Jiafu's wedding saw not only the maids like Tanxiang and Muxiang, who had accompanied her before, coming along, but also Meng Shi sending her own Liu Momo to follow. After Pei You'an lifted the bridal veil and left, the lively and joyous atmosphere from earlier faded, leaving the bridal chamber in silence. Liu Momo led the maids inside to help Jiafu remove her headdress, jewelry, and embroidered cape, taking off the heavy wedding attire until only three layers of clothing remained. She then changed into a specially tailored crimson silk robe with cloud-patterned sleeves and a collar embroidered with auspicious cloud motifs, paired with close-fitting satin trousers adorned with hidden lotus vine patterns and a gold-threaded brocade skirt. Compared to the overly solemn wedding attire, this outfit retained the festive spirit while adding a touch of soft allure.
Jiafu hadn’t eaten since noon. Now that the crowd had dispersed, leaving only familiar faces around her, the tension from the evening slowly gave way to hunger, her stomach feeling hollow. Yet she had no appetite. She barely managed a few sips of the Chicken Relish Soup Liu Momo had brought in and peeled half a Jiangnan honey pomelo before pushing it aside. Liu Momo had the maids clear the dishes, then personally attended to Jiafu, helping her wash her face and rinse her mouth with fragrant water. Once everything was done, she had Jiafu sit on the edge of the bed to await the groom’s return.
After a long wait, Jiafu finally heard faint footsteps outside again, accompanied by the maids and older servants calling out, "Young Master."
Unable to suppress her nervousness, Jiafu sat up straight, her eyes fixed on the door, fingers tightly clasped beneath her wide sleeves. Liu Momo heard it too and hurriedly led the maids to greet him. With a soft creak, a figure stepped into the bridal chamber—Pei You'an had returned.
He didn’t seem to have drunk much, walking steadily as he entered. After removing his headdress himself, he dismissed everyone. Liu Momo glanced at Jiafu, signaling her to attend to him, then led the maids out with a smile, closing the door behind them.
Over a year had passed since she last saw Pei You'an face to face. Unlike earlier, when they were surrounded by people, they were now alone. Jiafu’s heart raced wildly. Remembering her mother’s repeated instructions, she steadied herself, rose from the edge of the bed where she had been sitting all evening, and quietly stepped behind him. Summoning her courage, she whispered, "Husband, let me help you change."
Pei You'an, who had been removing his outer robe, paused at her words and turned to look at her.
They stood close, and Jiafu could finally see clearly—though he hadn’t drunk much tonight, a faint haze of alcohol lingered in his eyes.
He gave a vague acknowledgment, saying, "Thank you," and handed her the robe he had just taken off before walking past her to sit on the edge of the bed.
Jiafu hesitated for a moment, holding his robe, recalling the days when they had lived together in Wuding. Back then, she would often compete with the maids to take his clothes when he returned each night. Sometimes he would smile; other times, he showed no expression, but she had never felt the slightest awkwardness.
Tonight, he was her husband, and she was his wife. Yet he was so distant.
Setting his robe aside, Jiafu turned and slowly walked back to his side.
He sat on the edge of the bed, and she stood beside him, gazing at him without blinking.The red candle flickered, casting shifting shadows. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
After a while, as if intoxicated and unable to bear the effects of the wine, he raised his hand to rub his forehead. Without looking at her, he murmured vaguely, "It's late. You should rest too." With that, he lay down, still fully dressed in three layers, the outermost being his Underwear, appearing impeccably neat without a single wrinkle.
Jiafu softly replied with an "Mm," then turned her back to him and slowly removed her clothes until only her innermost garment remained. She climbed onto the bed with light movements and finally lay down beside him.
She curled up slightly, facing him, sharing the same long embroidered pillow adorned with the "King Wen's Hundred Sons and Ten Thousand Blessings" pattern, though a foot of distance lay between them. He lay on his back, eyes closed as if asleep, his breathing even, not even his eyelashes fluttering.
At first, Jiafu also kept her eyes shut, but gradually opened them to gaze at the profile of his face turned toward her. After a long while, recalling her mother's advice, she hesitated repeatedly before finally mustering the courage to inch closer to him. She extended a soft arm and quietly draped it over his waist.
Pei You'an's eyelashes trembled faintly.
Jiafu knew he was still awake and didn't dare to look at him.
"Husband..."
She called to him in a whisper, her voice almost as faint as a mosquito's hum. Her lashes quivered slightly as she closed her eyes and gently rested her head against his shoulder.
Pei You'an neither responded nor pushed her away. After a pause, he said, "Since I've married you, I will protect you. From now on, be honest and never entertain improper thoughts again." His tone was calm.
Jiafu froze, her body stiffening. Slowly, she opened her eyes and lifted her face.
He, too, opened his eyes, tilting his head slightly toward her. Their gazes met on the pillow.
His eyes were dark, his gaze cool, devoid of any tenderness.
The blush on Jiafu's face gradually faded, and the arm draped over his waist slowly withdrew.
"I understand... It was my fault... I shouldn't have treated you that way..."
She no longer dared to look at him, utterly disheartened, lowering her eyes and murmuring.
"I can let it pass. But now that you've entered my household, you'll inevitably have to interact with others day and night. If you dislike Quan Ge'er, you can keep your distance from him in the future. If anything arises, speak to me. Remember, I won't allow you to use underhanded means to achieve your ends, nor will I tolerate lies from you—no matter the reason."
If Jiafu had only felt ashamed earlier, hearing these words from him now left her feeling far more than mere shame.
