Chapter 125: "If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll make it a reality for you.
Chapter 125: Chapter 125: "If you dare to spout nonsense again, I’ll make it a reality for you.
Cui Lingyao left the main hall, escorted by two madams of the Pei Family.
Once they were gone, only the three men of the Pei Family—the father and his sons—and Old Madam Pei remained inside.
All the servants were dismissed.
In the profound silence, Second Master Pei was the first to break it, lowering his voice. "Father... what do you think..."
Mr. Pei cut him off with a raised hand. "She won’t ask Shen Tingyu."
A girl so detached from her own family, even if she married into the high-ranking Duke Mansion, would likely be of no help to the Pei Family.
It would be better to...
Third Master Pei was closest to his elder brother, and now, having to plot against his last living blood relative filled him with complicated feelings. "Why would Her Majesty target a sheltered young lady like her?"
"Why else? For Mr. Shen, of course."
Old Madam Pei, well-versed in the conflicts of the inner quarters, stated with conviction, "How could a mere orphan who has lost both parents, holding onto such a good marriage, not be an eyesore to others?"
That personage has a Princess under her care who has just come of age, after all.
Such an ideal son-in-law must naturally be secured for her own daughter.
The men of the Pei Family furrowed their brows slightly.
They were somewhat skeptical that a girl the Empress would go so far as to issue a personal edict to deal with was being targeted merely to snatch a marriage for her daughter.
But... other than that, what else could it be?
She was just a powerless orphan. Besides her marriage into a higher-status family, what else could possibly offend someone in a position of power?
......
Cui Lingyao, of course, never actually asked Shen Tingyu what the Pei family wanted.
That evening, the two of them returned from the mourning hall to their own courtyards as usual.
At the courtyard gate, Shen Tingyu stopped. With so many people around during the day, he couldn’t very well stare at a young lady’s face. But now that it was just the two of them, he lowered his gaze and studied her complexion for a moment. Seeing it was much better than yesterday’s, he smiled and asked, "My aunt’s funeral is the day after tomorrow. Once the services are concluded, would you prefer to spend a few days in Pingzhou, or return directly to the Capital City?"
"Let’s return to the Capital City."
She was constantly worried about Chen Minrou.
Their letters, sent every other day, had been forcibly cut off after the city gates were sealed.
Not only did they need to return to the capital soon, but they had to do so at top speed.
On the way here, because they were transporting Mrs. Shen’s coffin, they couldn’t travel by water, nor could they rush and risk a bumpy journey.
On the way back, they wouldn’t have these concerns.
Cui Lingyao said, "Let’s take the waterways back. It’ll be faster."
"Alright," Shen Tingyu readily agreed. After nodding, he asked her with some hesitation, "Are you afraid of water?"
"A little," Cui Lingyao said, quite frank now when mentioning the incident of falling into the water. "It’s something I can overcome. You don’t need to worry about me."
Shen Tingyu looked at her, his hand reaching out, wanting to pat her on the head again.
Thinking of that man who was addicted to being jealous, Cui Lingyao instinctively tilted her head to avoid his touch.
Shen Tingyu’s hand froze in mid-air, then slowly retracted.
"I..." Cui Lingyao was a little embarrassed, stammering as she tried to explain, but Shen Tingyu interrupted her.
He smiled at her and said nothing more, only, "Go on in."
Cui Lingyao glanced at him.
A strange tightness filled her chest. Knowing that the more one tries to explain, the worse it gets, she simply turned and left.
Returning to her small courtyard, Zhiqiu came forward to greet her, and a few of the cleaning servants also bowed in salutation.
Cui Lingyao let out a long sigh of relief.
’I was really afraid that man would be here waiting for me early again, just like yesterday.’
While she was bathing, Zhiqiu came in to add more hot water and brought up the previous night. "Somehow I fell asleep so early yesterday. I didn’t even know when you returned, My Lady. Why didn’t you wake me?"
