Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang were sleepless until the early hours of the morning, only managing to sleep for two or three hours in a daze.
The next morning, their biological clocks woke them up on time. Xiao Lou noticed that they were both sleeping upright. If they put their hands together on their abdomens, it would be the standard "double corpse" position, the kind that could be buried together with a white cloth.
Yu Hanjiang threw back the covers, got out of bed, and said casually, "Get up and wash up."
Xiao Lou nodded, and just then, the maid outside knocked and came in, carrying a basin of clean water and placing it on a stool, handing him a clean towel. Xiao Lou took it, washed up briefly, and then picked up the bronze mirror on the table to look at himself.
Although she slept soundly in bed last night without daring to move, she still had to take off her hairpins before sleeping, and her hair was already a mess after a whole night. Yu Hanjiang's hair was also a mess. Xiao Lou was wondering if she should ask a maid to help her comb it when Pinger smiled and said, "Madam, would you like to comb the master's hair yourself today?"
Xiao Lou: "..."
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
This sentence automatically conjured up a scene in their minds— Yu Hanjiang had to attend the morning court every day, getting up before dawn. Xiao Lou would get up at the same time as him, personally combing his hair and helping him tidy his clothes. After Yu Hanjiang left, Xiao Lou would take a short nap and get up again at breakfast time, usually by which time Lord Yu would have already returned.
Since getting married, combing her husband's hair every day has become a habit.
Habits are hard to change, so Xiao Lou could only bite the bullet and say, "Yes, I'll comb your hair, sir."
Pinger smiled and withdrew, saying, "I'll go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and come back to call Madam later."
After she left, Yu Hanjiang sat down at the table and asked, "Do you know how to comb hair?"
Xiao Lou laughed and said, "I have the memory in my mind, I'll give it a try."
Having said that, she stood behind him and untied his hair. In ancient times, men had very long hair. Xiao Lou first combed Yu Hanjiang's hair neatly, and then, based on the scene in her memory, gently braided it into a plait and carefully braided it.
Yu Hanjiang remained motionless. Looking at Xiao Lou's serious expression in the bronze mirror, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
If Xiao Lou is willing to comb his hair every day, he would rather let his hair grow longer and spend an hour combing it every day.
Xiao Lou's movements were incredibly gentle; the wooden comb glided lightly across his scalp, each stroke like a feather brushing against his heart. Although Yu Hanjiang sat upright and remained motionless, his heartbeat betrayed him.
Among men in ancient times, the happiest person must have been one who "had such a wife".
Xiao Lou's fingers were fair and slender as she gently tidied his hair. Yu Hanjiang wanted to replay this scene in slow motion a hundred times.
The room was extremely quiet, and Xiao Lou was actually forcibly maintaining her composure.
After an unknown amount of time, he finally managed to fix Captain Yu's hair based on his memory of the movements, and then brought over the official robes for Yu Hanjiang to wear. With his hair tied up high, Yu Hanjiang's striking features were fully revealed. This hairstyle made him look even more handsome and capable, and paired with his tall and upright figure, he would definitely captivate countless people in a period drama.
Xiao Lou's heart pounded. Not daring to meet his deep gaze, she immediately looked away, forcing herself to remain calm, and said softly, "The hair of ancient people was so long, it must have been such a hassle to comb it."
Yu Hanjiang's gaze was unusually gentle. He looked at Xiao Lou and said softly, "Sit down, I'll help you comb your hair."
Xiao Lou quickly said, "No need, I can do it myself..."
"You can't manage this long hair yourself." Yu Hanjiang simply pressed Xiao Lou down on the stool, picked up a comb, and started tidying up his long hair.
Xiao Lou, dressed as a woman, has long hair that reaches her waist. Her jet-black hair slips through her fingertips and is as soft as the finest silk.
Yu Hanjiang was very fond of this long hair, gently combing it neatly section by section, and then styling it up according to his memory.
Before marriage, women in the Great Qi State Dynasty could wear braids or loose hair, but after marriage they had to put their hair up in a bun. There were many kinds of buns. Xiao Lou usually wore the kind that Yu Hanjiang also had physical memories of, because in this world they were a loving couple and often combed each other's hair.
Yu Hanjiang skillfully gathered Xiao Lou's long hair into a bun on top of her head and secured it, then personally inserted the simple wooden hairpin into Xiao Lou's hair.
Xiao Lou's ears were burning hot, with a thin red tinge at the tips, which contrasted sharply with his fair skin. Yu Hanjiang looked at his red ear tips and his heart fluttered. The comb in his hand slipped and fell to the ground with a "thud".
The crisp sound instantly snapped the two distracted individuals back to their senses.
Xiao Lou hurriedly stood up: "Okay, thank you..."
Just then, Steward Yao, the steward, walked into the backyard and said, "Sir, the carriage is ready."
Yu Hanjiang hummed in agreement, then naturally took Xiao Lou's hand and said, "Madam, let's go. We'll set off after breakfast."
