Ch. 285 Husband and Wife
He Changdi watched as she clung tightly to the corner of the blanket, which was only covering the most important spot on her body.
Everything else was practically bared to his gaze. The faint lamp light filtering through the gauzy bed curtains gave her fair skin a lovely glow, enticing him.
Chu Lian was like a lamb placed on the table for slaughter. The sight soothed He Changdi's sense of urgency.
He raised his body slightly and stripped off his top. With a trace of humour in his voice, he asked, "How would you like me to spare you, Lian'er?"
Chu Lian stared back in a daze. That's right, how exactly did she want him to spare her?
They were husband and wife already. This was something inevitable.
However, his hurried actions made her a little afraid and uneasy.
Chu Lian continued clinging to the corner of the blanket. In a soft and coaxing manner, she asked, "How about doing this another day, Husband? We've just returned to the capital today, and you even went to the palace. You must be tired. Why don't we postpone this to... tomorrow? It's already late; let's rest for the night!"
He Sanlang held back the urge to burst into laughter. His little kitten was actually trying to escape even at this point.
He casually tossed his inner clothes to the floor, revealing the fine lines of his body and his well-defined abs to Chu Lian's eyes.
He Changdi wasn't going to let her avoid him forever. He pulled away the blanket in his eyes and whispered huskily into her ear, "Alright, I'll listen to you. We'll rest early."
Chu Lian barely had the time to let out a surprised gasp when He Sanlang pounced on her.
Within a few minutes, the couple was intertwined like a pair of mandarin ducks and the sounds of lovemaking resounded in the room.
Unfortunately, as bold and strong as He Sanlang was, he was still a virgin...
The couple's first time together was over in less than fifteen minutes...
Chu Lian's face was completely flushed red. Her pleading had landed on deaf ears, so in a last show of temper, she pulled the blanket to her and bit down into it, resisting the foreign waves of pleasure rushing over her body.
Her mind was a complete haze. She wailed inwardly, not knowing how long the torture would last. Her body felt like jelly all over and she was on the verge of giving in...
It was Chu Lian's first time, so she didn't get to enjoy much of the pleasure of this conjugal activity. On the other hand, He Sanlang had already become an addict.
Just as Chu Lian was wondering when this would end, she felt a strange sensation in the lower half of her body. Her strong husband froze up and the stiff object inside her softened.
Neither of them had expected their first time to be over so quickly.
Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes, only to be met with a black-faced He Changdi.
Chu Lian quickly used up all of her restraint to hold back the urge to laugh. Luckily, she succeeded in her efforts. Otherwise, her lunatic husband might have taken that as a challenge to make her bedridden the next day.
Since it was already over, Chu Lian bore with the soreness in her body and reached out with her wobbly arms to push him.
She blinked innocently. Then, in a slightly hoarse voice, she said, "He Sanlang, I'm feeling too sore so I'm going to take a bath."
He Sanlang was still immersed in the shock from the blow of finishing so quickly. Thanks to his momentary lapse, Chu Lian was able to make her escape.
Chu Lian quickly scrambled off the bed, bearing with the soreness between her legs. She grabbed the nightclothes by the side of the bed and pulled the robe over her body before running towards the bathroom...
Although she was stumbling a little, she finally made it.
Chu Lian rang the bell to summon Wenqing in.
Wenqing entered from the servant's entrance, her head lowered as she waited obediently for Third Young Madam's orders.
Chu Lian's strength had already been completely sapped by the activities just now, so she leaned against the screen and told Wenqing to prepare a hot bath.
When that was done, Chu Lian entered the fragrant, steaming bath and let out a comfortable sigh of relief. Strength was slowly returning to her limbs. When she recalled what she had just done with He Changdi in bed, a furious blush flared back to life on her cheeks.
She covered her burning cheeks with her hands and soaked in the bath in an absent-minded daze until the sound of footsteps resounded behind her.
The moment she turned around, she was met with the gloomy-looking He Sanlang. Her husband stripped off his sleeping robe and tossed it haphazardly to one side before stepping right into the bathtub.
She didn't have any time to react before He Changdi was already in the bath with her. With another pull of his long arms, she was already wrapped in his naked embrace.
Chu Lian's eyes widened in shock. It took her a moment to find her voice again. "He Changdi, what are you doing! Get out!"
The usual cold layer of frost had returned to He Sanlang's handsome face. He scooped up some warm water and poured it over Chu Lian's smooth shoulders before suddenly bending over to nibble her earlobe. His deep, hoarse voice echoed through the bathroom. "What am I doing? I'm just taking a bath!"
