After seeing Wei Tingzhen off, Wei Tingyu glumly followed Dou Ming back to the upper courtyard of Duke Jining’s mansion. Dou Ming went straight to the inner chamber, while Wei Tingyu lingered in the hall before turning to his study.
When Dou Ming emerged after changing clothes, she was surprised not to see Wei Tingyu. “Where’s the Duke?” she asked. The servants trembled in fear, not daring to speak. Zhu’er left with no choice, reluctantly stepped forward to inform Dou Ming of Wei Tingyu’s whereabouts.
Dou Ming’s face darkened. She angrily swept a teacup to the floor with a loud crash. A deathly silence fell over the inner chamber. With trembling fingers, Dou Ming ordered Zhu’er, “Tell the maids to serve dinner!”
Zhu’er hurriedly complied, arranging the evening meal with the maids on the large kang by the window. Dou Ming ate slowly, finally setting down her bowl at the beginning of the second-night watch. Still, Wei Tingyu hadn’t appeared.
Zhu’er meekly reported, “The Duke dined in his study.”
Dou Ming raised her head, fixing Zhu’er with a sharp glare. “Do you have nothing better to do? The laundry room is short-handed!”
Zhu’er paled, not daring to speak further.
Feeling increasingly irritated, Dou Ming hastily washed up and went to bed. A young maid moved to close the doors, but Dou Ming snapped, “Why are you locking up so early? What’s the point of having night attendants?”
The confused maid didn’t understand what she had done wrong. Zhu’er, however, finally grasped the situation. The Duchess was waiting for the Duke to return but was too proud to admit it. She quickly instructed the maid to reopen the doors and arranged bedding in the inner chamber for night duty. Dou Ming’s expression softened slightly at this.
Zhu’er remained vigilant, keeping her eyes open as she waited for Wei Tingyu’s return. However, he never came back to the chamber. Dou Ming tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Zhu’er dared not let Dou Ming know she was still awake, lying rigid and barely breathing.
As dawn began to break, the room finally fell silent. Zhu’er sighed in relief, thinking Dou Ming had finally succumbed to sleep. But then came the sound of muffled sobs from behind the bed curtains, interspersed with Dou Ming’s curses: “If you’re so capable, then don’t come asking me for an appointment as Deputy Commander of the Eastern District…”
Half a city away, at Duke Ying’s mansion in Yizhi Hall, Dou Zhao also awoke. She opened her eyes to see Song Mo’s peacefully sleeping face. His fair skin glowed like fine jade, and his dark hair lay softly on the red double-lotus silk pillow, exuding an indescribable grace.
This beautiful youth, as pure as the morning dew, displayed a passion in bed that belied his appearance. Dou Zhao’s face flushed hotly at the memory. The exquisite pleasure of the previous night seemed to course through her body anew, leaving her limbs weak. She realized she was still entwined in Song Mo’s embrace, her body half-numb from the position.
She let out an involuntary moan. Song Mo’s clear voice sounded in her ear: “Awake?”
“Mm,” Dou Zhao responded, massaging her numb right shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” Song Mo asked with concern, turning to face her.
“My body’s gone numb,” she replied.
“Where? Let me rub it for you,” Song Mo offered.
Feeling uncomfortable, Dou Zhao rolled over, turning her back to Song Mo and exposing her right shoulder. The silk covers slipped, revealing her flawless alabaster skin and the graceful curve of her back. The cold air rushed in, causing her to shiver. She quickly pulled the covers up to her chin, belatedly realizing she was still naked. Memories of the previous night became increasingly vivid.
The fullness she felt when Song Mo entered her body… the tingling sensation when he nibbled her earlobe… the tender whispers… All these recollections sent waves of heat to her face. She failed to notice Song Mo’s momentary daze at the sight of her exposed skin, nor the deepening desire in his eyes. She only felt his gentle hands, his fingers skillfully and firmly massaging her shoulders, bringing her such comfort that she nearly cried out. The nearly sleepless Dou Zhao began to drift off.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, Song Mo’s hands moved from her shoulders to her soft, peach-like breasts…
Dou Zhao jolted awake. “Don’t,” she said, struggling to push his hands away. “I’m tired…” But he took the opportunity to pull her tightly against him from behind.
Dou Zhao felt apprehensive. Last night’s repeated ecstasy had left her body drained, but the unsated Song Mo, like a skilled musician, began to slowly coax her body back to readiness… She had never experienced such intense sensations before, simultaneously draining yet invigorating. She could sense his inexperience in his occasionally uncontrolled movements, which made her reluctant to reproach his willfulness… After all, this was only their second time sharing a bed since their marriage… Thinking about it now made her somewhat fearful.
