Chapter 44: The Wedding Night, Strip Him Bare

“How will you manage tomorrow night if you’re already like this?”

She had promised not to tease him anymore, but Liu Fuying couldn’t help poking fun at Pei Zhouwu once again.

He was puzzled, not immediately grasping her meaning.

“What about tomorrow night?”

Liu Fuying smiled sweetly, her tone mischievous. “Tomorrow night is the wedding night. If you’re this flustered today, what will you do tomorrow?”

“Su Yueying.”

He called her full name, though not truly angry.

“Your courage really grows by the day. It’s as if the timid girl who used to tremble and hardly dared to speak above a whisper wasn’t you at all.”

“Now that we’re about to marry, what do I have to fear?” Liu Fuying tugged at his sleeve, teasing further. “But if you prefer how I used to be, I can always go back to that.”

With that, she cleared her throat and put on a delicate, coquettish act.

“Lord Imperial Uncle, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that. It’s all my fault. Please don’t be angry, alright?”

“Alright? I truly know I was wrong.”

“As long as you don’t stay mad at me, I’ll do anything you ask.”

“…”

“Enough.” Pei Zhouwu couldn’t help but laugh, catching the hand that was pulling at his sleeve in a playful plea. “No more teasing. It’s late, time to rest.”

“Alright.”

Liu Fuying obediently let go, her playful demeanor fading into seriousness.

“I know there’s a high risk of being discovered if I sleep here, so I won’t argue with you about that. But your injuries are severe, and you need proper rest. So, what I said earlier doesn’t count. Come back to the bedroom with me. We’ll sleep together.”

She imbued the words “sleep together” with a heavy dose of suggestiveness.

“…”

Pei Zhouwu turned back and sat down on the bamboo couch.

“Since we already agreed, let’s stick to the plan. What’s the rush?” he said.

It wasn’t Liu Fuying who was in a hurry; it was clearly his own shyness showing.

His innocent, bashful demeanor was something Liu Fuying truly adored.

“Fine, fine, I’ll listen to you.” She leaned in closer, bending slightly toward him.

After a bit of fumbling, she found the spot on his cheek and planted a kiss there.

“I’ll head back now.”

Once she stood up, she turned and made her way toward the door.

Even long after the door had closed, Pei Zhouwu remained motionless, sitting quietly on the couch. The iron chains draped over his knees were as heavy as ever, yet his heart had never felt so light and free.

He touched the cold chains, a smile blooming on his lips.

Liu Fuying had once said that if the outcome was meeting him, then all the past suffering was worth it.

Now, he felt the same way.

If the outcome was meeting her, then even the torment of his past imprisonment seemed to have been worth it.

“Su Yueying.”

Thank you for appearing in my lonely life.

The next day.

After breakfast, Liu Fuying descended the mountain.

Pei Zhouwu stood by the pool, repeatedly urging her to be careful and stay safe on the road.

Only when her figure disappeared beneath the water did he turn and leave. He didn’t head to the bedroom but went instead to the kitchen at the front. Sitting down at the table in the adjoining room, he began grinding ink. Since they were about to marry, certain matters needed to be prepared in advance.

No matter what, he couldn’t truly let the person he loved suffer here with him.

For now, while the weather was hot, she could still come and go freely through the water.

But what would happen when winter came?

Winters in Shangjing were exceptionally cold, and the pool would freeze over.

How would she endure such a long winter?

With just these two rooms, if any unexpected incident were to occur, there wouldn’t even be a place to hide.

Moreover, if they were to engage in intimate relations, she would eventually become pregnant.

What would they do about the child?

A newborn always cries—how could they avoid that? Would she really have to live alone in a makeshift hut outside?

After turning it over in her mind, she found problems at every turn.

After grinding the ink and spreading out the paper, he picked up his brush and began writing again.

…

Descending the mountain, Liu Fuying entered the city wearing a long veiled hat.

She went straight to the wedding dress shop, intending to pick two ready-made outfits and leave quickly, not daring to linger for too long for fear of causing trouble.

