“What does Eldest Brother want with her…” Xiao Mingyu’s tone was awkward and uneasy.
Changfeng remained expressionless as he replied, “This morning, the Second Young Mistress had an altercation with our Madame under the corridor of the front yard, and our Madame’s outer garment was torn by her. The Young Master sent me to ask the Second Young Mistress what exactly is the grievance between her and our Madame.”
Sensing that something was wrong from the commotion, Yun Xiu threw on an outer robe and stepped out.
“Did Xiao—did the Eldest Young Master really send you?” she asked in sheer disbelief.
Damn it, he even knows about such a trivial matter! Just how many informants does Xiao Lanting have in this estate!
And—is he truly going to trouble me over something so minor?
Knowing Xiao Lanting’s temperament all too well, Xiao Mingyu knew that if they failed to satisfy him, he would ruthlessly target them from then on.
“Yun Xiu was reckless this morning. I was just about to take her to apologize to Eldest Sister-in-law!” Xiao Mingyu grabbed Yun Xiu’s arm, gesturing for her to admit her mistake.
“Yes, it was because I was in a foul mood this morning that I had a brief tussle with Eldest Sister-in-law. But we are sisters-in-law of the same family; does Eldest Sister-in-law really need to hold a grudge against me over such a small matter?”
Yun Xiu offered a superficial, skin-deep smile. “Since I tore her clothes, the worst I can do is give her ten pieces back.”
“There is no need for you to give anything back,” Changfeng said, producing an outer robe from behind his back. “As long as you mend it for our Madame, that will suffice.”
“…”
“Me? Mend her clothes?!” Yun Xiu’s voice spiked in pitch.
Xiao Mingyu quickly interjected, “She will mend it! She definitely will! I will personally send the mended garment back to Eldest Sister-in-law tomorrow!”
“That will not be necessary,” Changfeng replied flatly. “The Eldest Young Master gave instructions that I am to personally supervise the Second Young Mistress as she mends the clothes tonight. I shall return once night falls.”
He considerately added, “As I am an unrelated male, it is inappropriate for me to stay in private quarters with the Second Young Mistress. Please prepare your needle and thread, Second Young Mistress; I shall await you in the front hall.”
With a clasp of his hands, Changfeng turned and walked away.
Xiao Mingyu turned to her, exasperated. “See? Didn’t I tell you not to provoke him! You can go ahead and mend it yourself; I am sleeping in the study tonight.”
“Hey, you—”
Watching Xiao Mingyu’s retreating figure, Yun Xiu was so consumed by fury that smoke practically rose from her head!
He really expects me to mend Yun Juan’s clothes?
Does Yun Juan even deserve to have me mend her clothes!
In the past, Yun Juan was the only one who washed clothes for me!
She slammed the door shut in a fit of rage.
Having been reborn for barely a day, the reality of everything was vastly different from what she had envisioned.
Xiao Lanting still had a whole year left to live. With Xiao Mingyu being so terrified of this concubine-born elder brother right now, did it mean she would have to be suppressed by Yun Juan for an entire year?
Yun Xiu could not swallow this grievance.
She had to find a way to spur Xiao Mingyu into being more ambitious sooner. She absolutely could not endure a full year of humiliation!
Xiaoyao Building
Yun Juan woke up in a daze. She had slept exceptionally soundly this time, dreaming that she was sitting by a cozy fire, her entire body enveloped in warmth.
Just as she was about to turn over, she realized she couldn’t move at all. Opening her eyes, a handsome face magnified several times over appeared right before her, instantly jolting her awake from her sleepiness.
Her body froze for a second. She tried to pry away the hand resting on her waist, but to no avail.
Letting out a soft sigh, she had no choice but to continue lying there as a human pillow.
With nothing else to do, she stared at Xiao Lanting’s face, passing the time by counting his eyelashes.
Truth be told, her husband was remarkably handsome, and his skin was incredibly refined and easy on the eyes. If he had a better temper, who knew how many women would throw themselves at him just for this face.
Yun Juan slid her hand out and with utmost caution, gently brushed against Xiao Lanting’s eyelashes.
The next instant, his eyelids twitched. A tiny gasp caught in Yun Juan’s throat, and she instinctively closed her eyes to feign sleep.
By the time she realized how foolish this reaction was, the awakened Xiao Lanting had already unleashed his merciless mockery.
“If you want to look, then look openly. You always act like a thief caught red-handed, as if I wouldn’t allow you to look.”
His voice carried a lazy, magnetic rasp from sleep, leaving Yun Juan’s ears tingling with numbness.
Opening her eyes, she said in a muffled voice, “Let go, I need to get out of bed.”