Chu Lian saw that his hands were starting to wander, so she started struggling. The level of water in the bath dwindled as water splashed all over the bathroom.
In the end, they weren't able to finish their bath as half of the water in the tub had spilled over...
Chu Lian let out a shrill cry as she was carried back to their bed by He Changdi.
He Sanlang seemed to be trying to prove himself to her as he entered her continuously, ignoring Chu Lian's pleas for mercy. At last, he managed to last longer than their first hurried coupling...
Near the end, Chu Lian didn't even have the strength to lift a finger any longer. The moment He Changdi had finished, she dozed right off from fatigue.
He Changdi was covered in beads of sweat all over, but his mood was the highest it had ever been.
He pulled out and went off to the bathroom to clean himself. When he was done, he found a handkerchief and dipped it in warm water to clean Chu Lian's body.
When he finished cleaning his wife and realised that red marks had been left all over her snow-white skin from his excessive use of force, guilt rose within him and he started feeling vexed with himself.
He helped Chu Lian into a clean set of nightclothes and gently fed her a few spoonfuls of the warm honey water on the side table. Finally, he changed the bedsheets before carefully setting her back down on the bed and snuggling in right beside her, his gaze fixed on her defenseless sleeping expression.
Outside, in the servant's wing, Xiyan was feeling sorry for her mistress.
She knew that Chu Lian hadn't consummated her marriage with He Changdi on their wedding night and that this was the couple's first time together.
Even in the beginning when there hadn't been much movement in the bedroom, she had still been extremely worried.
Later on, after Wenqing had gone in to prepare a hot bath, the sounds and movements coming from inside were even louder than before.
She could even hear her young madam's soft cries.
Chu Lian had never cried in front of her servants before. Xiyan was frantic with worry, afraid that Third Young Master was abusing her mistress.
In the past when she had been bored, she had listened in on the senior servants' gossip. The servants had talked about how there was another servant being abused by her husband, who took out the stresses of his job on her and beat her until she cried for mercy.
The more she thought about it, the more worried she got until she couldn't take it any longer. Xiyan abruptly stood up and said, "I have to go in to check on Third Young Madam! I won't let anyone bully Third Young Madam, even if it's Third Young Master!"
Wenqing was alarmed by Xiyan's declaration. How could she actually let Xiyan enter the bedroom?
If the two of them entered the bedroom at this time, their lives would likely be forfeit.
She practised martial arts, so her hearing was more acute than Xiyan's.
Furthermore, Senior Servant Zhong had specially educated them on the birds and the bees, so she was much more knowledgeable than Xiyan on these matters.
It wasn't easy for her to explain it so openly. However, she understood that it was always hard for women during their first time. Although she felt for Third Young Madam as well, she was more afraid of Third Young Master.
They were just servants, so it was better if they didn't interfere with their masters' activities.
Ch. 286 Early Morning
Wenqing held Xiyan's arm and shook her head. She whispered, "Sister Xiyan, you don't have to worry so much. Third Young Master usually dotes on Third Young Madam; why would he bully her? As servants, we shouldn't interfere with our masters' business. Moreover, Third Young Madam didn't call for us. We can't just go in like that. Also, think about Third Young Madam's personality. If she was really being bullied, wouldn't she call for help?"
Although Xiyan was still worried, Wenqing ultimately convinced her.
After their masters had returned to Songtao Court, they were able to see for themselves how much Third Young Master cared for Third Young Madam. Also, Third Young Madam was someone who would definitely return an eye for an eye. If she really suffered any grievances, she wouldn't endure it in silence.
The two personal maidservants stayed up until midnight. Xiyan finally breathed a sigh of relief when they could no longer hear any movement within the room.
Wenqing finally relaxed as well, her face flushed.
Since their masters had settled down for the night, they didn't need two servants to stay up for the night shift. In the end, Wenqing told Xiyan to take a rest and leave her to keep watch through the night in the side room by herself.
After leaving the room, Xiyan didn't immediately go back to her room to rest. She headed to Senior Servant Gui's room first to report that the young couple had finally consummated their marriage.
Senior Servant Gui was still awake, waiting for Xiyan's report.
After receiving the news, Senior Servant Gui clasped her hands together and bowed in prayer. A smile appeared on her face.
She pushed Xiyan and said, "Well, I can rest assured now. If Third Young Madam gives birth to a son in the future, I'll be able to enjoy my old age in peace. It's getting late now. You should hurry and go sleep."
Xiyan watched as, contrary to what she had just told Xiyan, Senior Servant Gui got up from her bed and began to get dressed instead. Curious, she asked, "Momo, why are you getting up when it's already this late?"
