Chapter 46 Honeyed Delight "Only after drinking this nuptial wine can you call me husband..."
The faint scent of bamboo wine wafted onto her face, even carrying the cool fragrance of Pei Lang. Lin Zhi was already a little drunk before she even drank any, her dizziness sweeping from his brow bone to his chin, her voice slightly trembling, "...Husband."
But as soon as she finished speaking, Pei Lang chuckled softly, "I just didn't like the sound of you not calling me cousin anymore, I didn't expect A-Zhi to be so anxious."
Lin Zhi's cheeks flushed red with embarrassment and annoyance as she looked on with glee: "You're teasing me again!"
He poked her soft, white face, then stretched out his arms and suddenly lifted her up from the couch. The sudden lift startled Lin Zhihua, who quickly wrapped her arms around his neck, looking at him with a bewildered expression as he led her to sit at the round table.
Pei Lang pulled Lin Zhi to sit on his lap, his gaze sweeping over her bright red wedding dress. His eyes deepened as he sincerely exclaimed, "So beautiful..."
Lin Zhi raised her hand and covered his mouth, her cheeks flushed as she murmured, "Don't say it!"
Pei Lang, whether drunk or overjoyed, pressed Lin Zhi's palm and kissed it heavily. The soft, cool touch felt wonderful, but it was like a spark thrown into the grass, burning away Lin Zhi's sobriety and giving her whatever she wanted.
The two whispered sweet nothings to each other for a while before Pei Lang finally pulled his hand away, smoothed out the wrinkles in her wedding dress, and reached for the nuptial wine. He then noticed that Lin Zhi was staring intently at his hand.
Looking at the infatuated look in her eyes with tears welling up in her eyes, Pei Lang deliberately slowed down his movements, kneading and squeezing the small wine glass in his palm. Sure enough, he noticed that Lin Zhi's hand, which was gripping his clothes, tightened its grip.
"Only after drinking this cup of nuptial wine can you call me husband."
Lin Zhi leaned against his chest, feeling a reassuring heartbeat emanating from behind, tempting her to reach out and take the wine glass. Their arms intertwined, and Lin Zhi, unable to bear Pei Lang's intense gaze, quickly tilted her head back and downed the contents of her glass in one gulp.
His previously furrowed brows suddenly relaxed after the cool wine went down, and his eyes lit up with surprise as he looked over: "It's sweet!"
Pei Lang stared intently at the tip of her bright red tongue that she had inadvertently peeked out, frowning and clicking his tongue lightly: "How could this be? My cup is so bitter."
Lin Zhi hurriedly grabbed his hand: "They were all poured from the same pot, weren't they? Is there something wrong with your cup... um!"
Using a wine glass to guide Lin Zhi forward, Pei Lang suddenly leaned down and kissed her unexpectedly. Lin Zhi initially tried to push him away, but when she saw the red clothes on the two of them, she completely relaxed and eventually collapsed into his arms, unable to stand up.
He reached out and untied the ties of her wedding dress, as if peeling back layers of honey. Lin Zhi lay back on the bed, the effects of the alcohol belatedly kicking in, her eyes feeling swollen. Pei Lang's warm fingertips felt like flames igniting on her body; every touch made her want to pull away.
When only a tattered undergarment remained, Pei Lang, having discarded the wedding dress, finally stopped, satisfied, and carried the woman down to fetch water.
Lin Zhi, trembling with extreme tension, opened her eyes in a daze and saw Pei Lang unbuttoning his wedding dress with one hand. The exposed arm was more than three times thicker than hers, and he could even support her steadily with one hand.
"...What are you doing?" That's not how the nanny taught me!
Sensing Lin Zhi's subtle urging, Pei Lang tightened his arms around her, pressing his palm against her smooth, white skin: "You're so cold, let's soak in some hot water first."
"I can sleep better at night."
The servants probably didn't expect to call for water so quickly. Through the door to the inner room, Lin Zhi could even hear their faint conversation and couldn't help but chuckle.
But the moment the servant left, her soft buttocks were slapped hard. Pei Lang smiled but his eyes were dark as he stripped himself and the servant clean and stepped into the bathtub. "Don't laugh yet, save your strength for counting later."
Lin Zhi stared as water droplets rolled down Pei Lang's muscular waist and abdomen, his underpants soaked and revealing his skin. Usually hidden by his robes, she had never imagined that beneath the official robes of a civil official was such a figure that made her blood boil.
His gaze, lowered and looking down at her, made her legs go weak. She slowly submerged herself in the water, a sudden, inexplicable panic washing over her, until a pair of large hands, which had completely enveloped her slender waist beneath the hot water, began to gather around it...
Lin Zhi regretted it; she regretted laughing.
Now I can't even cry anymore.
Tears mingled with sweat and melted between the two.
She was prone to sweating, and now she was even more slippery and couldn't sit still in the hot water. But Pei Lang was able to hold her firmly in his grasp and keep her in his palm with no way to escape.
