The last trace of sunset faded from the sky as a crescent moon peeked from behind the dark clouds.
In the dim light, two figures held each other tightly, their silhouettes outlined by the distant lamplight, their forms overlapping.
Shen Yun had just returned and had not yet bathed or changed. Upon seeing Xiao Qi, he found it difficult to restrain himself.
He had intended to steal a kiss, a mere taste, but he had overestimated his self-control around Xiao Qi.
Once he kissed those delicate, fragrant lips, he found himself reluctant to pull away.
He was determined to consume all the fragrance and sweetness within before stopping, even forgetting the reason he had initially wanted to ask.
“Mmm… hmm, no, husband, what is that smell on you?”
Su Xiao Qi’s senses had always been sharp. She had been caught off guard by Shen Yun’s sudden assault, momentarily losing her ability to judge.
Now that her senses had returned, she took a sniff and detected an unusual fragrance on him.
The scent was rich and lingered, refusing to dissipate. People often said one could know a person by their scent.
As Su Xiao Qi inhaled the aroma, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of person it belonged to.
What kind of woman!
Su Xiao Qi lay on Shen Yun’s lap, tilting her head to look up at him.
The light was dim, and she could no longer discern his features clearly, only the general placement of his facial contours.
She reached out, accurately cupping his chin, and slowly sat up, her arm winding around his neck. Level with him, she asked in a soft voice, “Where did you go today?”
“Wife is mistaken. It was this husband who asked you first, and you have yet to answer.” Shen Yun’s heart pounded like a drum, but his expression remained calm. He even managed to catch Su Xiao Qi’s grammatical slip and retort.
Unfortunately, Su Xiao Qi was unwilling to speak about today’s events. She intended to use this as a diversion and insisted on asking where he had gone.
This fragrance, she suspected, was the kind that belonged to women in a certain place.
However, the thought of Shen Yun visiting a brothel seemed fantastical.
Seeing that Su Xiao Qi was already making that association, Shen Yun knew he couldn’t hide it.
Chang Wan Qing was right; sometimes a woman’s intuition was incredibly accurate. When it came to courtesans from such establishments, they would learn what they wanted to know, and there was no hiding it.
“Today, Brother Chang hosted, inviting fellow students to ride on a pleasure boat for a river tour. Brother Chang felt it was boring to just tour, so he summoned…”
“Summoned courtesans?” Su Xiao Qi’s eyebrows rose.
She had been to Nanjing’s Qinhuai River in her past life and had taken a boat tour there.
She had seen the sights along the way and heard many stories of scholars and beauties.
Especially the famous Eight Beauties of Qinhuai from the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.
The thought of women like them drinking and chatting with Shen Yun, even leaning into his embrace like she was, leaving their scent on him…
Su Xiao Qi couldn’t stand it.
She shoved Shen Yun away and turned to leave.
“Wife…” Shen Yun was stunned.
He hadn’t finished speaking.
She had already concocted a whole dramatic scenario in her mind.
She had even imagined him drinking with some unknown courtesan, flirting, and then succumbing to the wine, embracing each other as they slept.
Even worse, she probably thought he had already done what husband and wife do.
At his age, with his vigorous blood, and not having consummated their marriage yet, it was natural to think about it, wasn’t it?
Shen Yun found it both amusing and exasperating. Was he really that desperate?
This was fortunate, as he could see Su Xiao Qi’s inner thoughts. If he couldn’t, he didn’t know how wrongly she would accuse him.
Crucially, she was angry but wouldn’t say anything, pushing him away and leaving without giving him a chance to explain.
A headache bloomed.
“Wife, wait for me.” Shen Yun spread his hands, daring not to complain, and hurried after her.
Su Xiao Qi’s heart was in turmoil, and she was furious.
Hmph, that scoundrel Shen Yun, the stinking Shen Yun, just came back from doing something illicit with those courtesans whose arms had held many and whose lips had been kissed by many, and then he had the audacity to kiss her.
