The Prisoner of Beauty

Wei Shao was slightly taken aback. His hand slowly withdrew from her body.

The light inside the tent was dim, but it was not difficult to see that her body had arched, making him feel that something was different from usual.

"Are you feeling unwell?" he finally asked.

"No."

"Are you... still angry with me?" he asked again after a moment.

"How could I be? I just told you, it's my monthly cycle, so I can't serve my husband," Xiao Qiao replied, her voice calm.

Wei Shao opened his mouth but eventually closed it again.

The room fell silent. Wei Shao couldn't sleep, just like the nights he had spent in Fanyang.

It should be said that he was in a low mood at the moment, feeling that it might have been better to stay in Fanyang and not return, out of sight, out of mind.

He also knew that she had been angry with him that night. So later, when he tried to reconcile with her through intimacy, she had refused. Although her tone had been gentle, a refusal was still a refusal, and he could certainly feel it.

He couldn't accept her treating him this way, and for a moment, he didn't know how to respond. So the next day, while she was still asleep, he got up early and left. After finishing his duties at the yamen, when it was time to go home, he hesitated and finally decided to go to Fanyang for a few days first.

After all, before he got married, he often ran around here and there, and his grandmother and the others were already used to it.

So he stayed away for three days.

Those three days passed quite slowly. Finally, they were over. He thought that even if she had been very angry, her temper should have subsided by now.

Most importantly, he hadn't really done anything to her at the time; he had just lost his temper and vented his anger at her.

He was her husband! In such a situation, there probably weren't many husbands who could tolerate their wives to the extent he had.

So he came back today.

What he didn't expect was that she was still the same as before! She seemed to serve him attentively, with nothing to fault, but from the moment he entered, he immediately felt her coldness towards him. Especially when she had retorted his words in front of Qiao Ci.

In all his life, Wei Shao had never encountered anyone who spoke to him like that!

This made Wei Shao feel very unhappy and extremely confused, but considering that he might have indeed frightened her that day, and she was just a woman, he decided not to make a big deal out of it.

What he didn't expect was that she still didn't appreciate it?

She had touched something he had told her not to touch, and when he found out, he had only scolded her a little. Three days had passed, and today when he returned home, he had swallowed his pride and actively sought to reconcile with her again!

Lying in bed, the frustration in Wei Shao's heart grew heavier and heavier. Finally, he couldn't bear it anymore. He slowly sat up, lifted the curtain, got out of bed, put on some clothes, and went out.

He needed to get some fresh air. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to sleep, and the woman beside him seemed to have already fallen asleep. He really felt like he was going to suffocate.

...

Three days ago, the Lord and Lady had a disagreement over that box. Chun Niang had been terrified at the time. The Lord had left early the next morning and only returned tonight, three days later. Unfortunately, as soon as the Lord returned, the Lady seemed to have had a few arguments with him over the matter of the young master.Chun Niang felt even more uncertain. She had no idea how the two of them had gotten along that evening, and now she couldn’t sleep, tossing and turning in bed. Eventually, she got up to relieve herself. On her way back, she vaguely noticed a figure pacing in the courtyard. At first, she was startled, but upon closer look, she recognized it as the Lord’s silhouette. Her heart immediately skipped a beat, fearing that Madam and he might have had a disagreement, prompting the Lord to leave the room so late at night. She hurried over and called out, “Lord.”

Wei Shao stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the half-moon in the sky. He turned his head upon hearing Chun Niang’s voice.

Suppressing her unease, Chun Niang tentatively asked in a soft voice, “It’s so late, Lord. Why haven’t you returned to your room to rest?”

Wei Shao exhaled a heavy breath and replied indifferently, “The room felt stuffy. I came out for some air.”

Seeing his displeased expression, Chun Niang didn’t dare to ask further. She bowed to him and turned to leave. After a few steps, she heard Wei Shao’s voice behind her, “I have something to ask you.”

Chun Niang quickly stopped and turned around. She saw the Lord take a few steps toward her, then pause, remaining silent.

“Lord, feel free to ask whatever you wish. This servant will answer truthfully,” Chun Niang said.

Wei Shao nodded and finally spoke, “Was she feeling unwell today? Earlier, I asked her, but she didn’t tell me.”

Chun Niang’s heart, which had been hanging in suspense, immediately settled upon hearing his question. She hurriedly replied, “Madam is indeed unwell today—she’s having her monthly cycle. If she has offended you in any way, please be understanding, Lord.”

Wei Shao remained silent.

