Cui Yunchu’s heart gave an uncontrollable, dull throb.
“When Cousin tells me all this,” she said as she slowly sat down, her voice steady and composed, “is it because you want to tell me that, given the current situation, the Shen family can no longer stand apart? If we do not choose a side, we can only face destruction—is that it?”
“Judging by the circumstances, that is indeed the case.”
“But I am merely a woman of the inner household,” Cui Yunchu said. “I know nothing about court politics. I am not as clever as you, Cousin. As for the state of affairs, I believe he has his own considerations.”
Tang Qingwan watched Yunchu and did not speak for a moment.
Cui Yunchu lowered her head and continued eating and drinking.
Tang Qingwan suddenly said, “Yunchu, I know what you are thinking.”
It was not that Yunchu could not make her own decision. It was that, between her and Yunfeng, she did not want to choose.
Or perhaps she favored Yunfeng more.
“Sisters are sisters, and the political situation is another matter. Neither Yunfeng nor I will force the other to her death. No matter who wins or loses, so long as we do not throw our lives away for love, neither of us will die.”
The hand holding the teacup paused slightly. Cui Yunchu said faintly, “I hope so too.”
No matter who it was, she did not want either of them to suffer misfortune.
Tang Qingwan stayed for a while before leaving. During that time, Chen Miaohe came over and chattered away, afraid that Cui Yunchu would be bored.
When Shen Xiabai returned, Chen Miaohe was still talking animatedly around Cui Yunchu.
“From the very beginning, I thought Cui-jiejie and Lord Shen were the perfect match. You two are practically made for each other.”
“Exactly. Cui-jiejie, may I ask you something?”
“If there were no Lord Shen, would you like Shen Zilan?” Chen Miaohe asked nervously. “It’s important to him. I want to comfort him.”
“…”
Cui Yunchu looked past Chen Miaohe and slowly said, “Does he know you’re asking this?”
“No.”
“Then he’ll certainly have to thank you for being so considerate of him.”
Cui Yunchu held back a laugh.
Chen Miaohe looked up blankly—and saw a tall figure reflected in Cui Yunchu’s eyes.
She sprang to her feet like a monkey. “I was only joking with you. I didn’t mean anything else.”
She turned around, bent nearly double, and lowered her head as far as it would go, muttering, “You can’t see me. You can’t see me. You can’t see me.”
Shen Xiabai’s eyelids drooped. His lips pressed into a grim line as he stared at Chen Miaohe’s retreating figure.
“Miss Chen, perhaps you would care to explain exactly how I would be ‘gone’ without me?”
“…”
“Shen Zilan!” Chen Miaohe called out before darting toward the door, but Yu Feng was quick enough to seize her by the collar.
“Let go of me! I only came to keep Cui-jiejie company and say a few words.”
She was usually an exceedingly proper and well-mannered young lady, yet she repeatedly came up against Shen Zilan’s uncle. Perhaps he was simply her nemesis.
How had he happened to hear that?
“Miss Chen still hasn’t answered my question. How exactly would I be ‘gone’?”
“I was only making a hypothetical assumption,” Chen Miaohe said guiltily. “I wanted to comfort Zilan. I didn’t mean anything else. You’re Zilan’s uncle, after all. Zilan’s father is the eldest son, while you’re the second son. If you weren’t here, then wouldn’t it also… make sense?”
Shen Xiabai smiled, but there was something cold and sinister about it.
Shen Zilan heard Chen Miaohe’s cries for help and hurried over, only to hear her absurd argument.
He began inching toward the door almost imperceptibly.
Risking himself for this fool was not worth it.
But Chen Miaohe had already spotted him.
“Shen Zilan—”
“…”
Shen Zilan forced himself to approach. “Uncle, please don’t misunderstand. I absolutely did not ask her to say that. It was entirely her own idea.”
“Shen Zilan, I did this for your sake, and you’re throwing me under the carriage? Are you even a man?” Chen Miaohe exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief.
Shen Xiabai fixed the two of them with a cold, sinister look.
“On my wedding day, in front of my wife, you cursed me dead. Miss Chen, is this the etiquette and propriety Minister Chen and Madam Chen taught you?”
