"Dear sister-in-law, don't be so uptight."
Pei Shen grinned wickedly. He tilted his head and whispered into Wen Yu's ear, playfully blowing a puff of warm air. "Don't you like this, sister-in-law?"
The warm and moist breath tickled her ear, making her whole body go limp. Her hands, which were trying to push him away, lost all their strength.
"I'm your sister-in-law. We can't do this... " Wen Yu was extremely ashamed and angry. Tears welled up in her eyes but didn't fall, making her look all the more vulnerable and arousing a destructive urge in him. "Pei Shen, I know you might feel some stirrings at your age. I'll definitely find a suitable wife for you. Please stop this and let me go..."
Find a wife for him?
Pei Shen scoffed softly. A dark glint of desire flashed in his eyes. He bit down gently on Wen Yu's earlobe as if in punishment.
"Sister-in-law, it's been so long since elder brother passed away. Don't tell me you're still going to remain chaste for him?" Pei Shen's tone carried a hint of danger.
He reached out and tilted Wen Yu's chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"Or is it that everyone else can be with sister-in-law, but I can't?"
At these words, Wen Yu's face paled instantly. She opened her mouth but it took a while for her to find her voice. "What did you say?"
"Don't you know what I'm talking about, sister-in-law? What did you and the Third Prince do at the palace banquet the other day? Do you want me to reenact it for you? And what about General Li, or perhaps..."
Pei Shen's voice dripped with malice. His eyes were burning with desire and sharp as a blade. He looked at Wen Yu like a hungry wolf eyeing a fat lamb.
Wen Yu's face turned even paler and her body began to tremble. "You know everything? Then why... "
Why didn't you save me?
Wen Yu didn't finish her sentence when Pei Shen let out a sneer and cut her off.
"Dear sister-in-law, you really have no idea how attractive you are. If I could, I'd definitely hide you away and make you my own treasure. But unfortunately, they're watching too closely."
"For your sake, we've all made quite a few concessions. Sister-in-law, tonight belongs to you and me."
"The real you and me. This is the first time I'm accompanying you as Pei Shen, sister-in-law. Do you recognize me? Ever since our wedding night, it's always been me who's had a marital relationship with you."
These few words hit Wen Yu like a thunderbolt.
Before she could gather her wits, Pei Shen pounced on her. He had been holding back for too long and his actions were as wild as a rabid dog's, showing no sign of restraint.
Wen Yu bit down hard on her lower lip, feeling as if her soul was being shattered.
Why?
Why was he doing this to her?
After he was satiated, Pei Shen let out a sigh and pulled her into his arms. He said contentedly, "It's such a pity. I should have gotten rid of elder brother earlier. Maybe then I wouldn't have had to share sister-in-law with those guys."
Wen Yu's consciousness was hazy. She hadn't even understood the meaning of his words when she fell into a deep sleep.
When she opened her eyes again, Pei Shen was about to leave for court.
"Get some rest. When I come back from court, I'll bring you your favorite pastries, okay?" Pei Shen caught a glimpse of Wen Yu's movement from the corner of his eye. He immediately stepped forward and, ignoring her resistance, planted a kiss on her forehead. "Sister-in-law is as sweet as ever."
Hearing the title "sister-in-law", Wen Yu felt a surge of nausea in her stomach. Her face turned green and she raised her hand to slap Pei Shen across the face.
The man remained calm. He gently caught her hand and pressed it against his cheek. "Does sister-in-law like to play like this? Then I'll let sister-in-law have her fun tonight. But not now. I have to go to court. Sister-in-law, stay in the mansion obediently and wait for me."
With that, he strode out of the room.
【Help! The screen was black all night. Our girl is having a great time!】
【Wuwuwu, our little Pei dog finally got to be himself on the table!】
【Did no one notice what Pei Shen said before he left? This is so sweet. Let me act in an episode!】
Suddenly, a dense mass of semi-transparent words floated in mid-air. Wen Yu was so startled that she trembled all over.
What was this?
Wen Yu called in a few maidservants in a suspicious and uncertain manner. After many attempts, she finally confirmed that these words, known as danmaku, could only be seen by her.
Looking at the constantly changing words in the air, Wen Yu's heart began to race and her blood almost boiled.
According to these words, she, Wen Yu, was just the female protagonist of a romantic story. She was destined to get entangled with different male protagonists and sink deeper and deeper into their web.
In the story, Wen Yu initially refused to yield to the male protagonists' coercion. But half a year later, the Wen family was raided for embezzlement.
In order to save her family, she offered herself to the Third Prince in order to spare her relatives from the death penalty.
But in the end, her elder brother, who had always been obedient to her, was sentenced to be torn apart by chariots for defending his pregnant sister-in-law against the court.
Her father, who had always been so concerned about his reputation, was paraded through the streets and beheaded at the Meridian Gate.
Her mother was reduced to a lowly servant in the brothel and was mocked for being old and haggard.
The sister-in-law that the whole family had tried so hard to protect was tortured to death by the jailers in prison because they thought a pregnant woman was more alluring.
Wen Yu's sacrifice had brought her no rewards.
But once she had given in for the first time, it was only natural for her to sink further.
At first, she would suffer from having to juggle between several men. But in the end, she would "fall in love" with them and live a happy life with them.
But in fact, the whole thing about the Wen family's embezzlement was Pei Shen's scheme from beginning to end.
As a member of the Second Prince's faction, Pei Qing had embezzled a large amount of silver over the years to support the Second Prince. The evidence of his crimes was piling up.
Until recently, Pei Qing was ordered to leave the capital to relieve the famine. On the way, he encountered bandits and died without a trace.
Pei Qing's death was Pei Shen's way of showing his loyalty to the Third Prince.
Such a ruthless and unscrupulous person, where was he worth loving?
Since they all wanted to make her life miserable, then let's see who would go to hell first!
Wen Yu was trembling with hatred. She wished she could kill all those who had humiliated her on the spot.
But she knew very well that even with the information revealed by the danmaku, she alone was no match for these people.
If she wanted to take revenge and save the Wen family, she needed a powerful ally.
...
"I brought you osmanthus cakes." Pei Shen came straight to Wen Yu's courtyard without even bothering to change out of his scarlet court robes. He placed a paper bag in front of her and said with a smile, "It's from your favorite shop. Try it quickly."
The sweet smell of the osmanthus cakes wafted into her nostrils. This pastry shop had always been very popular and it was Wen Yu's favorite snack in the past.
She glanced at it but didn't reach out to take it.
"I heard from the servants that you went out today, sister-in-law? Where did you go?" Pei Shen wasn't angry. He smiled and unwrapped the paper bag. Then he picked up a piece and brought it to her lips. "Don't you eat it because you don't like osmanthus cakes anymore, or because you don't like it when I give it to you?"
Wen Yu's eyes darkened. She looked up at Pei Shen and said coldly, "Do I need to report to you where I go?"
"Sister-in-law, your words really hurt my feelings." Pei Shen said playfully. He squeezed the osmanthus cake in his hand, and it crumbled into pieces all over the table.
He reached out and wiped the crumbs on his fingertips onto Wen Yu's lips. Then he leaned in and kissed her.
"No wonder sister-in-law likes this pastry. It does taste good." Pei Shen squinted his eyes and licked his lips lightly, as if still savoring the taste. "What did sister-in-law do when you went back to the Wen family today? Why didn't you let me accompany you?"
Wen Yu turned her head away and lowered her eyes to hide the disgust in them. "My husband is dead. Shouldn't I go back to the Wen family?"