The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao's gentle tone, his handsome smile...

Even though he had already left for a while, it lingered in Xiao Qiao's mind like a spring breeze, impossible to shake off.

She felt like crying again.

Why couldn't he have gone on a long trip?

To put it melodramatically, she even found herself missing the days when he treated her as if she were air. What the future held was uncertain, but tonight—if she had to endure another experience like last night...

Wei Shao only cared about his own pleasure, but what about her body? Could she afford to neglect it?

The soreness and swelling below were unbearable. When Chun Niang came in to help her get up, Xiao Qiao, too embarrassed to speak directly, stammered out half a sentence, which immediately filled Chun Niang with concern.

Seeing how the Lord had returned yesterday, Chun Niang had already guessed that her mistress would have a hard time. Worried, she had gotten up twice in the middle of the night to check quietly, only to find the candle in the room still burning. It wasn't until around dawn that the light finally went out.

Her mistress was naturally delicate and had only recently come of age. With a considerate husband, things would have been fine. But judging by the Lord's physique, one could imagine how intense the marital relations would be. The candle had burned for most of the night, and Chun Niang had been uneasy for a while. So, as soon as the Lord left in the morning, she came in. But she hadn't expected Xiao Qiao to be in such distress. She found her lying there listlessly, with faint dark circles under her eyes, which pained Chun Niang to see. Hearing her complain of pain, Chun Niang urgently wanted to examine her, but Xiao Qiao refused. Helpless, Chun Niang went to fetch some ointment.

Before Xiao Qiao's marriage, Chun Niang had thoughtfully prepared even this kind of ointment for reducing swelling and pain, which had remained unopened until now. Xiao Qiao took it, turned her back, and applied some, finally feeling a cool, soothing relief. She let out a sigh of relief.

As Chun Niang helped her dress, she scolded in a low voice, "Yesterday, I thought that since the Lord had just returned home, he might be eager, and you should naturally accommodate him. But no matter what, you shouldn't let yourself suffer so much! There are other ways, and I've taught you before. You're too straightforward, child!"

Xiao Qiao understood Chun Niang's hint, but she felt genuinely wronged.

How could she explain to Chun Niang that Wei Shao had completely ignored her refusals last night? He had no interest in any other methods and was solely focused on taking her. He wanted her, and that was that. She couldn't fight him off, and her pleas and tears only seemed to excite him more.

What could she do against such a beast?

...

Although Wei Shao had said she didn't need to show her face to her grandmother and Zhu Shi this morning, Xiao Qiao didn't have the nerve to take him at his word. Everyone knew what had happened in the room last night after the man had just returned home. If she really followed Wei Shao's advice, her future days would be difficult. Once the soreness had subsided a bit and she had finished washing up, she went to the north room as usual.

Wei Shao had already been there earlier and mentioned that she would be late to rise. Seeing her arrive at the usual time, Madam Xu's attitude remained unchanged, and she didn't ask any awkward questions. Instead, she chatted with Xiao Qiao for a while and finally brought up Xiao Qiao's younger brother, saying that she had personally instructed the servants to prepare the room for him and was looking forward to his early arrival.

Madam Xu's reassurance completely put Xiao Qiao's mind at ease.After all, there was a long-standing feud between the Wei and Qiao families. Although her grandmother had always been kind to her since she married into the Wei family, and her relationship with Wei Shao had recently begun to thaw, showing signs of improvement, she was still a daughter of the Qiao family who had married out. According to current views, she was entirely a member of the Wei family. The Wei family accepting her as a daughter-in-law and accepting her family were two entirely different matters.

Calculating the time when the envoy's party had set out, they should be nearing Youzhou soon. Xiao Qiao had been thinking these past couple of days that if the Wei family did not take the initiative to invite her brother to stay, she might need to consider how to subtly probe their intentions.

The envoy accompanying her brother was of no concern and would naturally be accommodated at the posthouse. However, if her brother, who had come from afar, were also arranged to stay at the posthouse, it would have been acceptable when she first arrived, but now it would not only be awkward but also difficult for her to accept psychologically.

Now that Madam Xu had proactively brought up the matter, it turned out she had already taken care of it. Xiao Qiao was extremely grateful and hurried to thank her.

