Chapter 110

Chapter 110

"It's about your young mistress."

A chill ran down Wang Deqi's spine. He clenched the triangular yellow talisman in his hand, steeled himself to glance into the inner chamber, and quickly turned his head back. Even in that fleeting glimpse, he saw clearly: the red candles had burned out, the gauze curtains were drawn shut, the bed was in disarray, but it was empty.

"By the way, has your young mistress always been prone to chills since childhood? Are her hands and feet always cold at night, no matter how she sleeps?"

"Husband Liu, why do you doubt me? How could anyone else know my own physical condition better than I do?"

"Has a doctor been consulted? Were any medicines prescribed for regulation?" Tang Liu ignored Sui Lanwei's plaintive questioning and continued asking.

Wang Deqi's mouth went dry. He turned and happened to see Yin Mei entering from outside with armfuls of packages. Seeing her shoot him a warning look, he hurriedly said, "No. She's truly been like that since childhood. Usually, just be careful, avoid catching a chill, and it's not a major issue."

Tang Liu was slightly surprised Wang Deqi didn't press him about sharing a bed with Miss Wang at night.

Wang Deqi didn't give his reaction a second thought. After speaking, he anxiously turned to look at Yin Mei, only to see her frowning at him, her expression telling him he'd misspoken. Wang Deqi panicked. What had he gotten wrong this time?

Yin Mei silently mouthed the words: Young Mistress.

*Young Mistress?*

Wang Deqi was dumbfounded for a long moment, finally realizing his mistake. He hurriedly looked at Tang Liu and, sure enough, saw a look of confusion on his face. He immediately blustered: "You'd better behave properly when sleeping at night. If you dare let our young mistress catch cold or suffer any grievance, you'll have me to answer to."

Tang Liu's brow relaxed.

Right, Wang Deqi must be in the know. Otherwise, he would surely have made a fuss.

"Take down those red bed curtains. That quilt isn't warm at night. Your young mistress was chilled to the bone under it all night." It had left him freezing cold too.

"We'll have it changed right away," Yin Mei replied. "There are also some clothes here, all tailored to your measurements. De Qi, go fetch some hot water to draw a bath for the young master and help him change."

Her speech was much more respectful than Wang Deqi's. Tang Liu wasn't used to it, but he didn't refuse either. After all, this respect was because he could help Wang Guiyu ward off the evil influence. Once Wang Guiyu recovered, it probably wouldn't exist anymore. He might as well enjoy it while it lasted.

"I haven't asked your name yet," he inquired.

"Young Master can just call me Yin Mei."

Tang Liu listened to Wang Deqi's footsteps fade into the distance and Yin Mei's move further inside. Suddenly, he heard Weiwei say, "Don't let her come in."

Tang Liu was taken aback. He put down his chopsticks and called out to Yin Mei: "Just put the things there. I'll take care of it."

Yin Mei's footsteps halted. After a moment, she replied, "Yes," turned around, came back, placed the items on a nearby table, and on her way out, cleared away the used dishes as well.

The room fell quiet. Tang Liu picked up his bamboo cane and walked towards the inner chamber. From memory, he found his way to the bedside, and his hand was pulled. He yielded to the pull and sat on the bed, then heard Weiwei say, "I dislike physical contact. Don't let them come in."

The other was very close, a sleeve even spilling onto Tang Liu's leg. That distinctive, subtle fragrance kept wafting into his nose. Tang Liu edged away uncomfortably, wondering what this meant.

Young ladies from wealthy families require several servants to attend to their every need. Not liking to be touched, not letting people in... was she expecting him to wait on her hand and foot?

No way was he doing that.

"The room will need to be cleaned sooner or later. I'm a blind man..."

Tang Liu was in the middle of his protest when he heard gentle sobs.

"My husband doubted me earlier, and now he won't listen to me. They say a couple is most affectionate right after marrying. Why is it that in my case, my husband not only refuses intimacy but won't even grant simple requests?"

Tang Liu was at a loss. If Weiwei were some spoiled, willful young lady, he could manage to ignore her. But faced with such gentle, tearful pleading, he was completely helpless. He even began to doubt if he was truly being unreasonable.

"Alright, alright, don't cry. I'll do it," he said, raising his hand to pat Weiwei's back. "I'm not very mobile. Keep an eye out for me."

Sui Lanwei immediately stopped crying and softly hummed in agreement. He hugged Tang Liu, pressing his face against his back, taking the chance to inhale a breath of yang energy: "Thank you, Husband Liu. Husband Liu is so good."

He watched Tang Liu and clearly saw that after these words, Tang Liu's expression, originally mixed with reluctance and helplessness, stiffened, and his ears turned red. Then Tang Liu got up as if nothing had happened and went to the outer room to fetch the new bedding and clothes.

He smiled slightly and directed Tang Liu to shake out all the items, then put them away one by one in the wardrobe.

