Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Su Yunyao had already spotted him through the window.

The room was still unlit. Lounging on the daybed while nibbling on preserved fruit, she patted Qing Xing and said, "Go light the lanterns."

Qing Xing lit the lanterns and then quietly withdrew.

Soon after, measured, heavy footsteps approached. Under the soft glow of the light, the man's tall frame filled the doorway. Su Yunyao finished the candied plum, wiped her lips, and stood up, greeting him with a smile. "Husband."

"Wan Rou has settled into Moonlight Courtyard. You’ve worked hard," Pei Bingan said in a deep voice.

Su Yunyao replied, "No need to stand on ceremony, husband. It’s my duty."

Pei Bingan gave a noncommittal hum.

His trip to Ganzhou had been for official business—and also to bring Wan Rou back.

He hadn’t informed Su Yunyao in advance, but now that she knew, there was no need for further explanation.

After a brief pause, Pei Bingan glanced down at her and said gravely, "Miss Song lost her parents early, leaving her with no one in her family. Her parents once entrusted me to look after her. Three years ago, she married far away to Ganzhou, but her husband passed away young, and she suffered much mistreatment from her in-laws. With no one left in the Song family to rely on, she will stay with us permanently from now on. Treat her as you would a younger sister."

Su Yunyao said, "Oh."

It suddenly occurred to her—Miss Song was dressed in plain white because she was still in mourning.

Having lost her husband, endured hardship in her marital home, and with no dependable relatives left, it was only natural that Pei Bingan, entrusted by her parents, couldn’t stand idly by.

Su Yunyao said, "Since Miss Song has no home, this will be her home. Don’t worry, husband. I’ll naturally treat her well."

Her compliance seemed to satisfy him. Pei Bingan gave her a long, appraising look, a barely perceptible smile tugging at his lips.

"Time to wash up and retire."

Su Yunyao stiffened, then suddenly bit her lip.

How could she have forgotten? On the fifth and tenth of every month, he spent the night in her quarters. Today was the fifth—the day he was supposed to stay in Wisteria Courtyard!

These were also the two days she dreaded most whenever he wasn’t away on business.

Marital obligations couldn't be avoided. Su Yunyao let out a resigned sigh and headed to the bathing room.

By the time she returned after nearly an hour of preparing for bed, Pei Bingan had already bathed.

Dressed in sleeping robes, he sat stiffly at the edge of the bed, his large hands clenched into fists on his knees. His intense gaze practically weighted as it followed her entrance.

"What took so long?"

Under the soft light, Su Yunyao’s silken black hair tumbled loose over her shoulders. Her flawless skin, rosy from the heat, glowed.

She pressed her lips together and darted a glance his way.

Holding out hope, she had dragged out her bath, wishing he might give up waiting and go to sleep before she returned.

But her stalling had failed.

Pei Bingan had waited for a long time, his cold expression showing clear displeasure.

He had set a rule for intimacy twice a month, and he adhered rigidly to this schedule. If they ever missed a session, he would make up for it later.

As Su Yunyao slowly approached, he reached out a long arm to draw her onto the bed.

The bed dipped under their weight, and the bed curtains were drawn shut.

The inevitable was upon her. Thinking of the ordeal ahead, Su Yunyao braced herself and tightly shut her eyes.

In the dim obscurity, the man stripped off his sleeping robe with one hand, his towering frame bending over her. The cold scent of snow-dusted pine grew closer and closer.

A warmth spread across her waist as his large, calloused palm clamped onto her through the thin fabric of her robe, the heat of his touch searing against her skin.

Su Yunyao took a silent deep breath and suddenly opened her eyes. "Wait..."

Pei Bingan paused, his fingers pressing heavily against her waist.

"What is it?"

His husky voice brushed her ear. Su Yunyao slowly placed her hand over his broad, strong one and, recalling something she had read in a romance book days earlier, said, "Be tender first before we... proceed."

Pei Bingan frowned, his gaze lingering on her lips as his eyes darkened.

He lowered his head and lightly brushed his lips against hers—barely there—like a dragonfly skimming water.

Then, like an unsheathed blade plunging forward, he pressed into her. Su Yunyao instinctively clutched his firm shoulders, biting down hard on her lip.

Much later, when she'd grown accustomed to his fullness and the pounding rhythm finally ceased, Pei Bingan lingered for a moment before withdrawing.

