The next day, Chen Liejiu woke to the harsh sunlight streaming through the window.
He rarely slept this late; it seemed last night had truly taken its toll on him.
After a moment, he turned to look at Xu Huaiqian sleeping soundly beside him. The man with delicate features had his eyes closed, long eyelashes resting obediently beneath them. Against his pale, thin skin, they resembled a butterfly about to take flight.
The more he looked, the more captivating Xu Huaiqian appeared—especially the way he had looked last night in his wedding robes, eyes filled with emotion, more alluring than any fox spirit.
How could a man be so beautiful?
Chen Liejiu gently tapped Xu Huaiqian's thin cheek with his fingertip. Seeing Xu Huaiqian frown slightly at the ticklish sensation, he chuckled and leaned in to kiss him.
As if aware it was him even in his sleep, Xu Huaiqian nuzzled closer against his arm.
Even more like a fox spirit now.
Chen Liejiu kissed his lips once, then again, as if he could never get enough. Only when Xu Huaiqian's lips were slightly flushed did he finally rise, satisfied.
This man—he was his now!
Last night, they had become . Xu Huaiqian had left his mark inside him. They would be bound together for life. Whether in poverty or illness, he would belong only to him.
Chen Liejiu touched his stomach, remembering how it had bulged slightly the night before, and smiled. His man might be weak—managing only twice in night—but his assets were impressive.
Wearing a satisfied smile, Chen Liejiu dressed and got out of bed. As he pulled back the quilt, he noticed several dark bloodstains on the red bedding.
Tracing the stains, he recalled how Xu Huaiqian had covered his eyes several times during the night, leaving him wondering what he was doing.
Had he been secretly coughing up blood?
Chen Liejiu pursed his lips in surprise as he gazed at the soundly sleeping man. His stubborn little husband indeed.
If he was unwell, he should have stopped—Chen Liejiu could have managed on his own.
Little did he know that Xu Huaiqian, however weak, refused to leave a poor impression on their wedding night.
So, each time he felt unable to hold back, he covered Chen Liejiu's eyes, turned his head aside, and let the blood flow from his lips before continuing.
Either choke to death or die in ecstasy—he had to choose the way he preferred to go.
Fortunately, he gambled and won. He neither choked nor died from pleasure, persevering to the end and falling asleep contentedly with his wife in his arms.
As for the blood he had coughed up, he had no energy to deal with it. For his frail body, managing twice and still emerging unscathed to hold Chen Liejiu as they slept was already a remarkable feat.
He had felt quite proud of himself before drifting off.
Meng Fangxun and the others had matters to discuss with Xu Huaiqian and had stayed after the wedding banquet.
Fortunately, Wang Wanwan had anticipated guests might need lodging and had arranged rooms with clean-minded neighbors in advance.
The rooms were cleaned beforehand, with fresh bedding, ensuring Xu Huaiqian's guests were well accommodated.
Since they had no wedding night to attend to, they rose early and returned to the Chen family courtyard. By then, Wang Wanwan was already cooking in the kitchen, while Chen Jinhu and Chen Xiaomei chatted with them.
Then they saw Chen Liejiu, the newlywed husband, emerge from the room with a face full of springtime delight, fetching water to wash up.
Meanwhile, Xu Huaiqian remained in the room for a long time, seemingly still asleep.
Every fell silent.
Who was the man, and who was the wife?
This was especially true for Duan Youyan and Sheng Yunjin, who were married. Though their relationship had been cold and distant, they had experienced ruts.
After each rut, Sheng Yunjin's legs would tremble and feel weak for a day or two. After his first rut, he couldn't eat properly for three days.
His stomach remained bloated and full, leaving him unsure just how much Duan Youyan had fed him.
Now, seeing Chen Liejiu humming cheerfully as he washed up, their expressions turned complicated.
Xu Huaiqian—Master Xu—was clearly lacking.
Their thoughts were unknown to Chen Liejiu. After washing up in the water room, he was in such a good mood that he even fetched a bucket of water to take into the room. He wiped down Xu Huaiqian, who was sleeping soundly wrapped in the quilt, until he was fresh and clean, before going out to find Wang Wanwan, who was cooking: "Kill another old hen and stew it with ginseng for soup. Your Second Brother was tired out last night; he can nourish himself when he wakes up."
Every: "..."
