Сhарter 24: The Dull-Wittеd Вear is Quitе Annoуing
Неliаn Хu hаd beеn lооking forwаrd to this dаy for а lоng time.
Whеn he hаd hеаrd eаrliеr that Хuе Wаn hаd fаllеn ill аfter fаlling into thе wаter, he had beеn terriblу worriеd аnd rushеd tо the Pingуang Mаrquis Маnоr to visit hеr.
But his mоther-in-law hаd sаid shе wаs аfraid оf passing the illnеss tо him аnd hаd stubbоrnly refused tо lеt him sеe hеr.
A full mоnth had pаssеd withоut sеeing his belоvеd, and though hе carriеd with him а hеаrt full of lоnging аnd affection, he never еxресtеd thаt on his wеdding night, the first thing he would sеe wаs his bride’s tеars.
Nо matter how he tried to comfort her, she wouldn’t stop crying; no matter how he asked, she wouldn’t speak. Helian Xu grew both anxious and heartbroken. Suddenly, he raised his head and glared at the room full of servants, his honest face showing anger for the first time.
“What exactly happened? Did you fail to serve the consort properly and upset her?”
Helian Xu had always been good-natured, especially lenient toward the servants in his courtyard. For him to lose his temper like this was almost unheard of.
The old matron’s heart skipped a beat, and she quickly knelt down. “Please calm your anger, Young Master! This old servant wouldn’t dare!”
She hadn’t expected this consort to be so thin-skinned—she had barely said a few words before tears welled up in her eyes, and she had directly complained to the young master.
Ignoring her, Helian Xu said directly, “Chun Xuan, you are Miss Wan’s maid. You tell me, who has upset the consort?!”
Chun Xuan glanced at the matron kneeling on the floor, hesitating to speak.
But Xue Wan wiped the tears from the corner of her eye and gently tugged at Helian Xu’s sleeve at just the right moment. “It’s not the matron’s fault… Young Master, it’s just me… I’ve just left home and feel a bit sad…”
Helian Xu knew he was foolish. He couldn’t compare to his cousin the Emperor’s brilliance and might, nor did he possess his father’s wisdom and shrewdness. But he wasn’t completely blind either.
Everything had been fine during the wedding ceremony, so why was she crying so bitterly now?
It must be that the servants in the manor looked down on Miss Wan for being an adopted daughter and had secretly mistreated her.
How could that be allowed?
From now on, he was Miss Wan’s husband, and it was only natural that he would stand up for her!
“Matron, you may leave. My courtyard doesn’t need your service.”
The matron panicked immediately. She was an old servant in the manor, specially assigned by the princess consort to guide the new bride and manage the affairs of the courtyard.
As the consort had just entered the manor, there were many rules she didn’t understand, and she would inevitably need to seek their advice.
Being favored by the master naturally meant more rewards.
Moreover, she was a long-time servant of the prince’s manor and had two granddaughters under her care. She had originally hoped that they might one day enter the young master’s chambers as concubines or attendants. If she incurred the young master’s displeasure and was sent away…
Not to mention that the princess consort would surely punish her severely, what face would she have left in the manor?
The matron quickly turned to Xue Wan, kowtowing repeatedly. “Consort, please forgive me! It was this old servant’s loose tongue, this old servant deserves death!”
“I beg the consort to show mercy and spare this old servant this once!”
Seeing the matron, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now kneeling and begging for mercy, the knot of resentment in Xue Wan’s heart finally loosened considerably.
How dare a lowly old woman look down on her?
But on the surface, she showed a look of pity and said softly, “Young Master, the matron was only trying to offer guidance out of kindness. She didn’t mean any harm…”
Helian Xu, however, remained firm. “Miss Wan has a gentle nature, but that doesn’t mean she can be bullied by any of you!”
“I’ve made my decision. Did you all hear me? All of you, leave!”
He dismissed all the servants and looked at his wife, whose tear-streaked face only made her appear more delicate and charming. Thinking of the bridal chamber night that awaited them, his face flushed red again.
With a mix of tipsiness and shyness, he added foolishly, “Hurry, hurry up and leave… No one is allowed to peek in the courtyard!”
