Spring-hued silk curtains, wine-flushed faces amid brocade—outside the latticed window, heavy snow blanketed the entire courtyard.
The toppled screen inside the room had crashed onto the bathing tub, sending waves of water sloshing and splashing.
The clothes Shen Shuangyue had hastily wrapped around herself could not hide her slender waist; her full chest was tightly bound, and her half-damp hair hung loose. Her snow-white skin looked especially alluring in the flickering candlelight.
Xie Huaizhi took only one look before his brows knitted darkly, and he snapped in fury: “Have you no shame at all? I told you long ago that I would never share a bed with you. Even if you stripped bare, I wouldn’t touch you—”
“Count, this is Shuangxu Courtyard.”
Shen Shuangyue’s expression was equally unpleasant. She had been married into Count Qing’an’s Residence for four years, living apart from Xie Huaizhi in separate quarters, never having entered the main courtyard. This was her residence.
He had barged in, drunk, while she was bathing and changing—and now he accused her of shamelessness?
Hearing this, Xie Huaizhi grew even angrier: “You still dare to argue? Didn’t you send someone to summon me here?”
Today his colleagues had invited him to drink, and he had had a few cups too many. Upon returning to the residence, he heard from the servants that she had urgent business with him. When he came over, he walked right in on her stepping out of her bath.
Behind the screen, a woman’s silhouette shimmered faintly, her curves on full display. As if hearing the commotion, she peeked out—her glistening, watery eyes trembling with fright at the sight of his reflection—and the next moment, she knocked over the screen, that hastily concealed skin dazzlingly white.
And he was supposed to believe this wasn’t deliberate seduction?
Xie Huaizhi’s blood surged, the disgust in his eyes deepening: “You’re utterly shameless!”
He strode forward abruptly and seized her throat. The fragrance lingering at the tip of his nose made him falter for an instant—then his hand clamped down hard as he said sharply:
“Four years ago, you drugged me and angered your sister to death. Only out of respect for her dying plea and the dignity of both families did I marry you.”
“After you entered this household, I told you not to covet what you shouldn’t. And yet you still dare use such schemes. Was the lesson you were taught last time not enough?”
Shen Shuangyue could barely breathe: “I didn’t—”
“Still arguing!”
He yanked her roughly toward him. As their eyes met, Shen Shuangyue strained to lift her head.
“I truly didn’t. Tomorrow is Yujiao’s third-day Return to Her Parents’ Home. I was looking for you to discuss the banquet for her homecoming.”
Xie Huaizhi paused, only then recalling that his younger sister Xie Yujiao had married the eldest son of the Sun family of the Vice Minister of Revenue’s household two days ago, and tomorrow was the day she would return to visit her family.
She said: “On the wedding day, when the Sun family came for the bridal procession, something unpleasant happened for some reason. I wanted to ask how you, Count, wished to handle the Sun family tomorrow. I had someone fetch you at the time you should have finished your shift at the office, and when I saw you hadn’t returned, I left a message.”
“I never expected you to come yourself.”
The woman was struggling to breathe, her words broken and halting, her eyes brimming with a mist of tears from the pain.
Xie Huaizhi’s anger faltered. He suddenly remembered what the servant had reported when he returned—that the Madam had business with him. At the time, the wine had gone to his head, and without listening further, he had come straight to Shuangxu Courtyard.
No one was guarding the courtyard, and the room was brightly lit. Without a second thought, he had pushed the door open—and the scene before his eyes had made him instinctively assume Shen Shuangyue was seducing him.
He had been furious at her shamelessness, at her use of such a base trick to entice him. But now that he knew he had misunderstood, for some reason he not only failed to calm down—his anger inexplicably burned even hotter, laced with a hidden flush of humiliation.
“It had better be exactly as you say.”
Xie Huaizhi abruptly released his grip, his face dark as thunder, his voice cold and hard:
“My heart belongs only to your sister. You will never replace her. If you want to stay in this residence, then behave yourself and do your duty as Countess—take good care of Yi-ge’er. If you dare harbor any other thoughts, I will not spare you.”
“Handle the homecoming banquet however you see fit, just don’t lose face. From now on, don’t use such matters as an excuse to get close to me.”
The door was flung open with a bang. Xie Huaizhi’s face was even darker when he left than when he arrived.
The servants in the courtyard exchanged glances at the wide-open door. So the Count truly despised the Countess.
Jinque shoved aside the person blocking her and rushed into the room, only to see the bruise marks on her young mistress’s neck. Her eyes immediately reddened. “It’s all this servant’s fault—I should have stayed by your side.”
She had only stepped away for a moment to change the bed warmer, and the Count had actually barged in.
“I clearly told Mama Lin to keep watch outside. How dare they slack off and leave the door unguarded—I’ll go teach them a lesson right now…”
“Forget it.”
