Qin Junyue’s fingers gently brushed across Song Ning’s face, her fingertips tracing from his sideburns to his slightly parted lips.
She didn’t want to leave, but she knew she had to.
Retracting her hand, she took a deep breath and focused her Internal Power into her palm, pressing it against the mattress.
A warm breath slowly seeped from her palm like a winter heater, silently drying the damp, sticky traces bit by bit.
The bedding became dry and fluffy again. Aside from a few slight wrinkles, nothing looked out of the ordinary.
Then, her gaze fell upon a small piece of blood-colored fabric on the bedsheet.
It was what she had left behind.
Qin Junyue reached out to take it, carefully folding it and tucking it into the innermost part of her collar as if it were a precious treasure.
In this world, both men and women valued their first night immensely. Naturally, Qin Junyue was no exception, especially regarding this blood.
This blood was unique to a woman, different from the blood in other parts of the body.
On that night, it would flow into the man’s body, merging with him. It would remain in that man’s body forever, becoming a part of him.
Furthermore, a man’s body could only accommodate the Primal Essence Blood of one woman.
Once it merged, it was a lifelong matter.
Even if they divorced in the future, even if he remarried, or even if that man stayed with another woman, that trace of Primal Essence Blood would never dissipate.
It would be right there, in his veins, deep within his bones and blood, forever reminding everyone to whom he had first belonged.
Therefore, after most men married, few people were willing to have them again.
After all, no one wanted another woman’s blood flowing through their own man’s body.
Even if it was just a trace.
Even if many years had passed.
But at this moment, Qin Junyue’s heart was filled with pride.
She looked down at Song Ning’s peaceful sleeping face, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but curl up.
His body now contained her blood.
That trace of Primal Essence Blood had already merged into his veins.
From now on, whether he knew it or not, and whether he was willing or not, there would forever be a part of him that belonged to her.
Even if he divorced in the future, even if he remarried, or even if he went to the ends of the earth, that trace of blood would follow him, never dispersing — just like her.
She felt she had made a massive profit.
Qin Junyue leaned over, pulled up the quilt, and gently covered Song Ning.
She tucked the corners of the quilt by his side and then his shoulders, tidying his messy collar and tying the loose ribbons.
After finishing all this, she stood up and looked around the Wedding Chamber.
The red candles had burned to the end, leaving only a short stump with a flickering flame that seemed ready to go out at any moment.
The wine jug on the table was overturned, and the plates of melon and fruit were stacked crookedly.
Qi Chuyao was still slumped over the table, her face pressed against the surface and her mouth slightly open, letting out increasingly loud sounds.
The medicinal effect had passed, and her breathing had returned to the rhythm of a normal person — thick and heavy, sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet room.
Qin Junyue glanced at her, a complex mix of emotions surging in her heart.
There was guilt, pride, and nervousness.
‘Sister Qi, in the future, I, Qin Junyue, will be at your beck and call.’
She said this silently in her heart, then turned and walked toward the door with light steps.
Reaching the door, she looked back once more. Song Ning was still asleep, the quilt neatly covering him, revealing only his face. He was very quiet.
She gritted her teeth and slipped out of the door.
The sky in the courtyard was dim with the first light of dawn. The last red lantern had burned out, leaving only a bare frame swaying gently in the wind.
The air held a crisp chill, mixed with the lingering smell of wine from the previous night and the sulfurous scent of firecrackers.
Qin Junyue stood at the door and took a deep breath.
She closed her eyes and felt her body. Her lower abdomen felt warm, with a surge of heat moving like a fire, making her whole body feel comfortable.
This time, the results were quite fruitful.
She just wondered if she could conceive his child.
If she could, it would be an even bigger win.
She touched her lower abdomen and then lowered her hand. The smile on her face deepened as her gaze shifted toward the corner of the window.
It was empty now, with only a few fallen leaves blown into the corner by the morning breeze, piled into a heap.
Song Youyi was no longer there.
Qin Junyue knew she had been crouching there for a long time last night.
With her hearing, she had clearly heard the faint breathing, the occasional sobbing, and the sound of fabric rubbing against the wall.
She even knew what Song Youyi had been doing in the corner, when she had left, and that her legs had been so numb that she stumbled when she walked away.
Regarding this sickly Second Young Lady of the Song Family, Qin Junyue couldn’t quite describe how she felt.
She hadn’t expected the other girl to be that kind of person as well.
‘So that’s how it is.’
But so what? That trace of Primal Essence Blood inside Song Ning belonged to her, and no one could take it away.
However, none of that mattered now.
She didn’t have time to think about these romantic affairs.
Who had sent that Black-clad Person last night? Judging from their skills, there were no obvious sect traces; it seemed like they had intentionally hidden their style.
A few moves resembled techniques from the Imperial Palace, but not entirely.
They were mixed with shadows of various martial sects, as if meant to confuse any observers.
She gritted her teeth and was about to move when a slight sound came from inside the room.
It sounded like a chair being bumped, or perhaps someone was about to get up.
