Jiang Ye thought Ji Yang might not enjoy listening to that kind of gossip, so he changed the subject. “Do you like reading? I have some books.”
“What kind of books?”
After greeting Jiang’s mother and Dongya, Ji Yang followed Jiang Ye back to their room.
Jiang Ye took a copy of Tracks in the Snowy Forest from the cabinet and handed it to her.
“See if you like this one. If you don’t, I’ll find something else for you.”
Ji Yang had read Tracks in the Snowy Forest before. Back when she was in school, it had been one of the recommended extracurricular readings among the classic revolutionary works. However, at the time, she hadn’t known whether she was trying to fool her teacher or herself, because she had never really taken the time to read it properly.
Now, she had plenty of free time. She could finally sit down and enjoy it at her leisure.
“I think this one will do. I’ll start with this.”
“All right.”
Seeing Ji Yang reading, Jiang Ye found a book of his own. Before long, the room fell silent.
However, Jiang Ye couldn’t really concentrate on his book. After all, tonight was his wedding night.
The ancients spoke of the three great joys in life: passing the imperial examinations, spending one’s wedding night, and meeting an old acquaintance in a foreign land.
He was experiencing one of those three great joys right now. To claim he wasn’t excited at all would be a blatant lie.
With the book resting on his lap, Jiang Ye turned his head and glanced at Ji Yang.
The tungsten bulb cast a warm, yellow glow over her face. She lowered her eyes peacefully as she read, her long eyelashes casting delicate shadows beneath them. Her lips, slightly upturned and shaped like a delicate diamond, looked so… kissable.
And he had kissed them before.
They were soft and sweet.
At the thought, his Adam’s apple bobbed.
He glanced down at his watch. It was already half past eight. At this hour… it was time to go to bed.
His fingers rubbed against the edge of the page before he spoke.
“Yangyang.”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Let’s go to sleep.”
Ji Yang stretched her neck. “What time is it?”
“Half past eight.”
For Ji Yang, that was far too early. But she knew that people in this era didn’t have much in the way of nighttime entertainment and generally went to bed early.
She nodded. “I’ll go brush my teeth and wash my face.”
“Okay.”
After a brief pause, Jiang Ye asked tentatively, “Would you like me to fetch some bathwater for you?”
“That would be lovely.”
After preparing the bathwater, Jiang Ye went out into the courtyard and smoked a cigarette. The faint sound of water coming from inside the room reached his ears, and he found himself growing inexplicably restless.
He didn’t rush back inside. Instead, he finished washing up in the courtyard before returning to the room.
By the time he entered, Ji Yang was already in bed.
The bed was covered with a new wedding quilt made by Jiang’s mother. The bright red satin cover was embroidered with a design of a dragon and phoenix symbolizing marital bliss. Under the lamplight, the fabric glowed softly, radiating a festive atmosphere.
Since it was summer, Jiang’s mother hadn’t made the quilt too thick. She had used only a thin layer of cotton batting.
Jiang Ye switched off the light and lay down beside Ji Yang.
With the curtains drawn, their small room of barely more than a dozen square meters became a private little world, cut off from everything outside. A faint scent of soapberry lingered in the air, mingling with the warm smell of bedding that had been dried in the sunshine.
The person beside him breathed softly and evenly.
Jiang Ye lay stiffly for a while. Ji Yang’s scent surrounded him, and his already restless thoughts became even more chaotic.
He didn’t dare move carelessly. Even his breathing grew shallow. In the darkness, his gaze fell on the festive red quilt before quietly shifting toward the outline of the woman beside him.
Suddenly…
He rolled over and moved on top of Ji Yang.
The unexpected movement startled her. Before she could utter a sound, Jiang Ye gently supported her chin with his warm fingertips.
In the dim light, she could clearly see his deep eyes. An intense heat churned within them, something she couldn’t quite understand. His breathing was also heavier than usual, carrying a warmth that seemed almost scorching.
Jiang Ye leaned closer, his voice husky and filled with barely restrained emotion.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Ji Yang’s eyelashes trembled even more violently. Her breathing became light and unsteady, but she didn’t pull away. She simply closed her eyes tightly, her cheeks burning.
Seeing how obediently she remained still, Jiang Ye felt his heart soften and tighten at the same time. His fingertips gently supported her chin as he slowly lowered his head.
First, the tip of his nose brushed lightly against hers. The faint, cool scent of tobacco mingled with his warm breath.
The next moment, his lips gently descended onto hers.
At first, it was only a cautious touch, as though he were testing the waters while cherishing something precious, afraid of startling her.
When he realized she wasn’t resisting, he gradually deepened the kiss, his lips moving tenderly against hers.
Ji Yang’s hands remained tightly clenched around the wedding quilt, wrinkling the satin beneath her fingers. Her heart pounded so hard that her chest ached, and her entire body stiffened. All she could do was passively accept this sudden kiss.
Jiang Ye continued kissing her until her breathing grew slightly uneven. Only then did he pull away a little.
His forehead remained pressed against hers, and their heavy breaths mingled in the darkness. His fingertips brushed her flushed cheek as he asked in a voice so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable, “Did I scare you?”
Ji Yang slowly opened her eyes. In the dim light, they glistened with moisture, veiled by a thin layer of tears.
She merely shook her head, unable to utter a single word.
The gentle yet burning sensation of his kiss still lingered on her lips, leaving her whole body weak and trembling. Gradually, her fingers loosened their grip on the wedding quilt.
Jiang Ye carefully raised himself, taking his weight off her. He then lay down beside her and gently drew her into his arms with one long arm.
His movements were extremely gentle. With his palm resting against her back, he slowly stroked it again and again, as though soothing a frightened little animal.
After a while, he asked, “Is this okay?”
The question seemed to come out of nowhere, but Ji Yang understood what he meant.
Now that they were married, she wasn’t going to be so unreasonable as to forbid her husband from touching her.
Although she felt a little nervous, she still nodded. Then, remembering that Jiang Ye couldn’t see her in the darkness, she answered softly, “Yes, it’s okay.”
The moment he received her permission, Jiang Ye’s heart began pounding even faster. His arm tightened around Ji Yang slightly, though he still dared not hold her too tightly.
His movements were exceedingly tender, as though he were handling a fragile treasure. His fingertips slowly brushed through her hair before gently settling on her shoulder.
There was a hint of impatient clumsiness in his movements, mixed with the tender awkwardness of someone inexperienced…
Within their small, private world, the excitement and tenderness of their wedding night became the gentle beginning of a lifetime spent together.
…
The following morning, when Ji Yang woke up, the room was completely quiet. Nobody else was there.
She shifted slightly, only to discover that her entire body was sore.
Memories of the previous night suddenly flashed through her mind, and Ji Yang felt her cheeks grow hot.
Once, twice, three or four times…
Each time had lasted longer than the one before.
Covering her burning face with her hands, Ji Yang found herself overwhelmed by complicated emotions.
The sound of the door opening drew her attention, and she looked over.
“You’re awake?”
“I’m awake.”
After exchanging a couple of completely unnecessary remarks, Jiang Ye cleared his throat and rubbed his nose before asking, “Do you want to get up?”
Ji Yang gave a soft “Mm” and said nothing more.
Although they were already married and had spent the night together, the atmosphere was still awkward.
Jiang Ye spoke again. “I’ll get your clothes for you.”
“Sorry to trouble you.”
After a brief pause, Ji Yang added, “I put my clothes in the wardrobe yesterday. Just pick anything for me.”
“All right.”