Two more days passed, and the injury on Su Wantang’s shoulder had mostly healed. Early in the morning, Ping’an, who served Zhao Xuanzhen, came to check on her, bringing nourishing soup. She knew then that someone was feeling peckish.
After finishing the soup, she tidied up and headed straight for Zhao Xuanzhen’s study. Halfway there, she spotted a familiar face: Xing’er, the personal maid previously arranged by Su Huajin to be by her side.
Because Xing’er had performed an uncontrollable “public display” in front of a group of noble ladies in broad daylight, causing Su Huajin to lose so much face that she hadn’t stepped out for days, Xing’er had now been demoted to a rough maid in the Prince’s mansion, responsible for clearing night soil and scrubbing chamber pots.
As she passed Su Wantang, Xing’er secretly gritted her teeth and looked away, no longer daring to put on airs in front of this concubine-born young lady as she once had.
Su Wantang watched her with great satisfaction.
She couldn’t help it; she always held a grudge… Having been insulted by this maid time and again, being relegated to clearing night soil and scrubbing chamber pots was, in her opinion, letting the girl off lightly.
Zhao Xuanzhen was busy writing a memorial in the study. Hearing the almost imperceptible sound of approaching footsteps, he arched an eyebrow and looked up, only to see a head sneakily poking in from outside the door.
Su Wantang was wearing a lily-style bun today. Before her face even appeared, the hairstyle looked like a rabbit hiding in the grass, clumsily poking out a pair of ears.
Zhao Xuanzhen set down his brush and said in a measured tone, “What are you doing acting so sneaky?”
As his voice fell, Su Wantang came grinning through the doorway, walking in prettily with a cheerful yet shy demeanor. “I wanted to see what my brother-in-law was doing first; I was worried about disturbing you.”
As she spoke, she walked straight over, looking as though she didn’t understand the rules. Zhao Xuanzhen habitually folded the memorial and set it aside, revealing the calligraphy practice sheets beneath.
Su Wantang walked to Zhao Xuanzhen’s side, followed the direction of his hand, and stared at the copybook on the sandalwood table in wonder. “The characters you write are so beautiful, brother-in-law.”
Zhao Xuanzhen raised an eyebrow. “You know calligraphy?”
Then he saw Su Wantang look embarrassed. “I don’t know much, I can only recognize a few characters, but I see that the characters you write are even better than those of the village school teacher, so they must be excellent.”
Zhao Xuanzhen wrote a beautiful Slender Gold script, which even his cousin Xie Yan, the Grand Tutor who looked down on everything, had praised. Now, being compared to the village school teacher Su Wantang spoke of, he was both annoyed and amused, yet he understood it was because this simpleton did not know any better.
Zhao Xuanzhen asked her, “Do you know how to write?”
To ask a daughter of a Marquis’s household if she could write was something others might consider an insult, but it clearly didn’t affect Su Wantang.
She was stunned for a moment, then bit her lip and shook her head with some shame. “I… I only know how to write my own name.”
“Oh?”
Zhao Xuanzhen grew interested and handed her the brush. “Write it and let me see.”
Su Wantang seemed startled and shook her head, wanting to refuse, but meeting Zhao Xuanzhen’s gaze, she dared not do so. She took the brush, feeling extremely nervous, her hand trembling slightly.
When Zhao Xuanzhen saw the way Su Wantang held the brush, he realized her writing was unlikely to be good. However, when he saw those three characters—looking like bizarre scribbles—on the expensive Chengxin paper written in pine-soot ink, he still felt the corners of his eyes twitch from how ugly they were.
Yet, Su Wantang turned back to him with a look of delight, asking in surprise, “Brother-in-law, your paper and brush are truly easy to use; the characters I wrote are even better than they usually are.”
At that moment, Zhao Xuanzhen hardly knew what to say.
This was her writing looking “better than usual”?
If that was the case, could what she wrote before even be called writing?
Taking a light breath, Zhao Xuanzhen smiled. “Alright, put down the brush.”
If the Zhuge family knew that their precious ivory-tipped brush had been used to produce such scribbles, they would likely be so angry they’d jump out of their coffins.
Su Wantang lowered her head in embarrassment. “I have made a fool of myself.”
Zhao Xuanzhen replied, “It was indeed ugly.”
As the words left his mouth, he saw Su Wantang actually pursing her lips and staring at him in indignation… Zhao Xuanzhen shook his head, speechless. But remembering that his investigation showed Su Wantang had never had the opportunity to study or practice calligraphy, he felt a bit of pity for her.
“Never mind. I will teach you to write your own name.”
Instantly, the clumsy girl who had been glaring at him earlier revealed eyes full of surprise. “Really?”
Could this be fake?
Since they had already been intimate several times, Zhao Xuanzhen naturally pulled Su Wantang into his arms from behind, caught her hand to help her hold the brush, and guided her movements… Next to those scribbles, he wrote three beautiful characters: Su Wantang.
The two were very close. Out of the corner of his eye, Zhao Xuanzhen saw Su Wantang staring at the name on the paper, her large eyes seemingly glowing.
