Wish You All the Best - Chapter 47

Chapter 47

In a corner of the study, within the multistoried cabinet, the water clock dripped incessantly. It sounded like a thin drizzle of a spring night falling on the eaves—drip, drop, drip, drop—each sound urging the passage of time.

Pei You’an was accustomed to sleeping late, and the late-night study had always been his sanctuary for quiet reflection. But at this moment, his mind drifted restlessly. He recalled the look in her eyes and her parting reminder before she left, and looking up, he checked the water clock once more.

The float in the bronze vessel had risen to the Hour of the Boar (9:00 PM to 11:00 PM).

This time was naturally late for others, but for him, it was still early compared to his usual bedtime.

In the end, he rose, extinguished the lights, left the study, and headed toward the bedroom.

A dim, warm light filtered through the doors and windows of the bedroom. He whispered to the maid and matron on night duty, who were still waiting, to go and rest. He pushed the door open gently, entered the inner chamber, and looked toward the half-drawn hanging curtains.

Beyond the warm, fragrant silk screens, the beauty lay inside. Her figure was motionless; she must have already drifted into dreams.

Just like the previous two nights, he entered softly, loosened his belt, removed his outer robes, and went to the washroom. When he came out, he approached the bed, trying his best not to startle her.

She was lying on her side facing outward, one arm bent to pillow her cheek. Her arm was like a jade shoot, her wrists white and skin flushed; her sleeping posture was graceful. A faint, warm fragrance wafted from her breath, drifting straight into his chest.

His heart fluttered, so he held his breath. Just as he turned to extinguish the light, Jiafu moved on the bed and slowly opened her eyes.

Pei You’an paused. "Did I wake you?"

Jiafu shook her head. "I just couldn't fall asleep."

Pei You’an climbed onto the bed, lying on his back beside her. "Are you still thinking about today’s events? I did not intend to blame you; I was merely anxious because I did not know your whereabouts, and I spoke too harshly."

Jiafu gave a soft hum. "I do not blame you, Eldest Cousin."

Pei You’an turned his head to look at her, thought for a moment, and added, "I remember telling you on your first night here: if something is wrong, tell me. If you do not speak, how am I to know what you are thinking?"

"Eldest Cousin, can I really ask you anything?" She seemed to lack confidence.

"Naturally," Pei You’an replied, his tone firm.

"Eldest Cousin, do you look down on me?"

A soft voice drifted into his ears.

"I always make you angry, and in the past, I did those kinds of things..."

Her voice grew faint and quiet.

Pei You’an replied, "If there is a fault, one corrects it. I do not look down on you."

After he spoke, as if to comfort her, he reached out and thoughtfully pulled the corner of the quilt, covering her fragrant shoulders and jade neck that had been exposed to the chill.

"There now, stop letting your imagination run wild. It is late; go to sleep."

He coaxed her again in a gentle voice.

Silence returned to the silk canopy, with only the sound of each other's breathing audible.

"Eldest Cousin, may I ask you one more thing?"

A moment later, her voice came to his ears again.

Pei You’an did not open his eyes; he only let out a "mm."

"Since you do not look down on me, does that mean you dislike me?"

Pei You’an opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

Jiafu’s hair was spread across the pillow, her chin tucked into the quilt, leaving only half of her face exposed. Her eyes were unblinking, fixed intently upon him.

"How could that be? I said, stop letting your imagination run wild."

"Then why, these past two nights when you returned... did you ignore me?"

The lingering, warm fragrance inside the silk canopy seemed to grow even richer.

Pei You’an’s voice was dry. "I saw that you were asleep..."

Her eyelashes fluttered, then slowly lowered and remained still, like a pair of butterflies resting among flowers.

Pei You’an stopped halfway through his sentence.

They were newlyweds, sharing the same bed, yet he had not touched her for two consecutive nights.

He had originally thought she was unwilling, but now he realized it might have been a misunderstanding. She was just a little girl who knew nothing, who only knew how to smile at him when happy, cry before him when sad, and cling to him tightly when afraid. So innocent of the world, how much grievance could she endure? It was no wonder she had let her imagination run wild, leading to the incident today.

Since he had married this girl, protecting her fully was a necessity, and if it were within his power, he should strive to make her happy.

After hesitating, Pei You’an finally reached out to her, gently pulling her into his embrace, just as he had done on their wedding night.

Her body was soft and supple, smooth as solidified cream. Once in his arms, pressed intimately against him, he did not need her to do anything; a moment later, he was ready. Only, recalling the difficulty of their first time on their wedding night, he knew she probably wasn't ready to bear it just yet. After holding her and pressing her against himself for a moment, his palms moved against her skin like plucking a string or playing a zither—not fast, not slow—gradually coaxing tremors from her, bringing a rosy glow to her cheeks. When he felt his own body aching and tense, he gently unfastened her clothes and pressed himself against her.

Soon, the same sense of desperate release that he had felt on their wedding night surged toward him. Pei You’an knew it was a bad sign; he hurriedly backed away, closing his eyes. His mind flashed through the concepts of "focusing the mind on the elixir field" and "circulating breath to the heels," and then "gradual gathering and condensing"...

But before he could figure out how to proceed, he felt her two jade-like arms wrap tightly around his neck. Her fragrant lips pressed against his ear, and a sound that was half-cry, half-sob, "Eldest Cousin..." drifted into his ears. His soul seemed stirred, his skin prickled, and unable to endure it any longer, he finished before her again.