Senior Servant Gui's grin was so wide that her eyes disappeared. "Sixth Miss has a thin and weak body. This first night must have been tough for her. I'm going to brew some nourishing soup for her to drink first thing in the morning."
Seeing how excited Senior Servant Gui was, Xiyan didn't stop her. "Momo, do rest earlier when you're done. I'll go back to my room first."
Xiyan and Fuyan lived in the same room.
When Xiyan returned to her room, she saw that the room was still lit. Her brows creased into a frown and she muttered to herself, "It's already so late, why hasn't Fuyan slept yet? What's that girl doing at this hour!"
She quickly walked towards the door and tried pushing it open, only to find out that someone had actually locked it from the inside.
Chu Lian's personal maidservants all lived together in a small courtyard within Songtao Court. They usually took turns to be on standby with their masters at night, so the courtyard entrance and the room doors were never locked.
There was also a senior servant guarding the courtyard entrance at night. It was even more strictly guarded outside, so nothing had ever happened before.
A trace of suspicion was aroused in Xiyan's heart. She called out softly to Fuyan from outside the door.
Fuyan suffered a fright when she heard the door being pushed. She had been expecting Xiyan to be on duty until morning since she was taking the night shift. Who could have thought that Xiyan would return to their room at this time?
She panicked and hid the letter she had been clutching in her hands underneath her pillow. Then, she straightened out her dress and calmed her breathing before opening the door as if nothing had happened.
When the door opened from the inside, Xiyan immediately entered the room, only to see that Fuyan hadn't even changed her clothes. It was obvious that she hadn't slept yet, so Xiyan asked, "It's so late, why aren't you resting? It's your turn to serve Third Young Madam tomorrow!"
Fuyan went over to the bed and sat down. She picked up the sewing basket next to her and said, "I wanted to finish sewing the flower on this handkerchief before going to sleep. I didn't realise that time flew by so quickly. So it's already midnight."
Xiyan furrowed her brows. "There's no need to stay up so late. You can work on the handkerchief anytime. Alright, go to sleep now. If something goes wrong tomorrow, momo won't spare you."
"Mm, I'll listen to Sister Xiyan. I'll pack my things up and sleep now. It won't happen again."
Xiyan looked at Fuyan from the corner of her eyes as she changed her clothes. She felt that Fuyan was acting rather strange tonight, but she hadn't been able to find out anything after questioning her. In the end, she decided to let it go.
The light in the room was quickly snuffed out. Fuyan reached for the letter under her pillow in the dark, her eyes wavering. Finally, she gritted her teeth and made her decision.
Chu Lian slowly opened her eyes. Her mind was still in a haze since she had just woken up. However, once she moved, her whole body began to ache and she almost cried out loud.
Memories from last night suddenly rushed into her mind like a tidal wave. Chu Lian was momentarily stunned by her recollections before her annoyance and anger won out.
That He Sanlang! Last night, he had actually ignored her wishes and tortured her like that!
Chu Lian turned over and noticed that He Changdi wasn't there. She reached out to touch the bedsheets beside her and realised that the area where he had been lying was already cold.
She wrinkled her brows and prepared to call for a servant to come in.
Wenqing heard the slight movement from outside and quietly entered the bedroom. She stood beside the bed, where the curtains had been let down, shielding Chu Lian from her gaze. Softly, Wenqing asked, "Third Young Madam, do you need this servant's assistance?"
Chu Lian hadn't expected Wenqing to be waiting outside. Blood instantly rushed into her cheeks.
She gave an awkward cough before asking in a slightly hoarse voice, "What time is it? Where's Third Young Master?"
Although He Changdi had been bestowed the title of Marquis Anyuan and an official position, he hadn't split off from the family yet. Their elders- Matriarch He, Countess Jing'an, and Eldest Young Madam- were also present in the estate, so everyone in the Jing'an Estate still called him Third Young Master. Thus, Chu Lian was still Third Young Madam.
Wenqing smiled and replied, "Third Young Madam, please don't worry. It's only around seven in the morning. Third Young Master went to the martial arts arena an hour ago. "
It was February right now, so it was still chilly in the capital. Although the bedroom was heated, it was much more comfortable to stay in bed.
Since it was still early, Chu Lian couldn't be bothered to wake up. She hadn't gotten a good rest anyway, so after briefly speaking to Wenqing, she turned back around and went back to sleep.
Wenqing smiled and tiptoed back out of the room.
Third Young Madam had probably been tired out last night. Before Third Young Master had gone to the martial arts arena, he had instructed her to let Third Young Madam sleep more. Even if Third Young Madam wanted to get up, she would have had to persuade her otherwise.
