Font Size:
Xu Qingyi had someone bring a pot of chilled sour plum soup to the sun-drenched training ground. She saw Zhen practicing horse stance under the bright sun, already drenched in sweat.
Training was always hard work. Xu Qingyi recalled the military training during her university entrance—an experience she never wanted to endure again.
Her gaze shifted to Pei Che, who was also soaked in sweat, dressed in a short-sleeved outfit. A band wrapped around his head covered his damaged eye.
His imperfection did not diminish his charm; he was still striking. One could imagine that when this Master Pei donned battle armor, he would certainly be a sight to behold.
“Master Pei, you’ve worked hard. I’m here to bring you some sour plum soup,” Xu Qingyi smiled as she walked over, signaling Liu to pour a cup for Pei Che.
“Sister-in-law,” Pei Che wiped his sweat and respectfully called out. He accepted the sour plum soup and added, “Thank you.”
Zhen also noticed Xu Qingyi’s figure and wanted to come over to greet her, but then remembered he still had tasks to complete. He could only look over longingly while continuing to endure the training.
“How is it? Is Zhen showing some talent?” Xu Qingyi asked with a smile.
Pei Che drank half the cup in one go and nodded, “The Second Young Master has talent. A tiger father does not raise a dog son. Given time, he will surely achieve great things.”
“That’s good,” Xu Qingyi said. She now deeply identified with the role of “mother,” and she smiled happily when someone praised her son.
Pei Che noticed the warmth in Xu Qingyi’s eyes and was touched. Everyone knew how difficult it was to be a stepmother, yet this young lady had unhesitatingly treated her stepsons as her own.
Especially with General Xie’s current condition, their circumstances were understandably difficult.
Therefore, Pei Che admired this sister-in-law. Only a woman like her was worthy of Xie Yunzhi, a general who was brave and fearless.
“I’ll go see him,” Xu Qingyi said.
Pei Che nodded.
Taking a cup of sour plum soup from Liu, Xu Qingyi walked towards Zhen under her parasol. He had been eagerly awaiting her arrival. As soon as she approached, he called out, “Mother, what were you talking to Master Pei about? I’ve been waiting for you for ages!”
“You were waiting for the sour plum soup in my hand, weren’t you?” Xu Qingyi playfully chided him, handing him the cup.
Zhen smiled and drank from the cup Xu Qingyi was holding.
“You’ve lost weight,” Xu Qingyi observed carefully.
He had indeed lost a little weight, and most noticeably, he was tanned. His mental state was no longer as gloomy and hesitant as before; Zhen now appeared lively and confident.
“Really? I love hearing that,” Zhen said proudly after finishing his sour plum soup.
“How is it? Is the martial arts training hard?” Xu Qingyi asked.
Sweat dripped from Zhen’s chin as he glared at his mother, “Of course, it’s hard.”
Wasn’t it obvious from his appearance?
“Then do you still want to continue learning martial arts? Are you really not going back to the academy?” Xu Qingyi nodded, giving him one last chance to make a decision.
Although Zhen was clearly exhausted, he stubbornly shook his head. “I’m not going back. Even if you ask me a thousand times, my answer will be the same.”
He was quite resolute, which was good. Xu Qingyi smiled and patted his shoulder. “Then you should continue with your horse stance.”
“Mother!” Zhen glared at her.
Her pat had almost knocked the already unsteady Zhen over. His legs were trembling; he had reached his limit!
“Sorry,” Xu Qingyi said. It wasn’t intentional, but there wasn’t much apology in her tone. Since Zhen had chosen this path, enduring hardship was inevitable.
Enduring hardship leads to success; this is nothing.
Since Zhen not attending the academy was a significant matter, Xu Qingyi, after much thought, informed the Marquis.
“Zhen is indeed not good at studying,” The Marquis, having likely assessed Zhen’s abilities, didn’t react strongly to Xu Qingyi’s decision. “If he can persevere, learning martial arts is also a good option.”
Xie Yunzhi was a formidable general, and it couldn’t be that none of his three sons knew martial arts.
With the Marquis’s support, Xu Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief and replied, “Yes.”
In the Eldest Young Master’s room, the lamps burned dimly.
Xu Qingyi hadn’t been there for several days due to various matters.
This time, she felt a change in her mindset. She felt like she had been with the Eldest Young Master for a long time, a comfortable familiarity as if they were an old married couple.
No wonder people say familiarity breeds contempt—it’s true.
“Eldest Young Master,” Xu Qingyi said as she lowered the bed curtains. “Today, I went to the training ground to watch Zhen’s martial arts practice. He enjoys it and has decided to stop attending the academy altogether. I agreed, and the Marquis has no objections.”
Although she knew it was pointless to speak, the silence around her was too heavy. Starting to tend to him without saying anything felt awkward.
Actually, it wasn’t just Xu Qingyi who felt like an old married couple; Xie Yunzhi felt the same.
These past few days, Xu Qingyi would push his wheelchair and accompany him on walks around the estate, either in the morning or evening.
The feeling of companionship was peculiar. Perhaps this is how marital affection is cultivated.
When Xu Qingyi drew close to him again, Xie Yunzhi felt a genuine sense of joy. He seemed to understand, to a degree, why conjugal intimacy was also called “a union of fish and water.”
As he was lost in a haze of desire, Xu Qingyi kissed his cheek.
Then Xie Yunzhi understood another phrase: “to whisper sweet nothings.”
Unfortunately, he couldn’t respond.
He worried that if this one-sided performance continued, would Xu Qingyi grow weary?
She probably would, Xie Yunzhi thought.
The wave of desire overwhelmed his thoughts, leaving no room for anything else. He followed Xu Qingyi’s breathing, his heart pounding wildly.
A scent, like musk, subtly filled the air within the curtains.
Afterward, Xu Qingyi rested on him, their two hearts beating close together.
Listening to the rhythmic thumping, Xie Yunzhi felt a surge of tenderness, the source unclear.
Perhaps it was the loneliness of lying in bed all day, but he wanted Xu Qingyi to stay a little longer.
Xu Qingyi, in an attempt to conceive, hadn’t withdrawn yet. After a moment, her eyes widened in surprise because Xie Yunzhi was aroused again.
It seemed that after several days of abstinence, he was full of energy!
However, she was already weak and couldn’t continue.
“This time it’s not my fault,” Xu Qingyi mumbled. “Don’t blame me if I leave now.”
Despite her words, her body honestly remained clinging to him. When she lacked strength, she moved more slowly; slowness had its own appeal…
Xie Yunzhi had become accustomed to her ineptitude and was too tired to reprimand her.
The useless Xu Qingyi was oblivious to the Eldest Young Master’s indulgence.
She truly was slow, and after an unknown amount of time, it was finally over. She then listlessly rolled back to her own room to rest.
The next day, she woke up with an uncomfortable stomach.
When she went to the toilet, she saw that her period had arrived.
Xu Qingyi wasn’t particularly disappointed; she hadn’t expected to conceive on the first try.
Besides, given the Eldest Young Master’s condition, the quality of his sperm probably wasn’t very good.
The maids and mamas around her were more disappointed than she was because they were anxious. Only by quickly producing an heir could the Madam’s position in the Marquisate be secured.
Without a child of her own, the three stepsons, however good they were, were ultimately insufficient.