Young widow in her boudoir

It was Pei Zhiheng.

Her soft breasts pressed almost completely against his body, and the fragrance of her married woman's clothes wafted over him.

Xie Rutang blushed, hurriedly got off him, and then gave a soft and weak bow.

The man was also at the family dinner tonight; the lanterns on the pillars shone brightly, and the layers of flowers in the courtyard swayed gently.

Pei Zhiheng changed out of his official robes and wore only a dark blue round-necked robe with wide sleeves that trailed to the ground. His face was as cold and sharp as a dragon's and phoenix's cursive script.

At today's family banquet, he sat at the main table, while she, a widow from the Shen family, sat at the farthest table from him, not worthy of showing her face in front of him.

He sipped his drink at the family dinner, but never once glanced in her direction.

When Pei Zhiheng was staying at the Shen residence, he spent his spare time handling official business, making it even more difficult to see him. Even when Shen Xiaoxiao begged and pleaded to see him, she was turned away at the door.

"Greetings to the Second Master."

When Xie Rutang felt Pei Zhiheng's cold, hard gaze fall on her, she froze instantly, as if doused with cold water.

She figured he would misunderstand again, thinking she was throwing herself at him.

Pei Zhiheng glanced back and saw Qin Yao sneaking away after meeting the male members of the household.

When Qin Yao saw this Second Master Pei, his legs went weak as noodles, and he dared not go forward.

Pei Zhiheng immediately guessed the whole story.

At night, the woman wore no makeup, and used a jade hairpin to half-tie her cloud-like hair behind her head, completely unaware of how charming she was.

Pei Zhiheng's cold eyes were deep and unfathomable, revealing no trace of joy or anger. "I never expected that Madam Shen, a widow, would be so coveted."

His tone was anything but gentle; every word struck at her most sensitive and embarrassing spot as a widow.

There was a meaning in his eyes that both men and women could understand.

"you……"

Xie Rutang's fingers curled up, a strange feeling passing through her heart. It was strange; the man's casual, cold words seemed to have grasped her lifeline, making her feel weak all over.

She had this feeling every time she saw Pei Zhiheng.

Xie Rutang hurriedly lowered her head, "Second Master, you misunderstand. I... did not intend to cause trouble."

Pei Zhiheng had been drinking, so his tone towards her was a bit harsher, carrying a hint of anger he himself didn't realize. He had witnessed firsthand how tender Xie Rutang's kisses were, her eyes misty and watery—a sight no man could resist.

Hearing her sobs, his gaze fell down and returned to her.

Beneath the thin, soft spring dress on a summer night lay a slightly fuller figure, though it was a size smaller.

Because of what he said last time, she is still binding her chest.

Pei Zhiheng's throat bobbed involuntarily, then he frowned and his face became serious.

A moment later, Xie Rutang heard him say in a serious and dignified tone, "Don't bind your chest anymore."

Thinking about how she had been binding her chest for so long, the man pondered for a moment and then said in a calm tone, "Why don't we invite a wet nurse into the house to massage your muscles and loosen up your muscles? Binding them for so long isn't good for your health."

Don't actually strangle it.

It took Xie Rutang a while to realize what he meant.

Her face flushed red instantly, and she looked incredibly embarrassed.

She was somewhat embarrassed and annoyed!

It was actually Pei Zhiheng who said such things to her, a mere woman.

But how come his eyes are so sharp?

Xie Rutang felt very uncomfortable, but after hearing what he said, she felt a tightness in her chest.

Pei Zhiheng saw the faint blush on her face, which spread from her ears to her neck. She was very susceptible to teasing, and it was hard to imagine that she was a married woman who still had the shyness of a young girl.

The summer heat made the fabric, damp with sweat, seem to be infused with the scent of milk. Now, with the added heat, that milky fragrance seemed to evaporate and become even more intense.

The wind was extremely slow in the corridors, and even the exchange of breaths seemed to have stopped.

Pei Zhiheng's breathing became heavier, perhaps because he smelled her fragrance.

His gaze turned slightly cold as he considered her pitiful situation and even considered making an exception to help her.