"Your younger brother is the brother-in-law of Erlang (Wei Shao). We are all one family; there is no need for thanks," Madam Xu said with a smile.

……

Xiao Qiao left the north room in a rather cheerful mood, feeling as if the discomfort in her body had mostly dissipated. She then headed to the east room.

Usually, when she came to the east room, Zhu Shi would give her a look full of sarcasm.

Today was even worse.

The overwhelming sense of Zhu Shi's loathing for her was palpable even before she entered.

However, probably knowing that Madam Xu was also protecting her, Zhu Shi merely gave her a cold look and did nothing more. Xiao Qiao had grown accustomed to this.

The only slight surprise today was seeing Jiang Nao again.

Jiang Nao had not been seen for a long time since she broke her leg. Today was the first time she had appeared.

For some reason, every time Xiao Qiao saw Jiang Nao, she was reminded of Rong Mama. With Madam Zhu and Rong Mama together, it was no wonder Xiao Qiao was reluctant to come to the east room.

Yet, Madam Zhu seemed to have a masochistic streak. Despite her obvious dislike for Xiao Qiao, she did not follow her mother-in-law Madam Xu's example by exempting her daughter-in-law from the morning greetings. Instead, she insisted on having Xiao Qiao come to her every day to annoy her.

After paying her respects to her mother-in-law, Xiao Qiao quickly forgot about the piercing gaze Rong Mama had given her when she left. She returned to her room, and the rest of the day was hers to spend as she pleased.

During Madam Xu's recent birthday celebration, Xiao Qiao had noticed that Madam Xu often read and recited the scripture she had gifted. Since the scripture was copied by her when she was still in her maiden home, the characters were a bit small for Madam Xu's eyesight. Some time ago, Xiao Qiao had decided to start copying a new scripture with larger characters to give to her. She had already begun the task. Now, returning to her room, she had no intention of resting. Filled with gratitude towards Madam Xu, she rolled up her sleeves, ground some ink, and continued copying.

Wei Shao did not return at noon. Xiao Qiao had her meal alone, took a short nap, and then resumed copying. After finishing a section, she needed to switch to a larger brush to write the introduction. She noticed that the brush she was using had become worn and was no longer suitable.

Wei Shao's study was not far from the bedroom, just across a corridor.

His study surely had suitable brushes.

If it were like before, when he had pointed a sword at her nose, Xiao Qiao naturally would not have entered his study.But now, things were slightly different. Between a man and a woman, once they had experienced true physical intimacy, especially the kind of wild passion from last night, whether intentional or not, there would inevitably be a sense of closeness in their hearts.

Moreover, it was just a matter of fetching a brush.

Xiao Qiao got up, walked through the corridor, passed by two maids sweeping the courtyard, and arrived at Wei Shao's study. She pushed the door open, picked up a suitable brush, and then left.

...

By the end of the Xu hour (around 9 PM), Wei Shao returned to their room.

When he first entered, he still seemed to be wearing the "Lord" persona he carried outside, appearing surprisingly serious.

If it weren't for the lingering discomfort Xiao Qiao felt when walking, she might have almost believed that she had been the one mistreating him last night, just by looking at his serious face.

But soon, that "Lord" facade was stripped away.

Not long after he entered the bathroom, Xiao Qiao heard him calling for her to join him. Reluctantly, she went in, and he asked her to scrub his back.

Scrubbing his back was fine, but as she continued, it turned into him massaging her entire body. After a few strokes, he became visibly aroused again, and eventually, he carried her to the bed, ready to repeat the physical exertion of the previous night.

The painful lesson from last night was still fresh in her mind, and the soreness hadn't subsided yet. As soon as his hand reached out, Xiao Qiao clung tightly to her pillow, her face pleading for mercy, saying it still hurt, that it was still very painful, and that even touching water during her bath earlier had stung. She had just applied medicine.

Wei Shao's enthusiasm was dampened by her plea, and he felt a bit disappointed. Shamelessly, he insisted on seeing for himself to believe her. Xiao Qiao's face flushed red, and at first, she refused. But under his repeated threats, she half-reluctantly, half-compliantly let him look.

