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"My Lord Marquis!" He Weifang blinked her large, endearing eyes, her face filled with adoration as she gazed at Wei Tingyu. Heavens above! she thought. To think I previously believed this Marquis of Jining was merely a libertine. Now it seems he is truly a man of hidden depths!
And now she finally understood why those three incredibly noble and stunningly beautiful ladies would willingly follow the Marquis of Jining! Apart from any family directives, they themselves must surely be willing! No wonder that when she had been praying alongside the three of them in the grand hall, the Marquis of Jining's three consorts had shown not a hint of impatience, but rather, profound concentration.
If my own husband were as gentle and capable as this, I too would undoubtedly pray for him with utmost sincerity! she mused. After all, to have such a husband by one's side, every additional moment is an added blessing! He Weifang, despite her marital status, was still very much a young woman at heart. Never having truly experienced romantic love, upon suddenly encountering such a capable and charming "young master," her heart was instantly filled with profound admiration.
When she looked again at Wei Tingyu, who had now risen to his feet, it was as if he were surrounded by a radiant halo! Is this my true husband? she wondered dreamily. He just declared his affection for me! He Weifang's eyes gradually became hazy with emotion...
As He Weifang watched Wei Tingyu before her actually bend down and slowly bring his face closer to hers, her heart began to pound violently like a trapped fawn, and a rosy blush suffused her cheeks! As he drew nearer and nearer, she even felt as if her heart were about to leap out of her throat! No! I cannot look at this face any longer, or I will truly be lost! At this thought, He Weifang took a deep breath and gently closed her eyes.
And as for this kind of signal from a young maiden, Wei Tingyu was naturally all too familiar with it! Since the battle horn had sounded, what was there to hesitate about? He swiftly leaned down and pressed his lips against those fragrant ones that had made him yearn so intensely!
"Mmm..." And such an intimate kiss with a man—for He Weifang, this was truly the first time in her life! As she offered up her first kiss, the unique fragrance emanating from Wei Tingyu's body also seeped into her senses, rushing straight to her brain, causing her entire consciousness to gradually become muddled and hazy. And in that indistinct, blurry sensation, He Weifang felt as if she were slowly taking flight. Instinctively, she extended her fair, jade-like arms and gently looped them around the neck of the man who was holding her.
She knew not how long she had been "flying," but she felt as if she had suddenly come to rest upon a soft cloud! And all around her, the air was permeated with that intoxicating, unique fragrance! Perhaps this, she thought dimly, is what people refer to as the land of ultimate bliss!
...
He Weifang, clad in a vibrant crimson wedding gown, sat in the bridal chamber, the flickering candlelight casting a warm glow upon her bashful face. The groom, having finally extricated himself from the wedding guests, pushed open the door, closed it firmly behind him with a backhand motion, and then eagerly rushed towards her! The round fan obscuring her face was slowly moved aside by him. He Weifang, somewhat shyly, murmured, "My husband," and then froze in place. For this groom was none other than Wei Tingyu! Before she even had a chance to cry out in surprise, he lunged towards her, and then...
"Ah!" He Weifang's eyes snapped open. Only then did she realize she had apparently just been dreaming! This dream... it felt so incredibly real! So real, it was as if it had actually happened to her!
Feeling a dull ache in her head, He Weifang reached up with a delicate hand and gently rubbed her temples. By now, her eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the room, and she confirmed that this was by no means some bridal chamber in a Marquis's manor, but still the small courtyard of the Liu residence—her own simple boudoir.
To think I actually dreamed of spending a wedding night with that Marquis of Jining, Wei Tingyu? Is this something a married woman, a wife, ought to be dreaming about? Could it be that I, too, harbor a desire to 'lean over the garden wall'? At this thought, He Weifang couldn't help but chuckle, then immediately followed it with a mournful sigh. Apart from a sense of shame for having such an outrageous and rebellious dream, this sigh was more an expression of disappointment. If only this weren't merely a dream, how wonderful that would be! He Weifang blinked, thinking silently to herself.
