The night was dark, thunder was rolling dully in the distance, and his voice was very low.
Wen Tang was already half-sunk in a soft chaos, but his sudden whisper startled the last bit of haziness out of him.
She had just managed to quietly move a little space out of his strong and hot arms, but now that arm pressed heavily back onto her waist. The scorching heat penetrated through the thin nightgown, causing her skin to shrink and shiver. She subconsciously wanted to curl up and retreat.
Qin Gong didn't hear any response, and the arm around his waist tightened a little more.
Wen Tang had his back to him, his face buried in the soft pillow, and his voice came out muffled, "Master, I'm asleep."
In the darkness, Qin Gong's eyes fell on the top of her black hair. The contents of those storybooks circulating in the market were disgusting. They were not the right way to cultivate oneself, and they were even more detrimental to the noble family's reputation.
Wen has developed such bad habits, and as her husband, it is his responsibility to correct them.
But my wife today is really ignorant.
Although Wen Tang had her back to him, she could clearly feel the gaze behind her, penetrating the quilt and pressing heavily on her back, carrying the weight of scrutiny.
A grown man, not sleeping in the middle of the night, staring at her silently. Even if she was really sleepy, she couldn't fall asleep. She turned around slowly, resigned to her fate, her eyelids half closed, and her voice was unclear, "Master..."
His whole body exuded a soft and limp feeling that was forcibly awakened.
For Qin Gong, this hour was not considered late at all. The case of the remnant of the previous emperor's prince had kept the Jinyiwei up all day and night, with torture, investigation, and paperwork piling up like a mountain. It was not uncommon for them to be busy until midnight. He was a light sleeper and had long been accustomed to it.
Wen Tang pretended to be sleepy for a long time, and his eyelids became sore, but the man beside him was breathing steadily and had no sign of sleepiness at all.
In fact, she was worried about something and had not slept deeply to begin with. Now that he disturbed her, the remaining sleepiness dissipated a little.
She simply opened her eyes.
"Master," she said carefully, "the thunderstorm today is so severe, the rumbling is so deafening, it makes people panic. I think of my aunt. You know how weak she is. In weather like this, she's most prone to palpitations and asthma attacks. I'm afraid it's even harder at night." She paused, observing his expression. "I really can't let it go. I thought I'd take some time these few days to go back to the uncle's house to see my aunt and talk to her. Is that okay?"
My mother was weak and had been sickly since she was in the countryside. She went to live in the capital's mansion and had to make a living under the harsh supervision of my stepmother. My father was cowardly and didn't care about anything.
Auntie was filled with worry and fear all day long, and her body was like a candle in the wind, shaky and ready to collapse. Whenever there was a thunderstorm, the smell of medicine filled the whole courtyard, and medicine and stone were constantly used.
Qin Gong hummed, his voice muffled in the rainy night. "It's time to go back. You haven't returned home this month. Ask the steward to prepare a generous gift. Don't be impolite."
He always valued rules and filial piety, and Wen Tang was truly satisfied with this. With this powerful son-in-law, the aunt of the Bo family, who was used to being domineering, had to restrain herself when she saw her. She no longer dared to be as blatant and mean to the concubine as before, and instead acted like a quail.
Wen Tang finally showed a sincere smile, and no longer minded the annoying warmth in his arms.
She leaned into his arms, her cheek resting lightly on his hot chest, and said a few considerate and caring words, such as "I knew you were the most reasonable person", "You should take care of yourself", "No matter how busy you are with official duties, you must take care of me".
The atmosphere seemed to relax a little because of her obedient snuggling. Wen Tang raised his eyes, his eyes moving in the dim light, "Oh, by the way, Master, maybe I can see my elder sister when I go back this time. I vaguely heard someone mention a few days ago that my elder sister and her husband are returning to Beijing from Jiangnan."
Ever since Qin Ruoyue hinted at some rumors in her words last time, she became concerned and asked someone to inquire about it. The news was not groundless.
