Zhou Shaojin tossed and turned, finally drifting off to sleep when she heard the third night watch drum. Suddenly, she felt someone caressing her face.

Warm and gentle.

This definitely wasn’t a maid.

No maid would dare to touch her like this.

Startled, she sat up with a sudden movement.

“Fourth, Fourth Brother!” She clutched her pillow, staring at Cheng Chi, unable to speak for quite some time.

Cheng Chi chuckled softly.

Her sleepy eyes, flushed cheeks, pink lips, and bewildered expression made her look as adorable as a confused little kitten.

He couldn’t help but laugh again, sitting on the edge of the bed and pulling Zhou Shaojin into his embrace.

In his warm arms, surrounded by his familiar scent, Zhou Shaojin finally came to her senses.

Cheng Chi had returned!

He had really come back!

“Fourth Brother!” Longing surged through her like a tide. She tightly wrapped her arms around Cheng Chi’s waist, resting her head against his chest.

“How have these days been treating you?” Cheng Chi asked, but as he lowered his head, he caught sight of her delicate jade-like neck.

The alluring scenes he had been too busy to think about suddenly flooded his mind.

Unable to resist, he kissed her neck.

His lips were warm, landing on her neck, yet they felt like searing fire. They somehow ignited a nerve in her body, the heat spreading from her neck to her heart, making her shiver.

Zhou Shaojin was too frightened to move.

Why was she reacting this way again?

Whenever Cheng Chi kissed her, she would tremble!

But it wasn’t fear.

It was just… just that the burning sensation there would make half her body feel soft and weak, completely drained of strength.

Cheng Chi watched as her jade-like neck gradually took on a pink hue.

He couldn’t help but laugh softly again.

Shaojin was particularly shy.

Her face must already be as red as a lotus flower by now.

He kissed her cheek.

Only then did he notice she was sitting stiffly, as if unable to move at all.

She had been the same way the first time he made love to her.

Back then, he had been terrified of hurting her.

But she had bitten her lip and remained motionless. Only when the pain was severe would she let out a soft moan. If his hearing weren’t sharp and his attention completely focused on her reactions, he wouldn’t have heard it at all.

This made him treat her even more tenderly.

He would play with her for a long while before slowly exploring the beautiful scenery between the flower valleys.

Even so, she would still be extremely stiff.

And somewhat afraid.

Each time she would watch his face, as if she needed to confirm that the person entering her was him before she could endure it.

Should he stop? Wait until she was older?

Cheng Chi hesitated for a moment.

But their perfectly matched intimacy was impossible for him to give up. Looking at her, he just wanted to hold her in his arms, keep her in his pocket, and take her wherever he went.

“Shaojin!” He sighed somewhat helplessly, yet his hand had a mind of its own, slipping in through the hem of her garment, lingering and wandering along her silky smooth slender waist.

Zhou Shaojin knew that soon he would move down along her waist, making her so embarrassed she wished she could just faint.

She wanted to close her eyes, but through the corner of her eye, through the curtains that weren’t fully closed, she saw a bright ray of light streaming in.

“Don’t!” She grabbed Cheng Chi’s hand.

That urgent voice sounded like a kitten’s cry, with a heart-stirring allure.

Cheng Chi originally had no intention of doing anything, but this sound was like sparks landing on his entire body, suddenly igniting him. Not only did it make him reluctant to withdraw his hand, it also set his blood on fire, crackling and making even his breathing grow rough.

“Are you feeling unwell?” he asked, nibbling on her earlobe.

For the first time in his life, he understood those lustful men. And for the first time in his life, he admired Liu Xiahui.

To pull himself out of such a gentle trap was truly not easy!

His hand on her skin hesitated.

Zhou Shaojin suddenly thought of his dependent expression when he suckled her fullness. In a flash, she suddenly wondered if Cheng Chi might… enjoy her body…

This thought made her heart race wildly.

If it were true, if it really was… how could she push him away… Her intention was to make him happy… No matter what kind of happiness, as long as he was happy, she felt it was worthwhile…

Zhou Shaojin felt her face burning hot.

Moreover, she could hear Cheng Chi’s breathing becoming irregular.

During their intimate times, his breathing would be like this too.

But for him to be like this when they hadn’t done anything yet was a first.

Now Zhou Shaojin not only felt her face burning, but her whole body felt as hot as if being roasted over a fire.

Seeing her so shy that even her eyelids were red, Cheng Chi’s heart melted like it could drip water. It was like when he was a child, knowing full well something was wrong but still wanting to do it, to test whether it really wouldn’t work… His hand moved upward with the flow, kneading that fullness into a shape he liked, biting her ear as he continued: “Are you feeling unwell?”

Half of Zhou Shaojin’s body went weak, her heart pounding like a drum.

“Don’t!” She heard her own voice, hoarse as if lacking water, saying, “I, my legs are weak, I can’t walk…”

Was she already weak in the legs from just this?

Cheng Chi was somewhat surprised, and inexplicably a bit proud.

He knew it was because of him.

Although she had memories of her previous life, how could those memories be good? Apart from humiliation, what else could there be?

His hand paused.

Zhou Shaojin breathed a sigh of relief.

Fourth Brother… no matter when, would always consider her!

She couldn’t help but smile.

Joy gradually spread to the corners of her eyes and brows, and her heart became lighter.

