Chapter 26: A Night of Surprises

Heng knew that he had a teacher, but Zhen was unaware that he would soon have a martial arts master.

Recently, he had been reading martial arts novels and had awakened his martial spirit.

He suppressed his excitement.

As soon as the meal was over, he chased after Xu Qingyi, pulling on the sleeve of her gown, asking, “Mother, have you really hired a martial arts instructor for me?”

He was tall and chubby, and the sight of him pulling on the slender Xu Qingyi’s sleeve was somewhat amusing.

Xu Qingyi couldn’t help but think of a funny meme she’d seen online about meeting a handsome genius with a smartwatch. It made her laugh.

The difference, of course, was that Zhen hadn’t slimmed down yet, so his handsomeness wasn’t as apparent.

“It’s true. Mr. Pei should be here soon. Just wait a little while,” Xu Qingyi smiled and replied.

“That’s great!” Zhen was overjoyed.

“How’s your handwriting?” Xu Qingyi, though not wanting to spoil his excitement, genuinely asked with some concern, “A great martial hero with a messy handwriting would be quite a contrast, wouldn’t it?”

Zhen thought about it for a moment and then smiled cheerfully, saying, “Mother, don’t worry. I don’t dislike writing anymore. I’ll make sure to practice my handwriting well!”

Xu Qingyi nodded. Having a goal and motivation really did make a difference.

“Then tonight, go to your father and tell him you’re going to start practicing martial arts with Mr. Pei,” Xu Qingyi said. “None of you three have learned martial arts, and I suspect your father doesn’t want you to pursue it.”

Indeed, Zhen remembered his father telling them he didn’t want them to join the military in the future.

But he really enjoyed martial arts, and fortunately, it was his mother who made the decisions now.

“Mm.” Zhen felt a little guilty for his relief. If his father were awake, he might have agreed to let him follow his own path, even without learning martial arts.

But his father wasn’t awake now, was he?

That night, Zhen went to his father’s bedside to confess, saying he wanted to practice martial arts, but he promised, “Father, don’t worry. Unless absolutely necessary, I definitely won’t join the army. Mother said it’s just for strengthening my body.”

Xu Qingyi had already prepared for this conversation, so he didn’t oppose it.

In the past, he had indeed not wanted his children to learn martial arts, because, with him around, he could always protect them.

Now that he was lying down, there needed to be someone in the family who knew martial arts.

In the past, Xie Yunzhi’s mind had been consumed by the affairs of the nation, always calculating matters of state, and as a result, he had neglected his sons.

He had always thought that his family would protect the children.

Only now did he realize that no one could be relied upon, and it was up to his children to stand on their own.

Xu Qingyi’s decision to seek a path for the children was the right one, and it made him realize how inattentive he had been in the past.

Zhen spoke again, “Father, the martial arts instructor Mother found for me is called Pei Che. I heard he’s someone you admire. It’s probably Grandfather who told Mother, and then Mother went out and asked around for a whole day, and finally found him.”

This was how rumors spread.

Pei Che?

Hearing this long-forgotten name, Xie Yunzhi couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. He hadn’t expected Xu Qingyi to be so thoughtful—just from him mentioning it, she had gone out and found someone.

Pei Che was indeed talented and skilled.

He had once been stubborn and rebellious, lacking refinement. But after years, Xie Yunzhi wondered if the man had matured.

In terms of teaching Zhen martial arts, Pei Che would certainly be more than capable.

Father and son chatted for a long while, and it wasn’t until late at night that Zhen finally left.

After the room quieted down, Xie Yunzhi drifted off into thought. Would Xu Qingyi come over tonight?

Xu Qingyi didn’t plan to come tonight. Everything she wanted to say had already been entrusted to Zhen.

As for herself, she had coaxed Heng to sleep early, then nestled herself on a daybed cooled by ice and enjoyed some rare personal leisure time.

There was no real nightlife in ancient times, and her entertainment was simple—reading stories.

The works of contemporary scholars about talented scholars and beautiful women were no less captivating than modern online novels.

Some of the plotlines were even quite thrilling.

The only downside was that these stories written by scholarly youths always featured wealthy young ladies who were infatuated with poor scholars.

It was rare to see the rich, handsome men paired with a Cinderella.

For Xu Qingyi, who liked to immerse herself in the heroine’s role, this was very unfriendly.

She was a young lady of a noble family, so why would she ever fall for a penniless scholar?

Thinking about it, it was no wonder that the young ladies of ancient times, who spent their days reading these scholars’ daydreams, would end up with their minds so muddled.

“Madam, would you like to take a look at this?” The wet nurse, acting stealthily, produced a new book and slipped it into Xu Qingyi’s hand.

She also thoughtfully adjusted the lampwick, making the flame brighter.

“What is it?” Xu Qingyi asked, puzzled.

The wet nurse smiled, “It’s something good, naturally.”

Xu Qingyi blinked, casually tossing aside the storybook and opening the “good thing” the wet nurse had given her.

She flipped through it, curious.

The next second, her eyes widened.

Yes, it was indeed a good thing.

As an adult, she should be reading adult content.

