Chapter 13

That sense of familiarity was subtle, indescribable, yet undeniably present. Tangxiu couldn’t help but take a few more glances at the young official.

“Miss.”

Liucai spoke up. “If you don’t rest soon, you’ll be up late tomorrow.”

They had a fitting scheduled for the new summer clothes in the morning.

Tangxiu hummed in agreement.

Liucai blew out the lamp near the official and left, closing the door behind her.

The room fell silent.

The official remained silent, unmoving, standing straight as a post.

Tangxiu found it amusing.

No wonder he wasn’t the first one Liucai brought in. He was too honest.

Since he wasn’t speaking, Tangxiu did.

“You know what to do, right?” she asked.

The official still didn’t speak, only nodding.

Tangxiu said, “Blow out the rest of the lamps and come here.”

There were only two lamps left. The official first blew out the one in front of him, then walked towards the bed where Tangxiu was reclining. As Tangxiu watched him with narrowed eyes, he slowly blew out the last lamp.

The room was completely dark. Tangxiu withdrew her gaze. It didn’t matter what the official looked like. It was the same with all men after the lights were out. As long as he was useful.

If he wasn’t, she would just find a new one.

Tangxiu thought casually, noticing the official climbing onto the bed and moving closer to her, his broad shoulders almost completely enveloping her, a perfect fit.

She realized then that he was truly tall, probably about the same height as Chen Yue.

As soon as she thought of Chen Yue, the sense of familiarity that had been momentarily displaced crept back, making Tangxiu narrow her eyes unconsciously.

It was too dark to see anything clearly. She could only vaguely make out the official’s silhouette, with no unnecessary movements. He was still as quiet and stoic as before, but somehow, Tangxiu knew he was about to kiss her. She said, “Don’t do anything unnecessary.”

The official’s silhouette paused slightly.

He seemed to nod, then moved closer to her.

He had just washed up, and his body was still damp with moisture. As the distance between them closed, the moisture seeped into her breath, making the air seem thin. He was so tall that the closer he got, the more oppressive he felt, and the more that sense of familiarity intensified.

Tangxiu suddenly hesitated.

This man…

In that moment of hesitation, sensing that she wasn’t resisting, the man reached out and untied her robe.

A gentle tug, and her nightgown fell open, revealing the whiteness of her skin, bright even in the darkness. The man took a deep look, then lowered his gaze, leaning down, his head lowering.

His lips were just about to touch her, before he could warm that snow, he felt her body stiffen suddenly.

The next moment, she grabbed his wrist.

She didn’t have much strength in her hands. He didn’t feel any pain. He was about to continue when he heard her say sharply, “Who are you? Get up!”

Hearing the anger in her voice, realizing that she had recognized him, the man had no choice but to stop and get off the bed to light a lamp.

The light came on, and Tangxiu, who had slightly calmed down, looked up. Sure enough, it was Chen Yue.

“…”

Tangxiu was silent.

She pinched the bridge of her nose, not speaking for a long time.

It was Chen Yue who, seeing that her collar was still open, worried that she might catch a chill, wanted to tie her robe for her. He took two steps towards her, but then she gave him a sharp look. He pursed his lips and stepped back two steps, returning to his original position.

It was already April, and in a few days, it would be the Lesser Fullness solar term. The early summer night was cool and refreshing. Under Chen Yue’s gaze, Tangxiu belatedly adjusted her nightgown, then grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself. Finally, she spoke.

“Chen Yue,” she asked, “Why aren’t you doing your job as Commander and are here instead?”

Chen Yue paused.

He probably wanted to come up with a more plausible excuse. After all, the real reason was too embarrassing to say—what normal man would disguise himself as a low-ranking official to appease his wife? But facing Tangxiu, he abandoned those pretenses and said honestly, “I wanted to serve you.”

This simple and straightforward answer made Tangxiu speechless.

Unexpectedly, Tangxiu thought back to their wedding night.

It was spring, three years ago. She wasn’t as experienced as she was now. She was naturally curious about the opposite sex. She had originally planned to take the initiative and push her new husband down as soon as they entered the bridal chamber, to see how a man’s body was different from a woman’s. But then she remembered some advice she had heard, saying that a new bride must be demure, otherwise, her husband would look down on her. So she held back, waiting for Chen Yue to make the first move.

He did make the first move.

But he was inexperienced. He was afraid of being too rough and making her uncomfortable, so he gently used his lips and tongue to soothe and please her. Only when she felt ready did he take the next step. The whole process was smooth and harmonious.

From the very beginning, it was always him serving her. No matter how many tricks they tried, it was always the same.

He was willing, and she had no reason to resist. He was the one taking the initiative. She just had to enjoy it.

But no matter how novel the experience, no matter how comfortable the technique, it would eventually become commonplace and unremarkable.

She didn’t find anything new or exciting about their intimacy, and he was always quiet when they were together.

Tangxiu thought that, besides that dream, a big part of the reason she was bored with Chen Yue was his personality.

He was too silent. He didn’t tell her much about anything. And vice versa. Whether she told him about family matters or news from the outside world, even when she mentioned needing a large sum of money, he would only reply, “Do as you please,” and say nothing else.

He didn’t interfere with her managing the household, which naturally made her feel at ease. But it also made her feel a sense of boredom, even doubt: besides in bed, was there truly nothing they could talk about?

Was this how a husband and wife were supposed to be?

Gradually, she started talking to him less, and he seemed oblivious, never asking her what was wrong. He just spent his free time with her, his passion focused entirely on her, never making her feel cold.

For three years of marriage, he had been as passionate with her as he was on their wedding night. She loved him, but she was ultimately tired of it.

Since she was tired, she might as well separate. She could find something new.

“Chen Yue.”

Tangxiu spoke again. “Go back. I’ll pretend you never came.”

Chen Yue’s lips moved.

He probably wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He just nodded and turned to leave.

The bedroom became quiet in an instant. A single lamp flickered like a bean, and Tangxiu stared at the dancing flame, listening to Liucai outside asking if the Duke was done so soon.

Chen Yue didn’t answer.

His footsteps gradually faded away.

Then Liucai gently knocked on the door, asking if Miss would like to call another new official. Tangxiu said no, then sighed softly.

If only she hadn’t…

The blanket was wrapped too tightly, making her feel a little hot. She loosened it, but it didn’t help. The place where Chen Yue had kissed her still felt a little warm.

It was burning.