Pei You’an’s heart hammered like a drum within his chest, his entire body drenched in hot sweat. When he finally returned to his senses from the ecstasy, he saw her huddled beneath him, eyes tightly shut, looking extremely well-behaved. Guilt surged in his heart. He held the girl in his arms and whispered, "I have disappointed you, haven't I?" His voice was slightly hoarse.

Jiafu’s face was flushed with a deep red tide, her star-like eyes half-open and half-closed. She shook her head to comfort him. "Eldest Cousin, do not be sad. Afu is already very happy..."

She could feel his mood. She knew this was not something to be proud of for a man, so naturally, she tried hard to comfort him.

Moreover, she wasn't lying.

She didn't care about that at all. He had been sickly as a child and left with a constitutional deficiency; it was normal. Her feelings at this moment, besides tenderness for him, were truly incredibly happy.

Pei You’an fell silent and said nothing more. He only stroked her hair and rolled off her body.

The light in the room went out.

Jiafu felt her entire body relax. Finally, she could boldly wrap her arms around his waist and press her chest and abdomen against his. Nestling in his arms this way, she quickly fell asleep. In her daze, not knowing what time it was, she suddenly felt a heaviness on her body. She partially awoke, but her consciousness remained trapped in a dream. Her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, stuck together, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't open them. As she struggled, she felt her legs being pulled apart, and then, something hot and hard intruded.

"Eldest Cousin..."

Before Jiafu could finish her mumble in the darkness, her mouth was blocked.

Jiafu soon woke from her hazy dream.

She had been awakened by Pei You’an.

When she had been sleeping, the moment before she fully woke, he had seemed like a different person. Not only was the composed, teasing demeanor he had shown earlier gone, but his hand movements were forceful—sometimes even causing pain to her delicate skin—and his waist moved with a relentless, fierce energy, as if he were determined to crush her into pieces.

Jiafu endured it at first, but later, as she was pushed from the pillow to the corner of the bed, she lost her composure and began to sob uncontrollably.

This encounter lasted until the crowing of the rooster. She felt as though her entire body had fallen apart. When he finally released her, she lay limp amidst the messy bedding, unable to move a muscle.

From beginning to end, Pei You’an only grunted through clenched teeth as he handled her, not making a single sound. Only when his breathing finally calmed did he hold her limp, mud-like body in his arms, close his eyes, and let out a long, slow breath from his chest.

Jiafu slept soundly, and when she woke, she was shocked to realize the day was already bright. The man beside her was long gone.

Pei You’an’s wedding leave had ended, so he must have returned to the court to attend to his duties. Jiafu sat up, clutching the quilt, and called for someone to enter. When she asked Tanxiang, it was as she suspected: Tanxiang said the Master had left early in the morning and specifically instructed them to let the Eldest Mistress sleep as long as she needed, saying he would pay his respects to the Old Madam on her behalf.

Recalling the fierce and ruthless way he had tormented her the previous night, Jiafu couldn't help but feel her ears burn and her heart race. She also remembered the gash she had caused on his forehead; he could probably cover it with the brim of his official cap during the court session, but at home this morning, he wouldn't be able to hide it from the Old Madam and Madam Xin. She felt a bit anxious about how he had explained it. Supporting her still-sore legs, she got out of bed, washed up, dressed, and hurried toward the Old Madam’s quarters. As she approached the courtyard, she unexpectedly saw Pei Xiuzhi walking out. He must have just finished visiting the Old Madam. He caught sight of her, stopped, and stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed firmly upon her, unable to look away.

For some time, Pei Xiuzhi had been hiding away due to shame and illness, and this was the first time Jiafu had encountered him since she married into the family four days ago. She saw his complexion was sallow, his eyes lacked luster, and he no longer possessed the spirited, dashing demeanor of the young master he once was. Even though he wore fine jade and silk, he could not hide the haggardness radiating from his entire being.

Jiafu paused only for a brief moment before continuing to walk forward. As she got close, seeing he did not offer her a greeting, she acted as if she hadn't seen him and walked straight past him with Tanxiang and Muxiang in tow.

"Sister Fu..."

A trembling, low voice reached her ears.

Jiafu acted as if she hadn't heard and kept walking.

"Sister Fu..."

Pei Xiuzhi called out once more.

Tanxiang and Muxiang exchanged glances and hurriedly followed closely behind Jiafu.

Jiafu stopped her steps and turned her head. She saw Pei Xiuzhi gazing at her with a dazed expression, his face showing the disappointment of deep affection betrayed.

If it weren't for her experiences in her past life, looking at his current state alone, he might truly be somewhat worthy of sympathy.

But Jiafu knew that this first man she had experienced in her past life was nothing but a pathetic creature—at once hateful and laughable.

"Second Brother, although I used to call you 'Cousin' in the past, when a woman marries, her husband’s family takes precedence. I am now your elder sister-in-law. It doesn't matter if you don't call me that when we meet, but is my given name something you are entitled to call?"

The corners of Pei Xiuzhi’s mouth twitched slightly.

"From now on, we are one family; we will see each other every time we look up. If you show me a foot of respect, I will return a yard. I hope you remember my words just now, and I will assume you were merely having a slip of the tongue."

After Jiafu finished speaking, she did not look at him again, turned, and entered the courtyard.