chapter 13

When it comes to consummation, my heart is uneasy.

“Where are we going?”

“The New Residence.” Duan Jing calmed his emotions and tidied my clothes for me. “The year my mother passed away, Li Shi entered the mansion. I reclaimed my mother’s dowry from my father. At that time, my father was still a just man. Even though Li Shi was three months pregnant, he ignored her objections and agreed to my request.”

“Three months?” My heart skipped a beat. Duan Jing’s mother had been bedridden for much longer than three months, which meant… before that…

Duan Jing smiled, the mockery in his eyes growing stronger. “My mother was frail, so he found a Concubine. The whole clan thought nothing of it. But when my mother died and the Concubine became the legal wife, it was a scandal. Back then, I watched helplessly as my father was dismissed from office because of a woman, and our family fell into decline. Truly, a man of passion…”

He bit out the last two words.

I hadn’t expected such a story from the past.

“And then?”

“And then…” Duan Jing held me, rocking gently as if comforting a child. “Li Shi’s family rendered great service to Prince Duan. Coincidentally, my father and Prince Duan share a bit of blood, so our family was restored. The day Li Shi gave birth to Duan Yuan, I was punished for poor studies and made to kneel in the courtyard. It rained that night. My father was with Li Shi, enjoying their happiness, and only remembered me the next day. That was when I realized I had lost my mother, and my father was gone too.”

“Honestly, I never cared to stay in their home…” Duan Jing laughed at himself. “Li Shi didn’t need to drive me out; I left on my own. But one night, I overheard Li Shi and my father discussing the dowry. Only then did I learn that Li Shi had secretly withheld half of my mother’s dowry. Li Shi’s brother used my mother’s money to gain entry to Prince Duan, and from then on, silver flowed into Prince Duan’s coffers. I was always cautious, never daring to touch any of that wealth, because it was bought with my mother’s dowry. Li Shi deceived my father and everyone else.”

“They trampled on my mother’s corpse and drank the blood of the dead. How could they live their wealthy days with a clear conscience? From that moment, I began to act recklessly and squander the family fortune. Everything Li Shi wanted to leave for Duan Yuan, I spent it all. I watched my father’s gaze change from guilt to indifference and annoyance, and only then did I realize-there is no such thing as lasting affection in this world. Peel back the surface, and it’s all ugly flesh and blood, no exceptions.”

Duan Jing’s emotions were off. He held me tightly, as if he might break me.

“Jiming, you…”

At some point, Duan Jing had closed his eyes, his head heavy on my shoulder.

Only then did I realize he hadn’t rested since returning.

Looking at his softly lowered lashes, my heart suddenly ached. People are made of flesh, and of course Duan Jing feels pain too.

Duan Jing’s body was much larger than mine. I struggled to wrap my arms around him, gently patting his back, listening to the carriage rumble over the stone road.

“Jiming, I love you.”

I murmured.

“Though I have little strength, weak and useless as I am.”

“I want to warm you as much as I can, so you won’t freeze to death in the wind and snow.”

Suddenly, my neck was wet. I rested my chin on Duan Jing’s shoulder, looking up at the pitch-black window as the wind lifted the curtain and moonlight poured in.

I knew Duan Jing was awake. He was crying.

But I said nothing.

Many years later, Duan Jing told me that on that night, he found a home.

Duan Jing’s New Residence was not large-a courtyard with three sections, some flowers and plants, all young and delicate.

As he led me inside, I said to him, “They will grow up and flourish one day.”

Duan Jing was unusually silent tonight. It wasn’t until we entered the Main Hall that I cried out in surprise. The room was brightly lit, festooned with red ribbons, and candles burned high.

“It was all prepared in haste…” Duan Jing hesitated, his face full of regret.

So he hadn’t spoken earlier because he was uneasy.

“When you said in the kitchen you wanted to be a concubine, I panicked,” Duan Jing said, his face serious. “I had them prepare everything right away… Now it seems too rushed. I told them to take it down.”

I hurriedly grabbed him. “No! No!”

As soon as I spoke, I let go, embarrassed by my own impulsiveness.

Duan Jing caught me anxiously, holding me close, his eyes shining with fervor, as if he had obtained a treasure, handling it with utmost care.

“Wanyi, you don’t despise me?”

Faced with his hope, my heart melted completely.

He is the flamboyant and radiant Duan Jing, the proud and arrogant Eldest Young Master of Duan Mansion. That he likes me is more than enough.

I slowly embraced Duan Jing. “How could I despise you? Marrying you is my greatest fortune.”

“Good.” Duan Jing smiled, a heartfelt smile, and pulled me to kneel before the door. “Tonight, I will marry my girl.”

“No three letters and six rites, no matchmakers or betrothal gifts, no grand sedan or ten-mile bridal procession. Only a single Marriage Certificate, a modest dowry, to wed Zhang Shi Wanyi as my wife.”

“Two families joined, one hall as witness, a good match forever, paired in name.”

“With a vow to grow old together, written on a swan letter, let the red leaf pledge be recorded in the mandarin duck register.”

“In days to come, I will return to Zhang Shi Wanyi wealth and honor, never failing in life or death. Heaven and earth bear witness.”

Never in my life had I heard such moving vows. Eyes red, I wept silently.

That night, there were no elders, no guests filling the hall. Facing a solitary bright moon, we made our vows.

Duan Jing handed me a Brocade Box. “Wanyi, the position of Mistress of the Household of Duan Mansion is yours now.”
His hair was disheveled, his eyes red, his clothes stained with dust. He held a battered Brocade Box in his arms-clearly in a sorry state, yet the words he spoke weighed heavy as gold.

