The warm glow of the lamp fell softly into the bed canopy, creating a cozy and peaceful atmosphere, while the faint sound of the watch drums drifting from afar added another layer of tranquility.

Xu Lingyi lay with his ears perked up, listening for any sound.

There was only the soft sound of breathing, and for a long while, not a single rustle of a turning page.

After a long hesitation, he opened his eyes — and saw Shiyiniang staring blankly at the *Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Zhou Dynasty*, lost in a daze.

Having been hurt like this by her own family, even the most open-hearted person would surely feel a measure of heartache. And Shiyiniang was still young, with little experience of such things…

He quietly turned over.

Should he offer her a word of comfort?

But it was hardly a glorious matter, and if he brought it up directly, would Shiyiniang feel exposed and deeply embarrassed?

He turned it over in his mind, and finally decided to leave it alone.

Some things a person must work through on their own. What others say may not land, may not be heard. The most he could do was stay close, keep an eye on her, and offer the occasional gentle reminder.

With that decision made, his heart settled. Drowsiness crept over him, and he drifted off — only to be jolted awake by the third watch drum. He turned his head and saw Shiyiniang lying curled on her side with her back to him, the covers having slipped down to her waist, her shoulders and arms — clad in nothing but a thin, pale white silk garment — exposed outside the quilt.

In this kind of cold!

Xu Lingyi pushed himself up and tucked the blanket around her.

In the lamplight, Shiyiniang’s delicate brows were gently furrowed, and from her long lashes hung a single teardrop, like a begonia blossom holding a drop of dew — heartrendingly lovely.

Xu Lingyi’s hands paused. He studied her for a long moment, then gently took her hand — white and slender, resting atop the crimson brocade quilt, cold as frost — and leaned close to her ear, softly calling out, “Moyan.”

Shiyiniang’s mind was in turmoil. She held the *Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Zhou Dynasty* in her hands and could not absorb a single word. Yet she did not want to set it down — at least holding it gave her something to occupy herself with; if she put it down, she would have nothing at all to do.

In her dazed and hollow state, a pang of sorrow rose within her, and tears fell silently, one by one, blurring her vision.

She did not want Xu Lingyi to notice her distress.

She turned onto her side with her back to him, leaning against the large pillow, and closed her eyes, letting the tears slide one by one from the corners of her eyes and onto the pillow… Her head grew heavy and light all at once, and her thoughts turned hazy and unclear.

Then, without warning, someone called “Moyan” close to her ear.

She startled violently, lurching upright.

“Who’s there?”

She clutched the front of her garment and looked in the direction of the voice, wide-eyed with alarm.

She heard an “Ouch!” — and Xu Lingyi was covering his jaw with his hand, staring at her with wide eyes.

Shiyiniang froze.

Only after a moment did she come to her senses.

“My lord… are you all right?” She reached out to touch his jaw to soothe it, then immediately thought better of it — that was precisely where he had been struck; touching it would only hurt more. She sheepishly withdrew her hand. “I did not know it was you…”

Xu Lingyi watched as she had sprung up like a startled small creature, her expression frightened as she looked frantically about — and then, seeing it was him, she let out a long breath, forced a smile, and asked whether he was hurt.

Why had she been so suddenly frightened?

Xu Lingyi’s gaze sharpened slightly.

He thought of what had happened that afternoon…

Meanwhile, Shiyiniang only now became aware of how cold her fingertips were.

Seeing the slight displeasure in his brow, she felt uneasy.

Anyone who had been struck in the jaw while trying to tuck someone in would be annoyed, after all!

She smiled awkwardly. “My lord…” Then she pointed at his jaw. “Are you… are you all right?”

“I’m fine!” Xu Lingyi lay back down. “Get some sleep.”

After such an interruption, sleep was hard to come by for either of them — but especially for Shiyiniang. Her body was ice-cold, while Xu Lingyi radiated warmth on his side of the bed like a furnace. She could not help but edge her way over, little by little.

Who else would it be but Shiyiniang, sliding her cold and shivering body over to press against him?

His earlier irritation dissolved entirely.

Xu Lingyi thought back to the fear he had seen on her face when she had been jolted awake, and he turned to study her expression.

Shiyiniang was fully awake now. At least in this moment, she was quite clear about who she was.

Feeling him staring at her, and remembering her own abrupt behavior just moments ago, she could only offer him an apologetic smile.

Shiyiniang’s hair was disheveled now, her eyes red and swollen, yet her expression was gentle and serene — even carrying a faint, reassuring tranquility — with not a trace left of the panic and alarm from moments before.

Xu Lingyi felt something stir in his chest. He gently brushed aside the dark strands of hair falling across her cheek. “Why were you frightened just now?”

His touch was soft, even carrying a faint tenderness, and yet the question made Shiyiniang’s tongue go still.

She could hardly say she had thought her secret had been discovered.

She lowered her gaze. “It was nothing. You called out so suddenly — it startled me.”

Her manner made it clear she did not wish to say more.

But then why had she been so frightened?

Xu Lingyi considered for a moment, then said, “Is Fifth Yiniang well?”

Shiyiniang was taken aback.

Why bring up Fifth Yiniang out of nowhere?

