Chapter 38 (2/2): Late night, having a child with her now is bullying her

Youran felt somewhat better after venting, pulled the covers over herself, and turned her back to him in a huff.

“Where’s Pei Huaijin?”

She put down the ginger soup and ate a small piece of bread bit by bit, careful not to touch her lips.

“Lord Pei left early this morning.”

“Oh.”

She figured he was embarrassed to face her.

After finishing breakfast and calming down, she asked Danruo to do her hair and then went to Ci You Courtyard.

She arrived early; the household managers hadn’t yet come.

Just as she intended to find her sister in the Chengtang, someone called out to her.

“Hey, Shen Youran!”

Youran glanced over, annoyed.

“Why call me sister-in-law?”

“Weren’t you sick? You’re better so soon?”

“Being sick was all your fault.”

Youran squinted, spotting him leaning on the study window far away.

Shouting back and forth was tiring, so she tried to walk over, but he stopped her.

“Don’t come closer…”

“Why? Afraid I’ll hit you?”

“No, your sister told me not to let you get too close.”

He had promised Yunshu the night before not to bother Youran anymore but wanted to apologize properly today, hence calling her over.

“Funny, your eldest brother also won’t let me come near you.”

Youran took a few steps forward then stopped, close enough to hear each other without shouting.

“About yesterday, I’m sorry,” Huaian rarely apologized and looked awkward.

“I prepared a gift for you. Tinglan will bring it to you later.”

“What is it?”

“Some days ago, my father sent two Hechang cloaks to keep me and your sister warm this winter. I’m not afraid of cold and don’t like wearing them, so I’ll have Tinglan give you mine. You can have it tailored to fit…”

Hechang cloaks were fine quality.

Since Pei Sanshu sent them, they were undoubtedly top-grade.

“All right, it seems you’re sincere about apologizing. I forgive you for yesterday.”

“My generous sister is truly magnanimous enough to hold a ship in her belly…”

“Sister?”

Youran corrected him, “I’m your sister-in-law!”

Huaian grinned, “I’m still your brother-in-law!”

“You have to call me sister-in-law!”

“Then you say ‘brother-in-law’ first and let me hear it…”

“You’re not even my brother-in-law! You and my sister…”

“Separate beds! Sleep apart!”

She mouthed the words.

That was something she had discovered when changing clothes in her sister’s Ningfang yesterday.

Huaian was stunned, recalling he and Shen Yunshu not only slept separately but had already signed a separation agreement.

Immediately, he lost his confidence and shut the window, ignoring her.

Though teasing him, Youran actually envied Huaian and Yunshu a bit.

At least they gave each other time to accept one another, letting feelings grow steadily.

Unlike Pei Huaijin, who moved into her Ningfang the day after the marriage.

At first, they slept in the same bed but separated by the quilt.

Then he pulled her under the quilt. Later, he held her every night, which made her…

Made her so used to sleeping with his arm around her that last night, when they had a spat and she refused to rest her head on him, she didn’t sleep well.

After spending over an hour with her sister in the Chengtang that morning, Youran found that when Yunshu managed household affairs, she was no longer as flustered as the day before, and Youran learned some from watching.

“Don’t come again tomorrow,” Yunshu scolded her with concern and helplessness.

She had wanted to send her back when she came but Youran didn’t listen.

“Illness comes like a mountain falling and goes like pulling silk. Your fever was so bad yesterday; how could you be better so quickly?”

Youran took her sister’s hand and pressed it to her forehead.

“I’m really better, not uncomfortable at all.”

The palm felt cool and warm beneath her forehead, but her face still carried a faint layer of sickness.

“Well, then go home and take your medicine properly. Come back when you’re fully recovered.”

“All right.”

When Tinglan delivered the Hechang, Yunshu knew it was Pei Huaian’s apology gift and said nothing.

After returning with the cloak, Youran handed it to Qinghe.

Qinghe’s needlework was excellent.

After measuring and marking, she knew how to alter it.

Youran felt fine all afternoon, but by evening, a low fever returned.

She slept restlessly at night, disturbing Pei Huaijin’s sleep as well.

The next day, she recovered again.

For three days straight, she was fine during the day but had low fevers at night.

Pei Huaijin originally wanted to invite Xiao Gugu back to teach her, but her recurring illness forced a postponement.

Danruo and Qinghe, as Youran’s personal maids, were naturally anxious.

When idle, they would huddle near Youran.

“Young Mistress, could your illness really be caused by fright?”

Youran shook her head.

“I only know children cry at night after being scared, but I don’t. It’s just my body feels heavy, and I have nightmares, restless sleep…”

“What do you dream about?”

“Tigers, snakes, and that fish…”

“See? I told you it’s related to that fish.”

Danruo was certain.

“That morning, Young Mistress got frightened in the kitchen once, then again at noon by the fish head Qingjian brought home…”

Hearing this, Youran’s mind stirred.

She realized she was frightened three times that day: the two Danruo mentioned, and once more when Huaian drew a fish on paper to scare her.

“Could it really be that the fish’s restless spirit lingers?”

Youran thought but dismissed it.

“Qingjian killed the fish. If someone were haunted, it should be him, not me. Why is he fine?”

“Qingjian is a man with strong yang energy. Maybe the fish can’t torment him.”

Youran shivered.

“The more we talk, the scarier it gets. Maybe I should go pray at the temple.”

“Yes, and get a Pingan Fu talisman while you’re there. It might help…”

When Huaijin returned, Youran told him she wanted to offer incense and pray.

He didn’t object.

“Then we’ll go the day after tomorrow. I have a day off and will accompany you.”

“No need to come. I want to go tomorrow. It’s the eighth day, and Da Xiangguo Temple has a temple fair.”

