Xiao Qiao was taken aback when Wei Shao suddenly bent over, clutching his waist and abdomen with a pained expression.
Alarmed, Xiao Qiao quickly went to support him. Just as she was about to call for help, Wei Shao grabbed her wrist.
“Don’t let anyone know!” Wei Shao said, “If Grandmother and my mother find out, it will only cause them unnecessary worry. Besides, it’s not serious, just some flesh wounds. You can help me take care of them.”
Xiao Qiao met his gaze. Her eyes then fell on his bruised forehead, split lip, and bloodied knuckles. She let out a slow breath.
…
Besides his injuries, his clothes were also covered in mud and grass, looking as if he had just been rolling on the ground.
Xiao Qiao first sent him to the bathroom to wash up, then had him sit on the couch when he came out. Seeing that the wound on his forehead had started to bleed again, she took a clean cloth and gently dabbed at it.
Wei Shao let out a slight hiss, frowning and grimacing as if in great pain.
Xiao Qiao immediately stopped: “I’m so clumsy, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you. Let me call Chun Niang in…”
Wei Shao quickly shook his head: “I can bear it.”
There was a deep gash on the back of his right hand, seemingly scraped by a rock. After cleaning the wound, it looked quite alarming.
Xiao Qiao carefully applied medicine and bandaged it.
“Does it hurt?” she asked him.
Wei Shao sat quietly, looking at her, and shook his head. Suddenly, he raised his uninjured left hand and, somewhat hesitantly, gently wrapped it around her waist.
Xiao Qiao glanced at him but didn’t stop him. She took a jade stick, scooped up some anti-inflammatory and hemostatic ointment, and continued to gently apply it to the wounds on his forehead and the corner of his lips, massaging softly.
His palm rested on her waist, and through her clothes, he caressed her a few times. He tightened his arm slightly, and Xiao Qiao fell sitting on his lap.
“There’s still a cut on your neck that hasn’t been treated…”
Xiao Qiao struggled slightly, trying to stand up.
“Don’t move,” Wei Shao said.
So Xiao Qiao remained still.
Wei Shao took the small jade stick from her hand and leaned his face towards her, gently rubbing his cheek against her soft face.
Before he returned, she had just finished bathing. Her whole body still carried a fresh and sweet fragrance.
Wei Shao closed his eyes and deeply inhaled the scent of her hair and neck.
He breathed in for a while, then lowered his head and began to kiss her very gently.
Xiao Qiao didn’t refuse, leaning against his chest and resting her head on his shoulder, letting him kiss her.
After a while, she asked, “What exactly happened these past two days? You should at least tell me something, right?”
Wei Shao, who was kissing her neck, suddenly stopped when he heard her question.
“It’s nothing. I’ve resolved it. Everything’s fine now,” he mumbled vaguely and continued kissing her. His hand also gradually moved upwards, finally covering her chest, which had grown fuller since she first married him.
Xiao Qiao removed his hand and stood up from his embrace, saying, “You’ve had a busy day, drinking and fighting with someone. You must be tired. You should go to sleep early.”
A hand reached out from behind and grabbed her arm.
Xiao Qiao turned back. She saw him looking up at her, his face slightly tilted.
They gazed at each other for a moment.
Wei Shao gently pulled, and Xiao Qiao sat back on his lap again.
This time, he hugged her waist from behind with both arms, holding her completely, making her back pressed tightly against his chest.
But he didn’t say a word.
Xiao Qiao struggled a few times but couldn’t break free from his arms.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t force you. But the way you treated me then, I was very scared and heartbroken. I’m still heartbroken now. It’s as if in your eyes, everything was my fault,” Xiao Qiao suddenly turned her head, gazing at him, and said slowly.
Wei Shao continued to remain silent. Just as Xiao Qiao was beginning to feel a bit disappointed, he suddenly lifted her and turned her around, making her kneel-sit on his thighs.
Xiao Qiao straightened her body and could now look him in the eye.
“If I can’t control my temper in the future, you can hit me like you did last time,” he finally said. His face slowly turned a bit red, and he seemed to have some difficulty speaking.
Xiao Qiao was stunned, then snorted and pouted slightly: “The Marquis is so high above. Last time was just luck, and you didn’t hold it against me. Afterward, I was so scared. How would I dare to hit the Marquis again?”
