Yu Xi’s body was curled up slightly. Apart from her hand and her head resting on Lu Zhi’s shoulder, the two of them had no other contact.
But she seemed quite nervous, a faint sheen of sweat had broken out on her hand, and the pressure of her head against his shoulder was very light.
Lu Zhi lay flat on his back, not pushing her away.
Seeing no reaction from him, Yu Xi grew a little bolder, her arm pressing against his, her cheek settling against his shoulder too, breathing in the clean scent of soap on him after his bath.
She drew closer bit by bit like this, and that soft, sweet fragrance gradually wrapped around Lu Zhi. He had no idea what incense Yu Xi wore, but it smelled faintly like honey.
Lu Zhi felt her breath falling against his arm; her body was somewhat cooler than his, cool and smooth like jade.
“Husband.”
Yu Xi suddenly called him softly. Lu Zhi held his breath for a moment, then said “Mm” in response.
“Can I sleep close to you?”
Things having come to this, Lu Zhi wasn’t about to push her away. “You can.”
She had invited him to share her bed several times now; Lu Zhi understood what she meant.
He lay flat for a while longer, then turned onto his side. Yu Xi was watching him, and at this her face flushed even redder, she buried her head in the blanket, pressing herself against his shoulder again, looking utterly bashful.
The closer she got, the stronger that fragrance became. Lu Zhi’s gaze swept over her reddened cheeks, she seemed terribly embarrassed, even her neck had flushed red.
Lu Zhi steadied her shoulder with his hand. Yu Xi looked at him curiously, not knowing what he intended to do.
Her nightclothes were very thin, the pale, slender shoulder beneath the gauze was visible, and further down, her evenly-toned arm, and against that arm, a full, round curve wrapped in blue satin.
Lu Zhi’s breathing grew slightly heavier. Before he’d decided what to do next, Yu Xi’s face suddenly loomed close, and a firm, soft touch landed on the corner of his lips, with a loud “smack.”
Having kissed him, Yu Xi immediately rolled to the inner side of the bed, putting distance between herself and Lu Zhi, looking at him slyly.
Lu Zhi touched the corner of his lips where she’d kissed him, somewhat dazed, it felt a little sticky, as if coated in lip rouge, and carried a faint fragrance. But Yu Xi’s lips were a healthy pink, and right now curved in a smile.
Seeing Lu Zhi say nothing, Yu Xi leaned in again, her curled lashes trembling slightly. “Husband, are you angry?”
“No,” Lu Zhi asked her, “Why did you suddenly kiss me?”
His question was strange. Yu Xi hesitated, feeling a bit shy. “Mm… you wouldn’t kiss me, so I kissed you instead.”
As she said this, she pointed at her own cheek again, looking utterly shameless. “Worst case, you can just kiss me back.”
Her finger pressed into the soft flesh of her cheek, making her look even more like a peach hanging on a branch, waiting to be picked.
Lu Zhi looked at her for a moment, then said, “Do you… kiss people often?”
That move of hers just now had felt oddly practiced, had she perhaps kissed Lu Ping before, in the past?
Although Lu Zhi didn’t care about Yu Xi’s past, he asked because he wanted to know whether she was still the same as ever, without the slightest improvement.
“No I don’t!” Yu Xi sat up abruptly, taking the blanket with her. “I would never kiss just anyone!”
She only kissed the most handsome man in the whole world, like Lu Zhi!
Lu Zhi said, “I was only asking. No need to get worked up.”
Only then did Yu Xi lie back down, burrowing her head against his shoulder again, her voice sickly sweet. “I like husband best. I don’t like anyone but husband.”
Having succeeded in her surprise attack just now, Yu Xi felt greatly emboldened, and now acted coy with practiced ease, already planning how she’d steal another kiss next time.
Her hair had come completely undone, soft and fluffy, tickling a little where it pressed against his shoulder. Lu Zhi thought, well, if she wanted to kiss, so be it, they’d have to go through all this eventually anyway.
Yu Xi took hold of his hand again, but she still seemed a little afraid of him, and didn’t press her body too close to his.
Lu Zhi decided to wait until she’d calmed down a bit more before starting anything.
After a while, Yu Xi gradually grew quiet. Lu Zhi propped himself up slightly, only to find she had already closed her eyes, her breathing slow and even.
She looked peaceful asleep, but when the pressure of her head against his shoulder disappeared, she frowned and gave a small whimper, as if displeased.
Lu Zhi lay back down, and once Yu Xi’s head settled against his shoulder again, she obediently hugged his hand and continued sleeping.
