“Eldest Cousin—”

After calling her husband, Jiafu saw him standing at the bottom of the steps, looking at her without responding, which made her slightly uneasy. She softly called out “Eldest Cousin” once more.

The midsummer evening breeze blew through the railings, stirring her skirt hem. She raised her wrist, gently brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen onto her face. The silver bracelet on her wrist gleamed with light, catching his eye.

Pei You’an nodded slightly, made a sound of acknowledgment, and stepped up onto the threshold to enter.

Jiafu hurriedly followed him inside.

This day had seemed particularly long, and now finally seeing him return, Jiafu felt joy in her heart. Remembering what he had done to her in the darkness of the previous night, she also felt some bashfulness. Standing to one side as he remained silent, she stole a glance at him and saw him removing his hat and outer clothes with a serious expression, his eyes never looking at her. She bit her lip and walked over to take his clothes.

Summer had arrived, and though his official uniform had been changed to a lighter silk material, it still consisted of three layers covering him completely. After removing his meticulously proper outer garment, the inner layer could be seen clinging to his back with a thin film of sweat. The room was quiet, both of them silent, waiting for the servant women to bring water. Pei You’an seemed somewhat uncomfortable, turning his face slightly. He noticed the book she had put down earlier and finally broke the silence: “Are you still reading this?”

Jiafu nodded and said softly, “I was just passing time while waiting for you. However, it’s somewhat difficult, and I’ve been reading it hastily. I’m not sure if I understand it.”

Pei You’an said, “If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask me.”

Jiafu replied, “All right.”

After that, they fell silent again.

The elderly maids brought in water, and Pei You’an seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. His gaze swept throughout the fair neck visible beyond her collar, and he cleared his throat lightly. “It’s rather hot. I’ll bathe first.”

Jiafu said, “I’ve already placed clean clothes inside for you. If you need anything, just call me.”

He nodded, turned, and entered the bathing room. Naturally, he didn’t call for her. When he came out, he had changed into light white inner clothes and was putting on a casual gauze robe that he commonly wore at home. As he dressed, he said, “I’m going to my study first. If you’re tired, you can sleep first.”

Jiafu made a sound of acknowledgment and watched him walk out. When he reached the full-length screen divider separating the inner and outer rooms, his silhouette hesitated and stopped. He turned his head and said, “If you’re not tired yet, you could come to the study with me to read as well.”

Jiafu’s face lit up with joy. She nodded eagerly, immediately picked up her copy of “Lunheng,” and quickly ran to his side, saying, “I’ll just read quietly, I promise not to disturb you, Eldest Cousin.”

Pei You’an smiled slightly.

They went to the study. As soon as he sat down, he opened the official documents he had brought back from the magistrate’s office and buried himself in work, sometimes turning pages, sometimes picking up his brush.

The desk was large. Jiafu moved a chair for herself and sat at the corner of the desk diagonally across from him, opened her book, and accompanied him as he worked.

The silver lamp shone brightly, and the study was completely quiet except for the faint, rhythmic dripping sound from the copper water clock.

Jiafu started by seriously reading her book, but after turning just one page, her mind began to wander, and her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward the man sitting diagonally across from her.

He truly was a handsome man.

In Jiafu’s mind, there suddenly appeared the water god Baishi Lang described in the collection of Yuefu poems she had read before. He dwelled by the river, and when he went out, the River Earl guided his way in front, while schools of river fish followed closely behind. He was incomparably handsome and elegant, “stones piled like jade, pines arranged like emeralds. The young man’s beauty is unmatched, the world has no equal.”

When she was young and read to this point, she couldn’t help but imagine the water god’s graceful figure as he walked upon the waves against the wind, his robes billowing. What kind of young man could deserve such a description? Now she suddenly felt that the man before her, with his calm eyes and demeanor, was precisely that peerless river god, the young lord Baishi.

Pei You’an was reviewing official documents. The text was sometimes difficult, and sometimes verbose. He could usually read ten lines at a glance, make decisions on paragraphs and sentences, and write fluently. But now, he gradually became distracted. Work that he would normally have completed by this time was not even half done, and just now, he had carelessly written an incorrect character.

He finally stopped writing and raised his eyes to look in the direction that was distracting him.

