"Wanwan, I am perfectly calm." Pei Qing gave her a deep look and said.
If he weren't calm, he would have gone to fetch her the moment he learned she had secretly met with Lin Qingchen. He didn't go because they were a loving, devoted couple, and he didn't want to make an issue of it.
But she kept crossing his boundaries, refusing to obey—then she couldn't blame him, as her husband, for not granting her the dignity she deserved in the marital bed.
Pei Qing took the medicine bowl and dismissed the servants.
Li Wan assumed the medicine was for her, and her heart tightened uncontrollably with nervousness.
"I don't want to drink it." Li Wan shook her head gently, her beautiful eyes filled with resistance.
She truly hated the taste of medicinal broth—bitter and astringent. Every time she downed a bowl, her throat would begin to ache, and she'd feel like vomiting bile.
Unless she was ill, she really didn't want to relive that sensation.
"Who said this bowl of medicine is for Wanwan to drink?" Pei Qing raised an eyebrow lightly, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Little did she know, this medicine was never meant for her.
Under Li Wan's shocked gaze, Pei Qing downed the bowl of dark, murky liquid in one go. After drinking it, his Adam's apple rolled heavily, his usually gentle phoenix eyes gradually turning bloodshot, his breathing growing rapid.
His phoenix eyes fixed unblinkingly on Li Wan, the depths of his gaze brimming with intense desire for her.
When Li Wan met those eyes, her heart trembled violently. She instinctively averted her gaze and tried to withdraw from Pei Qing's embrace, but how could a woman's strength match a man's? Just as her pearl-embroidered shoes were about to touch the ground, Pei Qing seized her wrist and yanked her hard into his arms. With one hand gripping her chin, he lowered his head and kissed her.
Because it was daytime, the windows of the inner chamber were open to the outside. Out of nervousness, Li Wan's small hands curled tightly into fists. She wanted to push Pei Qing away but lacked the strength, and a flush of crimson rose to her cheeks.
Pei Qing had initially been filled with anger, but because of his wife's rare obedience, much of his fury dissipated. At this moment, however, his fair complexion was even more flushed than his wife's, veins bulging on his smooth forehead as sweat dripped down. Pei Qing suppressed the pounding in his chest, his palm brushing lightly against his wife's cheek.
Just as he let down his guard, Li Wan shoved him away forcefully and slipped out of his embrace. Her face was still flushed, but her voice was calm. "Husband, it is daytime."
Because it was daytime, she didn't want to. And in Li Wan's view, she hadn't done anything wrong to begin with—Pei Qing was simply making a mountain out of a molehill.
But her act of resistance enraged Pei Qing. He rose to his feet, his tall, imposing frame looming over Li Wan's petite figure. His gaze was thick with lust, and his voice was hoarse and low. "The union of husband and wife is only natural—does it distinguish between day and night?"
With that, Pei Qing seized Li Wan's slender wrist and scooped her up horizontally in his arms.
A breeze drifted through the gauze curtains of the goose-pear canopy bed, stirring ripples. When Li Wan's back touched the soft golden-thread quilt, her mind went momentarily blank. Then she tried to scramble up from the bed.
Pei Qing's thick brows furrowed slightly, but he didn't stop her. Instead, he leisurely removed his outer robe, jade belt, and inner garment, until his firm, solid body was exposed.
Coming from an aristocratic family, Pei Qing's skin was exceptionally fair, like finely carved jade. He was broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, with long, straight legs, his entire being coiled and ready to strike—like a beast about to devour its prey. At least, that was how Li Wan saw him in that moment.
"Wanwan, come here." Seeing his wife's evasive gaze, Pei Qing smiled gently, his expression mild as he extended his hand toward her.
They had such a good relationship—was there any need for her to fear him like this?
What he didn't realize was how terrifying his expression looked at that moment. Even Li Wan, who shared his bed, could hardly withstand this sudden surge of emotion from him.
Li Wan knew there was no escape. Her lashes trembled violently, and she closed her eyes in resignation, as if throwing caution to the wind. Just as he'd said, the union of husband and wife was only natural. She was his wife—if he wanted it, she should satisfy him.
"Why does Wanwan look like she's facing certain death? I told you, I won't hurt Wanwan." But the man still wouldn't let it go, letting out a soft laugh.
Hearing this, Li Wan grew annoyed. The corners of her eyes reddened as she glared at Pei Qing. "If my husband doesn't want to, then let me go."
"Who said I don't want to?" Pei Qing let out a low chuckle. One large hand seized her slender ankle, stroking it gently. "I've been going mad with wanting. So now, Wanwan, will you take the lead?"
In their twenty years of marriage, Pei Qing had always been the one to take the initiative in the bedroom. But he especially loved it when Li Wan took the lead, because her initiative told him she loved him deeply. Yet Li Wan generally didn't like being the one to initiate—the few times she had, it seemed to have been…
This time was no different.
Having witnessed the man's temper, she didn't want to provoke his displeasure at a time like this. If rumors were to spread from the Yongkang Marquis Estate tomorrow, he might not care about facing others, but she still had to.
Fine, she would compromise just this once.
Li Wan gently closed her eyes and began to undo her clothing. A woman's garments were far more complicated than a man's robes—especially for someone like Li Wan, a marquis's wife, whose attire was exceptionally elaborate, with layers upon layers of silk ribbons. As she undressed, her fingers trembled incessantly.
While she disrobed, Pei Qing watched her without blinking.
