Yun Lou stood there, stunned as a wooden chicken.
Yun Lou cursed the shameless bastard under her breath.
Yun Lou mentally sent curses down to his eighteenth generation of ancestors.
Who exactly was framing her?! Who was setting her up?!
Could it be her fine colleagues?
Someone capable of infiltrating the Shen family, the local powers in Jiangling, and killing one of their assassins...
Was it Zhaoying? Impossible—Zhaoying and she were on good terms and wouldn't dump this mess on her head.
Then it must be Achen? She and Achen had been at each other's throats since their days with the Thin Blade. But no—if Achen had pulled off something so stealthy and clean, a single strike to kill, she'd want the whole world to know her name. She certainly wouldn't let someone else take the credit.
Yun Lou couldn't even figure out who the real killer was. How on earth did the Shen family decide it was her?!
Could they be having an internal power struggle, offing each other, and deciding to pin it on her?
Anyway, Thin Blade assassins had a notorious reputation in the martial world—any dirty deed or scandal got dumped on them. They were already drowning in debts, so what was one more? And no one ever stepped up to say, "That person wasn't actually killed by me."
Even in a small place like Fengping City, the ordinary townsfolk living peaceful lives had all heard of Thin Blade's ill repute.
Le'an shrank his neck, a bit nervous: "I—I once heard from Boss Wang who runs the escort service that you shouldn't say their names aloud, or they'll come knocking on your door."
Yun Lou: ........
What would they want from you? Was she some kind of echo that came running the moment her name was called?
Pei Xu gently cut through this piece of martial-arts gossip: "Let's not talk about that anymore. The main thing is Wenze is safe. You've all worked hard this trip—head home early and get some rest."
Chen Wenze looked like he was about to cry: "But what about the herbs?"
Pei Xu said, "The shop still has enough stock. The Shen family's water transport won't stop for long—every extra day costs them a load of gold. They'll soon pick a new clan head and reopen the river route. You can go back then."
With the young master's words, everyone felt reassured.
After speaking, Pei Xu turned around and noticed his wife seemed off. He quickly steadied her: "Darling, what's wrong?"
Yun Lou looked up, tugging at his sleeve with a pitiful expression—this time, genuinely aggrieved: "...It's... it's so scary..."
Pei Xu felt both amused and tender-hearted. He gently pulled her into his arms: "Don't be afraid. Jiangling is far from here, and those matters are far from us too. Le'an was just talking nonsense—don't listen to him."
Wah wah wah—which blasted bastard had gotten her slapped with a martial-world bounty for no reason at all?!
After finishing things at the clinic, Pei Xu had planned to take her to the Xiyu Tower, but Yun Lou was in no mood at all now.
Seeing her so deflated, he somewhat regretted bringing her along this morning. His wife had always been timid and frail, unable to stomach this kind of fighting and killing talk. This time she'd been truly frightened—she'd barely eaten a few bites at lunch.
Yun Lou lay on the bed, utterly resigned to her fate, and then, listening to the patter of rain, fell into a sweet, sound sleep.
Pei Xu had been worried. While she napped, he went to the clinic and had Doctor Chen prescribe a calming herbal remedy. Knowing she disliked bitter medicine—she already had to take a tonic every day for her health—an extra serving of calming herbs would surely make her complain. So he had the remedy shaped into honey-coated pills and brought them home, only to find his wife seemed to no longer need them.
The rain stopped in the afternoon. She was reclining on a garden lounger in the shaded pavilion, a plate of cherries and half a dish of pastries at her side, watching two guards spar with keen amusement.
After the heavy rain, the courtyard was lush and verdant. Yinyin and Wensi stood behind her, gently waving round fans, while swallows chirped softly in the wutong tree. The burly young men's heavy panting and the muffled thuds of fists landing punctuated the air.
Yun Lou tossed a cherry into her mouth: "Shitou, if you don't put in more effort, you're going to lose again."
