Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Outside the window, snow fell silently.

Occasionally, the accumulated snow would snap a branch, releasing a soft "swoosh" in the quiet night.

Sheng Puzhu lay pressed into the brocade quilt, her dark hair spread in disarray across her back, a few strands clinging to her damp, sweat-slicked neck. Her slender, pale fingers gripped the quilt tightly, her knuckles flushed red.

"How much longer will you be?"

Her voice was so soft it seemed to melt into the night, her words trailing off, fractured and almost incoherent.

The man seemed not to hear, his thin lips pressed together, his back muscles taut. His palms held her wrists captive, her delicate curves and his towering frame merging in the darkness, like the snow weighing down the branches outside.

The snow fell heavier, accumulating.

Layer upon layer pressed down on the flowering branches.

Until the flowers were crushed, their nectar oozing, the tender buds quivering precariously, tinged with the chill of the snow, making them all the more alluring.

The heavens stretched endlessly, each snowflake leaving its mark.

The flowers swayed in the wind, their intense fragrance mingling with ragged breaths. The snow engulfed the blossoms, weaving into a winding, endless stream.

"Xie Zhiyan!"

"I'm going to break."

Sheng Puzhu teetered on the brink of collapse, finally unable to bear it any longer, crying out his full name. Her rosy lips parted slightly as she sank her teeth into his pale wrist.

"Soon." Xie Zhiyan paid no heed, his teeth worrying the delicate skin behind her ear, his palm gripping so fiercely into the curve of her waist that it left blooming red marks.

"Twice now, you must stop." Sheng Puzhu’s lashes fluttered, tears making them appear even darker and longer.

"Hmm."

"Very well."

Xie Zhiyan showed no irritation; he agreed but showed no intention of stopping, his husky voice carrying a thread of dark satisfaction.

He stared at her flushed, feverish cheeks and swollen lips, suddenly letting out a low laugh, dark intensity swirling in his eyes.

"I said I'd inspect you properly."

"A gentleman honors his word. How could I deceive you?"

"You… scoundrel." Sheng Puzhu’s eyelashes were wet with tears, her simple white underrobe plastered to her spine, pushed up to reveal skin flushed pink beneath.

Though her words were meant as a scolding, the tone that escaped her throat was a mix of chiding and vexation, as if she lacked the vigor to even glare.

Only a hint of crimson lingered at the corners of her eyes, softening her gaze.

The third watch had passed, and in the quiet night, occasional faint, kitten-like whimpers could be heard.

Sheng Puzhu closed her eyes, having fallen utterly unconscious.

Her slender, pale fingers unconsciously clutched at the slipping brocade quilt, her breathing slightly rapid with the lingering aftershocks. Even the curve of her curled body exuded boneless lethargy. Further down, her alabaster wrists were stained a faint pink, exactly the width of a man’s palm.

"Asleep?" Xie Zhiyan reached out to brush aside the damp hair pressed against her cheek, his thumb accidentally grazing her full, red lips, feeling their scorching heat.

"Mmm." Sheng Puzhu furrowed her brows, uttering two exhausted sounds in her sleep.

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

It felt as though she had been trapped in a long, timeless dream, and she slowly opened her eyes in a daze.

"Nanny, what time is it?" Sheng Puzhu asked out of habit.

"The Hour of the Rabbit."

"Did I wake you?" Xie Zhiyan turned around.

Why wasn’t it Nanny Du’s voice? Sheng Puzhu was momentarily stunned, finally becoming more alert.

She shook her head slightly. Through the hazy bed curtains, the man was already up, standing nearby dressing himself. With meticulous movements, his cold, pale fingers fastened the gold-inlaid jade button on his collar, pressing it firmly into place before smoothing it down.

Sheng Puzhu recalled the temperature of his fingertips from the night before, cool like water. Her thoughts had been chaotic then, and before completely breaking down, she seemed to have not only cursed at him but also bitten his wrist hard.

Fragmented memories flashed intermittently in her mind.

Although she had been the one to deceive him first, giving him an excuse to hold it over her, the thought of those moments when she felt her soul leaving her body made her forget everything else. She had said all sorts of reckless things and wondered if, in that state of confusion, he had even understood her.

Her breathing grew heavier, her pearly teeth biting her lips, their moist color like dew on morning buds—fragile and alluring.

As part of her duties as a devoted wife, since she was awake, she felt obliged to offer.

"Husband."

"Do you need help dressing?"

