Qiao Ci left, but Xiao Qiao remained standing motionless, her eyes fixed on Wei Shao with a calm expression.

Wei Shao stroked his chin and approached her, saying, “Chun Niang has told me everything. It was just your cousin noticing how exhausted he’s been from training at the drill grounds these past few days. He invited him over to relax a bit and have a couple of drinks. Was that worth getting so angry about, going there yourself to fetch him, and then coming back in such a rage?”

Xiao Qiao stared at Wei Shao for a long moment before letting out a cold laugh. “So, Marquis, is that the kind of place you go to relax when you’re tired? No wonder you’re defending him. Birds of a feather flock together. And you won’t even let me teach my brother to behave properly!”

Wei Shao replied nonchalantly, “I don’t go to such places often. But your brother isn’t a child anymore. In the future, he’ll have to attend such social gatherings. What’s wrong with going occasionally? It’s not such a big deal. You’re making a mountain out of a molehill…”

He finally seemed to notice Xiao Qiao’s unfriendly gaze and trailed off.

Xiao Qiao spoke coolly, “It doesn’t matter if you think I’m overreacting. I can’t control what others do, nor is it my place to. But my brother is still underage, and I don’t like him frequenting such establishments. In the future, I hope my husband won’t interfere in such matters.”

She emphasized the words “others” and “my brother” as she spoke.

Wei Shao looked at her for a while, then suddenly leaned in closer, saying casually, “We’ve been together for some time now, and I’ve always thought you had a gentle temperament. This is the first time I’ve seen you so angry…”

“Has my husband forgotten the meaning of my childhood name? Parents choose names for a reason.”

Xiao Qiao spoke softly, avoiding his face as he leaned in.

“I didn’t know you were coming back tonight, and you didn’t send word ahead. I’ve already had dinner. Have you eaten, husband? If not, I can have something prepared.”

“Yes, please have something prepared. I haven’t eaten yet.”

Wei Shao straightened up, seemingly put off, his face returning to its usual expressionless state.

Xiao Qiao walked past him, opened the door, and gave instructions to the servants.

…

Wei Shao bathed first and changed his clothes. When he came out, the meal was ready.

He must have been truly hungry, as he devoured three large bowls of rice.

Xiao Qiao sat beside him, attending to him. As she handed him warm water to rinse his mouth after he finished eating and put down his chopsticks, she felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen. Her shoulder twitched slightly, and her raised arm paused in mid-air.

Wei Shao took the cup and seemed to notice her momentary discomfort, glancing at her.

Xiao Qiao quickly recovered. After he finished rinsing his mouth and put down the cup, she stood up and walked out. Only then did she support herself with both hands on the dining table, slowly rising to her feet.

A few years ago, when she first arrived here and became Xiao Qiao, she discovered that this body suffered from lower back and knee pain during menstruation. Not only that, but she also experienced abdominal pain during the first day or two of her period. At the worst time, the pain in her lower abdomen felt like a cramp, leaving her pale-faced and sweating, unable to straighten her back—it was excruciating. She had been taking some medicine to regulate her blood and qi while at home, but it didn’t seem to have much effect. Only in the past six months or so had the pain somewhat subsided, though her body still felt unwell during her periods.

Recently, her intimate encounters with Wei Shao have become quite frequent. Once they started, given his enthusiasm in bed, even if she wanted to stop, she couldn’t.

At first, Xiao Qiao had been vaguely worried about becoming pregnant so soon.

It wasn’t that she was against having children. But from any perspective, getting pregnant and having a child right now didn’t seem like good timing. Putting aside other considerations, from a physiological standpoint alone, this body wasn’t fully developed and wasn’t suitable for bearing children.

One reason why women in ancient times had shorter lifespans was because they had children too early. Even if they managed to give birth, it was difficult to raise the children.

She had been worried for several days, but finally, yesterday, she got her period and felt relieved.

The posture of sitting—which was more like kneeling—while keeping her back straight to attend to others was usually manageable, but today it felt particularly tiring.

Chun Niang knew that Xiao Qiao was menstruating and had just been out. Knowing her body must be weak, she had been waiting outside. Seeing Wei Shao leave, she hurried in and, noticing Xiao Qiao using both hands on the table to stand up, quickly went to help her.

“Are you alright, My Lady?” she asked, looking at Xiao Qiao’s complexion.

Xiao Qiao nodded, “I’m fine.”

“My Lady should return to her room and rest early,” Chun Niang said, accompanying Xiao Qiao back to her chambers.

Wei Shao briefly mentioned that he had some business at the government office and would return later.

After speaking, he looked at Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao didn’t say anything, only seeing him off at the door.

