Seventh Miss was immediately thrown into disarray.

She retreated several steps, seemingly instinctively avoiding something—no, not instinct, she was indeed evading Xu Fengjia…

Deep in her heart, there seemed to be a thread of rational voice coldly mocking her: What use is avoiding now? Can the two of you really go your whole lives without consummating the marriage?

Yet even though she could calculate every aspect of life with clarity, there was still one domain that Seventh Miss could not regulate with reason.

“Why—why the rush!” Her tongue felt as if it held a hard candy, making her speech somewhat slurred. “Fourth Young Master and Fifth Young Master are in the east wing, you should at least see your sons… Ah!”

After all, she was a sheltered daughter—how could she possibly match a military officer in physical prowess? That wedding night, even drunk, Xu Fengjia had knocked the longsword from her hand with ease. Seventh Miss only felt everything blur before her eyes, and between the spinning sky and earth, she found herself already thrown onto that mother-of-pearl inlaid bed. For a moment she was so dizzy she couldn’t struggle up.

Yet Xu Fengjia’s attitude remained calm. Though Seventh Miss’s eyes were filled with bright red bedding, she could still hear his voice.

“A bandit seizing a maiden—I can play along with that. Being gentle and tender with you—I can also manage that. Yang Qi, you’re a clever person. Choose for yourself.”

There was even a trace of impatience in his words.

Seventh Miss’s movements immediately froze. She gasped lightly and half-sat up, her face still flushed with lingering dizziness, then raised her eyes to stare fixedly at Xu Fengjia.

If she could convince herself that she could establish a firm foothold in the Xu household without consummating the marriage, matters would be far simpler.

After all, Seventh Miss was Seventh Miss. How could her emotions possibly fight against both rationality and the formidable adversary that was Xu Fengjia at once?

With just one glance at Xu Fengjia, she turned her head away, biting her lip and shaking her head.

“…At least let me bathe first.” Her voice was unusually low and hoarse. “Your wound—it hasn’t opened again, has it?”

Xu Fengjia’s expression also softened.

“It’s nothing.” He swept Seventh Miss a glance and scoffed. “I can draw bows of two or three dan—how heavy could you be?”

He strode a few steps and pulled open the door, calling out, “Bring hot water!”

Then turned back to complain, “I already said to bring hot water as soon as I arrive home. How is it that after three months, the order still hasn’t been passed down?”

Seventh Miss rolled her eyes at Xu Fengjia in annoyance, wanting to say: Have you been home for even one day in these three months? But the words caught in her throat.

She truly wished Xu Fengjia could still treat her the way he had on their wedding night!

Both fell silent again, waiting as Lixia arranged for servants to bring hot water, asking Xu Fengjia to bathe in the washroom in the west fifth chamber, while also preparing hot water in the small washroom within the west third chamber for Seventh Miss, scattering a handful of white plum petals and adding more than ten drops of jasmine flower essence, personally attending to Seventh Miss’s bath.

Seventh Miss loved cleanliness. Even in the depths of winter, her washing remained particular. But scattering fresh flower petals in the first month was not merely particular—it could be called extravagant.

She sat in the bathing tub, letting Lixia scrub her back, her thoughts churning in chaos. Just thinking about the smile in Lixia’s eyes and all this extravagant preparation was ultimately to please Xu Fengjia made Seventh Miss want to leap from the tub and flee the capital overnight, hiding far away.

She could accept her life being compressed into such infinitely narrow crevices. Most of the time, she could ignore her own emotions. But even Seventh Miss had her own bottom line.

Though she had favorable feelings toward Xu Fengjia, even liked him, she absolutely hadn’t reached the point of willingly sharing intimate relations with him. Just thinking about using her own body as another bargaining chip made Seventh Miss feel an unstoppable nausea.

Yet when she stood, the glass mirror in the corner reflected a delicate, beautiful face.

Seventh Miss stared blankly at the young woman in the mirror.

The steam had flushed her cheeks, ironing out a rouge-like red. This face was beautiful—though it couldn’t compare to Sixth Miss’s ethereal quality or Fifth Miss’s charm, still, all young women in their prime were beautiful.

However, even though the unhappiness in her eyes already carried adult weight, this body was still innocent, still lingering at the tail end of maidenhood.

Now she had to surrender it… without even receiving a shred of false tenderness.

She suddenly bit her lip hard, trembling hands fastening the ties of her inner robe, then turned and strode out of the washroom.

Xu Fengjia’s movements were certainly much faster than hers. His inner robe hung open, white gauze bandages faintly visible on his shoulder, even a few water droplets sliding down from his temples, gliding across his chest and falling into the ambiguous valley within the thin white garment. Had Seventh Miss not been so nervous her legs were nearly trembling, she might have inwardly praised such masculine beauty.

Lixia blushed and hastily withdrew from the room, gently closing the door.

Xu Fengjia had been looking down, lost in thought about something. Hearing the sound of the door, he raised his eyes and cleared the contemplation from his expression.

