Chapter 146: The Little Ascension
This Mo Yi—nothing good ever happens when I run into him!
Fu Tingyun couldn't help muttering, "I'm not worried about him at all," before asking Zhao Ling, "What about Lord Tao and the others? Do you still need to entertain them?"
"Tao Mu and Lin Chi have to report to the palace early tomorrow morning, so they've already left," Zhao Ling replied, exhaustion evident on his face. "As for Mo Yi, A Sen is taking care of him." He murmured, "With the guests gone, the host can finally rest. At last, we can get some proper sleep." He added, "Luckily, we don’t have to meet the relatives tomorrow—we can sleep in."
Seeing his fatigue, Fu Tingyun felt a pang of concern and quickly said, "Then go wash up and get some rest!" She called out for Zhenzhu to assist Zhao Ling with his ablutions.
Zhao Ling gave an acknowledging hum and headed to the washroom.
Now alone in the room, Fu Tingyun gazed at the bright red Dragon Phoenix Candles on the table, their wicks crackling and casting a warm, rosy glow throughout the chamber.
Her eyes then fell upon the Mandarin Duck Pillows neatly placed side by side at the head of the bed, and her face burned with sudden heat.
Flustered, she busied herself by rearranging the bedding once more when the door creaked open. Zhao Ling stepped in, dressed in a fresh, new Taoist Robe for lounging.
"Why aren’t you in bed yet?" He yawned, his demeanor relaxed and natural, which helped ease Fu Tingyun’s tension.
"I—I was just fixing the bed."
"Let’s rest early," Zhao Ling said as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Even though we don’t have to meet the relatives tomorrow, the Wedding Shop staff will come to settle the accounts, the Opera Troupe will dismantle the stage, and the courtyard still needs cleaning… There’s a mountain of things waiting for us!"
To Fu Tingyun, these were trivial matters. Her mood lightened further, and she smiled. "You just sleep in tomorrow. I’ll handle the settlements with Yu Wei—it won’t take long. Besides, Master Lu will help too!"
Zhao Ling nodded, lifted the bright red quilt embroidered with Mandarin Ducks Playing in Water, and lay down.
Fu Tingyun remembered her aunt’s advice: after marriage, the husband should sleep on the inner side while the wife sleeps on the outer side, so she can attend to him if he needs anything during the night, like tea.
Gently, she nudged him. "You should sleep on the inside."
Zhao Ling, seemingly too tired to respond, merely mumbled incoherently, turned over, and fell back into deep sleep.
Fu Tingyun was both exasperated and, inexplicably, comforted.
Seeing him so soundly asleep, she couldn’t bear to disturb him further. She drew the bed curtains, carefully climbed over him to the inner side, and slipped under the other quilt.
Zhao Ling muttered something indistinct, and suddenly, his arm draped over her shoulder.
Fu Tingyun’s heart leaped in shock. She froze, not daring to move for a long moment.
But Zhao Ling made no further movement.
Turning her head slightly, she saw his peaceful, sleeping face—the kind of serenity unique to deep slumber.
Probably just an unconscious gesture in his sleep.
She exhaled slowly, allowing herself to relax.
The fatigue from days of wedding preparations, momentarily overshadowed by excitement for their new life together, now settled heavily upon her. Gradually, she drifted into a deep sleep.
Someone called her name—"Nannan"—in a low, slightly hoarse voice by her ear.
Was she dreaming?
Just like in those lonely nights when she missed Zhao Ling, his voice, brimming with warmth and affection, would inexplicably echo in her ears.Fu Tingyun kept her eyes closed, but the corners of her lips curled up involuntarily as she responded with a sweet, soft "Mm."
Someone pressed closer.
She shivered slightly, jolting awake.
"Z-Zhao Ling?" she stammered, as if unable to believe it, needing confirmation—or perhaps trying to convince herself of something.
"Mm," Zhao Ling murmured by her ear, his voice laced with laughter before he gently kissed her lips.
For a moment, Fu Tingyun's mind went blank. When she came to her senses, embarrassment overwhelmed her.
"Zhao Ling..." Her voice was tense, unsure what to do. "Didn't... didn't you say you were exhausted?"