With one jade wrist supporting her chin, her eyes were looking directly at him, seemingly in a slight daze. Who knew what she was looking at or thinking? Her sleeve had slid down from her wrist and gathered near her elbow. The silver bracelet with its intricate carved grape and cricket design couldn’t compete with the smoothness of her jade-like skin. It had slipped down and caught in the middle of that lotus-root-like slender arm. Unexpectedly meeting his gaze, she seemed startled, immediately lowering her arm, sitting up straight, and lowering her eyes as she turned a page of her book.

Pei You’an calmed his mind and tried to banish the image of that lotus-stem arm with the silver bracelet from his thoughts, continuing to lower his head and focus on his work.

Moments later, he sensed her looking at him again. He couldn’t help but stop writing again, raise his head, and lightly tap the table with his finger as a reminder.

Jiafu’s face reddened, and she said softly, “There are some parts I don’t understand…”

Pei You’an felt somewhat regretful for having brought her to the study. With a silent sigh, he simply put down his brush, smiled, and said, “Which part don’t you understand? I’ll explain it to you.”

Jiafu immediately nodded, carried her book to his side, moved her chair closer, and sat shoulder-to-shoulder with him. She opened the book, pointed at a page with a tender white finger, and said, “I don’t understand this part.”

As soon as she sat down next to him, Pei You’an could smell the fragrance coming from her hair and skin, subtly permeating his senses. It immediately reminded him of the previous night in the embroidered curtains when he had embraced her in wild passion.

Last night, during their first time, his initial intention was the same as on their wedding night—solely to give her pleasure. Yet unexpectedly, he couldn’t control himself. Before she could experience pleasure, he had already been defeated once and then again. When she comforted him with her soft, alluring voice, Pei You’an felt utterly diminished, with an inner defeat impossible to describe. After the lights were extinguished, she snuggled against him and fell into a deep sleep. In the darkness, as he held her soft, fragrant, and supple body, he gradually felt ready for another attempt. Unable to resist the improper thoughts that had emerged on their wedding night, he finally acted on them. No longer maintaining his dignified appearance, he took her forcefully, completely subjugating her beneath him. In that final moment, the intoxication and pleasure were such that even conquering cities and territories might not have made his blood boil so intensely, nearly bursting through his skin. Although a day and night had passed since then, thinking about it now still made his hair stand on end…

Pei You’an felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen. Suddenly he heard her voice by his ear, and following her finger, he saw it was pointing at the thirteenth Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter of “Lunheng,” the Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter on human nature. He immediately composed himself and said: “The phrase ‘rituals serve as prevention, music serves as regulation’ first appears in the ‘White Tiger Hall Discussions on Virtue.’ It means that emotions and nature are the foundation for governing people, and ritual and music systems were established for this purpose—rituals to provide boundaries and music to provide moderation.”

Jiafu made a sound of understanding and looked up at him: “Then what is this entire Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter about?”

Pei You’an said, “The whole Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter discusses whether human nature is inherently good or evil, thus the title ‘Original Nature.’ Whether it’s Mencius’s theory that human nature is good, Xunzi’s theory that human nature is evil, Gaozi’s theory that human nature has neither good nor evil, or Yang Xiong’s theory that human nature contains both good and evil—they’re all one-sided views. Humans receive their nature from Heaven and Earth and possess the five constant virtues, so human nature often combines both good and evil. Confucius once said that only those of the highest wisdom and lowest stupidity are unchangeable—the extremely good and extremely evil cannot be changed. I deeply agree with this. But for ordinary people, human nature often changes with habits. As the saying goes, ‘Practice good and become good, practice evil and become evil’…”

His voice was deep, pleasant, and unhurried, like a clear mountain spring flowing over stones, gurgling in her ears. Jiafu gradually began to rest her chin on her hand again, looking at him with admiring eyes. Seeing him finish and glance down at her, she suddenly came back to her senses, quickly lowered her head, and turned to another page: “And this chapter? I read it a few days ago, but I just skimmed through it and understood even less…”

While explaining earlier, Pei You’an had already noticed her tilting her head slightly, resting her chin on her hand, and gazing at him intently. Her eyes didn’t blink, and her expression was both serious and incredibly pure. Yet strangely, her gaze made his heart waver. While his mouth spoke of rituals and music, his mind was filled with desire. Though he wore light summer clothes, he felt waves of restlessness, and his back was already subtly damp with sweat. Feeling a sense of guilt, he was relieved when she finally turned the page and looked again.