Qin Junyue’s expression shifted instantly. Without time for further thought, she used the Lightfoot Technique to leap out of the courtyard like a swallow, disappearing into the morning light.
She didn’t dare to look back.
……
Inside the Wedding Chamber, Qi Chuyao moved.
Slumped on the table, she felt her head was as heavy as lead. Her temples throbbed, and her mouth felt dry and bitter.
She opened her eyes dizzily. The piercing morning light shone through the window, making her close them again.
“Hiss…”
She rubbed her temples and slowly propped herself up.
Her arms were so numb that she had no sensation in them, as if they had been punched hundreds of times. A sour, bloated feeling spread from her fingertips to her shoulders.
She looked down. The table was covered in wine stains, the wine jug was overturned, and the cups were flipped.
Plates of fruit were stacked crookedly, and red dates were scattered across the table, with a few crushed on the floor.
‘Why did I spend the whole night slumped here?’
She rubbed her eyes, trying to recall the events of the previous night.
Drinking… Many people had surrounded her to offer toasts, and she had drunk cup after cup… Then what?
She seemed to have returned to the Wedding Chamber, and she seemed to have said a few words to Song Ning… And then?
She couldn’t remember. Her brain felt like mush, everything jumbled together.
She stood up unsteadily. Her legs felt weak, and she almost fell, only steadying herself by grabbing the table.
She looked down at herself. Her Wedding Dress was wrinkled and twisted into a ball, with several dark wine stains on the front.
Her hair was completely undone. She didn’t know where her gold hairpin had fallen, and her long black hair was draped over her shoulders in a messy tangle, like a bird’s nest.
She frowned.
‘How did I end up like this? Was it not just a bit of wine?’
She looked up, and her gaze landed on the bed.
Song Ning was lying there, the quilt neatly covering him, showing only his face.
He was sleeping deeply with even breathing. His eyelashes drooped slightly, a faint blush still lingered on his face, and his lips were slightly parted as if he were dreaming of something.
Looking at that face, Qi Chuyao suddenly felt an inexplicable surge of irritation.
‘He is certainly sleeping soundly.’
She had been slumped here all night with a backache, a neck as stiff as if it had been twisted, and arms too numb to lift.
And he just slept like that? Even if they were married, even if he was blind, couldn’t he have felt his way over to help her to the bed?
They were clearly so close, just a few steps away. Was it really necessary for him to just let her sleep on the table all night?
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she let out a heavy huff from her nose.
But looking at his peaceful sleeping face, she didn’t know what to say.
Scold him? He was still asleep.
Wake him up? He couldn’t see anything; what would waking him up accomplish? Make him apologize?
She stood there, full of anger but with nowhere to vent it.
After standing for a good while, she finally turned around and walked softly to the dressing table.
She didn’t want to wake him. It wasn’t out of consideration; she just felt that if she woke him, she wouldn’t know what to say.
The bronze mirror reflected a disheveled face — eyes swollen, cheeks red, and hair as messy as grass.
She picked up a comb, slowly smoothed her hair, and found a hair ribbon to tie it up casually.
The Wedding Dress was too wrinkled. She tugged at the front and patted the skirt, but after struggling for a while, it was still a mess of creases, so she simply gave up.
She glanced at the mirror and then back at Song Ning on the bed.
He was still sleeping deeply.
Withdrawing her gaze, she walked quickly to the door, pulled it open, and stepped out.
The fresh air hit her face, carrying the cool moisture of the morning dew and the fragrance of plants.
She took a deep breath, feeling her mind clear up significantly. Most of the stifling frustration she had felt all morning dissipated.
The sky was already bright. The sun peeked out from behind the eaves, casting golden light into the courtyard and making the blue brick floor feel warm.
Qi Chuyao stretched, her joints letting out a few cracking sounds as she fully extended her body.
Her mood suddenly improved.
‘Whatever.’
In any case, the marriage was just a formality; she would deal with future matters later.
Could her mother really control her for a lifetime? Once she established a firm foothold in the imperial court, who could stop her?
As she walked out, she thought about what to do today.
Hunting? She had grown tired of that a few days ago.
Drinking? She had drunk too much last night and didn’t want to touch it today.
Find Junyue to play?
Right, Junyue.
She remembered how Qin Junyue had stood up for her yesterday.
She recalled Qin Junyue’s cold eyes when the short blade was pressed against Wei Ning’s mouth — so majestic and incredibly cool.
‘What a good sister.’
She had stood up for her yesterday, accompanied her for drinks, and…
And what else?
She rubbed her temples, unable to remember.
Qi Chuyao’s steps became light.
“I wonder where Qin Junyue is,” she muttered to herself. “I’ll go find her.”
She strode out with long steps, her skirt swinging around her feet. Her wrinkled Wedding Dress didn’t seem so pathetic in the morning light anymore.
‘My good sister stood up for me yesterday. I must treat her to a meal at a restaurant today.’
As she walked, she planned which restaurant to go to. Her mood grew better and better, even making her forget the aches and pains from sleeping on the table all night.
After Qi Chuyao left, on another path, a figure in pink and a figure in green gradually emerged.