She’d been urgent about it, and fallen asleep just as quickly, but it was just as well she’d fallen asleep. Lu Zhi hadn’t had much expectation for that particular matter anyway; it was simply a necessary duty between husband and wife.
He tucked the blanket at his side, pulled his arm free from Yu Xi’s hold, laid it flat at his side, and closed his eyes.
Lu Zhi woke because he felt too warm.
When he woke, the sky was already a hazy gray, and he sensed something burrowing restlessly into his chest.
Lu Zhi opened his eyes and, sure enough, saw Yu Xi, who had somehow climbed up to his chest at some point.
She seemed to have quite a bit of force in her sleep, without the blanket wrapped around her, she’d gone climbing all over the place.
Yu Xi lay sprawled on top of him, sleeping soundly and sweetly, but Lu Zhi needed to get up, and even if he didn’t, he couldn’t just let her keep sleeping on top of him like this.
He pushed Yu Xi off himself, then sat up, intending to go for his morning practice.
Having lost what she was hugging, Yu Xi woke up too. She rubbed her eyes, and instinctively leaned against Lu Zhi’s back as he sat on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes. “Husband, let’s sleep a little longer.”
She’d only just woken, her voice thick with drowsiness. Through the thin fabric, her arms wrapped around Lu Zhi’s neck, her whole upper body pressed completely against his back without reservation.
Lu Zhi’s body tensed instantly. Expressionless, he removed Yu Xi’s arms, then stood up, quickly putting distance between them.
By now, Yu Xi was mostly awake too. Remembering that Lu Zhi had had her help him dress that morning before, she slipped on her shoes and went over, obediently picking up the sash beside them, waiting for him to come tie it.
Lu Zhi put on his outer robe, and as he took the sash from her, his hand paused.
After a night of restless tossing, Yu Xi’s nightclothes had come half undone, revealing the orchid-embroidered undergarment beneath, whether it was the satin catching the early morning light or not, it looked even fuller than it had the night before.
Yu Xi had been planning to go back to sleep once Lu Zhi was dressed, but suddenly shivered out of nowhere. She glanced around and saw Lu Zhi looking at her, his expression dark.
“Husband…” Yu Xi, puzzled, held the sash up higher. “What’s wrong?”
Lu Zhi took the sash and said coldly, “From now on, you must bind your chest whenever you go out.”
Yu Xi looked down at herself, she’d never bound her chest before, why should she start now? She wasn’t going to do it.
But seeing Lu Zhi’s serious expression, she still said, “Fine, but can I go without it while sleeping?”
“You may. But you must bind it whenever you go out.”
Yu Xi nodded obediently, and only then did Lu Zhi leave, satisfied.
The moment he left, Yu Xi immediately lay back down. Xique, having heard the whole exchange, came in. “Miss, are you really going to bind your chest?”
“No way,” Yu Xi said, hugging the blanket to keep sleeping. “Binding is uncomfortable, and ugly too. I lied to him.”
She’d seen women who bound their chests before, not only did clothes look bad on them, but in hot weather they were always breaking out in heat rash. She wasn’t going to do it. Once Lu Zhi noticed, she’d think of some way to talk her way out of it.
Hearing this, Xique couldn’t help thinking her mistress was truly brilliant, and seeing she was going back to sleep, withdrew first.
Yu Xi didn’t get to sleep long before being called to get up, since today was the Jin family’s spring outing banquet, which Yu Xi attended every year, and this year was naturally no exception.
The Jin family gardens.
Jin Yao had already been waiting for Yu Xi for quite a while, and finally seeing her arrive, hurried over to link arms with her. “You’re finally here. I had someone save you a lychee peach drink, it’s so good.”
Yu Xi handed her a small moon-white sachet. “I brought you something too. This is a sachet our embroiderer made, one for you, one for me, it happens to match your goose-yellow dress today too.”
Jin Yao immediately put the sachet on. “Come on, let’s go get some pastries!”
Yu Xi, dressed in a tender green silk gauze skirt with a matching set of jeweled hair ornaments, fit perfectly with the spring scenery. Walking along chatting brightly with Jin Yao, radiant and charming, even with her hair pinned up, she drew plenty of glances.
Zhang Chanhui, who had been talking nearby, exchanged a glance with her friends upon seeing this, and followed after them.
Yu Xi and Jin Yao found a pavilion and sat down. Before Yu Xi even had a chance to try the lychee peach drink, she heard an unpleasant voice ring out.