Xiao Lou, whose hand was being held again: "..."
Captain Yu seems to be getting more and more skilled at this move?
***
After breakfast, they arrived at the door and found Yun Cang waiting with his two horses, which looked spirited. Not far away, there was an exquisite carriage, which Yu Hanjiang had instructed Yun Cang to prepare for his wife. Pinger stood guard beside him, and Steward Yao served as the coachman.
This time, I'm only taking Yun Cang, Steward Yao, and Pinger with me to Jiangzhou. The other servants have already been dismissed by the housekeeper and can be found again in Jiangzhou.
Yu Hanjiang led Xiao Lou to the carriage and lowered his head.
He said in a voice, "Madam, please get in the car."
He reached out and helped Xiao Lou into the carriage, and Pinger followed to take care of him.
Xiao Lou settled into the spacious carriage, and when she lifted the curtain, she saw Yu Hanjiang already nimbly mounting his horse. In the real world, whether or not one can ride a horse, certain settings are automatically instilled upon arriving here.
Yu Hanjiang looks quite handsome on horseback, very dashing...
As Yu Hanjiang rode his horse, he turned around and met Xiao Lou's gaze. Yu Hanjiang smiled slightly and waved, saying, "Let's go!"
***
In ancient times, transportation was inconvenient, and it took a whole day to travel from the capital to Jiangzhou.
Xiao Lou hadn't slept well last night, and the swaying of the carriage felt like a lullaby. With Yu Hanjiang not by his side, his mind wasn't so chaotic, and he drifted off to sleep again, his dreams filled with fragmented pieces of memories from this world.
Four years ago, Yu Hanjiang went to the capital to take the imperial examination. He was bitten by a poisonous snake in the woods. Xiao Lou happened to pass by and saved him. After spending a few days together, Yu Hanjiang went to the capital and became the top scholar in the imperial examination.
A month later, Yu Hanjiang returned to Jiangzhou to find him and said earnestly, "Marry me, and I will cherish you and protect you for the rest of my life."
Xiao Lou was moved by his promise and agreed to get married.
The Yu family had been officials for generations, and Yu Hanjiang was the newly appointed top scholar in the imperial examinations. Matchmakers practically wore out his door, yet he married a woman from a poor family, which naturally drew criticism. However, Yu Hanjiang didn't mind at all. He had a grand wedding with eight sedan chair bearers and proper rites, giving Xiao Lou ample face.
On their wedding night, Yu Hanjiang led Xiao Lou into the bridal chamber. After they drank the nuptial wine, Yu Hanjiang gazed into Xiao Lou's eyes and said in a low, husky voice, "From today onwards, you are my wife. In this life, I only wish to grow old with you. Are you willing?"
Xiao Lou blushed and nodded earnestly: "Mmm..."
Yu Hanjiang smiled slightly, gently removed Xiao Lou's bright red wedding dress, and pushed him down onto the wedding bed covered with bright red silk.
A night of passionate lovemaking.
Xiao Lou suddenly woke up from her dream, her face as red as a boiled shrimp.
Looking at his face, Pinger asked in surprise, "Madam, why is your face so red?"
Xiao Lou: "........."
He really wanted to drag Red Heart A over and beat him a hundred times over!
Role-playing games only require setting identities; do they need to go into so many details? It's one thing to have him dress as a woman and pretend to be Yu Hanjiang's wife, but to add a whole bunch of flashback scenes, including a wedding night scene!
He's a virgin in his early twenties who's never been in a relationship, and not only does he inexplicably get married, but he even has a memory of their wedding night?!
Those are just false memories; they never actually happened. It's like a dream, so there's no need to worry about them too much.
But what if Yu Hanjiang also has this memory? Then... how will he face Captain Yu after leaving this secret room?
Xiao Lou suddenly felt a splitting headache.
I used to love Heart Room the most, but now I've discovered that Red Heart A is also a huge pitfall!
Just as he was covering his head to calm himself down, the carriage suddenly stopped, and he could hear Yu Hanjiang talking to someone outside.
Yu Hanjiang asked in a low voice, "Who are those people by the river?"
Steward Yao, the steward in charge of driving the car, said, "Sir, I see they are carrying a lot of cloth; they must be a caravan from Qingzhou."
Yu Hanjiang said, "Let's go take a look."
He rode over with Yun Cang, and after a few steps, they saw a man leaning against the side of the carriage, drinking water and sunbathing, looking extremely relaxed.
The man was dressed in a deep purple silk robe embroidered with gold thread, wearing a pair of exquisite black boots, holding a folding fan in his hand, and his charming eyes were full of allure—who else could it be but Shao Qingge?
Yu Hanjiang glanced at his "I'm a nouveau riche" attire, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "And who is this?"