Those stories of talented scholars and beautiful women took ages to get to the point, but this was different. It was a visual assault right from the start.

“…”  Xu Qingyi covered her mouth and giggled, flipping through the ancient adult book (a type of illustrated story) with a playful heart.

It had to be said, the ancient artists were truly masterful at their fine brushwork, bringing the images to life.

Some of the positions were rather abstract; I doubt real people could manage them.

Even if real people could, I currently lack a practice partner.

Just treat it as entertainment.

Xu Qingyi muttered to herself, continuing to read with relish.

However, as she read, she found herself completely absorbed.

Unknowingly, her body began to feel a tingling, slightly numb sensation, as if reliving the wildness of last night.

How disappointing.

Xu Qingyi missed her previous self-control.  Even surrounded by 3D surround sound, she could maintain her composure.

But now, in this new body, she seemed to have lost that tranquil serenity of a sage.

She tossed the book aside, intending to go to bed and drink some cold water to calm herself.

However, she discovered her legs had gone weak.

A feeling like being nibbled by ants manifested both in her heart and body.

“…” Xu Qingyi felt a faint blush of shame.

It seemed her own words had come true.

After adapting to this body, she had begun to crave more.

So this is what it’s like to be young?

Xu Qingyi drank the cold water, but it failed to quench the fire within her.

Sighing, she decided to have the wet nurse dismiss the servants from the Eldest Young Master’s quarters.

Late into the night, Xie Yunzhi had assumed Xu Qingyi wouldn’t be coming.

Yet, he heard the orders given outside, his chambers being cleared once more.

Xie Yunzhi felt his mouth go dry, thinking to himself, hadn’t they… just last night?

As he pondered this, the soft, unsteady footsteps of a woman entered the room.

Her breathing was far from calm.

The actions were swift; in an instant, the bed curtains were drawn, stirring a few gentle breezes.

Then Xu Qingyi climbed onto his bed, showering his face with fragrant kisses, though she rarely kissed his lips.

Probably because they were dry.

The servant had mentioned that his lips tended to get chapped.

Tonight, her eagerness was palpable, and she wasted no time before teasing him.

Once she had aroused him, she was eager to… indulge.

Forgive Xie Yunzhi for using that word.

But the sensation Xu Qingyi brought him tonight felt just like that, making him feel like an object.

However, she seemed to be more skilled than the night before.

She even took his hand, guiding it to explore her delicate curves.

Yes, this was indeed what Xu Qingyi was doing.

She simply felt that it was more exhilarating this way, imbued with a sense of taboo and drama, as if the setting had exploded…

Even the most daring movies wouldn’t dare to depict such a scene.

Ahem, the Eldest Young Master is just a tool.

While saying that might be disrespectful to the Eldest Young Master, it’s the truth.

She repents…

“I’m sorry,” Xu Qingyi whispered, kissing Xie Yunzhi’s ear. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you. Please forgive me, please forgive me.”

Xie Yunzhi was mortified. He wasn’t dead yet!

Moreover, Xu Qingyi was apologizing while acting so brazenly. She clearly had no sense of shame.

He knew, Xu Qingyi wasn’t a docile, well-behaved woman.

If he were choosing a wife himself, he would never choose someone like her.

“Strange, you’ve been lying down for so long, yet you still smell so good?” Xu Qingyi said, kissing him.

In truth, her first impression of the Eldest Young Master hadn’t been that of a general at all.

Rather than a general who had fought many battles, she found it easier to believe he was a pampered nobleman.

Look at his face, his skin, his refined aura…

If artists could custom-make dolls like him, they’d sell like hotcakes.

Xie Yunzhi thought to himself, dazed, knowing she was asking a rhetorical question.  Of course, he smelled of incense, he used it daily.

Then Xu Qingyi continued to whine in his ear, “Husband, your wife is so tired.”

This part is role-playing, adding to the fun.

“…” Xie Yunzhi froze, unsure what had happened.

He suddenly felt an incredible lightness in the world.

Xu Qingyi also froze, disbelieving, “You…?”

An awkward silence hung in the air for a few seconds, both of them stunned.

Xie Yunzhi couldn’t believe it, but it was… true.

After confirming the Eldest Young Master ‘s complete surrender, a flurry of comments flashed through Xu Qingyi’s mind.

How could this be?!

The war god who had made her legs tremble in fear during the previous two encounters, had fallen so quickly tonight?!

After the initial shock, she found it understandable.

After all, the Eldest Young Master was essentially a plant, his physique not as robust as a normal man’s.

Xu Qingyi came back to herself and said awkwardly, “Ahem, sorry, I forgot you’re still a patient. I was too demanding.”

Xie Yunzhi felt mortified again.

That wasn’t it at all; it was just an accident.

He was, after all, once a fierce general who had single-handedly broken through six cities. How could he not satisfy his wife?

Feeling guilty and anxious, Xu Qingyi was about to leave the Eldest Young Master, planning to ask the kitchen to prepare some cooling herbal soup for him tomorrow to reduce his internal heat.

She didn’t want to overtax him.

However, she then discovered something surprising.  Huh, the Eldest Young Master seemed… capable again?

It appeared the previous incident was just a fluke.