They had never seen such a ridiculous thing—the husband preparing tonic for the groom the day after the wedding.
But then they thought of Xu Huaiqian's always sickly, blood-coughing body and felt it was reasonable.
How strange.
Xu Huaiqian didn't wake until near noon. Waking to an empty bridal chamber with just himself, he felt a void inside.
Holding the quilt in the room, he called out with a hoarse voice: "--A-Jiu?!"
Chen Liejiu was outside entertaining Xu Huaiqian's guests. Usually, Xu Huaiqian didn't socialize with villagers; his close friends were only these classmates from the academy.
They would study together at the academy for many more years. Since they had made the effort to visit, they had to be well entertained.
As they were talking, Chen Liejiu was planning to take them around the area after lunch and show them the road he built for Xu Huaiqian.
Hearing Xu Huaiqian's voice, he hurried into the room. Seeing the man who had gotten out of bed, half his shoulder bare, still sleepy, he smiled: "You're awake?"
Xu Huaiqian was a bit hurt: "I'm awake, and I couldn't find you when I woke up!"
Heaven knows how scared he was when he touched the bed and found the other side ice cold.
He thought he had just had a beautiful dream—that he hadn't time-traveled, didn't have a husband, and hadn't consummated the marriage.
"I have to entertain the guests," Chen Liejiu walked over and covered his shoulders and neck with the quilt, afraid he would catch a chill.
"They haven't left yet?" Feeling the void filled as his husband held him, Xu Huaiqian, still not fully awake, yawned. Local guests didn't need entertaining; the only s who did were those from outside the village.
Many of Chen Liejiu's escort brothers were no longer in contact. The villagers liked to pester them, asking if they were still hiring, so he hadn't invited them either.
The only outside guests were Xu Huaiqian's group of classmates—all scholars with official ranks. The villagers consciously knew they weren't on the same level and wouldn't be so tactless as to disturb them.
The guests Chen Liejiu mentid were probably only them.
"They said they have something to discuss with you and haven't left, waiting for you." Chen Liejiu held him through the quilt for a while, soothing the minor upset of not waking up together, then took his underclothes to the brazier to warm them. "Getting up?"
"What do they need to see me for?" Xu Huaiqian wanted to be clingy with his husband more on the day after the wedding. Hearing there was business made him unhappy, but since his husband was warming his clothes, he reluctantly emerged from the quilt. "Let's get up!"
Chen Liejiu smiled at his demeanor, dressed him in the warmed clothes, and saw the porcelain-white skin covered in marks he couldn't resist leaving during last night's heat flush.
His fingertips itched to touch them.
Xu Huaiqian felt an itch on his chest and looked down. Chen Liejiu was touching the place covered in last night's bite marks, looking up at him teasingly: "Hmm? Not enough kisses? Want more?"
Chen Liejiu's eyes heated as he closed Xu Huaiqian's underrobe and kissed his lips twice: "Of course not enough. Need a lifetime of kisses."
Xu Huaiqian's lips immediately curled up high. Aiyo, his husband was so good at coaxing him.
He wrapped his arms around his husband's waist and rubbed against him.
"Get up quickly." Chen Liejiu was also amused by his clinginess, smiling. His little husband was so affectionate. He patted his back, urging him to get up and put on his pants.
"I can handle this myself." Seeing Chen Liejiu about to help him with his pants, Xu Huaiqian blushed, snatched them, and quickly put them on under the quilt.
He could act cute and vulnerable in front of his husband but absolutely couldn't appear disabled.
Seeing him so proud, Chen Liejiu didn't have the heart to tell him he had already wiped his entire body down—everywhere, up and down.
Especially the area fought hard last night, wiped clean.
But clearly, Xu Huaiqian hadn't noticed. Dressed and out of bed, he regained his elegant gentleman demeanor, expression slightly brighter, and said to Chen Liejiu: "I'll go wash up first."
"Okay." Chen Liejiu arranged for him. "I'll fetch water for you."
"Mm." Xu Huaiqian followed Chen Liejiu bouncily to wash up.
By the time they finished, it was just time for lunch. With so many people, the Chen main hall couldn't fit them, so they simply set the meal in the courtyard.
Meng Fangxun, seeing Xu Huaiqian after washing up— smiling between his brows, eyes full of emotion, the very picture of a man recently nourished by love—asked in surprise and delight: "Your eyes are better?!"