Shao Qingge recognized Yu Hanjiang, but they didn't know each other in Secret Room World, so he could only get into character and said with a smile, "I am Shao Qingge from the Shao family of Qingcheng. May I ask who you are, sir?"
Yu Hanjiang said, " Yu Hanjiang, the newly appointed Prefect of Jiangzhou."
Shao Qingge bowed and said with a smile, "Lord Yu, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm also heading to Jiangzhou. Would it be possible for me to travel with you and keep you company?"
Yu Hanjiang nodded: "Okay."
Hearing Yu Hanjiang ride away on horseback, seemingly chatting with him, Xiao Lou, out of curiosity, lifted the curtain, got off the carriage, took a few steps forward, and asked softly, "Husband, what happened?"
Yu Hanjiang: "..."
Shao Qingge: "............"
Upon seeing Professor Xiao dressed in women's clothing, Shao Qingge almost spat out his water.
Although dressed in women's clothing, Shao Qingge recognized Xiao Lou at a glance. His moon-white robe accentuated his ethereal and gentle beauty. What did he call Yu Hanjiang again? If he hadn't misheard, it sounded like…husband?
Meeting Shao Qingge's shocked gaze, which looked as if he'd seen a ghost, Xiao Lou's ears suddenly turned red. He didn't know how to explain, and he really wanted to immediately shrink back into the carriage and pretend he didn't exist.
Shao Qingge pressed his temples hard and asked, "Sir, who is this?"
Yu Hanjiang thought for a moment about the ancient terms used to describe a wife, and calmly said, "This is my wife."
Xiao Lou and Shao Qingge: "........."
Yu Hanjiang, fully immersed in his role, looked at Xiao Lou and said, "Madam, this is the eldest young master of the Shao family of Qingcheng. He just happened to be going to the river..."
"The state does business with us."
Xiao Lou was so embarrassed she wanted to dig a hole in the ground and bury herself.
My wife, Madam, Captain Yu, could you please stop calling me that so casually?!
With a group of servants and maids watching, Xiao Lou could only smile slightly and bow, saying, "Young Master Shao."
Shao Qingge nearly spat out his water again, quickly tossing the kettle to his servant. He carefully examined Xiao Lou, then looked closely at Yu Hanjiang, and finally accepted the situation with a smile, praising, "Lord Yu and his wife, you are truly a perfect match, a match made in heaven!"
Xiao Lou felt embarrassed by what was said, so she pretended not to hear it.
Yu Hanjiang readily accepted CEO Shao's praise, put his arm around Xiao Lou's shoulder, and said, "Young Master Shao, may I have a word with you in private?"
Shao Qingge followed Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou into the depths of the woods.
Once no one was around, Shao Qingge burst into laughter. He was holding it in so hard he was practically injuring himself. Xiao Lou's cheeks burned from his laughter, and she said helplessly, "Stop laughing. Do you think I want to wear women's clothes?"
Yu Hanjiang said calmly, "It was the Guardian who arranged for Xiao Lou to be my wife. We don't want to pretend to be husband and wife."
Shao Qingge's eyes held a hint of mockery: "Don't you want to? I see you two are quite engrossed in your performances."
Xiao Lou: "..."
Yu Hanjiang quickly changed the subject, asking seriously, "You went from Qingcheng to Jiangzhou alone? Did you have any clues?"
Shao Qingge then became serious: "Our Shao family is the largest silk supplier in the Qi Dynasty. My father asked me to transport this batch of silk to Jiangzhou and also to visit the Eighth Prince at the Zhenjiang Prince's Mansion. The Eighth Prince is the current emperor's uncle, and his sixtieth birthday is in a few days. My father asked me to prepare a generous gift to build a good relationship with the Eighth Prince and, incidentally, to open up the Jiangzhou market for the Shao family."
Xiao Lou joked, "You really were assigned the identity of a rich person."
Shao Qingge winked at him: "I'd rather the Guardian arrange a wife for me, hahaha."
Xiao Lou: "...Are you ever going to stop?"
Shao Qingge continued to laugh: "It seems there's no time limit in this secret room, so you two should cherish your time playing husband and wife."
Yu Hanjiang gave him a cold look and said, "After you go to Jiangzhou, investigate on your own. Once you find the other teammates, we need to gather together to organize the clues and not give anything away that might arouse suspicion."
Shao Qingge nodded: "Of course. I will stay at an inn after I go to Jiangzhou. You can come and find me anytime then."
Xiao Lou smiled and said, "Alright, let's go. We need to get to Jiangzhou as soon as possible."
***
Back in the carriage, Shao Qingge kept laughing.
The servant boy attending to him asked in confusion, "Young Master, why are you so happy today?"
Shao Qingge squinted and said, "I think there will be a good show to watch when we go to Jiangzhou this time."
He couldn't wait to see his teammates' reactions—when they saw Xiao Lou dressed as a woman and calling Yu Hanjiang "husband," Ye Qi, Lao Mo, and the others would probably be speechless, hahaha!