Chapter 152: The Bridal Chamber (Part Two)

"This wine is a bit sweet, it should have been brewed with red dates. However, the brewing temperature was not high enough, and the time was too short, so it tastes slightly bitter."

Xu Ruojin had lost count of how many cups she had consumed, yet she still remained standing. Instead, she had begun to savor the wine cup by cup.

"If I were to make it, I would add a few wolfberries and a touch of brown sugar."

"Brown sugar is extracted from sugarcane—it's very nourishing!"

Xu Ruojin smiled slyly. "Though it nourishes women..."

Downing the cup in one breath, she had entirely forgotten her original purpose for drinking, her mind completely absorbed by the wine.

Liang Xiao watched her the entire time, even producing several other kinds of wine for her to taste slowly.

Her handsome, flushed face resembled a peach blossom, and the tender, watery gleam in her eyes made his whole body burn with heat.

"Hmm, this wine is not good!"

Xu Ruojin poured herself another cup. "The fermentation time for this rice wine is too long; it's not good, and it's bad for the body. It gets you drunk too easily."

"What, is that all?"

Xu Ruojin looked at the jars and bottles on the table; none of them remained unopened.

She looked toward Liang Xiao, only to find that his figure had already become blurred before her eyes. Even though she wasn't prone to liquor sickness, after drinking so much, she was thoroughly intoxicated.

"That's all."

Liang Xiao stood up. "Now it's my turn."

"What do you mean, your turn?"

Before Xu Ruojin could collect her wits, Liang Xiao swept her up into his arms in one fluid motion.

A sudden jolt!

Xu Ruojin stiffened all over, regaining a shred of clarity through her hazy fog. "Wait, I—I still want to talk to you about..."

"We'll talk later."

Liang Xiao tossed her onto the bed and immediately pressed down upon her.

As their lips met, Xu Ruojin's eyes widened in shock, and she sobered up completely.

At this moment, they became one.
At this moment, they truly became husband and wife.

Xu Ruojin had no idea when she had drifted off to sleep. When she woke up, it was still before dawn, and she realized she was resting her head on a thick, muscular arm.

Wriggling slightly, she felt a soreness in her lower body.

Especially her hips, which were as stiff as if she had suffered a cramp.

Though she had long known that her first night would be painful, she felt not the slightest fondness for such pain; she only felt utterly exhausted and longed to continue sleeping.

Suddenly snapping her eyes open, Xu Ruojin bolted upright from beneath the covers.

Liang Xiao looked at her and asked, "What is it?"

"Where is the white silk cloth? The white silk cloth that was supposed to be laid underneath? I forgot! How am I supposed to answer for this tomorrow?!"

Xu Ruojin began tossing and turning through the compartments by the bedside, completely forgetting that she was stark naked...

Liang Xiao, teased by her squirming back and forth beneath the quilt, felt a fresh fire ignite within him.

"Is this the one?"

Liang Xiao lifted the piece of white silk cloth from beside his hand, marked with scattered spots of blood.

"Uh..."

Upon seeing it, Xu Ruojin snatched it back instantly.

She remembered she hadn't laid it out properly; could it be that he had specially spread it for her?

Still, it was better to keep such things in her own possession; leaving them with him always felt somewhat unsettling.

Realizing that her current state was rather improper, she tucked the white silk cloth into a box and immediately dove back under the covers.

Turning over to face away from him, Xu Ruojin wished she could press herself flat against the wall.

Pulling her directly into his arms, Liang Xiao grabbed the heavy quilt and wrapped them both within it. "Sleep."

"I myself—"

"Stop chattering and sleep!"

The wedding candles flickered and glowed, harmonizing with the sea of red filling the room.

A heavy sound of breathing arose—it was coming from Xu Ruojin.

Liang Xiao kept his eyes open the entire night, silently watching the woman nestled in his arms.

When he lightly teased her lips, she would furrow her brows and smack them; when he tickled her nose, she would bury her head completely into his chest and refuse to come out.

Liang Xiao's lips curved slightly. This woman... was truly interesting.

As daylight broke, Xu Ruojin tossed and turned lazily in bed.

With a sweeping wave of her large hand, she grabbed nothing at all.

Normally, that would be fine—she would just be sleeping alone. But now, upon second thought, wasn't there supposed to be someone else here with her?

Opening her eyes, she saw that the side of the bed was empty. Xu Ruojin looked around and found that in this unfamiliar room, she was completely alone.

"Chuncaocao? Hongxing? Is anyone out there?"

Xu Ruojin called out softly toward the doorway, and Chuncao immediately poked her head in. "Fourth Young Madam is awake."

"That title still feels so awkward."

Seeing a familiar face, Xu Ruojin simply lay back down. "My whole body aches terribly. Do I have to get up now?"

"You should get up. Shortly, you'll need to serve tea to the Madam. It's best to get up early and dress up."

Upon noticing the red marks on the back of Xu Ruojin's neck, Chuncao blushed shyly. "This maid should find another marten fur collar for you to wear; the collar of the wedding robe is too low."

"Hmm, hmm?"

Xu Ruojin didn't understand why Chuncao would say such a thing.

Chuncao pointed at her own neck and pouted toward her.

Xu Ruojin immediately dropped her jaw, put on her clothes, and leaped out of bed.

A crimson love bite rested right at the base of her neck. If she didn't add a high collar, outsiders would surely see it.

That scoundrel! Was he just itching for her to make a fool of herself?

Thinking back to his ferocity the previous night, Xu Ruojin wished she could pout her lips in a deep, aggrieved arch.

"Oh dear, let me rest a moment longer. My legs are so sore."

Suddenly realizing her legs felt like jelly, Xu Ruojin shuffled step by step back toward the bed.

Nanny Huang walked in from outside and dragged her off to take a hot bath. "Time waits for no one. A soak will melt away the fatigue on your body. Fourth Young Madam will need to take good care of herself from now on."

"If I had only asked you a couple of questions sooner... last night... don't even mention it."

Sitting in the wooden tub, Xu Ruojin felt the warm water soothe her tense muscles. She gradually relaxed and began to feel a bit more comfortable.

Before Nanny Huang could open her mouth, a male voice rang out from behind: "So pretentious. Women always love saying one thing and meaning another."