"Master, do you know the news?"
She looked up with bright eyes.
In response to her, there was the sudden and rapid sound of raindrops hitting the window. Qin Gong closed his eyes, and his big hand with thin calluses and distinct joints was stroking her soft waist neither lightly nor heavily.
Wen Tang stared at him quietly for a long moment. His handsome face was hidden in the dim light, and his lips seemed even tighter than before. It was difficult to discern any clues from his face.
Before marrying into the Duke's mansion, she was not completely ignorant of her elder sister, Wen Zhiyi, and Qin Gong's past. Everyone in the capital knew that the Wen family's eldest daughter and the Duke's eldest son were childhood sweethearts , sharing a profound bond. It was even Qin Gong, in his youthful optimism, who personally proposed the marriage to the Wen family. Qin Ruoyue had also mentioned, more than once, the mutual affection between her elder sister and Qin Gong.
So Wen Zhiyi, why did you run away from your marriage?
Now, after four years, I suddenly return to Beijing. Is it really just to go home and visit?
Wen Tang's mind raced. What did she have now? The Duke, a man of his word and integrity, valued friendship and loyalty, and had treated her with respect. The Duke's wife, gentle and kind, treated her well. Even though the old lady had her eyes on her forehead, she had also shown some respect, considering they were born to twins.
Her situation isn't too bad.
"Aren't you going to sleep yet?"
The man's low and hoarse voice came again from above his head. The hoarseness was not due to sleepiness, but rather a sharpness of clarity.
It was really late at night, probably past midnight.
Wen Tang's eyelids were twitching a little, and he forced himself to stay awake. He changed the subject, tried to lighten the mood, and said with a slight grumble, "Master has been very busy with official duties these days, often returning home late at night, so he's a bit thinner. You came back a little early today, and I feel more at ease. Master might come back this early tomorrow as well."
This was a bit of a shame to say; he was clearly very strong, his arms hard enough to hurt. She hadn't expected him to answer in detail, she just wanted to get over the subtle hesitation.
Unexpectedly, Qin Gong seemed unusually easygoing tonight, showing no signs of impatience. He actually followed her lead, explaining, "There's been some progress in the case. The Dali Temple has also joined the investigation today. With more manpower, progress will naturally be faster." He paused, then added a few more words, a rare opportunity. "The case of the remnants of the former emperor's son has wide-ranging implications. Gathering evidence, interrogating the criminals, and tracking down the accomplices spans several provinces, with a complex network of personnel. Relying solely on the Jinyiwei would be time-consuming and laborious. The right approach is to work with a multi-faceted effort. The Dali Temple has also allocated personnel, and the newly appointed Dali Temple Shaoqing will be arriving soon."
Wen Tang had only a vague understanding of the court affairs, and the complicated and intricate matters left her bewildered. She only vaguely caught the newly appointed Dali Temple Shaoqing that he specifically mentioned at the end of his words.
The successive words, coupled with her previous forced effort, now surged like a tide, and the irresistible drowsiness finally overwhelmed her completely. Her eyelids were so heavy that she could hardly lift them, and her thick eyelashes fluttered like a small fan. She forced herself to hold on to the last bit of consciousness and mumbled vaguely, "New official taking office?"
"Who is it?"
Qin Gong lowered his eyes and saw that her eyelashes were mostly closed and the tip of her small nose was twitching slightly, so he gave up the idea of talking any further.
"Yes," he replied in a low voice, his voice a little muffled by the sound of thunder and rain, "a top scholar who was transferred back to Beijing."
Thunder rumbled outside the window and the rain was pouring down to its extreme. The sound of the rain was like a river pouring down from the sky, completely drowning out all whispers.
Wen Tang felt a buzzing in her ears. Qin Gong seemed to say something else, but she could no longer distinguish the specific words. She fell into a chaotic dream.