Chapter 51
The morning light shone through the windowpanes, and the clear chirping of birds filled the courtyard. Xie Qinghong struggled to wake up from her sleep, feeling only tiredness. She blinked, and all she could see was red, even more vibrant than what she had seen at night.
She was a little disoriented when she woke up, and she couldn't quite tell where she was, as if she had lost her memory due to a hangover.
Someone walked by on the veranda outside the window, casting shadowy patterns on the window screen. Xie Qinghong turned over and sat up, her black hair cascading down and covering the pillow.
"Awake?" A deep voice, tinged with a hint of pleasure, rang out.
Xie Qinghong looked over in surprise and saw Pei Du sitting by the window in his brocade robes, one elbow on the table, holding a book in his hand. He had been reading by the morning light, but when he saw that she was awake, he put the book down and pretended to get up.
Seeing him like this, she remembered his limp waist and soft, incoherent moans in bed at night. Her face flushed red, and she rolled up the blanket to cover herself. Only when she spoke did she realize that her throat was dry: "Don't come any closer!"
"Is Madam shy?" Pei Du, with his long legs, reached the bedside in just a few steps. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead first, but one kiss wasn't enough, so he turned to kiss the end of her eyebrow, rubbing his cheek against hers with an intimate yet restrained kiss. "Mine."
Xie Qinghong felt a tickle on her ear tips and her face turned red. She raised her hand and pushed him away, saying, "Pei Du, you bad person, I need to get up."
Pei Du finally embraced the slender waist he had longed for, his hands reluctant to let go, which only intensified his regret. The events of last night felt like a dream, and even upon reflection, they seemed veiled by a thin layer of gauze. He was pushed away and leaned against the headboard, watching his wife tend to her hair.
Xie Qinghong glanced down first. She was wearing her undergarments. October in the south wasn't as cold as in Wangjing. She lifted the covers to get out of bed barefoot, but Pei Du grabbed her ankle and put socks on her without allowing her to refuse before telling her to get out of bed.
"It's getting cold."
She sat down by the window, her eyes catching sight of the book Pei Du had casually set aside earlier. She then realized that what Pei Du had been reading wasn't a proper book at all, but the little book her mother had given her. She had tried to pick it up last night, but he had stopped her. Overwhelmed with shame and anger, she threw the book into the drawer and turned around, shouting angrily, "Pei Du, how could you do this?! You shameless bastard!"
Pei Du, leaning against the headboard, chuckled softly: "I remembered how intently you read it last night. I wanted to learn from the top student who always tops the list, even taking it out to study on our wedding night. It must be a rare book of sages. Who would have thought that a book a young lady reads so earnestly could be so improper?"
Xie Qinghong was furious. She hadn't been this angry even when she was being treated like this last night. She was so angry that she drew her eyebrows crooked. Then she became even angrier and slammed her eyebrow pencil in front of the mirror, glaring at Pei Du with her beautiful eyes.
"Why would you read this book? It's because you were drunk; you shouldn't be looking at it!"
Pei Du's smile vanished. He lowered his voice to defend himself, "Xie Ayao, don't try to slander me just because I don't remember. If I couldn't, then what did we do last night? Obviously, I could!"
Xie Qinghong immediately understood that Pei Du didn't like hearing such things. She lowered her eyes and pretended to be nonchalant: "You don't even remember, so how would you know what you did last night? Obviously, that's not acceptable."
Pei Du almost laughed in exasperation. He stood up and walked to the window, noticing her thin clothing. Even though late autumn in the south wasn't cold, the morning was still a bit chilly. He frowned and turned to fetch her an outer robe, wrapping it around her before trying to reason with her: "You think I'm not suitable? Then let's try again tonight?"
Xie Qinghong didn't reply. She slowly put on her clothes and, while redoing her eyebrows, pushed away Pei Du's hand, which was eager to draw her eyebrows, and said with particular disdain, "I don't want you to draw them for me. They look so ugly."
