Shen Qi had a general idea of what was about to happen, her heart pounding like a drum. However, the groom was not as impatient as she had expected. Instead, he leaned in leisurely, speaking to her with patience.
“At home, I’m the second child. The elders call me Erlang. Aside from my elder sister and eldest brother, all the younger siblings call me Second Brother.”
He spoke unhurriedly, casually stroking her fingers as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“The managers and shop assistants at the front shop are naturally more formal, addressing me as Second Master. If they say Eldest Young Master, they’re referring to my elder brother. The shop’s affairs are mainly managed by the two of us.”
Shen Qi listened attentively, unaware that he was subtly tightening his grip on her hand.
“Should I call you Erlang too, or should I call you by your name?”
Xie Yuduo smiled gently, his tone soft.
“Whichever you prefer. If others are around, call me Erlang. When it’s just the two of us, you can call me by my name.”
“Alright, I’ll remember that.”
“Then may I call you Little Yue’er?”
“Mm… either is fine, as you wish.”
Shen Qi remembered something else she had long wanted to ask, her gaze clear and earnest.
“They say you left home when you were eighteen?”
Seeing that his bride was taking the initiative to ask him questions, Xie Yuduo’s lips curved into a smile. He propped himself up on his elbow and answered seriously.
“Mm, it was actually a little over seventeen, not quite eighteen yet.”
He didn’t forget to take the opportunity to stretch out his arm, naturally resting it around Shen Qi’s waist as if afraid she might turn away again.
Shen Qi naturally noticed but didn’t pull away, continuing to ask him.
“Then… where have you been?”
Xie Yuduo liked that she was asking him questions on her own initiative. He lowered his gaze, recalling thoughtfully.
“Mainly to the south. For example, Dali, Meng’an, and Chuxiong in Yunnan; Qingyuan and Zhen’an in Guizhou; Luzhou and Jiading in Sichuan—these are places I often visited. Also, the two Guangs, Yunnan-Tibet, and Beihai. In the north, I’ve been to Zhending and Datong once or twice.”
His tone was calm and unruffled, as if traversing thousands of mountains and traveling tens of thousands of miles was nothing more than a few strolls around the city streets.
Hearing this, Shen Qi felt a surge of admiration welling up inside her. She imitated him, propping her head up with her arm.
“You’ve been to so many places… I’m already eighteen, and I’ve never been anywhere. The farthest I’ve ever gone is a few trips to Pingshui County.”
“It’s not a fun job. The mountains are high, the waters are far, and you travel day and night. You can even fall asleep on horseback. A young lady like you couldn’t endure such hardships.”
“But you weren’t much older back then. How did you endure it?”
“I’m a man, naturally rougher than a young lady. I can bear more hardship and fatigue—it’s no trouble.”
He lowered his head to observe his bride’s expression. Seeing Shen Qi listening intently, he smiled gently.
“Don’t stretch your hand out. The night is cold—be careful not to catch a chill.”
Xie Yuduo reached out and pulled the bright red brocade quilt up a little higher, seemingly unintentionally drawing her into his embrace.
Shen Qi vaguely sensed that she was being wrapped in his arms but didn’t dare to move recklessly. She could only carefully press down on the hem of her clothes.
“Then… have you been to Dongqi County?”
Above her head came his gentle, low voice.
“Dongqi County? Mm, it sounds familiar. It seems to be… in the north?”
Xie Yuduo lowered his head slightly, his nose just above the crown of her head, breathing in the sweet fragrance of his bride’s hair.
His heart was beating fast, making it almost difficult for him to focus.
Shen Qi didn't notice, nestled in this person's embrace, she nodded with difficulty.
"Mhm, my parents came from Dongqi County. They said I was born there, but after a great flood hit our hometown, my parents traveled doing business and eventually settled in Baihe Town."
"Oh, I see."
Xie Yuduo responded softly, his voice somewhat hoarse.
"Is your family from elsewhere?" the beauty in his arms pressed on.
"No."
"Hmm?"
"At least since my grandfather's generation, we've been from Pingshan County."
"Oh."
Shen Qi felt somewhat disappointed—the similarities between him and her were far too few.
