Wei Caiwei voluntarily requested to come to Baoding.
Because Noble Consort Shang was a selected beauty chosen from Baoding Prefecture.
The Ceremonial Directorate dispatched palace physicians to various prefectures in the capital region. Each physician was responsible for selection in one location. Naturally, the physicians preferred to be close to home – the five districts of the capital, Wanping, and Daxing were best.
Among these palace physicians, Wei Caiwei was the youngest. She said, “I’m young and in good health. I’m willing to go somewhere farther – let me go to Baoding Prefecture.”
In her previous life, the two of them met in the palace. In this life, to avoid unexpected incidents, Wei Caiwei simply got to know Noble Consort Shang earlier by coming to Baoding Prefecture. As long as she firmly held onto this selected beauty with great fortune and destiny, even if Lu Bing repeated his mistakes in the future, these people wouldn’t immediately lose their protective umbrella.
Especially Lu Ying. In her previous life, after Lu Bing’s death, the Lu family fell into decline. Lu Ying lost her father’s protection and was squeezed out by others in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Unable to continue, she took off her military uniform, returned home, hastily married, hastily became widowed, hastily became a nun, and disappeared without a trace from then on.
If in this life Noble Consort Shang was willing to help Lu Ying, with backing in the palace, Lu Ying could keep her position in the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Keeping Lu Ying safe would ensure the safety of Ding Wu, who was working undercover in enemy territory, because Lu Ying was Ding Wu’s most solid support.
All of this required having a patron. The world of fame and profit was so cruel – when people left, the tea grew cold.
Wei Caiwei came this time to find backing, tend to cold stoves, and curry favor with the powerful. Reborn in this life, she must plan ahead and protect everyone’s wellbeing, not just for herself.
Wei Caiwei never expected that Wang Daxia would be here, unconscious and wearing a groom’s wedding attire!
In her previous life, Wei Caiwei had never seen him wear wedding clothes.
Wei Caiwei’s first reaction was: He looks so handsome in wedding attire. When they became paired food husband and wife in the previous life, it was too rushed. They couldn’t have a grand ceremony in the palace – they set up a few tables of wine and wore slightly more formal clothes, and that counted as the ceremony being complete. It left regrets.
But before she could be moved, her second reaction came: Why is he wearing wedding attire? Who did he bow to in ceremony with?
Lu Ying explained the whole cause and effect: “…Doctor Wei, is he alright?”
Wei Caiwei felt both angry and amused, asking: “He… voluntarily sold his body?”
If it was voluntary… I won’t save him! Please find someone else more capable!
Lu Ying said: “It was my order. Among my subordinates, he’s the best looking. He’s already been caught as a street groom nine times – he’s the most fragrant bait. None of us expected this family to be so impatient, drugging him into confusion right from the start.”
Hearing this, Wei Caiwei’s heart skipped a beat. Looking at his disheveled appearance, she became greatly alarmed: “This family is too conscienceless! To achieve their goal, they used such strong drugs. He – was he violated?” Oh my, pretty boys need to protect themselves well when out and about!
Lu Ying said: “No, his integrity remains intact. Fortunately, that whole family consists of oddballs. The father drugged him, and the daughter played with fireworks with the groom in the bridal chamber on her wedding night, nearly burning down the bridal chamber. When we arrived, they had already set off two boxes of fireworks. Inside was smoky and hazy, full of gunpowder smell, just like New Year’s Eve.”
Hearing this, Wei Caiwei felt the scene was somewhat familiar and asked: “Is this girl surnamed Shang?”
Only someone with the Shang surname would dare play like this – unrestrained, innocent, and romantic.
Lu Ying: “Exactly. How did Doctor Wei know?”
Wei Caiwei: “Oh, I just glanced at the register of those who came to Baoding Prefecture government office for selection earlier. This surname is rare and was written at the front, so I remembered it.”
Lu Ying was concerned about Wang Daxia’s health but even more concerned about her duties: “Since Wang Daxia is injured, I’ll leave him to Doctor Wei. We still need to rush to Yongping Prefecture on business and won’t wait for him.”
