Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Upon entering, she saw the clothes rack toppled, clothes strewn across the floor. Xiao Lin sat in the bathtub, an article of clothing having fallen on him, covering his head completely.

Trembling, Ye Shuang removed the garment, revealing Xiao Lin’s face and upper body. Her eyes drifted downward, and she quickly averted them, turning to run.

But her wrist was caught in a firm grip. Ye Shuang slowly turned back to see Xiao Lin, his eyes half-open, his cheeks flushed from the steam.

She made herself control her gaze, standing stiffly. "What... what are you doing?"

Xiao Lin opened his eyes, red and watery, perhaps from the steam. He gazed at Ye Shuang with an emotion she couldn't decipher.

They rarely found themselves in such an intimate situation, and Ye Shuang was unsure how to respond. Xiao Lin’s grip was tight, his palm burning hot, as if to melt her.

"You... you should put some clothes on first."

Xiao Lin’s thin lips curved into a faint smile. "Aren't you going to help your husband bathe?"

Ye Shuang tried to pull away. "I... maybe Wen Xiang and the others should do it!"

Xiao Lin chuckled, pulling her close and whispering suggestively in her ear, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to consummate our marriage? Why so shy now?"

Unable to break free, Ye Shuang shoved the garment in his face, took advantage of his distraction to wrench her hand away, stood up, straightened her clothes, cleared her throat, and said stiffly, "I’m not shy, I just—"

"Just what?"

"I'm used to being served, not accustomed to serving others. I fear I wouldn’t serve you properly."

Xiao Lin replied shamelessly, "No matter, your husband doesn’t mind."

Ye Shuang fumed, "Xiao Lin!"

He looked at her meaningfully, as if finally seeing a glimpse of her former self from years ago.

"Finally riled up? It’s been so long since I heard you call me by name. I thought you’d truly become a gentle lady." A mischievous smile flashed across Xiao Lin’s face as he stood up suddenly from the tub.

"Xiao Lin... ah!" Ye Shuang whirled around fiercely, but before she could utter a warning, she let out a startled scream, covered her face, and fled.

Behind her, she seemed to hear two low, triumphant chuckles.

Outside, she realized everyone in the room had slipped away unnoticed.

Seeing the figure behind the screen approaching, Ye Shuang thought in disbelief—would Xiao Lin really walk out completely naked?

She immediately headed for the door.

"My lady, feel free to leave. No rush—I have plenty of time these days to keep you company." Ye Shuang’s hand paused on the door latch. After a moment’s hesitation, she gritted her teeth and withdrew it.

Fortunately, Xiao Lin emerged wearing at least an underrobe.

"You seem to have sobered up now. Speak—what exactly do you want?"

Xiao Lin merely smiled silently, settling on the daybed and sipping the sobering soup.

"Not bad, just right for a sip. It seems my lady is quite thoughtful."

Ye Shuang took a deep breath, forcing down a torrent of curses.

Xiao Lin, as if reading her mind, said, "Don’t curse me in your heart. Be careful not to choke on it."

Seeing Ye Shuang still standing, Xiao Lin relented, softening his tone. "Alright, stop hovering. Come sit."

"First, no touching! Or I’ll call the servants!"

The words sounded odd, but Xiao Lin nodded patiently.

Only then did Ye Shuang go over and sit opposite him.

"What’s gotten into you tonight?"

Xiao Lin looked up at her, his gaze holding an inexplicable force that gripped her tightly. For once, he was serious, asking with sincerity, "Do you wish to consummate our marriage?"

Ye Shuang hadn’t expected such directness. Her face flushed instantly.

After asking, Xiao Lin averted his eyes, staring down at the empty bowl. His voice was clear and light. "I respect your wishes. If you truly desire it, I can fulfill it—help you have a child."

Ye Shuang detected something amiss in his words. "You mean... you’d help me have a child, just that?"

"If you need it, I can provide care until the child is three, and also offer you a generous sum."

Ye Shuang struggled to keep her voice steady. "So... you mean for me to leave with this child?"

Xiao Lin was silent for a moment. "Yes."

Ye Shuang felt her entire body tremble.

"If you prefer no disturbance, I can refrain from seeing the child in the future."

Ye Shuang laughed bitterly. What had she been deluding herself about? Xiao Lin had never considered changing his mind. From the start, he had planned to separate from her—and she had actually believed he might change.

Ye Shuang stood, walked over, and opened the door. "I dare not trouble you further, Marquis. The night is deep, you’ve drunk the sobering soup and bathed. Please return to your study in the front courtyard. I must rest."

"Shuang'er, listen to me."

Ye Shuang trembled with rage at the address. "Get out!"

The maids in the courtyard and Xiao Yin and Xiao Han at the gate were stunned by the outburst. Everything had seemed fine moments ago—what had happened?

Xiao Lin approached, soothingly took Ye Shuang’s hand, and closed the door behind them.

Ye Shuang didn’t pull away; she disliked making a scene.

"I truly cannot leave tonight," Xiao Lin said earnestly.

Ye Shuang stared at him, her eyes demanding an explanation.

Under her silent scrutiny, Xiao Lin finally said, "The Emperor has sent people to hide in the shadows, using the pretext of guarding ancient texts to monitor the Marquis’s residence. We cannot sleep separately."

Ye Shuang’s heart ached as if twisted sharply, bitterness flooding her mouth. "So that’s it... that’s it..."

"You previously mentioned your desire to consummate, so I thought if you truly wished it, we could take this opportunity to do so."

"Do so? Am I just another duty to you, Marquis?"

Xiao Lin: "I truly don’t mean it that way."

"Of course. To be compared to your duties is an honor for me."

"The night is late, Marquis. Rest early." With that, Ye Shuang walked toward the bed alone.

Xiao Lin froze for a moment, just about to move, when Ye Shuang paused by the daybed and turned her head: "Since His Lordship is compelled to share a room with me, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you by having to squeeze in together. Please rest on the daybed over there!"

With that, she immediately called Wen Xiang inside.

As soon as Wen Xiang entered, she had a bad feeling—the atmosphere in the room seemed tense. Maintaining her composure with practiced grace, she bowed and asked, "What are your orders, Madam?"

Chun Tao followed behind, keeping her head lowered, not daring to look up for fear of seeing something she shouldn’t.

"His Lordship is not used to this bedding. You two, go fetch two new sets."

The two maids exchanged a glance, and Chun Tao silently pleaded for guidance from Wen Xiang with her eyes.

Wen Xiang lifted her head and inquired again, "But the slightly thicker quilts are already on the bed. The storage only has two thin summer quilts left."

"Bring those then. His Lordship has a fiery temperament and finds it too warm," Ye Shuang replied decisively.

Wen Xiang and Chun Tao exchanged another look. "Yes, Madam."

Xiao Lin: "..."