Du Lingxuan opened her mouth, about to retort, but Pei Zhiyan had already taken Song Ruotang's hand and left.
"Master!" Du Lingxuan clenched her fingers tightly and called out to his back. Pei Zhiyan paused for a moment. Du Lingxuan's sad expression softened a bit. She thought Pei Zhiyan had responded to her call and was just about to step forward when she heard him say to a servant beside him, "Keep an eye on the Second Madam and make sure she sits properly."
Hearing this, Du Lingxuan staggered a couple of steps. She knew that Pei Zhiyan was determined to make her sit in the round winnowing basket today.
A young servant stepped forward and said to her, "Second Madam, please."
Du Lingxuan clenched the hem of her dress, biting her lower lip with humiliation on her face. She was the precious daughter of the Du family. Her elder brother was the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and her father was the Director of the Imperial College. When had she ever suffered such humiliation?
"Second Madam, please bear with it for a while," the servant walked up to her. "The Master has finally returned to the mansion. It seems that he is going to stay for a long time. There will be plenty of days ahead."
Du Lingxuan understood what he meant. Pei Zhiyan had just returned. If she annoyed him now, he would surely have a bad impression of her when they lived under the same roof in the future.
Thinking of Pei Zhiyan's face, Du Lingxuan wrinkled the hem of her dress. Finally, she gritted her teeth and endured the humiliation as she sat into the round winnowing basket.
Pei Zhiyan remained silent all the way. Song Ruotang saw that the coldness in his eyes had not faded. She followed him into the courtyard. Only then did she softly say, "Zhiyan, don't be angry..."
Hearing her voice, the coldness on Pei Zhiyan's face melted away. He looked down at her with tenderness and apology in his eyes. He reached out and stroked her face. "I'm sorry, A Tang. I've made you suffer."
Song Ruotang shook her head. "I'm fine."
Pei Zhiyan sighed. He couldn't do anything to the Du and Lin families for now. He could only say to Song Ruotang, "Stay away from them as much as possible in the future."
Song Ruotang understood this truth as well. Pei Zhiyan pursed his lips slightly. It seemed that he had to speed up his plan to send Du Lingxuan and Lin Yun out of the mansion.
The two walked slowly in the courtyard. The night wind blew, and it was a bit cold. Pei Zhiyan felt Song Ruotang shiver and pulled her into his arms. "It's windy outside. Let's go inside quickly."
Song Ruotang followed Pei Zhiyan into the room and found that everything inside had been replaced with red silk wedding quilts. The big red candles were burning brightly. Dates, peanuts, longans, and lotus seeds were placed on the table, and there was also a delicate jade steelyard beside them.
Pei Zhiyan passed by the table, picked up a bowl of pastries and walked in front of Song Ruotang. He picked up a piece and brought it to her lips. "Are you hungry? This is osmanthus cake. Try it?"
Song Ruotang took a small bite from Pei Zhiyan's hand. The pastry melted in her mouth. The faint fragrance of osmanthus and the sweet smell lingered on her tongue. Song Ruotang nodded and sincerely praised, "It's delicious."
Pei Zhiyan fed her a few more pieces. Looking at her slightly puffed cheeks, his heart softened. He gently kissed her cheek.
Song Ruotang stopped eating the pastry. After she realized what had happened, a blush slowly crept up her cheeks. She lowered her eyelashes, which were trembling slightly. She whispered, "Zhiyan, why did you... while I was eating?"
"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it..." Pei Zhiyan was very close to Song Ruotang's face. He watched as her cheeks turned pink with shyness. He always felt as if a feather was gently brushing across his heart. He couldn't help but kiss her.
Song Ruotang pursed her lower lip. Pei Zhiyan softly asked her, "Are you full?"
She nodded. "Yes, I'm not hungry anymore."
Pei Zhiyan looked at her bright face. His eyes darkened a bit. "I'm hungry."
Song Ruotang was a bit confused. She turned her head and looked at the osmanthus cakes on the table beside them. "There are still a few pieces of pastry. Why don't you have some?"
Pei Zhiyan hugged her into his arms and shook his head. "I already have something I want to eat more."
Song Ruotang was a bit dazed. She looked around and saw the nuts on the table. She was just about to ask him when she turned her head. Before she could open her mouth, Pei Zhiyan's lips came down and blocked the words she wanted to say.
Pei Zhiyan's kiss was lingering, but it made Song Ruotang feel weak. The ambiguous sound of their lips made her couldn't help but moan softly.
This sound seemed like a fuse, instantly breaking Pei Zhiyan's patience. His hand groped all the way to Song Ruotang's belt. He pressed her against the couch and rubbed his lips against hers. He whispered, "A Tang, on our wedding night, I don't want to hold back."
Although he said so, his hand still stopped at her waist. He looked at Song Ruotang with a persistent and deep look in his eyes, waiting for her order.
Song Ruotang's eyes were completely red at the corners. Her face was flushed, and her eyes were filled with misty tears. Facing Pei Zhiyan's look, she just turned her head and covered her hot face with her arm. She let out a soft "um" like a mosquito's buzz.
A person who practiced martial arts had extraordinary hearing. Even with the sound of the wind and their breathing, Pei Zhiyan still keenly heard her answer.
Almost the moment she agreed, the big red embroidered cloud-patterned belt around Song Ruotang's slender waist was untied by Pei Zhiyan.
His eyes were dark with patience and desire. He gently kissed the tear at the corner of Song Ruotang's eye and softly comforted her, "A Tang, don't be afraid..."
A gust of wind blew. The newly replaced red bed curtain fluttered down. The light gauze danced like red waves. Song Ruotang was submerged in these waves, feeling the gentle caresses like fine rain...
Song Ruotang was woken up. When she heard the sound outside the door, she turned her head and looked. It was still not dawn, but the sound outside the door was very loud. "Third Madam, it's time to get up."
Song Ruotang's whole body ached. When she tried to get up, she found that Pei Zhiyan had left the room at some point. He seemed very busy recently. At first, Song Ruotang thought he was busy with the arrangements for her to enter the mansion, but it seemed that there was more to it today.
As soon as she sat up, the door was pushed open. A strange maid walked in and bowed to Song Ruotang. "Third Madam, according to the rules, a new bride should get up early to offer tea on the second day after entering the mansion. This servant saw that you were about to miss the time, so I was a bit rash. I hope the Madam will forgive me."
Song Ruotang naturally knew about this procedure and didn't say much. She just got out of the couch and let the maid do her makeup and dressing. The maid who had come in to inform her earlier seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
Perhaps because Song Ruotang was not easy to deal with yesterday, this maid was afraid that she would also object to the matter of offering tea.
After she said that, she left. Xiaoxi served Song Ruotang while washing up and said, "That's Yan'er, the maid beside the First Madam. She is very trusted by the Madam."
Song Ruotang nodded. She knew that she would surely be bullied when she went to offer tea this time.
Song Ruotang quickly took Xiaoxi to the main hall. Pei Zhiyan's two concubines were sitting in the upper seats, looking down at her haughtily.
"A new bride should get up early to wait for tea. Now she has made the elders wait for her." Du Lingxuan, who was sitting in the second seat, snorted. She had been punished by Pei Zhiyan to sit in the winnowing basket all night, and her expression when looking at Song Ruotang was quite dissatisfied.
But the woman sitting in the first seat calmly said, "The Third Sister didn't bring any servants when she entered the mansion. She must not know these rules. The Second Sister should be more understanding."