Song Mo had different thoughts. He loved Dou Zhao’s dreamy eyes in moments of pleasure, the way she clung to him in passion, and her sweet, low moans at the height of ecstasy…
Unable to resist, Song Mo bit Dou Zhao’s soft earlobe. “Shou Gu, did you miss me?” His hand traced the curves of her body. “I missed you… The bed in the duty room is narrow and hard, and the bedding always smells musty no matter how much it’s aired out… I love your scent, faint like jasmine or tuberose…” His voice lowered as his fingers skillfully found the sensitive bud hidden in her folds, alternating between light and firm touches. “Your body is like layered mountain peaks… making one want to explore the end of this mountain path…”
Dou Zhao felt as if her entire body was on fire. No wonder he always seemed insatiable. “Song Yan Tang, stop talking!” she exclaimed, certain her whole body must be as red as a cooked shrimp.
Seeing her embarrassed and flustered state, Song Mo felt elated. He whispered in her ear, “Shou Gu, you don’t know that every time I touch you there, your whole body trembles… even there…”
Was this the same dignified and aloof Song Mo? Who would speak of such things?
“You… you…” Dou Zhao was at a loss for words.
Song Mo kissed her shoulder, his touch as light as a feather. Then suddenly, he entered her from behind.
Dou Zhao cried out in surprise, her eyes wide.
Song Mo breathed softly against her ear, “See? You were thinking of me too…”
Dou Zhao’s face burned like a chili pepper. She closed her eyes as if to hide from the situation.
Song Mo’s joyful laughter rang in her ears.
The sounds from the inner chamber made Su Xin and the other maids blush. They retreated to the corridor, only returning when the room finally quieted as the sun climbed high in the sky.
Dou Zhao was left without even the strength to speak. Song Mo, however, was like a satiated lion, full of energy.
“Shou Gu,” he said, stroking Dou Zhao’s sweat-dampened hair, “I need to go to the Daxing estate later. Why don’t you come with me?” His words were full of reluctance to part. Ignoring her sweat-covered body, he leaned down to kiss her cheek.
The Daxing estate referred to the land grant bestowed upon him by the Emperor. Because it had previously been an imperial estate, ordinary people dared not approach it, so Song Mo kept some of his secret guards there.
“I’m not going,” Dou Zhao replied, wanting only to sleep. “I need water.”
Song Mo hurriedly poured her a cup of water, helping her sit up to drink it. Then he tried to persuade her: “On the way to the Daxing estate, there’s a noodle shop called ‘Half Room.’ They make excellent assorted noodles that many people travel far to taste. If you come with me to the estate, we can stop there on the way back… Or we could go to the Drunk Immortal Restaurant for rare delicacies… Or maybe we could have vegetarian food at the Jade Pearl Pavilion… You don’t have much to do at home anyway, so why not come out with me? I’ll be on palace duty again in a couple of days…”
A warm feeling spread through Dou Zhao’s heart. No one had ever been so attached to her before. She hesitated, her eyes revealing her indecision.
Song Mo, an expert at reading expressions, kissed her eyebrows and eyelids. “Shou Gu, I just want to be with you. There are no elders at home, and I’m afraid I can’t control myself…” As he spoke, he took her hand and guided it towards his lower body.
Dou Zhao was startled, her face flushing crimson as she clenched her fist.
Fortunately, Song Mo didn’t force the issue. Seeing her reluctance, he released her hand. “Let’s go for a walk outside then. The weather is getting colder. Soon it will be freezing, with everything withered. It’ll be too cold to go anywhere, and we might catch a chill. There won’t be much scenery to enjoy either, so we might as well stay at home…”
Dou Zhao wasn’t afraid of the cold; she was afraid Song Mo couldn’t control himself. Although she suspected this was just an excuse, after the morning’s indulgence, she decided to believe him.
“I’ll get up and change,” Dou Zhao said, finally agreeing.
“I’ll help you,” Song Mo said enthusiastically, opening the tall sandalwood wardrobe. “Which outfit do you want to wear?”
Does he enjoy having me by his side this much? Dou Zhao wondered, feeling somewhat bewildered. In her previous life, Wei Tingyu hadn’t particularly liked having someone always with him, saying it was too fussy…
After washing up and getting dressed, Dou Zhao allowed Song Mo to help her into the carriage. The accompanying maids and servants were sent to another vehicle.
Throughout the journey, Song Mo conversed with Dou Zhao: “…The Five Battalions Command and the Shuntian Prefecture will surely find a scapegoat when the deadline for solving the case arrives. That’s just how things work in officialdom. But privately, everyone knows Duke Ying’s household suffered a hidden loss. If we simply let it go without any response, those so-called jianghu people who are used to bullying the weak and fearing the strong will think our household is easy to push around. They’ll come knocking at our door for every little thing. It just so happens that Xu Qing is serving as a Hundred-Household in the Cangzhou Guard. I plan to send Lu Ming with some men to settle the score and prevent them from thinking Duke Ying’s household is a soft target they can squeeze at will.”
“So you’re going there to select secret guards?” Dou Zhao asked, her body still soft as she leaned against the large welcoming pillow in the carriage. She glanced at Song Mo with her large almond eyes, her eyelashes fluttering alluringly.
Song Mo took Dou Zhao’s hand, gently kneading it as he spoke casually, “While those bandits haven’t gone far, we’ll try to capture a few…” They continued talking until they reached the Daxing estate.