Chapter 036: The Wedding Night

Chapter 036: The Wedding Night

Once all the guests had left, the room suddenly became quiet.

Lin Yingxue instinctively covered her face. The moment Fu Jiaze left had left her dazed for a long time. When she finally came to her senses, she took a deep breath and smelled the incense in the air. She thought about asking someone to open the window but noticed it was already open.

Ye Zi explained, "Master just asked me to open the window to let some fresh air in. The incense needs to burn all night, so it has been moved to the windowsill. The smell will be less intense soon."

Lin Yingxue nodded slightly.

Ye Zi said, "Miss, I'll help you remove your phoenix crown so you can eat something."

Under Ye Zi's assistance, Lin Yingxue removed her headdress.

Although the craftsmen had tried their best to make the phoenix crown light, wearing it for so long still made her head feel heavy. After taking it off, she felt much lighter.

After removing her lipstick, Fei Yan had already laid out the dishes on the table.

All the dishes were ones Lin Yingxue enjoyed, with a preference for lighter flavors.

Having not eaten anything since early morning, Lin Yingxue quickly began eating.

The dishes here were better than those at the Lin residence, pleasing Lin Yingxue even more. Normally eating only seven or eight portions, she ate up to nine portions this time.

Just as she was about to have the dishes cleared away, a maid's voice was heard from outside, "Young Master is coming."

Lin Yingxue barely had time to stand up before seeing Fu Jiaze push the door open.

Seeing that many dishes had been eaten, Fu Jiaze smiled and said, "Have you eaten enough?"

Lin Yingxue blushed, looking at what she had eaten, and nodded hastily, her hands clasped together, whispering, "I usually don't eat this much."

"You haven't eaten much at all; you should eat more." Fu Jiaze sat down, picked up the chopsticks Lin Yingxue had used, and put a mouthful of food into his mouth.

Lin Yingxue hurriedly said, "Those are the ones I used."

"It's fine; we're husband and wife, no need to be so meticulous." Fu Jiaze smiled, "I had a bit of wine outside and didn't get to eat much. I'm doing this to avoid an upset stomach later."

Lin Yingxue scooped a spoonful of steamed egg custard with a ladle and softly said, "You can start with this to warm your stomach."

Fu Jiaze looked at the egg custard and said, "Alright."

In truth, he didn't like eggs because his sister disliked egg yolks, always leaving them for him after eating the flavored whites. He had eaten too many and found them choking, rarely eating eggs anymore.

But now, tasting the egg custard drizzled with sesame oil, he found it fragrant and soft, comforting his stomach.

After serving Fu Jiaze the egg custard, Lin Yingxue sat awkwardly beside him.

Fu Jiaze said, "Go wash up first; I'll take care of myself."

Lin Yingxue responded softly.

/

The side room served as a washroom. With Fei Yan and Ye Zi's help, Lin Yingxue changed out of her elaborate wedding attire into lighter clothes.

These clothes were specially prepared for the wedding night, revealing the color of her undergarments, making Lin Yingxue almost close her eyes while dressing.

She hardly dared step out of the washroom, giving herself a long pep talk before finally rushing back into the main room. By then, the dishes had been cleared, and Fu Jiaze seemed to be admiring a painting hanging in the new room. Without turning to look at her, he said, "I'll go wash up too."

Lin Yingxue pursed her lips and whispered, "Let me serve you, my lord."

Fu Jiaze stiffened, not daring to turn around, and quickly said, "No need, no need."

He then strode into the side room.

Fei Yan and Ye Zi exchanged glances and said, "Miss, we'll leave now. If you need anything, just call us."

"Um," Lin Yingxue responded, hearing the door creak shut. Only she and Fu Jiaze remained in the room.

Realizing Fu Jiaze wouldn't come out for a while, Lin Yingxue relaxed a little.

She began to examine the bridal chamber. Her own room before marriage had been simple, as Fu Bin and Fu Heng believed anything extravagant would be useless since Lin Yingxue couldn't take much with her. Thus, they sent mostly portable dowry items.

This new room, however, was lavishly decorated, with red silk curtains, a twelve-paneled screen depicting landscapes, and a treasure shelf filled with night pearls, intricately carved nut boats, coral trees, and other precious items, many of which Lin Yingxue had never seen before.

Lost in thought, she eventually reached the dressing mirror.

The mirror was a Western glass mirror, its back made of silver, and the front a large piece of clear glass, reflecting every detail. Lin Yingxue could clearly see her thin outerwear, revealing her skin and the peony embroidery on her undergarments, far more alluring than she had imagined.

Her face flushed red, and she hurriedly returned to the bed, wanting to cover herself with the quilt but resisted the urge.

Her fingers tapped on the bed frame as she took several deep breaths, barely restraining herself from diving under the covers.

