As evening approached, Minglan saw that Gu Tingye had still not returned to the residence, so she asked the kitchen to keep the dinner warm and wait. Nanny Ge was quick-witted and had already begun to discern Minglan’s food preferences over these past few days. She first sent out a bowl of fragrant orange-infused clove fish ball soup — the clove fish themselves were already tiny, and the fish balls had been rolled to no larger than a fingertip, with the sweet-tart flavor of fragrant orange steeped through them. Light enough not to fill the stomach, yet sufficient to stave off a little hunger. Minglan found it very much to her taste.

She had barely finished two mouthfuls, however, when Gu Tingye strode in with long steps. Minglan quickly set down the soup bowl and rose to help him change and wash up — but the moment he caught the fragrance rising from the bowl, he did not go into the inner room at all. He simply reached out, scooped up the bowl, and drank from it directly. Without even a spoon, he drained the entire bowl of fish ball soup in a few great gulps.

“Um, that was one I’d already eaten half of…” Minglan stared open-mouthed. This man — had he been starved for a lifetime in a previous one?

Gu Tingye set the bowl down and reached over to cup Minglan’s small face in his hand. “What does it matter if it’s what my own wife has eaten from?”

Minglan followed him into the inner room and helped him with his buttons and change of clothes. Gu Tingye was tall and powerfully built — whenever she stood before him, Minglan always had the distinct sensation of a great mountain looming overhead. She was in the middle of concentrating intently on undoing his buttons when a warmth suddenly pressed against her left cheek. It was only then she realized Gu Tingye had kissed her. His brow and eyes were relaxed, and he said with a smile: “My wife is truly beautiful.”

Minglan’s jade face flushed faintly, and she answered very modestly: “You have excellent taste.”

Gu Tingye was momentarily taken aback — then burst into loud laughter, sweeping Minglan’s soft, supple form up off the ground and spinning her in two full circles on the spot. Minglan clung to his shoulders and looked down at the floor with considerable alarm. She pounded him twice in protest, which only made Gu Tingye tuck her against his chest and plant a series of untargeted kisses across her cheeks and neck.

Minglan’s tender skin was rubbed back and forth by his slightly coarse stubble, leaving her feeling simultaneously numb and ticklish. She pressed both hands hard against his head to push it away, and demanded furiously: “Are you a dog?!” — Every day after work, same routine; at this rate she was going to develop a skin allergy!

Gu Tingye laughed heartily and set her down, still keeping his arm around her and swaying gently. He kissed her little mouth again, then lowered his head to rest his forehead against Minglan’s. His warm breath fell full upon her face, and the man murmured: “Silly little thing.”

His tone was nothing but tender affection. Minglan’s face burned.

After washing up, Minglan impulsively loosened Gu Tingye’s topknot: “Just leave it undone — there’s no one in the private rooms to see.”

Gu Tingye was a little hesitant at first, but having had his hair bound tight all day, his scalp ached considerably with the tension. And when Minglan’s ten slender fingers slid into his hair and her deft, delicate fingertips began pressing and massaging his scalp, he felt an immediate wave of relief, and yielded to the pleasant sensation with little further resistance.

The dinner table was set in the secondary room. At the center of the spacious chamber stood a carved rosewood round table decorated with the Four Seasons and Abundant Fortune pattern. On the south side, a large window stood open, and outside the sky was six parts brilliant and four parts dim — the horizon blazed with dense crimson clouds like fire, casting golden light across the ground. Beyond the window, the Chinese crabapple tree had burst into glorious bloom, its branches laden with half-opened buds. Though it is said that crabapple trees have no fragrance, the cool, clean scent of fruit and wood still drifted in on the gentle evening breeze and dispersed softly through the room. Gu Tingye had changed into a set of soft, loose snow-white silk inner robes, his long, thick hair falling freely about his shoulders, and he walked with unhurried steps to the table and sat down. In that moment, in that setting, all the fatigue of a long day simply dissolved.

The dishes on the table were few but fine — five dishes and one soup. At the center stood a truffle and angelica dahurica many-treasure fish soup, its broth a creamy white color strewn with bright green scallion sections. Then there was a dish of sour and spicy fried lotus root starch meat-floss balls; a dish of fragrant crispy beef brisket served with iron-plate roasted thin flatbreads; a dish of lotus-fragrant sticky rice steamed pork ribs; a dish of sauce-braised wind-dried small farmyard chicken; and finally, a dish of stir-fried sesame spinach.

