The Prisoner of Beauty

Xiao Qiao turned her head away, refusing to look at his face. "I didn't want to reply. That's why I didn't!"

Wei Shao drew a sharp breath through his teeth with a hiss. He lifted his hand to grip her chin, turning her face back to force her to meet his gaze.

After studying her for a moment, his brows suddenly relaxed, and a hint of smugness flickered across his expression. "Could it be you don't believe what's in my heart? Do you think I'm still involved with Lady Su? Are you angry?"

Xiao Qiao's brows twitched slightly. With a sharp "smack," she slapped away the hand gripping her chin and climbed off him. Grabbing the edge of the tub, she hauled herself out, snatched a large dry towel hanging nearby to wrap around herself, and made to leave. Behind her came a loud splash as Wei Shao flipped out of the water after her. He caught her from behind, saying, "Actually, I already went to see her earlier."

Xiao Qiao froze, then slowly turned her head to look at him.

His dark eyes met hers, a trace of mischief glinting within them.

Suddenly, Xiao Qiao began struggling, pounding his arm with her fists. "You went to see her the moment you returned, and yet you dare say such things to my face?"

Wei Shao burst into laughter. Sweeping her up sideways, he carried her out of the bathing chamber and deposited her onto the bed spread with ivory-cool matting, capturing her clenched fists in his hands.

"I went to see her, but not for the reason you think—not because of lingering feelings. Even if there had been anything between us before, it's long over. I only wanted to send her away tomorrow."

Xiao Qiao stopped struggling, her wide eyes fixed on him.

"Really?" The words slipped from her lips.

Wei Shao adored this dazed little look of hers. He pinched the tip of her nose. "Really. Only—" He hesitated before continuing, "Only she said her illness hasn't fully recovered yet, so she can't leave immediately. Manman, I won't hide this from you—before she married, she used to visit our home often. There was even a period when she took care of me for a long time. After all, there's still some sentiment there for me. Now that she's said this, whether it's true or not, I can't just force her to leave..."

A trace of helplessness showed in his expression.

Xiao Qiao held his gaze for a long moment.

Clearly, the "period when she took care of me for a long time" he vaguely mentioned must refer to the events of his twelfth year.

To be honest, the fact that his first act upon returning was to try sending Su Ehuang away out of concern for her feelings had already taken Xiao Qiao by surprise.

"Fine, I understand! I'm not asking you to kick her out right this instant!" she said generously.

Wei Shao seemed to exhale in relief, gently pinching her cheek. "Not angry anymore?"

Xiao Qiao wrinkled her nose. "When was I ever angry?"

Wei Shao scoffed, teasing her. "Still denying it! Even Chun Niang felt sorry for me, yet you showed no concern at all—you even heartlessly ignored my letters on purpose!"

Xiao Qiao blinked, then suddenly realized what he meant, her eyes widening. "You were eavesdropping outside?"

Wei Shao snorted, feigning seriousness. "Nonsense! Would I need to eavesdrop?"

Xiao Qiao balled her fists and pounded his shoulders again, but Wei Shao caught them, pinning them firmly above her head as he rolled atop her. "Chun Niang told you to win me over properly, and I heard you agree," he murmured against her lips. "How exactly do you plan to do that, hmm?"

Xiao Qiao's cheeks flushed crimson. As she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head repeatedly, Wei Shao captured her mouth in a deep kiss.

...Wei Shao hadn't been with a woman for months. Returning victorious from battle, he carried within him a pent-up energy akin to a volcano on the verge of eruption. The earlier encounter in the bathhouse had merely been a prelude—now that he had her pinned beneath him on the bed, he had no intention of letting her go easily. He tormented her until deep into the night, leaving Xiao Qiao utterly exhausted. By the end, she couldn't help whimpering and crying—a state Wei Shao seemed to adore most. Only when his excitement peaked did he finally relent.

Though physically drained, Xiao Qiao couldn't sleep.

A thought had been circling in her mind, and now, in the quiet, it lodged in her throat like a fishbone. Never before had she felt such urgency to voice it.

She quietly opened her eyes and glanced at Wei Shao beside her.

His eyes were closed, hovering between wakefulness and sleep. Yet, as if sensing her gaze, though he didn’t open his eyes, the corner of his lips curled slightly. He stroked her absentmindedly and murmured, "Weren’t you just crying for me to let you go? Why aren’t you sleeping?"

Summoning her courage, Xiao Qiao said, "Husband, may I ask... what exactly is inside that rosewood box at home, the one with the nine-palace lock?"

Wei Shao’s hand, which had been caressing her warm, soft skin, suddenly stilled. Slowly, he opened his eyes and met Xiao Qiao’s gaze.

At first, a trace of the lingering passion from earlier remained in his eyes, his gaze hazy. But as he studied her, that warmth gradually faded, replaced by clarity.

"Didn’t you say you were tired? Why ask about this now? Go to sleep."

He pulled her closer, closed his eyes again, and his tone carried a hint of dismissal.