The shop assistant at the entrance greeted her with a smiling face, warmly ushering her inside and leading her to the ready-made clothing racks, enthusiastically introducing the materials and craftsmanship of the wedding dresses.

Unfortunately, before she could listen for more than a few sentences, Liu Fuying’s attention was drawn to two women chatting idly in the shop.

“Is General Shen leaving the city to chase after his wife?”

At the mention of General Shen, Liu Fuying instinctively thought of Shen Xiunian—was there a second General Shen in Shangjing City?

“What else could it be? Someone saw him leaving without wearing his armor, so it definitely wasn’t for official business. I heard he was busy in the military all day yesterday, and after finishing his duties, he left the city early this morning carrying a bundle. It’s said that his family’s Old Madam misses her daughter-in-law and specifically urged General Shen to accompany his wife back to her hometown to ensure her safety.”

“Hearing you say that, I really find it strange too. His family’s Old Madam has been acting erratically for so many years, but as soon as this daughter-in-law entered the household, she stopped. Do you think this daughter-in-law knows how to make some kind of miraculous medicine?”

By this point, Liu Fuying was certain that the General Shen they were talking about was Shen Xiunian.

However, she was somewhat puzzled.

Had Shen Xiunian also left the city and gone to Yizhou?

Was that true or not!

If Shen Xiunian went, wouldn’t he discover the secret that she hadn’t gone to Yizhou?

“Miss, did you hear what I said?” The assistant noticed Liu Fuying hadn’t responded for a while.

Liu Fuying snapped back to attention and pointed to the two sets of wedding attire displayed prominently in the center of the shop. “Let me take a look at those two sets. They look quite appealing to me—neither too extravagant nor too plain, elegant and flowing, very beautiful.”

They perfectly matched Pei Zhouwu’s cool and transcendent demeanor.

She could already imagine how stunning Pei Zhouwu would look wearing that wedding attire.

Never mind.

Whether Shen Xiunian was going to Yizhou or not, it wouldn’t change the fact that tonight was her and Pei Zhouwu’s wedding night.

But…

Pei Zhouwu’s hands were shackled—how could he change clothes?

They couldn’t just tear the wedding attire in half, put it on, and then sew it back together, could they?

After selecting the wedding attire and leaving the shop, she went to a nearby store to buy wedding candles, pastries, and some window decorations with the character for “double happiness.” Even if they had to be taken down soon, it would still serve as a ceremony, if only to make Pei Zhouwu happy.

By the time she returned to Xiangshan, it was already noon.

When she emerged from the pond, Pei Zhouwu was, unsurprisingly, waiting for her on the shore.

“I already told you, don’t wait for me under the scorching sun anymore.”

Liu Fuying stood dripping wet in front of him, frowning and pretending to be angry.

“Then why didn’t you listen and insist on going down the mountain today?”

Pei Zhouwu reached out to take the bundle from her and continued speaking.

“You haven’t fully recovered from that sprained ankle yet. It wouldn’t hurt to wait a few more days, but you wouldn’t listen, completely unconcerned about what might happen in the water.”

Liu Fuying pursed her lips and snatched the bundle back again.

“You’re not even my husband yet, and already you’re nagging like this.”

Hearing this, Pei Zhouwu raised an eyebrow in reply, “You’re not even my wife yet, and already you’re complaining about my nagging. Should we just call off the wedding then?”

“We’re getting married. We absolutely are.”

Liu Fuying grinned, thinking to herself how sharp his tongue was today.

“The wedding clothes are all wet. I’ll take them over there to dry.”

“I’ll do it.”

Pei Zhouwu took the bundle from her hand and turned toward the small bamboo grove behind the bedroom.

The sun made Liu Fuying squint. She fixed her gaze intently on Pei Zhouwu’s retreating figure, remembering the firm, powerful waist beneath his robe that she had held and caressed over and over last night.

Tonight, she would strip him completely bare!