Chapter 22
That night.
The colorful clouds gathered and dispersed, and the setting sun faded.
When Xie Yao stepped into Mingyue Residence, the last ray of sunset had disappeared.
The stone slabs in the courtyard had been pried up, and the ground was all soil. Two maids guarded the door. After curtsying, they were about to go and inform the Mistress.
Xie Yao raised his hand to stop them, glanced at the courtyard, and saw that a plain gauze curtain had been hung under the eaves of the main room to block the dust from the courtyard. The east and west wing-rooms were also separated by curtains. Only from behind the pavilion in the northwest corner could some movement be heard.
He walked around the covered walkway and saw Yuli in short, coarse clothes, her bare feet on the soil, holding a small hoe and loosening the soil.
“If we finish loosening this plot of land today, we can have the gardeners come in tomorrow to sow the flower seeds.”
As Yuli worked, she panted and said to Jingyu and Xiyun, who were helping on the side.
Xuemi was lying in the pavilion. Seeing Xie Yao, it arched its back, meowed, and quickly darted away.
The three people under the pavilion all looked in the direction Xuemi had disappeared, and when they turned back, they saw Xie Yao.
Today, Xie Yao was wearing a rare black robe, his expression profound and inscrutable. Jingyu felt a chill and quickly bowed.
Xiyun also felt that something was wrong and said to Yuli, “Mistress, let’s stop here for today.”
Yuli glanced at Xie Yao and said with a smile, “Just a little bit left. Husband, go inside and sit for a while first.”
Yuli acted as if it were normal and continued to work after speaking.
Xie Yao paused.
Jingyu and Xiyun were stiff all over, not daring to move.
“Have you eaten yet?” Xie Yao asked. His tone was still gentle.
“Not yet. Husband, you eat first,” Yuli said without looking up.
“I’ll wait for you,” Xie Yao said, walking to the pavilion and sitting down casually.
Jingyu and Xiyun quickly squatted down to help, their movements so fast they were almost frantic.
Seeing this, Yuli looked up at Xie Yao. His face was not very clear in the twilight. She smiled at him and also quickened her movements.
After Yuli had leveled the last piece of land, she stood up and stretched her waist. She hadn’t felt it before, but now her back was a little sore.
A maid had already brought water. Yuli’s hands and feet were covered in mud, so she washed them under the eaves.
After washing, she sat on a small stool, washing her hands and feet at the same time.
One basin of clear water was filled with mud. It was poured out, and another basin was placed at her feet.
The maid lit a lantern. The light and shadow suddenly dimmed. It was Xie Yao, who had squatted down in front of her.
“It’s almost done,” Yuli said, looking up at him. But she saw him looking at her feet. He rolled up his sleeves, and his long, slender fingers reached into the water, holding her ankle.
He helped her pour water and wipe the mud from her feet.
Yuli stiffened for a moment and wanted to say she could do it herself, but the force of his palm was very strong, squeezing her ankle tightly. It seemed he would not allow her to refuse.
After this rough wash, there would be a final, detailed cleaning.
In the cool water, Yuli wanted to reach out and rub the soles of her feet. Xie Yao caught her hand and first washed her fingers clean, even scraping under her nails.
Yuli became a little embarrassed.
After washing her hands, Xie Yao took the cloth that Xiyun handed him. “Sit properly and wipe.”
Yuli took the cloth to wipe. Xie Yao then bent down to wash her feet.
In the water, her fair and smooth feet glowed with a soft, faint light. Xie Yao caressed them from her ankles to her toes, lifted them to wipe the soles, and then kneaded and washed each toe one by one.
Yuli suddenly felt a tingling numbness spread from her feet. By the time he had finished washing both her feet, she could barely stand.
Xie Yao refused the cloth that Xiyun handed him, scooped up Yuli by the knees, and carried her into the room.
Yuli was covered in dirt, but he didn’t mind. He had her sit on his lap, wiped her feet dry, and then put on her shoes.
After her shoes were on, Yuli stood up as soon as her feet touched the ground. “I’m going to change my clothes,” she said, her voice slightly hoarse, and then went into the inner chamber.
Yuli changed into a clean set of clothes. When she came out, the meal was already laid out.
After a hard day’s work, she was really hungry. She sat down and ate with gusto.
It was only after she was half-full that she noticed Xie Yao was wearing black today. It was unclear if it was because of the color of his clothes, but he looked a little cold.