He Changdi came back about half an hour later.
Wenqing and Wenlan, who were now on duty in the outer room, handed him a wet towel.
He Sanlang's gaze swept over them. "Is your young madam awake?"
The corners of Wenqing's lips inched upwards with humour. "She woke up once half an hour ago and asked after Third Young Master. Then she went back to sleep."
He Changdi's stern, icy face softened a little. He handed them back the towel before striding into the bedroom with his hands clasped behind him.
It was just a little over an hour since he had last seen her, but he was already starting to miss Chu Lian terribly. He wanted to see that lovely, sweet face of hers immediately.
Chu Lian was still deep in slumber when she felt something ticklish on her nose. She impatiently reached out with one hand, wanting to brush it off.
Her slender wrist emerged from the loose sleeve of her nightgown. The little strength that she used was nothing to He Sanlang.
There were a few obvious red spots on her pale wrist, which looked strangely similar to the marks on her neck.
The light in He Changdi's deep eyes darkened. He held her fair arm and started dropping light kisses over the marks on her arm.
Next, he gently tucked her arm back into the warm blankets.
Then, He Changdi took off his shoes and shifted closer to Chu Lian before pulling her into his embrace, blanket and all.
That action finally woke Chu Lian up. She opened up her almond-shaped eyes, looking slightly dazed with a lovely blush on her face.
The moment Chu Lian opened her eyes, it was He Changdi who fell into her sight. In the time it took to overcome that short instant of confusion, He Sanlang had already tried placing a gentle kiss on her soft lips.
Chu Lian immediately reacted by turning her head to avoid it.
Her temper piqued, she said, "He Changdi, you lied to me last night!"
Her whole body was wrapped up in the blanket within his embrace. She couldn't move at all. At this moment, she could only move her lips. He Changdi couldn't hold back his chuckles when he saw her flushed face.
"When did I ever lie?"
When Chu Lian recalled his shameless and insatiable demands from last night, she gnashed her teeth in frustration. However, she had already experienced for herself how well he could twist his words. Moreover, they were lying together on the bed right now and her whole body was still aching. She couldn't afford to provoke him.
Chu Lian pouted and turned her head away. She didn't want to answer his question.
He Sanlang stared at her reddened earlobe for a moment. He lowered his head to suck on it, his warm breath puffing over Chu Lian's ear as he whispered huskily, "It was my bad last night. Does it still hurt?"
The combination of his question and their intimate pose made the flush of red on Chu Lian's ears extend to cover her entire face.
She pursed her lips together and remained silent. It was too embarrassing to talk about this.
Moreover, He Changdi wasn't a doctor. He wouldn't be able to help even if she told him that it was hurting.
When He Sanlang saw that his wife was evading his gaze with a bashful look, he could guess what her answer would have been.
He Sanlang was worried about her, so he suggested, "Don't go over to visit Grandmother and Mother this morning. I'll send someone to let them know."
Chu Lian's eyes widened and she immediately shook her head upon hearing his suggestion.
"You can't!"
She had been completely fine and healthy yesterday. If she didn't visit her elders today for the usual morning greetings, what would everyone else think?
Chu Lian didn't want to discuss this topic with him any longer. She shifted her position and looked at the handsome man beside her. Then, she brought up her own question. "You went out to exercise this morning?"
A spark of discomfort flashed through He Changdi's deep eyes, but he quickly recovered his usual calm.
He squeezed the lovely woman in his embrace and said, "Mm, it's an old habit I've had even before I went to the north. When I joined the northern border troops later, Uncle Qian was really strict, so the time I spent training became even longer."
He Sanlang didn't dare to speak the truth.
Actually, after consummating their marriage, he had been too excited to fall asleep last night. Instead, he had held her in his arms and spent the entire night staring at her, only managing to nap for about 3 hours.
When he had woken up, it had still been dark outside. Chu Lian had been sleeping on his chest with her rosy cheeks, fair skin, and bright red lips. Moreover, her nightclothes had gotten a little disheveled in her sleep. A man's lust was the strongest in the morning. He Sanlang was also at the age when his body was full of vigour. With his beloved wife sleeping in his arms, it was unbearable.
However, afraid of hurting Chu Lian, He Sanlang pursed his lips with a grim expression and headed out to the martial arts arena to vent... Ahem... He also paid a visit to Great Doctor Miao on the way.
Chu Lian nodded without noticing the hidden meaning in He Changdi's eyes.
She wriggled a little and complained, "He Changdi, let go of me. It's getting late. I need to get up."
While Chu Lian was struggling, He Changdi suddenly bent down and whispered something into her ear.
