At dinner, the Old Master returned, and Ling Zhu was by his side as usual, her complexion unchanged.
After dinner, Aunt Wu brought Xu Chengyi a bowl of something dark and murky.
“The Mistress heard you went to the hospital for a check-up and specifically instructed me to brew this tonic for you.”
Xu Chengyi frowned. “How did she find out?”
Aunt Wu smiled faintly. “You didn’t go to class today. She had to ask what was going on.”
Xu Chengyi pursed her lips and leaned in to sniff it. “What’s in this?”
Aunt Wu didn’t want to explain too much, only saying, “Some herbal supplements. The Mistress may be strict with you at times, but she does care about you very much.”
Xu Chengyi rolled her eyes inwardly. This wasn’t caring about her—it was caring about whether she could bear children.
She forced a smile. “Thank her for me. Just leave it for now; I’ll drink it in a bit.”
Aunt Wu had anticipated she’d say that. “The Mistress told me to watch you drink it and take the bowl away.”
Xu Chengyi’s mouth twitched. “If you knew I didn’t want to drink it, why even bring it over?”
Aunt Wu didn’t reply, simply waiting in silence.
Xu Chengyi picked up the bowl and took a small sip, scrunching up her little face as she swallowed, absolutely refusing to take a second sip.
“Second Young Madam, please finish it. I simmered it for hours.”
“A weak constitution can’t handle heavy tonics. I’m afraid my period will come out of my nose.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I’m not so sure.”
Looking up, she saw Song Wenzhou coming down the stairs. As if she’d found a savior, she scrunched up her face and threw herself into his arms. “Honey, I’m not sick. Even the doctor said there’s nothing wrong with my body, but they’re forcing me to drink this medicine. It’s so bitter and awful. I don’t want to drink it…”
Song Wenzhou had grown accustomed to her habit of running into his arms to complain at the slightest thing. He caught her steadily, then lifted his gaze lazily to Aunt Wu.
Aunt Wu was also used to her antics, and said helplessly, “It’s just a few Chinese herbs—mild and nourishing. The Mistress even went to get the prescription herself.”
Xu Chengyi looked up, pouting pitifully. “Honey, can you bear to see me suffer like this? Honey, say something…”
Song Wenzhou was silent.
Aunt Wu was silent too.
Xu Chengyi got no response and couldn’t squeeze out any tears either. It was a little awkward.
“Second Young Madam, stop acting. Just drink it and get some rest,” Aunt Wu said.
Xu Chengyi let go of Song Wenzhou, snorted coldly at him, then grandly picked up the bowl, pinched her nose, and gulped it all down.
“There. Satisfied now? You cold-blooded, heartless people. I will never forgive you. Never.”
With that, she stomped upstairs.
Song Wenzhou watched her huffy retreating figure and unconsciously curved his lips into a smile.
Aunt Wu noticed the upturn of his mouth. “Second Young Master, it’s been a long time since you smiled.”
Song Wenzhou ignored Aunt Wu and followed Xu Chengyi upstairs.
Xu Chengyi was angry that Song Wenzhou hadn’t spoken up for her. When he got into bed, she kicked him. “I don’t want to sleep with you.”
Her strength was small, and her kick landed on him without any real force—he didn’t even flinch, as if it were nothing. If anything, it was almost teasing.
He sat up and asked, “Why?”
Xu Chengyi huffed and threw a tantrum. “On our wedding day, you promised me you’d protect me. I begged you like that just now, and you still didn’t speak up for me.”
“But you need to drink the medicine.”
Xu Chengyi said nothing, just grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
Only after throwing it did she realize it was her own pillow.
She lay down stiffly, turned her back to him in a huff, and issued her final decree. “I don’t care. A man who doesn’t listen to his wife can only sleep on the sofa. You’d better reflect on yourself tonight.”
Song Wenzhou let out a silent laugh, picked up her pillow, and went to the study.
There was a fold-out sofa in the study. He set it up, placed the pillow down, and lay on it.
A faint, elusive fragrance lingered on the pillow, making his throat go dry.
Meanwhile, Xu Chengyi heard him leave, reached over to grab his pillow, and slept right in the middle of the bed.
His pillow carried a very light woody scent—clean, crisp, and pleasant to smell.
The night deepened, but the sky was far from calm.
In the season between spring and summer, rain was always plentiful.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning pierced through the heavy curtains, illuminating the room in a stark white flash.
The next moment, a thunderclap erupted from the ground, a heart-stopping sound that jolted the sleeping figure in bed awake.
Xu Chengyi was so frightened she pulled the blanket over her head, shrinking into herself and murmuring softly, “Why does it have to thunder at this time…”
Outside, lightning flashed and thunder roared, the howling wind sounding like it was weeping.
Every year, this was the time she feared most. When she was little, she would always cling to her grandmother, who would smile and soothe her, saying, “When you grow up, you won’t be afraid anymore.”
Grandmother lied.
Or maybe she was just too fragile, unable to overcome her fear of thunderstorm nights.
She hugged herself tightly, covering her ears. Lightning struck into the room again and again, followed by peal after peal of thunder, as if it would split the house apart and shatter her along with it.
Finally, the sky fell silent for a moment.
Wrapping the blanket around herself, she crawled up and turned on every light in the room. Forgetting her anger entirely, she went to find Song Wenzhou.
Song Wenzhou had also been woken by the thunder. He sat up, gazing through the huge floor-to-ceiling window at the storm-ravaged sky.
The moment Xu Chengyi found Song Wenzhou, a bolt of lightning struck into the room. Startled, she threw herself at him, still wrapped in her blanket.
He was knocked over by her sudden tackle and froze for a second. “You…”
“Song Wenzhou, that was terrifying. I’m not mad at you anymore—come back and sleep…”
Holding onto his warm body, the fear in her heart gradually dissipated.
Song Wenzhou raised his hand and gently patted her back like he was soothing a child. “Don’t be scared.”
She sniffled, tears of grievance welling up. “It’s not like I was really mad at you. When that thunder clapped so loudly just now, you didn’t even come back to find me…”
Her hot tears fell onto his chest, and his heart softened. “I’m sorry…”
Then he scooped her up and carried her back to the bedroom.
They lay separated by a blanket, yet the atmosphere was thick with intimacy, as if they could hear each other’s heartbeats thundering like drums.
He set her down gently. “I’ll go grab my pillow.”
Xu Chengyi nodded. “Mm…”
A moment later, he returned with his pillow and placed it on his side of the bed.
She rested her head on his pillow, and he rested his on hers. Outside the window, lightning flashed and thunder roared as rain poured down in sheets, but the room was utterly silent.
“Song Wenzhou, can I lean against you while I sleep?”
“Mm.”
With his permission, Xu Chengyi shifted closer, pressing against him and feeling the heat radiating from his body.
By the light of a lightning flash, she looked up at his taut jawline and said, “Song Wenzhou, your body is so warm.”
Song Wenzhou cleared his throat. “If you’re feeling hot, I’ll go turn on the air conditioner.”
Seeing him about to get up, Xu Chengyi grabbed his hand, her soft, fragrant presence drifting toward him. “No need—your warmth feels really nice.”
The man’s jaw tightened even more, but she was completely oblivious. Leaning against him, she drifted off to sleep without realizing it, as if the chaotic world outside the window were a lullaby.
She slept soundly, but the man beside her stayed awake until the early hours, only succumbing to exhaustion as dawn began to break.