The question was rather strange.
If Li Wan had been a bit more perceptive at that moment and paid more attention to the man's gaze, she might have caught the implication beneath his words. Unfortunately, her mind was foggy at the moment, her legs sore and her waist aching, so she naturally failed to follow his train of thought.
"What does my husband wish for me to say?" Pei Qing turned his head to look at her, only to see his wife staring back at him with clear, limpid eyes like a Persian cat that had just woken up, asking the question.
Gazing at her bewildered yet clear eyes, Pei Qing smiled lightly, though the smile did not quite reach his eyes. "Nothing. I only wanted to tell Wanwan that the most important thing between husband and wife is honesty. So if Wanwan has anything on her mind, she must remember to tell her husband. Do not make decisions rashly on your own. If things end up going south and you lose both the bait and the fish, Wanwan will surely be crying about it."
His wife could not even withstand a normal night of marital intimacy—how could she possibly bear the weight of his anger?
Her momentary impulsiveness was of no great concern; he would guide her along, hoping only that she would come to understand sooner rather than later.
But indeed, the woman did not grasp his meaning, for from the major affairs of the marquis household down to the marriages of their children, Li Wan always consulted her husband—the head of the family standing before her. And so she smiled softly, a radiant glimmer in her eyes. "If there is anything on my mind, I would naturally discuss it with my husband."
Pei Qing smiled as well, his expression exceedingly gentle. He was just about to bend down and scoop his wife into his arms when he saw her shrink back into the quilt. Pei Qing's large hand paused mid-motion, and he asked her what was wrong.
Li Wan's cheeks were flushed crimson, and her voice was soft and tender. "I'm not dressed yet. Could my husband trouble himself to fetch my clothes for me?"
"Is it as if I haven't seen you before? Why must Wanwan be so shy?" Pei Qing could not help but chuckle. He stepped past the screen painted with the misty rain of Jiangnan to retrieve her clothes. Li Wan was about to reach out to take them, but Pei Qing gestured for her to raise her arms. The woman was clearly reluctant, and a shadow deepened in Pei Qing's eyes. "The sun is already high in the sky. Is Wanwan not hungry?"
At the mention of this, Li Wan suddenly felt her stomach was empty—not just hungry, but her throat was parched as well, and she wanted water.
She gently pressed her lips together, which were somewhat dry, and raised her arms. She did not look at the man, but she could feel his gaze resting upon her.
Li Wan's breath immediately grew a little hurried. She turned her head to the side, and what met Pei Qing's eyes was his wife's flushed profile and pink-tipped ears. He lowered his head with a smile and lifted the golden-threaded quilt embroidered with mandarin ducks.
But after lifting it, Pei Qing's expression sobered slightly.
The man asked in a low voice, "Does it still hurt?"
"No." Li Wan gave a gentle shake of her head.
"And here?" Pei Qing moved his palm to another spot and gently massaged it for her.
"It doesn't hurt, it doesn't hurt." Li Wan did not understand why the man seemed more concerned about her physical condition than she herself was, but she knew that every time his large palm moved, it sent a tingling numbness through her. She reached out and pressed down on the hand that continued to move, her cheeks flushed. "My husband, let us go have our meal."
"Then after we finish eating, I'll apply the medicine for you again." Pei Qing assumed his wife was simply hungry. He lowered his head and pressed a kiss to the back of her hand, then helped her into her soft underclothes and undergarments. Since he would need to apply medicine afterward, he did not dress her in her outer robes and skirt.
Li Wan wanted to say there was no need, but the man had already scooped her up in his arms. The morning meal at the manor was exceedingly lavish—there were noodles and congee, soups and pastries.
Pei Qing placed a little of everything on his wife's plate. There were several kinds of congee, and Pei Qing asked Li Wan which she would like. Li Wan said she wanted the sweet congee, so the wet nurse ladled her a bowl of sweet eight-treasure congee. Pei Qing took the bowl and fed her spoonful by spoonful.
After she finished eating and rinsed her mouth, Pei Qing set her down on the bed and went to fetch a small bottle from the brocade box.
Seeing his wife's delicate body stiffen slightly, Pei Qing smiled and reminded her gently, "If Wanwan is shy, she can turn on her side."
Most people preferred to sleep lying flat on their backs, but his wife liked to curl up when she slept, and she preferred to face the inner side of the bed. At such times, Pei Qing would hold her from behind as she lay on her side, because this position allowed him to embrace her fully from the back and observe her expression completely.
Li Wan's figure was not overly slender or willowy, but rather curvaceous and well-proportioned. Every part of her body was something Pei Qing adored.
While applying the medicine, his wife bit her lip tightly, her face as lovely as a blooming peach blossom. Pei Qing's fingertips trembled slightly, and he closed his eyes for a brief moment before continuing to apply the medicine with unwavering focus.
Last night, Pei Qing's emotions had gotten somewhat out of control, leaving rather many marks on his wife's body.
Pei Qing's Adam's apple rolled gently, but seeing the fine sheen of sweat on his wife's brow, her small hands clutching tightly at the golden-threaded quilt, her breathing slightly erratic—
Knowing that his wife's body could not withstand any more disturbance, Pei Qing finished applying the medicine quickly and then gathered her into his arms, patting her back in a leisurely, soothing rhythm, as if coaxing a child.
He did not kiss his wife, for fear of causing her discomfort.
Li Wan had not rested well the previous night, so once the soreness in her body eased, drowsiness set in. Pei Qing soothingly stroked her back. "Sleep if you want to."
The sunlight outside was lovely today, and the wings of the kingfisher in its cage looked especially vibrant.
When he heard his wife's even breathing, Pei Qing supported her neck with one hand and gently laid her down with the other, tucking the quilt around her.
