Chapter 249: Exclusive Doting
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The sun shone in from the window, and the red candles on the table had burned out, leaving only a bit of red candle oil, like blossoming small flowers.
He Yan rubbed her eyes and sat up, supporting herself with her hands on her waist.
It had been a confusing night, also a night reminiscent of the Battle of Red Cliffs. If she were to recall… well, perhaps it was better not to dwell on it.
All she could think about was that the phrase “do as one pleases,” which she had mentioned earlier, unexpectedly applied to herself in the end. What reward did she get? None. At the moment, it seemed that the biggest winner was clearly Xiao Jue.
He Yan turned her head to look around, finding the space beside her empty. No one was there. She paused for a moment, then looked outside. It was probably late; after bathing last night, she felt extremely tired and fell asleep. Judging by the sunlight now, it was likely not early.
Just as she was thinking about this, the door opened, and someone walked in from outside. He Yan looked up to see Xiao Jue entering, carrying a food basket in his arms. Following behind, he entered the room and systematically arranged the bowls and plates from the basket onto the table.
“Awake?” Xiao Jue approached as he saw she was already sitting up, asking.
He Yan cleared her throat and nodded.
“After washing up, you can eat,” he paused and hesitated before asking, “Are you feeling alright?”
He Yan blushed, instinctively looking towards Bai Guo. The little maid had already set up the meal and quickly left. She looked at the man in front of her, who seemed to have undergone yin and yang replenishment. After one night, he appeared refreshed, without any discomfort. She bit her lip and said, “It’s fine. General Xiao’s skills are already outstanding, hardly having any opponents. I’ve truly learned something.”
Xiao Jue’s lips curled up, and he leisurely said, “General He is not bad either. Last night, you even threatened to have another battle of eight hundred rounds in the future…”
He Yan: “?”
What kind of fierce words were these? When did she say that?
He Yan hurriedly covered his mouth, “Wait! Don’t talk nonsense.”
“General He,” he approached, and with a hint of a smile in his deep black eyes, said, “We’ve only just made an agreement overnight; are you already reneging on it?”
Being too close made her flustered. He Yan lifted the bedding, put on her shoes, and ran away. She mumbled, “I’ll go freshen up! Where’s Qingmei? Qingmei—”
Qingmei was called in, and after He Yan brushed her teeth and washed her face, Qingmei came to style her hair while saying, “Madam… Oh, now it’s called Young Madam. Young Master is really good to you.”
He Yan absentmindedly replied with an “Oh.”
“Waking up early today,” Qingmei said, “I wanted to call you, but the Young Master wouldn’t allow it. He said to let you sleep a little longer.”
He Yan nodded. When she looked at Qingmei, who was smiling from ear to ear, she couldn’t help but wonder, “Why are you so happy?”
“The Second Young Master is good to the Young Madam. Of course, I’m happy,” Qingmei said gleefully, as if she had found a treasure. “I’ll tell Master and Young Master later. They can rest assured now!”
He Yan: “…”
After she freshened up, He Yan changed into a haitang red narrow-sleeved long dress. Qingmei had styled her hair nicely, making her look much cleaner and fresher.
He Yan fastened the black jade given by Xiao Jue around her waist again, then went to the small hall.
In the hall, the breakfast brought by Bai Guo had been placed on the table. When the two of them were eating, they preferred not to have anyone serving them. Qingmei had retreated as well. He Yan sat at the table and gave Xiao Jue a pair of chopsticks, sighing, “Xiao Jue, your family’s breakfast is a bit too much.”
It was all her favorite dishes, even though she wasn’t picky.
Xiao Jue pulled his lips. “Did a meal win you over?”
“That you don’t understand,” He Yan asserted confidently. “Ordinary families don’t believe in appearances; clothes, meals, and eating are all important.”
He laughed, “You’re easy to please.”
He Yan grabbed a plum blossom bun and smiled at him while eating. Suddenly, she remembered something, and her expression changed slightly. She said, “Oops, aren’t we supposed to present tea to my eldest brother and sister-in-law this morning?”
Originally, it was the newlywed presenting tea to their parents-in-law. However, now that Lord and Madam Xiao were no longer in this world, according to tradition, tea should still be presented to Xiao Jing and Bai Rongwei.
