When Jia Fu married the Pei family, not only did she bring along her maids Tan Xiang, Mu Xiang, and others who had accompanied her previously, but Madam Meng also sent her attendant Liu Ma to join them. After Pei You’an lifted the veil and left, the joyous, festive atmosphere with laughter and merriment disappeared, and the bridal chamber grew quiet.
Liu Ma led the maids inside to help Jia Fu remove her headdress, take off her jewelry and ceremonial shawl, and remove the heavy wedding attire until only three layers of clothing remained. They then changed her into a bright red silk robe with cloud-patterned shoulders and wide sleeves specially tailored for tonight’s occasion.
The collar and chest were embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns, and underneath she wore satin trousers with a subtle lotus design and a red gold-woven decorative satin skirt tied at the waist. Compared to the overly formal ceremonial dress from before, it was no less festive but added a touch of graceful charm.
Jia Fu hadn’t eaten since noon. Now that everyone had left and only familiar faces remained around her, after having maintained her composure all evening, she gradually felt hunger in her stomach, as if her chest were pressing against her back. Yet she had no appetite. She barely drank a few sips of the chicken consommé that Liu Ma had ordered to be brought in, peeled half a small Jiangnan mandarin, and could eat no more. Liu Ma then ordered the maids to clear away the food and personally helped Jia Fu wash her face and rinse her mouth with fragrant liquid. After all these preparations were complete, she had Jia Fu sit on the edge of the bed, waiting for the bridegroom’s return.
Jia Fu waited for a long time until she finally heard faint footsteps outside, with maids and servants in the corridor calling “Young Master.”
Jia Fu couldn’t help but grow nervous again. She sat up straight, eyes fixed on the doorway, her hands hidden in her large sleeves, fingers tightly clasped together. Liu Ma heard it too and quickly led the maids to welcome him. With a soft creaking sound, a figure entered the bridal chamber—Pei You’an had returned.
He didn’t appear to have drunk much wine; his walk was quite steady. After entering, he removed his headdress himself and ordered everyone to withdraw. Liu Ma glanced at Jia Fu, signaling her to go and attend to him, then with a smile on her face, led the maids out of the room and closed the door.
After more than a year, tonight, seeing Pei You’an appear before her once more—unlike earlier when they were surrounded by people—now they were alone. Jia Fu’s heart beat rapidly. Remembering her mother’s repeated instructions, she composed herself, stood up from the bed edge where she had been sitting all evening, and came softly behind him. Gathering her courage, she said in a low voice, “Husband, let me help you change your clothes.”
Pei You’an had his back to her and was taking off his outer garment when he heard her speaking behind him. His movements paused, and he turned his head to meet her gaze.
They were very close, and Jia Fu finally saw clearly that he likely hadn’t drunk much wine tonight, but his eyes still held a faint haze of alcohol.
He made a sound of acknowledgment and said, “Thank you,” placing the outer garment he had just removed into her outstretched hands. Then he turned and walked past her, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
Jia Fu hesitated a moment, holding his clothes, recalling when they lived together in Wuding. Back then, whenever he returned each night, she would always compete with the maids to receive his removed clothing. Sometimes he would smile, sometimes he showed no expression, but she never felt any awkwardness.
Tonight he had become her husband, and she his wife. Yet he was so polite.
Jia Fu put away his clothes and turned back, slowly returning to his side.
He sat on the edge of the bed, and she stood beside him, gazing at him, her eyes unblinking.
The red candles flickered, casting shifting shadows. For a moment, neither spoke.
After a while, he seemed drunk, unable to resist the effects of the wine. He raised his hand to rub his forehead, his eyes not looking at her, and murmured, “It’s late, you should rest as well.” Having said this, he lay down, still wearing his three layers of inner and outer garments. The outermost middle layer looked neat, without even a single wrinkle.
Jia Fu softly responded with a gentle “Mm,” turned her back to him, and slowly removed her clothes until only her undergarments remained. Then she carefully climbed onto the bed and finally lay down beside him.
