Chapter 32 – A Stirring Once Again

The night in Xi Jing was incredibly beautiful, like a dignified lady shedding her outer garments to reveal pure white and tender warmth. The wind gently blew, lifting her hair, which brushed against the palm of one’s hand. Her dignity transformed into an unrefined charm, and that touch of shy, trembling allure amazed every passerby.

Stars, the bright moon, and the willow branches all adorned her without exception.

Cui Ti’s body trembled like a flower in the spring breeze.

Even the newly blooming flower outside the window trembled, as if its petals were being lightly touched, its body cherished.

The evening wind swayed, and in the night, the Chancellor’s Residence stood tall and steady like a giant beast. Moonlight shone on the clear courtyard, and the servants, having received their instructions early, had returned to their rooms to rest.

Bai Tang tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She climbed out of bed, wearing only a thin undergarment that barely supported her modest chest. She patted her chest and glanced at the vivid flowers and leaves embroidered on her garment, feeling grateful for having such a considerate miss.

It seemed that Bai Tang was destined for this fortune. After years of heartfelt service, she hoped that one day her loyalty would be rewarded, as the saying goes, “When one person attains enlightenment, even their pets ascend to heaven.”

Her miss treated her like a sister and never looked down on her.

She grinned happily, hoping her miss would receive abundant love and that no gentleman would ever betray this most beautiful heart.

Soon, there was a knock at the door. She asked, “Who is it?”

“It’s me, Haozhong, and Raoliang.”

Wondering why they were here so late, Bai Tang put on her clothes and went to open the door.

Haozhong, seeing Bai Tang dressed this way for the first time, was momentarily stunned, her heart fluttering wildly, missing Bai Tang’s question entirely.

“Come in and sit. What brings you here at this hour?” Bai Tang poured two cups of tea and handed them to her guests.

Haozhong, dazed, accepted the tea. Raoliang, noticing her distraction, decided not to rush into explanations. After sitting down, she whispered to Bai Tang, “We’re too excited to sleep.”

“Excited about what?” Bai Tang yawned, knowing she had to wake up early to serve her miss in the morning.

Raoliang, unable to speak directly, pressed her two thumbs together, mimicking a pair of newlyweds bowing in a wedding ceremony. Her eyes were suggestive, “Waiting for the clouds to part and the moon to shine, we’re too happy to sleep.”

Bai Tang’s mind went blank for a moment, then she suddenly understood and slapped her forehead. “Oh! It’s-“

She quickly covered her mouth and lowered her voice. “How do you know?”

“I guessed,” Raoliang’s eyes sparkled, waiting for Bai Tang to ask how she had guessed.

When Bai Tang obediently asked, Raoliang replied with a hint of pride, “You weren’t around, so you didn’t know. As night fell, the Momo beside the First Madam delivered a message to the gentleman’s courtyard, saying that not even a cat was allowed to disturb the two newlyweds. Otherwise, why would we servants be so idle tonight? Think about it, if not even a cat is allowed in, it must be because the gentleman and the Young Madam are consummating their marriage.”

A match made in heaven, everyone thought they had already performed the ceremony of the Duke of Zhou. But then it was accidentally discovered that the Young Madam was still a virgin, which had worried Haozhong and Raoliang quite a bit.

Seeing the growing affection between the gentleman and the Young Madam, this night seemed to come at just the right time.

Bai Tang suddenly realized, “That’s great news! If you put it that way, I can’t sleep either.”

Despite her young age, she was quite clever. Though she hadn’t read many books, she had picked up a lot about the ways of the world behind Cui Ti’s back at the Xining Count’s residence. After all, being thrown into a small, dilapidated courtyard and relying on her miss for survival, she had to develop some toughness to get by.

Looking at her small frame and noticing that her body hadn’t developed as well as her peers, Haozhong felt a mix of emotions, ultimately letting out a sigh.

She used to dislike how Bai Tang wasn’t very ladylike and often acted brashly, sometimes even seeming a bit crude. But now, seeing her small figure in the candlelight, draped in an outer garment, her eyes shining with genuine happiness for the Young Madam, Haozhong suddenly felt ashamed, as if her heart had been struck.

Realizing that she had looked down on Bai Tang from the very first meeting, Haozhong’s eyes showed guilt, making Bai Tang feel uneasy. “Sister Haozhong, are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” Haozhong replied with a radiant smile.

“That’s good,” Bai Tang said, not being the type to dig too deep. In this world, she cared most about two things: Cui Ti’s well-being and whether her own stomach was full. Everything else was just fleeting clouds.

“Since none of us can sleep, why don’t we stay up and chat?” Raoliang suggested.

The proposal was unanimously agreed upon. The girls moved to the bed, sitting cross-legged and staring at each other with wide eyes. Bai Tang pulled out a deck of leaf cards hidden under her pillow, and the three began to play.

Under the brilliant starlight, the plaque of the Chancellor’s Residence remained silent in the night sky.

A little further away, two streets over, the night watchman called out, “The night is dry, be careful of fires.” Households closed their doors and lived their lives; some retired early to bed, while others clung to each other, seeking a deep, entwined connection.

The entire Flower Street was bustling, even noisier than during the day. Girls stood on the second-floor balconies, waving handkerchiefs and bantering with passersby. Dazhao had no curfew, and the brothels and pleasure houses were lively every night.

Children who stayed up late slipped away from their parents’ grasp, running off into the night, with anxious parents calling after them.

Another gust of night wind blew.

It ruffled the myriad facets of the human world.

The secular scenery was picturesque, and in the Chancellor’s Residence, Gentleman Pei’s eyes beheld a beauty that rivaled the vast and intricate world outside.