Sheng Puzhu’s voice was thick with sleep, soft, giving the illusion of coquetry.

Hearing this, Xie Zhiyan walked quietly to the bedside, leaned down, and leisurely drew aside the bed curtains with his pale hand.

"It’s still early. Rest a while longer, my lady."

Sheng Puzhu looked up at him, inwardly sighing. Aside from his excessive behavior in certain matters, he could grudgingly be considered thoughtful in other aspects of their marriage.

Then she heard Xie Zhiyan say, "You were exhausted last night."

"Given the thoroughness of my examination, it’s unlikely you can get up."

"Don’t push yourself."

How dare he bring up last night!

Whether from embarrassment or anger, Sheng Puzhu’s cheeks flushed red. She turned over with a huff, closed her eyes, and decided to ignore him.

When she opened her eyes again, the sunlight had already slantingly spilled across the floor.

The golden hue vividly reflected on the window lattice, the intricately carved flowers on the window seeming to come to life.

"Surely not—has the sun already begun to set?" Sheng Puzhu muttered to herself, trying to sit up while clutching the brocade quilt.

But she fell back weakly, a deep soreness emanating from her bones like a rushing stream, pinning her firmly to the bed.

"..."

"You should have called me when you woke up, madam."

"Why did you sit up by yourself?"

Nanny Du walked in with a smile upon hearing the noise, holding a bowl of steaming hot milk in her hands.

Sheng Puzhu lay there with her eyes closed, as if all her strength had been drained. Her fingers twitched slightly, and her legs curled up a little. There was none of the expected stickiness or discomfort beneath the brocade quilt; instead, a faint medicinal scent permeated the bed curtains.

Her body under the quilt felt clean and dry, her undergarments had been changed, and even the most intimate parts of her had been meticulously cleaned and treated with ointment.

After so many times, she was certain that every time after their intimate encounters, while she was unconscious, he would carefully clean her up.

As for when he had started making a habit of this, it might have been the first time she was injured and couldn't apply the medicine herself, when he accidentally saw it.

She couldn't quite describe what she felt about this. Applying medicine to such a place—even with her own mother or Nanny Du, whom she was closest to—felt too embarrassing to talk about, let alone with a man.

Yet he had done it anyway. Sheng Puzhu suppressed this strange feeling and refused to dwell on it, simply attributing it to Xie Zhiyan’s meticulous and thoughtful nature.

"Nanny, what's the time now? When I opened my eyes, it felt like the sun had already set," Sheng Puzhu asked weakly, her eyes still closed.

Nanny Du let out a long sigh. "Madam, you've slept so soundly you've lost track of time."

"It's past the Hour of the Monkey, and now it's halfway through the Hour of the Rooster. If we delay any longer, my dear, you'll miss dinner again."

Sheng Puzhu was startled. She hurriedly lifted the bed curtain and pulled herself up with Nanny Du’s help.

She thought about how she had only managed to wake up early once yesterday to return to her mother's home, and today was even more extreme—she'd slept straight through until sunset. She wondered how her younger sisters at home would gossip about her laziness behind her back.

"Did Pu Yao and the others come?" Sheng Puzhu rubbed her temples.

Nanny Du replied helplessly, "Fourth Lady is quite lively. After breakfast, she came over holding her cat to chat with you."

"Later, Third Lady also came."

"But since you didn't wake up for so long, the two young ladies went to the garden to chase butterflies. They played for half an hour before going to pay respects to Madam Sheng. After lunch, the young ladies didn’t come in person but sent their nannies to inquire."

"Hmm, so what did you tell them, Nanny?" Although she already anticipated the answer, Sheng Puzhu couldn’t help but ask again.

Sure enough, Nanny Du patted her chest worriedly. "What else could I say? I had to tell them the truth."

She sighed.

When it came to lying or deceiving others, she couldn't count on Nanny Du at all. However, during the few days she had been out of the residence, she had sent Li Shuang and the other three to take turns running errands at Linlang Pavilion. Otherwise, with Li Shuang and the others around, she might have had a chance to deceive even Sheng Puyao, let alone a young lady like Sheng Mingshu.

"Ah, right."

Nanny Du smacked her forehead. "There’s one more thing I forgot to tell you, madam."

Sheng Puzhu picked up the bowl of milk and was sipping slowly.

As she tilted her head back, the collar of her inner robe loosened slightly, revealing a section of her pale neck. Her cheeks were flushed with a soft pink, like peach blossoms. It seemed she had cried heavily the night before, as the faint redness at the corners of her eyes remained.

