That night, Xin Mei was wrapped in blankets by Lu Qianqiao and rolled around in bed all night. When they woke up the next day, both their faces were somewhat pale and their spirits low.
When Si Lan came in to deliver hot water, his face alternated between red and green, his expression looking as if he planned to gouge out his own eyes.
“General, General Bai rushed back to the capital overnight to request an audience with His Majesty about retiring to his hometown.”
Yesterday they had been making such a commotion all day that they hadn’t paid attention to others’ reactions within Jiaping Pass—this was truly inappropriate. Think about it: first, the Emperor forcibly sent over a half-dead general to steal credit, then they were tormented nearly to death by the suddenly mad general. Before they could catch their breath from that ordeal, the general’s mother forcibly broke into Jiaping Pass, brazenly fighting with her son as if no one else existed, reducing nearly half the tents in the pass to dust…
General Bai’s fragile heart couldn’t withstand such tremendous pressure. That very night, he tearfully removed his armor and returned to the capital to request retirement—this was absolutely human nature.
Lu Qianqiao expressed understanding: “I see.”
Si Lan watched him rise with a pale face, his thin robe sliding from his shoulders, revealing his bare chest marked with suggestive red traces. His nose and chin also bore similarly suggestive wounds, and worse still, his mouth corner was broken. Si Lan couldn’t help but glare viciously at Xin Mei, who was still wrapped in blankets like a silkworm, only her head visible as she looked back at him innocently with wide eyes.
Detestable! He knew this girl was no good! How could she be so wolfish with the general’s first night! Moreover… moreover, the general had just awakened during the day and fought a great battle with Li Chaoyang—how could she have the nerve to force herself on him that very evening?!
“…I’ll change a bucket of hot water for you. Please bathe in peace.”
Si Lan tearfully carried out the basin of hot water he had just brought in.
Lu Qianqiao shook his head: “No need. Si Lan, return to the Imperial Tomb and handle something for me.”
“Please give your orders, General.”
Lu Qianqiao’s expression was somewhat unnatural, carrying a trace of embarrassment. He cleared his throat softly before slowly saying, “You go back… well, arrange a wedding. Red paper, bridal sedan, and such… not a single thing can be missing.”
Si Lan looked up in astonishment, not quite understanding. Arrange a wedding? Whose wedding?
Lu Qianqiao handed over a piece of paper: “These are mine and Xin Mei’s measurements. Go order wedding attire and phoenix crown.”
Si Lan’s eyes widened. The general wanted to marry that little demon star again?! Weren’t they already husband and wife, having been wed by imperial decree?! Could it be… could it be that because of last night’s activities, the general felt guilty toward that girl, so he…
“Go.” Lu Qianqiao didn’t wish to say more and rose to put on his outer robe.
Si Lan left with a pale face.
Lu Qianqiao arranged his hair and looked back at Xin Mei on the bed. She hadn’t spoken the entire time, only rolling her eyes to watch him.
He thought for a moment and spoke earnestly: “Still… wait until after the wedding.”
Xin Mei’s face pouted again: “We’re already married.”
“That doesn’t count.”
“Stop talking nonsense—you just won’t do it.”
“…Xin Mei, I’m a man. I don’t want you to feel wronged.”
“I feel very wronged right now!”
Lu Qianqiao sighed and sat on the bedside, reaching out to touch her tender, soft cheek: “Xin Mei, stop making trouble.”
She bared her white teeth, glaring at him fiercely: “You’re the one who tied me up—you stop making trouble!”
Last night she had only nibbled him twice and hadn’t even harbored wicked thoughts when he couldn’t wait to release the demon-binding rope, directly tying her up from head to toe, then rolling her up in blankets, making her roll around all night as if she were a big bad wolf about to attack a pitiful little white rabbit! Was this some mistake?! Why were their positions always so confused?!
Lu Qianqiao remained completely unmoved: “If you stop making trouble, I’ll release you.”
“Hmph, I don’t want to bow to heaven and earth with you! You’ll never get to consummate this marriage!”