“She is quite well,” Shiyiniang said. “She has put on weight, and her color is much better. She spends every day at home sewing for the little brother or sister not yet born.” Then, thinking that Xu Lingyi was not the sort of man to make idle small talk, she paused and added, “Is there something on your mind, my lord?”

It seemed she had guessed wrong.

“Oh, nothing in particular,” Xu Lingyi said casually. “She just came to mind, so I asked.” Then he shifted the subject smoothly: “I think you should stay home and rest for five or six days. If anyone asks, say it is a chill. That sort of illness spreads easily to those nearby.”

His change of subject came so quickly that Shiyiniang took a moment to grasp what he meant.

That would work well — she had caught a chill and passed it on to Dongqing. That way, even if Nanny Tao tried to spread word of anything, there would be a ready explanation on the surface. And the sooner the woman was sent out, the sooner Shiyiniang could breathe easily. Having her stay in the courtyard was like having a thorn lodged in the flesh. Besides, it would help clear her own name — Qiao Lianfang had barely become pregnant when Shiyiniang fell ill; anyone with a watchful eye might read too much into the timing.

She thought it over, then said to Xu Lingyi, “I would like to give Dongqing her indenture papers and send her back to Yuhang.”

Xu Lingyi was rather surprised.

He had assumed Shiyiniang would hand Dongqing over to the Luo family to deal with. In that case, the Luo family, needing to account for themselves to the Xu household, would surely punish Dongqing harshly. Dongqing would be lucky to survive with her skin intact — her fate would be easy enough to imagine. At the same time, it would serve as a warning to the First Mistress and those in Shiyiniang’s household whose loyalties were uncertain. And Shiyiniang herself would be absolved. He had not expected Shiyiniang to simply let it pass so quietly.

Thinking it over more carefully, he realized that Shiyiniang was, at heart, a very soft-hearted person.

Still, since this was Shiyiniang’s decision, he expressed his agreement. “Just let Chief Steward Bai know when you have settled on a date. He will see to it that the person is escorted home according to your instructions.”

That was a misunderstanding, actually.

What Shiyiniang truly felt was this: since Dongqing had not held their five years of closeness in any regard, she would simply act as though those five years had never existed. She would send Dongqing back to her family, unharmed. What happened to her after that would no longer be any concern of Shiyiniang’s.

What she was worried about now was the Dowager Marchioness. “It does feel a little wrong to cause Mother such concern…” She felt genuinely unsettled.

“Do not worry,” Xu Lingyi said. “I will handle Mother.”

Though in his own mind, he was thinking of the way his mother had looked at him — first startled, then with that teasing smile — when he had told her Shiyiniang was unwell.

In all likelihood, his mother had guessed the illness was feigned, and probably assumed it had something to do with Qiao Lianfang’s pregnancy. Why else would she have had Nanny Du specifically go to inform Danyang, who was close to her own confinement, that Shiyiniang was unwell — and then come in person to visit, accompanied by two sisters-in-law, in every appearance a show of support for Shiyiniang?

At that thought, he found himself quietly amused.

What he did not know was that Shiyiniang was not at all the petty, jealous sort. Her unhappiness had nothing to do with any of that — it was entirely her family’s affairs that weighed on her.

Xu Lingyi tightened his arms around Shiyiniang.

Even between mother and son, certain things about a wife were better kept private.

“Do not worry. Mother couldn’t be more fond of you,” he said softly, with a smile. “If you’re feeling uneasy, once you are better, go and pay your respects to her in good spirits. After that, just give her your wholehearted devotion. That is all.”

His embrace was warm, gradually drawing the cold from her body.

“Perhaps just one day of illness then?” Shiyiniang murmured. “Hui Jie’er will be visiting the house soon, and you mentioned wanting to help me replace the people in the courtyard. Then there is Tenth Sister — the twenty-first day after the death is nearly upon us, and even if the Shuntian Prefecture has not closed the case, Wang Family will need to collect the body in time to hold the proper rites… There is so much to see to.”

Xu Lingyi nodded slightly. “As you wish.” He bent down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. She felt so slight and soft in his arms, like a spring willow — so tender as to inspire protection. Unable to help himself, he slid a hand past her collar and began to caress her figure’s ever-more-refined curves, and even bit her earlobe lightly as he teased her, “This will give your eyes a chance to lose some of the swelling, too.”

A subtle warmth charged the air.

Shiyiniang’s face flushed red all at once.

The large hand drifting over her felt like a brand, and the lamplight seemed to burn too brightly.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if to escape.

“I… I am unwell…”

Xu Lingyi paused at that, and when he looked down, he saw her snow-white face had already flushed a deep crimson, her long lashes quivering gently like a butterfly’s wings — a picture of flustered, bashful alarm.

His pulse quickened — yet he feared startling her.

“Oh, you are unwell? Where does it hurt?” His voice had taken on a low, slightly rough edge. “Let me have a look.” His hand slowly, unhurriedly traced its way downward…

“My lord…” Shiyiniang fumbled frantically for the quilt.

Yet there was no stiffness, no struggle, no forced endurance. Only flustered confusion, shyness, and nervous anticipation.

The look in Xu Lingyi’s eyes instantly blazed like fire.

“Moyan!” In his voice was a faint, quiet joy he had not even noticed was there…

—