Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death? Why did this powerful cousin love him so much?

Red candles burned brightly, filling the room with tranquility.

Both were getting married for the first time, but compared to Jiang Sese's nervousness, Xie Jue appeared much more composed.

All told, she and Xie Jue had only been dating for a little over a year, from when they first met to when they started dating, and now they were getting married.

Jiang Sese had her head down, but Xie Jue gently lifted her chin.

Jiang shrank back slightly, feeling that the light in Xie Jue's eyes was somewhat intimidating.

This person always kept his emotions very restrained, both in public and in private. Even when he was happy or angry, it was always subtle and his emotions didn't fluctuate much, but you could still sense his joy or displeasure.

That's what you call having authority without being angry.

Jiang Sese was still lost in thought when Xie Jue withdrew his hand, took something out of his pocket, and handed it to Jiang Sese.

Jiang Sese was taken aback, took it and looked at it, then suddenly said, "Isn't this my handkerchief?"

She had come once before, early in the morning, and saw Xie Jue had just finished practicing his sword, so she handed him the handkerchief.

At the time, Jiang Sese was only focused on pleasing her older cousin and didn't think much of it; only now does she realize...

Her behavior at the time was actually inappropriate.

Jiang Sese looked at the handkerchief, suddenly wide awake, and excitedly asked, "So that's when you started having a crush on me?"

Xie Jue: "A crush?"

Jiang Sese asked with great interest, "Have you been secretly in love with me since then?"

This guy is such a show-off!

You really can't tell at all.

She originally thought he was this kind to all his sisters, because in the book he was a good older brother!

Xie Jue smiled, took a step closer, and, head bowed, began to undo Jiang Sese's hair. "Otherwise, what do you think I asked you to play chess for?"

Jiang Sese replied without hesitation, "Of course it's because I'm very talented!"

I never thought about it, nor did I understand it, how Xie Jue fell in love with her.

Xie Jue nodded in deep agreement: "Yes, our Sese is the most talented."

Jiang Sese looked into Xie Jue's eyes and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. She might have been able to shamelessly admit it to anyone else, but to say she had a talent for chess in front of Xie Jue was like showing off her skills in front of Guan Yu.

Xie Jue continued to remove her hair bun without stopping.

Her hair was long and thick, dark blue like satin. Xie Jue pulled his fingers out from her hair and gently supported the back of her neck. He lowered his head and placed a very light kiss on her lips.

Starting from the center of the eyebrows, the path descends to the forehead, eyes, tip of the nose, and finally rests on the lips.

Jiang Sese closed her eyes, her fingers clenching his clothes tightly, trembling slightly.

Xie Jue pressed his forehead against Jiang Sese's and asked, "Have you read the booklet?"

Jiang Sese: ...

Jiang Sese's mind went blank, her face turned bright red, her eyelashes trembled several times, and she finally managed to stammer out a few words: "...I...I saw a little bit."

Before her marriage, the nanny who served her and the female officials of the princess's mansion took the books in the bedroom, locked the door, and explained the principles of yin and yang and offspring to her. They also brought out erotic pictures to explain, with a simple and crude style.

Two people sat on either side of her in front of her, their expressions so serious it was as if they were highlighting key points for the imperial examinations. They would turn a page and then look up at her to make sure she understood before continuing to turn the page, but in reality, Jiang Sese's mind was already half-flying away.

I never imagined that one day I would need to be taught something face-to-face by someone else.

Even in modern times, this is a very abstract concept.

But it must be said that the ancient people painted erotic pictures really well, they were lifelike and vivid.

Especially those human body dynamics...

The various high-difficulty moves greatly shocked even Jiang Sese, who considered herself quite knowledgeable.

Hmm, the ancients really knew how to do it in a creative way.

Jiang Sese glanced at Xie Jue and felt that his eyes were a little warm. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she couldn't help but ask, "How many drinks did you get today?" She suspected that he had drunk too much and felt that his emotions were obviously being displayed.

Xie Jue looked at Jiang Sese quietly and smiled slightly, saying, "Not much, all within reason."

Xie Jue then got up and walked to the door, instructing Hongdou and Fuyun, who were waiting outside, to come in and serve him.

Jiang Sese quickly got up.

Actually, the night before her wedding, she had already taken a thorough bath.

So for now, all you need to do is wipe yourself down and change into your pajamas.

The lady-in-waiting of the princess's residence had already prepared warm water and sleeping clothes and was waiting in the outer room of the side room.

Hongdou and Fuyun led Jiang Sese to the side room, one on each side.

The side room was filled with steam. A copper basin held warm water, with a few rose petals floating on the surface. A clean soft towel and a set of bright red nightgowns were draped on a rack. Hongdou untied the sashes of her wedding dress and helped her change into the nightgown. Fuyun carefully carried the gold-embroidered brocade wedding dress she had taken off and hung it aside. She then loosened the last few strands of her hair that had been tied up.

Meanwhile, Xie Jue walked alone through the inner courtyard corridor to the hot spring in the backyard.

Tangchi is a unique hot spring pool within the Xie family mansion, where steam rises year-round.

Qing Shuang and Shu Tong stepped forward to help Xie Jue remove his outer wedding attire, then bowed their heads and withdrew.