She curled up her body, facing him, sharing the long brocade pillow embroidered with the pattern of King Wen’s hundred sons and ten thousand blessings. Yet between them remained a distance of one foot. He lay on his back, eyes closed, seemingly asleep, his breathing even, not even his eyelashes moving.
Jia Fu also closed her eyes at first, then slowly opened them, gazing at the half profile he presented to her. After watching for a long time, remembering her mother’s instructions, and after much hesitation, she finally gathered her courage and slowly moved closer to him, extending a soft arm to gently rest across his waist.
The tips of Pei You’an’s eyelashes quivered slightly.
Jia Fu knew he was still awake but didn’t dare look at him.
“Husband…”
Jia Fu called to him softly, her voice barely audible, her eyelashes trembling as she closed her eyes, her delicate head lightly resting on one side of his shoulder.
Pei You’an did not respond, nor did he push her away. After a moment, he said, “Having married you, I will protect you completely. From now on, you must behave properly and not harbor improper thoughts.” His tone was calm.
Jia Fu froze, her body becoming rigid as she slowly opened her eyes and lifted her face.
He had also opened his eyes, turning his face slightly toward her, their gazes meeting on the pillow.
His eyes were jet black, his gaze cool, showing not the slightest hint of tenderness.
The blush gradually faded from Jia Fu’s face, and the arm that had been resting across his waist slowly withdrew.
“I understand… it was my fault… I shouldn’t have treated you that way…”
She dared not look at him anymore, feeling utterly dejected. She lowered her gaze and stammered.
“I can let it pass. But now that you’ve entered my household, you’ll inevitably interact with others daily. As for little Quan, if you don’t like the child, just stay away from him in the future. If there’s anything, tell me. Remember, I will not allow you to use underhanded means to achieve your goals, nor may you lie to me again. Regardless of the reason.”
If earlier Jia Fu had only felt shame, now, hearing such words from his mouth, shame alone was far from sufficient to describe her current feelings.
The incident with the frozen dragon’s brain—she had long forgotten it. But at this moment, she was reminded.
So he had never forgotten that she had once lied to him. He simply hadn’t mentioned it to her before.
And tonight, after marrying her, he finally spoke of it, admonishing her.
Jia Fu shrank back and raised her eyes to look at him again.
Having finished speaking, he had closed his eyes, his expression serene, as if he had fallen asleep once more.
“I… will remember…”
After responding with this short phrase, as if she had used all her strength, Jia Fu hung her head, motionless.
The room fell silent, with only the sound of his breathing in her ears.
Jia Fu no longer leaned against him. Just as she had moved away earlier, she quietly, inch by inch, moved back until she would not touch even the hem of his garment.
She held her breath and slowly turned over. As soon as she closed her eyes, tears slid down, rolling to the side of her ears.
She dared not make any sobbing sounds, but the tears wouldn’t stop, silently soaking a patch of the pillow.
“Why are you crying?”
After a moment, she heard his voice from behind her. She shook her head desperately and mumbled, “I’m not crying.”
“You are crying.” After a pause, she heard him say again.
Jia Fu could no longer hold back and choked out a sob. With her eyes closed, she mumbled, “If you find me so annoying, if you look down on me so much, why did you marry me? I already told you before, I didn’t care about that anymore, and I never forced you to marry me.”
Pei You’an turned his head to look at her back facing him. After a moment of hesitation, he said, “When did I say I found you annoying or looked down on you? I was merely teaching you to behave properly in the future and not to harbor devious thoughts.”
“You find me annoying and look down on me…”
Jia Fu sobbed, “…don’t worry, I won’t cling to you… In the future, when you find someone you truly care for…”
As she spoke these words, she felt grief well up inside her. She tried desperately to hold it back, but the tears flowed even more freely, rolling down like pearls from a broken string, her crying becoming increasingly heartbroken.