“No worries, I’ve already told them we’ll go after finishing our meal.”
“Eh?” He Yan looked at him and said, “Isn’t this against the rules?”
“What rules?” He spoke casually, “The Xiao family doesn’t have many rules. You can do as you please.”
He Yan was taken aback. Leaving aside the time when she was in the “He family” and later married into the Xu family, she was diligent in observing traditional customs before her eyesight deteriorated. Due to her short time as a woman and later years spent in the military, she was not well-versed in many customs, often causing laughter. At that time, the word “rules” always made her feel a headache and annoyance.
Now someone was telling her, “You can do as you please.”
She sneaked a glance at the person across from her, and Xiao Jue noticed her gaze, asking, “What’s wrong?”
“Xiao Jue,” He Yan said seriously, “In Shuojing City, being a husband like you should be the first, truly considerate and meticulous.”
Xiao Jue raised the corner of his mouth, speaking in a flat tone, “Of course. After all, your husband fell in love with you at first sight during the Lantern Festival. He came to propose the next day. If you didn’t agree to marry, he would jump into the river and commit suicide.”
He Yan: “……Huh?”
He continued nonchalantly, “Our General He’s command of troops is unparalleled, and her command of husbands is also superb.”
He Yan found it familiar. Only then did she realize that this was the nonsense she casually made up when facing Ling Xiu and the other girls in Jiyang. She didn’t expect that Xiao Jue would still remember?
At that time, she was just talking nonsense. She didn’t expect Xiao Jue to become her husband for real. However, hearing those words now felt a bit shameless.
He Yan picked up a sweet soup and pretended to drink a sip, changing the subject, “Um… Xiao Jue, is it really that there are no rules in the Xiao family? Anything goes?”
Xiao Jue glanced at her, “Having an affair is not allowed, and meeting night gathering men is not allowed.”
He Yan: “……”
Fearless, she asked, “What if these two rules are broken?”
Xiao Jue squinted his eyes and calmly replied, “Legs will be broken, and you’ll be locked up.”
He Yan: “……”
After a while, she said, “Xiao Jue, you’re really fierce.”
He looked at her with a warning look, “Indeed.”
…
After having breakfast, He Yan and Xiao Jue went to present tea.
They had already stayed in the Xiao residence for a while, so He Yan was not unfamiliar with Xiao Jing and his wife. After drinking the tea, Bai Rongwei took out a small box and handed it to He Yan, smiling, “This was prepared by his brother and me when Huaijin was not yet married. Today, it can finally be given away.”
He Yan smiled and expressed her thanks.
Bai Rongwei looked at the two of them more and more happily. Xiao Jing, after being bestowed marriage by the Emperor, whenever women gathered, Bai Rongwei could hear many people saying behind his back, “Why did Second Young Master Xiao, who was perfectly fine, marry a crude warrior woman?”. After hearing this often, Bai Rongwei felt unhappy, and later, when there were gatherings, she used the excuse of feeling unwell to avoid going. Now that the two of them were walking together, like a perfect match, who said women had to be gentle and polite? She found He Yan lively, and Xiao Jue had become more animated these days.
Chatting with He Yan for quite a while, Xiao Jing told her to rest. Bai Rongwei, after becoming pregnant, he was always cautious.
Holding the box with Xiao Jue, He Yan left and walked towards her courtyard. Halfway through, she couldn’t resist opening the box slightly to take a look inside. Inside the box were three hair combs made of white jade, varying in size, exquisite and transparent.
“Hair combs…” she exclaimed.
Xiao Jue looked at her, “Don’t like them?”
“No,” He Yan closed the box and hugged it to her chest, “I really like them.”
They seemed more precious than gold and precious stones.
Due to the wedding, Emperor Wenxuan granted them a break, so Xiao Jue could stay at home for an extra day. As He Yan and Xiao Jue walked back to their courtyard, they saw Qingmei and Bai Guo squatting on the ground, with a mountain of gifts tied with red silk in front of them.
“Has the Young Madam arrived?” Bai Guo stood up with a smile. “We are organizing the gifts received yesterday. Would the Young Madam like to take a look?”
Seeing the courtyard almost filled with gifts, He Yan couldn’t help but exclaim. She couldn’t help but ask Xiao Jue, “Didn’t you say you were indifferent to socializing, with poor popularity in Shuojing City? How do you have so many gifts? How many people came yesterday?”
