Hearing Qiao Zhao speak this way, He Shi suddenly widened her eyes: “Zhaozhao, do you mean… You two haven’t consummated yet?”

Qiao Zhao instinctively glanced toward the doorway.

The soundproofing here should be decent, right?

“Zhaozhao, please say something.” He Shi grew somewhat anxious.

Qiao Zhao nodded.

He Shi first stared blankly, then covered her mouth and gasped softly: “Heavens, could it be that rumor circulating in the capital is true?”

“Rumor?”

“The one saying your husband is… incapable—”

Qiao Zhao was both amused and exasperated: “Mother, how can you believe such gossip?”

“Then he is capable?” He Shi’s alarm turned to joy.

“Capable…” Miss Qiao threw caution to the wind—as long as her dear mother would stop continuing this topic, she could abandon all face.

“If he’s capable, then how come—”

“He said he’d wait until I come of age.”

He Shi was stunned for a moment, then reached out to embrace Qiao Zhao in her arms, sighing: “My daughter is truly blessed.”

Returning to the Marquis’ residence, Shao Mingyuan pulled Qiao Zhao aside and asked with a smile: “What intimate words did your mother share with you?”

“Must you ask about this, too?” Qiao Zhao pushed him away, “You reek of alcohol, go bathe quickly.”

“I won’t go.” Shao Mingyuan rested his chin against the young woman’s snow-white neck, inhaling her enticing fragrance, “Unless you accompany me.”

Qiao Zhao remained silent, raising her eyebrows to look at him.

Was he acting drunk and unruly?

The man’s eyes appeared misty due to the alcohol, lacking his usual composure and carrying a hint of childishness: “Zhaozhao, I’ve had too much to drink.”

“So?”

“So, if you don’t accompany me to bathe, I’ll fall into the tub and won’t be able to climb out.”

Qiao Zhao burst into laughter: “With your long legs, how could you not climb out?”

“My bathing tub is large.” Shao Mingyuan smiled, his eyes full of scattered light, wrapping his arms around Qiao Zhao’s waist in a roguish manner, “Good Zhaozhao, good wife, please come with me.”

“Let go.”

“I won’t.”

“Really, won’t let go?”

Long, steady breathing sounds drifted over.

Qiao Zhao looked at the man who had his head resting on her shoulder, fast asleep, and couldn’t help but stare in bewilderment.

“Shao Mingyuan, wake up.”

The person hanging on Miss Qiao naturally showed no movement.

“I’ll accompany you, is that not enough?”

Shao Mingyuan suddenly opened his eyes: “Really?”

Qiao Zhao couldn’t help but clench her fists, squinting at him: “You were pretending to sleep just now?”

Shao Mingyuan directly lifted Qiao Zhao into his arms, laughing heartily: “Anyway, you’ve already agreed, no taking it back!”

“Shao Mingyuan!”

A long while later, Shao Mingyuan emerged from the bathing room carrying Qiao Zhao.

Their hair was entangled together like seaweed, dripping wet with water droplets. Perhaps from soaking too long, both their faces were flushed red.

Binglu and A’Zhu led the junior maids to clean up the bathing room. Seeing water traces scattered everywhere on the floor, Binglu didn’t think much of it, but A’Zhu’s face turned completely red.

“A’Zhu, why are you blushing?”

Being asked this by Binglu, A’Zhu’s face grew even redder, unable to speak coherently.

Binglu tilted her head to observe A’Zhu, suddenly understanding the reason.

After realizing the cause, Binglu laughed: “A’Zhu, you couldn’t be feeling shy just from seeing our young master and young mistress together, could you?”

A’Zhu originally felt too embarrassed to discuss this topic with Binglu, but seeing her relaxed and natural manner, couldn’t help but ask: “What about you?”

Binglu covered her mouth and laughed: “What’s there to be embarrassed about? Before our young mistress married, my mother specifically instructed me that once the young mistress married, things would be different from before—I shouldn’t make a big fuss over everything. Besides, our young mistress hasn’t even had us attend to her personally yet, and you’re already this shy. What about maids in other households who keep night watch and sleep in the outer room, able to hear every sound from inside? If that were you, would you never sleep?”

