Pei Huaian took the initiative to suggest moving back to the main chamber, much to the Grand Madam’s relief.
“That’s more like it. You study diligently during the day, so at night you should rest well. Besides, what kind of married couple doesn’t sleep in the same room…”
The Grand Madam thought to herself, watching him move back to the main chamber, night after night by the side of such a graceful and elegant beauty.
There was no way he wouldn’t be moved.
Seeing that the evening was growing late, the Grand Madam invited the two to have dinner together in Chunxuan Hall.
Pei Laofuren had always been attentive to health preservation, and the medicinal meals were prepared by the kitchen staff within her own courtyard.
Lately, she had been suffering from soreness in her waist and knees, kidney deficiency, and tinnitus. Following the Langzhong’s advice, the kitchen had prepared Duzhong Pork Kidney Soup for several days straight.
The Grand Madam had more than enough of the soup and asked the two young people to share the leftovers.
Shen Yunshu wasn’t accustomed to the pungent smell of pork kidney soup, but Pei Huaian found it rather flavorful and ended up drinking most of the soup.
After dinner, the two took their leave from Pei Laofuren and departed Chunxuan Hall.
On the way back to Ci You Courtyard, Shen Yunshu couldn’t help but ask, “Grandmother had already softened her stance. Why did you still rush to agree?”
Pei Huaian rubbed his full belly with a satisfied expression and casually replied, “I had my reasons before for refusing, but now I don’t…”
“What reasons?”
“That I can’t tell you…”
Even without him saying it, Shen Yunshu guessed that he must have been unable to let go of Sister—his third younger sister—and that was why he wanted to set clear boundaries with her.
Perhaps seeing Sister and Older Brother together today stirred something in him, prompting this sudden decision to move back to the main chamber.
“Sis…”
“Hm?”
“Since we’ll be sharing a room at night from now on, shall we set some ground rules first?”
Look at that. Just moved back, and he was already eager to draw a line between them?
“Sure, what do you have in mind?”
“You said before I could sleep on the bed and you on the Luohan Bed, but that bed is your dowry. I’m afraid I won’t get used to it, so how about I keep sleeping on the Luohan Bed instead?”
He definitely couldn’t sleep on her bed—the scent on it was all hers.
How could he bear it?
“Alright, as long as you don’t mind the Luohan Bed being a bit small.”
“Also, my bedding and clothes must be taken care of by Qing Wu alone. Neither you nor your maid is allowed to touch them.”
“Okay.”
Although she didn’t understand why he made such a request, it wasn’t unreasonable, so Shen Yunshu agreed readily.
“One last thing, and the most important,” Pei Huaian stopped walking, looked at her, and for once wore a serious expression.
“Sis, at night we each sleep separately. You absolutely mustn’t have any improper thoughts about me…”
Based on his previous dream experiences, whenever she got too close or touched him, he would have those kinds of dreams nine times out of ten.
He had never understood why, even though his first love was Shen Youran, it was always Shen Yunshu who appeared in his dreams.
Though he still didn’t have it figured out, fortunately, he had found a solution: as long as Shen Yunshu didn’t show any intimacy toward him, he wouldn’t have those dreams.
Hearing this, Shen Yunshu chuckled softly.
“What do you take me for? We agreed to act like siblings in private. I see you as my younger brother. Not only do I have no improper thoughts about you, I don’t even have improper feelings.”
Instead of feeling relieved, Pei Huaian was oddly disappointed.
“You’ve never had any improper thoughts about me?”
“Never.”
“I’m such a good-looking person, hanging around in front of you every day, and you don’t have a single improper thought?”
Back then, the ladies who liked him lined up from the Pei family gate all the way out of the city.
He considered himself handsome and wealthy, and after spending so much time with her, he thought she might feel a little wicked desire for him like he did for her.
But no?
“Not even a bit?”
Shen Yunshu suspected he was testing her, so she sincerely reassured him, “Don’t worry, not even a bit. So even if we share a room at night, you can rest easy and sleep soundly.”
Back at Ci You Courtyard, Shen Yunshu had Tinglan tidy up the Luohan Bed in the bedroom and pack away all her belongings into the cabinet.
She used to lie on this Luohan Bed by the Yingchuang, reading or admiring the courtyard view, sometimes even taking a short nap here.