Seeing that he didn’t seem angry, Chun Niang thought it was a good opportunity to say more. She took a step closer and whispered, “Lord, you may not know this, but Madam has always had a delicate constitution. Back in Dongjun, whenever her cycle came, she would suffer from severe abdominal pain, often unable to get out of bed. It’s been better these past few months, but she still experiences backaches and bloating during this time. She should really be resting in bed. Today, when Madam learned about the young master’s situation, she rushed over herself. When she returned, I could see she was exhausted and wanted to rest, but then Madam’s mother summoned her. Hearing that her mother was suffering from chest pain, Madam didn’t dare to delay and went immediately…”

Chun Niang paused.

Wei Shao frowned slightly, “Why did you stop?”

Chun Niang glanced at him and said in a low voice, “What follows… this servant shouldn’t say.”

Wei Shao snorted, “Speak!”

Chun Niang complied hesitantly, “I accompanied Madam to her mother’s quarters. Along the way, Madam had to lean on my arm for support. When we arrived, Madam’s mother… wasn’t pleased with her, and Madam had to kneel for a long time before she was allowed to rise. I noticed how difficult it was for her to get up, and though I wanted to help her, I was afraid it might bring her more trouble, so I didn’t dare… Afterward, I accompanied Madam back to her room. She was extremely tired, and I felt so sorry for her. I urged her to rest early, but since you hadn’t returned to the room yet, Madam refused to rest on her own and insisted on waiting for you…”

Before Chun Niang could finish, Wei Shao strode past her, heading swiftly toward the main chamber. She hurried after him, watching as he climbed the steps in a few strides, pushed open the door, and entered.

Chun Niang slowly let out a breath.

…Although Xiao Qiao was physically exhausted, the soreness in her waist and abdomen, coupled with Wei Shao lying beside her, made it difficult for her to fall asleep. She merely closed her eyes. After Wei Shao left, she managed to sleep alone for a while, gradually regulating her breathing and calming her mind. As drowsiness crept in, she dozed off, only to be awakened by a flickering light before her eyes. In her groggy state, she slightly opened her eyes and saw that Wei Shao had returned, climbed onto the bed, and was holding a candlestick, seemingly illuminating her. She closed her eyes again, raising an arm to shield her eyes, and murmured with a hint of complaint, "What are you doing..."

Wei Shao moved her arm away from her eyes and continued to gaze at her closed eyelids for a moment. Suddenly, he blew out the candle with a "puff." After a rustling sound, Xiao Qiao felt him lie down again, his arm reaching out to wrap around her waist, moving to her stomach, his palm gently caressing her.

With this disturbance, Xiao Qiao's earlier drowsiness vanished entirely.

She was already uncomfortable, and now, seeing that he still wouldn't let her be, she felt a surge of irritation. She grabbed his wrist, about to refuse, when she heard Wei Shao whisper softly by her ear, "You weren't feeling well. Why didn't you tell me when I came back? You even forced yourself to serve me dinner. I don't necessarily need you to serve me."

Xiao Qiao was taken aback.

After speaking, Wei Shao fell silent, only his hand continuing to gently caress her lower abdomen.

"Are you feeling very unwell?"

A moment later, she heard him ask softly again by her ear, his tone unexpectedly tender.

Xiao Qiao squirmed slightly, feeling somewhat uneasy. "...I'm feeling much better now. You should go to sleep."

Wei Shao pulled her closer, pressing her fully against his chest.

"In the future, if you're feeling unwell anywhere, don't hide it from me. If you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"

His tone in the darkness seemed to carry a hint of displeasure.

Xiao Qiao bit her lip and softly acknowledged with a "Mm."

...

Wei Yan woke from a nightmare of being chased by starving wolves, his heart still pounding violently in his chest. He opened his eyes abruptly to find the window faintly lit, the sky already bright, and himself lying on the floor in front of the bed in his room, having slept face-up like that all night.

His head throbbed with pain. He raised a hand to rub his temples. The events of the previous night flooded back to him in vivid detail.

He remembered that yesterday evening, he had taken Qiao Ci to Luo Zhongfang. Shortly after they sat down, Qiao Nu arrived and called Qiao Ci away. He went out to confess to her, but she was very angry, scolded him, and left. After returning, he drank alone in the courtyard, and in a drunken haze, he stumbled back into his room...

He sat up abruptly and saw on the opposite wall the portrait of a beautiful woman he had painted the previous night still hanging there. Her eyes were bright, her smile charming.

It had been many years since he last touched a paintbrush. But last night, half-drunk and half-awake, with his blood boiling, he had completed the painting in one go.

