His long, strong arms held her close against him.

His broad and solid chest radiated a warmth that enveloped her completely.

Layers of red flushed across Ling Jingshu’s face; heat seemed to rise around her, and with a somewhat helpless motion she pushed against Wei Yan: “I’ll bathe by myself.” The mere thought of him attending her in the bath — just imagining that scene — was enough to make her feel overwhelmed with embarrassment, a strange warmth spreading through her entire body.

Her push carried no real force whatsoever. Not only did it fail to move Wei Yan even the slightest, it instead stirred up the restless longing he had been suppressing all this while.

Wei Yan exhaled sharply, bent his head down, and kissed her red lips — deeply, forcefully, hungrily.

Ling Jingshu felt a warmth rise in her heart and tilted her face up to respond to him with equal ardor.

That kiss released all the emotion both of them had been painstakingly holding back.

Wei Yan let out a pained, low groan, and murmured indistinctly against her lips: “A’Shu, what am I to do? I can’t hold on any longer……” He was an arrow drawn taut on a bowstring, poised and ready. How could he possibly wait any longer for her to bathe and change?

Wei Yan’s hands pressed ever more urgently, as though he would draw her slender waist entirely into his own body.

Their bodies pressed tightly together, and Ling Jingshu became acutely aware of the change in him.

Her own body had grown weak and languid, so much so that she no longer had the strength even to stand, and could only cling tightly to him.

Wei Yan’s breathing grew more rapid, his voice laced with urgency: “A’Shu, I truly cannot hold on any longer.”

The warm breath drifting against her ear made her body go weak, a tide of heat rising shamelessly within her. Her voice trembled faintly: “If you can’t hold on……then don’t. We can bathe……afterwards……”

Those soft, yielding words reached his ears, and Wei Yan immediately became excited and ardent.

He strode to the door and called out clearly: “All of you stand down — you are not needed here.” He then swiftly shut the door and slid the bolt into place.

Before Ling Jingshu could even gather herself, Wei Yan had returned and swept her up in his arms, carrying her to the bed.

……

Red gauze bed-curtains.

Red bedding.

Red pillows.

And Ling Jingshu herself, dressed in red bridal garments, her face suffused with a deep crimson blush.

Everything was beautiful beyond all imagining.

No man of sound mind and body could resist such a vision of beauty.

Wei Yan, his whole body burning with restless heat, undressed himself with the greatest possible speed.

Ling Jingshu lay amid the bedding and, seeing Wei Yan remove his clothes, instinctively turned her face away. Within only a brief moment, the bed beside her dipped, and a young, healthy, unclothed body appeared at her side.

Warm hands settled at her waist, deftly parting the fastening of her garment.

Burning lips met hers, then wandered to behind her ear, and lingered at her fair and tender chest.

Her garments were soon taken away as well, and they lay before each other with nothing between them.

“A’Shu! A’Shu!” Wei Yan pressed down over her soft body, his hands moving freely and coaxingly over her, while his mouth murmured her name in low, continuous tones — each call lower than the last, each more tender and lingering.

Ling Jingshu felt as though she had become a pool of spring water, brought to a boil within his ardor.

“It hurts……”

A cry of pain was swallowed within his lips.

From this moment on, she was transformed from a maiden into a woman — she had become his wife, fused together with him as one.

Whether from the pain, or from a trace of loss and grievance, or from the joy of belonging wholly to her beloved — a single clear tear slid from the corner of Ling Jingshu’s eye.

Wei Yan stilled all his movements and tenderly kissed that tear away.

After that, there was no more hesitation, no more uncertainty — only endless tenderness and pleasure.

……

It hurt terribly.

Ling Jingshu lay utterly spent, her mind a blur of confusion. Her entire body was without a trace of strength, yet the pain between her legs was acutely and unmistakably present.

Wei Yan lay at her side, his own breathing still labored and unsteady.

After a while, Wei Yan recovered himself and asked gently: “A’Shu, are you still in pain?”

Ling Jingshu replied with what little energy she had — a single word: “Yes.”

Her whole body felt as though it had been taken apart and then put back together again. Her legs especially bore an aching soreness she could not conceal.

Wei Yan offered an apology of rather questionable sincerity: “I’m sorry — I was too hasty; I hurt you just now. Once I’ve had more experience in the future, it will get better.”

Even as he said this, he placed his hand at her waist and began to knead it with a firm yet gentle touch.

The soreness throughout Ling Jingshu’s body immediately eased considerably.

This was the benefit of having married a physician. Ling Jingshu, setting aside all shyness, turned onto her side: “Knead a little more on this side of my waist.”

Wei Yan was directed about with complete and willing contentment, and promptly extended his hand to massage accordingly.

After a while of this sweet closeness, the soreness in her body eased somewhat.

Ling Jingshu let out a soft, unconscious sigh.

Wei Yan rose from the bed and casually put on a garment to cover himself, then found a soft blanket and carefully wrapped Ling Jingshu’s body in it. He then lifted her with effortless ease and carried her around behind the folding screen.

There was a door here, connected to the bathing room.

The thoughtful servants had long since prepared the hot water. The large wooden tub was spacious enough to accommodate two people bathing; the steaming water was strewn with flower petals and fragrant to the nose. The candlestick in the corner cast a soft and gentle glow.

Wei Yan freed one hand to remove the blanket from around Ling Jingshu and lifted her into the wooden tub, then undressed himself as well and stepped in to join her.

The warm water rose to her chest, leaving only her pale neck and rosy face exposed above the surface — the steam rising around her, a vision of beauty that struck the heart.

Wei Yan pulled her into his arms and said with brazen ease: “You haven’t the strength — let me wash you.” He held her with his left arm and with his right hand applied himself diligently, reaching into the water.

The charming scene that ensued was truly impossible to describe in words.

Ling Jingshu, wholly without strength, simply closed her eyes and let Wei Yan busy himself as he wished.

Wei Yan, “busying himself” with a mind that wandered increasingly astray, soon felt his blood run hot and his longing stir again.

For a man who had kept himself chaste for many years and had only just tasted the pleasures between men and women, once was hardly sufficient. Twice, three times……even going without sleep for an entire night would have been quite acceptable to him.

The more Wei Yan thought on it, the more excited he became, and his body responded accordingly.

Wei Yan shyly pressed close to Ling Jingshu’s ear and murmured softly: “A’Shu, shall we try once more here?”

She didn’t say anything? Then she must certainly agree!

Wei Yan, utterly satisfied with this interpretation, was just about to act on it when he suddenly sensed that something was not quite right, and bent his head to look down. He then let out an amused laugh.

No wonder Ling Jingshu had neither objected nor responded. It turned out she had closed her eyes and fallen fast asleep.

She had slept almost not at all the previous night, then sat rigid and still for an entire day, and then engaged in an activity of very considerable physical exertion. Soaking in warm water was also draining to the body — small wonder that Ling Jingshu had sunk into deep sleep.

Wei Yan gazed at Ling Jingshu’s peaceful, sleeping face, and every restless impulse within him was soothed into stillness.

He bent his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her brow, then carefully lifted her out of the wooden tub, patted away every trace of water with a towel, wrapped her body in the blanket once more, and carried her back to the bed in the bridal chamber.

Ling Jingshu truly had been exhausted to the very depths — she did not wake throughout the entire time.

Wei Yan climbed onto the bed, drew her into his arms, and fell contentedly asleep with her.