“Well, if it isn’t Yu Xi. Long time no see.”
Yu Xi looked over with annoyance, and saw it was Zhang Chanhui with a few of her followers.
Zhang Chanhui was Zhang Gao’s cousin, the legitimate daughter of the Vice Minister of Rites, the siblings were both equally unpleasant, and Yu Xi had never gotten along with her.
“None of your business.”
Yu Xi ignored her, taking a sip of her drink, but Zhang Chanhui sat down directly across from her and Jin Yao anyway.
Zhang Chanhui said with ill intent, “What a thing to say, aren’t I just showing concern? By the way, you’re married to Lu Ping’s older brother now, aren’t you? How’s life treating you? Minister Lu doesn’t mind about you and Lu Ping, does he?”
Yu Xi frowned at her. “What are you trying to say?”
Zhang Chanhui covered her mouth and laughed. “Nothing, just making conversation. After all, everyone knows, there are even rumors going around that you served two husbands at once.”
With that, Zhang Chanhui and her friends all burst out laughing.
The next moment, a whole bowl of lychee peach drink splashed straight onto her face, courtesy of Yu Xi. “Your mouth stinks!”
Jin Yao, who had just been about to jump up to back up Yu Xi, was startled, and quickly chimed in. “Right, your mouth stinks!”
Caught completely off guard by the splash, Zhang Chanhui let out a shriek, glaring furiously at Yu Xi. “Are you insane? You actually dared to splash me!?”
“Why wouldn’t I dare?” Yu Xi splashed the lychee peach drink in front of Jin Yao onto Zhang Chanhui’s friends too, and the whole group shrieked and scattered.
She looked at the furious Zhang Chanhui, curling her lip in contempt. “I won’t hold the past against you, but I’d advise you not to provoke me now. My husband is a cabinet minister, and I’m a cabinet minister’s wife, if you dare talk nonsense again, watch out, I’ll make sure you can’t handle the consequences!”
Yu Xi and Zhang Chanhui had been at odds for years, with neither ever clearly winning, but now that she was a cabinet minister’s wife, she was determined to put her down hard and vent her frustration.
Hearing the words “cabinet minister’s wife,” Zhang Chanhui’s friends looked somewhat regretful, but Zhang Chanhui only laughed.
“Cabinet minister’s wife? Who in the whole capital doesn’t know your Yu family used some shady underhanded scheme to land this marriage, I bet Minister Lu can’t even be bothered to look at you at home!”
As soon as she said this, everyone around went silent for a moment, exchanging glances, if this matter were spoken of openly, Yu Xi might never be able to show her face in public again.
Yu Xi opened her mouth, sure, her marriage had come about through a scene she’d made, but Lu Zhi certainly didn’t refuse to even look at her, they even slept together often!
Seeing Yu Xi say nothing, Zhang Chanhui grew even more smug, getting more worked up the more she talked. “It’s only that playboy Lu Ping who ever treated you like a treasure, do you really think you’re some prize catch? I doubt you’ll last long as cabinet minister’s wife before you’re pushed aside for someone more deserving!”
Low laughter rippled through the crowd around them. Yu Xi, at the center of it all, furrowed her fine brows, already deciding whose mouth she’d slap first.
A bunch of pig mouths, so annoying!
Seeing Yu Xi rolling up her sleeves, Jin Yao hurried to roll hers up too, whatever happened, she wasn’t going to let her sister suffer alone!
Seeing the two of them like this, Zhang Chanhui smiled again, if Yu Xi dared to actually strike her today, once word got out, Minister Lu’s letter of divorce might land on her face as early as tomorrow.
“What? Still want to hit me? Go ahead, I dare you!”
“You’d better ask to step down as his wife on your own before it’s too late, maybe Lu Ping would still take you back!”
Yu Xi said nothing, only staring at Zhang Chanhui a few times, planning to pin down her head in a moment and properly loosen up that mouth of hers.
But before she could make a move, Yu Xi heard a familiar voice ring out.
“Miss Zhang, quite the display of power you’ve got there.”
Yu Xi’s face lit up. She turned to look, and saw Lu Zhi striding forward, a chill lingering in his expression.
She said, delighted and surprised, “Husband!”
Author’s note:
Girl: today I’m a cranky little cake, I’m mad! Minister Lu: who bullied my wife? Girl: husband, husband, they bullied me, wuwuwu. The crowd, now soaked in drink: …comments are open, welcome everyone to leave one~ 50 red envelopes for comments!