Xiao Qiao studied his face.

"If my husband won’t tell me, then I’ll guess," she said softly.

"At first, I thought the box contained keepsakes related to Lady Su. But over time, that didn’t seem right. And now, I’m even more certain—what’s hidden inside isn’t connected to her. If it’s not about Lady Su, yet I once accidentally disturbed it and provoked your anger... after much thought, perhaps it must be..."

She trailed off.

Wei Shao slowly opened his eyes again and looked at her. "It holds some mementos left by my late father. Now that I’ve told you, can you sleep?"

His tone was cool.

That box had once been placed conspicuously—a constant reminder of his father and brother’s deaths. Only through strength could one kill, not be killed. After the incident with the nine-palace lock, Wei Shao had stored it away.

Tonight, his mood had been excellent.

The western campaign had achieved its goal ahead of schedule, bringing him one step closer to his grand ambition of unifying the realm.

The news of Lady Su’s arrival in Jinyang, which had troubled him for days, had been smoothly resolved thanks to Xiao Qiao’s understanding.

The woman he adored had grown even more attuned to him, and the exhilarating intimacy they’d just shared left him deeply satisfied in body and mind.

Everything had brought him joy.

Yet out of nowhere, she had brought up that box—a subject he still wasn’t ready to discuss with her. It dampened his spirits and stirred a faint wariness within him.

He had a feeling she was using this moment to broach a request he wasn’t yet prepared to face.He stared at her, his gaze revealing a trace of imperceptible displeasure.

...

Just as she had guessed, she had been mistaken before.

It wasn’t because of Su Ehuang. Rather, that box contained something related to the most painful memories of his youth, which was why he had reacted so strongly to her touching it in the past.

Seeing him stare at her with a hint of wariness in his expression, Xiao Qiao slowly exhaled. She raised her hand and gently traced his brows with her fingers, saying, “Now my heart is at ease. To be honest with you, husband, I always thought the box held mementos of Su Nu that you had kept. When you forbade me from touching it and then scolded me harshly for accidentally moving it, I felt quite hurt. But now I see it was a misunderstanding. Since it’s your late father’s belongings, no matter how much you reprimand me, I deserve it.”

She leaned slowly toward him, pressing a kiss to his lips, then rested her forehead against his and murmured softly, “Husband, you may not know this, but I’ve always envied Su Nu for accompanying you during those difficult years of your youth. When my grandfather broke the alliance, leading to the deaths of your father and brother and leaving you severely wounded, I was only three or four years old—just a clueless child. How could I have understood the depth of your suffering then? But by heaven’s grace, you’ve now become the one who shares my pillow. If there’s anything I can do to ease even a fraction of that pain from your past, Manman is willing to do it.”

The invisible armor of wariness that had risen around Wei Shao slowly dissolved under Xiao Qiao’s murmured words and the press of her forehead against his. His heart softened once more as he held her, seeking her kisses, his breath growing ragged again as he claimed her body anew.

...

The next day, Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao slept late before rising. They spent the entire day in their chambers, inseparable. Upon learning that Xiao Qiao had scarcely left the yamen gates in the past six months, spending her days copying scriptures in the inner quarters—often for half a day at a time—and had already completed several volumes, Wei Shao was deeply moved. The following day, he took her out for a horseback excursion to the western outskirts of Jinyang. They returned only in the evening, where a gatekeeper informed them that during the day, the Madam of Zuopingyi had sent someone to request the Lord’s presence at the courier station, citing important matters. Upon being told that the Lord and his wife were out, the messenger had left, but not before leaving word that the Madam had urgent business and insisted the Lord visit her upon his return.

Wei Shao said nothing at the time, simply leading Xiao Qiao inside.

Xiao Qiao glanced at his expression. “Will you go, husband?”

Wei Shao hesitated, then looked at her.

Xiao Qiao sighed inwardly but smiled brightly on the surface. She lifted a wildflower she had picked by the roadside during their outing and lightly tapped his nose with it. “Why hesitate? If there’s business to discuss, wouldn’t it be more convenient to invite her here? Why must you go to the courier station?”

Wei Shao’s eyes brightened slightly, and he laughed, pulling her into an embrace. “Manman, you always know what’s in my heart.” He immediately sent someone to the courier station with a message, inviting Su Ehuang to the yamen for a discussion.

“Aunt, will you go or not?”

Su Xin watched Su Ehuang, awaiting her reply.

At first, Su Ehuang’s expression darkened, but gradually, it returned to its usual composure. After a moment of contemplation, she said, “Why wouldn’t I go?”

...The next day, Wei Shao, dressed neatly in official attire, met Su Ehuang in a spacious hall at the front of the government office, where she had been ushered in by servants.

Su Ehuang had shed the disheveled, languid, and sickly appearance from days before. Today, she was meticulously groomed and elegantly adorned. Though a trace of melancholy still lingered between her brows, her spirits seemed much improved compared to before.