Chapter 14

Xie Junling, under the service of a little attendant, was submerged in the bath tub's water. He closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment, then opened his eyes in the steam-filled cleansing room.

He recalled Lu Bao'er's words, feeling resentful. Why had Lu Bao'er kept him at a distance? Was it because she looked down on him? Or had she seen some outsider in Jingdu and fallen for him, stirring the red string star?

Xie Junling furtively glanced at his own chest underwater, feeling he lacked nothing compared to other men. Evidently, Lu Bao'er must be blind to not like him.

Don't let Xie Junling's frail appearance fool you; the physique usually concealed by his white crane-feather wide-sleeved robe is actually quite impressive. At this moment, beads of moisture clung to his well-defined musculature, and the tips of his hair floated on the water like ink, adding a hint of unknown allure.

His eye sockets were reddish, perhaps from anger, perhaps from the steam making them red. He then tied up his long hair, put on his pure white inner garment, donned his outer robe, and returned to the inner chamber.

Lu Bao'er, having eaten and drunk her fill, sat beside the frame of the bolted-cloth bed, which spanned two bays and was surrounded by a corridor, adorned with the dressing table she liked daily. On the bed frame hung a scarlet gauze canopy, with gilt hooks holding a sheer curtain like gauze, and beyond that was a row of carved redwood plaques inscribed with the words 'Many sons, many grandsons'.

Lu Bao'er hid there; perhaps the candlelight was too dim, outlining her brows and eyes in clear light and shadow, making them seem even more profound. Xie Junling and Lu Bao'er had never performed the wedding rites or held a grand marriage; the so-called marital title back then was his half-hearted, scheming acquiescence on his part, and her muddled obedience to her parents' orders on hers. Truly speaking, a woman gets only one wedding in her lifetime, and he had never given Lu Bao'er that. He was in the wrong, letting the silly girl suffer injustice.

He lowered his long, black-feather-like eyelashes; the anger born from Lu Bao'er's nonsense dissipated. He drew a breath, stepped forward, and asked Lu Bao'er: "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

Lu Bao'er placed the pearl hairpin from her hand back into the eight-treasure box, smiling broadly: "Husband, you've finished bathing? Come to bed quickly, it's cold outside."

She rolled a couple of times into the corner of the bed, curled up her feet, and left a space for Xie Junling.

Xie Junling asked: "Is it because the candlelight is too bright so you can't sleep? Are you stubbornly holding onto sleepiness because you fear the dark if the light is put out, waiting for me?"

Lu Bao'er flared up, asking him: "Husband, do you really think of me this way? Can't I simply be keeping you in my heart, waiting for you to fall asleep together?"

Upon hearing this, Xie Junling's mood improved considerably. He let out a quiet cold snort; Lu Bao'er still had some conscience.

Before he could feel pleased for even a moment, Lu Bao'er murmured: "The hot-water bottle is too hot; without you warming the bed, my hands and feet are cold all night."

"……" So he's just a human-shaped hot-water bottle?

Xie Junling pulled a blanket over himself and slept alone. He curled up tightly into a cocoon, so no matter how Lu Bao'er pulled and tugged, she could not touch his body. Since they were sleeping under separate blankets, how would Lu Bao'er stay warm?

She stared, stunned like a wooden chicken, never expecting Xie Junling to hold such a grudge! How could a grown man quarrel with a little woman like her?!

Lu Bao'er angrily fell asleep alone; as the night deepened, Xie Junling opened his eyes in the dim light. He glanced sideways at Lu Bao'er, sprawled out in sleep, and helplessly tucked her back in with the blanket.

Xie Junling hesitated for a moment, then extended his broad palm, wrapping it around Lu Bao'er's slender fingers to dispel the chill. He merely saw the little maid kicking off her blanket and catching a chill, feeling a bit of pity—not that he felt sorry for her being cold‑sensitive, so don't misunderstand.

Xie Junling didn't know whether Lu Bao'er had been frail since childhood or something else, but her hands and feet always grew cold in winter. He thought he should find a midwife to examine her and gently nurture her health.