Last night, Wei Tingyu had secretly come to my small courtyard. Then he carried me into my boudoir, and after that, he used his miraculous martial arts to heal the injuries on my legs. And finally, it seems... we kissed! At this recollection, He Weifang felt her small face flush hotly again. And then... what happened then? He Weifang paused, a frown creasing her brow. She found that her memory seemed to extend only up to the moment she had kissed Wei Tingyu; the events that followed were somewhat hazy.
Musing on this, He Weifang turned over in bed, shifting from her side to lie on her back. This movement, however, was not insignificant. She immediately sensed that something was amiss! What her head was resting on... it didn't feel like a pillow, but more like... a man's strong arm?! Moreover, she also perceived a peculiar sensation in her own body, a feeling she had never experienced before. According to the pre-marital instruction she had received from the family's matron before her wedding, this was a sensation a woman would only experience after... completing life's great event.
At this very moment, He Weifang's heart began to thump violently. Could it be that it wasn't a dream? Could it be that... Slowly, ever so slowly, He Weifang turned her head to the right. And there, she discovered Wei Tingyu, lying beside her, sleeping soundly! And her own head had indeed been pillowed on his outstretched arm. The two of them had just been embracing like this as they drifted off to sleep.
Fragments of the previous night's memories, like sudden flashbacks, instantly flooded He Weifang's mind! Yes, after that kiss, Wei Tingyu had carried her to the bed, and then... Heavens! I... I actually had an affair! I am a shameless, wicked woman! In that instant, He Weifang's heart was consumed by terror! Two streams of clear tears welled up uncontrollably and streamed down her cheeks, dripping onto Wei Tingyu's arm!
Wei Tingyu was naturally a light sleeper. After all, with his current peerless martial prowess, he no longer required deep slumber to restore his energy. He had sensed He Weifang turning over earlier but hadn't paid it much mind. However, these two teardrops landing on him jolted him fully awake.
"What's wrong?" Wei Tingyu opened his eyes to see He Weifang's pitiful visage, tears silently streaming down her face. He couldn't bear the sight. He leaned over, gently pressed a kiss to her beautiful cheek, and then asked softly.
"My Lord Marquis... I..." He Weifang herself didn't quite know what was wrong. Logically, she harbored no affection for Liu Chang and, in fact, detested his family to the very core of her being! To remain chaste and faithful for their sake? He Weifang was not so foolishly pedantic as that! However, she had always considered herself a young lady from a respectable family. Now, despite being married, to have shared a bed with another man—this made it difficult for her to immediately accept the reality of her own "transgression."
"Last night's events were not your fault," Wei Tingyu said, sighing helplessly as he observed He Weifang's distressed expression. After all, she was different from Wang Yingxue; last night had been, in the truest sense, He Weifang's "consummation night"! Thus, without another word, he took all the responsibility upon himself.
"My Lord Marquis... I... Am I a bad woman?" He Weifang blinked, then sat up and looked at Wei Tingyu beside her. And Wei Tingyu, upon seeing her expression, immediately understood. Those tears were not shed for Liu Chang or the Liu family; they stemmed more from a fear that he, Wei Tingyu, would now look down upon her.
"How could that possibly be?" Having grasped this, Wei Tingyu, without a second thought, also sat up and gently drew He Weifang back into his embrace. He comforted her, saying, "You are clearly a well-educated, virtuous, and good person!"
"But I... I 'leaned over the garden wall'..." He Weifang felt a blush of shame creep up her face upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words. She peeked at him cautiously and murmured, "How can that be considered a good woman...?"
Wei Tingyu also knew that He Weifang's "great female lead" attributes were not innate. In the "original drama," she had only fully matured after experiencing Yulu's death and being relentlessly hunted by the Liu family. Before that, in the Liu household, she had also been a meek little wife who swallowed her grievances! Therefore, at this juncture, not yet having undergone those major events that would transform her worldview, it was perfectly normal for her to exhibit such delicate and vulnerable emotions.
