“Why did you come here alone?” Dou Zhao asked curiously.

To better care for her, the personal maids she had brought into the mansion—Suxin, Sulan, Ganlu, and Sujuan—were resting in the adjacent side room.

Sulan ran to Dou Zhao’s side with a grin. “Young Master Chen He just came by to ask if everyone had dispersed. He said if they had, we should come in to serve you and help you retire. He also mentioned that we should serve you as we did at home, and just have someone carefully watch over the dragon and phoenix candles. If people hadn’t left yet, we were to wait… Sister sent me to ask if you’d like to rest now or have a snack first.” Then, as if Dou Zhao might be concerned, she added, “When Chen He came, he brought a servant named Wu Yi. He said since we were new to the mansion and unfamiliar with everything, we could ask Wu Yi for help with any tasks. Wu Yi seemed quite clever, so I’m sure he won’t gossip about anything.”

It would be highly disrespectful for a bride to retire before the groom returned. If the in-laws found out, they might label her as ill-mannered. A scolding would be the least of her worries—they might even summon and humiliate her family, who would have no choice but to endure it.

Song Mo had considered everything thoroughly.

Dou Zhao smiled. “I’ll wait for the Young Master to return.”

Since Song Mo showed her such respect, she should reciprocate.

Sulan nodded with a smile. “Then shall I keep you company?”

“Don’t you talk enough every day?” Dou Zhao laughed. “You should all go rest. Just have Ganlu keep watch tonight. You’ll be busy tomorrow!” Then she asked, “Are the gifts for the Song family members prepared for tomorrow?”

“They’re ready,” Sulan replied. “We prepared them long ago. Sister also had us pack many red envelopes—the double happiness pattern ones contain eight qian of silver each, and the falling-to-earth pattern ones have four qian each. Young Miss can use these to reward the servants.”

Dou Zhao nodded with satisfaction.

Sulan served Dou Zhao a cup of hot tea before withdrawing.

Dou Zhao then carefully examined the bridal chamber.

It was a five-room main house with side rooms. The eastern wing served as the inner chamber, with the adjacent room as a living area. The side room had been converted into a washroom. The western wing was not visible but likely housed a study.

Since her father-in-law was still alive, this certainly wasn’t the main courtyard of Duke Ying’s mansion.

The sedan chair had taken many turns upon entering, so she wasn’t sure if this was in the Yi Zhi Hall or a separate courtyard prepared as the bridal chamber.

The walls had been newly papered, and crimson Hangzhou silk curtains with persimmon calyx patterns hung from the ceiling. Given the short time between their engagement and wedding, there wouldn’t have been time for extensive renovations. Looking at the ceiling inlaid with blue and green treasure patterns and the mirror-like floor tiles that reflected one’s image, it was clear this room hadn’t been chosen at random for the bridal chamber.

Dou Zhao’s gaze was drawn to the colorful glass-paneled screen between the inner chamber and the living area.

It consisted of six panels with eighteen sections, all made of blue enameled glass. Each was inlaid with mother-of-pearl in a magnolia flower pattern. The colors were bright yet soft, the style both novel and dignified, piquing her interest. She leaned in for a closer look.

Whose craftsmanship was this?

The Meiling plain magnolia had short, wide sepals with blunt tips. The Jian’ou plain magnolia petals curled upwards. The palm-fan plain magnolia’s petals spread like a fan… The details were exquisite, truly a masterpiece!

She thought of the garden of flowers and plants she had left behind in Zhending, and her grandmother.

She had thought she would return quickly, but it had been two years.

If only she could have the chance to go back and bid farewell to her grandmother.

Then there were Suxin and Sulan, whose own marriages had been delayed because of her situation.

Dou Zhao recalled how last year, when Zhao Liangbi came to the capital, Suxin had entered to serve tea. His burning gaze and Suxin’s reddened ears…

She couldn’t help but rub her forehead.

Just then, she heard footsteps outside.

A servant’s respectful voice followed: “Young Master, you’ve returned!”

Song Mo gave a faint “Mm” in response.

Dou Zhao quickly sat up straight.

The door creaked open, and Song Mo, his face slightly flushed from alcohol, entered.

“Young Master!” Dou Zhao greeted him with a smile.

As the bride, she couldn’t let her feet touch the ground before the wedding night.

Song Mo was surprised to see Dou Zhao still in her full bridal attire, sitting on the nanmu wood bed.

Dou Zhao explained with a smile, “I was waiting for you to return!”

Although their marriage carried a hint of expediency, Dou Zhao’s respect for the ceremony moved Song Mo slightly.

He pointed to Dou Zhao’s resplendent yet heavy phoenix crown and bridal robe, asking, “Can you take those off now?”

Dou Zhao smiled. “Of course!”

Song Mo sighed in relief and said, “Then quickly have someone help you remove your makeup. It looks exhausting just to wear all that.”

Dou Zhao smiled softly and called for Suxin and Sulan to enter.

Song Mo retreated to the western side room.

After Dou Zhao had washed up, restyled her hair into a simple bun, applied some fragrant cream, and changed into a new peach-red undergarment, Sulan and the others withdrew. Ganlu remained to prepare the bedding on the large kang bed by the window in the living area.

Song Mo re-entered, now wearing a lake-blue Hangzhou silk robe.

Seeing Ganlu preparing the bed, he casually instructed her, “You may go rest now. There’s no need for you to keep watch here tonight.”

Ganlu looked uncertainly toward Dou Zhao.

Now that she was married to Song Mo, she should respect his habits.

Dou Zhao gave a slight nod.

Ganlu quickly curtsied and withdrew.

Song Mo sat on the bedding Ganlu had prepared and smiled, “Let’s retire for the night. We have to rise early tomorrow for the kitchen god ritual, ancestral worship, meeting relatives, and hosting a banquet for friends and family. You don’t want to be yawning through it all!” With that, he took off his shoes and climbed onto the kang bed.

