Chapter 33: Wedding Night Shenanigans
Outside the window, the sky was tinged with the pale light of dawn, signaling the arrival of morning.
Pei Zhouwu stood motionless before the bed, allowing Liu Fuying to blow gently on his wound. Perhaps this method of alleviating pain was remarkably effective, making him reluctant to interrupt her.
Or perhaps his mind had drifted away, lost in a daze that made him forget to react.
His thoughts were entirely consumed by the two light, fleeting kisses from the previous night.
Earlier, he had been startled awake—also because of Liu Fuying.
In his dream, she had been taken away, vanishing as if evaporated from the world. Even after scouring all of Shangjing City, he couldn’t find her. The vow she once made—that she would never abandon him—had turned to emptiness, as if she had never entered his world at all, as if everything had merely been a dream from start to finish.
But now, the person from his dream was right before him.
Her brows, her eyes, her face—all were clear and vivid, carrying the breath of life, starkly different from the dream.
He slowly raised his hand, wanting to touch her face and feel her reality.
Suddenly.
A commotion erupted outside the room.
As a martial artist, his hearing was naturally sharper than that of ordinary people.
Before Liu Fuying could sense anything, she was already turned around in his embrace. Pei Zhouwu instinctively shielded her in front of him, leaving his back facing the door.
“Maybe we shouldn’t go in. If something happens again, we won’t be able to bear the responsibility.”
“At the very least, we should check if he’s still breathing. Madam Pei left instructions before she left. If the Imperial Uncle dies, not to mention the Empress in the palace, the Imperial Uncle’s estate won’t let us off.”
“Sigh, fine, let’s go then.”
They reached the door and made to push it open.
“Why won’t it budge?”
Liu Fuying had bolted the door during the night, so of course it wouldn’t open.
“This Imperial Uncle really… he even locked the door. Is he afraid we’ll use knockout incense on him again?”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“Then what should we…”
“Get lost!” Pei Zhouwu snapped, glaring sideways toward the outside.
The two men trembled with fear and dared not approach further, retreating in panic before turning and fleeing.
The fact that Pei Zhouwu, shackled and under the influence of knockout incense, had managed to turn the tables and kill his assailants was a significant shock to the guards outside. No one valued their life lightly, and everyone feared provoking Pei Zhouwu and meeting a gruesome end.
The men had long since vanished, but the room remained quiet.
Earlier, when Pei Zhouwu embraced Liu Fuying, he had also covered her mouth.
His palm was large, covering half her face in an instant.
Pei Zhouwu turned his face back, meeting her bright, moon-like eyes tinged with a hint of fear. His heart tightened, and he quickly shed the ferocity he had shown to the guards outside.
To disperse the scent of blood in the room, the window by the bed had not been fully closed.
It was half-open, a crack left ajar, creaking as the morning breeze pushed it inward.
It seemed today would be a windy day. The incoming breeze lifted their hair, letting it dance wildly in the air, like enthusiastic spectators cheering them on, urging them closer, and closer still.
Their gazes remained locked, unbroken for a long time.
Under the encouragement of the morning wind, the way they stared at each other gave rise to threads of ambiguity.
Their sleeves fluttered along, clapping incessantly as if urging them on, like the playful chaos of a wedding night.
With the atmosphere already like this, it was time to kiss the bride.
This time, it was Pei Zhouwu who took the initiative.
Though his hand still covered her face, his own face and body slowly drew nearer. Only when he was almost upon her did he remember to remove his hand. His warm breath drew closer and closer, about to meet hers when…
Liu Fuying abruptly turned her head away.
“I… I’ll help you change the dressing,” she said, changing the subject.
Only then did Pei Zhouwu snap back to his senses, as if just realizing what he had been about to do.
He hesitated, taking two steps back, his face showing a trace of guilt.
Just as he was about to speak, Liu Fuying had already turned away to wring out the towel in the basin.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to kiss him.
But her taking the initiative and him taking the initiative were different. This was the first time he had wanted to kiss her—if it happened too easily, where would the fun be? She wanted him to desire it but not taste it so readily. The more he couldn’t taste it, the more it would itch in his heart, the more he would yearn for it.
Only then, when it finally happened, would it be more intense.
“Su—”
As soon as he spoke, he realized his words were inappropriate and hurriedly corrected himself.
“Yueying, I… I…”
He wanted to apologize, to explain, but found himself unable to say anything.
That he had wanted to kiss her just now—that was real.
What explanation could there be?
“I know,” Liu Fuying said with her back turned, wringing the towel with deliberate slowness. She put on an expression of extreme shyness and continued, “You know too, you know how I feel about you. So, in my heart, I’m actually happy. It’s just… I’m just worried about your injury. The wound is still bleeding. I only hope you can recover quickly, if only to put my mind at ease, alright?”
Her voice was soft, gentle as a spring stream.
Pei Zhouwu softened along with her words, a smile touching the corners of his eyes as he slowly replied, “Alright.”
Then, Liu Fuying took the half-dry towel and stood before him again, carefully wiping away the bloodstains on his body. Throughout the process, she maintained her shy demeanor, not daring to look up at Pei Zhouwu, while he gazed at her with a tenderness and affection he had never experienced before.
“Wait for me.”
After cleaning the wound and applying the medicine, Liu Fuying was about to go out to fetch the gauze she had left outside to dry overnight.
Seeing her turn to leave, Pei Zhouwu instinctively wanted to follow her, to go wherever she went, to see her at every moment.
But after just two steps, he suddenly stopped.
He had just promised her to rest well and recover quickly. If he moved around carelessly now and reopened the wound after just having it dressed, wouldn’t that betray her care?
So, he moved to the bedside and sat down, quietly waiting for her to return.
When Liu Fuying came back, his eyes crinkled with a smile, but his heart tightened and froze at her sudden words.
“I have to leave soon,” Liu Fuying said.
Leave soon.
Pei Zhouwu felt a heaviness in his chest, his heart suspended.
Yes.
He was chained and confined here, but she wasn’t. She would always have to leave.
She had said she was willing to stay with him always, but was this a place where one could live comfortably? Even if she were willing, he couldn’t be so selfish.
Pei Zhouwu nodded slowly, then uttered another word, “Alright.”
This heavy “alright” was worlds apart from the joyful one from earlier.
“Alright,” he repeated, trying to conceal his disappointment.
Liu Fuying saw the sorrow he was desperately trying to hide, and though sweetness filled her heart, she showed no trace of it.
“You probably still remember the day I fainted. The reason was that Consort Qi fell ill and was bedridden for several days. Old Prince Qi seized the opportunity to drag me to his room. I struggled with all my might to escape and was so frightened I couldn’t eat for days. It was the excessive worry that led to my weakness.”
She spoke slowly, her tone calm and measured.
Pei Zhouwu’s face remained stern, etched with suppressed emotions.
“Don’t worry, though. The imperial consort is still ill. If he were to… with his adopted daughter while his birth mother is seriously ill, rumors of his lack of benevolence and filial piety would spread. He’ll restrain himself. I’m saying this because I want to, want to say…”
“Say what?” Pei Zhouwu’s expression was truly grim.