…

By the time it was 9-11 PM, Wei Shao still hadn’t returned. Feeling an ache in her lower back, Xiao Qiao adjusted herself and lay down on the bed fully clothed.

The room was very quiet. She indeed felt quite tired today. As she closed her eyes and her consciousness began to blur, Chun Niang quietly entered the room and woke Xiao Qiao, saying, “Someone just came from the east room, saying that the Madam is suffering from unbearable chest pain. They asked if the Master had returned, and I told them he hadn’t.”

Chun Niang’s brows were furrowed as she spoke, her expression somewhat displeased.

Xiao Qiao rubbed her eyes and slowly sat up. After a moment of blank staring, she got out of bed and asked Chun Niang to help her change clothes.

Madam Zhu was her mother-in-law, and since she had sent someone to call for her son, Xiao Qiao, as the daughter-in-law, would have to go even if she had to hop on one leg.

Seeing Xiao Qiao’s calm expression without a trace of complaint, Chun Niang muttered to herself a couple of times before reluctantly helping her change.

Before going to the east room, Xiao Qiao sent someone to the government office to find Wei Shao, then made her way to Madam Zhu’s room.

Madam Zhu didn’t appear to be faking her illness. Her hair was disheveled, and she lay there clutching her chest, moaning with her eyes closed. Her face was indeed somewhat pale. Beside her was Wet Nurse Jiang, who glanced sideways at Xiao Qiao’s arrival and whispered something in Madam Zhu’s ear.

Xiao Qiao knelt and bowed, saying, “My husband returned in the evening, had dinner, and went out again. He hasn’t returned yet. I came late, and I felt uneasy about it. How is Mother feeling?”

Madam Zhu didn’t respond, so Xiao Qiao remained kneeling. After a while, she heard a cold voice say, “Your body is precious. How can I trouble you to come and serve me?”

Xiao Qiao replied, “Mother’s words are too kind. If Mother is unwell, as your junior, if there’s anything I can do to show my filial piety, I wouldn’t dare to be negligent, as long as Mother doesn’t find me too clumsy.”

Madam Zhu asked, “Where is my son? Where did he go?”

Xiao Qiao answered, “My husband didn’t tell me where he was going before he left. He should be at the government office. When I heard that Mother was unwell, I immediately sent someone to notify him. The office isn’t far from home, so I believe he’ll be back soon.”

Madam Zhu stared at Xiao Qiao kneeling on the ground. After a while, she snorted, “You may go. I don’t need you to serve me here.”

Xiao Qiao performed a farewell bow to her, got up from the ground, and retreated.

She returned to her room, no longer feeling sleepy. She sat on the bed, lost in thought. About half an hour later, Chun Niang came in and said that the Master had been called back and had already gone to the east room.

Xiao Qiao didn’t try to sleep anymore. She sat waiting for not long, about the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, when she heard footsteps outside the door. Wei Shao had returned.

Xiao Qiao supported herself on the bed as she got up, going to greet him as usual.

Wei Shao looked as if he wasn’t planning to go out again. He undid his belt himself, casually tossing it onto the nearby clothes stand, and asked Xiao Qiao, “Did my mother give you a hard time earlier?”

Xiao Qiao approached him, taking the outer robe he had removed, and looked at his chest, saying, “She didn’t. Earlier, when you weren’t here, someone from Mother’s side came to call for you, saying she had chest pain. Since you weren’t here, I went. Mother didn’t ask me to serve her, I just stood there for a moment before coming back.”

Her response to Madam Zhu earlier, though sounding simple, had been carefully considered. Knowing that Madam Zhu didn’t like her son being close to her, she said that Wei Shao hadn’t told her where he was going before leaving, only guessing he had gone to the government office. She also mentioned that she had already sent someone to call him, and he would be back soon.

Given Madam Zhu’s psychology, she certainly wouldn’t want her daughter-in-law to be “showing filial piety” in front of her when her son came back to visit. As expected, Madam Zhu quickly sent her away.

“How is Mother now?” Xiao Qiao asked after finishing her explanation.

“It’s her old problem. She’s gone to sleep now,” Wei Shao replied briefly, his eyes fixed on her face.

Xiao Qiao nodded, avoiding his gaze. She turned around with his clothes, intending to walk away, but felt a slight weight on her shoulder. She stopped, seeing that he had placed his hand on her shoulder and taken a step closer to her. The distance between them suddenly became very close.

“My mother…” he hesitated, “Her temperament has become increasingly difficult to deal with lately. If I’m not at home and she gives you a hard time, please be patient with her.”

Xiao Qiao looked up at him and smiled, “Don’t worry, husband. I understand.”

