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Chu Lingxuan asked again, “Are you getting used to it?”
Chen Feng looked up and smiled, “It’s fine.” She added, “Better than I imagined, actually.”
Indeed, it was fine.
Although their betrothal with Chu Lingxuan had been somewhat rushed, driven by unavoidable circumstances, it had stemmed from a love relationship, and they were both familiar with each other. She had also heard him mention the general situation here before, so she wasn’t particularly nervous. Nevertheless, she had mentally prepared herself for various scenarios in case of any disruptions. Surprisingly, from entering the Chu family until now, everything had been much smoother than she had anticipated. The infamous wicked stepmother, known as Princess Rong Zhao, hadn’t caused any trouble.
Chu Lingxuan smiled, “That’s good. This is your home now, so feel free. In half a month, we’ll return to the Dingzhou Prefecture Residence.”
He went to freshen up alone.
Not seeing any servants follow him in to assist, it seemed he was quite capable and used to handling such matters on his own. Indeed, at fourteen, he had already joined the border military camp as a soldier, unlike many noblemen who had never left their homes.
Chen Feng opened the wardrobe in the bedroom, finding half of the clothes belonged to Chu Lingxuan and the other half were hers. She had suggested a design for the wardrobe’s interior, including special wooden rods for hanging clothes. Autumn and Yu Zhuo had already hung their outerwear on the hangers, neatly arranged inside the wardrobe. Undergarments and innerwear were neatly folded and placed in layers.
She took out a set of white innerwear and placed it on a rack near the door.
Chu Lingxuan emerged from the washroom, and Chen Feng and YU Zhuo helped him put on a thin shoulder cape, followed by a reddish-brown soft satin robe.
Holding Chen Feng’s hand, they sat on the kang in the east room. Chu Lingxuan picked up a small white porcelain bowl in front of Chen Feng and scooped up some wontons from the bowl.
Jade Bracelet, who was serving on the side, said, “Master, let me do it.”
Chu Lingxuan ignored her, scooped up four wontons, placed the bowl in front of Chen Feng, and said with a smile, “Eat, you must be starving.”
Since they were quite acquainted, Chen Feng didn’t fuss and began eating. After finishing the four wontons, her stomach felt much better.
Chu Lingxuan then helped himself to some vegetables and fish from her bowl, which she also ate. The chef’s culinary skills were exceptional, and every dish was delicious. Due to habit, she ate relatively quickly, yet maintained an elegant demeanor.
Chu Lingxuan savored a few bites of his food, eating slowly as he wasn’t particularly hungry. Having consumed some wine and food while entertaining guests in the courtyard earlier, he knew Chen Feng must be hungry. Therefore, he stayed to accompany her.
After eating until only partially full, Chen Feng set her bowl aside. Being the bride, she didn’t want to overeat.
The servants cleared the table, and both of them went separately to freshen up and rinse their mouths. The mouthwash was scented with fragrant oil, leaving a lingering pleasant taste. They changed into sleepwear and loosened their hair.
As Chen Feng emerged, Chu Lingxuan was already in bed, leaning against the headboard, waiting for her.
In ancient times, men weren’t courtly, they slept on the inner side while women slept on the outer side for the women’s convenience in serving the men.
Chen Feng lifted her blanket, revealing a white silk cloth on the red bedsheet, creating a stark contrast.
As she lay down, Autumn entered and lowered the canopy, then exited the room. The candlelight outside the canopy still shone brightly, casting a soft glow inside.
Chu Lingxuan pulled her into his arms… She hadn’t expected it to be painful and let out a soft cry.
She felt that Chu Lingxuan was like an ignorant youth, lacking the experience of a man who had been married before. It seemed he didn’t understand how to treat a delicate woman. In this aspect, it appeared that Chu Lingxuan hadn’t been with many women. In an era where having multiple wives and concubines was common, Chu Lingxuan could be considered “pure in body and mind”… In her past life, she had naively considered Liu Xudong her beloved, not realizing she might have been just another woman to him.
Lost in her thoughts, time seemed to drag on. Chen Feng, growing impatient, suddenly heard the voice of the Golden Swallow, in her mind, “Mom, why aren’t you saying anything? You’re different from the previous female leads. Even Dad is clueless, he hasn’t said any sweet words. I’ve been looking forward to this show for so long, but it’s not fun at all. Boring, really boring.”
Chen Feng had forgotten about this little voice in her head. She muttered under her breath, “Annoying.”
Believing she was referring to him, Chu Lingxuan quickly reassured her, “Don’t worry, just a little longer, it’ll be fine soon.”
Finally done, after they bathed and lay back in bed, neither felt sleepy. Chu Lingxuan discussed the schedule for the following days – formal engagement tomorrow, ancestral worship the day after, a visit to her maternal home the day after that, and a visit to the Princess’s Residence to meet his father and stepmother two days later.
Puzzled, Chen Feng asked, “Why didn’t that person come to cause trouble today? I had been thinking about how to handle her disruptions for so long.”
Chu Lingxuan scoffed, “Not only did she want to receive our bowing today, but she also wanted us to move to the Princess’s Residence immediately after our wedding, expecting you to serve my parents.”
Allow her to enter the Princess’s Residence? That wasn’t acceptable! Chen Feng’s eyes widened in alarm, and she quickly said, “No, I refuse.”
Chu Lingxuan responded, “Of course not. Even if you didn’t agree, my grandfather, my third uncle, and I wouldn’t agree either. After she made that request, my grandfather went to the Golden Hall to plead, and my third aunt went to the Empress Dowager to plead. They said that when lady Ma died suddenly and Yanyan was treated so badly, would they let this newlywed bride suffer the same fate? If that were the case, it’d be easier to just let the new bride hang herself…”
Chen Feng inquired, “Did she also cause Lady Ma’s death? Her heart must be so dark to harm her own relatives.”
At the mention of lady Ma, Chu Lingxuan lay back on the bed, gazing at the ceiling as he said, “Lady Ma probably wasn’t killed by her… lady Ma, well, later I heard that lady Ma didn’t like to listen to her, didn’t want to go to the Marquis Residence to anger my grandfather, and didn’t want to go to the Yingshuan Monastery to provoke my mother. She was often scolded by that woman. Unable to vent her anger and in poor health, she died during childbirth.”
After sharing this, he let out a long sigh. Perhaps deep down, he also felt remorse towards that woman?
Chen Feng thought to herself, being treated as a discarded daughter by her maternal family and marrying into an enemy’s home, caught in a difficult situation, perhaps death would be a relief.
Chu Lingxuan continued, “Although lady Ma’s death wasn’t intentional, Yanyan was indeed ruined by her. After I took Yanyan out, my grandfather presented her to the Emperor in the Golden Hall and then to the Empress Dowager in the Cining Palace. That’s why that woman was reprimanded and even had her feet bound for a year…”