As Shu Tong emerged, she couldn't help but glance towards the hot spring, then lowered her voice and leaned close to Qing Shuang, saying, "Sister Qing Shuang, do you think the eldest young master... will choose someone from among us to serve him in the future?"

Qing Shuang was carefully putting Xie Jue's court hat into the brocade box when she heard this. She stopped abruptly, looked up at Shu Tong, and her expression changed slightly: "What nonsense are you spouting? How can you say such things? If someone hears you, you'll be dead!"

Shu Tong was startled by her stern tone and whispered, "I'm just talking to you. We have to think about ourselves. If we don't become concubines, do you really want to get married? Although you can become a principal wife after marriage, life outside is nothing compared to life in the manor. We have better food, clothing and daily necessities than ordinary young ladies in the manor. Once we leave this house, we won't have this kind of dignity."

Qing Shuang took a deep breath, closed the brocade box, and turned to look at Shu Tong.

Her earlier panic had subsided, and her expression returned to its usual calm.

Qing Shuang shook her head sadly and said, "The eldest young master has the princess in his heart, and there is no room for anyone else. Besides, the princess is only so-so in appearance. If you and I were to get close to her, we would only be humiliating ourselves. I will only say this once. If you value your life, please don't mention it again."

Qing Shuang was only using these words to subtly influence Shu Tong because she was on good terms with her.

Shu Tong wasn't that kind of fool. A truly stupid person wouldn't stay in Ting Song Courtyard for so long. Therefore, after hearing Qing Shuang's words, Shu Tong also realized the truth.

If the young mistress were only average-looking, perhaps they would still have a chance.

With such a celestial beauty before him, and the eldest son possessing such a temperament...

Shu Tong lowered her eyes sadly and said nothing more.

……

Xie Jue removed his inner garment and slowly stepped into the pool, the hot water washing over his shoulders and neck.

Xie Jue rested his arm on the edge of the pool, and a dream he had once had gradually surfaced in his mind.

How similar the scene in my dream is to this moment—

In her dream, Jiang Sese's long hair was scattered on the water's surface. Her expression was obscured by the misty vapor, only a section of her fair shoulder was visible, and water droplets slowly slid down her collarbone. She called his name, her voice soft and sweet, and reached out her hand to him, and he truly went to her.

He pinned her against the pool wall, splashing water all over the pool.

He had always been proud of his composure, but that dream made him realize that he was just an ordinary person after all.

Xie Jue got up from the pool, dried himself off, and changed into the nightgown that had been prepared for him.

When he returned to the new house, Jiang Sese had already come back.

Jiang Sese was sitting on the edge of the bed, wearing a bright red nightgown. The red candles flickered, making her look as if she were bathed in a soft light.

Jiang Sese heard footsteps and looked up, meeting his gaze. The two stared at each other silently for a few moments through the candlelight in the room. They were both slightly taken aback when they saw that the other was wearing his nightgown.

Hongdou and Fuyun quietly retreated to the outer room, leaving only two maids who had accompanied them to keep watch in the side room.

A white silk cloth was laid on the bright red canopy bed, with three layers of curtains hanging down. The outermost layer was a light and airy bright red silk curtain, like smoke and mist, hazy and translucent, blocking the view outside the bed. The middle layer was a thick and dense cloud brocade dragon and phoenix curtain, and the innermost layer was a soft and light gauze bed curtain that was close to the body.

Jiang Sese sat on the bed, nervously taking a step back.

Xie Jue stood in front of the bed, his slender fingers untying the ties of his bright red nightgown, the hem opening to reveal his well-defined shoulders and neck.

Xie Jue bent down, one hand supporting himself on Jiang Sese's side, the other reaching for the thin silk ribbon around her waist.

When his fingertips touched the silk ribbon, he paused slightly, raised his eyes to look at her, as if waiting for her to nod.

Jiang Sese's cheeks were already flushed, her eyelashes trembled slightly, but she did not look away.

She felt his fingers hook one end of the silk ribbon, and with a gentle pull, the ribbon loosened. The neckline of her nightgown opened slightly, revealing a section of her delicate collarbone.

Xie Jue got up and lowered the curtains, and the layers of curtains fell down.

Faced with imminent death, Jiang Sese suddenly panicked and tried to struggle: "Wait a minute, I actually think we can still chat a bit more..."

Xie Jue was silent for a moment, then suddenly leaned down and whispered something in her ear.

Jiang Sese's cheeks instantly burned. Before she could even speak, his lips covered hers, and he gently grasped her wrist, their fingers interlocking on the quilt, unable to break free at all.

Xie Jue's fingertips slid along the silk ribbon across her waist, and the bright red nightgown slipped from his fingers, revealing her snow-white skin half-hidden in the crimson brocade curtains. Jiang Sese lay on the crimson brocade mattress, her long hair spread out like clouds. Her fair skin, dark blue hair, and bright red curtains created a breathtakingly beautiful scene.

Xie Jue finally understood what the saying "To die under the peony is to be a romantic ghost" meant.

The candlelight outside the tent shone through three layers of gauze, leaving only the softest, most hazy light to fall on the intertwined shadows of the two people.

When peonies encounter a fierce wind, their tender stems sway and their vibrant pink petals flutter, their slender waists utterly destroyed.

The red candle flickered slightly, and the moonlight outside the window was bright.