The canopy bed, though vast, felt remarkably cramped now, accommodating the imposing presence of Shang Ji alongside Du Jingyi. As dawn broke, the sky outside gradually brightened, painting the chamber in soft hues. Du Jingyi stirred, a gentle turn, and then, wake up with a sudden startle as she registered the warm body beside her. A wave of unfamiliar discomfort washed over her.
Her movement roused Shang Ji also . In the military camps, he would have sprung to his feet instantly, but here, his lingering seemed almost… justified. A low mumble escaped him, thick with sleep. “Woken up ?”
His voice, lazy and deep, resonated through the quiet room, instantly dragging Du Jingyi’s thoughts back to the events of the previous night. A blush bloomed across her face, hot and furious, and she instinctively burrowed deeper beneath the quilt as she felt too embarrassed to emerge from it .
Shang Ji, seemingly oblivious to Du Jingyi’s mortification, calmly rose from the bed and reached for the moon-white undershirt lying beside the bed and slipped it on with casual ease. Years in the army had ingrained in him a discipline that shunned idleness. And today an hour’s extra sleep was already a luxury for him. He glanced back at Du Jingyi, intending to offer an explanation, but seeing her still huddled within the soft satin quilt, he simply chuckled. “You rest. I’ll go wash up and head to the camp first . Also i might not be back today, so don’t wait for me.” As he spoke, he pulled on his boots alongside from the bed , his movements swift and efficient, leaving no room for delay.
By the time he was fully dressed, there was still no reaction from the bed. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. Could she have fainted? He reached out to pull back the brocade quilt from her face to check . Du Jingyi, still engulfed in the folds, hadn’t anticipated his sudden action, and so, offered no resistance. In an instant, she was completely exposed before Shang Ji.
In the past, Shang Ji had never believed in the allure of “honey traps,” but now, he understood perfectly the adage: “the hardest thing to accept the kindness of a beautiful woman.” Du Jingyi’s eyes, still heavy with the aftermath of their intimate night, blazed with a fleeting anger. She let out a soft huff and quickly pulled the quilt back up, a flush of shame creeping onto her cheeks.
Seeing her reaction, Shang Ji ceased his teasing. He stood, ready to depart. “You should rest well. I’m leaving now .” He was almost at the door when he seemed to remember something. He turned, taking a few steps back. “If I don’t return, I’ll send someone to deliver a message. You don’t have to wait indefinitely.” Then, without waiting for her reply, he opened the door and stepped out.
It wasn’t until the door clicked shut again that Du Jingyi finally allowed the quilt to fall from her . Her entire body felt utterly drained right now , as if every inch of her had been ravaged. Bruises and tender red marks marred her skin. Between his formidable strength and her delicate frame, Du Jingyi had undoubtedly borne the brunt of their “hand-to-hand combat.”
“Prepare more hot water . I’ll wash first. You all wait for the young lady to wake up before going in and serving her.” Shang Ji’s voice, clear and resonant like a bell, carried distinctly into the room. Quickly, several voices responded in unison: “Yes, us subordinates obey your orders.”
Among them were men and women, old and young. Besides the familiar Mama Cai, Yingying, and Lizhu, the male voice was likely Luo Yuan, always by Shang Ji’s side. The thought of how many of them might have been guarding the door last night made her blush even more fiercely. Too embarrassed to stir, Du Jingyi, thought it was still early, drag her aching body to a more comfertable positon and finally drifted back to sleep.
As the hours ticked by, Mama Cai and the other maids transitioned from quiet joy to growing anxiety. The sun was nearing its zenith, yet their young lady remained unawakened. While a long sleep after a wedding night was understandable, this seemed excessive. The General had risen hours ago, washed, and left for the camp, and still, their young lady had not called for them.
” Has the young madam fainted?” Mama Cai murmured, her voice laced with doubt. Yingying and Lizhu’s faces, too, mirrored her worry. Then, with a sudden resolve, Mama Cai declared, “No matter what happened . Let’s go in and check. We need to know if anything has happened to the young lady.”
“Understood,” the two maids agreed, their concern outweighing any fear of reprisal. Even if they were scolded later, they had to see for themselves.
They pushed open the door and entered the room . The faint, ambiguous scent of the night still lingered within. Mama Cai, being experienced, immediately recognized the signs of passionate intimacy with it . Yingying and Lizhu, though aware of what a marriage consummation entailed, were still unmarried maidens. Seeing the disarray on the bed, their faces flushed bright red. But they quickly composed themselves upon seeing their young lady sleeping soundly, not yet awake.
Mama Cai approached the bed and gently nudged Du Jingyi. “Young madam, are you ready to rise?”
Du Jingyi, caught in the throes of a dream, simply mumbled, “Don’t call me, Mother , I’m sleepy.” She thought she was speaking to her own mother, still in the comfort of her maiden’s boudoir.
Hearing her words, the three maids breathed a collective sigh of relief. Snoozing was fine; as long as she hadn’t fainted. Du Jingyi, still half-asleep, was unaware that she lay unclothed beneath the quilt, and as she shifted, the soft covering slipped down and the marks on her legs, back, and hands were became starkly visible. Her maids Yingying and Lizhu’s eyes widened at this sight as , and they nearly screamed.
Mama Cai, ever the quick-witted one, immediately ushered them both out of the room. After securely closing the door, Lizhu burst out, with indignant, anger “What the hell was that ?! Our young lady didn’t marry here to suffer! Why did the General beat her so harshly!” Those who knew would call it a bridal chamber, but to the uninitiated, it looked as though their young lady had been abused. Lizhu’s face was also a mask of displeasure, her nostrils flaring in exasperation.
Yingtao, too, frowned. “Last year, I remember Master sent me a bottle of elixir for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. I’ll go look for it and give it to the young lady later.” Such smooth, delicate skin, meticulously cared for since childhood, could easily be marred by scars.
Even Mama Cai, despite her initial surprise, couldn’t help but chuckle. “You two foolish girls, isn’t it a good thing for the General and the young lady to be in harmony, like a zither and a harp? Don’t let your emotions frighten the young lady. Under these circumstances, it is most important for the young lady to be able to share more love with the General and get pregnant as soon as possible, understand?” She was older, and having managed affairs in Dongyuan with Aunt Dou for years, she had witnessed much worse than this .
The two maids looked at her, puzzled. “Mama, are you serious?”
“When have I ever tricked you two sisters? Besides, I am also from the Du family. Do I have any objections to the young lady’s well-being?”
Her words rang true. Hearing this, Yingying and Lizhu ceased their questions, their minds still processing the day’s events.