She heard Nanny Du clear her throat and say, "Today, the Marquis of Changxing came in person to apologize to Second Lady."

"After Second Madam read the confession obtained from the Dali Temple’s interrogation, she cried several times last night. When she saw the Marquis of Changxing today, if Madam Sheng hadn’t held her back, she would have likely scratched his face."

Sheng Puzhu's hand holding the milk bowl paused. "So? Was the engagement broken off?"

Nanny Du shook her head. "It didn’t seem like he came to break off the engagement. He brought many expensive gifts, saying they were to help Second Lady regain her health."

"But he never mentioned the betrothal documents or engagement tokens. Instead, he kept insisting that Lady Liu was foolish and blinded by greed, and he firmly stated that he would send Liu Jiaoe back to her hometown in Yizhou immediately."

"The Marquis of Changxing is, after all, a high-ranking minister in the court of Great Yan. How could he be so shameless as to discard even the most basic sense of decency and shame?"

Sheng Puzhu licked the milk stain from her lips and sneered. "Back then, Xue Hanwen went to great lengths to win Ming Shu’s favor precisely because his entire family had ulterior motives. Now that their scheme has been exposed, calling off the engagement with Ming Shu would be an indirect admission of the Marquis of Changxing’s dirty deeds."

"At that point, in Chang'an, any family that cares for their daughters would never marry their young ladies to such a malicious man."

"He wanted to marry Ming Shu in the first place because he coveted the House of Mingde’s reputation for integrity in the court, hoping to advance his political career through the marital connection."

"Now, if we insist on breaking off the engagement, we’re backing his family into a corner. The Marquis of Changxing can no longer afford to worry about face. If pushed too far, he might even resort to desperate measures."

Nanny Du gasped. "Madam, what should we do then?"

Sheng Puzhu curled her lips into a faint smile. "Don’t worry, Nanny. The Marquis of Changxing will agree to break off the engagement—unless he’s willing to risk the life of his only legitimate son."

At this point, she couldn’t help but recall the previous night. When her mind was still somewhat clear, she hadn’t forgotten to ask Xie Zhiyan to remind Minister Lu to find a way to detain the members of the Marquis of Changxing’s household in the Dali Temple for a few more days.

It was precisely because she brought up Minister Lu that the man, who had already been with her once, his brows darkened, and, without a word, forcefully turned her over, pushing her to the brink of collapse before finally stopping.

She couldn’t understand how this man, who usually seemed as calm and distant as the clouds, could turn into a beast at night, consuming her completely once he tasted desire.

At first, she had complained about his strength, finding his approach to lovemaking forceful and domineering, making them incompatible.

Now, although he paid attention to her reactions and feelings beforehand, Sheng Puzhu still felt that this man, as refined as jade, would never temper his strength or the power in his arms that could easily break her.

Their incompatibility and her inability to endure were always starkly reflected in their vastly different physical constitutions.

If, on their wedding night two years ago, he hadn’t left home due to urgent news from the border, with Xie Zhiyan’s stamina, Sheng Puzhu would never have had the energy to open the Linlang Pavilion she had dreamed of.

Hurrying as fast as she could, she barely made it to the dinner at Shouchun Residence.

Before nightfall, the Sheng sisters accompanied Madam Sheng for dinner and then gathered in the warm pavilion to play cards.

It was clear that Madam Sheng was in high spirits. She even ate half a piece of lotus root thread candy, which she usually avoided for being too sweet.

"Grandmother."

"Did something good happen?"

Sheng Puyao wasn’t skilled at playing cards, so she sat beside the elderly lady with a box of gold and silver tokens, helping to keep accounts.

Madam Sheng squinted at her cards and first asked Sheng Mingya, "How are your sister and your mother today?"

"I heard from the nanny that Ming Shu had a fever again last night, and your mother barely ate anything at lunch."

Sheng Mingya tilted her head thoughtfully. "Don’t worry, Grandmother. Second Sister was able to get up and walk around today and even ate half a bowl of bird’s nest soup. Mother was just too angry with the Marquis of Changxing earlier. When she heard that Sister could eat, her mood visibly improved."

Madam Sheng nodded. "With proper care, she’ll recover. What matters is that she recovers fully."