The residence was quiet, a giant beast lying dormant, gazing back at the stars.

No one came to disturb them.

Thus, the beauty in Pei Xuan’s eyes grew even more vivid and enchanting. Her fingertips traced the blush on Cui Ti’s face, marveling at how someone could be so shy and yet so perfectly attuned to her desires.

The delicate “white pear flowers” fell gracefully into her vision, and Cui Ti trembled even more. She clutched the fine bed sheets beneath her, her breathing becoming erratic. Her spiritual eye was filled with the sight of that captivating white pear blossom, and her mind flashed back to the scene from a few months ago when she first “met” Pei Xuan.

“Greetings, Miss. I apologize for my rudeness.”

She had bowed deeply, and as the wind rose, the pear blossoms on the branches eagerly fell onto her shoulders, soft and charming.

At that time, the immortal had not yet entered her dreams, and her spiritual eye had not yet opened. By all logic, Cui Ti should not have been able to see him, nor the young gentleman favored by the blossoms.

But that was how she saw it.

The image appeared naturally.

With the opening of her spiritual eye, she now saw Pei Xuan clearly, her ink-black hair like silk, her neck as white as fresh snow-how could she possibly resemble a man?

Carefully, not daring to breathe too loudly, Cui Ti’s undergarment collar slightly parted, just enough for her to glimpse the straight collarbone.

Cui Ti was mesmerized by this beauty, her mind awash with confusion. Her body reacted in strange and unfamiliar ways, as if it had its own thoughts, unbeknownst to her.

She wanted Pei Xuan to hold her.

To tease her.

To make her cry.

She felt ashamed of this desire, so much so that she forgot to tremble, unwilling to look away. She only wanted to see Pei Xuan, only liked Pei Xuan.

She was willing to give her body, mind, and soul completely to her.

The sound of swallowing reached her ears. Pei Xuan seemed like a freshly cooked braised fish, thoroughly heated from head to tail. She lowered her head to look at Cui Ti, focusing on her throat, which was also swallowing. The movement was beautiful, and she couldn’t help but feel delighted.

“Niangzi, I’m so nervous,” Pei Xuan said.

Cui Ti couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. She raised her upper body, trying to get closer to Pei Xuan. This action made Pei Xuan’s heart melt, and she finally stopped saying things that would get her into trouble.

With a graceful flick of her jade finger, the embroidered picture of blooming hibiscus, which had taken the seamstress three months to complete, was lifted away.

The beauty’s black hair was in disarray, and her expression was one of gentle acceptance and extreme devotion. A faint blush appeared at the corners of her eyes, like a delicate flower petal drifting in the water, with Pei Xuan being the water itself.

A flower in bloom must be picked.

The wind blew in through the half-open window, and the bed curtains trailed across the floor.

“Xingguang…” she called out.

She switched to clutching a soft corner of Pei Xuan’s garment, like a moth to a flame, more like a drowning person clinging to driftwood.

The air from the purple-gold incense burner swirled around them. Even with the night breeze blowing in, the gentle, arousing effects of the Heart-binding Incense worked their way into the beauty’s heart. This incense was a legitimate, high-quality bedroom secret treasure, often used by royalty.

It was Madam Pei’s final clever move to encourage her daughter.

Cui Ti felt lost in the misty mountains, among the clouds. Each cry of “Xingguang” made her bones feel soft and weak. Pei Xuan watched in a daze, finally understanding why her mom had given her a Heart-calming Pill beforehand.

“Titi…”

Her voice was hoarse, her palm sliding over smooth skin.

In the silent courtyard, carried by the wind, faint sobs could be heard, blending into the long night.

The passions of the mortal world burned intensely, like boiling wine, searing to the touch.

Madam Pei lifted her foot with a smile. Chancellor Pei lovingly dried the water droplets from her jade-like feet. Young couples grow old together, and he embraced his first wife as they entered the bed.

“Do you think it will really work?” he asked.

“If it doesn’t work this time…” Madam Pei’s smile faded, and she snorted angrily. “Then she’ll just have to live with the name ‘Pei Incompetent’ for the rest of her life.”

“…”

What kind of mother disparages her own daughter?

Pei Rufeng, who cherished his wife above all, wrestled with his thoughts for a moment but ultimately sided with the woman he had loved for over twenty years.

“Fujun, let’s go to bed,” he said.

Madam Pei loved his overwhelming power just as much as she loved his tender affection at night.

Stars adorned the sky, and the moon was bright. Fragrance from the flowers outside flowed in through the window. The Young Madam of the Pei Family, her waist soft as water and her expression dreamy, clung to her ‘fujun’ for pleasure.

A thick picture book lay open on the bed. Through practice, true knowledge is gained, and the clever and studious Gentleman Pei had long developed her own set of skills.

“Titi?”

She lifted Cui Ti’s sweat-drenched chin, her eyes burning with passion.

Cui Ti, like a weary kitten, spoke in a voice tinged with tears, “Am I… am I yours now?”

“Yes, you are my rightful first wife, in name and in truth,” Pei Xuan replied.

Something in those words touched Cui Ti’s heart. She laughed and cried, holding onto Pei Xuan tightly. “Xingguang, are you tired?”

Pei Xuan, though a delicate scholar, had a strong sense of pride. Because of her mom, even if she consummated the marriage, she had to bear the label of ‘incompetent’ and ‘useless.’ The question made her spirits lift. “Niangzi, I’m not tired at all.”

“Xingguang…”

The soft and tender calls made Pei Xuan’s heart stir shamefully once again.