“If you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.” Pei Jingzhou swiftly put on his black boots with subtle patterns, stood up, and walked toward the rosewood round table in the bedchamber.
Jiang Zhaoyue had just caught a glimpse of Pei Jingzhou’s striking face.
Now, as he stood up, she saw his tall, slender figure with broad shoulders and a narrow waist.
This was truly the physique of a perfect man!
Based on her years of experience reading erotic comics, beneath his deep robes, he surely had well-defined, firm, and incredibly toned muscles—full of strength!
She couldn’t help but think of the high-intensity scenes from the erotic comics she usually read.
Hmm…
Doing this and that with a man of such exceptional looks and physique…
It would definitely feel incredibly good.
But before she could utter the six words, “Actually, I’m willing,” the voice of the servant Pei Jing echoed from outside the bedchamber: “Second Master.”
“What is it?” Pei Jingzhou picked up the teapot and poured a bowl of tea.
Pei Jing’s voice sounded again: “Second Master, someone from the yamen has come, asking you to go there.”
“Understood.”
“Yes.”
Pei Jingzhou drank half a bowl of tea, strode to the clothes rack, picked up an indigo-blue brocade robe, put it on, deftly fastened the matching silver-edged belt, and strode out.
He’s leaving just like that?
Jiang Zhaoyue was somewhat surprised.
But Pei Jingzhou suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Jiang Zhaoyue watched in confusion.
Pei Jingzhou looked back at her, as if he had something to say.
“Second Master, what do you want to say?” Jiang Zhaoyue asked directly.
“There’s an urgent matter at the yamen. I must go now,” Pei Jingzhou said.
“Work is more important. You should hurry,” Jiang Zhaoyue blurted out.
Though he found Jiang Zhaoyue’s choice of words a bit odd, Pei Jingzhou didn’t comment on it.
Instead, Jiang Zhaoyue added, “When will you return, Second Master?”
“I don’t know yet. You should rest early,” Pei Jingzhou replied.
“Oh, okay.”
But Pei Jingzhou didn’t move.
Jiang Zhaoyue asked in surprise, “Second Master, is there something else?”
Pei Jingzhou spoke again: “If you need anything, just ask Sun Momo.”
Jiang Zhaoyue nodded. “Okay.”
“Then I’ll be off.”
“Oh, okay. Take care, Second Master,” Jiang Zhaoyue nodded.
As soon as Pei Jingzhou left the bridal chamber, everyone in the Zhenguo Duke Mansion knew about it.
“Second Master went to the yamen?”
“They say there’s an urgent matter at the yamen, so he quickly changed into his everyday clothes and left.”
“What urgent matter? It’s just an excuse because he can’t stand Jiang Zhaoyue.”
“Second Master definitely won’t be back tonight. Want to bet on it?”
“I believe it! Maybe he won’t come home often in the future either.”
“Then where will Second Master live?”
“At the yamen, of course. It’s not like he hasn’t stayed there before. He’ll probably make it a regular thing now.”
“Such an outstanding young master like Second Master, marrying someone like her… it’s really…”
“Sigh, it’s such a pity for Second Master!”
“Many people in the capital are laughing at him.”
“Who wouldn’t laugh at someone who married Jiang Zhaoyue, a woman who’s all beauty but selfish and vicious?”
“Exactly!”
“If it weren’t for the Zhenguo Duke Mansion keeping its promise, no one in the capital would be willing to marry Jiang Zhaoyue!”
“That’s right! What noble lady in the capital is as crude and vicious as her?”
“She mistreats servants!”
“She’s lazy and gluttonous!”
“She frames other noble ladies!”
“She bullies her half-siblings!”
“She even broke a child’s leg once!”
“The list of her misdeeds is endless!”
“Bringing her home is nothing but trouble! The Guogong Mansion will have a hard time from now on!”
“If only Second Master would divorce her and marry Miss Yan instead.”
“Right, right, right, that’s what I think too.”
“Miss Yan is kind-hearted and gentle with others, a perfect match for Second Master!”
“I think so too!”
“…”
Discussions about Jiang Zhaoyue continued unabated.
