Young widow in her boudoir

Summer rain comes suddenly.

Xie Rutang returned to Cuiwu Courtyard and developed a slight fever. Jin Yue helped her lie back on the couch and poured her a bowl of ginger soup.

The next morning, I felt much better.

Xie Rutang specifically asked Jin Yue to inquire outside, and found that no servants in the mansion were spreading rumors about seeing Pei Zhiheng leading her through the corridor.

The weight on my heart was lifted.

To avoid Pei Zhiheng, Xie Rutang took the opportunity to say that she was not feeling well and sent someone to Shou'an Hall to say that she would probably not be able to serve her mother-in-law for the next few days.

I finally recovered from my illness.

On June 15th, the Shen and Pei families will hold a reunion dinner together in the large garden of the Shen residence.

Although the household affairs were managed by the Second Madam Ye Wanyu, such a grand banquet involved countless matters, and she was overwhelmed with them all by herself. Therefore, she had to call Xie Rutang over to help manage all the affairs.

Under the gentle sunlight, Xie Rutang stood quietly under the flower-lined corridor, dressed in a light blue plain gauze shirt with narrow orchid-patterned cuffs, without any bead embroidery, gently directing the servants.

Although she was widowed and kept a low profile, she managed her household affairs in a very organized and orderly manner, without the slightest sign of panic. "We moved that screen to the east side because the light from the west was too bright, and the reflection from it onto that lake stone was dazzling."

The servants quickly responded and carried the heavy rosewood screen around a bend.

"Replace the vase with a white porcelain one."

"Madam Pei is allergic to incense, so please move this incense burner away."

A breeze swept across the water, carrying a faint fragrance of lotus blossoms.

At the end of the corridor, a figure had been standing by a stone pillar for quite some time, his gaze fixed on something not far away.

The woman stood under the eaves, her figure slender and graceful, her charm captivating. Qin Yao's throat burned with thirst at just one glance, as if his soul had been captivated.

This man is Qin Yao, a cousin of Shen Yuan and Shen Wen. He recently came to the Shen residence to seek Shen Wen's help and is staying there temporarily.

Qin Yao was a notorious playboy in the capital, spending his days idly, living off his family's wealth, drinking, gambling, and frequenting brothels every night. He had seen countless women, but he had never seen such a captivating woman.

How could he not know that there was such a stunning beauty in the Shen family?

Qin Yao reached out and grabbed a passing servant from the Shen family. "Who is that woman under the eaves?"

When the servant saw that he was talking about Xie Rutang, he quickly lowered his head and replied respectfully, "Young Master, that is our family's First Madam, Xie Rutang. The eldest son passed away a few days ago, and she is now a widow."

When you look over, Xie Rutang is still gently instructing the servants, radiating a bodhisattva-like gentle light.

Qin Yao narrowed his eyes, and for a moment, lust arose in his heart.

So, she was his widowed sister-in-law.

After a busy day, Xie Rutang finally had a moment to sit down on the stone bench under the corridor and gently rubbed her lower back.

The stray hairs at her temples were damp with fragrant sweat, clinging to her ears. Xie Rutang picked up a handkerchief and carefully wiped them away.

After resting for a while, she got up to return to Cuiwu Courtyard, but Qin Yao blocked her way as soon as she stepped onto the covered walkway.

He bowed to her and said, "Sister-in-law, I am Qin Yao, Brother Shen's cousin."

Qin Yao was dressed in a blue robe with a square knot pattern and held a folding fan in his hand. Although he was dressed as a scholar, he didn't look very serious.

Xie Rutang frowned, her expression as aloof as ever, and instinctively wanted to avoid her.

Who would have thought that when Qin Yao saw her all alone, his lingering gaze would stay fixed on her slender waist and graceful shoulders, refusing to look away.

She seemed to smell very nice.

Finally, he boldly stepped forward and touched her wrist.

Xie Rutang abruptly pulled her hand back, her face instantly turning pale. "How dare you! What are you doing?!"

She was disgusted, and the fear in her heart made her limbs go weak instantly.

Xie Rutang was afraid that the servants would witness this scene and think that she was having an affair with Qin Yao. As a widow, wouldn't Qin Yao ruin her reputation?

She hurriedly tucked her hands into her sleeves, lifted her skirt, and turned to flee in panic.

Watching the woman's skirt brush against the stone steps, Qin Yao's heart itched even more.

He licked his lips savoring the memory.

Your little hands are so smooth.

Qin Yao thought to himself that the Shen family mansion was always strictly guarded, and it was difficult for ordinary men to see their wives. His temporary stay here was actually a godsend.

He thought of Xie Rutang's stunningly beautiful face. Such a beauty was confined to a secluded mansion, and her life must be dull and boring. If he could find an excuse to strike up a conversation, he might be able to get what he wanted.

He refused to believe that as time went on, Xie Rutang, a widow, would not feel lonely when she was alone at night.

He was aroused by Xie Rutang's earlier actions.

After returning to his room, Qin Yao immediately and reluctantly took advantage of a maid in the room to relieve his lust.

……

Unable to bear the blow, Xie Rutang found a secluded garden and sobbed softly, unable to suppress her emotions.

The greasy feeling of Qin Yao touching her wrist seemed to still linger on it.

Just thinking about what happened makes my stomach churn with nausea.

She had been so well protected by Shen Yuan before, how could she have suffered such defilement?

She never expected this young master to be such a scoundrel! He even dared to be disrespectful to her, Madam Shen, in the mansion.

Despite her grievances, she dared not go to the old lady to complain.

The old lady already felt that she had killed her own son. If this matter were brought up today and Qin Yao's covetousness of her were revealed, not only would she not get any justice, but she would also only end up being blamed.

The old lady would surely feel that this widow was attracting unwanted attention from men and causing trouble, and would only grow to dislike her more.

Xie Rutang felt humiliated and could only suppress the matter for the time being.

From now on, she can just hide from Qin Yao in the Shen residence. Once Qin Yao leaves, she will be safe.

Ever since that scoundrel of a cousin entered the manor, Xie Rutang has been living in constant fear.

Before they knew it, it was the second night, the night of the Shen and Pei families' banquet. As a cousin of the Shen family, Qin Yao would definitely be there.

The thought of meeting that lecherous man again filled Xie Rutang with fear, but as the eldest wife of the Shen family, she had no choice but to attend such an important occasion.

As dusk fell, the two families arrived one after another.

Xie Rutang followed behind the group of women into the room, proceeding cautiously to avoid giving Qin Yao any opportunity to meet her alone, lest she give others something to gossip about.

As a result, Qin Yao deliberately found a seat diagonally opposite her and sat down, blatantly tilting his head to look at her, his eyes filled with greed.

Finally, the banquet ended and the guests got up to say goodbye. Xie Rutang didn't want to stay a moment longer. He composed himself and turned to walk towards the inner corridor, wanting to get away as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, footsteps followed closely behind, and Qin Yao chased after them.

Unfortunately, Jin Yue went to the outhouse because she felt unwell and hadn't returned yet.

The corridors were empty, and the servants were all seeing off guests in the front hall.

Xie Rutang's heart tightened, and she couldn't care less about anything else. She just kept running forward without noticing that someone was coming towards her from the corner of the corridor. She bumped into a broad and strong embrace.

With each breath, one could smell the calm, cool sandalwood scent emanating from that person.