“What are you standing there for?” He raised one eyebrow at Seventh Miss with a half-smile. “Don’t tell me you need me to drag you to bed again?”

How could he treat this matter so lightly!

Seventh Miss drew a deep breath, reminding herself silently: Xu Fengjia is a man. If her experience from her past life couldn’t help her understand the vastly different attitudes men and women had toward intimacy, she might as well have lived that life for nothing.

“I have my own feet!” Unable to help glaring at Xu Fengjia, she slowly stepped onto the small stool and sat down on the edge of the canopy bed.

Xu Fengjia actually didn’t move either, but stood with crossed arms, head tilted, watching Seventh Miss with a half-smile, as if enjoying her reluctance… Seventh Miss didn’t doubt for a moment that her unwillingness was written all over her face.

Being forced by circumstances to consummate the marriage early was one thing. Being toyed with at will by Xu Fengjia was quite another.

She shifted her body onto the bed, turning her back, pulling open the colorful brocade quilt. “It’s getting late. Since the Young Master has changed his mind—Ah!”

Xu Fengjia had seized her wrist.

With just this grip, the difference between them was already abundantly clear.

Her wrist was perhaps not even as thick as the sword Xu Fengjia usually gripped. Young Master Xu only needed to pull lightly to bring Seventh Miss’s entire body tumbling over, falling back onto the bedding.

With a casual tug of his hand, the bed curtains rustled down. Seventh Miss’s world became dim.

She bit her teeth, trying her best to suppress the urge to tremble, rigidly spread beneath Xu Fengjia, gasping with his every movement, desperately trying to preserve her inner robe… her chest band… her undergarments…

And then finally, nothing remained between them.

She could only keep her eyes tightly shut, letting Xu Fengjia explore her body, listening to his teasing. “So you can be this quiet after all?”

“Come now, open your legs.”

Xu Fengjia’s voice was full of amusement, as if savoring every single moment.

Yet every single moment was ultimate humiliation for her.

Perhaps a daughter born and raised in Great Qin wouldn’t consider tonight such a momentous event. Having already entered the Xu household gates, naturally she should strive to earn her husband’s favor. The wedding chamber was a matter of course.

However, in the era she came from, before the wedding night, couples always courted and professed love. Even if that affection might be false, even if in her previous life many people also viewed their bodies as bargaining chips, it was still more refined than this moment—forcing herself to submit beneath a man she’d only met a few times. Though she had once abandoned countless important things for survival, never had there been a moment like now where she must face her own trampled dignity in such a direct way.

And her past with Xu Fengjia only made this more difficult. If they were complete strangers, if they…

Seventh Miss bit her lip, desperately suppressing the sourness in her chest, feeling Xu Fengjia forcibly spreading her legs with absolute strength, his callused fingers brushing across her most private places.

She began to tremble. She couldn’t, shouldn’t, must not… How could she!

She suddenly struggled violently, pressing her legs together and crying incoherently, “Don’t—get out… get out!”

But Xu Fengjia pressed down on Seventh Miss’s lower abdomen with one hand.

How could his strength be something Seventh Miss could resist? All her struggles were loosened by this single press.

Hot, itching tears finally slid down Seventh Miss’s lashes. She could hold back no longer and began to sob.

Xu Fengjia’s movements immediately froze.

After a long while, he withdrew his hand, though his body remained between Seventh Miss’s legs, rustling as he did something.

After another moment, he gently patted Seventh Miss’s bare shoulder.

“What’s there to cry about!”

Yet the teasing remained in his voice. “I thought you’d never shed tears! Come, wipe them.”

A piece of soft silk fell onto Seventh Miss’s chest.

Seventh Miss angrily pushed him, snatching the handkerchief and wiping frantically at her eyes.

Xu Fengjia’s soft laughter rose above her.

“Open your eyes.” His tone became gentler, low and mellow. “Look at me.”

Seventh Miss ignored him, still pressing her lips together, suppressing sob after sob.

“Don’t make me pry your eyelids open!” Young Master Xu grew annoyed.

This threat was rather childish. Seventh Miss was startled enough to forget her tears, yet still refused to open her eyes.

Xu Fengjia gave a soft hum, then a somewhat rough finger actually rubbed at Seventh Miss’s eye.

“Ow, that hurts!” Seventh Miss couldn’t help crying out, turning her head and helplessly opening her eyes to prevent Xu Fengjia from rubbing her eyelids raw.

Yet she stubbornly turned her head, only staring at the exquisite inlay work on the bed frame.

Inevitably, two long fingers pinched her jaw, twisting her entire face around to face Xu Fengjia directly.

Compared to his actions, Young Master Xu’s expression was almost peaceful. Though his tone was relaxed, his expression held not a trace of mockery.

“Don’t be afraid.” He looked at Seventh Miss, promising in a low voice. “It won’t hurt much.”

Then that hand slid lower, doing things difficult to speak of. The palm pressed against her lower abdomen never left.

