On the third night, she asked Danruo to pack away his quilt and pillow into the cabinet.
The large huanghuali bed held only her pillow and quilt, making it very spacious.
She pulled out a storybook, lay on her pillow, propping up her feet to read leisurely.
Her cheeks flushed as she read, unaware the door had been pushed open.
When someone approached the bed, her gaze followed the trailing hem of the green robe…
Startled, she hurriedly hid the book under the pillow and sat up.
“You…why are you here tonight?”
Her loose black hair draped from shoulders to chest.
Dressed in white sleepwear, she knelt on the bed, face flushed, long lashes trembling.
“Didn’t you say your eyes were bad and you shouldn’t read at night?”
Pei Huaijin bent down, pulled the book from under the pillow, flipped through a few pages, then placed it on the nearby table.
His gaze swept the especially spacious bed.
“Where’s my pillow and quilt?”
“I thought you wouldn’t come to bed tonight, so I told Danruo to put them away.”
Shen Youran asked cautiously, seeing his expression was neither pleased nor angry, “You’re not mad anymore?”
“Why would I be mad?”
“About what happened between me and Pei Huaian.”
“Your sister has already explained it to me. Thankfully, it didn’t cause a serious mistake. You should avoid being alone with Seventh Young Master Pei in the future…”
His tone was calm, seemingly no longer angry.
That meant they would sleep together again.
Shen Youran felt a fleeting regret before hopping down and skipping a few steps forward.
Pei Huaijin caught her and asked, “What are you doing?”
“I’m calling Danruo in to prepare your bed…”
“No need.”
He sat her down on the bed.
“I’ll do it myself.”
He disliked relying on others for things he could do himself.
Shen Youran didn’t insist and climbed back into bed, tucking the pillow and quilt around herself but leaving half the bed free for him.
Pei Huaijin changed clothes, washed, then took a pillow from the cabinet and came over.
Expecting him to fetch the quilt, she was surprised when he placed the pillow by her side, slipped off his shoes, then reached to pull her quilt.
She grabbed the edge tightly.
“Why are you pulling my quilt?”
“Two people sharing one quilt is enough. No need to add another taking up space.”
“But didn’t we each have our own quilt before?”
She clung stubbornly, but his strength prevailed, and half the quilt was pulled away.
With the movement, the man’s body pressed against hers.
“We are married. If we always sleep separated by quilts, when will we consummate?”
Frightened, Shen Youran rolled off the bed.
“Consummate tonight?”
“Not tonight.”
Pei Huaijin lay properly on his side, looking at her sideways.
“I’ll give you more time, but you must adapt quickly to being a wife.”
Good.
Not tonight.
Compared to consummation, sharing one quilt was easier to accept.
Shen Youran cautiously crawled back under the quilt, clutching the edge, covering herself, though the gap between them left a chill.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Pei Huaijin asked softly.
“No,” she lied stubbornly.
“Suit yourself.”
He wasn’t very sensitive to cold, and these days at Shumi Yuan drained much of his energy, so despite discomfort, he soon felt sleepy.
But the one claiming not to be cold tossed and turned, sighing, constantly shifting positions beneath the quilt, dissipating what little warmth was there.
Each time he nearly fell asleep, the noise woke him.
After several attempts, even his patience wore thin.
He closed his eyes and pulled her into his arms, holding her tight like in the carriage, “Stay still. I have to get up early tomorrow…”
The person in his embrace tried to struggle but he rolled over, pinning her firmly.
She finally stopped moving.
Satisfied, Pei Huaijin fell asleep.
Poor Shen Youran, however, lay wide-eyed in his arms until well past midnight before finally drifting off.
At dawn, the eastern sky brightened, dewdrops on branches swaying lightly in the late autumn breeze.
Shen Yunshu removed the hood from her cloak and stood outside Chunxuan Hall, ready to pay respects to the Grand Madam.
Pei Huaian’s birth mother had died young, so he had no stepmother above him.
Strict morning and evening rituals weren’t necessary.
But Grand Madam Pei was still alive and treated her with kindness, so Shen Yunshu came daily to perform the morning greeting at Chunxuan Hall.
After the Grand Madam finished dressing, Madam Jiang summoned Shen Yunshu inside.
At that moment, the Second Madam arrived holding the Account Book, fashionably late, and joined them for the greeting and tea.
After some polite exchange, Grand Madam Pei asked, “Has Young Master Pei returned yet?”
Since his return visit, Pei Huaian had left by carriage with Qing Wu and had not come back.
“Not yet. Your granddaughter-in-law plans to go looking for him today.”
After all, she had promised Pei Huaijin to supervise Pei Huaian’s studies, and the urgent task was to find him first.