As the hours of 9-11 PM ended, this long day finally came to a close. After extinguishing the lights, Xiao Qiao lay down, curling her body into a ball. Soon after, Wei Shao predictably moved closer to her, his hand slipping under her clothes.

Xiao Qiao, with her eyes closed, said, “Not today. I’m unclean.”

…

When Xiao Qiao suddenly called Qiao Ci away, Wei Yan lost interest in staying. He watched the carriage disappear into the night, then turned back inside to bid farewell to the others at the table. He said he had other matters to attend to and would be leaving first, asking everyone to enjoy themselves and announcing that he would be the host for the evening. Then he returned home.

The carriage carrying Xiao Qiao had long since gone far away. By now, it must have taken her back home.

Wei Yan held a wine flask in his hand, leaning against the railing and feeling the night breeze. The image of her face in the carriage window as she spoke to him kept appearing before his eyes.

The row of lights in front of the main gate of Luozhong Fang was bright, illuminating her face in the window. It was only half of her profile, her expression carrying a hint of anger, her brows slightly furrowed. But it was precisely this expression that made him feel increasingly unable to control himself.

Even now, with his eyes closed, he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

When she faced him, apart from the initial disgust, in every subsequent encounter, there was only indifference and politeness left.

This was the first time Wei Yan had seen her show her true nature in front of him.

Even her anger was sweet to him, almost like an unexpected joy.

…

She was his sister-in-law, and Wei Yan remembered this fact. His grandmother had shown him kindness as vast as mountains, and he had grown up alongside Wei Shao.

Wei Yan was a proud person himself. His talents were indeed extraordinary.

He was older than Wei Shao. When Wei Shao was still a child, he, as a young man, was already galloping on horseback behind Wei Jing.

But he had always known that his mission was to assist the heir of the Wei family in achieving great things. He had never had any doubts about this.

One day, three years ago, a Xiongnu man found him, and he finally learned about his true origins. It turned out that his birth father was not, as his grandmother had told him, a brave man who had married into the Wei family and unfortunately died young.

His father was the brother of the current Xiongnu Chanyu, the King of Rizhü, Wuzhu Qu. In his body, besides the blood of the Wei family, there also flowed Xiongnu blood. And that the King of Rizhü now longed for him to return.

This realization caused him great distress for a time, making him feel unbearably painful. The Xiongnu people, whom he had opposed for many years and hated from the core of his being, turned out to be his people. And his beloved grandmother had concealed his true identity from him!

After a period of pain, Wei Yan finally began to calm down.

He had no intention of acknowledging his Xiongnu father.

But it was from that time on that he gradually began to feel the unfairness of fate.

Occasionally, he had such thoughts: merely because of the difference in birth, his brother Wei Shao was destined to be the head of the Wei family. While he could only exist as an assistant on Wei Shao’s side. Even though his abilities were no less than Wei Shao’s.

But soon, he would always manage to suppress these inappropriate thoughts in his heart.

Until now, when he encountered this Qiao woman.

He had grown up receiving Confucian education. His grandmother hadn’t abandoned him and had raised him with kindness, and Wei Shao had been his brother and close companion for many years.

How could a woman compare to brotherly affection?

But Wei Yan couldn’t control himself from thinking about her.

He felt ashamed of this, but at the same time, deep in his heart, the love for this unattainable woman gave him a kind of pleasure that he simply couldn’t suppress.

The night had grown deep. Perhaps it was the effect of the wine he had been drinking, but Wei Yan felt that his love for her had penetrated his very bones. Finally unable to resist, he threw away the wine flask, quickly returned to his room, and ordered the concubine who was waiting for him to leave. He ground the ink himself, dipped the brush, and standing by the bed, began to paint and scribble on the wall.

Sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, his whole body heating up, the tip of his brush moving like a nimble snake across the wall. In one fluid motion, the silhouette of a flower-adorned lady soon appeared on the wall. The lady seemed to be walking against the wind, her clothes fluttering. As if hearing someone call from behind, she turned back with a smile, her expression coquettish and incredibly charming.

After finishing the painting, Wei Yan threw away the brush and stared at the wall without blinking. His entire being seemed drunk, his face flushed red, his breathing rapid.

Suddenly, he lifted the hem of his robe, his breathing becoming increasingly turbid. The shadow cast on the painted wall by the candle behind him seemed to tremble slightly. A moment later, with a long exhalation that sounded like the final release, everything quieted down.

“From now on, no one is allowed to enter this room of mine! If I find out anyone has entered without permission, they will be killed without mercy.”

A moment later, Wei Yan went out and said to the concubine outside.

His expression was very calm. But the severity in his voice was palpable.

Though it was a summer night, the concubines felt a chill run through them, and they hurriedly lowered their heads in response.