"What about your clothes?" Tang Liu asked, feeling the empty wardrobe.

"I have a separate cabinet," Sui Lanwei answered casually.

He got off the bed and watched Tang Liu replace the large red mandarin duck quilt and spread out the new bedding. When Tang Liu reached for the red bed curtains, Sui Lanwei stopped him: "Don't change those. I like this color."

During this time, Wang Deqi brought in two buckets of hot water. Hearing Tang Liu talking to himself, he turned pale and scurried away in a hurry.

The washroom was a relatively separate small compartment. Tang Liu used one bucket of hot water to bathe. After changing out of his wedding attire and coming out, he didn't hear Weiwei's voice and couldn't help asking, "Weiwei?"

"What is it, Husband Liu?"

Tang Liu remembered the touch from earlier. Clearly, Weiwei, like him, had slept in her wedding attire all night. As the groom, his wedding attire was already thick and heavy. The bride's wedding attire must be even more cumbersome. So he told Weiwei to change out of her wedding dress.

After he finished speaking, he heard no sound for a good while, until he was startled by someone touching his waist.

"Weiwei?"

"It's me, Husband Liu. Your belt isn't fastened properly."

Tang Liu adjusted his belt: "I can manage myself. You go ahead, the water will get cold soon."

Weiwei didn't speak. Tang Liu waited for a moment before hearing faint sounds of water from behind. Even though his vision was pitch black, Tang Liu was made quite uncomfortable by this suggestive sound of water. He walked to the table, sat down, poured himself a cup of water, and suppressed the slight restlessness that had suddenly arisen in his heart.

After a while, the water sounds stopped, and Weiwei's voice sounded: "Husband Liu, I'm done."

Her voice was right beside him. Tang Liu's hand trembled, and he was startled again.

They say young ladies from wealthy families walk with such light steps they seem to float. He hadn't expected it to be truly soundless.

He grabbed his bamboo cane and stood up. Immediately, his other hand was taken and entwined with another's. Then he heard Weiwei say somewhat unhappily, "Husband Liu has me to guide you. What do you need this cane for?"

Tang Liu pretended not to hear. Fortunately, Weiwei didn't pursue the matter further and led him outside.

"This estate covers about two mu, facing south with its back to the north. The north-south and east-west distances are roughly equal," Sui Lanwei introduced. "The courtyard we live in is the main courtyard. Besides this, there are seven other courtyards of varying sizes and two gardens. Currently, only we live here; the other places are empty."

Sui Lanwei first took him along the covered walkway of the main courtyard for a circle. "Our room is in the north. There is one side room on the left and right, and a wing room to the east and west. Here is the courtyard gate. There's no threshold; you can walk straight ahead."

To accommodate Tang Liu, Sui Lanwei walked very slowly, stopping at each place to give a detailed introduction. Tang Liu listened while using his bamboo cane to measure the places they passed. After walking several thousand steps, a strong, putrid stench suddenly assailed him. Tang Liu paused slightly, about to sniff carefully, when the stench vanished completely in an instant, replaced by a rich fragrance, even stronger than what he had smelled in the Wang residence.

"What scent is this?" he asked.

"It's the scent of flowers," Sui Lanwei said. "We're in the garden now. Many flowers are planted here."

Tang Liu had never smelled this particular floral scent before. He took two deep sniffs and then felt this fragrance was very familiar. Unconsciously, he took two steps towards the most intense direction and suddenly bumped into something cold and soft. Immediately, a pair of hands steadied him.

"Husband Liu, be careful," a soft, delicate voice sounded by his ear.

Tang Liu quickly stepped back. During the movement, his hands touched something somewhere. He only felt a piece of smooth fabric slide over the back of his hand. First, he awkwardly apologized, then suddenly froze, struck by the familiar texture and feel of the fabric.

Why is Weiwei still wearing her wedding attire?

'I like this color.'

Wei Wei's words echoed in Tang Liu's mind once more. He figured that was probably why. Besides, the wedding robes were custom-made and extremely ornate. It wouldn't be strange for a young lady to like them and want to wear them for a few more days.

He quickly found a suitable reason and continued the previous topic, asking, "What kind of flower is it?"

The floral scent was intense but remarkably simple, likely from just one type of flower.

"Orchids."

"The entire garden is filled with them?"

Sui Lanwei looked at the garden overrun with weeds and mud and replied, "Yes, all of them."

Tang Liu suddenly grew curious. "What do orchids look like?"

A flicker passed through Sui Lanwei's eyes, and he conjured an orchid for him.

Tang Liu hadn't expected him to simply produce one and hand it over. He took it, felt it with his hands, and uncertainly pinched a part of it, asking, "Is this a petal?"

Sui Lanwei answered, "Yes."