The more you try to run, the tighter you get trapped.
Lin Zhi couldn't remember how many times she called for water during the night. She only remembered being carried back to bed, limp and exhausted. Pei Lang propped himself up on his arm in front of her, twirling her long hair around his fingers and chuckling, "Doesn't my wife love to laugh? Why am I the one laughing now?"
“...Bastard..." Lin Zhi’s fingers trembled as she hadn’t even finished cursing before she was too exhausted to think and fell into a deep sleep.
Pei Lang stared at her cheeks, which were as red as rosy clouds, and held her soft fingers to his lips, unable to resist taking a light bite. But as his satiated state dissipated, his eyes turned cold, and he got off the bed, put on his undergarment, and picked up the wedding dress that had fallen to the side to examine it carefully.
His expression turned grim when he touched the small, round pattern.
Lin Zhi was awakened by a not-so-pleasant dream. In the dream, she felt something pressing down on her stomach, making it hard for her to breathe. When she opened her eyes groggily, she saw Pei Lang's thick, veiny arm draped over her body under the quilt.
The "culprit" was fast asleep, his large hand possessively occupying her lower abdomen as if it were his own. The soft, tender skin was pressed red by his palm, yet it was unexpectedly alluring.
Lin Zhi was too embarrassed to look at herself, so she quickly covered herself up again. Trapped in the strong arms, she couldn't escape. She stared at Pei Lang's handsome face for a long time, her chest filled with happiness and satisfaction, and she unconsciously fell asleep again.
When she woke up again, Chun Tao was handing her a warm towel to wash her face: "Madam, wake up quickly, we still need to serve tea to our two elders today."
Lin Zhi groggily opened her eyes, only to find that it was already bright daylight. She quickly woke up and exclaimed, "Where's Pei Lang? Why didn't he wake me up?!"
When Chuntao saw that Xi had slipped down, revealing the marks on her shoulder and chest, she glanced away somewhat embarrassedly: "The master just went out, saying he would be back soon, and we would go back to the Pei residence together to serve tea when you wake up."
After Lin Zhi finished dressing, she exclaimed, "Did you all put away the wedding dress I took off yesterday?"
Looking at the spot where she had taken off her wedding dress yesterday, there was no trace of it.
The maids exchanged bewildered glances: "We don't know."
Lin Zhi's expression hardened. Ignoring the faint pain in her body, she hurriedly searched the room, but couldn't find it anywhere!
Seeing her like this, the servants stood aside without daring to make a sound, which made Lin Zhi even more flustered. She hurriedly went out to look for them, but bumped into someone at the door.
"What's wrong? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Hearing Pei Lang's voice, Lin Zhicai seemed to have grasped a lifeline: "What about yesterday's wedding dress! It was the wedding dress my aunt lent me! I absolutely can't lose it!"
Upon hearing this, Pei Lang glanced at the servants in the room and said, "You all go out first. My wife and I have something to discuss."
Once everyone had left, Pei Lang patted her back reassuringly: "I took it. I was being too reckless yesterday and got a few drops of alcohol on my skin."
"I let the laundry servants take it, but I'll definitely return it to you intact, okay?"
Lin Zhi's wildly beating heart calmed down a little, and the grip on Pei Lang's hand gradually loosened: "This is something Mother left for Aunt, so you must take good care of it!"
Pei Lang stared at her with a smile in his eyes until she felt embarrassed, then leaned in and kissed her: "I applied medicine for you last night, are you still feeling unwell?"
Lin Zhi bit her lower lip and shook her head, thinking that the two of them should return to the Pei family as soon as possible to serve tea, but Pei Lang stopped her: "No rush."
As he spoke, he pulled her outside. The new residence was furnished and arranged by craftsmen from the palace, and Lin Zhi was seeing it for the first time, her eyes filled with amazement.
Although it looks almost identical to the Pei residence, it has many more refined details.
“The sunlight here is the best and brightest, so I added a small embroidery workshop for you. You can come here whenever you want to embroider something, so as not to hurt your eyes.”
As soon as Lin Zhi stepped inside, she was drawn to the wall covered with colorful embroidery threads. Looking at the rows of embroidery threads neatly arranged on the shelves according to color and type, Lin Zhi couldn't wait to rush forward and examine them closely.
"I've been waiting for this color of embroidery thread for ages, and even the embroidery shop owner doesn't have it! Where did you get it from?"
Pei Lang followed behind her with his hands behind his back, watching her flutter like a little bird with trembling wings, and smiled slightly: "I got it from the tribute gifts that His Majesty received."
"This thing is rare to begin with, and His Majesty dislikes the concubines fighting over it, so I asked for it and was rewarded."
"There's just one thing: even though you like it, you can't embroider for too long in a day, or your eyes will hurt and you'll cry."
Lin Zhi smiled, revealing her two rows of small teeth, and nodded hurriedly.