“Stop talking nonsense. Don’t cry anymore…”
Pei You’an spoke again from behind her. His voice, compared to earlier, had softened considerably, carrying a careful, coaxing tone.
Jia Fu buried her face in the pillow, her shoulders shaking, her voice muffled, “…I can’t help it… don’t mind me…”
Pei You’an sat up, half leaning against the headboard. He turned to look at her back facing him. After a moment, he leaned forward slightly, his hand reaching out toward her, almost touching her shoulder before stopping.
“Please don’t cry…”
Jia Fu continued to sob.
“What will it take for you to stop crying?”
Jia Fu didn’t seem to hear.
Pei You’an remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, “If you keep crying, I’ll go to the study.” Having said this, he made it as if to get off the bed.
Jia Fu immediately stopped and instinctively turned her face quickly, her beautiful eyes still filled with tears, looking toward him.
Pei You’an slowly exhaled, glanced at her tear-stained face, and got off the bed.
Jia Fu watched his back as he left the bed, her heart pounding, her face losing color once again.
She hadn’t intentionally meant to cry and whimper in front of him, annoying him. It was just that earlier, she had felt so ashamed and hurt that she couldn’t help shedding a few tears.
On their wedding night, if he truly became annoyed by her crying and left her for the study, she wouldn’t be able to face anyone tomorrow. She might as well dig a hole and bury herself.
“Eldest Cousin!”
Jia Fu immediately scrambled off the bed, rushed over, and from behind tightly embraced his waist, refusing to let go.
“I won’t cry anymore, don’t leave…” Her voice still carried a hint of crying, but she was desperately trying to hold it back.
Pei You’an felt a soft warmth suddenly pressing against his back, and his abdomen was encircled by two soft arms. Still sitting on the edge of the bed, his shoulders tensed slightly, then he looked down, gently released her hands, and stood up.
“Eldest Cousin… I really won’t cry anymore…”
Jia Fu sat amidst a pile of brocade bedding, looking up at him with panicked eyes, her voice pleading, a crystal tear hanging at the corner of her eye, about to fall—utterly pitiful.
Pei You’an looked at her for a moment, then turned around.
Jia Fu watched him enter the bathroom and come out with a cloth wrung in water. He returned to the bedside, leaned down, and reached out to wipe her face. After wiping her face, he said softly, “If you behave, I won’t leave.”
Jia Fu immediately nodded. The tear at the corner of her eye dropped with a “plop,” and she hurriedly wiped it away, quickly lying back down and closing her eyes.
A moment later, an additional person joined Jia Fu’s side—Pei You’an had lain back down. After a while, an arm slowly extended and pulled her closer.
Jia Fu felt him gently unfastening her clothes.
She kept her eyes tightly closed, her body trembling slightly.
“Don’t be afraid. If it hurts, tell me.”
He carefully removed her undergarments, lifted her smooth, delicate waist and hips, placed a gauze cloth beneath her, and as he gently pressed down, his lips touched her earlobe as he spoke softly.
Her earlobe burned like fire, but his lips carried a slight coolness, like the temperature of his skin.
Throughout the entire process, he was extremely gentle, with no unnecessary movements, nor did he kiss her. Only when he first entered her, causing her pain, and she tightly clung to his back, whimpering softly, did he pause and kiss away a drop of fragrant sweat that had formed on her forehead.
Afterward, he wiped Jia Fu’s body as she lay with closed eyes, filled with bashfulness. He placed the cloth stained with her maiden red beside them, then put on his clothes, neatly lying back down.
That night, Jia Fu’s tender heart alternated between sweetness and sorrow, rising and falling, sleeping and waking. The man beside her, however, seemed to sleep deeply, never turning over once, nor touching her again.
Before the fifth watch, while the sky was still dark, there came a knock at the door. A servant had come to summon the newlyweds to rise, to pay respects to the father-in-law and mother-in-law, and to worship at the ancestral shrine.