As a woman, Lu Ying naturally resented the imperial selection. She waited daily at the Embroidered Uniform Guard office for news from Ding Wu, but as an Embroidered Uniform Guard Centurion, she had no choice but to carry out the tasks Lu Bing assigned. So she wanted to quickly go through the motions and finish up – she still had to wait for Ding Wu’s messages.
Lu Ying just dumped Wang Daxia on Wei Caiwei and rushed off to Yongping Prefecture with her subordinates.
Hearing it was the Shang family, Wei Caiwei immediately didn’t mind Wang Daxia’s wedding attire. But thinking that this wedding attire was worn for another woman, she still felt uncomfortable. When preparing the antidote for him, she had a young eunuch change Wang Daxia’s clothes.
Wang Daxia’s unconscious state reminded her of when he blocked a poisoned arrow for her in the previous life and collapsed severely wounded. She cared for him without removing her clothes, and after five days he finally woke up, but from then on he suffered from lasting ailments.
At night, Wei Caiwei carefully tended to Wang Daxia, feeding him medicine three times. She raised his upper body and fed him spoon by spoon. In his unconscious state, he swallowed slowly, and most of the medicine leaked out, so she brewed several extra bowls each time to ensure he could drink enough medicine.
Wei Caiwei only dozed lightly all night, never sleeping well. She didn’t even undress, just lay by his pillow for a while. Hearing rustling sounds, she immediately opened her eyes and saw Wang Daxia had awakened.
This showed her antidote was effective. Wei Caiwei was extremely happy and wanted Wang Daxia to get up and walk a few steps to try.
But the awakened Wang Daxia didn’t look sick at all – he was very energetic. He grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed. As if he’d done it countless times before, he skillfully embraced her waist and rolled over, forcing her to the inside of the bed, then turned over and pressed down on her like Mount Tai, leaving her nowhere to escape. Her hands were also easily controlled by him.
He kissed her head-on like this. Wei Caiwei’s mind went blank. Things they had done countless times in the previous life somehow left her at a loss in this life.
What was happening? After not seeing him for seven days, had he changed from an obedient little puppy into a big wolf dog that bites anyone it sees?
It was like ice and fire attacking her simultaneously – she both anticipated and resisted it, her heart tangled into a twisted knot.
“Wife, life is short. We’ve set off fireworks for half the night – shouldn’t we rest now?”
This dreamlike murmur immediately shattered the tangled knot. This guy was still in his fantasy!
And he was fantasizing about setting off fireworks with Miss Shang! Spending the night with Miss Shang! Calling Miss Shang his wife!
Wei Caiwei’s hands couldn’t move, but her neck could. Just as that kiss was about to land, she turned her face away. Wang Daxia’s lips brushed across her cheek and landed on the pillow.
Wang Daxia shook his head, nuzzling like a little kitten, searching for her lips. In their intimate contact, Wei Caiwei’s mind was filled with scenes of intimacy with Eunuch Wang from the previous life. The Wang Daxias from two lives seemed about to merge at this moment, but thinking that Wang Daxia was still in his fantasy and wasn’t thinking of her, Wei Caiwei struggled desperately, twisting her body.
Wang Daxia pressed down like Mount Tai – she couldn’t break free. Not only that, Wei Caiwei could clearly feel Little Wang Daxia through her thigh, becoming more and more spirited.
Wei Caiwei sensed danger and had to resort to a desperate measure. She stopped avoiding and actively kissed his neck, then… bit down hard!
Ah!
Wang Daxia cried out in pain and finally released her hands, covering his neck.
Wei Caiwei’s hands were freed. She took the opportunity to push Wang Daxia away, jumped off the bed, picked up a pot of cold tea from the night before, and poured it over Wang Daxia’s head: “Sober up and look at who I am.”
Wei Caiwei was nearly exploding with anger. After not seeing you for seven days, you’ve changed people in your dreams.