Time seemed to crawl, and she wasn't sure whether she hoped for Fu Jiaze to return or not. While combing through the embroidered patterns on the canopy, she noticed a book under the pillow and pulled it out.

Perhaps reading could pass the time.

But upon opening the book, Lin Yingxue regretted it immediately.

If she had been embarrassed before, she could barely control herself now and dove under the quilt.

The book was clearly meant to instruct couples on marital intimacy, showing images of men and women intertwined, performing the rites of Zhou Gong.

Fu Jiaze washed up quickly. When he walked past the screen and saw Lin Yingxue huddled on the bed, trembling slightly, he lost his shyness and rushed over, "What's wrong?"

He thought she was crying, but when he turned her around, her face was flushed with embarrassment.

/

Her face was as red as if she were drunk, and her long lashes trembled incessantly.

Lin Yingxue heard Fu Jiaze's voice and felt the warmth of his body, causing her to stiffen even more. She kept her eyes closed.

Seeing this, Fu Jiaze felt relieved and joked, "Madam didn't wait for me to settle in before resting?"

Lin Yingxue had been too stimulated by that book, which led to this rudeness. Hearing Fu Jiaze's words, she opened her eyes, "I haven't rested yet."

Her eyes were wet and clear, now resembling two orbs of black mercury submerged in water.

Fu Jiaze couldn't help but soften his voice, "Then why did you lie down first? And cover yourself with the quilt?"

Lin Yingxue's hands were on the quilt. Upon hearing his words, she lifted it off herself. However, her clothes were already thin, and when she suddenly dived into the quilt, the ties had unknowingly come loose, revealing her inner garment completely.

Lin Yingxue got her name because she was born with extremely fair skin, like a handful of snow, hence the name "Yingxue." At this moment, her inner garment was held up by a gold chain, hugging her feminine curves, revealing some lines faintly, while the exposed skin was so white it made one's heart tremble.

The curves beneath the inner garment moved slightly with her breath, causing Fu Jiaze to catch his own breath.

He had never had a bed servant; he only received a manual before marriage, which he barely glanced at. When faced with a woman, he had an innate intuition guiding him. Fu Jiaze was experiencing this now.

"I..." Lin Yingxue wanted to say something, but Fu Jiaze covered her mouth, his lips landing on her neck, slightly lower.

Her mind buzzed, and Lin Yingxue's legs tightened, making a shy sound.

Fu Jiaze kissed her lips, "Don't speak."

Hearing his voice trembling, Lin Yingxue looked up at him and suddenly realized that Fu Jiaze was also nervous.

Knowing that Fu Jiaze was nervous too, she relaxed a bit and whispered, "I'll serve you."

Her hand pressed against Fu Jiaze's chest, slowly untying the ties.

Soon, the canopy was drawn, and the man's body covered the woman. Before she knew it, Lin Yingxue's arms were around his neck.

After heavy breathing, both opened their eyes wearily. Fu Jiaze said, "Let me help you wash up."

"No need," Lin Yingxue whispered, "I want to do it myself."

Fu Jiaze shook his head, "You might not be able to walk. Should I call in a servant?"

Not wanting anyone to see the marks on her body, Lin Yingxue tried to stand but found she couldn't. She whispered, "Then you do it."

Being carried horizontally, Lin Yingxue's hands hooked around Fu Jiaze's neck. Suddenly, she thought of something, "Today at the Lin family's gate, you shouldn't have carried me like that."

She hadn't reacted in time then, but she would have stopped Fu Jiaze if she had.

Fu Jiaze: "I just wanted you to get into the bridal sedan quickly to avoid any further complications."

"Sometimes, I don't understand what my elder sister is thinking," Lin Yingxue truly didn't understand Lin Baozhen. Despite having family love and prophetic dreams, why did she always make strange, incomprehensible moves?

"Did you hear that Lord Marquis slapped Lord Xie?"

Lin Yingxue nodded, then said in disbelief, "She did it for Lord Xie?"

"Mm." Fu Jiaze said, "Clearly still fond of Lord Xie, yet she married his father. Your elder sister truly is unexpected."

Mentioning Lord Xie, Lin Yingxue couldn't help but say, "I really have nothing with Lord Xie. I don't know why he acted that way. In the end, it made my elder sister lift the veil... having someone else lift your veil prematurely, wouldn't you be angry?" Lin Yingxue spoke cautiously.

"Angry, yet not angry. Angry because the one who should have lifted your veil should have been me. What kind of situation is it when a woman lifts your veil? Not angry because now everyone knows I have an incomparably beautiful wife."

Yingxue lowered her eyes, and her bashfulness made Fu Jiaze kiss her gently. His voice was filled with tenderness, "Rest early; we need to pay respects and serve tea tomorrow."

"Okay." She nodded obediently, making Fu Jiaze kiss her again.