Chapter 9: Not a Single Good Person Around!  

Since A Chou’s recent business trip had gone smoothly, Xijin was in high spirits, feeling hopeful and content. Life was comfortable and prosperous, and with comfort came certain desires—naturally, she found herself particularly intrigued by the affairs described in those storybooks.  

Now, after a brief separation during A Chou’s few days away, he could hardly contain himself. At first, he feigned restraint, acting dignified and unaffected, but after a few light provocations from Xijin, his true nature was laid bare—like a starving wolf that hadn’t eaten in days.  

In the past, Xijin might have disliked this side of him, but now, fueled by the excitement from the storybooks, she found it amusing to let him play the role of a loafer. Even his slightly rough movements seemed to stir something in her.  

But she was no match for him, and she remembered her mother’s warnings. Before long, she was already limp, draped over the edge of the bathtub, gasping, “My mother said… my mother said…”  

A Chou tilted his head back in satisfaction, his face and neck forming a sharp yet elegant line, youthful and brimming with vigor.  

He breathed heavily, reveling in the moment, utterly uninterested in whatever his late mother-in-law had once said.  

To be precise, right now, they could be the wealthy young mistress and her male matrilineal marriage husband, or the charming lady of the boudoir and the loafer—but they absolutely could not be the daughter and the son-in-law thinking about the mother-in-law. He didn’t want to bring her up at a time like this!  

Xijin, panting and out of breath, her ink-black hair clinging to her delicate, snow-white shoulders, whimpered like a pitiful kitten begging for mercy: “My mother said… no!”  

A Chou bent down, his lean and firm waist pressing against the smooth curve of her back, while his arm reached around to cover her lips with his hand.  

Xijin jolted in surprise, forced to arch backward as she let out muffled protests, shaking her head in an attempt to break free—but there was no escape.  

In front of her was the slippery edge of the bathtub, impossible to grip, and behind her was the solid, unyielding presence of a man. Half-submerged in the noodle soup-like water, with him embedded inside her, there was nowhere to hide.  

So Xijin thrashed like a struggling fish, her silky hair swaying damply over her pale shoulders as she whimpered and squirmed in vain.  

Much later, Xijin lay against him like a thoroughly soaked piece of satin, limp and dripping.  

Her slender arms weakly draped around his neck as she buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, her voice muffled with a sob: “You… you wouldn’t listen to me… My mother said a woman’s body is precious, it can’t take this kind of treatment! If you ruin my health, I’ll suffer terribly later, and no amount of care will fix it!”  

A Chou held her close. She was delicate, with a fragile frame—truly the definition of “soft bones and slender form.” He knew he shouldn’t be too reckless, or she’d get angry, even punish him by refusing to let him touch her again.  

Deep down, he wanted to be a gentle and refined husband, but sometimes, he just couldn’t help himself.  

He was helpless too.  

But Xijin refused to let it go. She wasn’t one to endure grievances, and he had indeed gone too far this time. She had every right to make a fuss, to make him feel guilty, to ensure he would work even harder for her and Mang Er.  

A man—just a male matrilineal marriage husband—ought to dedicate himself to building up the Ning family’s fortune, toiling and sweating for her silver!

So she began to whimper, crying and pounding him with her fists, “Who knew you were actually this kind of person!”

A Chou held her by the waist, looking at the reddened corners of her eyes. “Didn’t you want me to be a loafer? And to peek at you while you bathed?”

Xijin sniffled, aggrieved. “What’s wrong with being a loafer…”

A Chou replied, “Those storybooks are all made-up nonsense. If some pretty young lady really fell into the hands of those loafers outside, who would show any pity? Once they got what they wanted, wouldn’t they just take their pleasure however they pleased? Who would bother to coax her tenderly a hundred times over?”

A Chou understood—if he hadn’t happened to become Xijin’s male matrilineal marriage partner, a delicate young lady like her, raised in the inner chambers, with coral-like bones and jade-pure beauty, would never have been so easily touched.

Then Xijin retorted, “That’s not true at all!”

A Chou asked, “How so?”

Xijin grew even more aggrieved. “You just don’t understand. You don’t know what it means to cherish beauty and tenderness. You’re just a brute, a rough and wild man. You—” She gritted her teeth. “You’re just a dog, a stray dog at that!”

A Chou didn’t mind being called a dog—she could say whatever she wanted about him. But he did mind her saying he didn’t know how to cherish beauty and tenderness.

Of course, he knew the first rule in her mother’s teachings was to find a man who would cherish beauty and tenderness.

So he asked earnestly, “How do I not know how to cherish beauty and tenderness?”

Xijin, however, blinked her misty eyes, tears welling up, and asked, “Do you know what it means to wrap warm, moist, fragrant, and soft?”

A Chou was baffled. “What?”

Xijin stamped her foot lightly—she had caught him now. “See? You really don’t know!”