Wei Yan recalled everything. His bloodshot eyes fixed on the lifelike figure of the woman with her flowing skirt on the wall, his heart beating even more fiercely.

He vaguely remembered that last night, he had gone out to instruct that no one was to enter this room.But even so, he couldn't let her remain on that wall.

He had committed such a beastly and disgraceful act towards his brother's wife. If anyone were to see it...

Wei Yan felt as if pricked by a needle, instantly breaking into a cold sweat, his heart pounding so fiercely it seemed ready to leap out of his throat. He sprang up from the ground, grabbed the sword he had discarded earlier, and hurried to the wall. Raising the sword to scrape it off, the tip pointed at the figure on the wall, but then he froze.

He couldn't bear to mar her flower-like face with the sword's edge.

As he hesitated, he suddenly heard footsteps outside. Zhu Quan, his long-time attendant, spoke through the door, "My lord, a message arrived from Dai County this morning. Please take a look."

Wei Yan's eyes flickered slightly. He responded, "Wait a moment," sheathed his sword, and quickly moved to stack several cabinets against the west wall to cover the beauty on the wall. Then he closed the window. After a quick glance around to ensure nothing was amiss, he opened the door.

"My lord, here is the message."

Zhu Quan handed over a letter pouch.

Nearly forty years old, Zhu Quan was cautious and meticulous. Having watched Wei Yan grow up, Wei Yan trusted him deeply.

Wei Yan took the pouch.

...

Xiao Qiao slept through the night and woke up the next morning. Wei Shao was still in bed. They remained in the same position as the night before, with him holding her and her curled up in his arms. They opened their eyes almost simultaneously, as she stirred slightly, causing him to wake as well.

When their eyes met, both seemed a bit embarrassed.

Xiao Qiao lowered her gaze and rolled out of his embrace. Wei Shao coughed dryly, jumped out of bed, and headed to the bathroom.

Xiao Qiao had already noticed the tent in his lower region but pretended not to see it. They both got up, tidied themselves, and went together to the north house to see Madam Xu.

Wei Shao, tall and long-legged, had a habit of taking large strides. Previously, when walking with him, Xiao Qiao would often fall behind, trailing by a considerable distance.

This morning, however, he walked at a leisurely pace, keeping step with her. When they entered Madam Xu's room together, they were surprised to see Wei Yan there as well, kneeling beside Madam Xu and having breakfast with her.

Seeing Wei Shao and Xiao Qiao arrive together, Madam Xu was delighted and invited them to join for breakfast.

Having gotten up a bit late, they hadn't eaten yet. Naturally, Wei Shao didn't stand on ceremony with his grandmother and sat down opposite Wei Yan. Glancing at Wei Yan, he noticed some lingering redness in his eyes and casually remarked, "Brother, did you not sleep well last night?"

Madam Xu looked at Wei Yan and chided him with a loving tone, "You're good in every way, but you love to drink. Don't let yourself get drunk in the future; it harms your health."

Wei Yan replied, "Grandmother is right. Your grandson will remember this and won't dare to do it again."

"You better remember!" Madam Xu looked up and saw Xiao Qiao hesitating to join. She beckoned her to sit opposite her, calling for additional bowls and chopsticks, and smiled, "We don't stand on ceremony here; we're all family."

Xiao Qiao had no choice but to thank Madam Xu, climb onto the platform, smooth her skirt, and kneel down to sit. To her right was Wei Yan.She still harbored some resentment in her heart over Wei Yan taking her younger brother to Luo Zhongfang last night. After sitting down, naturally, she couldn't show her displeasure in front of Madam Xu. When he glanced over, she greeted him as usual, calling him "Eldest Uncle."

Wei Yan nodded slightly, somewhat unable to meet her gaze, and averted his eyes.

Breakfast passed quietly. After everyone had rinsed their mouths and the dining table had been cleared, Wei Yan bowed to Madam Xu and said, "Grandmother, I came this morning to bid you a temporary farewell. I came to Yuyang for your grand birthday celebration and have stayed for several months. Before I leave, there are a few pending matters in Daijun that I think I should take care of during these free days. I plan to set off today, hence I came early to say goodbye."

Madam Xu nodded, "If you have matters to attend to, go ahead. I am well, no need for you to worry."

Wei Shao said, "Brother, why are you leaving now? The Lu Li Assembly is in a few days. We can't have it without you."

Wei Yan smiled, "After I handle the matters in Daijun, I will return as quickly as possible. How could I miss the Lu Li Assembly?"

"That's great!" Wei Shao nodded, "When are you leaving, brother? I'll see you off out of the city."