Wen Tang came out of the steamy bathroom, his black hair sticking to his neck, wet like newly opened pear blossoms covered with dew.
She took the soft cotton handkerchief handed to her by Baochun, twisted the ends of her hair, and then looked around. Qin Gong was not in the room.
She was not in a hurry to serve him, but she still had to ask as a matter of routine, "Where is the master?"
Baochun: "Replying to Grandma, Grandpa is reading behind the desk."
Wen Tang glanced at the book still on the table and said, "Send it to me."
"I have just sent it to you."
He had a lot of books to read in one night, so he took this book in to save him from having to ask someone to go in and get it later. Wen Tang simply stood up, picked up the books on the table, and walked straight to the study. His slender fingers pushed aside the hanging bead curtain.
The candlelight was bright, illuminating the numerous books on the shelves on the four walls. Qin Gong sat behind the desk, his indigo-colored Hangzhou silk Taoist robe making his shoulders and back look straight. He faced her with his head lowered. Wen Tang took a step forward.
"Master..."
As she took a few steps forward, she saw Qin Gong's bony fingers turning a page, his long fingers pressing on a picture with gorgeous colors, vivid little figures, and a disgusting picture.
He heard Wen Tang's voice, his fingers moved slightly, and he turned another page. Then he slowly raised his eyes and met Wen Tang's hesitant expression.
Qin Gong spoke indifferently, put the book in his hand aside, and gestured for her to come forward.
"Books." He said briefly.
Wen Tang couldn't bear to look directly at it, and responded vaguely, "Yeah."
Outside the window, thunder roared, and the wind rushed in through the window gap, bringing with it a damp and cool breeze, making the book spread out on the table rustle. The candlelight was bright,
Wen Tang had no problems with her eyesight, and the images of lying sideways, from behind, sitting, and standing on the pages of the book were clearly reflected in her eyes.
The air seemed to be stagnant, and it would be inappropriate to say anything now, so Wen Tang was very silent. She walked over silently and handed Qin Gong's book to him, and put it in his palm. His palm was very warm, so she wanted to take the book on the table, but Qin Gong pressed the other end of the page with one arm.
He took the book she handed him, but his arm didn't move. Wen Tang took the initiative to remind him: "Master, are you thirsty? Would you like some tea?"
Regardless of whether Qin Gong wanted to drink tea or not, Wen Tang handed him the cold tea that had been placed in the corner of the desk, almost to his lips.
"Master, drink."
Qin Gong finally raised his head from the book, his face still expressionless. Wen Tang smiled at him friendly.
Qin Gong raised his hand to take the cold tea, and rubbed the delicate porcelain wall with his fingertips, but did not drink it. Instead, he tapped the table twice with his fingers, tap, tap.
Wen Tang couldn't stand this atmosphere and took the initiative to admit: "Master, these words were originally mine."
Qin Gong didn't respond, but looked down and then slowly moved his arm away.
Wen Tang immediately pulled out the book and closed it tightly, blocking out all the embarrassing scenes.
Wen Tang performed all these actions under Qin Gong's nose. She did it very naturally, as if she was just taking back an ordinary book.
Qin Gong raised his eyelids and said, "Don't read random books."
He added another admonition, "Women, your words and actions should be prudent."
What else could Wen Tang, who had taken the blame, say? He could only bow his head and pretend to admit his mistake and repent.
Then she pushed aside the beaded curtain and stepped out. Baochun came up to her in small steps: "Grandma."
Wen Tang dismissed all the maids in the room, then found a corner and sat down, with his back to Qin Gong and his head lowered. His back looked fragile, thin and lonely.
The night rain was pouring down, its momentum growing stronger, and the beaded curtains swayed gently in the wind, creating a hazy scene of light and shadow.
In the study, Qin Gong sat quietly for nearly an hour before putting down the book. As usual, he picked up the teacup beside him and took a sip. The cold tea made him frown slightly.
Silence reigned outside. Qin Gong stood up and walked out of the study, his eyes sweeping across the couch. Wen Shi had her back to him, half of her body leaning against the edge of the couch.
Qin Gong walked over, his bony fingers touching the buttons of his Taoist robe, about to unbutton it. His eyes inadvertently passed over Wen Tang's inward-looking cheek, and he paused slightly.
Wen was still lying on the outside of the couch, occupying the place where he slept.
Qin Gong frowned. With his excellent eyesight, he saw a trace of water in the corner of Wen's eyes.
He paused for a moment in unbuckling his belt, frowning as he recalled the tone of his words just now.
The rustling noises around her made Wen Tang sleep uneasily. She opened her eyes hazily, and then saw an enlarged face appear in front of her. She was stunned.
"Wen clan."
This cold tone made Wen Tang unable to think of another person. Her sleepiness disappeared completely. She propped herself up and sat up. Before she could speak, Qin Gong asked her to move to the inside.
Wen Tang didn't have to help him undress. She moved to the side of the couch, pulled over a soft brocade quilt and wanted to lie down. Looking at that damn picture book was tiring. She felt dizzy and the pictures were swaying in her mind. She couldn't help rubbing her eyes.
At some point, the candlelight outside was quietly extinguished.