"How did the Liu family treat you? And how, for that matter, did Liu Chang treat you?" Wei Tingyu swiftly reached out, gently tilted He Weifang's chin upwards, pressed a soft kiss upon her vermilion lips, and then continued, "They treated you in such a manner; you have absolutely no obligation to preserve your chastity or fidelity for them!"
It had to be said, Wei Tingyu's words instantly brought great comfort to He Weifang's heart. After all, the abuse she had suffered at the hands of that wealthy family was still vivid in her memory! And truth be told, she herself had felt the same way! It was only now, upon hearing Wei Tingyu articulate it, that she dared to believe her own thoughts were not mistaken.
"Thank you, My Lord Marquis," He Weifang said, sighing heavily as she observed Wei Tingyu's doting expression towards her. "I originally held little hope for this life. To have been husband and wife with My Lord for a single night—this life now holds no regrets!" How could she not wish for such moments to last an eternity? After all, compared to Liu Chang, Wei Tingyu was truly a great man, a true husband!
However, He Weifang also knew that as the daughter-in-law of the Liu family, a lasting union with the Marquis was fundamentally impossible. For now, this could only be considered a fleeting "dewdrop affair." Yet, regardless, this one night was something He Weifang would etch into her memory for a lifetime! And from this moment forward, she also considered herself Wei Tingyu's woman! Even if, in the future, Liu Chang were to entertain thoughts of reconciliation, she would absolutely never again engage in any intimate relations with that nominal husband of hers!
"What do you mean, 'husband and wife for one night'?" Wei Tingyu, however, was not about to accept this! So, after all the effort I've expended to win over this young woman, you're just going to offer me a 'dewdrop affair'? That is absolutely unacceptable! "You are to come with me to the Marquis's Manor and be my, Wei Tingyu's, proper and legitimate wife!" "We shall be husband and wife for a lifetime!" Thinking this, Wei Tingyu spoke with firm conviction.
"Go to the Marquis's Manor?" He Weifang was taken aback. She found the prospect Wei Tingyu had just laid out for her to be undeniably alluring. She was, of course, willing, but she feared that, in reality, it was likely unattainable.
"Rest assured!" Wei Tingyu, naturally, knew what He Weifang was worried about. He simply smiled at her and said, "I will most certainly take you away with me and help you escape this fiery pit that is the Liu Manor!"
"Truly?" He Weifang, at this moment, was like a young girl who had just fallen into the throes of first love; she believed every word her beloved spoke! Upon hearing Wei Tingyu's assurance, her eyes immediately lit up, and a brilliance she had never possessed before shone within them! For she had witnessed with her own eyes how wonderfully Wei Tingyu treated his three consorts, not even confining them within the Marquis's Manor but bringing them along on his outings and travels. For women of this era, this was an almost unattainable, longed-for luxury! To encounter such a husband, to not be condemned to a lifetime locked away within the deep courtyards of an inner residence—that was truly something that would make one wake up smiling from a dream!
"But... concerning the Lord Marquis's principal wife..." He Weifang now believed Wei Tingyu one hundred percent, yet another crucial issue came to her mind. Even if she were to enter the Marquis's Manor in the future, it would be as a "second-marriage" woman. Considering the three consorts already by Wei Tingyu's side—they were all great beauties! They must be deeply cherished by the Marquis! Would they look down upon her?
"Actually, my presence here today is also partly due to the encouragement of my three consorts," Wei Tingyu said with a smile, observing He Weifang's anxious expression.
"What?" Upon hearing Wei Tingyu's words, He Weifang's initial nervousness instantly transformed into utter bewilderment! Could such a thing truly exist in this world? It was not uncommon for some high-born noblewomen to proactively arrange for their husbands to take concubines. But for them to actively encourage their own husband to seduce another man's married wife—that was absolutely unheard of! After all, if such a matter were to be exposed, the entire family would suffer disgrace, and the wives and concubines within the household would be no exception!