Pei Du touched his nose and stood aside watching her redraw her eyebrows, comb her hair, and awkwardly put it into a bun. But even after it was up, he still felt it wasn't dignified enough, so he called the nanny in to style it into a beautiful high bun and insert a festive red jade hairpin.
The maid brought breakfast again, but Xie Qinghong was full after only drinking a bowl of porridge. Pei Du noted her appetite in his mind and felt that she needed to be properly cared for. The young girl still seemed too weak. Last night... well, she got tired not long after last night.
"Let's go, Madam." Pei Du reached out his hand and led Xie Qinghong out the door.
The Southern Prince's Mansion was decorated in an elegant and refined style, with many wind chimes hanging under the winding corridors, their clear sounds ringing out in the breeze. Xie Qinghong asked curiously as she passed by, "Why are there so many bells? Is there some special custom?"
She stretched out her hand and slipped it through the tassels hanging from the wind chimes, and the delicate, tinkling sound of the bells rang out.
Pei Du explained: "In the South, wind chimes are considered to be objects of blessing. If the bells ring, it means that good fortune is coming and can bring good luck to people."
He used to scoff at this, thinking that if wind chimes could bring good luck, how could the South be so unlucky? But later he realized that there was probably some truth to such a legend.
In Yechun Tower, he bumped into the wind chimes at the door when he opened it. He found the sound annoying, but when he turned his head, he saw a girl following behind her brother, like a lotus in June, blooming quietly and passionately in the water.
The wind chimes brought him unprecedented good fortune in February.
Xie Qinghong listened attentively, then laughed: "I remember there were wind chimes hanging in Yechun Tower. You're so tall, you bumped into one when you turned your head to go out. The bell hit your brow bone, and you were frowning as if you wanted to pull the bell down and crush it."
Pei Du paused for a moment, then slowly smiled: "How do you remember all this so clearly? Were you looking at me back then?"
Xie Qinghong said without any hesitation, "Yes, because you are the most handsome among that group of young men. You look so fierce, I thought that wind chime was going to be killed. But you just frowned, didn't even raise your hand, and came out with your head turned to the side."
"Did I look that fierce?" Pei Du knew that his bad reputation was mostly due to rumors of his violence and cruelty. However, apart from carrying a sword when he went out, he had no other fierce traits. He believed that judging from his appearance and demeanor, he should be a gentleman.
It turns out that the girl he liked thought he was fierce.
He instinctively wanted to frown, but he restrained himself and had to raise his eyebrows. The faint scar on the side of his face twitched in the light, adding a touch of thuggishness.
Xie Qinghong comforted him, "It wasn't that fierce. It's just that all the other young men were smiling obsequiously, but you had a cold face, as if you were saying, 'I'm not happy to see you, get out of here.' But when you talk to my brother, I don't think you're fierce at all. You're very gentle when you talk to my brother."
Pei Du coughed twice, not telling her that at the time he was thinking, "Why can't these people leave?" He only spoke to Xie Qingzhou because of Xie Ayao behind him. Otherwise, why would he talk to Xie Qingzhou? He was so annoyed with Xie Qingzhou back then.
Xie Qinghong was led slowly down the corridor by him, the sound of wind chimes trailing behind her. She belatedly realized she was a little nervous: "Are your father and mother easy to talk to?"
“They will like you very much,” Pei Du said. “After all, they are already very happy that someone is willing to marry me. Besides, you are so well-behaved, you are the kind of child that everyone admires. You always top the list in the exams and your studies are even better than those scholars who have studied hard for many years. Unlike me, I am not good enough.”
He sighed deeply as he spoke: "Alas, last time I sent the test questions I wrote back to my father-in-law for review, he wrote back saying that I am not yet a piece of rotten wood, but compared to you, I am really not good enough."
Xie Qinghong didn't believe it: "How could that be? My father would never say that. If anyone should be compared to you, it should be my brother."
Pei Du said, "What am I comparing with your brother? You are my wife. If my father-in-law wants to compare, he should naturally compare me with you."
