The night wind blew, and the red lanterns in the courtyard swayed gently, casting a dim, crimson light onto the ground.
The moon had already drifted toward the west, hanging cold and lonely against one corner of the eaves.
Song Youyi stood outside the courtyard gate and took a deep breath.
She had arrived a bit late and wasn’t sure what the current situation was inside the Wedding Chamber.
Earlier, she had seen Qi Chuyao drinking heartily at the banquet tables, surrounded by a crowd of people urging her to drink more. She likely hadn’t returned early.
Perhaps the two of them hadn’t started yet, or perhaps they were already finished, or perhaps… She didn’t dare think further.
She gently pushed open the courtyard gate.
The door hinge made a very faint creak, which sounded exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
Song Youyi’s heart leaped into her throat. She halted her movements and held her breath, waiting for a moment.
The night wind poured through the crack in the door, making the hem of her skirt flutter slightly.
No one came out, and there was no further movement.
Relieved, she slipped through the gap and gently pulled the door shut behind her.
Her movements were extremely light, like a cat sneaking a snack; every step was taken with extreme care, the ball of her foot touching the ground first before she slowly lowered her heel.
It seemed she hadn’t been discovered.
Delighted, Song Youyi quickened her pace. Pressing herself against the wall, she quietly crept toward the Wedding Chamber.
Her heart beat rapidly, yet her footsteps grew lighter and steadier, unable to stop.
Inside the room, Qin Junyue turned her head abruptly, her gaze like a bolt of lightning. Startled, the swaying of her waist slowed down.
‘Who? Who sneaked in? Did that black-clad person find reinforcements?’
But soon, she realized it was a familiar and weak aura. It seemed to be the Second Young Lady of the Song Family.
‘Why would she come here? Could it be…’
Having attained her current position by acting like a thief, Qin Junyue naturally thought of a certain possibility—especially when she remembered the way she and Song Youyi had locked eyes that night.
Those eyes seemed to hide the exact same thing.
“Hmph,” Qin Junyue let out a cold snort.
‘So you’re that kind of person too. How shameless.’
Hearing her snort, Song Ning asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
‘What now? How did I upset her this time?’
Qin Junyue withdrew her gaze, her eyes softening as a faint smile played on her lips.
‘Since that’s the case, I won’t expose you. I’ll let you see what a Martial Artist is, and what things you will never be able to do.’
She grabbed Song Ning, Sinking Qi to Dantian as her thighs exerted force and her Internal Power surged.
“What are you doing?” Song Ning asked blankly, a bad premonition rising in his heart.
……
The door to the Wedding Chamber was half-ajar, revealing a dim, yellowish candlelight.
Light also reflected off the windows, warm and hazy. Nothing could be seen clearly, only the faint silhouettes of people moving inside.
Song Youyi tiptoed over. Pressing against the wall and holding her breath, she approached the window inch by inch.
She heard voices inside.
It was her brother’s voice.
“…What are you doing? Is this necessary?!”
There was a hint of panic and embarrassment in that voice, along with something she didn’t quite understand.
It didn’t sound like he was angry; rather, it sounded like he was being pushed to the point of being unable to breathe. Every word was airy, the endings trembling.
Song Youyi’s heart hammered. The candlelight inside wasn’t bright, so she couldn’t see faces—only the shadows of two people.
Then, she saw the shadow of “Qi Chuyao” suddenly move.
Two shadows entangled, tossing and turning. The outlines projected onto the wall were so wild they made her face flush and her heart race.
Song Youyi covered her mouth.
She saw her brother’s shadow being flipped over and then back again.
She saw the shadow of “Qi Chuyao” looming over him, her movements as fierce as a wild beast.
She saw her brother’s legs being lifted and then pressed down, his knees almost touching his shoulders.
She saw those two figures nearly melting into one, projecting a distorted silhouette on the wall where limbs and bodies were indistinguishable.
“…I know you’re a Martial Artist, but I’m not!”
Her brother’s voice drifted out, intermittent and accompanied by heavy panting, as if he were speaking while being bounced around.
Every word was shattered by something, broken into pieces that couldn’t be put back together.
“…No, no! I haven’t eaten yet!”
“I said I have no strength! Are you deaf, Qi Chuyao?!”
“Get out! Are you a mute?!”
Song Youyi’s eyes widened. Her face felt hot enough to burn, her fingers clutched the lapels of her dress at her chest, and her breathing became rapid and erratic.
Then, she saw the shadow of “Qi Chuyao” suddenly straighten up.
The shadow had been kneeling, but now it slowly rose—not simply standing up, but sinking into a horse stance on the bed, steady and heavy.
Then, her brother’s shadow was pulled up out of thin air, lying in the air as if floating.
Song Youyi’s mouth hung open, unable to close for a long time.
‘Is this… what a human can do?’
Following that came the sound of Song Ning hitting Qi Chuyao.
She saw the shadow of “Qi Chuyao” grab her brother’s waist, lifting him like one would a little chick.
Then, the shadow began to bounce up and down.
Once, twice, thrice—like tossing a wok, she tossed his entire body up and caught him, tossed him up and caught him again.
Every toss was crisp and efficient. Her brother’s shadow was thrown up, fell, and was thrown up once more.
The shadows shifted in the air, but his feet never touched the surface of the bed from beginning to end.
Song Ning’s howls drifted from inside, intermittent and carrying an emotion she had never heard before.
“You — put — me — down —”
A single word was bounced into several pieces, completely fragmented.
In between, words like “slower” and “I haven’t eaten” were mixed in, but none could be finished. The moment they left his mouth, they were scattered by the tossing.
Song Youyi watched the two shadows on the wall blankly.
She watched her brother being tossed back and forth like a leaf, witnessing movements as wild as a violent storm.
A flush crept onto her pale face, reddening her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears and staining her neck a faint pink.
Her mind was a complete blank, with only one thought echoing repeatedly:
‘This… is this a Martial Artist?’
It wasn’t that she didn’t know the gap between a Martial Artist and an ordinary person.
She knew Martial Artists were stronger, faster, could walk on walls, and could face ten men alone.
But she had never imagined that this gap would manifest in such a way.
She leaned against the wall and slowly crouched down.
Her legs were incredibly weak. The moonlight fell upon her, making her plain white dress glow, looking utterly out of place amidst the festive red decorations.
The flush on her face refused to fade, and her breath was shallow.
Inside the Wedding Chamber, her brother’s voice continued to drift out in fragments.
“You’re — crazy — put me — down —”
Then came a dull thud, like something being thrown onto the bed.
It was quiet for a moment.
Then her brother’s voice rose again, much weaker than before, as if all his strength had been drained away.
“You… you just wait… tomorrow I’ll… I’ll get a divorce from you…”
His tone was fierce, but it held no threat at all.
A light laugh came from inside. It was “Qi Chuyao” laughing.
Song Youyi crouched under the window, covering her face, unsure if she should continue watching.
She thought about it and decided to stand back up and watch a little longer.
“You just wait, Qi Chuyao!” Song Ning’s voice came through, his teeth gritted.
Song Youyi saw “Qi Chuyao” seemingly begin the tossing again. Her brother was flying through the air.