The incident with the Frozen borneol—she had long forgotten it. But now, she was reminded.
So he had never forgotten the lie she once told him. He simply hadn't brought it up before.
And tonight, after marrying her, he had finally spoken of it, admonishing her.
Jiafu shrank back slightly and raised her eyes to look at him once more.
Having spoken, he closed his eyes again, his expression serene, as if he had fallen back asleep.
"I... will remember..."
After uttering this short reply, it seemed as though she had exhausted all her strength. Jiafu bowed her head, motionless.
The room fell into silence, leaving only the sound of his breathing in her ears.Jiafu no longer leaned against him. Just as she had shifted away earlier, she now quietly inched back, ensuring not even a corner of his clothing would touch her.
Holding her breath, she slowly turned over. The moment she closed her eyes, tears slipped down, rolling to the side of her ear.
She dared not let out a sob, yet the tears wouldn’t stop, silently soaking a patch of the pillow.
“Why are you crying?”
After a moment, she heard his voice from behind. She shook her head desperately, mumbling, “I’m not crying.”
“You clearly are.” After a pause, he spoke again.
Jiafu could no longer hold back. A choked sob escaped her as she squeezed her eyes shut, murmuring, “If you find me so repulsive and look down on me, why did you marry me? I already said I don’t care about that matter anymore, and I never forced you to marry me again.”
Pei You’an turned his head slightly, gazing at her back facing him. Hesitating, he said, “When did I say I find you repulsive or look down on you? I was only teaching you earlier—to behave properly from now on and not scheme anymore.”
“You clearly do find me repulsive and look down on me…”
Jiafu whimpered, “…Don’t worry, I won’t cling to you… In the future, when you find someone you truly like…”
As she spoke, sorrow welled up inside her. She tried desperately to hold it in, but the tears only fell harder, like broken strings of pearls, and the more she cried, the more heartbroken she became.
“Stop talking nonsense. Don’t cry anymore…”
Pei You’an’s voice came from behind again, much gentler than before, carrying a hint of careful coaxing.
Jiafu buried her face in the pillow, her shoulders trembling as she mumbled, “…I can’t help it… Just ignore me…”
Pei You’an sat up, half-leaning against the headboard, glancing at her turned back. After a moment, he bent slightly, reaching a hand toward her shoulder—but stopped just before touching her.
“Stop crying…”
Jiafu continued to sob.
“What will make you stop?”
She ignored him.
Pei You’an fell silent for a moment before suddenly saying, “If you keep crying, I’ll go to the study.” With that, he made as if to rise from the bed.
Jiafu froze, then instinctively turned her face toward him, her beautiful eyes—still brimming with tears—widening as she stared.
Pei You’an exhaled slowly, glancing at her tear-streaked face before swinging his legs off the bed.
Watching his retreating figure, Jiafu’s heart pounded, her face losing color again.
She hadn’t meant to cry in front of him and annoy him. But earlier, she had felt so ashamed and heartbroken that she couldn’t stop the tears.
If he really left her alone on their wedding night because she cried too much, she might as well dig a hole and bury herself tomorrow—she wouldn’t be able to face anyone.
“Eldest Cousin!”
In an instant, Jiafu scrambled up from the bed, lunging forward to wrap her arms tightly around his waist from behind, refusing to let go.
“I won’t cry anymore, don’t go…” Her voice still carried traces of tears, but she fought to suppress them.
Pei You’an felt a sudden warmth press against his back, soft arms encircling his waist. Still seated on the edge of the bed, his shoulders stiffened slightly before he lowered his head, gently prying her hands loose and standing up.
“Eldest Cousin… I really won’t cry anymore…”
Jiafu sat atop the tangled blankets, looking up at him with pleading eyes, a single glistening tear clinging to her lashes—pitiful and on the verge of falling.Pei You'an gazed at her for a moment, then turned away.
Jiafu watched as he entered the bathing chamber. When he emerged, he held a damp cloth wrung from water. Returning to the bedside, he bent down and gently wiped her face. After finishing, he said softly, "If you behave, I won’t leave."
Jiafu immediately nodded. A tear at the corner of her eye rolled down with a soft "plop," which she hastily wiped away before lying back down and closing her eyes.
A short while later, the space beside Jiafu was occupied as Pei You'an also lay back down. After a long pause, an arm slowly reached over and drew her close.
Jiafu felt him carefully undoing her garments.
She kept her eyes tightly shut, her body trembling slightly.
"Don’t be afraid. Tell me if it hurts."
He gently removed her undergarments, lifting her soft, smooth waist and hips to place a silk handkerchief beneath her. As he pressed down lightly, his lips brushed against her earlobe, murmuring in a low voice.
Her earlobe burned as if on fire, while his lips carried a faint coolness, much like the temperature of his skin.
Throughout the entire process, he was exceedingly gentle, yet there were no unnecessary movements—no kisses, save for the moment he first entered her. When she whimpered softly from the pain, clinging tightly to his shoulders, he paused briefly to kiss away a bead of sweat from her forehead.
Afterward, he carefully cleaned Jiafu, who lay with her eyes closed in shyness, and placed the silk handkerchief stained with her maiden blood aside. Then he dressed himself again and lay back down neatly.
That night, Jiafu’s heart wavered between sweetness and sorrow, rising and falling as she drifted in and out of sleep. The man beside her, however, seemed to sleep deeply, not turning once or touching her again.
Before the fifth watch, while the sky was still dark, a knock came at the door. The maidservant called for the newlyweds to rise—to greet the parents and pay respects at the ancestral shrine.
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