"Today at Fuyun Guan, my consorts all personally witnessed the scene of you being bullied by that wicked servant of the Liu family!" Wei Tingyu stated directly, observing He Weifang's expression of utter incomprehension. "They all recognize that you are a good woman and should not endure such tribulations! Therefore, they devised a plan for me to rescue you from this sea of suffering!"
Escape the sea of suffering? By using this method? He Weifang, upon hearing this, felt an almost irresistible urge to make a sarcastic comment. However, when she considered that the Marquis's three consorts were also doing this for her sake, to enable her to break free, her heart was also deeply touched. Especially the fact that they had even "sacrificed" their own husband in the process—this debt of gratitude was one He Weifang felt she would never know how to repay!
"Oh, right! And there's this!" Saying so, Wei Tingyu produced a small bottle of peony-flavored perfume from his person and handed it to He Weifang. Her pet name was Mudan, and she was particularly fond of peony flowers; this was indeed the most fitting gift!
"Wow! It smells so wonderful!" Under Wei Tingyu's guidance, He Weifang used perfume for the very first time. After spritzing a little on herself and taking a delicate sniff, her face instantly lit up with delighted surprise. "This perfume is a gift for you," Wei Tingyu said with a satisfied smile, seeing how much He Weifang liked it. This was precisely the reaction he had hoped for!
"Oh, this is not appropriate!" He Weifang had never encountered something like perfume before; she only knew it must be an exceedingly precious treasure! Although she was deeply touched that Wei Tingyu was willing to gift her such a fine item, the thought of his other three consorts made her quickly shake her head. "Such a wonderful thing, I entreat My Lord Marquis to gift it to your three consorts instead. It truly doesn't matter for me..."
Of course, as He Weifang said this, her eyes remained steadfastly fixed on the perfume bottle. Anyone could perceive that her heart was undoubtedly filled with immense reluctance at this moment. However, when comparing the perfume to the prospect of being able to get along well with the three madams after potentially entering the Marquis's Manor in the future, He Weifang wisely chose the latter as being more important!
"Rest assured! Each of the three of them has their own!" Wei Tingyu smiled and then explained, "My principal wife's is rose-scented; the two concubines have orange-scented and peach-scented ones, respectively! And this bottle of yours is peony-scented!"
"In that case, thank you, My Lord Marquis!" Only upon hearing Wei Tingyu say this did He Weifang finally feel at ease. Simultaneously, a little flicker of secret joy ignited in her heart. The Marquis's three consorts each had one, and now she had one too! From this perspective, she could now be considered a woman of the Marquis's Manor! At the very least, the Marquis had personally "certified" it with this gift!
"I was just wondering why that unique fragrance on My Lord Marquis smelled so delightful; now I finally understand!" After carefully stowing away the perfume bottle, He Weifang slapped her forehead in a moment of sudden enlightenment. "So it was the combined aroma of rose, peach, and orange! It seems it was the scent of your three consorts lingering on you!"
"Is that so?" Wei Tingyu was momentarily taken aback, but he found He Weifang's explanation quite plausible. After all, when it came to identifying fragrances, if He Weifang claimed to be second best in all the land, there were few who would dare to claim the top spot!
"However, from now on, it will be a mixture of four scents!" Wei Tingyu sniffed at his own robes, discovering that the scent of peony perfume seemed to have been added to the mix, and he teased with a smile.
"My Lord Marquis..." At this, He Weifang's small face flushed red once more. This fourth scent—wasn't it her own? However, she felt a secret delight in her heart at this playful teasing.
...
"Young Mistress! Young Mistress!" The door to He Weifang's boudoir was suddenly thrust open from the outside. Immediately afterward, Yulu rushed in like a wisp of smoke, dashing to her bedside and shaking He Weifang vigorously. "Young Mistress! Something has happened! Young Mistress! Wake up quickly!"
"What is it? Don't disturb the Lord Marquis's sleep..." He Weifang was extremely fatigued. She frowned delicately and mumbled these words. Halfway through her sentence, however, she jolted fully awake with a start. Why did Yulu barge in without knocking? Doesn't that mean... she saw me and the Lord Marquis sharing this bed...