The servants all withdrew, leaving only the two of them in the room.The red candle crackled, and the atmosphere instantly turned ambiguous and quiet.
…
Truth be told, in the days leading up to the wedding, Helian Xu had secretly studied erotic paintings on his own, filling his head with theoretical knowledge.
But he was truly afraid of being too forward with the one he loved, and now he felt at a loss, his palms sweating nervously.
Helian Xu clumsily shuffled over to the small table nearby, brought over a plate of exquisite pastries, and stammered, “Wan’er, are you hungry? Have some snacks first… I, I’ll feed you…” As he spoke, he picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and carefully brought it to Xue Wan’s lips.
Xue Wan lowered her gaze, putting on a very shy expression, and took a small bite from his hand.
“Mmm… thank you, Young Master.”
To be fair, Helian Xu was, after all, Prince Duan’s son, and his appearance wasn’t bad. Aside from his foolish and clumsy demeanor, his affection for her was genuine and unmatched.
But Xue Wan simply couldn’t bring herself to like him; in fact, she harbored contempt deep in her heart.
She had always been proud, believing herself to be both talented and beautiful, wanting only the best of everything.
Even if she couldn’t enter the palace as a royal consort, she should at least marry a brilliant young man from a noble family.
Who would have thought that, in the end, she would have to bear the title of “adopted daughter” and marry Helian Xu, whom she had always despised as foolish as a pig?
How could Xue Wan be content with this?
But since she was already married, and what was done was done, she would endure the disgust and firmly secure her position as the young mistress.
At the very least, she needed to conceive a child first, to have something to rely on.
Thinking of this, Xue Wan suppressed her emotions and took the initiative to reach out, saying softly, “Husband, the night is deep. Let Wan’er help you undress.”
Helian Xu’s throat tightened, his entire body tensed up, and he didn’t even know where to put his hands and feet.
Just as Xue Wan’s cold fingers touched the tie of his outer robe, Helian Xu suddenly jumped up as if scalded, his face flushing red. “Wait! Wan’er, wait for me a moment!”
“I’m going to bathe! I’ll be quick, wait for me!” He couldn’t possibly taint his pure and innocent Wan’er with the smell of alcohol on him.
Xue Wan sat by the edge of the bed, revealing a gentle and soft smile. “Alright.”
Helian Xu rushed through a cold bath, scrubbing away the smell of alcohol, changed into a brand-new set of sleepwear, and then, blushing, shuffled back to the bedside.
Despite being a burly and foolishly tall man, he now pinched the corner of his clothes, acting coy and awkward, creating a sense of dissonance and amusement.
“Husband…” Xue Wan timely showed a dependent expression, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum.
Helian Xu’s heart melted completely, as if floating on a soft cloud (omitted).
…
The next day, Helian Xu woke up very early, or rather, he hadn’t slept much at all.
In contrast, Xue Wan’s condition wasn’t very good—her face was pale, with obvious dark circles under her eyes.
Xue Wan, however, was inwardly groaning in agony.
A bear was still a bear—foolish, clumsy, and unable to understand human words—she hated dogs, and she hated bears even more!
Seeing Xue Wan struggle to get up, Helian Xu felt both heartache and guilt, carefully stepping forward to help her out of bed.
Xue Wan instinctively wanted to avoid his touch, but in the next moment, she remembered her situation and forced herself to endure it.
Leaning into the crook of his arm, she shot him a look that was both resentful and coquettish. “What do you think?”
“It’s my fault, it’s my fault!”
Helian Xu quickly admitted his mistake, his heart aching unbearably. “Next time, next time I’ll definitely be more careful! Let me apply some ointment for you…”How could Xue Wan possibly let him apply the medicine? Enduring the disgust of his touch yesterday was one thing, but now, in broad daylight…
She pushed his hand away and forced herself to stand up. “Chun Xuan can do it… Husband, it’s time to go and serve tea to Mother-in-law. Any further delay would be improper.”
The rules of the royal manor were strict. As a newcomer, she absolutely could not afford to make any missteps or give others grounds for gossip.