Zhao Shitou's face contorted with renewed ferocity, fists swinging like the wind—but Zhong Shi stood firm as a rock, spear-less yet seeming to hold one. Push, parry, lift, thrust—he channeled the Bian family spear techniques into his fists, and Zhao Shitou soon couldn't keep up, landing flat on his rear.
Yun Lou clapped with delight: "Zhong Shi wins again! The cherries go to Zhong Shi!"
Yinyin picked up the small plate of divided cherries and ran over to Zhong Shi. Sweat had soaked through the young man's clothes, revealing his sturdy, muscular frame beneath. He breathed heavily, chest muscles rising and falling slightly. Yinyin took one look, turned bright red, shoved the cherries into his hands, and ran off shyly.
Yun Lou watched with great enjoyment.
Pei Xu: .........
He let out a light cough.
Yun Lou only then noticed her husband standing at the door. She waved at him happily: "Pei Xu~ You're back~"
Pei Xu walked over, and Yun Lou shifted aside, patting the spot beside her legs: "Sit here."
The two guards, seeing the young master return, quickly bowed and took their leave.
Pei Xu sat down beside her, smoothing down her trailing skirt to cover her snow-white socks and shoes: "Why did you have them practice boxing here?"
"Just passing the time," Yun Lou said casually, picking a bright, crystal-clear cherry and feeding it to his lips with a smile.
The maids were watching, and Pei Xu felt a little shy, but he still opened his mouth. Her fingertip brushed past his lips, and the smooth, tender cherry rolled onto his tongue.
His wife tilted her head, looking at him sweetly: "Sweet?"
Pei Xu swallowed: "Sweet."
"Tomorrow I plan to take Shitou and Zhong Shi to the blacksmith's to forge a couple of proper weapons." Yun Lou picked through the plate, choosing the most brightly colored cherries and holding them out to him in her palm. "No matter how good your fistwork is, it's still at a disadvantage against blades and swords. Don't you think?"
Pei Xu knew she was still shaken by the Jiangling Shen family incident. Though even the finest weapons wouldn't have stopped an assassin of that caliber, he still nodded: "Alright. You've thought it through well, as always."
Yun Lou was indeed pleased. In the brief moment when the two maids were busy tidying up with their heads down, she straightened up and quickly planted a kiss on the corner of Pei Xu's mouth.
Pei Xu seemed stunned by the surprise attack, sitting there stiff as a board without moving.
Yun Lou had expected to see him blush, but when the usual shy reaction didn't come, she slyly used her foot, tucked beneath her skirt, to nudge his leg. Just two little brushes, and he caught her ankle through the light fabric of her skirt.
At times like this, his grip was always strong.
Yun Lou kicked twice, noticed Yinyin and Wensi turning back around, and felt a bit embarrassed herself. She whispered: "Let go."
Pei Xu looked at her, his eyes holding a faint, deep glint.
Yun Lou caught a hint of something predatory in those ever-clear, gentle eyes of his—yet she thought she might have imagined it, because the moment the maids turned back, Pei Xu released her and courteously straightened her skirt for her.
The rain had stopped for half a day, but at dusk, dark clouds pressed down again, and the world outside turned gray. It seemed another heavy downpour was brewing tonight.
Yun Lou hadn't eaten much at noon, but now her appetite had returned. Between bites, she told him about tomorrow's trip to the blacksmith's: "Zhong Shi learned the Bian family spear, right? I'm thinking of having a long spear forged for him—the kind Bian the constable carried that night we ran into him on the street."
A thought struck her, and she asked with curiosity: "Have you ever seen Bian Yu wield a spear? Isn't it impressive?"
Pei Xu looked down at his meal: "Never seen it."
Yun Lou said hopefully, "If I ever get the chance to see it, that would be wonderful."
Pei Xu gave a faint smile. "How about I go find Bian Yu and ask him to come by one of these days to perform a spear routine for you?"
Yun Lou was delighted. "Really? Would that be too much trouble? Will Bian Yu agree?"
She actually dared to say yes to that.
Pei Xu silently took a deep breath, then picked up some food for her with his chopsticks. "I'll try next time. Let's eat first."
