“Why? We agreed before to pretend to be a married couple. If you keep refusing to sleep in the main room, people will notice something’s wrong.”
“I just won’t do it.”
If she found out about that matter, he would be utterly humiliated.
Seeing he was hesitant and unwilling to answer, she let it go for now.
She reminded herself that since she wouldn’t be staying in the Pei household long, there was no need to force him to share a room with her.
The Lu Yi case should be solved in at most half a year.
She only needed to find a reason to get through this time.
An idea struck her.
“If you really don’t want to, fine. Later, I’ll tell Grandmother that you want to focus on your studies and don’t want distractions from outside matters. I think she won’t say much.”
Study?
Focus on studying?
How could he manage that?
“I can only promise my body will be in the study…”
As for his mind, he couldn’t control it.
“No, if your mind isn’t focused, won’t that waste the teacher’s efforts?”
“But I just can’t absorb it. There’s no way to take medicine with green onions and ginger to help either.”
“In that case, starting tomorrow, I’ll study with you in the study.”
“You forgot that we agreed back then…”
“I haven’t forgotten,” Shen Yunshu interrupted.
“But we can change that agreement. Just endure me for half a year. After that, we can officially divorce.”
Divorce?
Half a year?
“Wasn’t it supposed to be a year?”
“That was the worst-case scenario. Now, I don’t think I’ll delay you that long.”
“You…”
Pei Huaian was stunned, then pouted.
“Why do you go back on your word? You said a year is a year. Why decide on half a year yourself?”
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
Shen Yunshu didn’t understand why he looked both angry and aggrieved.
Pei Huaian glared at her, pursed his lips, and said nothing more, turning away quickly.
Shen Yunshu couldn’t catch up and fell behind, walking slowly.
By the time she returned to Ci You Courtyard, Pei Huaian had locked himself in a west wing chamber.
She had Tinglan fetch medicine and gave it to Qing Wu, asking him to go in and tend to Huaian’s wounds.
Qing Wu knocked for a long while before entering but came out soon after.
“Young Master says no need to apply medicine.”
“How can that be?”
Even if they were just scrapes, not applying medicine would slow healing and leave scars.
Shen Yunshu took the medicine from Qing Wu and went inside.
The chamber had been used by Pei Huaian to store his precious collections.
After the wedding, those things were moved, and a bed was brought in.
He now slept here.
He had already kicked off his shoes and lay on his side, back turned to Shen Yunshu, sulking.
Shen Yunshu placed the medicine on the bedside table and gently patted his arm.
“Talk to your sister. Why are you suddenly angry?”
Pei Huaian burrowed deeper into the bed and muffled, “I don’t know!”
He truly didn’t know why he was upset.
As she said, it was better that she left early; they were a fake couple, the divorce papers were signed, and she would leave sooner or later.
Yet, upon hearing she might officially divorce in less than half a year, he was not happy but rather angry.
He couldn’t pinpoint the cause of this awkward feeling.
Shen Yunshu noticed this temper was quite like her third younger sister’s, and as the eldest sister, she was good at comforting her siblings.
“All right, don’t be angry anymore.”
She stroked his head.
Seeing he was still uncertain, she caressed his face.
“Look, if you don’t treat these wounds, the scars might stay for months. Such a handsome face — it would be heartbreaking to see flaws.”
“Do you care?” he turned his face to ask.
Before she could pull her hand back, his soft lips brushed her palm.
The touch was like a feather lightly sweeping over her hand—soft, warm, and unexpected.
Both were momentarily stunned.
Shen Yunshu reacted first, slowly placing her hand on her lap with a smile.
“Of course I care.”
Pei Huaian felt his heart stir, sat up, secretly biting back a grin, and raised his face arrogantly.
“Alright then, treat my wounds.”
She picked up the medicine and carefully applied ointment to the scrapes on his face, then lowered her head to tend to the scrapes on his hands.
Though the wounds on his face looked severe, they were only superficial with slight bleeding, needing just a thin layer of ointment.
The hand wounds were deeper and required thorough cleaning and a thicker application.
Pei Huaian was two years younger but, being a man, was taller and had larger hands.
Several slender fingers slipped into his palm.
When she lifted his large hand, he gently curled his knuckles, faintly grasping her delicate fingers.
Looking down, he caught sight of her dark hair tied up, revealing the graceful curve of her neck that glowed softly in the light.
His Adam’s apple moved, and memories of that day in the carriage, when he nestled into her shoulder and neck, flooded his mind.
His face flushed hot, and warmth surged through his body, as if he might burst into flames.
After finishing his hand, Shen Yunshu gently blew on the ointment to dry it a bit, then looked up at him.
To her surprise, she saw a long, thin wound on his neck between his jaw and collarbone — hidden enough that it hadn’t been noticed before.
“Don’t move.”
She grasped his chin, lifted it to fully expose the wound, then dabbed ointment onto it bit by bit.
Seeing his Adam’s apple bobbing intensely, she thought she might have hurt him, so she lightened her touch and slowed her movements.
After finishing, there was a bit more ointment than usual, and fearing it might stain his collar, she leaned in and blew on the wound.
Suddenly, her waist tightened, and Shen Yunshu was pulled into his embrace.