“I actually wrote such beautiful characters.”
Su Wantang’s eyes were full of joy. “My name looks so beautiful… Thank you, brother-in-law.”
As she spoke, she turned her head and planted a kiss on Zhao Xuanzhen’s cheek. Zhao Xuanzhen paused slightly, set down the brush, and looked down at her. “Presumptuous.”
Su Wantang secretly clicked her tongue.
Sending someone to deliver soup to her early in the morning… A brother-in-law, delivering soup for no reason—don’t tell her it was purely out of concern.
This type of man was very pragmatic. If there was no benefit, he wouldn’t spend a shred of effort. He had intentionally called her over, only to act all serious here.
Su Wantang decided to play along, showing a panicked and shy expression. “I was wrong.”
Having said that, she looked ashamed and angry, acting as if she wanted to push him away. As soon as she turned, she heard Zhao Xuanzhen gasp. Su Wantang was startled, her expression turning nervous. “What is it?”
Zhao Xuanzhen glanced at his knee and sat back in his chair. “I knelt for too long when I entered the palace the other day.”
Because Helian Rong had been bewitched by a cult sorceress, allowing the cult’s rebel army to escape, he, the one who had recommended her, had also suffered the consequences and knelt in the Imperial Study for quite a while.
Hearing this, Su Wantang’s face changed slightly. “What happened?”
Zhao Xuanzhen replied indifferently, “Someone didn’t handle their duties well, and I was implicated.”
As they spoke, Su Wantang crouched down and lifted his trouser leg… Seeing the bruise on his knee, she looked up with eyes full of distress. “It was others who didn’t handle their duties well; what does that have to do with you, brother-in-law? Why did His Majesty punish you? It makes no sense at all!”
Zhao Xuanzhen rebuked her in a low voice, “Stop talking nonsense; watch your head.”
Su Wantang shrank her neck and dared not speak again. She reached out and carefully rubbed his knee, looking up to ask, “Should we get some medicated wine to rub it with?”
Zhao Xuanzhen’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He looked down and caught the hand rubbing his knee, examining it. “Why are your palms so rough?”
Clearly, her body was as fair and tender as ivory, and even the backs of her hands were fair, yet her palms were rough and even had calluses…
The next instant, the hand he was holding was yanked back by Su Wantang. She pouted, stood up, and said dully, “I’ve been doing hard labor since I was little, so they are rough. Is the Heir disgusted?”
She was displeased, changing her address from “brother-in-law” to “Heir.”
“Since the Heir is disgusted, I won’t disturb you any longer.”
Having said this, Su Wantang turned and made to leave in a huff… Before Zhao Xuanzhen’s heart had even moved, his hand had already caught her and pulled her onto his lap.
“Throwing a tantrum?”
“It’s the Heir who finds me rough…”
Su Wantang said, her eyes reddening, looking both sad and indignant.
Zhao Xuanzhen found her subtle sense of inferiority somewhat amusing, but her beautiful face when she was being temperamental and coquettish was pleasing to the eye. Having not been intimate for a few days, he had already felt a stirring while holding her to write; now, he felt all the more inclined to tease her.
He pinched Su Wantang’s chin, forcing her to look up at him, his voice filled with mockery. “What? Can I not even speak of you now?”
Su Wantang’s eyes reddened. Driven by shame and anger, she grew bold. Taking advantage of sitting on his lap, she reached her palm directly into his collar and scratched him hard. “Aren’t your palms rough too… I didn’t show any disgust when you touched me.”
She gritted her teeth in a vengeful posture. “Then the Heir will just have to endure my rough hands…”
Zhao Xuanzhen’s chest heaved as he held her down, his tone already hoarse. “This pair of hands of mine is trained from practicing martial arts.”
Su Wantang clicked her tongue internally.
What a coincidence, so are mine.
But at this moment, Zhao Xuanzhen’s hand had already reached her waist.
Su Wantang’s attempts to dodge were caught firmly by his other hand. Ultimately unable to maintain her sulky look, she sniffled and let out a delicate, coquettish huff. “Yes, yes, yes, the Heir is skilled in martial arts; this little woman cannot compare…”
That vibrant, delicate, and jealous look made Zhao Xuanzhen’s breathing grow even tighter. Originally, he hadn’t wanted to engage in such absurdity in the study in broad daylight… but after all, having an heir was of the utmost importance.
Zhao Xuanzhen convinced himself with ease.
Outside the study door, Ping’an heard the sound of a teacup crashing and shattering inside. He subconsciously started to step forward, but just as he reached the door and raised his hand to knock, he heard some unusual sounds.
His face turned bright red, and Ping’an immediately retreated to the corridor, his brow furrowed in suspicion.
The Heir had always despised frivolous and absurd behavior; why was he doing this in broad daylight… and in the study, no less.
Thinking of the Heir’s purpose in bringing the second Miss Su back, Ping’an suddenly realized.
Well, given the Heir’s decisive nature, since he wanted to produce an heir quickly… he had to work day and night…
It certainly couldn’t be because he was indulging in pleasure!