Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 513 - 0481 The Fairy of the Day Became a Little Woman at Night (2)_2
The weather was cold, so Aunt Zhou and Cui Xi brought a rack with a curtain to surround the bathtub.
This rack with a curtain not only provides privacy but also blocks the cold air.
Having not been served in bathing for nearly a year, Li Yuwen felt somewhat unaccustomed.
She wanted to wash herself.
But Aunt Zhou chuckled, "We’re here to serve the young mistress, so let us do it. You wash slowly yourself, and the water will get cold, making you catch a cold."
Aunt Zhou and Cui Xi worked swiftly, so Li Yuwen said nothing more and let them serve her.
After the bath, Li Yuwen wore her underclothes and went to bed first.
The bed was surprisingly warm.
Seeing her puzzled look, Aunt Zhou smiled and said, "There’s a brazier under the bed too. The young master said he’s worried the young mistress might fear the cold, so he put another one under the bed."
No wonder.
Unexpectedly, Pei Shenyan was so considerate.
After she lay down, Pei Shenyan took his clothes and went to the study next door to bathe.
Pei Shenyan, after tidying up himself, returned to the bridal room.
Cui Xi adjusted the two pairs of candles on the table to burn brighter, while Aunt Zhou brought a basin of clean water and placed it on the stand by the bed, smiling, "Young master, young mistress, Cui Xi and I are just next door. Call us if you need anything."
She held back her laughter and left with Cui Xi.
Li Yuwen looked at the basin of water in front of the bed, thinking of the descriptions of bridal chamber matters she read in books, immediately blushing red.
When Aunt Zhou closed the door, Li Yuwen frantically pulled the quilt up to her neck, revealing only her embarrassed red face, and murmured fiercely to Pei Shenyan, "We’ve agreed this is a fake marriage, you can’t sleep on the bed! Go sleep in the study."
Pei Shenyan furrowed his brow, "On the first night, the bride and groom sleeping apart, if Aunt Zhou and Cui Xi find out, what are we going to explain?"
"Say that you’re... incapable!" Li Yuwen thought of an excuse and blurted out.
She regretted it instantly. How could she, the eldest legitimate daughter of the Lu Ling Royal Mansion, say such a thing?
She wished she could bite off her tongue.
Pei Shenyan held back his laughter, but his expression turned serious, "If you say that about me, it’s nothing to me, but then the fact that you’re still a maiden would spread, and when the Emperor hears it, he’d say our marriage doesn’t count, and you’d still be in danger."
Reminded by him, Li Yuwen was shocked and felt a chill down her spine.
"Then... what to do?" She couldn’t think of any good solution.
Pei Shenyan pointed at the footstool in front of the bed, "I’ll sleep there."
The footstool for placing shoes in front of the bed was as long as the bed but only a foot wide.
"Can a person sleep on that?" Li Yuwen widened her eyes.
"It’s too cold to sleep on the floor. I’ll make do here. Once this period passes, I’ll say I need to prepare for exams and focus on studying in the study. Aunt Zhou and Cui Xi won’t suspect anything." Pei Shenyan came up with a plan.
Li Yuwen was already anxious, and with the effect of the wine from dinner kicking in, her head felt dizzy, and she couldn’t come up with any good ideas.
Pei Shenyan’s suggestion sounded good.
She couldn’t think of any other ideas, so she didn’t oppose, "Alright, if you think it works, just sleep there."
The effects of the wine and sleepiness gradually took over Li Yuwen, and she closed her eyes, slipping into a haze.
Pei Shenyan watched her with a slight smile, went over and opened the small window above the main window to let the smoke in the room dissipate.
He pulled the drapes around the bed, then went to the cabinet behind the bed to get two quilts, folded one and laid it on the footstool, and covered himself with the other.
The brazier under the bed warmed the footstool too. Pei Shenyan glanced at the sleeping Li Yuwen with a smile he couldn’t suppress.
He closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, Pei Shenyan suddenly felt something brush against his face.
He awoke startled and quickly grabbed at it.
It turned out it was the corner of the quilt that had fallen off the bed, and most of the quilt was pressing down on him.