A’Zhu’s face reddened as she glanced at Binglu.

The more she acted this way, the more Binglu couldn’t resist teasing her: “And that’s not all—night-watch maids also have to be ready at any moment when their masters summon them to bring water…”

A’Zhu stared blankly: “Then our young mistress—”

“Alright, stop worrying. Our young master comes from a military background and isn’t accustomed to having people attend to him personally, so we’re all exempted from night watch duty.”

Ah, what a pity not to be able to hear the young mistress and young master being affectionate with each other. Binglu thought silently.

In the bedroom, Qiao Zhao hurriedly put on her outer robe and reached out to pinch Shao Mingyuan: “It’s all because of your nonsense. Didn’t you see how uncomfortable the maids were?”

Shao Mingyuan silently gazed at the ceiling.

He cherished his wife—did he also need to consider the maids’ feelings?

“In any case, you’re not allowed to act so wildly in the future.”

The young woman’s skin, having just been soaked in hot steam, resembled dew-kissed peach blossoms, delicate and alluring. Shao Mingyuan lowered his head to kiss her and obediently replied: “Yes, my lady wife. I won’t act wildly in the future.”

At worst, he’d find another excuse to get drunk next time.

Since Marquis Guanjun’s residence welcomed its female master, the originally solemn and cold mansion immediately came alive. Those unfortunate women brought back from the southern coast were, at the general’s indication, released from hidden corners and began to perform their proper duties. Additionally, many girls of excellent quality and clean backgrounds were purchased from brokers to serve in the residence.

Initially, A’Zhu and Binglu were somewhat wary. The trained maids from brokers were one thing, but they most feared that those originally from good families lacked the proper awareness of being servants and might develop improper thoughts toward their young, handsome master.

But later they discovered that those girls were even more honest and diligent than the newly purchased ones. When Binglu curiously asked about it, she learned the reason.

“We waited for the mistress to enter the residence until our eyes turned green with longing. At that time, the general said the residence was full of men and didn’t need us to serve, so he had us stay in a courtyard embroidering flowers. Only when the mistress arrived would we be allowed out to serve her…” One girl from the south was nearly in tears.

Staying in a small courtyard embroidering flowers for a whole year—how difficult it had been for them!

Hearing this, Binglu giggled with laughter.

Just as she’d said, their young mistress had good judgment in choosing a husband.

Time seemed to fly by during the twelfth lunar month. After the Laba Festival, the New Year atmosphere grew increasingly thick.

Qiao Zhao managed household affairs, gradually becoming more adept, and with frequent visits from Qiao Mo and Qiao Wan, this was the most comfortable period since her rebirth.

On this day, Shao Mingyuan returned from outside. Qiao Zhao went to greet him, naturally taking the cloak he removed, shaking the snowflakes from the fur collar, and smiled: “Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

This winter had indeed brought quite a lot of snow, falling every few days.

“It wasn’t falling very heavily. Zhaozhao, come with me to the inner room—I have something to tell you.”

Seeing Shao Mingyuan’s serious expression, Qiao Zhao handed the cloak to A’Zhu and followed him into the inner room.

Shao Mingyuan pulled Qiao Zhao to sit down, reached into his robes to retrieve something, and unwrapped the handkerchief covering it.

Qiao Zhao looked at the object in the handkerchief with surprise flashing in her eyes, involuntarily looking toward Shao Mingyuan.

The object in the handkerchief was unmistakably the aloe wood prayer beads she had previously given to Shao Mingyuan.

“Tingquan, have you perhaps discovered the secret within the prayer beads?”

Shao Mingyuan smiled: “I don’t have that capability. I gave them to two craftsmen in the army who are skilled at making weapons. Those brothers were originally artisans—the elder excels at carving, the younger at jewelry crafting. It was the elder brother who discovered the secret of these prayer beads.”