"Alright." She bit down on her jade chopsticks, looking very happy. "Pei Xu, you're the best~"
After dinner and a bath, the torrential rain indeed came pouring down. The sky darkened in an instant as if it were deep night, with only the candlelight flickering inside the room.
Pei Xu sat at the desk by the window reading a book. The raindrops clattered against the window frame, inexplicably stirring up a sense of irritation.
He furrowed his brow and closed the book, rubbing his brow. From within the bed's gauze curtain came his wife's voice: "Pei Xu, come help me for a moment."
Pei Xu paused mid-motion and looked up.
The candlelight cast its glow upon the thin layer of gauze. Yun Lou's silhouette, with her robes half slipped off, flickered faintly with the wavering flame.
Every day she applied her white jade balm, and for the spots she couldn't reach, she usually had Yinyin help her. But tonight, with the heavy rain, she had sent Yinyin back to her room early to rest.
He sat still, and after a moment, his wife indeed grew slightly annoyed: "Pei Xu! Hurry up!"
Pei Xu slowly drew in a deep breath, his expression grave, and made his way toward the bed.
When he lifted the gauze curtain, Yun Lou sat with her back to him. Her thin, silky nightgown had slipped down to her waist, hanging over her forearms. Her back was slender, with graceful lines flowing from her shoulder blades to the dimples at her lower back. Yet across that smooth, jade-white skin were a few faint scars.
Under the effects of the white jade balm, the scars had faded considerably. But on such warm, soft skin, they still looked harsh and repellent.
Pei Xu's expression was so serious it bordered on solemn. He didn't let his gaze wander, dipping his fingertip into the balm and gently pressing it onto her back.
Yun Lou rested with her arms crossed beneath her, slightly propped up. She could feel the warm fingertips tracing across her back, gradually growing hotter.
Behind her, the restrained breathing grew heavier and heavier. She turned her head and saw that Pei Xu had closed his eyes at some point, his lips pressed tightly together, as if applying medicine to her back was an excruciating ordeal for him.
The way he kept himself so strictly in check was utterly amusing to her.
She was quietly enjoying the sight when Pei Xu suddenly opened his eyes.
His gaze was like the raging, out-of-control storm tonight, though his voice remained calm: "What are you looking at?"
Yun Lou pulled her nightgown back up a little and shifted slightly to face him. The soft fabric hung loosely off her shoulder, and both her voice and her smile were soft: "Looking at how handsome you are."
Pei Xu knelt on one knee at the edge of the bed, as if some invisible thread was pulling him toward her.
He leaned in involuntarily, drawn closer and closer, and caught the increasingly rich fragrance of peonies. Their heated breath intertwined, and Yun Lou heard him murmur, repeating her words: "Am I that handsome…"
She laughed. "Of course! Even more than Zhong Shi or Bian Yu—"
Pei Xu kissed her, cutting off the rest of her sentence.
Yun Lou kept her eyes open, wanting to see him lose his composure. But the very next moment, his palm came down over her eyes.
One hand at the small of her back, one hand over her eyes—he pressed her firmly toward him, yet refused to let her look at him. Yun Lou, displeased, struggled a little, only to receive an even more ferocious kiss.
He pried open her lips, drove deep inside, stealing away all her breath. His hand on her waist, with instinct alone, wandered to where it needed to be.
When she fell back onto the bed, Yun Lou finally caught sight of those dark, turbid eyes.
The candle flames blazed bright, and she trembled in the palm of his hand.
Still, she felt it wasn't enough. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she whispered sweetly and seductively: "Should we consummate the marriage tonight?"
Pei Xu paused, as if some of his senses were returning. After a long moment, he refused in a hoarse voice: "No. Your body hasn't fully healed yet."
Yun Lou, irritated, kicked him.
Pei Xu seized her ankle and pulled her toward him.
In the faint candlelight seeping through the gauze curtain, Yun Lou once again caught sight of those clear, predatory eyes she'd noticed during the day.
Still in his kneeling posture, he lifted her into his lap. His hot palm wrapped around her hand and guided it downward.
"This is enough," he said.