Cui Lingyao folded her arms on the edge of the wooden tub, rested her chin on the back of her hands, and said languidly, "What would I have woken you for? You’ve been tired these past few days, too."
Zhiqiu’s movements paused slightly. "My Lady, you’ve changed so much."
"Have I?" Cui Lingyao’s eyes crinkled in a slight smile. "People are bound to change after going through a major ordeal."
Some become more carefree, more at peace.
Others become more stubborn, more obsessed.
Xie Jinbai was the latter.
That very night, the latter did indeed appear.
Cui Lingyao was lying in bed, just on the verge of drifting off to sleep.
A soft knock sounded at the door.
The sound was particularly striking in the silent night.
The person outside was incredibly impatient. Before she could even sit up and ask who it was, the bolt on her door was being fiddled with from the outside.
Although he had entered her chambers uninvited countless times, this was the first time Cui Lingyao had watched with her own eyes as her closed door was forced open. Her face immediately darkened.
When Xie Jinbai entered, he was met by a pair of furious, almond-shaped eyes.
The young woman sat on the bed, clutching her blanket, glaring at him with a dark expression.
For once, he seemed a bit awkward. He reached up to touch his nose and said, "I thought you were asleep."
And that was supposed to be an explanation.
Cui Lingyao laughed in anger. "You’re so skilled at picking locks. Where did you even learn that?"
"Why would I need to pick it myself?"
Xie Jinbai threw his subordinates under the bus without a second thought. "In the Capital City, it was Li Yong. Just now, it was Liu Yue. If you’re unhappy, I’ll punish them later."
As he spoke, he had already walked to the bedside, his hand on his sash, and began to disrobe.
Cui Lingyao’s anger hadn’t subsided. Seeing him start to strip the moment he arrived, she picked up a pillow and hurled it at him. "Do you think my room is a post-house, or some kind of brothel—"
The rest of the words were too ugly. Xie Jinbai, quick as a flash, pinched her jaw to stop her from continuing.
He stared at her. "If you dare spout such nonsense again, I’ll make it a reality for you to see."
Cui Lingyao tore his hand away and spat, "Bastard!"
The curse made Xie Jinbai sigh. He took her by the shoulders and pulled her into his arms. "Now how have I provoked you?"
Cui Lingyao: "You’re a bastard for sneaking into a young lady’s room in the middle of the night."
"..." Xie Jinbai was momentarily speechless. He said seriously, "You are my wife. No matter what you’ve become, you are still my wife."
Because she had changed bodies, he felt it was inappropriate to perform the duties of a husband and wife with her before they were officially married again.
But as for anything else, there was nothing to be hesitant about.
He was no rigid gentleman who restrained himself with rites and was bound by dogmatic rules.
According to his code of conduct, even the greatest rules in the world should be set by him.
With one arm around her, Xie Jinbai continued to undo his clothes with the other, expertly playing the victim. "I’m exhausted. The serious injury I sustained before drained my vitality. I’ve been rushing around everywhere lately, and my body is tired. I’ve been working nonstop during the day. Yaoyao, take pity on me. Don’t hold these last couple of days against me, alright?"
When a cold, arrogant, and insolent man played the victim, it was always particularly moving.
Cui Lingyao immediately stopped struggling. She watched him take off his outer robe, then, after a moment’s thought, pulled open the collar of his inner garment.
The penetration wound below his chest had already healed over the past month or so.
The scar was very new, and pink.
There was no sign that this injury had nearly cost him his life.
A sour feeling welled up in Cui Lingyao’s chest. She touched the scar with her fingertips and asked him, "Does it still hurt?"
It was so rare to receive such direct concern from her. Xie Jinbai’s eyes reddened involuntarily. "It hurts a lot..."
Cui Lingyao: "..."
She pressed her lips together and said, "From now on, no matter what happens, you have to cherish your life. As long as there’s life, there’s hope. Do you understand?"