The bed curtains parted, letting in the soft glow of the lanterns.

Unaccustomed to the sudden brightness, Su Yunyao reflexively raised a hand to shield her eyes.

Standing beside the bed, Pei Bingan silently donned his outer robe.

A sidelong glance revealed her damp hair clinging to her temples, her porcelain-like face glistening with sweat, and a small, dried trace of blood on her slightly swollen lip.

His gaze flickered for half a heartbeat before he looked away impassively. "I have matters to attend to tonight. I won’t be staying. Tomorrow is Grandmother’s Birthday Banquet. Rest early and rise early to ensure everything is arranged properly. See that nothing goes amiss."

With that, he strode out of the room.

Silence filled the chamber. Su Yunyao took several deep breaths before swearing bitterly and sitting up. Carefully lifting her sleeping robe, she examined her waist—two vivid red marks marred her fair skin.

Su Yunyao swore again under her breath.

Pei Bingan had trained in martial arts since childhood. His towering frame and formidable strength made his grip unrelenting as iron bands.

During their coupling, his arms locked around her like iron bands. The disparity in their strength left her as helpless as a fish beneath the cleaver, unable to resist his will.

Fortunately, the man exercised monkish restraint—only twice a month. It was endurable.

Drenched in sweat, her robe clinging to her skin, Su Yunyao climbed off the bed, swallowed a black medicinal pellet, and went to bathe again.

Returning to her room, she retrieved the notebook where she recorded daily accounts and musings. After scribbling a few disgruntled notes, she locked it away in a small drawer beneath her dressing table before sinking down, spent, onto the bed.

Early the next morning, before dawn, the lights in Ziwei Courtyard were lit once more.

As it was the old madam’s birthday, guests began arriving from daybreak.

Su Yunyao oversaw the reception hall, meticulously recording each gift as protocol demanded, each guest’s Birthday Banquet offering entered into the ledger.

The estate was abuzz with preparations for the grand birthday feast, and affairs were in disarray, with stewards constantly running around to ask for instructions.

Suddenly, Niu Mama rushed over in a panic, saying that Cook Zhang had burned her hand while preparing a major dish and could no longer wield her cooking tools. Su Yunyao immediately went to the kitchen, where Cook Zhang’s right arm was reddened with burns and covered in blisters. Another kitchen maid had to hastily take her place.

Then, Wang Ma came rushing in, saying that the incense was a hit with the ladies and asking which shop it had been purchased from.

It was actually incense Su Yunyao had made herself during her leisure time, not available in any shop. Fortunately, there was still some left in Zihui Courtyard, so she had it fetched and placed among the prepared return gifts.

The rear courtyard was a hive of activity all morning, but the guest-receiving halls—Jixiang Hall and Ruyi Garden—ran like clockwork.

As Su Yunyao left the flower hall and passed by the pavilion, her eyes instantly caught that the tightly closed lattice window on the second floor had been opened, with a shadowy figure barely visible behind it.

Qing Xing, sharp-eyed, also spotted it. "Mistress, could that be a thief?"

With so many people coming and going in the mansion, there was always a worry about theft during the chaos. Su Yunyao studied the shadow for a moment and recognized it as Pei Shuxian, her fine eyebrows knitting slightly.

After hesitating briefly, she decided to go upstairs and check.

The stairs groaned under approaching footsteps. Startled, Pei Shuxian hastily ordered her maid to shut the window tightly.

When Su Yunyao appeared before her, Pei Shuxian shamefacedly hid behind her round fan, revealing only her eyes.

"Elder sister-in-law, with all your duties—why come here?"

Su Yunyao smiled faintly and subtly glanced outside. The pavilion’s windows let in light, and even when closed, one could see far into the distance.

The position commanded a view of Jixiang Hall, where several tables of male guests dining in the courtyard were clearly visible.

Among them was a young man dressed in white, refined and scholarly in appearance, standing out like a crane among chickens.

Su Yunyao had seen this man before—his name was Tanhu He (Third Honorary Graduate) of the capital, who was already married.

The He family was also an official household with frequent interactions with the Pei family. Tanhu He and Pei Shuxian had grown up together as childhood friends.

On several occasions when he visited the Pei residence, Su Yunyao had noticed Pei Shuxian staring at him from behind a screen, lost in thought.

