Chapter 6

Lu Junyu’s face turned red, and he reflexively wanted to turn around and leave. However, he quickly realized this wasn’t right. Today was his wedding night.

Why should he run away? Besides, his bride, a mere girl, wasn’t afraid, so he, a grown man, shouldn’t be either!

Li Hehua, the young bride, calmly began to untie her belt. Suddenly, she was hugged from behind, making her laugh softly. She then turned around and embraced Lu Junyu.

“Oh, such a slim waist!” she thought.

However, she wasn’t planning to spend her wedding night in a bathtub.

Looking into the depths of Lu Junyu’s dark eyes, which flickered with a flame, she kissed his cheek.

Then, pushing him away, she said seriously, “Husband, can you wait outside for a bit? I’ll finish bathing first, and then you can wash after that, alright?”

Lu Junyu took a deep breath, looked at his wife’s earnest face, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and replied hoarsely, “Alright, I’ll wait for you outside.”

Li Hehua nodded.

After Lu Junyu left, she undressed and got into the wooden tub. Seeing his silhouette outside, she said, “Husband, tell me about the Lu family’s relatives. Should I meet them in the next couple of days?”

Lu Junyu let out a sigh of relief and replied calmly, “Alright.”

Then he began to recount the story.

Li Hehua soaked comfortably in the hot water, enjoying the low, melodic voice of her husband and the twists and turns of his tale. It was truly one of life’s great pleasures.

Lu Junyu continued, “After Great-Grandfather passed away, Grandfather wanted to elevate the Lu family’s status and became overly ambitious. Unfortunately, he was unwittingly trapped and got involved in the prince’s struggle for the throne during the Wude period. After the new emperor ascended, the Lu family was targeted and impeached. Grandfather was imprisoned and soon passed away. The other members involved faced various punishments—some were executed, some were imprisoned, and some were exiled. The Lu family quickly fell apart.”

Li Hehua thought to herself, “Ambitious but misguided enough to back the wrong prince. How could the new emperor not settle accounts? What great family doesn’t have skeletons in the closet? Especially when Grandfather was involved in the struggle for the throne, catching him would be easy.”

“Only Father, because he was young and naive, wasn’t involved in the Lu family’s affairs and escaped unscathed. He took us away from the capital, wandering from place to place until we settled in Wangshan County.”

In reality, the new emperor didn’t want to gain a reputation for brutality and saw that Father wasn’t a threat, so he spared a branch of the Lu family to show his mercy.

He recalled that during his childhood, they still lived in relative luxury, but as their possessions were gradually pawned off, Father continued to live lavishly and took many concubines, throwing the household into chaos. Eventually, even the last bit of savings secretly given by their dying family members was spent, and they incurred significant debts.

Their home was plundered twice—first by the concubines and then by creditors—leaving only bare walls. Neighbors treated them like the plague, so they had to move again. Not long after arriving in Wangshan County, Father fell ill and died within a year, leaving behind a mother who only knew how to weep, a clueless younger sister, and him, still a child. As the only male in the family, no matter how young, he had to step up to protect his mother and sister.

Seeing Lu Junyu fall silent, Li Hehua knew he was lost in heavy memories.

She interrupted his reverie, saying, “Husband, coming to Wangshan County was a blessing, wasn’t it? Didn’t you marry me, a virtuous beauty? You’re quite lucky!”

Lu Junyu was amused, and the gloom in his heart dissipated. Feeling more cheerful, he joked, “Do you know what self-deprecation is?”

Li Hehua shamelessly replied, “I only know that excessive modesty is equivalent to pride. Husband, I’m not proud at all.”

Lu Junyu could imagine his wife’s bright eyes filled with laughter, which made him even happier.

“Wife, your tail is wagging,” he teased.

This wife was more interesting than he had thought. With her, maybe his gray life would be different.

Li Hehua splashed the water lazily. “Husband, are you spying on me? How else would you know I have a tail?”

Her teasing words made Lu Junyu feel flustered.

He stood up, saying, “Wife, my mouth is getting dry from talking. Aren’t you done bathing yet?”

Li Hehua laughed and deliberately drew out her words, “Oh, husband, you’re thirsty?”

Lu Junyu feels tormented now. In hindsight, why did he bother chatting? He should have just waited for his wife to finish bathing so they could consummate the marriage.