Pei Shenyan chuckled in amused exasperation.
He sat up and looked at Li Yuwen on the bed.
She had kicked off the entire quilt and was sleeping in just her thin underclothes.
Still aware of the cold in her sleep, she had pulled the curtain around her body, curling up in the corner of the bed.
Recalling her cool, aloof demeanor during the day and now seeing her carefree sleeping posture, Pei Shenyan couldn’t hold back anymore and laughed out loud.
Everyone has two sides.
She wasn’t a celestial being now, but just a little woman.
Pei Shenyan shook his head in amusement, climbed into the bed, smoothed the quilt, and covered Li Yuwen.
Thinking it over, he realized she might not sleep comfortably like that.
Pei Shenyan reached over, moved Li Yuwen from the bed corner to the bed center, straightened her arms and legs to help her sleep better.
He tucked her in and returned to sleep on the footstool.
.
The next day, Pei Shenyan awoke first.
Upon waking, he looked at Li Yuwen on the bed.
Her quilt was tidy, but she was sleeping crookedly, her head at the edge of the bed and her feet kicked against the bedframe on the other side.
Pei Shenyan gently climbed onto the bed, wanting to straighten her, but feared waking her up, as it was already broad daylight.
He didn’t disturb Li Yuwen, instead adjusting the quilt to cover her feet based on her sleeping pose.
After that, he quietly got off the bed to dress, and took away the blankets on the footstool.
As he turned around, he noticed the basin of clean water on the stand, recalling Aunt Zhou’s strange smile when leaving last night, his eyes twinkled, and he took a pinch of soap powder, washed his hands in the clean water basin.
The pair of wedding candles on the table hadn’t burned out yet, flickering joyfully.
Pei Shenyan looked at the wedding candles with a gentle smile.
At this moment, Li Yuwen woke up.
Seeing he was already dressed, she turned over, holding onto the quilt, looking at him with a stern face, "Didn’t do anything to me last night, did you?"
Pei Shenyan turned back, stifling a laugh, "I only helped you with the quilt, you kicked it off."
Li Yuwen, "..." Oh no, he found out about her habit of kicking the quilt and rolling all over the bed.
Li Yuwen didn’t notice anything unusual on her body, she believed Pei Shenyan’s words.
"Pei Shenyan, you mustn’t tell anyone about helping me with the quilt." Li Yuwen warned with a stern face, "Otherwise..."
Pei Shenyan held back his laughter, bowed in mock salute, "My lady, such private bedroom talk, how could I share it outside? I definitely won’t."
Li Yuwen coldly said, "Remember your words."
Afraid she’d get angry, Pei Shenyan said, "I’ll go out first and call Aunt Zhou and Cui Xi to serve you."
Once he left the bedroom, Li Yuwen finally relaxed, laid back down, stretched, and sighed.
She hadn’t expected marriage to be so troublesome, having to be cautious of Pei Shenyan’s teasing everywhere.
Aunt Zhou pushed the door and entered the bedroom, "Young mistress, are you awake?"
She lifted the drapes and came to the bed.
Li Yuwen nodded, "Hmm, bring some hot water, I’m getting up."
She pulled back the quilt and took the clothes on the rack to dress herself.
Aunt Zhou went to tidy the bed, finding it messy, but there were no traces of a conjugal night.
Aunt Zhou wondered, had the young couple consummated?
After making the bed, Aunt Zhou looked at the basin on the rack and found the water cloudy, and she smiled. Oh, they washed their hands, so the thing got done.
Aunt Zhou smiled and congratulated Li Yuwen, "Congratulations young mistress, my felicitations!"
Li Yuwen, "..." Congratulations on what?
Pei Shenyan entered the bedroom, and Aunt Zhou congratulated them again.
"Congratulations on completing your marriage, wish you have a child soon."
Li Yuwen, "..."
Pei Shenyan, "..."
Li Yuwen’s face turned embarrassingly red, she wished she could cover her face and run away.
Pei Shenyan gave her a glance, stifling his laughter, and stood in front of her, blocking Aunt Zhou’s view of her face.
"Aunt Zhou, bring hot water. The young mistress needs to freshen up."