She held the medicine in one hand and the bamboo applicator in the other, with no free hand to resist.
Her nose pressed against his shoulder, inhaling the fresh, grassy scent of the young man’s sweat.
“What’s wrong?”
“You…you just blew on me…”
At first, when she blew on his hand, it felt nothing special.
But when that warm, faintly fragrant breath landed on his neck, it was like a gentle kiss from afar.
It was over!
He thought, tonight he would definitely have that kind of dream again.
Realizing he’d overreacted, Pei Huaian quickly let go of her and hastily added, “I’m just afraid my neck is itchy. Don’t blow there again…”
“Sorry, I didn’t know.”
Shen Yunshu put down the medicine and fanned him with her hand, a faint smile in her eyes.
“Alright, be careful washing these days. Don’t let the wounds get wet.”
“Okay.”
“After lunch, you should rest for a while. I’ll wait for you in the study to review your lessons. Tomorrow, I’ll have the teacher come and give you formal lessons, alright?”
“…”
“Good boy.”
Shen Yunshu wasn’t bothered by what happened earlier.
Seeing him so obedient today, she was in a good mood and patted his head again.
“I’ll send someone to call lunch.”
Pei Huaian tilted his head and let her touch him.
“Mm.”
That night, a light rain suddenly began.
Pei Huaian lay in the chamber’s bed, listening to the pattering outside, lying devoutly.
He was well-prepared, having warmed water on the brazier beforehand, and placed clean handkerchiefs and undergarments by his pillow, ready for that spring dream.
However, the lamp oil in the small lantern was nearly used up, and he still hadn’t fallen asleep.
Strangely, after spending the morning playing polo at Yadao Willow Path and the afternoon reviewing lessons with Shen Yunshu, he should be physically and mentally tired.
Yet tonight, sleep wouldn’t come at all.
He shifted his position, lying on his side and clutching the quilt more comfortably.
The satin bedding was filled with the finest silk floss — light as clouds, fluffy and soft — reminding him of how, during the day, he had unconsciously pulled her into his arms, feeling the same softness.
No, she was even softer and lighter than a cloud, carrying the scent of jasmine.
Her scent was sweet — he had tasted it, though his mind was fuzzy at the time, but he still remembered it.
He sniffed the soft quilt but it smelled neither sweet nor fragrant.
How wonderful it would be to sleep holding her…
No, why was he thinking about this?
Even worse, as these images formed in his mind, a certain part of his body had changed without him realizing it.
“Ah!”
He cried out and sat up in shock, staring incredulously at somewhere under the quilt.
“I’m not asleep yet, how did you get up?”
Outside, Qing Wu heard his voice and knocked on the door.
“Young Master, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing…no, something’s wrong. Come in!”
Qing Wu opened the door and saw his master sitting on the bed, dazed as if greatly frightened.
“Is there a mouse in the room?” he asked.
“There’s something worse than a mouse…”
“What is it?”
Qing Wu immediately tensed.
“A snake?”
Pei Huaian shook his head and then nodded.
“There’s a snake in my quilt, very arrogant…”
Qing Wu’s expression changed drastically.
“Young Master, get down quickly!”
He was about to pull off the quilt.
Pei Huaian stopped him and pulled Qing Wu to sit beside the bed.
“It’s not a real snake. Listen carefully, and don’t laugh.”
Curious, Qing Wu asked, “Young Master, what’s going on?”
“Qing Wu, I…”
Pei Huaian bit his lip and decided to put aside his pride to confess, “I’m thinking about women again.”
Those words sounded so familiar.
Qing Wu looked at him, then at the quilt, and finally understood his meaning, letting out a meaningful “Oh.”
Pei Huaian glared at him.
“Don’t laugh! What am I supposed to do?”
The last time this happened, he had to pour bucket after bucket of cold water on himself to calm down.
But that was noon, and the weather was still warm.
Now winter was coming, it was night, and he definitely didn’t want a cold bath.
“That’s easy,” Qing Wu said with a mischievous smile.
“You’re married now. Why don’t you sleep in the young madam’s room?”
“No!”
Aside from already refusing to share a room with Shen Yunshu earlier, even if he returned to the main room, they weren’t truly husband and wife, so it wouldn’t solve the problem.
Qing Wu, unaware of the real reason, thought he still hadn’t accepted the Shen family young madam.
“Then calm down, Young Master. Don’t think about those things; it will pass soon.”
“But…I can’t calm down.”
Seeing his master so flustered, Qing Wu pondered and offered a solution.
“There’s a very simple way to solve this. Have you heard the skewed poem in ‘Shuilin Guangji’? It goes: ‘Sitting alone in the study, hand crafting a wife, this passion is known to no one else…’
The poem is straightforward and bold.
After Qing Wu recited it, Pei Huaian understood immediately, his face burning with shame as he shouted, “What a lousy idea! Get out!”
Qing Wu left, stifling his laughter.
Pei Huaian wrapped himself in the quilt.
Outside, the rain thickened, and wind blew through the window crack, making the small flame in the lamp flicker.
Inside the chamber, after a long silence, a sudden, barely contained sigh broke the stillness before quickly fading into the dim shadows.