Xie Yuduo felt as if there were a ball of fire in his embrace, burning hot against his chest, gradually spreading throughout his body, a strange, restless heat.
"However, next time I go out, I must visit Dongqi County."
Feeling the warmth and softness in his arms, he no longer had the mind to continue the conversation.
"You… what are you going there for?"
In truth, Shen Qi had already clearly sensed the unusual state he was in. Her heart pounded like a drum, her cheeks flushed red, and fine beads of sweat had already formed on her neck.
She could even feel her own pulse throbbing wildly at her temples.
"I'll go see."
His voice was low and raspy.
"To see what kind of place it is…"
The warm breath sent shivers through her, gradually entangling between their lips and teeth.
"…that could produce a beauty like you…"
…
Amid unfamiliar touches and attempts, her body gradually became enveloped in a strange sensation.
Awkward, fervent, and resolute.
Her consciousness slowly melted into this intense heat, growing softer, more sensitive, until it scattered…
An autumn breeze drifted in, moonlight casting shadows by the window.
Within the bed curtains, the sounds of the wind rose and fell, murmuring as if intoxicated…
It wasn't until the night grew truly deep that they gradually stilled.
…
The next day, as usual, they had to rise early to pay respects to the elders.
Shen Qi had always been an early riser, but she hadn't slept well at all last night. By the time she woke, the sky was already mostly bright.
"Oh no!"
Her mother had repeatedly reminded her to rise before dawn today to boil water and serve tea. How could she have slept in so heavily at such a crucial time?
As she tried to turn and get out of bed, Shen Qi's legs gave way, nearly causing her to tumble back into the bedding.
Once she regained her composure, she realized that the person who had kept her up so late had not only already risen but had also cleaned up the messy traces. Even the dress she was to wear today was neatly folded and placed on the spring bench opposite the bed.
Remembering how his nightclothes had been taken off and used last night… Shen Qi's face flushed, and she couldn't help but lift the covers to inspect carefully.
Clean and fresh.
All those messy traces had indeed been tidied away.
She must have slept so deeply that she hadn't noticed him cleaning up.
With no time to dwell on it now, she got up and went to the south room to wash up.
Sure enough, the nightclothes that had been soiled last night were already washed clean and hanging on the clothes rack.
How early had this person risen? How meticulous was his mind to have taken care of so many things?
…
Xie Yuduo pushed the door open and saw her hurriedly walking back while wiping her face. He reached out and grabbed her.
"What's the rush?"
Shen Qi tried to gently pull away but couldn't.
"Don't… Erlang… Yuduo, this time, it really won't do."
Recalling their tussle on the bed last night, Shen Qi was quite firm this time.
"The sky is already bright, I have to boil tea and serve it to Old Madam and the elders. If I'm late… it's your fault… you insisted on…"
Xie Yuduo deliberately leaned close to her ear, chuckling softly as he asked.
"Insisted on what?"
"…Hmph."
Shen Qi threw the cotton towel she had used to wipe her face at him and headed back into the room on her own, preparing to put on her own clothes.
Xie Yuduo followed her, watching his wife flustered and in a hurry.
"You woke up so early, why didn't you wake me?"
"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to disturb you. Don’t panic, I just went to check on the tea. I reminded them to boil the water properly and prepared the tea leaves. All you need to do is go to the back and wait to serve the tea."
Shen Qi was hurriedly putting on her new dress when she heard this, feeling pleasantly surprised.
"Really?"
Seeing her rush, Xie Yuduo walked over to help her into the dress.
"Of course it's true. There's still time. I calculated it well and came back to wake you, but you were already up."
Once Shen Qi had put on her new clothes, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, inspecting her from front to back, then helped adjust the collar that had accidentally folded inward.
His hands were beautiful—the veins on his forearms extending to the back of his hands were slightly raised, his slender fingers and distinct knuckles clearly defined. As he gently adjusted her clothes, there was a reassuring tenderness in his strength.
Just like the touches between the pillows last night—firm yet considerate.
Looking at this man who stood a head taller than her, carefully adjusting her clothes, Shen Qi felt a strange sensation in her heart.
Even though they had only truly known each other for a day, they had already done the most intimate thing in the world.