Even though his desire was already burning fiercely, Pei Qing chose to restrain himself. Toward his wife, Pei Qing possessed endless patience, so no matter what she did wrong, he would patiently teach her and guide her.
His wife didn't understand the malice in people's hearts—that was fine. She couldn't see Li Qingchen's true face—that was also fine, because he would be her pillar of support.
One day, he would make her see the filthy intentions Li Qingchen harbored toward her. Pei Qing swore this in his heart.
Though he intended for his wife to take the initiative, at this moment Pei Qing could barely hold back any longer. His eyes were bloodshot, sweat beaded densely across his forehead, his jaw was clenched tight, and his profile was sharp and fierce.
Just as his wife was about to undo the last button, Pei Qing reached out to her—one hand covering her eyes, the other stroking her slender back as he pressed her hard against his chest. His body temperature was so high it felt like it might melt Li Wan entirely.
Pei Qing's strength was formidable and fierce, especially when he pressed down on Li Wan. The disparity in their strength made Li Wan feel like he was a runaway wild horse—one that refused all restraint.
One body was powerful and imposing, the other petite and delicate, so during their intimate moments, Li Wan always knitted her brows tightly. Of course, Pei Qing wasn't exactly comfortable either, because his wife often drove him to the brink of frustration.
He longed to unleash his masculine nature upon his wife, but he couldn't—she was his wife, and he had to love her, protect her, cherish her, and never make her feel uncomfortable.
He leaned close to her earlobe and said the window outside had already been shut. He could feel how tense she was. "Wanwan, relax."
But occasionally he did indulge himself—and that was when his wife was disobedient, like at this very moment.
Pei Qing stared intently at his wife's beautiful face in his arms, his entire being like a runaway stallion, wild and brooking no refusal. His thick, powerful arms locked firmly around his wife, not allowing her to escape.
Li Wan's forehead was slick with fragrant sweat, her face flushed a deep crimson, like the most delicate peach blossom in spring. She was clearly aroused.
Their two figures were intertwined tightly like mandarin ducks with necks entwined. The man held his wife protectively in his arms, one hand stroking her sweat-beaded forehead as he spoke with undisguised tenderness: "Is Wanwan hot?"
He was asking what he already knew…
Li Wan's eyelashes trembled, her lips quivered, but she clenched her teeth and said nothing.
Pei Qing didn't mind. He simply pressed a gentle kiss to her eyelid, his movements so tender. But as gentle as his lips and teeth were, other parts of him were anything but.
Li Wan felt her back soaked through with sweat. She looked up at Pei Qing through misty, tear-filled eyes, hoping the man would be gentler.
Pei Qing deliberately misinterpreted her meaning and delivered another fierce thrust, forcing a soft moan to escape her throat—light and melodious, like an oriole's song.
Pei Qing was even more aroused. Amidst his wife's tearful, pleading gaze, he laughed softly: "Wanwan wants to say something? Would you say it again?"
This time, Li Wan had learned her lesson and had no intention of speaking.
Since she wouldn't speak, the man fell silent too, simply pouring all his energy into driving his wife breathless, until she could only cling tightly to him.
"Will Wanwan still meet with Li Qingchen in the future?" Having released his full passion upon his wife, Pei Qing's gaze softened involuntarily. He looked at his wife in his arms with a smile and asked.
Li Wan shot him a fierce glare, but because she was utterly limp and delicate at the moment, the look wasn't threatening at all—it seemed more like a coy, petulant pout.
"It was Zhaozhao who pestered her uncle to tell her stories from military texts."
"Then it seems it was Zhaozhao's fault, not Wanwan's." Pei Qing nodded thoughtfully and spoke.
These words made Li Wan agitated. She grabbed Pei Qing's arm tightly and said in a trembling voice: "Don't punish Zhaozhao."
Her children were Li Wan's bottom line.
"Zhaozhao has such a wonderful mother in Wanwan—of course she can command wind and rain and have whatever she wants." Pei Qing stroked her sweat-dampened hair with a look of tender affection, comforting her.
Pei Qing was extremely indifferent toward familial bonds, including toward his children. But these two children had one quality that pleased Pei Qing most: as long as they remained in the Yongkang Marquis Estate, his wife would never bear to leave him far behind.
He knew exactly how soft her heart was.
He sighed inwardly and kissed her dark tresses. His Wanwan—from head to toe, everything about her suited his heart perfectly.
Before they knew it, the sky had darkened, but the sounds within the room had yet to cease.
Everyone in the courtyard stood with eyes lowered, pretending not to notice anything, and began calculating when the moon would rise.
A bright full moon hung high in the sky, yet the handsome man inside the room still showed no intention of letting go of the woman in his arms. Every inch Li Wan shifted toward the bed, Pei Qing followed with equal movement. When Li Wan was finally cornered with nowhere left to retreat, Pei Qing reached out and pulled her into his embrace, settling her on his lap.
The crimson in his pupils had vanished completely, replaced by a gentle, composed demeanor. He smiled as he spoke: "If Wanwan takes the initiative once more, I'll have the servants bring the meal."
Li Wan bit her pearl-like teeth tightly, shame burning within her. She closed her eyes, not daring to look at the man at all.
In contrast, Pei Qing wore a faint smile at the corners of his lips, his gaze fixed intently on her.
Of course, his hand never once left his wife's soft waist the entire time, occasionally even helping her along.
…
By the time the vast marquis estate had fully returned to silence, and the moonlight was hidden behind the dark, overcast sky, Pei Qing finally released his wife from his arms. He carried her to the bath while ordering the servants to bring the meal.