Wen Tang breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting a rare early night's sleep, wrapping herself securely in the covers. However, soon after closing her eyes, a rustling noise beside her became increasingly distinct. Suddenly awake, she opened her eyes, only to realize her panties were gone. Then, a sudden surge of fullness overwhelmed her, catching her off guard and causing a short, low moan to escape her throat.
The light inside the tent was dim, and Wen Tang's consciousness was floating in and out with the surging waves. Outside the window, thunder roared, lightning tore through the night, and the strong wind and heavy rain slammed against the window frame, causing the bed curtains to sway slightly.
An unknown amount of time passed, but the wind and rain continued to roar. Wen Tang was drenched in sweat, as if he had just been pulled out of the water, clinging to the cool silk beneath him.
This thunderstorm is really annoying, with thunder, lightning, and howling wind taking turns to disturb people's sleepiness.
It was around midnight when Wen Tang woke up completely and was extremely clear-headed.
She opened her beautiful fox eyes with annoyance on her face. She didn't know if it was because she had read too many things she shouldn't have read before going to bed, but she actually had an absurd and bizarre dream. This dream was really strange because the protagonist of this dream was her elder sister Wen Zhiyi.
In her dream, her elder sister, as aloof as the moon, had become the captivating heroine of a storybook, with countless admirers. In Jiangnan, she was not only in love with her husband, but also engaged in a variety of boudoir pleasures, flirting in the woods, the fields, and even the halls. Countless wealthy Jiangnan merchants and local dignitaries courted her. And her elder sister, with a gentle, goddess-like smile...
...
Wen Tang pressed his hand against his throbbing forehead, thinking that his brain must be damaged to have such an absurd dream.
Speaking of her elder sister, Wen Zhiyi, four years had flown by in a flash. To say Wen Tang held no grudges against her would be deceiving herself. But no matter how much she disliked her, she wouldn't dream of this.
Her elder sister, a model of noblewoman, was admired by everyone in the capital, overflowing with talent and possessing a cool, icy demeanor. When Wen Tang first arrived in the capital, speaking with a thick rural accent and carrying a coarse cloth bag filled with pickles, while being taught etiquette and learning Mandarin, he understood that her elder sister, Wen Zhiyi, was like the cool, bright moon hanging high in the sky.
Not only was she a favored daughter of heaven, her marriage was the envy of others. Her future husband was the eldest son of the Duke's family, a true noble of the capital. In the eyes of the world, they were a perfect match, a perfect match, a match made in heaven.
Even though Wen Zhiyi and Qin Gong were already engaged, many wealthy and powerful men remained infatuated with her. At the annual Lantern Festival, they lavished hundreds of thousands of dollars just to win her smile. And Wen Zhiyi, seated in her luxurious carriage, would lift a corner of her veil and offer a gentle lip curl, enough to make the princes and nobles blush and swoon.
Wen Zhiyi has a very good reputation, so when she shed tears in front of Yingjiang, Wen Tang became the target of public criticism.
Wen Tang is shameless. He forces his elder sister away and tries to curry favor with his powerful brother-in-law.
But who is Qin Gong?
He was a nobleman who grew up in the capital city, and was accustomed to the prosperity of the world and the treacherous hearts of the people. His talent, knowledge, character, appearance, and family background were all top-notch. How could he give up his noble wife and instead marry a country girl who couldn't even speak Mandarin fluently?
In fact, Wen Zhiyi had wanted to break off the engagement long before Wen Tang was brought back to the capital. This marriage was originally a marriage of status, granted because the Earl had once taken a knife for the Duke on the battlefield. The Earl couldn't afford to offend the Duke, so they remembered they had a daughter of marriageable age in the countryside.
Wen Tang was originally brought here to be a replacement in marriage.
Who knows why Wen Zhiyi had to cancel the engagement?
At that time, Wen Tang followed his cowardly mother into the city, thinking that he could live a good life. However, he was banished to a remote corner by his stepmother. His mother had a high fever and palpitations, and the servants blocked the door, accusing them of being pretentious. His mother almost reported to the King of Hell.
Wen Tang looked at the dim tent and blinked.
The thunder outside was so loud that Wen Tang had no desire to sleep at all. She wanted to go out for a walk, but there was a warm person lying next to her.
Wen Tang slowly moved out of his naked arms. In the hot summer, lying with him was torture. He was very hot, sometimes so hot that Wen Tang couldn't even breathe properly.
She turned her head, and another flash of lightning streaked across the night sky. Through the bright light, Qin Gong's sleeping face was clearly reflected. Only when he was sleeping did his usually cold and stern face show a rare softness.
They had been married for four years. In the first year, Qin Gong was busy with official duties and often stationed outside the palace, returning home only once every three or four months, or even half a year. The number of times they slept together was rare. In the second year, he gradually returned home more often. Even now, he returns home almost every night, and even if he doesn't return for something, he will send someone back to let her know.
Now that she has given birth to a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, she has finally secured her position as the eldest grandmother in the mansion.
The wind outside the window was howling.
Wen Tang turned over, facing inward, trying hard to fall asleep. When she was half conscious and about to fall asleep, she heard movement beside her.
Qin Gong's hoarse voice sounded from behind: "Can't sleep?"