She said softly: “You just returned, and you’ll need to pay respects to Mother later… I still need to organize your luggage for you… prepare lunch… Maybe Mother will want me to accompany her playing leaf cards… Every time my body is so soft and weak…”

Once they returned to their room, he could do whatever he wanted with her.

She just asked for some breathing room so people wouldn’t notice anything unusual.

She was now the mistress in charge of the household. Even if those people wouldn’t dare say anything to her face, they would certainly gossip behind her back.

A thought flashed through Cheng Chi’s mind, and the fire in his heart that had just weakened suddenly blazed up again, burning more and more fiercely like a prairie fire.

“You mean,” he whispered in her ear, “every time after we’re together, your body is so soft you can’t exert any strength?” His hand unconsciously began kneading that fullness again.

Zhou Shaojin couldn’t help but moan softly, panting: “You, you promised me…”

If that were the case, then why was her body still stiff as stone?

Cheng Chi felt it necessary to discuss this matter with Zhou Shaojin in detail.

He didn’t want to wrong Shaojin, nor did he want to wrong himself.

Cheng Chi simply held her curled up in his arms like a child, his hand following those curves, caressing as his heart desired.

Zhou Shaojin was so afraid.

Every time before they made love, he would do this…

Who knew that Cheng Chi wouldn’t do as before. Instead, he whispered softly in her ear: “Besides weak legs, is there anything else… I won’t touch you, I just want to know. So Mother won’t misunderstand…”

Zhou Shaojin’s body was stiff and rigid, her face flushed deep red, her clear eyes misty with moisture, but she just bit her lip and wouldn’t speak.

Cheng Chi’s heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat. While kissing her, he carefully traced the scenery between the flower valleys.

Zhou Shaojin began sobbing softly, grabbing his hand and saying “don’t.”

Cheng Chi’s throat was on fire, yet he continued coaxing her gently: “…What else is there?”

Zhou Shaojin felt that damned sensation was coming again.

She tightly clamped her legs together and cried: “I, I need to use the chamber pot…”

“What?” For a moment, Cheng Chi didn’t understand.

Zhou Shaojin shamefully repeated it, then began crying softly.

Cheng Chi understood.

Both surprised and delighted.

He quickly held her in his arms, gently coaxing: “It’s alright, it’s alright, I won’t do anything improper. Okay?”

Zhou Shaojin lay stiffly in his embrace. After a good while, the tide within her body slowly began to recede.

Her body gradually softened as well.

Cheng Chi smiled as he kissed her cheeks, properly and respectfully, without any transgression, as if she were his treasure, his gestures carrying unmistakable indulgence.

Only then did Zhou Shaojin’s heart calm down, her body becoming soft and pliant, obediently nestling in his embrace.

She really was just a child!

Knowing nothing at all.

But she was willing to submit docilely to him.

However he wanted her to be, that’s how she would be.

If it weren’t for those memories from her previous life, she would naturally understand her body’s changes. But because of the past life, everything unreasonable was feared by her.

Cheng Chi sighed inwardly.

This was the result of not having a mother by her side.

However, even if her mother were by her side, at most she would toss her a spring picture book when she married, wouldn’t she?

Cheng Chi smiled ruefully, gently stroking her hair, asking softly: “Is it because you need to use the chamber pot that your body becomes stiff?”

Zhou Shaojin didn’t want to hear another word, pulling his clothes to cover her face.

But that was all she could do—just cover her face.

Cheng Chi thought of the story about covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.

He laughed heartily, yet still couldn’t suppress the desire in his heart as he asked her softly: “When did this start happening?”

The first time, no matter how tender he was, she had turned pale from the pain.

Zhou Shaojin absolutely refused to speak.

So Cheng Chi teased her.

Finally, Zhou Shaojin couldn’t take it anymore and had to bury her head in his chest, saying shamefully and resentfully “the last time.”

Cheng Chi laughed loudly.

Zhou Shaojin struggled free from his embrace and gave Cheng Chi a push.

But Cheng Chi went with the momentum, falling forward with half his body pressing on her as he began kissing her.

Zhou Shaojin struggled, but it had no effect whatsoever.

Cheng Chi laughed: “I know you need to manage the household later. I haven’t seen you for so many days. We got married and I left for Jining Prefecture after nine days. I just want to hold you, don’t move around.”

She knew what consequences “moving around” would have, so she obediently dared not move.

Cheng Chi kissed her and spoke sweet words with her for a while before sitting up to help her put on her undergarments and inner clothes one by one.

Zhou Shaojin looked at Cheng Chi with embarrassment, feeling she had been somewhat excessive.

When Fourth Brother said he wouldn’t touch her, he wouldn’t touch her. Yet she had struggled as if he wouldn’t keep his word. Fortunately, Fourth Brother had a good temper. If it had been someone else… In her previous life at the manor, she had heard of women being beaten over such matters.

Those people naturally couldn’t be compared with Fourth Brother, but for her to distrust Fourth Brother like this—when Fourth Brother thought about it later, he would probably be somewhat displeased.

Zhou Shaojin then tugged on Cheng Chi’s sleeve, enduring her shyness to say: “Mother said that after you return, she wants to move to Xinglin Alley for a while, and won’t come back until the fifteenth of the first month.”

By then, with mother-in-law away, he could do whatever he wanted!