After saying this, she turned to Sheng Puyao, grabbing a handful of gold tokens from the wooden box and placing them on the table. "It’s no wonder I’m in a good mood. Just when I was angry about what the Marquis of Changxing said during the day, Minister Lu came."

"Ah…"

"Minister Lu is quite handsome, though his temperament is rather cold. He came today specifically to deliver the interrogation transcripts of the mother and son from the Marquis of Changxing’s household after their interrogation."

Sheng Puzhu discarded a card, a faint smile curling at the corners of her lips. "Grandmother, Minister Lu didn’t just deliver the confessions, did he?"

"Exactly." Madam Sheng laughed heartily. "Minister Lu said the Dali Temple would keep them detained longer on the grounds of obstructing official duties and needing more time to interrogate the spies."

"They won’t be released until Marquis of Changxing agrees to calling off the engagement."

Though already aware of the outcome, Sheng Puzhu asked with a smile to cheer the elderly lady up, "Minister Lu is so thoughtful. Otherwise, he could have just sent a subordinate instead of making the trip in person."

"Right? That’s what I said too." Madam Sheng clapped her hands. "I wanted to show appreciation for his kindness and naturally insisted he stay for a meal, but Minister Lu wouldn’t even stay for tea."

"It was as if someone in the house was shooing him away—he was out of the flower hall in the blink of an eye."

Madam Sheng sighed regretfully. "Next time we host a banquet, Pu Zhu, talk to Zhi Yan and ask him to bring Minister Lu along. We must properly thank him."

Sheng Puzhu agreed. "Once Second Brother finishes his studies at the Imperial College, it will coincide with Ming Shu’s birthday."

"A birthday banquet is still a banquet. Inviting Minister Lu to our home won’t put him among the ladies since he’ll be with the brothers. What do you think, Grandmother?"

Madam Sheng thought it over seriously. "That could work. Ming Shu’s birthday is around the Winter Solstice. By then, many households in Chang’an will be throwing banquets, so inviting Minister Lu won’t seem out of place."

Sheng Puzhu couldn't resist anything beautiful, which was why she could still smile and chat with Xie Zhiyan even after his two-year absence.

It was all because this man possessed unmatched handsome features.

As for Minister Lu, his appearance was entirely different from Xie Zhiyan’s.

His coldness carried a melancholy solitude—a pale, sun-deprived complexion, faint blue veins, and delicately refined features, making him resemble fine porcelain.

Encountering such a unique gentleman, Sheng Puzhu couldn’t help but feel curious, though purely with appreciation. After all, all the jewelry at Linlang Pavilion was designed by her and made by craftsmen.

Whenever her inspiration ran dry, she sought out fresh sources to generate new ideas.

Lost in thought, Sheng Puzhu toyed with the playing card in her hand, the pearl bracelet on her fair wrist tinkling softly. Without much thought, she agreed with the elderly lady and praised, "Minister Lu may seem cold, but he’s actually quite warmhearted."

"Exactly," Madam Sheng agreed wholeheartedly.

"Clatter—"

The bead curtain at the entrance of the warm pavilion was lifted by a slender hand.

Xie Zhiyan stepped slowly into the flower hall, the silver cloud-and-thunder patterns on his dark blue round-collar robe gleaming coldly under the lamplight.

A smile played on his lips, but his eyes were deep and unfathomable as a pool.

Sheng Puzhu’s playing card slipped from her fingers and landed with a soft "pat" on the table.

Memories from last night surged back—

She hadn’t forgotten how, merely mentioning "Minister Lu" mid-conversation without even finishing her sentence, he had handled her so roughly it felt like she would shatter against the bedsheets.

When she asked why he was angry, he remained silent, only intensifying his movements until she was pushed to the brink of collapse, wavering near unconsciousness.

"Husband." Sheng Puzhu’s waist went weak instantly, and she hurriedly lowered her gaze to pick up the card, only to knock over a teacup.

Xie Zhiyan leaned down, his cool scent of cypress enveloping her. He took out a handkerchief, seemingly to wipe away the spilled tea, but whispered in a voice only she could hear, "What is my wife so flustered about?"

His fingertips brushed lightly over the red marks on her wrist, concealed by the pearl bracelet.

"Perhaps..."

"Did you not rest well last night?"

Sheng Puzhu was completely frustrated!

He was clearly doing this on purpose, knowing full well she hadn’t rested well, yet he still brought it up.

His gaze was as deep and bottomless as an abyss, all but saying outright that she shouldn’t expect to rest well tonight either.