“I’m telling you to hit me, so just do it.”
“You really won’t blame me?”
Wei Shao shook his head.
“And you promise not to hit back?”
“How could you withstand me hitting back?” he said dismissively.
“I don’t want to hit you either,” he added softly after a pause.
Xiao Qiao looked at him. He looked back at her. Their eyes met.
The candles in the room flickered gently, and it was so quiet around them that they could almost hear each other’s heartbeats.
…
When he said this, his eyes seemed sincere at that moment.
But this man, how proud he must be.
She could understand that he was unwilling to say much about the private matters between the Wei family men in front of her.
But she had hoped to hear him apologize to her, yet he stubbornly wouldn’t say it.
Xiao Qiao hesitated.
Although she still didn’t know how he and Wei Yan got into a fight tonight, from the various signs after he returned tonight, she felt that this problem should have been resolved.
At least, it wouldn’t escalate as she had worried earlier.
Originally, her expectation was just that. Now, without her having to say anything, he had already resolved the issue.
Especially compared to his attitude from the past two days, tonight’s him was a surprise.
Xiao Qiao thought for a moment and finally decided not to push him for now.
“This is what you said yourself. Remember it. This is the last time. If you lose your temper with me again next time and make me angry, I won’t let you off easily!” she said.
Wei Shao made a sound of agreement. He lowered his head slightly, and their foreheads touched.
His breath was a bit hot, mixed with the smell of alcohol and a hint of the medicine she had just applied to him.
But she didn’t find it unpleasant. When he opened his mouth and took her lips, she closed her eyes and obediently leaned on his shoulder, tilting her head back to let him kiss her lips for a while. Finally, she hugged him, and her other small hand secretly slipped through his clothes and touched his skin.
His muscles were firm, his skin smooth, full of the strength of a young man. When he took off his clothes, it was even more sexy. Whether it was his chest, back, abdomen, buttocks, or thighs, they all felt good to touch, with an excellent texture.
Wei Shao also liked her touching him. And his reaction was particularly strong. Every time she caressed him, especially his sensitive areas, he would show an expression of excitement as if he was about to die.
This made Xiao Qiao feel quite accomplished.
But Xiao Qiao hadn’t been very proactive in caressing him before. She would only touch him a few times at his request, basically being passive.
Tonight, perhaps his bruised face had aroused her maternal instinct. Although his apologetic attitude didn’t satisfy her, at least he had indirectly softened his stance.
So Xiao Qiao decided to caress him as encouragement.
Her soft little hand slowly moved inside his clothes. She stroked his chest, then moved to his lower abdomen.
Wei Shao’s breathing gradually became heavier.
…
“My Lord, Madam has arrived!” Suddenly, a servant’s voice came from outside the door.
Xiao Qiao was startled. Her hand stopped on Wei Shao’s lower abdomen.
Wei Shao paused, slowly opening his eyes. His expression showed displeasure.
Xiao Qiao glanced at him.
She had been in the Wei family of Yuyang for more than half a year. In the past, if there was anything, Madam Zhu would always send someone to summon her or Wei Shao.
This was the first time Madam Zhu had come to the west room herself.
She wondered what had happened.
Xiao Qiao hurriedly climbed down from his lap and smoothed her clothes. Seeing that Wei Shao was only wearing an inner garment, and his clothes had been loosened a bit by her just now, she quickly helped him tidy up and quickly brought over his outer garment.
Wei Shao lazily got up, letting Xiao Qiao help him put on the outer garment.
Xiao Qiao was helping him arrange his clothes. He raised his hand and stroked her hanging hair. A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, followed by Madam Zhu’s voice: “Shao’er, come out.” Her voice was filled with anxiety and concern.
Wei Shao turned and opened the door.
Madam Zhu stood at the door, looked at Wei Shao in the lamplight, and immediately exclaimed: “Indeed! Who beat you into such a state?”
Wei Shao said: “I drank too much and fell off my horse when I was riding back, just a fall…”
“Nonsense!” Madam Zhu was angry, “Do you think I’m blind? Is this from falling? Just now I heard a servant in the room say that she saw you return with injuries on your face, and I didn’t believe it. I didn’t expect it to be true! Who exactly was so bold as to beat you into such a state?”