Yuli served him a chopstick-full of food that was to his taste. He looked up, and there was a smile on his lips. Yuli also relaxed.
After the meal, Yuli was so tired she almost wanted to lie down immediately.
But she held on and took Xie Yao to the study, showing him the design for the garden.
Her eyes sparkled, and her face lit up as she talked about her vision. At the end, she told him, “I plan to build a swing here. Then, I can swing with Xuemi in my arms. This flower trellis, it can also climb on it.”
Xie Yao listened to her, only occasionally responding.
Yuli thought he probably didn’t like flowers and plants and was afraid he would find it annoying, so she didn’t say any more.
“If you’re tired, go and take a bath first,” Xie Yao said.
Hearing him say this, Yuli didn’t delay. She immediately had someone bring water, took a comfortable bath, and after washing, put on her nightgown. When she came out of the bathroom to the bedroom, she didn’t see Xie Yao. She thought he had probably gone to bathe elsewhere, extinguished one lantern, climbed into bed, and let out a comfortable sigh as she lay down.
She had intended to wait for Xie Yao to come back before sleeping, but her mind was filled with things to do tomorrow, and she suddenly blacked out and fell asleep.
When Xie Yao returned, he saw that Yuli was already fast asleep. He sat down by the bed. For a long time, she showed no sign of waking.
Xie Yao turned his back to her, a dark look in his eyes that would not go away.
He lit the lantern that Yuli had extinguished and moved both of them to the head of the bed.
He took off his own clothes, got into bed, and his fingers rested on Yuli’s sash, slowly pulling it open.
When Yuli slowly woke from her sleep, the light was bright, and her body was being pressed down. There was clearly a hard object against her.
Close by were Xie Yao’s slightly closed eyes, his breath hot, and a subtle fragrance filling her lungs.
Xie Yao was kissing her, and he didn’t stop even when she woke up.
Yuli’s whole body was hot and damp. She let out a soft moan.
Xie Yao stopped and looked down at her. “Does it still hurt?”
Yuli was dazed for a moment, then remembered that she had cried out in pain that night and had pushed him away, and he had stopped.
Yuli didn’t answer. Xie Yao grabbed her wrist by her side, slowly lifted it, and placed it behind his neck. “Hm?”
His deep, dark eyes stared at her, like a fierce beast casually examining the prey in its grasp. Yuli couldn’t help but shiver and shook her head.
“That’s good,” Xie Yao said, and bent down to kiss her.
Yuli was extremely sleepy and wanted to fall asleep, but the light and heavy touches on her body made her sometimes drowsy, sometimes jolted awake.
In the end, she was completely awake.
The lights in the room were too bright. Both lanterns had been placed by the bed, and the bed curtains had not yet been lowered.
“Extinguish the lights,” Yuli said in a small voice.
Xie Yao ignored her. He gently pushed with his index finger. Yuli let out a gasp, bit her lip, and opened her eyes to meet Xie Yao’s.
Her whole body trembled. She said again, “It’s too bright. Extinguish one of the lights.”
Xie Yao: “This way I can see you clearly.”
He was not going to extinguish them.
Yuli had no choice but to close her eyes, but she couldn’t pretend his gaze didn’t exist. Her whole body was like a freshly steamed crystal cake, soft and hot.
Her legs suddenly felt light and touched his waist.
Yuli’s body was tense, her fingers clutching the quilt.
Xie Yao pressed against her and suddenly spoke.
“Open your eyes and look at me,” he said.
Yuli knew what he was going to do. Just imagining his gaze at this moment was unbearable. She didn’t dare to open her eyes, nor did she want to.
He stopped. Yuli suddenly felt her wrist tighten, and her arms were forcefully pressed above her head.
Xie Yao pressed down. “I said, look at me.”
His voice was cold and deep, with a chill that could not be refused. Yuli shivered in fear and immediately opened her eyes.
Xie Yao looked at her deeply, his eyes looking down at her, his face sharp. Half of his face was brightly lit by the candlelight, but the other half and his eyes were mostly dark and gloomy.
Yuli wanted to close her eyes, to turn her head, but she didn’t dare. Her eyes darted around. Soon, her eyes turned red, as if she were about to cry.
Xie Yao looked at her for a long time, then chuckled, let go of her wrists, and instead clasped her ten fingers tightly, bending down to kiss her eyes.