I took it from him carefully, my other hand clasping his: “I’ll stay with you. If you’re tired, just look back-I’ll be here.”

The Capital City is often rainy.

A small window was opened in the room, and rain dripped from the eaves in a gentle patter.

This was the first rain I watched with Duan Jing in our New Residence.

The window in Xin’an creaked weakly in the rain, and accidentally bumped into a branch of green peach that stretched into the corridor. The branch swayed, the young peach nudged softly by the window lattice, just like my heart at this moment-fluttering and swaying gently.

This is our home.

The young tree in the courtyard had slender branches, and in the heat of the summer night, it had just sprouted a few tender green buds. The peonies planted under the corridor hid shyly in the darkness, bashful and timid.

Duan Jing lifted me to sit by the window, kissed me softly, and called me by my maiden name.

My cheeks burned red; I felt as if the stifling heat would be the death of me. “Husband…”

But Duan Jing only chuckled low: “Look outside, Wanyi…”

Beyond the window, the rain poured down in torrents. Amid the mist, a slender branch hung above the peonies, swaying and shedding in the wind and rain.

It was still young, not yet strong enough to withstand the storm.

But I knew that one day, that tree would grow lush and full.

The next morning, the rain stopped.

After a night of wind and rain, the peony’s petals had been washed open by the rain, layered like rosy clouds, blooming proudly.

“Wanyi…”

“Wanyi, try this.”

“The soup is too hot, wait a bit before drinking.”

“Come, let your Husband feed you.”

I put down my chopsticks, thought for a moment, and asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

Since last night, Duan Jing had been acting like an old housekeeper, his eyes glued to me, never letting up for a moment.

Duan Jing’s gaze shifted to my reddened wrist, his face showing guilt.

“Are you still sleepy?”

I glared at him resentfully. It was almost evening before I’d even opened my eyes to eat something, and he kept fussing over me-tsk, shameless…

Duan Jing’s ears instantly turned red. He coughed lightly and called Chunsheng to bring medicine.

As he applied the ointment, he said, “By the way, I’ll take office tomorrow.”

Did someone come while I was asleep?

Duan Jing smiled: “Just a minor official, the salary isn’t much. Don’t look down on me.”

Most of the time, Duan Jing’s smile was bold and unrestrained, but at this moment, there was a hint of caution in his eyes as he looked at me.

All my annoyance vanished in an instant.

I pinched a piece of crisp candy and held it to Duan Jing’s lips, asking nothing more.

Because of me, Duan Jing broke with his family, had Chunsheng deliver a letter declaring our separation from the family, and tore up my Indenture Contract completely, not even giving the Government Office a chance to record it.

Father-in-law threw a huge fit, and in the end, it was Madam Duan who calmed him down.

As for my Parents, it’s said they stayed at Duan Mansion.

Madam Duan treated them very well. From Chunsheng’s expression when he returned, I knew my Parents must have cursed me terribly.

Now, Duan Jing has only me.

And I have only Duan Jing.

But instead of being dejected, he was more spirited than ever.

He returned full of vigor, and several times, in front of his Colleagues, he would hug me and nibble at me.

I was quite embarrassed and tried to persuade him in secret, but Duan Jing didn’t care at all: “What business is it of theirs if I kiss my own wife? If they don’t like it, let them go home and kiss their own.”

One day, an honored guest arrived at Duan Mansion.

Cui Yuehua.

At that time, Duan Jing had not yet returned home.

She stood at the door, looking around: “Jiming lives in a place like this?”

Her tone was indifferent, but I could hear a trace of regret.

“What brings you here, Miss Yuehua?”

Cui Yuehua snapped back to herself when she saw me, and handed over a Red Invitation: “Brother Huaishen and I are soon to be wed. Please, both of you, come.”

I hesitated for a moment before accepting it.

“You and Jiming…”

“I married him,” I said clearly, “a few days ago.”

I never cared before, but now, for some reason, I felt petty-even hearing Duan Jing’s courtesy name from someone else made me jealous.

My jealousy soared to the heavens.

Cui Yuehua seemed to find this very amusing: “Jiming’s parents are still alive. Who will you invite to sit in the place of honor?”

I paused, then suddenly asked, “Miss Yuehua, do you like Jiming?”

Her face changed instantly, her composure lost, and she snapped, “What nonsense are you talking!”

I understood everything. Sometimes, a woman doesn’t need proof to know something-intuition is enough.

“There’s no hot water at home, it’s not suitable for guests. Please leave, Miss Yuehua.”

Her face was extremely unpleasant: “Miss Zhang, people are born into different circumstances. How can you judge me like this?”

“Miss Yuehua, you’ve tried to provoke me again and again, deceived me, even looked down on me, and I’ve let it all go. But I was born with a small heart-I can’t tolerate a Concubine, so don’t blame me.”

Cui Yuehua was so angry her face turned purple: “Why should I be a Concubine!”

“Indeed, why should you?” I slowly stepped back and nodded to her. “The Second Young Master is a perfect match for you, and will give you the Wife Position-respectable and proper. That’s very good.”

Just before closing the door, Cui Yuehua bit her lip hard, lowered her eyes, and said to me from outside, “Jiming and Brother Huaishen have known each other since childhood. You don’t understand.”

“Known since childhood-Miss Yuehua, have you never wondered? When the flower was ready to be picked, why didn’t Jiming pick it?”

Her face grew paler and paler.