Shen Youran placed her hand lightly on the sliding door but didn’t push.
She sighed and turned to Danruo, “You go in and get my clothes. I’m going to bathe………………”
Danruo kindly advised, “Young madam just bathed a few days ago. It’s cold and late; maybe don’t bathe tonight.”
“Go in if I tell you to………………”
“But I’m afraid to go in.”
If the mistress was afraid of that young master, shouldn’t the maid be afraid too?
“Come in.”
Pei Huaijin’s cold voice came from behind the door.
“Did you hear that? Go in.”
Shen Youran urged Danruo.
“Shen Youran, come in.”
Called by name, Shen Youran had no choice but to drag her reluctant little face and step inside.
There was a brass censer in the room.
Though small, it warmed the room a bit.
The red canopy of the moon gate bed was hooked back on both sides by golden hooks.
Pei Huaijin had changed into his night clothes and was sitting against a Ruyi pillow, casually flipping through a book.
Shen Youran looked closer and saw he was reading The Etiquette for Women.
She gasped softly.
“Um……………”
Before he noticed, she took the initiative to admit her fault, “I didn’t copy The Etiquette for Women today.”
“Why didn’t you copy it?”
“Because………………my eyes aren’t well yet.”
“Be honest.”
“Because I’m lazy………………”
“Knowing your laziness means you must correct it going forward.”
“Oh.”
Though she agreed with her words, her pouty lips and reluctant tone didn’t sound like she intended to change.
Old habits die hard.
“Don’t want to copy it? Fine…”
Shen Youran, who had been lying under the bedcovers, immediately lifted her head with surprise and joy.
“Memorizing it is the same.”
He added.
Her shiny black eyes shifted and she rolled her eyes at him.
Pei Huaijin ignored it and patted the spot beside him.
“Come up and recite.”
The bed is for sleeping, right?
“Can’t I recite tomorrow? It’s late already……”
“Finish today’s task today. We’re going back to your family tomorrow; you won’t have time.”
“But my eyes are bad. Dad and sister never let me read at night.”
Though she hadn’t been obedient and often read storybooks secretly at night.
Looks like he wasn’t letting her off tonight.
“Fine, I’ll read and you listen. When you memorize it, you sleep………………”
Shen Youran pouted, took off her hairpin, changed into night clothes behind the screen, and slowly climbed onto the bed.
He sat on the outer side; she took the inner side where a blanket was prepared.
She wrapped herself up like a dumpling, wearing an expression both sulky and helpless.
Seeing she was ready, Pei Huaijin flipped to the fourth chapter and read word by word: “A woman has four virtues: first, womanly virtue; second, womanly speech; third, womanly appearance; fourth, womanly work………………”
Shen Youran recited after him.
Pei Huaijin: “Regarding womanly virtue, it is not necessary to be extraordinarily talented and bright………………”
Shen Youran: “Regarding womanly virtue, it is not necessary to be extraordinarily talented and bright.”
“Womanly speech does not require eloquent words……”
“Womanly speech does not require……………
After reading the third time, Pei Huaijin put down the book and asked, “Have you memorized it yet?”
Shen Youran, her eyes already wandering, shook her head honestly.
The words were like the slippery surface of water shield, sliding through her mind without a trace.
Pei Huaijin frowned.
Such a simple text, he could memorize it after one or two readings.
He had already read it to her three times.
Why couldn’t she memorize it?
He patiently read it to her twice more.
After these two readings, Shen Youran could hardly sit still, swaying unsteadily and struggling to keep her eyes open.
Pei Huaijin reprimanded her posture, “Sit properly. Don’t shake your head.”
“I’m not shaking. I’m really tired……”
She didn’t like reading. Except for storybooks, other books were like a soporific drug; once she opened them, sleepiness rushed over her.
Her sister usually forced her to read in the mornings or after naps when she was refreshed and alert.
Now it was nearly midnight, the right time to sleep.
Pei Huaijin’s dull words only added to her drowsiness, and she couldn’t resist.
Her body leaned back, ready to collapse.
“You…”
Pei Huaijin quickly caught her.
She followed his pull and fell into his arms.
“Please let me sleep. I’m really so tired…..”
She closed her eyes, mumbling in a pitiful tone, “I don’t want to memorize. I want to sleep……………
His hand, which was about to push her away, froze midair.
Though he knew she was acting cute, no man could resist such a pitiful kitten-like girl.
Neither could he.
His hand gently rested on her shoulder and lightly patted twice instead of pushing her away.
“Fine, no memorizing tonight.”
She was truly exhausted.
Her body softened, her forehead pressed against him, mumbling with great grievance, “I don’t want to eat leftovers either………………”
Pei Huaijin was momentarily stunned, then chuckled helplessly.
Just two meals of leftovers and she’s this upset?
As if she’d been terribly mistreated.
He lowered his gaze and noticed a few stray hairs sticking up, swaying softly as she moved, making him feel ticklish.
Her body slid down, and before he could respond, he felt weight on his leg—she had fallen asleep on his lap.
She must really be exhausted.
Last night she avoided him, but today she was too tired and fell asleep on his leg.
Well, girls her age probably needed more sleep.
The memorization could wait until tomorrow.
Pei Huaijin removed her blanket and set it aside, then carefully helped her onto the inner side, adjusted her limbs, and covered her again.
Her eyes, sometimes shy, sometimes joyful, were now quietly closed. Long lashes cast a faint shadow beneath them—unlike this morning when she was pretending to sleep, her lashes had twitched constantly.
If only she were as quiet and obedient when awake as she was now asleep.
Although she hadn’t memorized the fourth chapter of The Etiquette for Women before bed, Shen Youran had a dream.
In the dream, Pei Huaijin kept forcing her to recite and threatened that if she didn’t, they’d consummate the marriage.
Scared, she cried and recited…..
But in the dream, the words in The Etiquette for Women were all twisted except for the first sentence.
She couldn’t recognize or understand them, and couldn’t memorize.
She desperately wanted to find her sister, but Pei Huaijin pounced like a tiger, biting her lips, saying he wanted to consummate……………….
“Wuwu, I don’t want to consummate,” she cried, kneeling and begging, “Please don’t eat me…………………
Just as she was about to wake, a big hand lightly patted her shoulder: “I’m not eating you. Sleep well.”
ISIS……
The big tiger in the dream suddenly let her go, and she drowsily fell back asleep.