Before leaving, the man noticed the two rabbits Li Qingchen had sent were fidgeting on the kang. Pei Qing shot them a cold glare, and they immediately froze, scurrying to hide in the corner.
The door opened, and the maidservants greeted Pei Qing with a bow. His voice low, he said, "The mistress has retired. If anyone comes calling, take them to the flower hall. Remember to wake the mistress for her meal before the third ke at noon."
"Yes, Marquis." The two maidservants quickly bowed in acknowledgment.
"Sister Tao'er, the mistress is truly blessed." After the man left, one of the new young maids whispered.
"Any woman who marries the Marquis is fortunate." Tao'er withdrew her gaze, her tone not without envy.
"Then Sister Tao'er, do you think the young lady from the maternal side will become the Marquis's concubine?" The young maid grew even more curious.
"Matters of the masters are not for us servants to discuss. Say less." Tao'er tapped the young maid's forehead and scolded lightly, "I'll keep watch here. Go to the kitchen and check if the bird's nest soup is ready—the mistress will want it when she wakes."
"Yes." The young maid hurried off to the small kitchen.
When Li Wan woke again, it was already noon. Spring had arrived, and the sunlight grew warmer and more dazzling with each passing day.
Sunlight streamed through the window, and Li Wan shielded her eyes with her hand as she sat up.
"Madam, the young miss has arrived and is waiting for you in the flower hall." The wet nurse heard the commotion and hurried in, smiling.
"Why didn't you wake me?" Upon hearing her daughter had come, Li Wan struggled to rise. Her voice came out a little hoarse, yet soft.
"The Marquis said the mistress was tired last night and instructed that anyone who came seeking you be brought to the flower hall. The young miss was no exception." The wet nurse explained.
"Hurry and help me over."
"Zhaozhao."
At the sound of her mother's gentle voice, Pei Zhao sprang to her feet and dashed toward Li Wan, clinging to her coquettishly. "Mother, I missed you so much."
"Then why didn't Zhaozhao come to pay her respects to her mother?" Li Wan hugged her back, her smile exceedingly tender.
Pei Zhao playfully stuck out her tongue. Her mother had no idea that she and her brother had come early to pay their respects—they'd simply been stopped outside by her father's people.
"Zhaozhao hasn't eaten yet, has she?" Li Wan asked with a smile.
Pei Zhao shook her head with a smile, and Li Wan said, "Then Zhaozhao will keep her mother company for a meal."
Pei Zhao agreed readily, but seeing the table full of medicinal dishes, she grew curious. "Has Mother's health not recovered yet?"
"The imperial physician said the mistress has a delicate constitution and still needs proper care." The wet nurse explained with a smile.
"Then Mother should eat more." Pei Zhao placed a meatball in Li Wan's bowl, speaking softly.
She, her brother, and her father were all strong and robust—only her mother was frail. She truly needed to nourish herself well.
Li Wan smiled warmly and picked a few dishes for her daughter in return. Pei Zhao sighed inwardly—how nice it was without Father around.
After the meal, mother and daughter moved to the main hall. Servants brought freshly brewed hot tea and citrus to cut through the richness. Pei Zhao said, "Oh, Mother, there's something you might want to hear?"
"Tell me, Zhaozhao." Li Wan smiled.
"Brother has someone he fancies." Pei Zhao spoke up.
The tea in Li Wan's hand nearly slipped—she was visibly stirred. "Really? Which family's daughter?"
"Mother, her status might be a bit low, which is why Brother was too embarrassed to tell you." Pei Zhao nodded emphatically, though her tone turned a little helpless afterward.
"Our Yongkang Marquis household doesn't look down on the poor, and your mother isn't from a prominent family either." Li Wan smiled, unconcerned about that.
"Mother, she's Xu Ruyan, the second daughter of the Director of the Imperial Academy—born of a concubine." Pei Zhao said.
The Director of the Imperial Academy wasn't a high-ranking official to begin with, so the family standing already didn't quite match the Yongkang Marquis household. Add to that her concubine-born status—her mother might not mind, but that didn't mean Grandmother and Father wouldn't.
Pei Zhao frowned and added, "But Brother likes her very much. The two have been exchanging letters all along."
"Your brother has finally come around." Li Wan sighed with feeling.
"Father and Grandmother probably won't agree, will they?" Pei Zhao nodded too. Her brother had always been a quiet one, and now that he finally had a girl he liked, she was quite surprised as well.
"I'll speak to your father about it." Li Wan reassured her.
"Mother is the best." Pei Zhao rested her head on her mother's shoulder, speaking affectionately.
Li Wan pondered how to broach the subject with the man.
She didn't care about family standing, but that didn't mean the man and Old Madam felt the same. She would have to test his attitude first.
That night, Pei Qing arrived at the main chamber, and he could tell at a glance that something was off with his wife—because tonight she had bathed and was waiting for him, and there was even wine set out on the table.
Pei Qing closed the door, loosened his outermost robe, and spoke with a half-smile: "I heard Zhaozhao came to the main chamber today. It wouldn't be that she did something naughty and asked Wanwan to plead on her behalf, would it?"
Li Wan: "Zhaozhao has always been well-behaved."
"Then it's something about Pei Yan?" Pei Qing hit the nail on the head.
How is he so clever…
Li Wan's cheeks grew a little warm.
"Husband and wife keep no secrets from each other." Pei Qing took in his wife's shy expression, tossed back a cup of wine, and leaned lazily against the kang. "Wanwan, just say it outright."
"If I say it, you must not get angry." Li Wan gave him a warning beforehand.
"Wanwan, speak freely." Knowing his wife's temperament, Pei Qing's voice grew even gentler. He lightly squeezed her soft, boneless little hand with his large palm and said.