But Xie Rutang is a widow, and if he were to make a move, he would get himself into a lot of trouble.

Furthermore, Xie Rutang's position in his heart has not yet reached that level.

Pei Zhiheng quickly dismissed the idea.

After saying that, Pei Zhiheng did not linger. He flicked his sleeves and strode away.

In the blink of an eye, Jin Yue, who had gone to the restroom, returned.

Qin Yao had already disappeared without a trace, and Xie Rutang took advantage of this opportunity to return to the backyard of the Shen residence.

After Xie Rutang returned, she untied the silk ribbon that had been binding her chest, and she felt much more comfortable and could finally breathe.

She closed her eyes, trying hard not to think about Pei Zhiheng's words.

……

Since Shen Yuan passed away, Xie Rutang has stayed in the secluded mansion every day, spending most of her time accompanying her sister-in-law, Shen Xiaoxiao.

Shen Xiaoxiao learned needlework, played the zither, or practiced calligraphy while reading, and she was always accompanied by her.

With nothing else to do, Xie Rutang picked out a new piece of satin early at the beginning of the month to make a summer dress for her sister-in-law, as well as the phoenix-tail skirt that Shen Xiaoxiao had been longing for.

During the day, she had to pay her respects to the old lady and stand by her side, and was busy with various chores. Only when the night was deep and quiet, and the courtyard was deserted, could she pick up a lamp and sew clothes.

She sewed for several nights, and her fingertips were pricked by the needle in several small cuts, but she just rinsed them with water and then stopped.

After the garment was finished, Xie Rutang folded it neatly and placed it in a brocade box before personally carrying it to her sister-in-law's courtyard.

Just as he was about to knock on the door, he overheard Shen Xiaoxiao and her maid talking inside.

It was quiet all around.

The only sound was the incessant chirping of cicadas in the trees in the yard.

Having just finished afternoon tea, Shen Xiaoxiao sat on the south-facing chaise lounge, her voice haughty and disdainful, "Who does she think she is, my sister-in-law?"

"She comes from a humble family, with a narrow perspective. My brother, a man of such stature, married Xie Rutang, a woman of ordinary birth. She may look docile and obedient, but she's probably not so docile at heart. I don't know what methods she used to win over my brother, but now that he's gone, she's occupying the title of First Madam and clinging to the Shen family mansion..."

Shen Xiaoxiao, her fingers stained with balsam flowers, was idly pinching the flowers in the vase.

"My sister-in-law does all sorts of things for me every day, sewing clothes and making soup, but my mother said that her family used to be just a cloth shop owner, and now her brother is in prison and in debt, so my mother is unwilling to lend a helping hand."

She chuckled softly: "The reason she's trying so hard to please me is simply because she's afraid of losing her foothold in the household and wants to use me to gain my mother's favor."

Xie Rutang's face gradually faded, becoming almost transparent in the sunlight, as delicate as a cicada's wing.

Having been married into the Shen family for a year, she had been attentive to her sister-in-law in every way, taking care of everything, big and small, treating her like a younger sister. She had hoped that one day she could warm her sister-in-law's heart.

She never expected that Shen Xiaoxiao would secretly despise her background so much.

Inside, Shen Xiaoxiao continued her incessant chatter, "Xie Rutang always acts like the eldest sister-in-law, trying to control me. She has to advise and discipline me on everything. I'm constantly being nagged by her, and in the afternoon I have to write calligraphy for her to review. I'm so annoyed!"

The maidservant beside him quickly and gently tried to persuade him, pleading with him in every way possible.

After a while, Shen Xiaoxiao reluctantly came to her desk, picked up her calligraphy brush, and calmed down to practice her calligraphy.

Standing outside, Xie Rutang's fingertips felt cold, and despite being exposed to the midday sun, she felt no warmth whatsoever.

The fact that her brother was imprisoned and had no one to help him was even used by Shen Xiaoxiao as a topic of gossip and a joke, which she casually discussed and ridiculed with her maid.

It was noon, and the soft sounds of laughter and chatter continued inside the house.

Xie Rutang slowly withdrew her hand from the door before knocking, then quietly left as if she had never been there.