“Pah, pah, pah…” Su Xiao Qi spat as she vigorously rubbed her lips.
She was so angry that she didn’t notice she was rubbing too hard, breaking her lip.
When she tasted the metallic tang of blood, she finally realized what she had done. She gently wiped the blood away, her hatred for Shen Yun intensifying.
It was all his fault.
Shen Yun had caught up and saw the specks of red on Su Xiao Qi’s handkerchief under the lamplight, startling him.
He quickly pulled her into his arms, examining her from head to toe, asking what was wrong.
Su Xiao Qi glared at him and said curtly that she was fine and wouldn’t die anyway.
She might not die even if he did.
Her words were a bit excessive, but Shen Yun didn’t mind. He knew that Xiao Qi was truly angry.
Since she had appeared by his side, she had never been this angry before.
Even when she initially distrusted him and worried he might kill her, she had never lost her temper with him.
How was he supposed to appease her?
Shen Yun frowned, looking helplessly at Su Xiao Qi’s somber expression.
“Wife, let me explain.” No matter what, he had to clarify things first.
Su Xiao Qi turned her head away. She didn’t want to listen.
Explanation was just a cover-up, and cover-up was deception.
“Wife, even when the Dali Temple investigates a case, they must first hear the defendant’s plea,” Shen Yun said, his strong arms encircling Su Xiao Qi to prevent her from struggling away, his voice soft with entreaty.
Su Xiao Qi held her breath. She disliked the scent on him.
Perhaps it was her imagination, but the woman had left such a strong fragrance, seemingly on purpose. She was declaring war on her.
This thought was somewhat absurd and lacked any basis, but Su Xiao Qi thought it, feeling as though she had seen through it.
Sometimes, a woman’s intuition was frighteningly accurate.
Recalling the scene, Shen Yun’s expression darkened. If he hadn’t been able to see through Xiao Qi’s thoughts, he wouldn’t have known until now that the woman had harbored such intentions.
She was truly damnable!
He murmured softly to Su Xiao Qi, “Wife, wait for me a moment,” then voluntarily released her and turned to go into the inner room.
Soon, the sound of bathing could be heard from within.
When he emerged, Su Xiao Qi was sitting by the window, writing a proposal as if nothing had happened.
She had promised He Qiu Lei that she would provide him with a detailed proposal.
She tried to convince herself not to dwell on Shen Yun.
After all, he didn’t truly belong to her.
She was merely a person from another world who, through some fate, had experienced this transmigration.
Perhaps what wasn’t hers wasn’t hers to keep.
Thinking this, Su Xiao Qi’s emotions calmed considerably.
She sat down and focused on writing the proposal, completing it quickly.
Once the ink was dry, she prepared to package it. Just as she was about to seal it with wax, a pair of well-defined hands stopped her.
Needless to say, the owner of these hands was Shen Yun.
He said, “I’ll help Wife make a copy.”
He knew it was for He Qiu Lei. A woman’s handwriting should not casually fall into the hands of a man other than her husband, as it could imply an inappropriate relationship.
Of course, Shen Yun didn’t believe his wife and He Qiu Lei would have anything untoward going on, but he had to consider her reputation.
Su Xiao Qi was aware of these customs. True to her nature, she wanted to flatly refuse, telling him not to meddle.
But she didn’t. Having thought through the cause and effect, she was rational.
She wouldn’t do anything futile.
Su Xiao Qi did not refuse, allowing him to take the proposal with a calm expression.
Shen Yun’s heart, however, plunged into an icy abyss, chilling him to the bone.
He would have preferred her to get angry with him and throw a tantrum like before.
That would have shown she cared.
But her current demeanor left him feeling uncertain.
“Wife, I can actually explain,” he attempted to initiate a conversation.
“Let’s eat first. I waited for you for so long, I’m hungry,” Su Xiao Qi said calmly, as if nothing had happened.
Shen Yun felt a tearing pain in his heart. At that moment, he even regretted having gone out to the gathering that day.