A Chou asked, “What is it?”

Xijin swatted at him. “Alright, alright, no more questions. Reflect on yourself properly. When you’ve earned lots of money and bought me a house, then I’ll teach you!”

A Chou: “…”

************

That day was the thirteenth of the first month. According to the customs of Great Zhao, the thirteenth and fourteenth were for the gods to watch lanterns, the fifteenth and sixteenth for people to watch lanterns, and the seventeenth and eighteenth for ghosts to watch lanterns. Thus, the thirteenth was the day to light lanterns in the kitchen, marking the Lantern Festival.

In the morning, the air outside was crisp and cold, and Xijin had no desire to get up, burrowing deeper into the blankets.

A Chou, however, was diligent. He rose early, tidied the house, and prepared to go out. Before leaving, he returned to the bedside to speak with Xijin.

From within the brocade curtains, Xijin watched him. She hadn’t slept well the night before and felt somewhat weak, but he, on the other hand, was full of energy, his eyes bright—what a handsome and elegant man he was.

Xijin lay on her side, her dark eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.

Noticing her gaze, A Chou’s expression softened as their eyes met. “Hmm?”

Xijin blinked. “I have something important to ask you. You must tell me the truth.”

A Chou said, “Go ahead.”

Last night, he had coaxed her with many sweet words, and the couple had been as harmonious as honey mixed with oil. Now, in this sweet moment, he felt Xijin’s gaze could practically pull threads of honey from the air.

Xijin said, “I want to know your true identity. As husband and wife, don’t hide it from me. Tell me clearly.”

As she spoke, she noticed A Chou’s expression shift slightly.

Then, his gaze took on an indescribable strangeness.

Xijin was startled. “Ah?”

A Chou asked, “What do you mean?”

Xijin, confused and flustered, clutched the blankets. “You couldn’t actually be—”

A Chou pressed, “Say it.”

Xijin suddenly felt like crying as she looked fearfully at A Chou.  

His dark eyes were unfathomable. “What’s wrong?”  

Tears welled up in Xijin’s eyes—she felt like this Male Matrilineal Marriage husband of hers might just devour her.  

With a pitiful, trembling voice, she whimpered, “Y-you… you couldn’t actually be a monster in disguise, could you?”  

A Chou’s expression froze for a moment before he took in her tearful face. Then, realization dawned on him.  

Once he understood, his expression became indescribably complicated.  

Xijin clutched the quilt tighter, sobbing, “Are you even human?!”  

A Chou remained impassive. “What nonsense are you spouting first thing in the morning?”  

Xijin was aggrieved. “Look at this! Early in the morning, I’m exhausted, completely drained, yet you’re full of energy! It’s only natural I’d wonder if you’re some mountain spirit who took a fancy to my beauty, lusting after my body, and deliberately seduced me!”  

At first, Xijin thought she was just being silly, but… his reaction was so strange that she suddenly grew suspicious.  

Bewildered and flustered, she had no idea what to think.  

Maybe she should reread her mother’s Silk book—but then again, her mother had never encountered a monster, so the book wouldn’t have anything about this…  

A Chou stood tall and elegant by the bed, looking down at the small, distressed woman on the mattress. After a long silence, he finally said,  

“Stop imagining things.”  

Xijin still eyed him with suspicion and wariness. It had started as a joke—she’d read such tales in storybooks and couldn’t help but overthink—but his reaction was just too odd.  

A Chou, of course, knew exactly what she was thinking. He leaned down and extended his arm toward her.  

“Go on, take a bite,” he said, watching her.  

Xijin didn’t move, just studied him.  

A Chou continued, “Didn’t your mother say—”  

Xijin quickly cut in, “My mother said monsters revert to their true forms when they see blood.”  

A Chou nodded. “Right. So bite me.”  

Xijin scoffed. “Forget it. Do I look stupid to you? There’s no such thing as monsters in this world. Besides, if you’re telling me to bite you, you obviously aren’t afraid.”  

Now wide awake, she sat up. “Enough of this! I’m getting up! You go do whatever you need to do!”  

A Chou straightened as well. “I’ll go find Fang Ya first and ask about that house. Last I heard, it still hadn’t sold. I’ll check again.”  

Xijin perked up immediately. “Good, go quickly!”  

A Chou gave a slight nod. “After I return, I’ll have nothing else to do. I’ll stay home with you and Mang Er, and tonight we can go see the Festive lanterns.”  

Xijin beamed. “Yes!”  

***********  

A Chou finished getting ready and was about to leave when, just as he stepped out of their courtyard and passed through the corridor of the Ning family’s main estate, he spotted Sun Momo carrying a basket brimming with fresh vegetables.  

Spring was approaching, and new produce was coming in. Sun Momo loved going out to meet the vendors who brought goods into the city, always buying the freshest items.  

Seeing A Chou heading out, she called, “Young master, where are you off to so early?”  