Clearly a little white rabbit, yet she always liked to imitate a big bad wolf’s snarling, revealing her adorable fierce expression. Lu Qianqiao patted her full forehead and withdrew the demon-binding rope. Xin Mei wriggled out of the blankets, her clothes and hair in complete disarray, and immediately jumped down from the bed to put on her shoes.
“I’m going back to my maternal home! Lu Qianqiao, you’re not allowed to come find me!”
She pushed open the window, glaring as she prepared to jump out.
“Xin Mei, come back.”
A gentle call filled with laughter.
She stopped, stubbornly refusing to turn around, crossing her arms and defiantly looking up at the sky.
“Be good, come back.”
…In the end, she obediently turned around and walked over.
He leaned against the headboard, eyebrows slightly raised, his expression gentle and smiling. Even those somewhat discordant red eyes didn’t look so frightening anymore. Before, he was like an unsheathed peerless blade—coldly brilliant and completely unapproachable. Now the blade was properly sheathed and no longer pointed at her, appearing much gentler, even possessing a trace of elegance.
Xin Mei felt his beauty was quite remarkable. Though it couldn’t compare to Zhang Dahu, whom she had first fancied for his manliness and rugged righteousness, he could still be considered one in a hundred.
“Sit down.” He pointed to the bed.
She obediently sat facing him, unable to resist extending her claws to pinch and touch his very attractive face.
Lu Qianqiao caught her wrist and smiled helplessly: “Turn around.”
She felt him take a wooden comb to brush her hair, the teeth gently scraping her scalp with a tingling sensation.
His voice was low and soft: “Not even combing your hair… does pulling hurt?”
She shook her head randomly.
His hair-combing movements were completely unskilled—slow, careful, and hopelessly clumsy. When encountering even slightly tangled spots, he would hesitate for ages, as if using the slightest force would tear off her scalp. Xin Mei opened her mouth to criticize this cautiousness, but for some reason, after opening her mouth, she couldn’t say anything.
His fingers were very warm, resting on her neck. Though motionless, that once strange and peculiar feeling returned.
Xin Mei raised her eyelashes in confusion, her little heart in her chest disobediently racing.
She wanted to… hug him, get closer to him, even closer. Not playfully nibbling him, but… but… she couldn’t clearly express what it was.
Lu Qianqiao couldn’t arrange hair buns, so he only braided two plaits for her, then turned her around by the shoulders to straighten her collar and sash. He wrung out a cloth in hot water, pushed aside her thick bangs, and wiped her face clean.
“If you’re going back, take Lie Yunhua. Leave Qiuyue with me, alright?” he asked in a low voice.
Xin Mei’s unreliable heart kept beating wildly as she asked with a red face: “…Is this… is this exchanging betrothal tokens?”
Lu Qianqiao paused, then smiled and nodded: “That works too… consider them betrothal tokens.”
…She always felt this couple was somewhat strange—already married yet still taking spirit beasts as betrothal tokens, never having consummated their marriage, and he still insisted on bowing to heaven and earth again.
How troublesome.
Xin Mei rode Lie Yunhua back to her maternal home, Xinxie Manor, with complex emotions—perhaps using the term “homecoming” would be more accurate?
Xin Xiong was in the stables selecting suitable young stallions to breed with several mares when he suddenly heard loud neighing overhead. His daughter descended from the sky riding a magnificent fire-red spirit horse, and his eyes immediately brightened—how handsome and powerful this horse was!
“Father, I’ve come home.”
Xin Mei jumped down from Lie Yunhua and casually greeted him.
Xin Xiong was hugging Lie Yunhua’s hind legs, grinning from ear to ear. Hearing these words, his smile immediately froze.
“Homecoming?” He looked around in confusion. “Then… where’s your husband? Shouldn’t you two return together?”
Xin Mei pouted: “We had a fight, so I’m coming home alone.”
A fight… that should be it. She touched her braids and began blushing and heart-racing again.
