The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 133

Mama Lin had no patience for idle chatter. She pointed at Qiushui and warned, “Don’t do this again, or I won’t be so lenient.”

Qiu Shui admitted her mistake in every possible way. “Mama, please don’t be angry. I swear there won’t be a next time.”

Mama Lin urged Xie Yunchu to finish the ginseng soup, then, worrying about the child being exposed to the cold, lifted the curtain and bustled out.

Qiu Shui continued massaging Xie Yunchu’s feet and casually mentioned Qi Wei.

“My lady, today Guard Qi sent word through me, asking me to inform you that he will be away from the estate for the next two days. If you need to go out, just notify Steward Ming in the outer courtyard, and he will return at once.”

After Xie Yunchu recovered, Qi Wei had hurriedly sent a carrier pigeon to Wang Shuhuai to reassure him. The two letters were sent a day apart, but a reply from Jiangnan had yet to arrive. Qi Wei wasn’t in a rush, though. Since Xie Yunchu was recuperating at home, he had shifted his focus to Prince Xin. He had discovered that the prince had been secretly forging connections with court officials—a matter of great significance—and had thus been keeping a close watch on him, day and night.

Xie Yunchu sipped her ginseng soup and merely nodded.

Qiu Shui tilted her head and observed her mistress. “My lady, it’s clear that the Second Young Master truly cares for you. Otherwise, why would he assign Guard Qi to watch over you? If not for Guard Qi’s quick reaction in diverting that firecracker the other day, who knows what might have happened?”

Xie Yunchu leaned against the armrest, feigning a nap. She listened to these words without the slightest emotional stir.

She was genuinely grateful to Qi Wei, but as for Wang Shuhuai harboring feelings for her—that was pure wishful thinking.

In her past life, when Wang Shuhuai traveled south to Jinling, he had also left Qi Wei behind to serve her. At the time, she had taken it as a gesture of affection, a sweet kindness. Even though he never wrote her letters, she didn’t mind. Only later did she realize that Qi Wei’s true purpose had been to monitor court affairs.

Wang Shuhuai had long suspected Prince Xin of harboring treasonous ambitions, aiming to overthrow his elder brother, the Crown Prince. Thus, he had sent Qi Wei to keep watch.

In their past life, Wang Shuhuai and the Prince Xin had been at irreconcilable odds, and in the end, they met on the battlefield. Neither could tolerate the other’s existence.

And when Prince Xin was finally defeated, Qi Wei had played an indispensable role.

Still, when it came to the letters Wang Shuhuai had sent her regarding the establishment of the Bureau of Exclusive Trade, she was genuinely grateful. The fact that he had meticulously detailed every step was truly commendable.

Wang Shuhuai’s world had no room for romance—only matters of importance. But if one needed his help, he would never refuse.

So long as she had no expectations for his feelings, he was perfect in every other way.

As the sun rose higher, Xie Yunchu instructed the wet nurse to bring her daughter back inside.

That afternoon, Wang Shuqin came to visit. The sisters-in-law chatted about trivial matters for hours, and before she knew it, another day had passed.

Xie Yunchu had been busy lately; with late autumn coming, she felt drowsy at night. The child slept early, and she went to bed early too.

Half-asleep, she felt a cool kiss land on the hollow of her neck and involuntarily shivered; a fine, prickling sensation spread through her body. She gave a soft, sleepy moan, like a lazy cat, heavy with lingering sleep.

The quilt was pushed aside; a biting chill hit her, and a body wrapped around her.

Warm flesh was suddenly covered by cold; Xie Yunchu was bewildered, trying to open her eyes but her lids felt weighted as if by a thousand pounds. A cool, wet touch slid up to her collarbone, licking at her neck and winding upward. She felt uneasy and tilted her head—someone bit the shell of her ear, a place that had never been touched before. A jolt of trembling electricity ran through her limbs; Xie Yunchu breathed sharply, almost gasping.

Now mostly awake and feeling another body pressing on hers, she was startled and pushed him hard.

“Who are you…?”

The man in the dark stiffened at the words; his breath caught and he let out a harsh, amused sound. “Who else could I be?”

The voice was familiar, though lacking its usual clear sweetness—thicker, huskier, dense as ink that would not dissolve.

Xie Yunchu snapped fully awake and blurted, “Wang Shuhuai.”

Hearing his name from her lips for the first time gave Wang Shuhuai a strange thrill. He let the tip of his tongue press gently against his teeth as he looked at the wife in his arms. Her eyes were bewildered in the dark, two glossy black obsidian-like pools. She squinted through sleep and could not see him clearly, but he could see her—after months apart, her features seemed even more striking.

Recalling the note Qi Wei had left that she went out every day and came back looking radiant, Wang Shuhuai’s feelings got tangled.

He pressed his chest against hers, as if not wanting to let her breathe; his kiss came down again. Xie Yunchu felt as if something in her chest was being pulled away, some dormant stirrings in her body awakened. She was no longer an innocent girl; having known the ways of the world, her body responded instinctively.

Body heat soon mingled; a hand slipped from under the quilt searching for a cool spot, only to be caught and pressed down hard into the bedding.

It felt as if he wanted to crush her.

“Wang Shuhuai…”

Xie Yunchu cried out in pain, her waist arched and her knees clamped together. Wang Shuhuai used his knee to part her legs and then pin them, his heavy breaths scattering over her neck and chest. 

His voice was low and hoarse as he said, “Madam, shall we break the rule about the first and fifteenth?”

The words slowly cleared a sliver of clarity through her muddled mind.

Break the rule about the first and fifteenth?

Today was the twenty-fifth…

Xie Yunchu stared, paused, then gave a small snort of amusement; Wang Shuhuai had a day like this too. After a silent moment of mutual tension, looking into his sombre eyes, she felt a helplessness rise.

Now Wang Shuhuai was a thousand miles away—how could he be expected to keep such rules? He was rarely home for months, back one day and gone the next one; the next time was anyone’s guess. There was no point in clinging to old formalities when the arrow was already on the string. She gave a soft affirmative hum.