"What did you say?" Pei Qing almost thought he had misheard. His composed expression cracked for a moment as he cast a dark, lingering glance at Yun Bai.
Out of fear, Yun Bai had broken out in a sweat on his forehead. He hadn't expected that the Madam would actually ask Young Master Li to help her find two docile women. As the mistress of the Marquis's household, and bearing an imperial title of honor, she was already surrounded by attendants on all sides. Since it wasn't to find maidservants, the only possibility was…
Yun Bai's breath tightened and his face flushed red. If this had happened in any other great family, the patriarch would simply enjoy the fortune of having multiple wives. But if this happened in their Yongkang Marquis's household—Yun Bai sighed inwardly, mourning for his own Madam.
Yet, mindful of the kindness the Marchioness had always shown him, Yun Bai deliberately spoke well of Li Wan. "The servant's report was indeed so. I also had someone inquire about what happened in Old Madam's quarters this morning. It seems Old Madam intended to make the young miss from the maternal side a concubine to the Marquis. The Madam may not care for the young miss, so she wanted to find two trustworthy women to attend to the Marquis."
Find two trustworthy women to attend to him…
His Wan Wan always managed to be so naive that she amused him.
Taking a concubine for him—should he praise her for her gentle virtue, or sigh that she remained as ignorant of the world as ever? Did she truly think that by taking the initiative to find him a concubine, that old woman would stop tormenting her?
Ever since their marriage, he had taught her that if she suffered any grievance, she must tell him, and he would see justice done for her. Yet she still hadn't learned.
Or perhaps she was simply mischievous by nature, having enjoyed good days for too long, and wouldn't rest until she stirred up some trouble.
Pei Qing's long fingers tapped idly on the desk, and suddenly he let out a cold laugh.
Hearing that laugh, Yun Bai lowered his head even further, not daring to speak at all.
The two little rabbits in the cage seemed to sense the terrifying aura nearby and cowered into the corner of their cage.
Pei Qing looked at the trembling rabbits in the cage and suddenly thought of his delicate, beautiful wife. He let out a soft sigh—would he have to lock her up too before she would listen?
But if he did that, she would probably be frightened to tears.
A surge of wicked fire and dark thoughts churned within Pei Qing. He wanted nothing more than to go find his wife and confront her, but reason and pity for her won out. The man pressed his forehead wearily. "Consider today's words as never spoken. Go tell the Madam that affairs of the court are pressing, and I will not be retiring to the main quarters tonight."
Yun Bai's expression momentarily faltered. After all, unless there was truly urgent court business, the Marquis generally never left the Madam to sleep alone. Today…
Could the Marquis truly be angry? Should he warn the Madam? Just as Yun Bai was locked in internal turmoil, Pei Qing cast him a bland glance. "Take the rabbits to the Madam. Not a single word of what should not be said."
"Yes, my lord." Yun Bai bowed his head, took the rabbit cage, and headed to the main quarters.
In the main quarters, Li Wan had received the confirmation from her wet nurse and had already returned to her room to rest, so Yun Bai had no chance to speak with her privately. He could only relay to the wet nurse that the Marquis would be busy with official matters in the evening, and handed her the rabbit cage.
Li Wan woke up quite late. Upon learning that the man would not be coming over for the night, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief—after all, the man had an overabundance of energy, and she could barely withstand him. She let the rabbits out of the cage and gently stroked their heads.
Seeing her completely unconcerned attitude, the wet nurse asked, "Madam, do you think the Marquis is angry?"
"Why would he be angry?" A hint of confusion flickered in Li Wan's curved, almond-shaped eyes. Today Li Qingchen had come to give her the rabbits. He hadn't wanted her to meet with Li Qingchen, and she had agreed—so why would he still be angry?
Surely he couldn't even tolerate the two rabbits Li Qingchen had given her. But rabbits weren't men; he shouldn't be that petty.
"Madam, I'm wondering if the Marquis knows that I met with Young Master Li alone." The wet nurse grew even more worried at this thought, and speculated quietly.
Li Wan asked with a smile, "Wet nurse, when you met with my brother, didn't you check whether anyone was nearby?"
The wet nurse replied, "Naturally, no one was nearby."
Li Wan's bright eyes sparkled, her tone carrying a hint of lightness. "Then there you have it. My husband said he has official matters to attend to. Wet nurse, don't borrow trouble where there is none."
The logic was sound, but the wet nurse still felt uneasy. She glanced at the Madam, who was gently playing with the little rabbits with soft, obedient features, and tested the waters: "Madam, the Marquis is busy with official affairs. Working on documents at night must be very tiring. How about I have the small kitchen brew a cup of cooling tea and send it over to the Marquis?"
Li Wan looked at the sky and spoke in a gentle tone: "Wet nurse, you've grown confused. The capital's weather is still alternating between warm and cold. Dark clouds are gathering outside today—it's likely to pour. Sending cooling tea to my husband at a time like this—he'd catch a chill after drinking it."
The wet nurse glanced at the dark sky outside the window, following her mistress's gaze, and had to admit her suggestion was a bad one. "You're right, madam."
By evening, a light rain began to fall, pattering softly. Once darkness fully settled, the rain grew heavier, accompanied by loud claps of thunder.