Shen Shuangyue pulled the little maid back. “Mama Lin was sent over from Old Madame Xie’s courtyard. If we make a scene, I’ll only end up being scolded by the Old Madame again.”
She had entered this residence in disgrace, and no one here had ever been on her side.
Old Madame Xie had always delighted in putting her in her place. Besides, on the surface, Xie Huaizhi was her husband. He had entered her room and caused such a commotion—if it came to a struggle, she would be the only one who lost face.
Jinque wiped her tears. “But how could the Count treat you like this!”
“You are his properly wedded wife. What happened back then wasn’t your fault—you were framed. It’s one thing that they didn’t believe you, but all these years he hasn’t shared your bed, and now he humiliates you like this.”
At these words, Shen Shuangyue’s lashes trembled slightly. It wasn’t the first time she had been humiliated.
She was the second daughter of the Shen family, whose head served as Deputy Censor. She had an elder sister seven years her senior, as well as two brothers with whom she shared a deep bond.
Her father, Shen Jingxian, was born of the main line of an illustrious family, and her mother’s lineage was equally distinguished. From childhood, she had been a treasured pearl among noble daughters, growing up spoiled and carefree.
After her sister Shen Wanyi came of age, she married Xie Huaizhi, eldest son of Count Qing’an, and bore him a son the following year. Later, when the old Count passed away, her sister became the Countess of Qing’an.
Four years ago, when Shen Wanyi became pregnant again, Shen Shuangyue entered Count Qing’an’s Residence to accompany and care for her. It happened to coincide with Old Madame Xie’s birthday. Her sister was unwell, so she stayed to help manage the celebrations.
Who could have known that on the day of the Old Madame’s birthday banquet, she would be discovered lying in the same bed as her brother-in-law, Xie Huaizhi. Her sister was so enraged she vomited blood on the spot, and the cloying scent that filled the room, along with Xie Huaizhi’s disgusted interrogations, ruined her reputation overnight.
Her eldest brother kicked her into the rain, cursing her shamelessness.
Her second brother struck her hard, calling her low and wanton.
Her father and mother said she had disgraced the family—that they had no daughter so vicious and cruel. Everyone pointed at her and cursed her, wishing she would die. Only her sister, clutching Xie Huaizhi’s hand, saved her.
Covered in blood, her sister lay in Xie Huaizhi’s arms and said that A’yue would never do such a thing. She begged him to marry her after her death, to protect her and the Shen family’s honor.
Later, her sister and the child both died, and she married into Count Qing’an’s Residence.
Everyone said she coveted the position of Countess, that she had lusted after Xie Huaizhi and climbed into her own brother-in-law’s bed, that she had stopped at nothing to kill her own sister. The Xie family had only married her for the sake of both families’ reputations.
Jinque wept bitterly.
Shen Shuangyue calmly swallowed the memories and used a handkerchief to wipe the spot on her neck where he had touched her.
“There, there, stop crying. I’m fine, aren’t I?”
“How is it nothing? It’s all swollen!”
“You know my skin—just one touch and it turns red. It only looks alarming; it doesn’t hurt at all.”
Seeing the little maid’s tears falling pitter-patter, she gently soothed her: “There now, Jinque, I’m filthy and freezing cold. Hurry and fetch me a set of clean clothes.”
Everything had happened so suddenly—her undergarments were soaked through, and her hair was still dripping wet.
Seeing Shen Shuangyue’s face pale from the cold, Jinque forgot her tears, hurriedly fetched the clothes and helped her change, then took a cloth and wrung the water from her hair.
Watching Shen Shuangyue bend her head, sketching out the menu for the homecoming banquet, Jinque grumbled, “Madam, after what the Count did to you, who knows how much gossip there will be in the household tomorrow—and you’re still worrying about the Second Young Miss?”
“I am the mistress of this house. If the homecoming banquet is anything less than proper, people will only laugh at me.”
Shen Shuangyue crossed out the out-of-season items and added two more dishes. “In a little while, take this to the kitchen. Also give the household a warning—when the Sun family arrives tomorrow, there must be no mistakes.”
Jinque pouted. She would love to give them a warning, but who in this household took Madam seriously?
How could Shen Shuangyue not know what she was thinking? She said, “They won’t dare cause trouble this time. The Old Madam won’t allow her own daughter to be shamed. Just go and give the orders—anyone who doesn’t listen, the Old Madam will deal with herself.”
Seeing her still huffing with anger, Shen Shuangyue chuckled softly:
“There, be good. After the Sun family leaves tomorrow, I’ll take you to Fengji for the crispy-basted pork knuckle you love.”
Only then did Jinque grudgingly agree with a huff. It wasn’t as if she was doing it for the Xie family!