Madam Zhu’s eyes immediately shot towards Xiao Qiao inside.
Xiao Qiao was frightened.
“He doesn’t say, and you don’t ask? You don’t come to tell me?” Madam Zhu scolded.
Xiao Qiao remained silent.
Wei Shao’s face showed annoyance: “Mother, stop making unreasonable fuss! It’s just some minor flesh wounds, why make such a big deal? Let me escort you back to your room to rest early.”
Wei Shao stepped out of the room, urging Madam Zhu to return. Seeing her son already striding out, Madam Zhu had no choice but to follow.
Wei Shao escorted Madam Zhu to the door of the east room and said: “Mother, go in and rest. Your son is a bit tired today and will also go to sleep early.” He then turned to leave.
Madam Zhu watched her son’s gradually receding figure, recalling a scene that had been replaying in her mind all day. Her feelings of love and anxiety for her son finally overcame the pressure that Madam Xu had given her for the past twenty years. Unable to contain herself any longer, she rushed out and called Wei Shao back.
Wei Shao reluctantly stopped again and turned back, saying: “What instructions does Mother have?”
Madam Zhu looked around, saw no one, and lowered her voice: “Shao’er, I have something that I’ve kept in my heart for many years, which I originally didn’t want to say. But now, I see that person becoming increasingly inappropriate. After much consideration, I still think it’s better to quietly tell you, so you can be aware and guard against it early. Otherwise, if something happens in the future, it will be too late to regret it!”
Wei Shao sighed: “What else does Mother want to say?”
“That cousin of yours, he’s not like us. He’s not Han! He’s a Xiongnu child!” Madam Zhu said through gritted teeth, word by word.
Wei Shao was stunned, trying hard to suppress the growing displeasure in his heart, and said coldly: “Why does Mother say such things?”
Madam Zhu sneered: “Do you think his father was a son-in-law who married into our Wei family? Listen carefully, it’s all a lie made up by your good grandmother! I know the events of that year most clearly. At that time, I had just married your father for a few years. Your aunt was abducted by the King of Riruzhe of the Xiongnu when she was in the border city. When your father rescued her three years later, she already had a Xiongnu’s seed in her belly! She was only five months pregnant at the time, and I begged her not to keep it. But she wouldn’t listen and was determined to give birth to it. The one born was your good cousin! Your aunt died after giving birth to him!”
Madam Zhu’s face showed disgust: “I knew from the moment this mixed-blood child was born, he was a curse. I said at the time that since the mother was gone, we should send him back to be raised by the Xiongnu. Your grandmother insisted on keeping him and raising him herself. She raised him for all these years. And she kept this matter tightly concealed, not even allowing me to tell you! Shao’er, Mother is doing all this for your good. It’s not that I don’t accept him. Your cousin is not Han, he will eventually have different intentions! If you don’t know about this and don’t guard against it, there will be endless troubles in the future! Today at the Luli Grand Meeting, why was he so eager to go on stage and show off? Wasn’t it to overshadow you and plot for your position as Marquis in the future? Shao’er, think about it, our Wei family has been guarding Youzhou for generations, standing against the Xiongnu, yet we’re raising a Xiongnu child in our family. If this gets out…”
As Madam Zhu was narrating, Wei Shao’s face gradually became rigid. Suddenly, he left Madam Zhu behind and strode away quickly.
Madam Zhu was stunned and hurriedly chased after him: “My son! Your grandmother forbade me from speaking about this matter, you must not mention it in front of her, don’t say that I’ve already told you…”
Before she could finish, Wei Shao’s figure had already quickly disappeared into the night.
Madam Zhu slowly stopped, standing alone in the dim corridor, lost in thought for a moment.
This secret buried in the depths of her heart, she had finally revealed to her son tonight.
Madam Zhu’s current feelings were like giving birth to a monster she had been pregnant with for thirty years, indescribably relieved. But after the relief, she felt a bit scared.
She was afraid that Madam Xu would find out.
But soon, that maternal instinct overcame the fear again.
I’m doing this all for my son. As long as he’s well, what can’t I sacrifice?
Madam Zhu said to herself in her heart.