Song Yunqiao waited until she heard no more movement outside before thinking for a moment and stepping out of the room.
Seeing her come out, Jiang Jiyuan walked over immediately.
“Why are you out here? Hungry or thirsty?”
Song Yunqiao shook her head. “I just came out because it got quiet outside. I’ll help you clean up.”
Without hesitation, Jiang Jiyuan said, “You don’t need to do anything here. Go back and rest.”
Ji Peilan also chimed in, “Your brother is right, Yunqiao. Go rest in the room. We’ve got this.”
In the end, Song Yunqiao went back inside—but she wasn’t idle. She tidied up the room instead.
That evening, after Ji Peilan cooked dinner, she called Song Yunqiao out to eat.
The way Jiang Jiyuan and Ji Peilan treated her made Jiang Jijing’s hostility toward Song Yunqiao grow even stronger.
Jiang Jianan, on the other hand, stayed quiet, but he carefully observed Song Yunqiao’s every move.
Fortunately, dinner didn’t take long. After eating, Song Yunqiao wanted to help clean up again, but Ji Peilan stopped her.
A new daughter-in-law couldn’t be made to work right away.
Ji Peilan was very efficient. She even thoughtfully boiled a large pot of water for Song Yunqiao to wash up.
After Song Yunqiao finished washing and changed into sleepwear, Jiang Jiyuan only came back to the room much later.
Their eyes met, and the air suddenly turned awkward.
Song Yunqiao quickly looked away and coughed lightly before lying down.
Jiang Jiyuan’s expression didn’t change much, but his ears were already turning red.
Song Yunqiao’s heart was beating fast. It was the first time she had ever experienced something like this. She even pressed her hand against her chest, trying to calm it down—afraid he might hear how loud it was.
It was their wedding night. Alone together like this… it was hard not to imagine something happening.
She was still thinking about whether she should resist if he did anything—
Then Jiang Jiyuan blew out the oil lamp.
In the next moment, she felt him move closer. He lay down beside her.
Song Yunqiao held her breath.
One second. Two seconds…
Five minutes passed.
Jiang Jiyuan lay very properly on the outer edge, not moving at all. There was even enough space between them for another person.
!!!
This wasn’t what she had imagined at all.
Once she confirmed that he had no intention whatsoever, Song Yunqiao finally relaxed.
To be honest, if he had tried anything that night, she wouldn’t have refused—after all, they were already married in a sense, even if not officially registered.
Her thoughts kept drifting until she finally fell asleep.
Only after hearing her breathing become steady did Jiang Jiyuan open his eyes.
He didn’t even dare turn over. He just lay there on his side, quietly looking at her.
People his age were often already married with children old enough to run errands. He knew what usually happened on a wedding night.
But thinking about what Song Yunqiao had said before, he felt it was better not to do anything.
If she ever regretted it and wanted to leave… she should still be able to walk away freely.
Just as he was thinking, Song Yunqiao suddenly turned over and ended up right next to him.
The warmth and faint scent from her body made his throat tighten.
That night was extremely difficult for him.
..
When Song Yunqiao woke up the next morning, the sky was already bright. The person beside her was gone.
She yawned and got up to change clothes.
Just then, Jiang Jiyuan pushed the door open—and froze at the scene.
Song Yunqiao let out a small cry and quickly used her clothes to cover herself.
Jiang Jiyuan snapped back to his senses, said a quick apology, and immediately closed the door.
Outside, he suddenly felt a warm rush in his nose. He reached up to touch it—
Blood.
It was a nosebleed.
Inside the room, Song Yunqiao quickly finished getting dressed. When she came out, Jiang Jiyuan was already gone.
Ji Peilan greeted her warmly. After breakfast, Song Yunqiao went to wash up again—but still didn’t see Jiang Jiyuan.
Ji Peilan was puzzled too. She had just seen her eldest son a moment ago.
“Do you know where your brother went?” she asked Jiang Jijing.
Jiang Jijing shook his head. “No idea. But he left in a hurry, like something urgent came up.”
“Early morning, what could be so urgent…” Ji Peilan muttered.
Before she could finish, Jiang Jiyuan returned from outside.
Ji Peilan asked, “Where did you go so early?”
“Nowhere,” he replied calmly.
He couldn’t possibly say he went to wash a nosebleed—too embarrassing.
Song Yunqiao also avoided his gaze, still flustered about earlier.
The atmosphere between the two of them was strange and awkward. Ji Peilan, as someone experienced, assumed the newlyweds were just shy and didn’t ask further.
The two younger boys, however, kept stealing glances at their brother, sensing something unusual about him today.
Neither Song Yunqiao nor Jiang Jiyuan dared to look directly at each other, only occasionally sneaking glances.
Breakfast passed without either of them noticing what they were even eating.
After cleaning up, Ji Peilan and the two brothers went off to work.
Originally, Song Yunqiao planned to talk about going to work too, but Ji Peilan directly told her not to go and to stay home.
So now, only Song Yunqiao and Jiang Jianan were left in the house.
Song Yunqiao tried talking to him—but startled him instead.
She couldn’t help but wonder why he seemed afraid of her. She hadn’t done anything.
After a while, she went back to the room and brought out some milk candies and biscuits, trying to get along with him.
“Xiao An, do you want some candy?”
The three Jiang brothers were all good-looking. The younger two were still small, but even now it was clear they would grow up to be handsome men. Unlike Jiang Jijing, Jiang Jianan was more delicate-looking, fair-skinned from staying indoors often.
Small, fair, and quiet—Song Yunqiao suddenly felt like a “wicked stepmother.”
Jiang Jianan shook his head and didn’t take it.
She didn’t mind and continued, “Then what do you want for lunch? Sister-in-law will cook it.”
And so, she chatted with him for a while—mostly one-sided conversation.
But by midday, she felt their relationship had improved. At least he didn’t seem as scared of her anymore.
..
At work, Jiang Jiyuan was being watched secretly by many villagers.
Everyone knew he had just married Song Yunqiao, and envy was everywhere. Some even tried joking with him, but a single glance from him shut them up immediately.
Soon, only Wu Hongliang remained beside him.
“I can’t believe Brother Yuan got married before me,” Wu Hongliang said enviously.
Especially since he hadn’t just married—he had married an educated youth.