Chen Miaohe was thoroughly ashamed and muttered in a small voice, “I’m the only one responsible. Don’t drag my father and mother into this.”
Shen Zilan gave her a helpless glance, his head aching.
It seemed there was no hope of his moving back into the residence in this lifetime.
From her chair, Cui Yunchu watched Chen Miaohe and Shen Zilan with a smile that curved her eyes.
Shen Xiabai said, “Since Minister Chen is incapable of educating his daughter, this lord will do it in his place. Yu Feng, send someone to inform Minister Chen and Madam Chen of Miss Chen’s conduct. Then lock her in the woodshed for three days as punishment. She is not to be given anything to eat or drink during that time. Let us see whether she dares cause trouble again.”
Chen Miaohe looked as though she had been struck by lightning.
Shen Zilan was also shocked. “Uncle, absolutely not! She’s a young lady, and she is already afraid of the dark. How could she endure three days without food or water in this cold weather?”
“Uncle, please show mercy just this once. I’ll keep a close eye on her. Something like this will never happen again.”
Shen Xiabai was unmoved. “She cursed me dead in front of your aunt, and you want me to show mercy?”
Shen Zilan fell silent.
For such an offense, slitting her throat would hardly be excessive.
It was their wedding day, for heaven’s sake. What had she been thinking?
But still…
“Uncle, her mind doesn’t work properly. Please don’t stoop to her level. If you lock her in the woodshed, she’ll be scared to death.”
“Then you can go with her.”
“…”
Yu Feng escorted the two of them out of the bridal chamber. Only Shen Zilan’s cries of “Uncle!” remained echoing through the room.
Cui Yunchu burst out laughing. “Don’t you think they make a good match? They clearly have feelings for each other, yet neither of them realizes it.”
“So I’m helping them.”
“But I’ve only just entered the family, and on my wedding day I had Shen Zilan locked in the woodshed. Will the Old Madam be displeased?”
“No.”
Shen Xiabai caught her by the wrist, pulled her up from the chair, and drew her into his arms.
He held her wrist and pressed a series of light kisses to it.
“Don’t start. I haven’t even bathed yet.”
Shen Xiabai wrapped an arm around her waist. “What are you thinking, Madam? We haven’t even drunk the wedding wine, and you’re already eager to bathe and change clothes. After being apart for several days, it seems Madam has missed your husband quite a lot.”
Cui Yunchu picked up the wine cup from the table and poured the contents straight into Shen Xiabai’s mouth.
Shen Xiabai was displeased. “That isn’t how the wedding wine is supposed to be drunk.”
“Then how is it supposed to be drunk?”
“I’ll teach you, Madam.”
He bent down, hooked an arm beneath her hips, and lifted her onto the table. Then he held the other cup of wine in his mouth, lowered his head to press his lips against Cui Yunchu’s, and slowly passed the wine into her mouth.
Cui Yunchu said, “That’s disgusting.”
Shen Xiabai immediately supported the back of her head and pressed his lips firmly to hers, giving her no chance to speak.
His hand slid to her sash, and he pushed her down onto the table…
Her clothes fell to her waist. In the candlelight, her smooth, delicate skin looked all the more alluring, and heat rose through her slender, exquisite body.
Cui Yunchu braced her hands against his shoulders and pushed him away with all her strength. “No, that won’t do. Let go.”
Shen Xiabai’s palm supported her slender waist. His body was scorching hot, and Cui Yunchu trembled.
“I want to bathe. You—”
The words she had not yet finished were once again swallowed by his kiss. Her resistance soon dissolved beneath his relentless advances.
He lifted and held her against him, pressing her waist to the table. Cui Yunchu wrapped both legs tightly around his waist, afraid that she would fall to the floor.
Cui Yunchu’s robes had come loose. One end of her sash was clenched in Shen Xiabai’s hand, while the other trailed to the floor. Her supple body arched backward, a fine sheen of sweat glistening on her skin, every line of her figure clearly defined, her dark hair spread across the tabletop.
His arm threaded through her hair as he held her by the shoulder, supporting her in that unusual position so she would not strain her waist.
Cui Yunchu stared hazily at the roof beams, her red lips slightly parted, surrendering to the ebb and flow beyond her control.
“A Chu—”