Xie Qinghong glanced at him, quite pleased: "Then it's normal that you can't compare. I've been studying with my older brother since I was little, practicing calligraphy every day, and I've read all kinds of books. But you're so good, it doesn't matter if you're not good at studying. My father always said that studying is for understanding things, not for the sake of learning itself."
After talking for a while, Xie Qinghong's initial tension gradually dissipated, and she was led into the main hall by Pei Du. The Prince of Nan and his wife sat in the main seats, both with smiles on their faces, and presented their greeting gifts before she could even speak.
Princess Nan was gentle and looked at her with affection. A few years ago, she thought that her son's reputation and personality might make it difficult to find a spouse. Even her own niece was afraid of this cousin. She was worried and wondered how she should bring it up if she wanted to arrange a marriage.
Who would have thought that her son's trip to Wangjing would lead to her marriage with such an outstanding and beautiful girl? This made Princess Nan's desire for a daughter restless.
My daughter-in-law is so cute and well-behaved, I can't let my son have her all to himself, can I?
Princess Nan thought to herself, "I just acquired a piece of flowing gauze. I could cut it into a wide-sleeved fairy dress, and with light blue silk flowers, I'd look like a fairy often seen in operas. Actually, it could also be made into a straight-cut, wide-legged robe. Qinghong is quite tall for a woman, so she could carry it off. Add a long sword, and she'd be a chivalrous woman who roams the world with her sword."
Although she didn't know what the Princess Consort of the South was thinking, Xie Qinghong immediately knew from this meeting, with her unparalleled intuition, that the Prince and Princess Consort of the South truly liked her, and that it wasn't just superficial politeness.
The Nanwang Mansion doesn't have many people; the Pei family is now down to this branch. Therefore, Xie Qinghong didn't need to see any other relatives. After meeting the Nanwang and Nanwang's wife and changing his address, there was nothing else to do.
As Pei Du led Xie Qinghong across the threshold, he noticed that she couldn't lift her skirt with one hand. He gently turned to the side and lifted half of her skirt, guiding her across the threshold before letting go. He also brushed a stray hair behind her ear.
The seated Prince of the South was amazed and speechless. He had thought that even if his son wasn't as tyrannical as he had been back then, he would still have his share of tyrannical behavior. Who knew he could be so gentle and considerate to the girl?
So Pei Du actually knows how to lift someone's skirt! He's really not like someone from the Pei family.
“Adu has no manly spirit at all, he is really not like me back then…” The King of the South was quite heartbroken.
Princess Nan gave him a cold glare and sneered, "Of course, I'm not like you back then, just grabbing whatever I want. It's fortunate that Adu isn't like you. If she were, I would have taken Qinghong to live on the estate instead of putting up with your father and son's temper in the Nan Prince's mansion!"
The Prince of Nan chuckled, "On such a joyous occasion, I didn't say anything when he suggested we stay at the manor. Adu likes his wife, and I'm just happy for him."
Princess Nan glanced at him, got up and returned to the main courtyard, and ordered: "Take out that flowing silk gauze and cut out a wide-sleeved fairy dress. Also, take that snow-white silk gauze and cut out a scholar's robe. Make it more elegant and wrap it with a layer of light gauze. Wearing it will make you look like a knight-errant."
The maid smiled and said, "Even if the young master doesn't wear these clothes, he still looks like a knight-errant, and he is a perfect match for the young master's wife."
Princess Nan said, "Who said I made it for him? He only wears black tight-fitting clothes all day long. It would be a waste for him to wear such flowing clothes. I made it for Qinghong. Qinghong will definitely look good in it."
The maid asked in surprise, "Is that meant to be made into men's clothing? But how can the young master's wife wear that?"
Princess Nan picked out her favorite storybook and pointed it out to her: "Women can dress up as men too. You don't know, I think Qinghong is so graceful and looks good in anything. I really regret not having a daughter like her so I could dress her up from a young age. But it's not too late now. Luckily, Adu is thoughtful and married Qinghong so quickly."
The maid silently noted it down. It seemed that the Princess Consort of the South was extremely satisfied with the Crown Prince's wife, and even the Crown Prince would have to back down from now on.
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