The skin there was a soft pink, and the delicate edges were indeed chafed and slightly peeled. It had only been a day, and it hadn't fully healed yet. Covered with a thin layer of ointment, it looked like a delicate, glistening flower under the candlelight, extremely beautiful.

Wei Shao stared unblinkingly, his Adam's apple moving slightly.

Xiao Qiao had initially covered her face with the pillow. After a while, sensing no movement from him, she peeked out slightly and saw him still staring, seemingly entranced. She quickly lowered her legs, pulled her skirt back to cover herself, and sat up.

"See? I wasn't lying, was I?"

Her cheeks were still flushed.

Wei Shao let out a breath. "Fine, I'll let you off for now."

Before Xiao Qiao could fully relax, she was startled to see Wei Shao grab one of her feet, pressing it against his abdomen, and began massaging it. After a few strokes, he grabbed her other foot as well.

Xiao Qiao was ticklish, especially on the soles of her feet. After just a few strokes, she couldn't help but giggle, trying to pull her feet back.

But he held them tightly, and she couldn't free them.

Wei Shao held her delicate feet in his hands, massaging them for a while.

Indeed, as Chen Rui had once said, Xiao Qiao's feet were exquisite. They were as white and tender as bamboo shoots, soft and plump to the touch. As he continued massaging, he found himself becoming aroused again.

Chen Rui's vulgar words, claiming that he had once been utterly intoxicated by her, were naturally something Wei Shao didn't believe.

The night before he went to war, he had only just taken her virginity. How could there have been such a thing in Shiyi before that?However, since Chen Rui had spoken so confidently and specifically mentioned her feet, it could be inferred that at the very least, he had laid eyes on her feet.

Wei Shao suddenly felt a sense of displeasure, as if something that belonged to him had been coveted by someone else. Abruptly, he bent down, lifted one of her legs, and bit down hard.

Xiao Qiao, who had been dazed and numb from him playing with her feet, suddenly cried out in pain, "What are you doing!"

Wei Shao released her foot and looked at Xiao Qiao slowly, asking, "Did Chen Rui ever bite you like this when he was in Shiyi?"

Xiao Qiao was utterly baffled, not understanding why he suddenly brought up Chen Rui, whom she had almost forgotten, and asked such a nonsensical question. She shook her head, "No. Why are you mentioning him?"

Wei Shao suddenly felt better. He stared at her feet for a moment, then an idea popped into his head. He pressed down, guiding her foot along his abdomen and downward.

Xiao Qiao was stunned by his actions, her eyes widening more and more...

......

Xiao Qiao didn't exert much effort. After her hands, she paid the price of losing her purity with her jade-like feet, finally escaping tonight's ordeal.

After they washed up, he carried her to bed, letting her rest on his arm while he held her with one arm.

It was an intimate sleeping position. It was the first time they had slept together like this.

The lamp was still on.

Xiao Qiao closed her eyes and slept for a while, then quietly opened them and glanced at him beside her.

His eyes were closed, his expression calm, as if he had fallen asleep.

But Xiao Qiao knew he probably wasn't asleep.

She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "In a few days, the envoy sent by my uncle will arrive in Yuyang, and my younger brother will come too. You should know about this, right?"

Wei Shao indifferently grunted, "Hmm."

"This morning, Grandmother said she would let my younger brother stay at our home. I am very grateful for her arrangement."

After saying this, Xiao Qiao observed his expression.

Wei Shao's eyes remained closed, and there was no change in his expression.

After a long while, he finally said, "Since Grandmother has arranged it, just follow her instructions."

His eyes were still closed, and there was still no sign of any other expression.

Xiao Qiao was silent for a moment, then said, "During the day, I went into your study and took a brush. I thought I should let you know."

Wei Shao responded quickly this time, "It's fine. If you need it, just go in."

Xiao Qiao said softly, "Thank you, husband."

Wei Shao slowly opened his eyes, turned his face, and looked at her.

Xiao Qiao smiled at him.

Author's note: Just a heads-up, in the previous chapters, Madam Xu and others referred to the male lead by his courtesy name. I realized today that this isn't appropriate, as family members usually call each other by nicknames, not the respectful courtesy names. Here, I've directly changed it to "Erlang" (second son), and I'll slowly revise the earlier chapters when I have time.

Also, Chen Rui isn't dead yet and will make another appearance later.