Chu Lian instantly froze, the healthy blush on her face instantly fading to a pale pallor. She seriously wanted to strangle He Changdi right now.
"You.....You actually went to look for Great Doctor Miao!"
He Sanlang had a cold expression on his face, but his voice was hoarse. "Be good. I'll accompany you to greet Grandmother after you apply the medicine."
Ahem.... He had done a careful inspection while cleaning her up last night. That area was red and swollen because he had been too reckless...
Chu Lian wailed and covered her head with the blanket. She felt too ashamed to face anyone else right now.
About twenty minutes later, Chu Lian was still curled up in the blanket, covering her flushed face. She slowly calmed down as she listened to the sound of water coming from the bathroom.
He Sanlang had actually ignored her opposition and personally applied the medicine for her.
It served him right that he had to take a cold bath, Chu Lian thought angrily.
Afterwards, she called Wenlan and Fuyan in to help her.
Chu Lian was still feeling somewhat uncomfortable, so she awkwardly walked about after getting off the bed. It took a few rounds around the bedroom before she got used to the strange new feeling. Wenlan was keeping a happy smile hidden beneath her lowered head, but the look in Fuyan's downcast eyes were filled with envy and jealousy.
When He Changdi came out of the bathroom wearing a loose robe, before Wenlan could walk up to him, Fuyan had already beaten her to it and handed him the dry towel in her hand.
She attempted to reach out and help him dry his dark hair, but He Sanlang cast a cold gaze over the two maidservants.
Wenlan immediately bobbed towards her two masters and turned to leave. When she noticed that Fuyan was still standing there in a daze, she grabbed Fuyan's hand and dragged her out before Third Young Master got angry.
When they got to the outer room, Fuyan angrily flung off Wenlan's hand and scolded her. "Wenlan, what are you doing?!"
Wenlan took a deep breath and glared at Fuyan. "Fuyan, can't you tell? Third Young Master doesn't like us staying in there."
Fuyan snorted. "You're just being overly cautious! Third Young Master didn't even say anything!"
Wenlan's brows furrowed even more when she heard her reply. "Fuyan, I'm going to give you some advice. Even if you came as part of Third Young Madam's dowry, you still need to know your place. Remember Mingyan!"
Wenlan turned and left the outer room after leaving her warning.
She was starting to dislike Fuyan more and more. Did Fuyan really think Third Young Madam was an idiot? Although Third Young Madam was usually very kind and friendly and didn't like to make a fuss over small matters, that didn't mean that she was naive and easily fooled.
Even if they didn't have a Third Young Madam, did Fuyan seriously think that Third Young Master was someone she could afford to provoke?
Fuyan hadn't gone to the northern border with them, so she hadn't seen how many people Third Young Master had killed on the battlefields. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had these presumptuous thoughts.
Fuyan couldn't care less about Wenlan's warning.
Third Young Master might be treating Third Young Madam as sweet as honey right now, but wait until he learns about Third Young Madam's betrayal! Once he finds out about her dalliance with another man, there was bound to be a trace of doubt in his heart.
No man can stand a woman's betrayal, especially if she was his wife!
Fuyan smirked. She had been waiting for so long. Wasn't it all for this day?
He Sanlang's expression finally softened once the two handmaids left the inner room. He walked over to Chu Lian and handed her the towel in his hand.
Chu Lian rolled her eyes before taking it. She got up and made him sit on the stool in front of the dressing table.
She moved to his back and started gently drying off his wet hair.
"Weren't Wenlan and Fuyan around just now?" Chu Lian asked with a slight pout.
He Sanlang's dark eyes looked at Chu Lian through the bronze mirror.
His voice was cold and stiff as he said, "I don't like them serving me."
Chu Lian couldn't help smiling as she recalled what Senior Servant Zhong had told her before.
Before she had married He Changdi, Songtao Court didn't have any ranked maidservants at all. There had only been a few menial servants responsible for cleaning. He Changdi's basic needs had always been handled by Laiyue.
"I really don't know how to serve others."
Chu Lian was speaking the truth. She really didn't know how to take care of others. After experiencing the luxury of maidservants at her beck-and-call, her actions naturally couldn't compare...
Humour shone in He Changdi's deep eyes. "I need you to take care of me, except in bed."
Chu Lian was stunned by his words. Her face instantly flushed and she threw the towel at He Changdi. If he didn't need her help, then he could do it himself!
Chu Lian felt that just throwing the towel at him wasn't enough, so she also shot a glare at him. What was wrong with this He Sanlang? Ever since their relationship had progressed to the next step, he had been constantly making dirty jokes. How annoying!