Pain plus cold tea – real and intense – Wang Daxia couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality. He mumbled: “Hasn’t it always been you, Wei Caiwei? Marrying you, playing with fireworks in the bridal chamber, spending the night together. You kissed me, so why did you bite me and pour water on my head? I only did what all grooms in the world would do. Why are you punishing me like this?”
The bride who was within reach suddenly changed her expression, from tender as water to cold as ice. The dream changed from a spring dream to a nightmare in an instant. Wang Daxia felt his mind was a tangled mess.
Hearing this, Wei Caiwei finally understood what was wrong with Wang Daxia. It turned out that after being drugged, he had mistaken Miss Shang for her.
The one wearing the bride’s clothes was me. The one playing fireworks with him was me. The one spending the night was me. The one he wanted to kiss was also me.
Her anger was instantly extinguished. The storm cleared to sunshine.
Wei Caiwei picked up the towel from the wash stand and threw it to Wang Daxia: “Dry your head and face, sober up. You’re not dreaming now – this is reality. Yesterday you were drugged by that family, sent to the bridal chamber, and crazily set off fireworks with the bride, nearly setting the bridal chamber on fire.”
“What?” Wang Daxia awakened as if from a dream. Without bothering to wipe his wet hair and face, he immediately used the blanket to block his body and, like a chaste and virtuous husband, checked his body under the blanket’s cover.
“Ah! My clothes! Even the underclothes aren’t the ones I wore yesterday!” Wang Daxia’s handsome face paled. “I couldn’t have been… Ah! I’m no longer clean!”
“You weren’t. You and the bride were busy setting off fireworks and didn’t do anything else,” Wei Caiwei said. “A young eunuch changed your clothes.”
Wei Caiwei thought: Lucky you encountered the playful Miss Shang. If it had been any other woman who took a fancy to your beauty, by the time Lu Ying and others realized what was happening and broke in to save you, your raw rice would probably have been cooked.
Wei Caiwei also showed him the marriage contract he’d signed while confused: “Wang Boda? What were you thinking? Writing your father’s name, finding yourself a second stepmother?”
Hearing that his chastity remained intact, Wang Daxia turned from sorrow to joy. While wiping his wet hair and getting up from the bed, he lit a fire steel and burned the marriage contract: “I just signed it out of habit. In the past when I owed money for expenses outside, I’d sign my father’s name and tell creditors to go ask my father for payment. But—”
Wang Daxia looked at Wei Caiwei’s expression: “I don’t do that anymore.”
Wei Caiwei’s expression improved. Knowing one’s mistakes and correcting them – that was more like it. Indeed, he was much more responsible than before.
Wang Daxia continued proudly: “Now when I’m out, I put everything on the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s account and have them go to the Embroidered Uniform Guard office to collect payment. If I encounter small shops that don’t have Embroidered Uniform Guard accounts, I have the owner write a receipt and take it to Commander Lu for signature and reimbursement. Like the medicine you gave me last night – this counts as a work injury, so the medicine costs should be paid by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. When you go back, write me a slip, and try to write a bigger amount so I can claim more money.”
Wei Caiwei: You’re… really good at managing household finances!
“Wait.” Wei Caiwei noticed blood stains on the towel Wang Daxia was using to wipe his hair. Looking closely, “Your neck is bleeding.”
It was where Wei Caiwei had bitten him on the bed. She hadn’t expected that while Wang Daxia was thick-skinned, his neck skin was quite thin. One bite had broken through, leaving two rows of bloody tooth marks.
When Wang Daxia woke up earlier, he was concerned about whether he had been violated and forgot about the neck pain.
Wei Caiwei had Wang Daxia sit down. She took out medicinal powder and sprinkled it bit by bit on his neck to stop the bleeding, saying: “The tooth marks are too obvious. Remember to wear high-collared clothes until the tooth marks disappear. Otherwise, walking around with this evidence while I was with you last night – who knows what rumors people will spread.”
Author’s Note: Wang Daxia proudly covered his bleeding neck: Rounding it off, it counts as being kissed, so these aren’t tooth marks – this is a love bite!