Xiao Jue remained silent, but a subtle smile appeared on his lips.
“I’ll go and see what good things are there,” He Yan said and walked over to Qingmei. When she was acting as “He Rufei,” she received many rewards from the Emperor, but they were all kept in the He family’s storeroom without being touched. Later, as “Miss He,” the family was not well off, and now, she was enjoying the joy of a bountiful harvest. It was indeed something she hadn’t experienced in a long time.
Qingmei was also excited, probably seeing so many good things for the first time. She couldn’t stop sharing her discoveries with He Yan.
“Young Madam, look at this. This flowerpot is made of colored glaze!”
“This ginseng looks expensive at a glance!”
“And this vase, I’ve never seen a vase like this before. Is this gem real?”
The little maid chattered incessantly, and He Yan followed along, flipping through a few things. Surprisingly, she stumbled upon something familiar—a gift from Mu Hongjin and Cui Yuezhi of Jiyang City. It was a complete set of pearl jewelry. Jiyang was known for its pearls, and these pearls were plump, lustrous, and dazzling. As soon as the box was opened, it nearly blinded the eyes. Cui Yuezhi was wealthy, and Mu Hongjin was generous and assertive, so such a lavish gift was in line with their style. However, He Yan, looking at it, knew that in her lifetime, she probably wouldn’t wear this set out. If she did, it would be like conspicuously putting banknotes on her head—wouldn’t that attract trouble?
It was just too ostentatious. She continued to flip through and found a small jar of wine, a gift from Youhua Fairy and Cailian of Jinling City. It was the Bifang wine they had tasted before. However, this jar of Bifang wine was aged and had been stored for seven years. If it weren’t for Xiao Jue and He Yan’s joyous occasion, Youhua Fairy probably wouldn’t have been willing to take it out.
He Yan placed the small jar of Bifang wine by her side and heard Qingmei say, “Madam, look at this!”
He Yan leaned over and took a look, momentarily stunned.
It was an extremely long embroidery scroll, about half a person’s height. On it, a pair of mandarin ducks with entwined necks were delicately embroidered. The craftsmanship was exceptionally neat, and the colors were splendid and beautiful. To create such an embroidery, it was definitely not an easy task. It would probably take many embroiderers working day and night for over a month to barely complete it.
Attached to the edge of this embroidery scroll was a letter. He Yan opened the letter and found out that this embroidery was a gift from Rundu. The women who embroidered the entwined mandarin ducks were the captives rescued by He Yan from Li Kuang’s hands. Recently, Rundu had experienced a recent battle, and the city was in a state of depression. Zhao Shiming, the county magistrate of Rundu, found some silk threads and asked those women to sew this as a congratulatory gift for Xiao Jue and He Yan’s wedding.
It seemed like those women were doing well.
He Yan was happy for them. She put the letter away and instructed Qingmei to move these specially selected items to her own room. She then stood up and walked to Xiao Jue’s side.
As she approached, Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows slightly. “Are you satisfied?”
He Yan shook her head.
“What’s not satisfactory?”
“Commander Xiao, everyone is sending gifts. Why haven’t you given me one?” He Yan joked intentionally.
Originally, it was just a casual remark, but unexpectedly, when she said it, Xiao Jue calmly spoke, “How do you know I didn’t prepare a gift?”
He Yan was taken aback for a moment and tentatively asked, “You didn’t really prepare a gift, did you?”
Xiao Jue crossed his arms and looked at her.
He Yan hesitated for a moment. “You’ve already given the betrothal gift, and you even gave me the ancestral black jade. Isn’t that enough? What else do you want to give?”
She felt a bit uneasy. Could it be that in her lifetime, she would still have to carry the label of this disaster to men and couldn’t get rid of it? Heavens and earth, she hadn’t done anything!
Seeing her like this, Xiao Jue smirked slightly and walked to the other side. He Yan hurriedly caught up. “Xiao Jue, what exactly do you want to give me?”
As they walked, suddenly something blocked their way. He Yan lowered her head and saw a yellow dog biting the beads on her shoe.
“Second Fur?”