Su Yunyao suppressed a sigh.

Pei Shuxian was fifteen this year and still unmarried. Her mother had already begun seeking a suitable match.

Today, during the old madam’s birthday banquet, her mother had been chatting happily with the Marquise of Nan'an.

The Marquis’s son, Qin, was highly accomplished and had already passed the imperial examinations at a young age, now serving in the Ministry of Justice with a promising future. Her mother wished to arrange a marriage with the Qin family and had repeatedly asked Su Yunyao to summon Pei Shuxian to the flower hall to speak with the Marquise.

But her sister-in-law claimed she was unwell. Not only did she refuse to go to the flower hall, but she had also secretly come here to catch a glimpse of Tanhu He.

Su Yunyao calmly withdrew her gaze and said, "Didn’t you say you had a headache and weren’t feeling well? Instead of resting in your courtyard, what brings you here to gaze afar?"

Pei Shuxian tightened her grip on the round fan, her expression melancholy and eyes filled with sorrow.

"Elder sister-in-law, you wouldn’t understand," she whispered. "I was in pain, but seeing Brother Qingyu here has already lifted most of my malaise."

Su Yunyao had no choice but to remind her, "Tanhu He is a married man."

Pei Shuxian pursed her lips in a wistful smile. "So what? Just because he’s married, does that mean I can’t look at him anymore?"

Knowing her sister-in-law’s disposition, Su Yunyao softened her voice and patiently advised, "You’re not yet betrothed. Soon, we’ll match you with a fine husband—both handsome and devoted..."

Pei Shuxian’s eyes turned cold as she stared at Su Yunyao, interrupting with a bitter laugh.

"Sister-in-law, don't mention the word 'engagement' in front of me, or I'll jump from this attic right before your eyes!"

Su Yunyao fell silent.

"The west wind is biting and cold, like the sorrow in my heart," Pei Shuxian sighed, casting a reluctant glance toward the window. "Sister-in-law, I must go."

With that, she swayed her round fan, lifted her skirt, and descended the stairs slowly. Even her retreating figure seemed weighed down by sorrow.

Watching her sister leave, Su Yunyao let out a tired sigh, massaging her temples.

Worried she might cause trouble at the banquet, she had no choice but to send someone to keep an eye on her courtyard.

After a long day of work—seeing off the last guests, tallying the banquet supplies, presenting the birthday gifts to the old madam for review, and arranging the next day’s feast—Su Yunyao finally returned to Wisteria Courtyard.

Inside, the candlelight flickered dimly. Pei Bing'an stood with his hands behind his back by the window, his tall, dark silhouette solemn and imposing, as if he had been waiting for her for a long time.

"Why are you back so late?" Hearing her footsteps, he turned to look at her, his deep-set eyes as unreadable as ever.

Today wasn’t the night he usually stays. Su Yunyao was surprised by his presence and paused mid-step, wary at the doorway.

"There was too much to do. I just finished. Did you need me for something, husband?"

Pei Bing'an gave a slight nod. "You’ve had a long day."

That she had.

If not for the perks of her position as his official wife, she wouldn’t have bothered managing the household affairs for him so dutifully.

Though she thought so, she offered a polite smile. "Since I married you, it’s what I signed up for."

Stepping inside, she approached him and caught a faint scent of alcohol on his robes.

"Did you spill wine on your clothes?"

Pei Bing'an nodded solemnly.

He’d been drinking at the banquet, and some alcohol had splashed onto his garments. He hadn’t changed yet.

After the feast, he had drifted over to Wisteria Courtyard, intending to ask her for a change of clothes.

Su Yunyao let out a hollow laugh.

He rarely stayed here and seldom visited. In the early days of their marriage, she had kept a few of his clothes in her wardrobe, but now there were none left.

Feigning a search, she rummaged through the wardrobe.

But the moment she pulled open the cabinet door, Pei Bing'an suddenly strode over.

Under the flickering candlelight, he abruptly gripped her slender wrist, his voice low and firm. "Help me out of this first."

Su Yunyao gasped at the pain.

His grip was vise-like, unyielding.

Before she could shake him off, hurried footsteps echoed from the courtyard.

Bai Lian, Song Wanrou’s maid, sobbed outside, "General, my mistress is having chest pains. Please come quickly!"