Gu Tingye fell upon the meal with great appetite, eating with his head down. Minglan picked at a few bites and then set down her chopsticks — yet he single-handedly devoured two large bowls of rice, most of a plate of flatbreads wrapped around beef brisket, and still seemed to feel that every dish had come in too small a portion, leaving him distinctly unsatisfied.

Seeing how heartily he was eating, Minglan felt pleased, and began talking as she pointed to the fish soup with modest self-praise: “I caught that fish myself! The fish in the pond must have grown sluggish from living in peace for so long — a little bait was all it took and they were all coming up… Our rear garden is quite large. I plan to plant a few varieties of flowers and fruit trees that bloom throughout the seasons. If there’s anything you particularly like, say so quickly so I can send someone to buy the seedlings…”

Gu Tingye watched Minglan’s lively, open expression in silence, and something stirred like ripples within him.

Xiaotao led the maids in clearing the dinner table. Danju brought two bowls of clear tea. Once the servants had withdrawn, Gu Tingye fixed his gaze on Minglan and said, in a sudden, low, serious voice: “Don’t suppress things. If anything is troubling you, tell me.”

Minglan was taken aback. Why had he suddenly said this out of nowhere?

“Anyone in this residence who gives you cause for displeasure — you are free to deal with them as you see fit!” Gu Tingye’s lips curved into a hard, cold arc, his eyes darkening. “Don’t be afraid of this or that. Whatever it is, push it all onto me! I’d like to see which brazen soul dares to stand against me!”

Minglan blinked. “I… haven’t had anything troubling me particularly?” These past two days her authority had grown considerably; the people in the household had basically not dared to speak a word of complaint, apart from the occasional instance of Nanny Lai or Nanny Diao invoking the names of senior family members.

“Why did you not tell me yesterday about the matter with Fifth Aunt?” Gu Tingye’s expression grew overcast.

Minglan had a partial sense of what he meant, but still replied: “I did mention it — I said Fifth Aunt had come to pay a visit.”

“Pay a visit? Unlikely. More like she came looking to pick a fight.” Gu Tingye’s eyes turned darker still. He gave a cold snort and said, “Her precious son has been getting himself into trouble after trouble on the outside. Before, it was all well enough — people still gave him face on account of the Ningyuan Marquisate’s name. But now even the plaque has been taken down. If I were not holding things up for her, could she be living in this much peace? Hmph! She doesn’t know which way her own death faces!”

Minglan smiled and sighed at the same time, moving over to take hold of his hand. “Don’t worry — I’m not someone easily pushed around. Fifth Aunt said a few words to me that day, and I sent every one of them back at her.” Seeing that his anger had not yet fully subsided, she added: “And please don’t go losing your temper indiscriminately. You are in an official position now — there are countless eyes on you. Don’t give people cause for gossip. Trust me — your uncles and aunts have tricks, but I don’t even put them in my eyes. At the worst, I’ll play dumb, and that happens to be my greatest talent.”

Gu Tingye could not help a quiet inward laugh. He stared at her for a long while before finally saying: “Good. I did not marry you to have you suffer.”

Minglan felt genuinely moved in her heart — though this feeling of being touched lasted only until bedtime. Gu Tingye could not bear for others to bully her, yet when it came to his own hands, he showed no restraint whatsoever. Once night fell, Minglan found herself pinned beneath him on the bed, being put through her paces until she was certain her waist was about to break. She pleaded and begged for mercy for a good long while. Gu Tingye politely tucked a brocade cushion beneath her lower back, his eyes flushed crimson, and continued in a heavy, labored breath to knead and handle her.

After some indefinite span of time had passed, the climactic intensity finally dispersed. Minglan curled around a pillow, whimpering faintly. Gu Tingye lay half across her body, stroking her smooth, pliant skin with an expression of contentment.

Minglan said haltingly: “Let’s rest — you still have early court tomorrow.” Gu Tingye lowered his head and kissed her, then said with a faint smile: “I’ve requested leave tomorrow. I’m not attending early court.”

“Why not?” Minglan was immediately alert.

Gu Tingye looked at her — she had the look of a newborn kitten, its claws not yet grown, face full of wariness despite its helplessness. He smiled and said: “Early tomorrow morning, the palace will send someone to proclaim an imperial edict. Once that’s done, I’ll accompany you to the palace to pay obeisance and give thanks.”

“To proclaim… what edict?” Minglan asked blankly.

Gu Tingye tapped her little nose and said with a smile: “Your husband petitioned for an imperial title for you.”