Because of the poor weather, Li Wan had retired to bed early. As a bolt of lightning struck toward the window, she buried herself beneath the golden-threaded mandarin duck quilt and closed her eyes.
Two flower lanterns remained lit in the room, and wisps of smoke curled upward from the sandalwood incense burner, releasing a faint, soothing fragrance.
In the study, the window was wide open. The man, with his gentle and composed demeanor, flipped through a book while lifting his gaze to look outside—whether at the rain or something else, it was hard to tell.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded from outside. Yun Bai knocked on the door, and only after Pei Qing called out "Enter" did he step inside, speaking in a low voice: "My lord, the madam has already retired."
The man's handsome features appeared somewhat shadowed in the dim candlelight. He silently tightened his grip on the book in his hand. Yun Bai hardly dared to breathe, fearing that the marquis might take his anger out on him in a fit of rage.
Beneath the candlelight, the man's nose was as straight and prominent as could be, his features refined and handsome. He raised his hand slightly and spoke in a calm tone: "You may go."
"Yes." Yun Bai quietly let out a sigh of relief, feeling as though he had just walked through the gates of death.
As soon as he stepped outside, the rain struck his body, sending a chill through him. Yun Bai leaned against a pillar under the eaves, and before long, he began to doze off. Just as he was about to fall completely asleep, the study door slid open. Though it was only a soft creak, Yun Bai heard it and sprang to his feet.
The marquis, who was just about to leave with his umbrella, paused to leave a single instruction: "Don't follow."
Yun Bai: "Yes."
Because of the thunder, the wet nurse worried that her young mistress might be frightened, so she had deliberately switched shifts with Tao'er and remained on guard outside the room.
When she heard footsteps approaching from the courtyard, the wet nurse was startled and hurriedly stepped forward a few paces with her umbrella. It was better she hadn't looked—the moment she did, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest. Why was the marquis coming over at this hour?
She quickly bowed to him. "Greetings, my lord."
The man was always courteous to those close to his wife. He gave the wet nurse a slight nod. "I came after finishing my official duties. No need to wake the madam."
The marquis had always been gentle and considerate toward her young mistress. The wet nurse understood this well and smiled as she stepped aside.
She had worried earlier that the marquis might be angry, but now it seemed she had overthought things. Here he was, coming over the moment he finished his paperwork.
Little did she know that the man's gaze was dark and deep at this very moment, like a vengeful spirit coming to claim a life.
After entering the room, Pei Qing removed his dampened outer robe and, wearing only his inner garment, walked toward his wife. Perhaps out of fear, she had buried her entire self beneath the golden-threaded mandarin duck quilt, not even a single strand of hair visible.
Seeing this, a smile flickered across Pei Qing's face. But the moment he remembered what she had asked Li Qingchen to do, the smile vanished completely.
He sat down at the edge of the bed, and with his slender, well-defined fingers, he lifted a corner of the quilt. His wife's rosy, delicate cheeks were revealed, and Pei Qing reached out to touch them.
This was his carefully chosen good wife, his virtuous and gentle madam.
Perhaps because his fingers were slightly cold, his wife turned her head away in displeasure and rolled slightly to the right. Pei Qing closed his eyes briefly, and when he opened them again, he was perfectly calm.
He unhurriedly began to untie his wife's soft pink gauze skirt, then her jasmine-patterned bodice. As the last layer of clothing was torn away, his wife's fair, luminous body lay fully exposed before Pei Qing, and his Adam's apple rolled heavily. (This passage and the following content have been abridged due to repeated malicious reports.)
He did not kiss his wife as he usually did. Instead, he lifted the edge of the quilt, and the night breeze swept in, bringing a chill that made his wife visibly uneasy.
Sensing her unease, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.
Perhaps out of nervousness, she clung to him and refused to let go.
Pei Qing's temples throbbed harder, his pupils completely darkened. He felt that sooner or later, she would drive him mad.
Before long, his wife was drenched in sweat, the flush on her face deepening, like peach blossoms in full bloom in April. (Note: Only sweat on the forehead and flushed cheeks.)
As Pei Qing grew bolder, the woman's brows knitted slightly, and she let out a aggrieved sniffle, as if on the verge of waking.
Pei Qing stared at her without blinking. The instant before her eyes opened, he gripped her waist and pressed her firmly against his chest.
This time, Li Wan truly woke up. Looking at the man hovering over her, she was first stunned, then aggrieved. "Pei Qing, you're hurting me. Get off first."
She didn't know why the man who should have been in the study handling official matters had suddenly come to the main chamber, nor why he was acting so strangely in the middle of the night. All she knew was that she felt very uncomfortable right now.
"So the lady knows what pain is, does she?" At this moment, how could Pei Qing possibly let her go? He gently bit her earlobe and let out a chuckle.
Li Wan looked utterly bewildered. "Does my husband not know pain on ordinary days?"
Pei Qing let out a soft laugh, his slender fingers tracing her parted red lips. "Precisely because I know pain, I've come to find Wanwan."
Someone as heartless and indifferent as her—how could she possibly understand what was in his heart…
They had been married for nearly twenty years now. Could she really not grasp her own husband's feelings?
Taking a concubine…
The coldness on Pei Qing's face deepened. One hand covered her lips, while the other gripped her waist.