“You were driven out by your husband?!” Xin Xiong was so shocked he nearly fainted. “Just over a month married, and you… you… how could you be sent back already?!”
“…Father, please listen clearly to what I’m saying. We had a fight, so I’m coming home alone.”
“How did you offend your husband?! Or did you offend your in-laws by being lazy and gluttonous? Is there a divorce letter? Is there still hope for reconciliation?!”
“So I’m saying, Father, it’s not what you think at all…”
Why was her father so difficult to communicate with?
Xin Xiong calmed down by afternoon after eating. He finally stopped his endless muttering at the wall and turned to face Xin Mei, silently shedding tears and looking at her with heartbreaking eyes.
“My dear treasure, you’re good-looking and your temper isn’t too bad—why is your marriage so full of hardships…”
He choked up, vigorously blowing his nose with a handkerchief while continuously shaking his head and sighing.
“Father, we still haven’t consummated our marriage. Do you think… I might lack feminine charm, be too childish?”
Xin Mei was very troubled by Lu Qianqiao’s attitude last night. She had only hugged his neck and nibbled his chin twice to show marital affection, but he pushed her away as if struck by lightning. Unwilling to accept this, she pounced again, accidentally tearing off his thin shirt to reveal his chest. Seeing his skin looked quite nice, she nibbled once more. The result was that he was clearly the first to lose control, holding her tightly and starting to bite her ear. She immediately followed suit and bit his nose, but the next moment she was bound tightly by the demon-binding rope and rolled up in blankets.
This was truly a blow. She rolled around all night and didn’t sleep well.
Xin Xiong stopped crying, his old face involuntarily reddening. He coughed once before saying: “This, this matter… Father can’t say for sure. Dear treasure, your mother died early and no one taught you these things. Father is also embarrassed to discuss them with you… anyway… in any case… pleasing your husband still requires some learning… wait! Father will find you some useful things.”
He acted like a thief in his own home, sneaking into the bedroom and feeling around the very bottom of a chest to extract an oilcloth-wrapped bundle. He then sneakily handed it to Xin Mei, his old face red as an apple: “Little Mei… take this… at night, when you’re alone, then look.”
What was so mysterious?
Xin Mei tried to unwrap the oilcloth, but he frantically stopped her: “Don’t look during the day! Don’t look when others are around! Only look secretly at night when you’re alone!”
She had to put the cloth bundle in her bosom and comfort her deeply wounded father.
“Oh right, that stallion you rode back today is really excellent. Where did you buy it? How old is it? Our family is short of several good spirit horses. Would it be alright for Father to arrange some breeding?”
Xin Mei was stunned. Uh, so her betrothal token was about to be used for breeding by her father…
“It’s your son-in-law’s mount. We exchanged spirit beasts.”
Xin Xiong’s face finally showed a trace of joy: “Oh? Your husband’s? It seems he still dotes on you quite a bit… Dear treasure, remember to carefully read those books in the bundle tonight. Since your husband has you in his heart, don’t quarrel with him again next time, understand?”
Before she could respond, they heard Lie Yunhua’s grieved neighing outside the window, followed by several senior brothers’ panicked calls. The two looked out together to see Lie Yunhua galloping over, pitifully bumping Xin Mei’s hand with its nose while pawing the ground forcefully with its front hooves, looking completely unwilling.
“What happened?” Xin Xiong asked the eldest senior brother behind them.
The eldest senior brother sighed: “Master instructed us to select the manor’s best mares for this Lie Yunhua to breed with. We picked over ten of the most magnificent ones, but it looked down on all of them. Having no choice, we shut them together, but who knew it would run away…”
Xin Mei looked down at the silently weeping Lie Yunhua and thought for a moment: “Maybe it prefers stallions? Try shutting it up with stallions instead?”
You, you’re slandering me! Lie Yunhua was greatly devastated and, filled with tears of blood, was dragged by a group of people to be locked up with stallions.
Note: Mare refers to female horses. Stallion refers to male horses.