Once Tinglan finished putting everything away, Qing Wu carried Pei Huaian’s bedding and knocked on the door.
Shen Yunshu signaled Tinglan to draw open the six-panel screen to shield the bed before allowing Qing Wu in.
Without looking away, Qing Wu quickly made the bed with the bedding and pillows, then bowed his head and left quietly.
Qiongzhi brought over a stack of account books sent from the second branch and asked where to put them.
Shen Yunshu told her to place them on the anji by the bed, planning to skim through them tonight so she wouldn’t be caught off guard when meeting the household managers tomorrow morning.
After Pei Huaian finished bathing and came in, he leaned halfway over, glancing toward the screen to find her quietly sitting by the bed, focused on the account book.
She sat still, her expression concentrated.
A plain jade hairpin was slanted in her hair, holding her cloud-like tresses up.
A single strand fell to her cheek and gently swayed as she flipped pages.
Pei Huaian was momentarily entranced.
She happened to look up, her eyelashes catching the candlelight, the corner of her lips curling softly.
“You go ahead and sleep. I’ll look at the accounts a bit longer.”
“Ah… okay.”
He turned around and headed toward the Luohan Bed.
Between the screen panels was an incense burner, emitting gentle warmth.
Pei Huaian undid his outer robe and tossed it over the screen, then slipped off his shoes and lay down on the Luohan Bed.
He was tall, and the Luohan Bed was indeed a bit short for him, barely enough for his long legs.
But lying on his side seemed more comfortable.
He didn’t light a lamp; only candlelight filtered through the gaps between the painted screens.
The screens depicted misty mountains and clouds, ethereal and dreamy.
Her figure faintly reflected on the screen like an orchid in a secluded valley.
Although she hadn’t made any intimate gestures toward him today, this being their first night sharing a room, he had taken special care to ease his mind in the bathhouse beforehand to avoid having those dreams tonight.
The room was silent as ever, the incense burner’s warmth cozy, and a faint floral scent lingered by his pillow.
It was his own pillow, yet he could detect a familiar jasmine fragrance…
Pei Huaian sank into the sweet scent, relaxing, and gradually fell asleep.
Late into the night, the dying candle flickered weakly, the tiny characters in the account book blurring.
Shen Yunshu finished skimming the last few pages, set the book aside, and rubbed her temples to ease the strain in her eyes.
Glancing at the time, it was already the middle of the night.
She needed to get up early at the hour of the Rabbit—still had about two hours of sleep left.
Just as she was about to lie down, she suddenly heard an odd sound from behind the screen.
She held her breath and listened—it was Pei Huaian’s breathing.
His breaths were unusual, each one heavier and quicker than the last.
Could he be having a nightmare?
“Pei Huaian?” she called softly.
Only rapid, rough breathing answered her.
She got out of bed, slipped on her shoes, and approached the screen, calling him again.
“…”
“Sis…” came a muffled voice.
Hearing him respond, Shen Yunshu hurriedly asked, “What’s wrong?”
“…”
“I’m here.”
She steadied the screen.
“Are you feeling unwell? Do you want me to come check on you?”
He kept muttering something she couldn’t make out.
Not wanting to leave him alone, she circled the screen and stood before the Luohan Bed.
The candlelight was faint, and the side behind the screen grew darker.
She had to lean down to see him.
His eyes were tightly shut, his face flushed, and both hands gripped the bedding tightly. His breathing grew heavier, his expression painful.
Shen Yunshu thought he might have a fever and raised her hand to check his forehead.
Not hot, but covered in sweat.
Was the incense burner heating the room too much?
She wiped his sweat and tried to pull the blanket down to cool him, but his hands clutched the bedding tightly.
She tugged several times but couldn’t move it.
She had to try another approach.
Looking up, she spotted the Yingchuang above the bed.
She avoided his body, knelt on one knee on the bed, and reached to slide open the window.
Just as she pushed it open slightly, the person on the bed suddenly turned over, and the blanket under her knee shifted, causing her to lose balance and fall onto him.
Startled awake, he groggily opened his eyes.
Shen Yunshu was about to explain when suddenly his hand grabbed her shoulder, the world spinning in an instant.
Before she could react, his lips clamped onto hers…
What was happening?