Young widow in her boudoir

It was late at night, and Xie Rutang was already asleep, with an unfinished book still lying beside her bed.

Half-asleep, Xie Rutang got up to drink water.

Using the dim light inside the room, she groped her way to the table in the dark, poured herself a glass of water, and the cool water moistened her parched lips, leaving a refreshing sensation in her throat. Jin Yue had already gone to sleep in the lower room, and all was quiet except for a few chirps of insects outside the courtyard. It was now mid-July, and the nights were a little cool.

Xie Rutang had just finished drinking water when he suddenly saw a figure as graceful as bamboo standing in the courtyard.

She could barely see at night, and in the middle of the night, it was as if she saw a ghost. She gasped in fright and instinctively wanted to scream.

The man had already quietly stepped forward and covered her lips, saying, "It's me."

He drew closer, and the faint candlelight illuminated his incomparably handsome face. Only then could Xie Rutang see him clearly. The pale moonlight enveloped him, as if draping him in a robe.

"Second Master?"

He gave a restrained, low hum, his broad palm still pressed against her excessively soft lips.

Xie Rutang's face flushed red, her cheeks pale. She subconsciously patted her chest, still shaken.

Thankfully, she didn't scream out of fright.

Otherwise, the commotion she made might alert everyone in the backyard, and then everyone would know that Pei Zhiheng had come to her yard late at night to meet with her...

Pei Zhiheng whispered, "Keep your voice down, everyone else is asleep."

Xie Rutang, still blushing, nodded.

But she began to feel agitated. Why didn't the Second Master tell her before he came over?

She had just gotten up; she should at least wash her face before greeting him...

Her hair was messy and not combed properly.

If he were Shen Yuan, they would be a couple who have been together day and night for a long time, and Xie Rutang wouldn't care so much. In the past, when she had menstrual cramps, Shen Yuan, as the eldest son of the Shen family, would personally fetch a basin of water to wash her feet. In front of Shen Yuan, she only needed to be as relaxed as possible.

But Pei Zhiheng was different. He and she were strangers. Even though they had shared a bed for two nights, there was still some awkwardness and unfamiliarity between them.

However, under the window, by the moonlight, Pei Zhiheng saw her face, which was as smooth as cream and as delicate as the dew on a rose in the morning.

Seeing that she had gotten up to drink water in the middle of the night, Pei Zhiheng reached out and poured her a glass of water, handing her the pink porcelain lotus cup.

"Thank you, Second Master."

Xie Rutang was surprised by his actions, but could only utter such dry words.

As she drank her water, a long silence ensued between them. Even though she knew exactly what he had come to do, she remained completely still, so quiet that she could only hear her own breathing.

She was really thirsty.

After Xie Rutang finished drinking the tea, holding the teacup with both hands.

A cool, composed male voice came from above. "Did I disturb you?"

He glanced inside; only a single candle was lit, casting a dim light, suggesting she had been asleep for some time.

Xie Rutang pursed her lips, then quickly shook her head, "No, no..."

How could that be?

Even if she were to disturb him, she wouldn't dare accept such a man's words. What was his status, and what was hers?

Since he hadn't disturbed her, Pei Zhiheng's gaze fell once again on her pale oval face and her pointed chin.

After exchanging polite greetings, Xie Rutang mustered her courage and, like a virtuous wife, stepped forward and tiptoed to remove his dark blue outer garment. Pei Zhiheng, meanwhile, coldly lowered his eyes and watched her unbutton his coat and loosen his belt.

Pei Zhiheng also hoped that she would get pregnant soon, so that he would no longer have to come to Cuiwu Courtyard and could devote his attention to things outside of official duties.

Pei Zhiheng had already gotten into the four-poster bed, and Xie Rutang, feeling uneasy, followed suit and climbed onto the bed as well.

Once on the bed, my vision became even darker, and I could vaguely make out the tall, imposing figure of the man, towering like a mountain.

Xie Rutang had just lain down when Pei Zhiheng leaned over to her.

As he approached, Xie Rutang turned her face away, just like the previous two times, her fingers gripping the blankets tightly.

Pei Zhiheng's face possessed both the handsome features of a young man and the composed demeanor honed by years of experience in officialdom. He was taciturn during their intimate moments, yet one could sense her indescribable tenderness tonight.

He touched her cheek with his fingers, his skin smeared with rouge, though he couldn't tell.

However, the woman was unable to get into the mood that night, which prevented them from having sex.

Then, Xie Rutang saw the man on the bed stop, and the shadow that had been looming over her moved away, and the oppressive feeling that had made her heart jump to her throat was gone.

Pei Zhiheng had already left and was sitting on the edge of the bed.

Xie Rutang breathed a slight sigh of relief. She sat up, still covered with the blankets, her eyes still wet with tears. She raised her hand and wiped the fragrant sweat from her temples, which clung to her dark hair.

She couldn't see the man's expression clearly in the night, so she lowered her voice and said cautiously, "How about Second Master comes another day?"

Her heart ached, and she didn't know why; she simply wasn't in the mood for it today.

The woman's words were actually a way of telling people to leave.

In the quiet night, the man's breath paused several times before sinking into silence. Perhaps even he was surprised that the usually meek woman would refuse him, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Pei Zhiheng frowned slightly, knowing that she couldn't let go of Shen Yuan and was embarrassed by it.

She was still embarrassed and couldn't let go of her so-called dignity.

Unexpectedly, Jin Yue heard the noise in the night and rushed over to keep watch, knocking on the door.

Taking this opportunity, Xie Rutang quickly gathered the collar of her honey-colored inner garment, went to open the door, and told Jin Yue that the Second Master had come and that she did not need to come and serve him.

Jin Yue peeked inside and noticed that something was off.

So she glanced worriedly at her mistress, whose hair was disheveled and clung seductively to her cheeks, exuding charm and arousing allure. Moreover, there was a man in the room, the most powerful and influential person in the mansion.

Jin Yue was truly worried: "Madam, if anything happens, just call out to me loudly, and I'll be waiting outside the door..."

Xie Rutang chuckled slightly, "I understand."

She knew in her heart that the Second Master wouldn't do anything to her.

After instructing the maid, Xie Rutang returned to the table.

The bed had been so stuffy and hot that a thin layer of fragrant sweat had formed on her neck, trickling down her body. She poured herself another glass of water, tilted her head back, and drank it all in one gulp, finally calming her flustered mood.

When Xie Rutang returned to the green gauze curtain, she found that the man's snow-white figure was still sitting upright on the canopy bed, his posture elegant and composed, without even moving.

He seemed quite displeased at being interrupted.

Xie Rutang was stunned.

I felt even more awkward, unsure how to face him, but I couldn't just pretend nothing had happened...

A dilemma.