Chapter 4 — Sore Hands

Just as Wanru finished tidying up her things, Suyue hurried in, lowering her voice to whisper by her ear:
“The Eldest Young Master asked for you.”

Wanru frowned. Hadn’t she just gone yesterday?

Before, he would see her only once every three to five days. If he was busy, sometimes ten days or half a month would pass without him remembering her at all. How was it that he suddenly had so much free time now?

“But today Ajin is coming back…”

The refusal that had risen to her lips faltered when she remembered Xie Xianyu’s unpredictable temper. In the end, she swallowed the words.

Perhaps he had some important matter to entrust her with.

Wanru told Dingdong, “If Ajin comes back and asks for me, say I’ve gone to the Old Madam’s place.”

“Yes, miss.”

Only then did Wanru leave her courtyard.

She first circled the main garden, then, as if by habit, slipped through the rockeries until she reached the small side gate of the eastern garden. She knocked three times. The door opened.

Qing’an was already waiting. “Cousin.”

Wanru entered Songhe Residence. Xie Xianyu was once again in his waterside pavilion study, the desk piled high with case files. He was absorbed in reviewing and annotating them.

Though she often came to his study, it was rare to see him this busy.

“Cousin, are you still occupied with official business?”

“Mm. The Jiangnan case is not yet closed. Some evidence and account books must still be sorted. This case is of great importance, and cannot be handled carelessly.” He didn’t even raise his head.

Then why call her here?

Wanru tried to be considerate. “Since cousin is still busy, then I won’t disturb you. I’ll come another day…”

He glanced up at her. “Come grind the ink.”

“……”

Wanru pressed her lips together, then rolled up her sleeves and picked up the ink stick to grind ink for him.

He was becoming more and more demanding. Songhe Residence was full of maids and servants, yet only she was summoned to grind ink?

Xie Xianyu cast her a look. Her movements were distracted.

“Faster.”

She snapped back to herself and muttered, “I’m not strong. My hands already ache. I can’t go any faster.”

“Your hands ache when grinding ink; they ache in bed too. You ought to practice more.”

Wanru froze, her face instantly flushing crimson. Unbidden, her mind conjured the image of him guiding her hand in those intimate moments.

He watched her blush so deeply, those cunning, calculating eyes of hers for once filled only with shock and flustered shame.

Rather adorable.

The annoyance in his chest dissipated. He caught her hand, gently tugged, and drew her onto his lap.

Taking a handkerchief, he wiped away the ink smudges on her fingers. “Rest, if you’re tired.”

Wanru swallowed hard, forcing back the lump in her throat. But the heat on her cheeks wouldn’t fade. She could only ask in a stifled voice:
“Did cousin summon me here just to grind ink?”

“What else?” He lowered his gaze, carefully wiping each of her fingers, one by one, as though carving jade.

Wanru stared dazedly at him. Suddenly, an unsettling thought rose: once he married, would he treat his wife like this too, gently wiping her hands?

“What are you looking at?” He suddenly raised his eyes and caught her gaze.

She quickly averted her eyes. “Nothing.”

His lips quirked. His mood lightened. Releasing her hand, he said, “Wait a little. When I finish, I’ll keep you company.”

Wanru pouted inwardly. Who wanted his company anyway?

But she obediently nodded. “I understand.”

Sliding off his lap, she heard him say casually, “If you’re bored, find a book to read.”

“Mm.” She wandered to the bookshelf, glancing over the rows of classics.

Her eyes caught on a booklet placed carelessly on the next shelf. Curious, she opened it—and froze. It was a compilation of calling cards from the capital’s noble maidens, bound together for convenience.

She flipped a few pages: all high-born young ladies. Even the Princess’s own daughter, Lady Duanmin, was included.

So this was the kind of attention Xie Xianyu commanded—the favored son of heaven, dazzling beyond compare.

“What are you looking at?”

He noticed her stillness.

She quickly shut the booklet. “Calling cards.”

He glanced at it, unconcerned. “The First Madam had it sent over.”

She carefully returned it, then asked softly, “Has cousin chosen anyone yet?”

“Too lazy to look. Which one do you think is good?”

“How could you ask me? The future matriarch of the Xie family must be chosen carefully by cousin himself.”

“And what kind do you think would be suitable?”

Wanru respectfully replied, “Naturally, she should be of noble birth, dignified, talented, and beautiful.”

He arched a brow, smiling. “Not thinking to pick someone with a good temper, who’ll be kind to you?”

Wanru’s heart gave a jolt. She answered earnestly, “Cousin’s choice of a wife must serve the greater picture. Personal likes or dislikes don’t matter in such things.”

Then, sidling closer, she hooked her little finger around his. “I don’t want Xianyu-gege to worry for my sake.”

Her delicate finger brushed his palm, tickling him. His throat tightened. He caught her hand in his own, enclosing it firmly.

“And if you’re bullied?”

Wanru’s gaze was clear. “Then I’ll simply be more obedient, never anger the future Madam, and never cause Xianyu-gege trouble. If I can stay by your side all my life, I’ll be satisfied.”

Xie Xianyu’s heart skipped. He suddenly lost patience, yanking her onto his lap, pinching her chin to tilt her face up, and kissed her hard.

His hand gripped her waist, his lips crushing hers before trailing down to her ear. His husky voice murmured by her ear:

“Wanwan, I won’t let you suffer.”

Wanru opened her eyes. Beyond his face, she saw the tightly closed window behind him. Only then did she exhale in relief.

And I won’t let myself suffer either.

—

As dusk fell, the room finally quieted.

Wanru lay tangled in the brocade covers, panting softly, her flushed face damp with sweat and clinging strands of hair. The man behind her pulled her back into his arms again.

She struggled weakly. “It’s very late.”

He leaned down to kiss her lips. She turned her head away, her misty eyes meeting his. “I have to go back.”

He held her close. “Not tonight.”

She pressed against his chest anxiously. “No, someone will find out.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Her anxiety spiked. “How could it not? Tomorrow the household is hosting the Spring Banquet—said to be for choosing your wife! If word spreads…”

“Then I’ll take you in early.”

Wanru felt thunderstruck. Her flushed face stiffened.

Her voice rasped. “The wife hasn’t even entered the house. How could cousin already take a concubine?”

No respectable family would do such a thing. At most, a man might secretly dally with maidservants. But to openly take a concubine before marrying the principal wife—that would cement a scandalous reputation.

And with Xie Xianyu holding office, the censors at court would surely pounce.

Of course he knew all this better than anyone.

But even if a marriage were arranged now, with all the Xie family’s protocols, it would be at least half a year before the wedding. He had no patience to wait.

Perhaps it was the three months apart. In Jiangnan, he had regretted not taking her with him. If he had already made her his, she could have accompanied him.

He had hurriedly finished the case, eager to return. Snowstorms delayed him half a month. By the time he saw her again in the hall, her obedient smile, her cautious silence—it had left a sour taste in his heart.

He wanted her in his chambers, every day, within reach.

His voice was calm, indifferent. “And what if I do?”

His ink-dark eyes locked on her, glinting with danger. His grip on her waist tightened sharply, forcing her closer.

“Wanwan, what are you afraid of?”