After the night of infiltrating the He residence, He Yan temporarily entrusted the escaped Second Fur to Xiao Jue. Unexpectedly, Second Fur had only stayed in the Xiao family for a short time, but he had already completed a full circle. A tuft of fur on his head was tied with a red string, looking especially festive. It was almost unrecognizable compared to before, and He Yan almost didn’t recognize him.
Seeing He Yan looking down at him, Second Fur barked excitedly twice, but unfortunately, there was no sound. He then pounced into the courtyard and started rolling around, biting his tail and spinning in circles.
He Yan was speechless for a moment. This dog really didn’t treat her as an outsider; he had gotten used to it so quickly. It seemed like he was living quite happily here. In a short while, he would probably be on par with that pig called “Tang Yuan.”
“Your father and younger brother have found a new residence.” Xiao Jue’s voice came from beside her.
He Yan turned back. “Didn’t Lin Shuanghe say it would take a few more days?”
“He’s very busy; where would he find the time to help you?” Xiao Jue said indifferently. “I’ve already arranged for people to assist with the move. They should be able to move in these next two days.”
“Oh? So fast? Where is it located?”
“It’s just a street away from the Xiao residence.”
He Yan grabbed his sleeve. “Wait a moment. Did you say it’s just a street away from the Xiao residence?”
Xiao Jue lowered his gaze and looked at her. “Don’t like it?”
“It’s not that I don’t like it. It’s just…” He Yan’s mind was a bit chaotic.
“Being close to the Xiao residence allows you to return at any time in the future. If Father and Yunsheng want to visit you, it’s also very convenient,” Xiao Jue frowned. “You seem not very satisfied.”
He Yan looked at him, momentarily silent.
Girls who had married would frequently return to their maternal homes, and this would undoubtedly lead to gossip. In her past life, she had only returned home once from her marriage to the Xu family until she drowned. However, she didn’t really have any reason to return home in her past life.
But He Yan indeed didn’t expect that Xiao Jue would directly buy a house across from the Xiao family. If this were to spread, she didn’t know how people outside would criticize him. Those gossipmongers might blame He Yan for being ignorant of etiquette and for being a rebellious bride. However, He Yan didn’t feel angry at all—she was even quite happy.
“If you don’t like it….”
“I really like it!” She said crisply.
“Your expression doesn’t seem to suggest that,” Xiao Jue looked at her suspiciously.
He Yan grabbed the sleeve of his shirt and then took his arm. “Xiao Jue, I’m so touched.”
“You take care of my father, my younger brother, and even my dog so well. Could it be that the heavens saw how miserable I was in my past life, so they sent you to be by my side in this life?”
Xiao Jue was silent for a moment and said, “So, taking care of your dog can move you like this?”
“You can’t put it that way,” He Yan looked at Second Fur happily playing in the courtyard, feeling emotional for a moment. “But I really never thought that you would be so easygoing.”
People say many things, and the rumors of being unfeeling and ruthless are all groundless. In my past life, I was careful to be a good wife, and everyone told me to be filial, virtuous as a wife, and caring as a Mother. To be quiet and chaste, to uphold tradition and etiquette, to be respectful and accommodating, and to be diligent and wise… I don’t know who first put these shackles on women, but it seems like these appearances and virtues have been passed down for thousands of years. Everyone thinks it’s only natural.
Everyone is like that.
But Xiao Jue opened these shackles from the very beginning. She didn’t know that being a wife could be like this—free and unrestrained, carefree and exuberant.
Xiao Jue stood upright, and upon hearing her words, he dropped the hand holding He Yan’s and used his palm to cover it.
In the instant their ten fingers intertwined, it was like a small snowflake stopping on their hearts, swiftly passing by and leaving behind a faint itch.
“No need to be moved,” he said lightly. “After all, when you’re unhappy, your husband will use his skills to make you happy.”
He Yan: “…”
“When you can’t tolerate others, your husband will exclusively only dote on you.”
He Yan: “…”
This time, she was certain. Xiao Jue was indeed the top husband at Xianchang Academy. Even though she had only mentioned it once in Jiyang, she had forgotten about it herself. Unexpectedly, Xiao Jue could still remember it word for word.
She reversed her hand and held onto Xiao Jue’s hand, as if wanting to hold his hand like this forever, and said with a smiling expression, “Well, there’s no way. A passionate woman fears a persistent man.”
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