“Your body isn’t fully recovered; you shouldn’t go to crowded places.”

Huaijin’s tone was firm.

“We’ll go the day after tomorrow when it’s quieter.”

Youran pouted unhappily, grumbling, “My father isn’t as annoying as you…”

Huaijin didn’t catch her muttering and noticed the mischievous gleam in her dark eyes.

Maybe she planned to sneak out tomorrow.

“Do you want to eat outside again tomorrow?” he tried.

“I can have Qingjian stay in the manor to serve you…”

“No, no. I’ve eaten enough outside these days. I want to eat the manor’s food tomorrow.”

“All right…”

He was sure she was plotting to slip away.

Meanwhile, Yunshu had grown familiar with household affairs, managing them with ease each day, finally freeing her mind to consider how to curb Huaian’s inappropriate thoughts about their third sister.

Because he teased Youran and caused her illness, she made him recite lessons late into the night.

Since that night, he seemed to mature overnight. Before Fuzi arrived in the morning, he took the initiative to review his lessons.

During Fuzi’s teaching, his attitude improved significantly.

After accompanying him two days, Yunshu intentionally skipped the study sessions for two afternoons and secretly asked Fuzi if Huaian had slackened.

Fuzi shook his head and praised Huaian’s great progress.

This improvement, Yunshu thought, was thanks to their third sister.

Afterward, Yunshu stopped accompanying him in the study.

After managing morning household affairs, she would return to her room in the afternoon to read her own books.

One day, she went out with Tinglan.

When they returned, Tinglan was blushing, holding a stack of books.

That night, Yunshu placed the stack in front of Huaian.

“About the dreams you keep having, I’ve thought of two methods…”

Huaian brightened. “Sister Shu, you already thought of solutions? Two even?”

“Seven emotions and six desires are natural; they are human instincts. Sexual desire, life desire, death desire, ear desire, eye desire, mouth desire—all part of the nature. It’s not that only monks can escape them. They need to be restrained and harmonized, like flowing water: best to guide it, not block it. Forcible suppression only backfires…”

“How to guide it naturally?”

“That’s the first method: I will arrange for you to take a concubine or get a maid…”

Huaian’s expression froze.

“You want me to take a concubine?”

“Compared to taking a concubine, I think having a maid is better. We boasted before Grandmother that you’d focus on your studies, and she wouldn’t agree to concubines…” Yunshu’s voice was calm and even.

“But whether concubine or maid, you must exercise restraint and not let it interfere with your studies.”

Huaian was silent, then slowly said, “I won’t take a concubine or have a maid.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t like them.”

Yunshu laughed and cried.

“You haven’t even picked one yet, and you say you don’t like them?”

“I just don’t like them…”

He didn’t know why, but he felt an inexplicable resistance to having other women, even though he had told Qing Wu that he desired women.

He’d never seriously considered accepting a stranger.

Yunshu sensed his reluctance and didn’t have to guess the reason: he still cared deeply for their third sister.

It was strange—he had fallen in love with her at the temple fair, but they never met again before the wedding.

After marriage, he saw her a few times, but his deep feelings were beyond Yunshu’s understanding.

Love was a mysterious thing.

Though she didn’t comprehend it fully, she never doubted his sincerity.

Luckily, she had anticipated his rejection of the first method, so she didn’t push it, moving on to the second.

“These are the books I specially bought for you today,” Yunshu tapped the stack.

“Yuanyang Secret Manual, Spring Night Secret Erotic Pictures, Jiangnan Summer Scenery Picture, Competing Spring Scroll…”

She held up the last one and handed it to him.

“Especially this Huaying Jin Zhen, twenty-four paintings, with simple, vivid images and plain language…”

This was the same book their mother had shown them before marriage.

She and the third sister had read it together.

Of course, Huaian had seen such books before marriage as well, which made his blood boil and mouth dry.

“Sister Shu, why are you giving me this?”

His previously stiff face flushed quickly.

“I told you the first method is ‘block less and guide more,’ and now the second is ‘guide less and understand more.’”

“How so?”

“You often have those dreams because deep down you’re curious and eager about these things. Since that’s the case, why not understand them properly? When you’ve seen and understood enough, you might know how to guide yourself and release those desires…”

Huaian was doubtful.

“Sister Shu, can this really work?”

Yunshu spoke logically but had no personal experience to guarantee success.

“Well, that’s the theory anyway…”

Only she and Qing Wu knew this.

Qing Wu’s teaching method no longer worked, so Huaian could only trust her.

“All right, I’ll try.”

That night, Huaian read two books and ran to the restroom three times.

The third time, his knees buckled, and his calves trembled.

By then, the yellow rosewood bed behind the screen was curtained; she was surely asleep.

Huaian decided to stop for the night, worried that continuing would drain him completely.

He propped up his weak legs on the Luohan couch, sighed, thinking he’d be able to sleep soon after exhausting himself three times.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, images from the paintings flooded his mind.

A quarter hour later, he felt a stirring in his body.

Half an hour later, helpless, he rose and went to the restroom again.

Fifteen minutes later, still unable to relieve himself, he returned to the Ningfang and went straight to Shen Yunshu’s bedside.

“Sister Shu, Sister Shu…”

Fortunately, Yunshu slept lightly and opened her eyes at his voice, turning to see him leaning over the bed, his beautiful eyes fixed intently on her.

“What’s wrong?”

Her voice was heavy with sleep.

Too tired to get up, she rolled over to face him, eyes half-closed.

“Finished the reading?”

“Yes, two books.”

“Hm, how do you feel?”

“I want…to do naughty things…”

Yunshu immediately lost all sleepiness.