“Good girl,” he said softly.
Yuli took the opportunity to close her eyes, and he didn’t make her open them again.
But her heart was never completely at ease. It seemed that in this matter, he was not as gentle as he appeared on the surface. He had a desire for control, and it was very domineering, not allowing her to resist or disobey.
The moment she looked at him, her heart trembled. It seemed to be something similar to a palpitation.
It must just be a side effect of this matter. Yuli felt that she would not mistake panic for a heart flutter.
But he didn’t do it for long. Afterwards, Yuli quickly fell asleep in his arms. Xie Yao carried her to take a bath, changed her clothes, and held her to sleep peacefully.
*
The next day, when Yuli woke up, the sky was already bright.
The construction was scheduled for today, but she had overslept. No one had called her, and she didn’t even know when Xie Yao had left.
She lifted the quilt to get out of bed, and Xiyun came in.
“Have the craftsmen arrived?” Yuli asked.
Xiyun helped Yuli dress and said with a smile, “The Mistress was exhausted yesterday. The Young Master gave instructions when he left today not to disturb you.”
So they had arrived. Yuli quickly dressed and washed up, about to go out.
Xiyun stopped her again. “During the landscaping of Mingyue Residence, there will be many outsiders coming and going. We are all women, and it is inconvenient. Jingyu suggested that we move to the guest courtyard to live. This way, the Mistress can sleep in a little longer as usual, and it won’t delay the construction.”
Yuli thought about it. That was true. Landscaping was physical labor, and the craftsmen were all men. They couldn’t be let in while she was sleeping, but she probably couldn’t get up early every day.
If she moved elsewhere, she could also make room for them, and everyone would be more at ease.
Yuli and Xiyun packed some sleeping necessities and moved to the guest courtyard that day.
The guest courtyard was called Wangyun Courtyard. The layout was similar to Mingyue Residence, and the daily necessities were all ready-made. Yuli saw the books that Xie Yao had once read inside and guessed that this was where he had lived before.
So before they had consummated their marriage, he had sometimes stayed in this residence after leaving Mingyue Residence.
At that time, he had set a deadline for her, but he had been so restrained, never rushing or forcing her. After they had consummated their marriage a few days ago, he had acted like a gentle and considerate husband. Yuli had thought that they could live a good life together.
But last night, his surging, dark eyes and his non-negotiable tone made Yuli feel that things were probably not that simple.
She couldn’t forget that she was in a novel of forced possession, and her husband was a paranoid psycho. In the original novel, when the heroine, Song Yi, resisted with her life, he did not respect her wishes. It could be said that his possessiveness was at work. But now, she was going along with him in every way, giving him the care and affection he wanted. Why did he still seem unsatisfied?
Yuli had already tried her best to change the angsty plot of the original novel, and she was seeing some results. But if his nature was hard to suppress, there would probably be unexpected waves.
But so far, he had not killed anyone because of her. Yuli thought, no matter what, she must not go against him.
After Yuli had packed up, she changed into a light, coarse outfit and was about to go to Mingyue Residence to help with the planting of flowers and trees.
Before she reached Mingyue Residence, she saw craftsmen coming and going, several times more than the ones she had asked Jingyu to hire yesterday. And it wasn’t just Mingyue Residence that was under construction. The soil was being turned over everywhere in the residence. Rockeries and landscaping stone carvings were also being brought into the residence at the same time. The entire Xie Residence was a scene of bustling activity.
Before Yuli could ask, Jingyu explained, “This is the Young Master’s order. The Young Master’s meaning is to have the residence arranged as soon as possible, so that the Mistress can live comfortably.”
Yuli pondered. That was true. This was not her residence after all. Xie Yao didn’t need to ask her what to do.
And he was rich and generous, so he would naturally have it done in the fastest and most beautiful way.
Yuli just hummed in agreement. Jingyu still wanted to convey Xie Yao’s message for her to rest in Wangyun Courtyard, but Yuli had already walked a few steps and was talking to the craftsmen.
Jingyu frowned slightly but chose to say nothing.
Yuli was not one to endure hardship for no reason. She was just idle and had nothing to do, so she helped with light tasks like sowing seeds and watering.
There were too many craftsmen entering the residence. She couldn’t make a bowl of sour plum soup for each of them, so she just gave the order, and the kitchen would naturally take care of it.