Zhao Ling chuckled softly against her ear, his warm breath brushing her neck, carrying an intoxicating, heart-pounding intimacy. "No matter how tired I am, I still have to spend our Wedding Night with you. Haven’t you heard the elders say? If we don’t enter the bridal chamber by midnight, we’d have to find another place to rest. But if we enter before midnight and don’t consummate, it’d be inauspicious!"
His laughter carried a hint of smugness, making her both flustered and annoyed. She struggled to pull away, but he held her firmly in his arms.
Sensing her displeasure, Zhao Ling quickly soothed her in a low voice, "Sweetheart, be good..." He kissed her cheek. "These past days, I’ve dreamed of you every night. Did you think of me too?"
His voice was deep and husky, trembling slightly with a pleading note, as if her answer could dictate his entire world. Fu Tingyun’s heart softened instantly.
Though shy, she didn’t hide her feelings, whispering softly, "I did too."
Before her voice even faded, Zhao Ling had already pinned her beneath him...
The bed curtains swayed overhead.
Fu Tingyun’s heart pounded like a drum. She shut her eyes tightly, clutching his shoulders and burying her face against his neck.
※※※※※
The sun was already high, its golden light streaming through the window adorned with the Double Happiness Window Decoration, casting a radiant glow on the gilded curtain hooks.
A rustling sound came from within the crimson bed curtains as a pair of steady hands reached out, drawing them aside and fastening them with the hooks.
Light spilled into the canopy.
Zhao Ling sat bare-chested against the headboard, his broad shoulders and narrow waist accentuated in the morning glow. His handsome face was alight with joy.
He gazed down at Fu Tingyun sleeping beside him.
Her brows were relaxed, her expression peaceful, her lips slightly pursed. If not for the faint shadows under her eyes, she might have looked not like a young woman but a carefree child.
He should have held back last night...
Regret flickered in Zhao Ling’s heart as he reached out tenderly to stroke her cheek.
The delicate touch instantly reignited his memories.
Indeed, once tasted, the craving never fades. In all those years alone, he had encountered many beautiful women, some even throwing themselves at him, yet he had remained unmoved. Never had a mere brush of his fingers against her cheek sent his body spiraling out of control like this...
He let out a helpless, bitter laugh, suppressing the restless stirrings in his chest.
He couldn’t disturb her again—she needed at least a few days to rest... or maybe just one or two...
As he pondered, Fu Tingyun, perhaps sensing the touch on her face, mumbled incoherently in her sleep and turned over restlessly.The thin quilt slipped from her shoulders, revealing a back as fair as freshly fallen snow.
Zhao Ling couldn’t help but widen his eyes.
Fu Tingyun’s body was not only covered in bruises of blue, purple, and red, but there was also a ring of teeth marks on her shoulder.
His fingers trembled as he gently traced the bite mark.
How could this be?
He had treated her like a treasure… and he had felt so satisfied, so happy, so pleased because of it… How could…
Zhao Ling sucked in a sharp breath, pulled the quilt over her, and leaned down to whisper urgently by her ear, "Nannan."
Fu Tingyun’s beautiful eyes fluttered open slightly, giving Zhao Ling a glance before closing again.
"Zhao Ling, I can’t… I need to sleep…" she murmured, burying her face into the pillow.
"Nannan!" A hint of embarrassment flickered in Zhao Ling’s eyes as he tucked her disheveled hair behind her ear. "Nannan, I have something to tell you…"
Fu Tingyun only heard it as the buzzing of a mosquito and covered her ears.
※※※※※
In the courtyard, Kou'er asked Zheng Sanniang, who was kneading dough, "Shouldn’t we wake Ninth Master and Madam? It’s almost time for lunch?" Her voice was thick with worry.
"Everyone’s been exhausted these days!" Zheng Sanniang said calmly. "Ninth Master and Madam have had to oversee everything—they must be even more tired. Now that things are finally settling down, it’s only natural they’d sleep in. Don’t go making trouble here." She then tilted her chin toward the outer courtyard. "If you’ve got time to spare, why not go check if Lord Mo has woken up yet? That way, he won’t barge in and disturb Ninth Master and Madam."
※
Sisters, brothers, as per usual, any official inspections will be completed by the weekend—that is, before Friday. So, please be patient. Today is already Wednesday, and they’ll be leaving soon. Then we can resume double updates… (>_
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