“You… you’re planning to sleep here?” Dou Zhao asked in surprise.

Song Mo smiled. “If I slept elsewhere, you might be the subject of gossip tomorrow. It might even alarm your father!”

Thinking of the silver notes Dou Shiyingx had given Dou Zhao and the reluctant parting between father and daughter, his tone softened.

Dou Zhao’s face turned crimson.

It was only two days before the wedding that she decided to marry Song Mo.

So much had happened, and time had been so rushed that Dou Zhao hadn’t had a chance to think through everything. It wasn’t until after the ceremony, sitting quietly in the bridal chamber, that she thought about the wedding night… She felt extremely awkward, but she knew that as Song Mo’s wife, she should fulfill her responsibilities and obligations. She had steeled herself, trying not to overthink, ready to face whatever came.

But she never imagined that Song Mo had no intention of consummating their marriage.

This both relieved and unsettled her.

Song Mo seemed to know what she was thinking. He calmly pointed to a small red lacquered box with gold designs that he had brought in, and said with a smile, “This is something Master Yan helped me prepare. It’s chicken blood mixed with some herbs. Most people won’t be able to tell the difference… Don’t worry, no one will know.”

A blush spread from his cheeks to his ears, betraying his embarrassment.

Dou Zhao looked at Song Mo in surprise, her gaze as bright as the midsummer sun, as if trying to see through to his very core.

Song Mo felt flustered.

He lay down on his side.

“Let’s sleep,” he mumbled, closing his eyes. “We have to get up early tomorrow.”

Dou Zhao stood by the bed, looking at Song Mo’s curved back with a complex expression. After a long moment, she said softly, “How can I let you sleep here? I should sleep here, and you should take the bed…”

Ganlu had used cotton bedding, with just a thick cotton mattress; Dou Zhao’s bed had silk bedding with several layers of soft cotton padding.

“It’s fine,” Song Mo said. “When I was with my uncle, I even slept in stables. I’m not particular about these things. Go to sleep.”

Dou Zhao stood there for a while before quietly lying down on the nanmu wood bed.

The room was brightly lit, and so quiet you could hear a pin drop. The faint sound of the third watch being struck could be heard.

But Dou Zhao couldn’t sleep.

This arrangement might work for now, but what about the future?

What about Song Mo’s legitimate heir?

Yet the thought of sharing a bed with Song Mo… memories of her past life flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t muster the courage.

She tossed and turned restlessly.

“Can’t sleep?” Song Mo suddenly asked, breaking the silence. He had seemed to be asleep.

Seeing that Song Mo wasn’t as indifferent to the situation as he appeared, Dou Zhao felt somewhat better.

She stammered, “Then in the future…”

“We’ll deal with the future when it comes,” Song Mo said casually. “Didn’t you say you might not be a good wife, but you’d certainly be a good partner? Right now, what I need is a good partner.”

Was this why Song Mo chose to sleep in the outer room on their wedding night?

Dou Zhao didn’t dare to think too much about it.

She wanted to be selfish and comfort herself first.

But for some reason, she found it even harder to fall asleep.

So Song Mo started chatting with her: “Our family compound is divided into three sections. The central section houses the main hall, with the principal rooms behind it. The garden is in the east section, and we live in the west section… Our bridal chamber is in the Yi Zhi Hall in the west section, which used to be my residence. Because of the time constraints, we could only do some basic renovations. If you don’t like it, we can have craftsmen come to refurbish it properly next summer…

After my mother passed away, my father moved to the Xiangxiang Courtyard in the east section… My second brother lives in the Luming Pavilion next to the Xiangxiang Courtyard. It used to be my grandfather’s painting studio, named after the deer kept there. However, after my grandfather passed away, my father sent the deer to our country estate outside the capital. Over the past decade or so, they’ve multiplied to over a hundred, becoming a source of income for the family. As for the principal rooms, they’ve been left empty…”

His rambling chatter gradually calmed Dou Zhao.

She was curious about why Yan Chaoqing had helped Song Mo prepare the chicken blood, but she didn’t want to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere, so she kept her question to herself for now.

Instead, she told Song Mo about the little girl who had been shouting outside their bridal chamber earlier. “She called you ‘Third Cousin’ and referred to your father as ‘Second Uncle’. Is she the child of your third or fourth uncle?”

“It must be my third uncle’s daughter, Song Jin,” Song Mo replied without hesitation. “The Song family doesn’t have many children, and she’s the only girl of our generation. Both the elders and our cousins tend to indulge her. We always thought she was just a bit spoiled, but I never imagined she’d become so unruly.” His tone was slightly annoyed, but he didn’t doubt Dou Zhao’s words at all. “If she gives you trouble tomorrow, don’t say anything. Just smile, and I’ll handle it.” He then began to introduce some of their relatives to Dou Zhao.

She had already learned about these family members from Chen Qushui after deciding to marry Song Mo. But Song Mo’s words, “Just smile, and I’ll handle it,” made Dou Zhao’s heart skip a beat, her expression turning emotional.

In her two lifetimes, who else besides Song Mo had ever said something like that to her?

It felt as if she had finally landed on solid ground after being suspended in mid-air, giving her a profound sense of security.

Lulled by Song Mo’s clear, spring-like voice, Dou Zhao drifted off to sleep.

Noticing the lack of response from her side, Song Mo propped himself up to look over.

Dou Zhao was sleeping soundly, a smile on her lips.

He couldn’t help but smile too.

As he lay back down, his heart felt more at peace than ever before.

It was as if he had returned to the past, where no matter where he went, there was always a warm place waiting for him, ensuring he would never feel lonely or isolated again…