Wangyun Courtyard was not under construction, but Yuli remembered that there were arrangements for it on the design. It was unclear if it was for her to rest, or if Xie Yao didn’t want flowers and plants to be planted there.
Yuli couldn’t be bothered with these things. As long as her Mingyue Residence was planted with her favorite flowers and plants, she would be content.
She was busy in Mingyue Residence, but she couldn’t be of much help. But she enjoyed it.
She always believed that what comes easily is easily lost. Only what one has poured one’s heart and soul into truly belongs to oneself.
The camellia to be planted was an old tree. When the craftsmen carried it in, Yuli exclaimed in amazement.
She had never seen such a large camellia tree before. It was almost as tall as the eaves, with a lush shape, and had been elegantly pruned. It was not the flowering season, and there were no buds, but Yuli could already imagine how magnificent it would be when it was in full bloom.
The flower tree was huge and delicate. Yuli didn’t go to help but let the professional gardeners plant it. She just watched from the side.
Yuli asked an old gardener on the side for tips on how to care for this tree. The old gardener could see that she was a flower lover and, as if meeting a kindred spirit, told her a lot, which Yuli took to heart.
By the time the camellia tree was planted, it was already late.
Yuli firmly remembered today that she had to go and meet Xie Yao. She put down the landscaping matters of Mingyue Residence, returned to Wangyun Courtyard, washed off the dust, and waited until all the craftsmen in the residence had left before going to the second gate to meet him.
The residence was under major construction. The newly turned soil could be seen everywhere. The air was filled with the scent of grass and trees mixed with soil. The scattered hoes brought by the craftsmen were leaning against each other. The lively pastoral scene suddenly fell silent. Only Jingyu followed her, making it seem a little quiet.
No wonder Xie Yao wanted her to meet him. Besides Mingyue Residence, the rest of the residence was indeed too desolate.
But when these plants flourished, everything would be different.
With anticipation for the future, Yuli met Xie Yao.
He was wearing a sky-blue scholar’s robe today. The moment he saw her, the coldness in his eyes melted, and he pursed his lips and curled them into a smile.
Yuli went up to hold his hand. Different from usual, her fingers passed through his, and they clasped their hands together.
Yuli held his hand, but her heart was pounding. She didn’t dare to look at him. She told him about today’s events and led him towards Wangyun Courtyard.
Xie Yao seemed not to notice, just gently stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.
The meal was already laid out in the hall of Wangyun Courtyard. Yuli had a good appetite, and Xie Yao also ate a lot.
The residence was still in a mess. Yuli didn’t go for a walk. She wanted to play with Xuemi for a while but couldn’t find her for a long time. Jingyu came and said that Xuemi was not used to this place and had gone back to Mingyue Residence after the craftsmen had left.
Yuli let it be.
The furnishings in this courtyard were simple. Yuli had nothing to do. Xie Yao, on the other hand, found a book to read.
Yuli was a little sleepy, but she was worried that, like last night, she would be woken up after falling asleep.
She had someone bring water, took a bath, and came out in her nightgown. She walked towards Xie Yao. Xie Yao saw her and put down the book.
“I want to sleep,” Yuli said to him.
Xie Yao stared at her without a word. He didn’t let her go to sleep first, nor did he say that she should wait for him to sleep together.
But the look in his eyes was by no means innocent.
“Hm?” Xie Yao said nonchalantly, still staring at her, as if he knew what she wanted to say but deliberately didn’t expose it.
The words Yuli wanted to say were not easy to say, and she was a little annoyed at his attitude.
Yuli took a deep breath and said quickly, “If you want to do that, then do it early.”
After Yuli finished speaking, she turned and left, as fast as if she were fleeing from something.
Xie Yao sat still.
After a moment, Yuli’s ultimatum came from the inner chamber, “I’m really going to sleep.”
It was trembling and had no deterrent effect at all.
The corners of Xie Yao’s lips curled up. He had someone bring water, took a quick bath, and lifted the bed curtains. Yuli was lying on her back on the inner side, her eyes closed.
Xie Yao stood for a while without moving. Yuli seemed unable to bear his gaze, opened her eyes to look over, and the moment she saw him, her face flushed, and she turned to the side, burying her face in the pillow.
Xie Yao had washed but had not put on any clothes. He just stood by the bed, with water droplets still on his shoulders that had not been wiped clean.