Tang Liu used his fingertip to trace slowly from the base of the petal to its tip, then from the tip back down to the very root of the entire flower, picturing its complete form in his mind. A sudden wave of emotion washed over him.

The last person who had taught him about things like this was the old beggar. Since the old beggar's death, no one had been willing to guide him this way. He wanted to ask what color the orchid in his hand was, but then he thought: even if Wei Wei answered, he wouldn't know what that color actually looked like. So he didn't ask.

He brought the orchid to his nose and sniffed. The scent of a single orchid was very light, incredibly delicate and pure. Tang Liu inhaled for a while, and a sudden realization flashed in his mind—he finally understood why the fragrance felt familiar.

This floral scent... wasn't it the same fragrance that clung to Wei Wei?

Somehow, Tang Liu's mind raced. He actually lowered his head again to sniff the orchid carefully. Then it struck him: he was a sour, stinking beggar turned live-in son-in-law. Wei Wei should have been utterly disgusted with him. Even if it was to save her life, there was no reason for her to treat him with such courtesy. Yet, judging by Wei Wei's words and actions since last night, she was clearly treating him as a genuine husband. On the contrary, it was him—initially, upon learning he could marry Wei Wei, he had felt some restless, improper thoughts. But those thoughts had quickly vanished. He was only thinking of using the identity of the Wang family's son-in-law to secure a life of plenty, assured of his next meal.

Large, wealthy households were rife with hidden schemes, with everyone having their own agendas. He had planned to keep a clear distance from the Wang family's young lady after marriage, to live separate lives, avoiding becoming too entangled with her. If he provoked the displeasure of Wang Zhuang or someone like Wang Deqi, who held a significant position in the household, or if he attracted other troubles, a blind man with no power or influence like him would have no way to protect himself. He might die without even knowing how. Therefore, he had wished to stay as far away from Wei Wei as possible, often feeling impatient with her inexplicable clinginess and coquettishness.

But now, thinking about it, he had taken on the identity of Wei Wei's husband. Regardless of how he actually maintained distance from her, in the eyes of outsiders, Wei Wei's innocence was already tied to him.

He had always heard that the Wang family's young lady was well-bred and proper, likely very conventional in matters of marriage. Thinking this, he tentatively probed, "Wei Wei, have you heard the common saying, 'Marry a chicken, follow the chicken; marry a dog, follow the dog'?"

"I've heard it. What about it? I also know another saying: 'In the way of the world, the husband leads and the wife follows.'"

"Then... what do you think?"

"Think about what?"

"About these two sayings. I often hear the county's scholars argue that the reasoning behind them isn't necessarily so. They say this 'husband leads, wife follows' idea should be debated separately."

Sui Lanwei looked at Tang Liu's slightly tense face, feeling quite displeased.

Since Tang Liu had married him, he should follow him. Asking such a thing on the first day of marriage—what was he implying?

"I actually think they make perfect sense. Since you and I are married, whatever we do, we should be united as one."

Tang Liu's heart sank. This was bad. The young lady of the Wang family, with her noble status, actually believed in this kind of idea.

"Actually, it doesn't have to be so rigid..."

Sui Lanwei's face darkened. "Then what do you want?"

Hearing the angry tone in his voice, Tang Liu hurriedly said, "I don't want anything. I was just saying." He stuffed the orchid into his sleeve pocket. "Let's keep walking."

Seeing this, Sui Lanwei's expression softened slightly. He humphed and reached out to take Tang Liu's hand. "Husband Liu, don't say such things again in the future. I don't like hearing them. Just now, my heart ached from it."

Tang Liu was shocked and stopped in his tracks. "Then we should call a doctor immediately!"

"No need. As long as Husband Liu doesn't anger me, I'll be fine." Sui Lanwei held Tang Liu's hand and continued introducing the places they passed.

Walking beside him, Tang Liu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

Wei Wei... was actually serious about this marriage.

The estate was vast. As they strolled, it was very quiet, with few servants around. Tang Liu estimated they had been walking for about half an hour. Remembering that Wei Wei was still wearing the wedding robes, he suggested heading back and continuing the tour another day.

Sui Lanwei could guess what he was thinking. His eyes sparkled, and he smiled, leaning onto Tang Liu's back. "Husband Liu, carry me back."

Feeling guilty about his previous poor attitude, Tang Liu, driven by a sense of compensation, immediately tucked his bamboo cane into his waistband, reached back to support Sui Lanwei under the knees, and hoisted him onto his back.

"Alright."

Sui Lanwei had originally just meant to tease him. Startled by the sudden lift into the air, he looked at Tang Liu in slight surprise for a moment before wrapping his arms around Tang Liu's neck and laughing. "Husband Liu, you'd better carry me properly. Don't drop me."

Being a spirit transformed from a ghost, he had almost no weight. Tang Liu only felt a light, almost paper-like presence on his back. He began walking, following the route he had memorized earlier, and said, "Don't worry."