“This is the Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter on The Nature of Things.”

He exhaled and spoke in a voice he tried to keep steady.

“The opening says, ‘Confucians say: Heaven and Earth deliberately created humans. This statement is absurd.’ This means that starting from the Han Dynasty, Confucians believed that Heaven and Earth consciously created humans, which the author refutes as absurd. The book argues that it was the combination of the energies of Heaven and Earth that accidentally produced humans, just as when the energies of a man and woman combine, a child naturally comes into being…”

He paused, coughed, fixed his gaze on the page, and forced himself to continue explaining: “The Biao Mei Wan Fu – Chapter uses humans as an example, saying that when male and female energies combine, it’s not that they consciously intended to create a child, but rather that passion led to their union, resulting in birth. Since even men and women don’t consciously give birth to children, it follows that Heaven and Earth wouldn’t consciously create humans either. By extension, all things born between Heaven and Earth, like children born from the union of men and women, are in the same situation…”

He abruptly closed the book, tossed it aside, and said, “Lunheng is too difficult and not suitable for you. When I have time, I’ll find another book for you.”

Jiafu couldn’t help secretly glancing at his lower abdomen. Although it was hidden by the desk, she could faintly see that area had become… indescribable.

Jiafu recalled the events of the previous night, her heart pounding like a frightened deer. She softly agreed: “I’ll listen to Eldest Cousin. You continue with your work, and I’ll go to the small kitchen to see if the snacks are ready…”

She stood up but hadn’t noticed that earlier when moving her chair, a part of her skirt had been caught under the chair leg. Now as she rose, it pulled the chair, which made a sudden noise. She lost her balance, her body tilting. Pei You’an, quick with his eyes and hands, immediately reached out to steady her. Jiafu’s chest and abdomen brushed against his face as she fell sitting onto his lap, her buttocks pressing against his hardness. Her body stiffened, not daring to move.

Pei You’an felt his face firmly pressed against a soft, fragrant mass of flesh, which took his breath away. He closed his eyes briefly, then slowly opened them. Now with her fragrance filling his embrace, though his male desire was pinned beneath her, it was proudly rising, and his thoughts of aggression became increasingly evident.

It seemed like a long time passed before a “drip” sound broke the silence as a droplet of water fell from the water clock into the copper pot.

Jiafu uncomfortably twisted her waist, hurriedly trying to stand up. As her buttocks barely left his legs, she felt her waist sink as a pair of male hands firmly gripped her. With a downward push, she involuntarily fell back onto his lap.

Her face flushed like peach blossoms as she looked up at him, her lips slightly parted, unable to suppress her delicate, rapid breathing: “Eldest Cousin…”

The man’s eyes no longer resembled their usual calm waters but were like deep currents flowing through an abyss, the depths incredibly dark.

“Let’s go back to the chamber, it’s time to retire.”

He spoke in a low voice, deep as the boundless night outside the window.

…

In the imperial palace, Emperor Xiao Lie was already half drunk, stumbling as he was supported back to his sleeping quarters by his attendants.

Lady Zhou was waiting for him. Seeing his condition, she hurriedly came to welcome him, said something, and after he was settled, Xiao Lie lay with his eyes closed, seemingly in deep sleep, motionless.

Lady Zhou had taken special care with her appearance tonight. The dragon bed was also lightly scented with powder. Though no longer youthful, in the light of the palace lamps, her features were still alluring, with a distinctive charm.

She lay beside Xiao Lie, moved closer to him, and slid one hand under the covers toward the man beside her. She reached inside his clothes, gently grasped that place, and slowly began to caress and tease.

Xiao Lie didn’t open his eyes but turned his body away from her, lying with his back to her, and said in a low voice, “Another time. Your Emperor is tired today.”

Since entering the capital, Xiao Lie hadn’t touched her. Lady Zhou had secretly observed and hadn’t found that he had favored any other young palace maids. He either worked on state affairs through the night or came back and immediately fell asleep.

Lady Zhou’s expression subtly stiffened as she stared at Xiao Lie’s motionless back, slowly withdrawing her hand.

In the middle of the night, Xiao Lie was already asleep. Lady Zhou, unable to sleep, quietly got up and summoned her trusted servant, saying, “Go investigate where His Majesty went on the night of the Crown Prince’s wedding when he didn’t return all night.”