
The surroundings were so quiet that almost no other sound could be heard except for the two of them breathing.
The last time she was alone with him like this was in a private room at Shaojing Garden. Now, in the same enclosed room, the atmosphere was incredibly ambiguous, and she would be entangled with this man for the rest of her life.
Suddenly, Lin Xu felt a light shining in his eyes.
In an instant, countless rays of light, like fire, burst into her eyes. She couldn't dodge in time and quickly lowered her head. When she finally adjusted to the brightness around her and opened her eyes again, she was startled.
Those bright eyes, which could easily captivate the hearts of half the girls in Mujing, were now calmly and leisurely observing her.
Without a word, Dou Yanxun ripped off her veil.
He casually tossed his head, his peach blossom eyes half-closed, their captivating light swirling within, tinged with a hazy allure from the alcohol.
Compared to how he looked at her before, there was a greater, indescribable intimacy between them. A lazy smile played at the corners of his lips, containing a hint of teasing and a faint, lingering affection that seemed to dissipate like smoke.
"I'm late, and I've left my bride... waiting here alone, feeling anxious?"
His voice was slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of languor from drinking, as he slowly approached her.
The person, who was usually carefree and unrestrained, was now completely drunk and became even more unkempt.
A wave of alcoholic odor, mixed with a faint, unidentifiable fragrance, surged towards her.
We can't get any closer—
Her heart leaped into her throat. She lowered her head in a panic, trying to appear calm, but her heart was pounding like a drum.
I have faced danger countless times and gone through life and death trials, but I have never felt so uneasy.
She didn't like Dou Yanxun, and at that moment she didn't want any intimate contact with him...
But for now, they can only remain silent and patient, even maintaining a submissive posture, for fear of revealing the slightest flaw.
Dou Yanxun staggered to his feet, looking down at her with an increasingly unrestrained smile. He leaned down gently, lifting her chin with his fingertips, forcing her to look up and meet his gaze.
Their eyes met in the air, and she could clearly see the drunkenness and teasing in his eyes.
"Why is Madam so cold? Is she mute?"
He chuckled softly, his fingers gently tracing her cheek, full of teasing.
Seeing that she remained silent, Dou Yanxun pressed on:
“I remember you, my lady. Weren’t you usually quite eloquent? Or am I mistaken? But who was it that secretly told me that marrying me was her only wish?”
Lin Xu felt her cheeks burning and her body stiffening. She had underestimated Dou Yanxun's shamelessness.
At this moment, she had to forcefully control her inner fear, gripping the red brocade quilt beneath her tightly with both hands, and managing a weak smile.
"My lord is too kind... I meant no harm, it's just that I waited a little too long."
"Have you been waiting long?"
Upon hearing this, his smile deepened, as if every reaction of hers amused him greatly.
Suddenly, with a forceful pull, he abruptly pulled Lin Xu into his arms, almost with the strength of drunkenness, and pressed her down beneath him without a word.
Lin Xu barely had time to react before she was pressed down onto the red brocade bed, and the veil in front of her head slid off completely beside her.
She looked up at his face, which was so close to hers, and felt the warm smell of alcohol on her skin.
Dou Yanxun braced himself against her with one hand, the other gliding across her waist. His gaze held a hint of flirtation and a touch of intoxication as he whispered a laugh in her ear:
"This is our wedding night, just the two of us, there's no one else... Are you ready, Xuxu?"
The words clearly carried a provocative tone, mixed with the laziness resulting from being exceptionally unrestrained after drinking.
It was the first time he had ever called her by her name in such a casual tone.
She felt increasingly flustered, and a strange, inexplicable fear arose within her.
Dou Yanxun was already difficult to deal with, and when he was drunk, he became even more unpredictable.
Dou Yanxun lowered his head, ignoring her panic, and moved closer to her neck, his breath carrying a strong smell of alcohol, spraying onto her skin. His fingers were also restless, tracing her waist for a moment—
But it stopped as if toying with something.
It was as if he was deliberately testing her reaction.
Lin Xu tried hard to suppress her inner repulsion, desperately telling herself to stay calm. But faced with his aggressive manner, she was overwhelmed and didn't know how to react.
...Shouldn't we adopt a compliant attitude towards him?
Dou Yanxun had accumulated many romantic escapades, always accompanied by charming and gentle beauties wherever he went. He must have grown accustomed to the soft, melodious Wu dialect and the delicate, tender nature of women.
She desperately tried to hide her trepidation, forcing a smile; her soft, red lips shone even more brightly in the flickering candlelight. Then, summoning all her courage, she slowly raised her head and approached the person before her.
She was filled with panic and resignation, when suddenly a dark shadow flashed before her eyes. It was Dou Yanxun in front of her. Suddenly, he collapsed heavily onto the bed.
Looking to the side, I realized he was completely drunk, his cheeks flushed and his eyes tightly closed.
His breathing was steady and heavy, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep...
She carefully checked his breathing and soon heard it rise and fall evenly.
He then slowly let out a breath.
She shoved Dou Yanxun aside, moving his body to the side, and sat up in bed. The red candle by the window had long since burned out, its teardrop-like wax dripping silently, then solidifying into new, eerie stains. At first glance, the crimson stains were utterly shocking.
She looked down at her crumpled clothes, gently straightened them, and then placed the veil aside.
The night was still, with only the sound of Dou Yanxun's breathing echoing in her ears. She curled up, hugging her knees, letting the incense in the hall burn out, leaving only cold, dilapidated ashes.
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