In the winter, darkness fell early, and the courtyard outside was already lit with lanterns. Just as Yun Juan tried to rise, the hand on her waist forcefully yanked her back, sinking her right back into the plush brocade quilt.
“What is the rush? Sleep a little longer.”
“It’s already dark outside. Aren’t you going to have dinner?”
“My dear wife, creatures that eat and sleep, only to wake up and eat again, are pigs, not humans.”
“…”
Yun Juan’s face flushed crimson. It wasn’t that she absolutely had to get up, but the hand lingering on her waist carried very clear implications.
When he said “sleep a little longer,” he absolutely did not mean simple, innocent sleep!
Paying no heed to her cat-like struggles, Xiao Lanting easily flipped over to pin Yun Juan beneath him. He asked her lazily:
“You should be feeling better by now, right? I ordered a medicinal bath for you this morning, and we only did it a few times last night…”
He really wants to do it again!
Yun Juan flatly denied it: “No! I haven’t recovered. It—it still hurts…”
She was lying.
Yun Juan didn’t actually mind intimacy with Xiao Lanting, but the frequency was simply too high! They had already done it three times last night… wasn’t this man exhausted?
Hovering above her, Xiao Lanting’s broad frame completely shielded her from view. Yun Juan caught the sound of a soft chuckle.
“Really? Since the medicinal bath didn’t work, we’ll just have to apply the medicine directly.”
!
“Since it’s inconvenient for my wife to do it herself, I shall help you. Now, where did I put that porcelain vial?”
Seeing Xiao Lanting actually pick up a small porcelain vial from the bedside table, Yun Juan went into a complete panic. She was nowhere near prepared to let him touch her in that place while she was fully conscious!
“I—I’m actually perfectly fine! Really!”
“Be good, listen to me.” Xiao Lanting casually pinned her hands down while his other hand nimbly untied the ribbon of her collar.
“I’m really fine—I was lying to you!”
Xiao Lanting stopped.
With her eyes squeezed shut, Yun Juan blurted out, “I don’t want to, I’m too tired. If you—if you really can’t restrain yourself, then go—go find one of your former bed-chamber maids!”
The moment the words left her mouth, Yun Juan felt a sudden pang of discomfort.
Even if they were only a married couple for a year, they were still husband and wife. Despite her unpleasant experiences in her past life, she still held some ideal illusions about a normal married life. But Xiao Lanting… wasn’t exactly a considerate partner. What kind of husband completely disregarded his wife’s wishes for the sake of his own desires!
She had assumed that once she spoke plainly, Xiao Lanting would back away and leave. Yet his hand paused for a few heartbeats, only to continue…
Yun Juan’s eyes widened as a profound sense of humiliation washed over her.
She could tolerate Xiao Lanting’s sharp tongue, his excessive desires, and his teasing, but she absolutely could not tolerate this!
He simply didn’t respect her at all!
“Xiao Lanting! Let me go! This is marital coercion! You brute!”
Yun Juan squeezed his arm with all the strength she could muster. Just as she was about to sink her teeth viciously into this bastard’s neck, Xiao Lanting barked in a deep voice:
“Stop moving! I am merely applying the medicine for you, I won’t touch you otherwise.”
Yun Juan’s struggles ground to a halt.
Mist had already gathered in her eyes as she stared unblinkingly at him.
In the dim light of the evening, she couldn’t quite read Xiao Lanting’s expression. With a neutral, unreadable face, he bit down on the cork to pull it out and poured some of the ointment onto his fingertips.
…
Exhausted, Yun Juan collapsed onto the bed, pulling the brocade quilt over her head to hide herself entirely.
Only after a long while did she slowly pull down the quilt, revealing a pair of cautious eyes.
Xiao Lanting stood by the bedside with his back turned to her, casually wiping his fingers with a silk handkerchief…
Yun Juan’s face burned with intense heat.
Although the level of embarrassment was through the roof, he really had been… seriously helping her apply the medicine just now.
Had I misunderstood him?
“There is something I need to make clear to you.”
Tossing the handkerchief aside, Xiao Lanting turned around to look down at her. In the darkness, his eyes gleamed with a cool, sharp light.
“I do find intimacy with you very pleasurable, and under normal circumstances, I prefer that you do not refuse me. However, I am not so desperately depraved that I would force myself upon someone. You do not need to treat this matter as if you’ve encountered a ferocious beast every single time. As I said, it is best that you adapt as soon as possible. If a situation like today happens again, just speak plainly.”
“Furthermore…”
Leaning down with one hand resting against the mattress, he said slowly, “I have never kept bed-chamber maids in the past, and I have no desire to feed so many useless mouths in the future. You do not need to arrange any such matters. Having you is enough for me.”