A Chou replied, “My wife has been thinking about that house, so I’m going to ask Fang Ya about it.”  

Sun Momo chuckled. “My, the young master has grown so considerate lately.”  

But A Chou detected something off in her tone—her smile didn’t reach her eyes, and her words carried a subtle edge.  

He gave her a cool glance, his mind already turning over possibilities.

When Xijin’s father was still alive, things were somewhat manageable as he could keep the household in line. Xijin’s mother had never particularly liked him, but since she had taken him in through Male Matrilineal Marriage, she treated him sincerely, hoping he would live harmoniously with Xijin.  

After Xijin’s mother passed away, fearing her daughter might suffer, she left numerous instructions, even writing a Silk book and earnestly entrusting Sun Momo with Xijin’s care.  

This Sun Momo, however, took her authority far too seriously, acting as if she were half the master of the household.  

She even meddled in their intimate affairs. In the early days of their marriage, if he indulged a little too much at night or if Xijin whimpered a few times, this old woman would come running as if he had wronged Xijin, scolding him for lacking tenderness.  

It wasn’t until Mang Er was born that things changed slightly. As the child’s biological father, his status in the household became more secure—after all, Mang Er’s position was undeniable. Only then did Sun Momo’s domineering attitude soften somewhat.  

Still, Sun Momo never stopped whispering grievances into Xijin’s ear, occasionally speaking ill of him.  

A Chou was well aware of this but chose to ignore it.  

Now, noticing the probing tone in her words and the unusual smile on her face, he continued, “After meeting with Fang Ya, I thought I’d stroll around the market. Is there anything you need, Sun Momo? I can fetch it for you.”  

Sun Momo chuckled lightly and said leisurely, “There’s nothing I need, but it’s thoughtful of you, A Lang. You’ll return after shopping, won’t you? I recall the mistress mentioned yesterday that she wanted to see the Festive lanterns tonight. You’ll have to accompany her and the young master then.”  

A Chou replied, “After shopping, I’ll stop by Hu Zhanggui’s place.”  

Hu Zhanggui ran an inn next to their silk shop. He often referred traveling merchants to their business, so the two families maintained good relations. After the New Year, A Chou planned to bring some pastries over, exchange pleasantries, and gather some news to plan for the coming year.  

Sun Momo listened and said, “Hu Zhanggui does love his wine. Be careful not to drink too much, A Lang, or the mistress will be cross with you again.”  

A Chou replied, “Thank you for your concern, Sun Momo. I’ll keep that in mind.”  

With that, A Chou left. Sun Momo clutched her vegetable basket, watching his retreating figure for a while before hurriedly disappearing into the kitchen.  

**********  

Xijin finally got out of bed, feeling sluggish and weary. To make matters worse, Sun Momo was already nagging in her ear about all sorts of rules.  

She even leaned in, eyeing the red marks on Xijin’s neck in the mirror, and sighed. “This won’t do! If the elder mistress were here, she would never allow it—she’d surely give A Lang a stern talking-to!”  

Xijin touched her neck. “Why do you say that?”  

Sun Momo stomped her foot. “Oh, my dear mistress! He’s made of iron, blessed in his past life to have someone as delicate and lovely as you. Yet at night, he knows no restraint, thinking only of his own pleasure! What’s gotten into you? Has he fed you some bewitching potion? Your body is precious—you mustn’t let him have his way. If you satisfy a man too much, how will you ever keep him in check?”  

Xijin pretended not to hear, simply gazing out the window. Spring would come after the New Year, but the air was still bitingly cold, carrying a faint whiff of sulfur.

Sun Momo: “Besides, Madam probably doesn’t know, but our master might be up to no good outside!”

Xijin: “Momo, what do you mean by that?”

Sun Momo curled her lips: “It’s none other than our master. Who knows what kind of trouble he’s stirred up on this trip?”

Xijin: “Momo, where did you hear this from?”

Sun Momo: “Well, I heard it from others.”

Xijin: “Others?”

Sun Momo’s words were evasive.

Xijin naturally noticed this and thought of Xi Yu, already having an inkling of what was going on.

This Xi Yu was constantly scheming, eager for her to divorce her husband as soon as possible. Xi Yu must have colluded with Sun Momo—both of them disliked A Chou and were working together inside and out, trying to tarnish his reputation every day.

As for their accusations, Xijin didn’t believe a word of it. She and A Chou had been married for years, and she could tell that her husband hadn’t been unfaithful outside. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be so ravenous, as if starved for half a lifetime, practically devouring her.

Still, she wasn’t in a hurry to expose them. She’d wait and see what act Xi Yu and Sun Momo were putting on—there was no need to rush.

Thinking this, she recalled A Chou’s recent behavior.

He’d been acting strangely too, as if harboring some sinister thoughts.

In short, there wasn’t a single good person around her.

Well, whether A Chou was even human was still up for debate!