Jiang Zhaoyue, however, was completely unaware. She lay in bed, processing the fact that she had transmigrated.
Processing it so much that she fell asleep.
Early the next morning, the maid Xiang Qiao came to the bedside and called out timidly, “Second Mistress.”
Hearing the voice, Jiang Zhaoyue frowned and made a sound of acknowledgment.
Xiang Qiao immediately trembled.
Jiang Zhaoyue slowly opened her eyes.
Xiang Qiao hurriedly explained, “Second Mistress, you need to serve tea to the Duke and his wife soon.”
The Duke?
His wife?
Oh.
She had transmigrated into a book.
On her wedding night, her husband Pei Jingzhou had gone to the yamen on official business.
After adjusting for a moment, Jiang Zhaoyue looked at the neatly made bed and asked, “Second Master didn’t return last night?”
“No, Second Master hasn’t returned yet,” Xiang Qiao answered cautiously.
“Oh.” Jiang Zhaoyue sat up slowly, unconcerned.
Xiang Qiao quickly stepped forward to support her.
Jiang Zhaoyue lazily raised both hands.
“Second Mistress, spare me!” Xiang Qiao suddenly knelt with a thud, trembling as she begged for mercy.
Jiang Zhaoyue’s hands froze mid-air, and she exclaimed in astonishment, “Xiang Qiao, what are you doing?”
Xiang Qiao slowly looked up and asked, puzzled, “Second Mistress, you…”
Jiang Zhaoyue asked, bewildered, “What about me?”
“You… weren’t you going to hit me?” Xiang Qiao asked.
“Why would I hit you?”
“I… I woke you up so early.”
“Today, we have to serve tea, so you should have woken me up early anyway.”
“But…”
“But in the past, I would hit you whenever I felt like it, without needing a reason, right?”
“I am a servant. If I displease my master, I deserve punishment.”
That was true.
Xiang Qiao was a servant bought by the Chengnin Marquis Mansion.
She had started serving the original host at the age of seven and was the most frequently beaten among all the servants.
Thus, even the slightest change in the original host’s tone or actions would make her tremble like a sieve.
Yet, she was the most loyal to the original host.
In the book, when she failed to dissuade the original host from eloping with a poor scholar, she continued to follow her.
When the poor scholar’s malicious intentions were exposed and he tried to sell the original host into a brothel,
Xiang Qiao sensed something was wrong and fled with the original host.
Unfortunately, the poor scholar and the brothel’s thugs still caught up with them.
She desperately protected the original host and was beaten to death.
The original host did not escape either.
While reading the book, Jiang Zhaoyue had sighed with pity.
She never expected to witness Xiang Qiao’s traumatized reaction firsthand.
Her voice involuntarily softened, “That was in the past. From now on, I won’t hit or scold you anymore. Right now, I just wanted to stretch.”
“Stretch?” Xiang Qiao asked in surprise.
“Yes.” Jiang Zhaoyue stretched while smiling and said, “After sleeping all night, stretching makes you feel more comfortable. Don’t be afraid, get up.”
Xiang Qiao rose, half-believing and half-doubting, and helped Jiang Zhaoyue wash and dress.
Throughout the entire process, Jiang Zhaoyue truly did not hit anyone.
Xiang Qiao suddenly began to believe her a little.
“Alright, let’s go serve tea,” Jiang Zhaoyue said.
“Yes,” Xiang Qiao replied.
The two walked out of the bedchamber, one after the other.
Sun Momo stepped forward and bowed, “Second Mistress, this old servant will show you the way.”
“Thank you, Sun Momo,” Jiang Zhaoyue said.
Along the way, Sun Momo introduced the masters of the Zhenguo Duke Mansion to Jiang Zhaoyue.
Jiang Zhaoyue listened while looking around, admiring the dignified yet exquisite courtyards, pavilions, small waterside pavilions, window lattices, and more of the Zhenguo Duke Mansion.
Seeing this, Sun Momo said with displeasure, “Second Mistress, the Guogong Mansion has many rules. Do be more careful.”
“All of you, get lost! Or I’ll smash you to death!” Suddenly, a childish voice rang out.