Now, here he was, standing outside in the cold night.

Li Hehua didn’t dare provoke too much, fearing that Lu Junyu might really turn into a wolf and burst in, leading to a bathtub play that would make her cry. A bad first experience could leave a lifelong shadow.

She thought for a moment and then said, “Husband, is it just our family that came to Wangshan County? Who was that fifth sister-in-law causing a ruckus earlier?”

Lu Junyu was pleased by her use of “our family,” as it meant there was finally another family member in their small household.

He replied, “Fifth fifth sister-in-law is from a collateral branch of the Lu family. Indeed, our immediate family is the only one here. Long ago, our ancestors, to guard against any unforeseen events, gradually had the illegitimate sons split off and relocate. The Lu family village in Wangshan County is one such branch, which is why we settled here.”

King Huai’s rebellion ten years ago affected many regions, causing varying degrees of damage or even the destruction of other Lu family branches. Only the remote and impoverished Wangshan County escaped, preserving a portion of the Lu family. However, people’s hearts have changed.

From Lu Junyu’s words, Li Hehua quickly realized they weren’t very welcome in the Lu family village and might even be ostracized. People are like that: when you’re successful, they flatter you, but when you fall, even a phoenix with fallen feathers is worse than a chicken! With Lu Junyu’s father dead early on, Lu Junyu’s ability to support the main branch of the Lu family until now and even improve their situation proved he wasn’t just a simple scholar. Thus, his marriage to her might have more purposes than just repaying a debt of gratitude. No matter what, time will reveal everything. She would reciprocate his kindness as soon as he showed it to her. Expecting her to serve him selflessly was out of the question.

The couple, separated by a door, had hearts as distant as the Milky Way.

…

After his bath, Lu Junyu felt refreshed, slowly walking toward the red bed curtain. He was about to consummate his marriage. During his bath, he had thought it through: although his wife was somewhat wild and outspoken, they were alone, and there was no one else to hear.

Between husband and wife, there was no need to adhere strictly to formalities as in books, right? And he couldn’t always let her have the upper hand.

His slender hand lifted the bed curtain, and he gasped at the sight within: her jet-black hair, fair skin, and the bright red undergarment. He dared not move, fearing to spoil the beautiful scene before him.

Seeing his stunned expression, Li Hehua understood: Lu Junyu, despite seeming formidable, was probably inexperienced.

That was good—like a blank sheet of paper, easy to teach.

She slowly pulled the red quilt up to cover most of her body, then smiled charmingly.

“Husband, are you planning to stand there all night?” Her gaze traveled from his handsome face down to his body and further down.

Tsk..Tsk..tsk..Lu Junyu might look like a weak scholar, but his physique was impressive. Even though he wore loose inner garments, they were thin enough to outline his muscular frame.

His proportions were excellent, especially his long legs, which made her almost want to whistle. She knew he was tall, but seeing him without his long robes, she realized he must be over six feet tall. Both of them were considered tall for their time, but they didn’t look overly large because they were lean.

Lu Junyu felt his wife’s gaze was like fire, making his body feel hot and almost smoking. Hearing her seductive voice, he could no longer restrain himself. He swiftly climbed onto the bed, closed the bed curtain, and embraced the soft warmth of his bride.

Li Hehua laughed softly, using her hands to feel his body. Indeed, his physique was excellent, with abs and calloused hands—certainly not someone weak. Interesting!

How could Lu Junyu withstand such teasing? He leaned down and kissed the red lips that he had longed for. However, being his first kiss, it was clumsy and nearly bit her lip.

Helpless, Li Hehua pushed him away and scolded, “Fool.”

Did the erotic pictures he saw get censored,right? If he continued like this, it would be painful. It is better for her to take control herself.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled his head down, and gently kissed his thin lips.

Lu Junyu felt his mind go blank, his heart pounding, and his throat dry despite his mouth being wet.

Gradually, he found a rhythm, his movements becoming less frantic. Just as he was about to mimic what he had seen in the paintings with his enchanting wife, she gently patted his firm chest, blew into his ear, and giggled, “Husband, am I beautiful?”

Her actions made him take a sharp breath. Suppressing his body’s reaction, he whispered, “Wife, you are as beautiful as a goddess.”