“Do you know where to look?”
“Not yet certain. But grandmother can rest assured, your granddaughter-in-law will definitely bring him back.”
Grand Madam Pei looked at the gentle and sensible granddaughter-in-law with growing pity.
“Your grandson was spoiled by his father and lacks understanding. It’s a hardship for you.”
“Grandmother, I am not wronged.”
Everyone thought she was the one wronged by marrying Pei Huaian, but in truth, it was Pei Huaian who suffered.
He could have regained his freedom, but she had begged him to pretend to be her husband, binding him with this marriage.
Yet everyone assumed she was the one sacrificing.
But it seemed that within a year, they both would be free once Lu Yi was banished, no longer needing to continue the act.
After chatting a while, Shen Yunshu took her leave, arranging a carriage to go find him.
Inside Chunxuan Hall, only the Second Madam and Grand Madam remained.
“Mother, here are last month’s accounts. Please take a look…”
The Second Madam nervously handed over a thick stack of account books.
Grand Madam had entrusted the inner household management to the Second Madam for five years. In all those years, she rarely checked the accounts.
Last night, a messenger unexpectedly came to the Second Madam’s courtyard, saying Grand Madam wanted to see last month’s accounts.
Caught off guard, the Second Madam had stayed up all night to sort the accounts, almost missing the morning greeting.
Even so, though the accounts balanced, Grand Madam’s sharp eyes saw many problems.
Knowing the Second Madam’s limited ability and tendency to skim from the main household, Grand Madam no longer tolerated her carelessness.
In younger years, Grand Madam had turned a blind eye as long as the Second Madam did not take too much.
But now, with two granddaughters-in-law added to the household, if Huaijin’s wife was too young and naive to manage, it wouldn’t be impossible to hand the management to Shen Yunshu.
So today, Grand Madam thoroughly picked apart the errors and irregularities in the accounts, humiliating the Second Madam into silence.
The Second Madam wasn’t foolish.
Grand Madam’s sudden strictness meant she no longer wanted her in charge.
As for which granddaughter-in-law would get the position, she could not guess.
After reviewing the accounts, Grand Madam kept the books.
The Second Madam grew suspicious and assigned a trusted maid near Chunxuan Hall.
Sure enough, the maid soon reported that Grand Madam had sent the account books to Yunzhi Courtyard.
It seemed Grand Madam intended to let Huaijin’s wife manage the household.
That made things easier.
Huaijin’s wife was as naive as a newborn melon, appearing completely innocent and guileless.
She’d be much easier to deal with than the Second Madam’s daughter-in-law.
In Yunzhi Courtyard, the bedroom.
Pei Huaijin tried to get up for the third time, but just as he lifted himself a few inches, the person on him let out a dissatisfied hum, then used hands and feet to push him down.
Last night before sleeping, annoyed by her restlessness, he had pinned her beneath him.
But upon waking, their positions had reversed.
He lay on his back, and she propped half her body on him, her slender arms and legs wrapped around him.
Any movement from him drew her closer.
Just now he moved again, and she climbed fully atop him, pressing her whole body against his.
Pei Huaijin froze, tried to push her away, but she clung tighter.
He glanced at the window flooded with morning light and guessed it was late.
If he didn’t get up soon, he would miss his duty.
The person on him was breathing heavily, clearly awake, deliberately making mischief.
Despite knowing her little tricks, when her soft fragrant body tangled with him, he couldn’t bring himself to resist, ending up at her mercy.
Reluctant to part with such softness but unwilling to be late, he negotiated, “If you don’t get up soon, I’ll have to consummate…”
Shen Youran didn’t care.
He had pinned her all night, making her sleepless.
This morning, she was all in. Having been held all night, her aversion to physical contact was gone, replaced with desire for revenge.
“Do it if you dare! See what you can do to me!”
Seeing her still refuse to move, Pei Huaijin resorted to tickling the tender spot at her waist.
Sure enough, as soon as his hand touched her side, she couldn’t hold back and moved.
He chuckled, his big hands roaming her waist, occasionally pinching and kneading.
She clearly couldn’t take it and laughed aloud, but refused to open her eyes, stubbornly clinging to him, swaying her waist to dodge, inevitably brushing against him…
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he suddenly sat up.
Shen Youran was unprepared, carried into his arms, sitting on his lap.
Instinctively, her arms wrapped around his neck and her knees braced on either side of him.
She wanted to keep pretending to sleep and tease him, but his firm grip on her waist pulled her closer still.
Before she could react, his lips brushed her ear, hot breath teasing the shell.
“Feeling it? If you don’t get up soon, we really will consummate…”
Premium Chapter
Login to buy access to this Chapter.