Seventh Miss still trembled with fear. She moaned in annoyance, struggling to push back, trying to escape the advance before her. “You’re lying… it will hurt terribly!”

A low laugh escaped Xu Fengjia’s mouth.

“You’re acting like a child, Yang Qi!”

Under her glare, he quickly restrained his smile and assured her again, seriously and solemnly, “Trust me, it really won’t hurt—no more than if I bit you.”

Seventh Miss scoffed. “You’re not a woman—how would you know!”

“You have a point.” Young Master Xu actually agreed cheerfully. “Besides, I haven’t bitten you yet—so let me bite you first.”

“Ah!” A cry of surprise and anger. “Xu Fengjia, don’t—don’t bite my neck… What if people see it!”

“If people don’t see it, how will they know we’ve consummated the marriage?” Low laughter rose again. “Heavens, Yang Qi, you’re as prudish as a five-year-old! Stop moving, will you? It really won’t hurt! I’m not lying!”

“As if,” Seventh Miss was flustered and irritated, suddenly raising both hands to cover her face. “Just—just do it quickly! Be… be gentle, that’s all.”

Young Master Xu indeed fell silent, only slowly arousing her body. When Seventh Miss gradually warmed and softened, he pulled her hands away.

“Look at me.” He frowned slightly, his expression taking on a touch of sternness. “Don’t tense up. It really won’t hurt.”

A muffled grunt followed, and Seventh Miss nearly screamed, “It hurts!”

“If you don’t think about it, it won’t hurt…” Xu Fengjia was also growing impatient. “Don’t move! Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

He simply withdrew completely, rolling to lie beside Seventh Miss and pulling her into his arms.

Seventh Miss waited until the tearing pain dissipated somewhat before slowly stopping her trembling, though her voice still carried fear. “It really hurt…”

After the pain of losing her maidenhood, no matter how light her tone, it inevitably took on a touch of allure. Even hearing it herself made her pause in surprise.

“I said it wouldn’t hurt.” Xu Fengjia was rather impatient. “Of course it hurts if you keep thinking about it.”

“You’re not a woman—how would you know!” Seventh Miss was truly annoyed by his matter-of-fact attitude. “When someone slashes you with a sword, try having someone prattle endlessly in your ear telling you ‘don’t think about it and it won’t hurt’!”

Young Master Xu, rebuked by her, fell silent. After a long while, he began to laugh softly.

“Yang Qi, oh Yang Qi, what am I to say about you!” His laughter held teasing, but more than that, genuine happiness from the heart. “Who could be more difficult than you?”

“And—and you bit me!” Seventh Miss scolded him regardless. “Tomorrow no matter what I wear, it won’t be hidden! How can I pay respects to Grandmother and Mother!”

“Then bite me back.”

Seventh Miss was so angry she nearly couldn’t catch her breath. After a long moment she recovered her strength and viciously pinched Xu Fengjia. “Detestable!”

Yet Xu Fengjia laughed again, laughing as he turned and straddled Seventh Miss’s waist, casually sweeping his disheveled hair back behind his head.

Through the curtains, the dim candlelight vaguely outlined the contours of his body.

This male form was undoubtedly strong and beautiful. Its owner showed no reluctance in displaying it. He reached to pull open the fragrant oil kept in the bedside cabinet, casually dripping it into his palm and rubbing it over his… Seventh Miss quickly turned her face away, feeling her cheeks burning red, delicate tension washing over her again like a tide.

“There now.” Xu Fengjia said lazily, his fingers still carrying the scent of the oil as they wandered over Seventh Miss’s body. “Does it still hurt?”

But his actions showed no consideration for Seventh Miss’s pain whatsoever. With a thrust of his hips, he had already…

Who knows how much time passed before the room finally quieted. Seventh Miss caught her breath while pushing Xu Fengjia heavily with a red face. “Get off, you’re crushing me to death!”

No matter how much she had resisted, the two had ultimately performed the rites of Zhou Gong. Their movements naturally carried a new intimacy.

Xu Fengjia’s lips still held a smile. He rolled over, sliding to Seventh Miss’s side, but the next moment frowned, the peaceful satisfaction on his face replaced by a trace of pain.

Seventh Miss saw this and couldn’t help frowning.

She slowly sat up, dressing while examining the wound on Xu Fengjia’s body.

“If it’s all healed, why are you still wrapped in gauze?” No matter how unwilling, her words now carried a trace of concern.

Xu Fengjia slowly regulated his breathing, opened his eyes, and sat up slowly, leaning against the bed’s edge.

“I may need to go down to Guangzhou again next month.” Yet he spoke of an entirely unrelated topic, the ease between his brows having unknowingly faded, revealing deep thought.

The ties in Seventh Miss’s hands immediately pulled askew.

“Go again?!” She cried out softly. “…How long will you be gone?”

Xu Fengjia looked straight at Seventh Miss, answering quietly, “If I go, it will be for several years.”

Seventh Miss responded without thinking, blurting out, “No!”