Seeing that it was almost time, Pei Lang insisted on taking people for a walk around the mansion before setting off back to the Pei family.
The mansion was so large that Lin Zhi couldn't help but sigh, "If I were to go to find you in the future, I would be exhausted after only walking halfway there."
The Pei residence wasn't small, but Lin Zhi used to be so timid and hesitant that he would never dare to act so coquettishly. It was only now that she had found her place that she dared to be so bold.
Pei Lang grabbed her hand and agreed, "It is indeed a bit big. I'll come to you from now on."
Even though they knew it was just a joke, the two still smiled at each other.
The Pei family steward had been waiting at the Pei family gate since early morning. When he saw the carriage approaching from afar, he quickly invited the two of them inside.
"Master and Madam have been waiting for the young master and young mistress to return since early this morning!"
Upon entering the main hall, Lin Shaowan saw Lin Zhi's face glowing like a peach blossom, and Pei Lang was supporting her waist as they walked close together. It was clear at a glance that the two were newlyweds, deeply in love.
"Father, Mother, please accept this cup of tea from your child!"
Pei's father and Lin Shaowan smiled as they saw that the two children were alright now, and felt relieved. They quickly took the children and helped them up.
"Great! Seeing how well you are doing now, we elders can rest assured."
Now that Pei's father has recovered well, he thought about returning to the court to serve. So he took Pei Lang to discuss official business first, leaving Lin Zhi to accompany Lin Shaowan back.
"How is it? Is Pei Lang treating you well?"
Hearing her aunt's concern, Lin Zhi lowered her head shyly and said, "Very good."
Seeing her reaction, it was obvious whether it was good or bad. Lin Shaowan patted her hand with satisfaction: "That's good."
Lin Zhi, thinking of the wedding dress, quickly added, "Aunt, the wedding dress was stained with makeup yesterday. Once the servants have washed it clean, I will return it to you!"
Hearing this, Lin Shaowan didn't react much, but simply nodded: "Although you are married now, Azhi, your aunt still has some things to tell you."
"Although you are now a concubine, Pei Lang's high profile yesterday may have made you unpopular."
"Have you thought about how you're going to deal with this in the future? Your aunt can't always be by your side, so don't let yourself suffer."
Lin Zhi was still a little confused: "A-Zhi is just a concubine, what loss could she possibly suffer?"
Seeing her so confused, Lin Shaowan couldn't help but raise her hand and tap her forehead: "You silly child, Pei Lang will inevitably have to attend banquets with his colleagues in the future. Do you want him to take someone else instead of you?"
"Moreover, once married, one must interact with ladies and noblewomen from various families, otherwise one will be ostracized."
"Have you forgotten that in those poetry gatherings, there were always brides who were ignored and ostracized?"
Reminded by this, Lin Zhi became somewhat worried: "But... I've never had any close friends before. If I'm ostracized now, won't that hinder Pei Lang?"
Even without her aunt saying it, she knew that heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. If she returned to the manor and the lady whispered in her ear, even though Pei Lang was highly valued, he would still be no match for her.
It's only when you're truly isolated and helpless that things get really troublesome.
Seeing that she was becoming visibly agitated, Lin Shaowan quickly reassured her, "Don't think like that. Those noble ladies are all respectable people. Besides, Pei Lang holds an official position, so they won't make things difficult for you."
"Your aunt is just giving you a heads-up, so you don't end up in a panic."
Lin Zhi remained silent for a long time without speaking, but obediently nodded.
Upon returning to their residence, Pei Lang had official business to attend to, so he took Lin Zhi with him to the study. However, after sitting upright for a long time without hearing any gentle words of concern from his young mistress, he couldn't help but put down the memorial in his hand and look over. He then discovered that Lin Zhi was engrossed in something, even more so than he was.
Pei Lang put his arm around her from behind, frowning as he stared curiously at the booklet in her hand: "What are you reading so intently?"
Lin Zhi didn't even turn her head, her eyes fixed on the booklet: "These are the preferences and temperaments of various noble ladies. Since my aunt can't accompany me to banquets in the future, I will naturally have to remember them carefully."
"I can't let you down."
Hearing this, Pei Lang laughed instead: "Is my reputation so fragile? Just because my wife can't remember these people, does that mean I can be forgotten?"
"Then haven't I, Pei Lang, been scheming in the palace all these years for nothing?"
Although Lin Zhi was slightly moved by these words, she still remembered her aunt's words and became determined, "No, I can't help you much anymore, so I certainly can't hold you back!"
"Just what I feared has come true. This afternoon I received an invitation to gather around a stove and brew tea together."
Seeing Lin Zhi's troubled little face scrunched up, Pei Lang chuckled but deliberately caused trouble by picking her up and carrying her towards the bedroom.
"You don't need to please them; they won't back you up."
"Just focus on pleasing your husband, and he'll back you up!"
"Pei Lang! Don't delay my important business..."
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