Mian Tang once thought her husband was a banished immortal from heaven, untouched by mortal concerns. Now, this celestial being had fallen to earth, his flaws exposed through his cracked facade.
Today, she discovered another flaw—his mouth truly deserved a good slap!
Setting aside the matter of his scent, her grandfather had injured him with those kicks. If Cui Xingzhou pursued the matter, her grandfather would be in the wrong. But Cui had gone too far! He deliberately offered his wound to her grandfather’s feet—how could it not bleed?
Cui Xingzhou claimed his leg injury prevented him from returning to the camp outside the city. He insisted on resting in Mian Tang’s small courtyard to recover.
Unable to refuse due to her family’s culpability, Mian Tang couldn’t send him away. She had no choice but to let him stay in her courtyard again.
Cui Xingzhou found this arrangement quite pleasant.
After enduring loneliness in the northwest for so long, he could now stay in Mian Tang’s small courtyard. It felt like returning to North Street in Lingquan, watching cats chase butterflies among flowers, with Mian Tang’s fragrant tea at hand—all reminiscent of peaceful, idyllic days.
The woman, dressed in loose robes with her hair piled high, bent over an abacus. The clicks of the beads, though mundane, sounded like heavenly music in this courtyard, oddly addictive.
If not for the Emperor’s urgent summons, Cui Xingzhou felt he could live here for half his life. With this thought, he sat next to Mian Tang, taking a comb to tidy her disheveled hair.
She was still upset with him, refusing to share a room.
Cui Xingzhou wasn’t an impatient man. Though he constantly yearned to embrace her, he knew the time wasn’t right. He had to restrain himself to avoid angering her further.
However, early in the morning, he couldn’t resist going to her room to tease her. This caused her to hastily dress and sit at the table to manage accounts, her hair unmade and cheeks puffed in anger.
How could he let her hair remain unkempt? Cui Xingzhou began to comb it, and fortunately, her morning temper seemed to have subsided. She docilely allowed him to continue.
Mian Tang knew this fallen celestial had acquired a roguish air. Unable to drive him away, she let him comb her hair while she continued her bookkeeping.
As Cui Xingzhou brushed her raven-black hair, he lectured earnestly: “You may be angry with me, but don’t neglect your business. You left abruptly, abandoning the Lingquan shop. Luckily, the manager was diligent, preventing major issues. When we return to Zhen Province, you should manage it properly. This is your dowry; the more substantial it is, the more we can pass on to our daughter in the future!”
Mian Tang looked up, brushing away his long fingers from her cheek. She asked, lowering her gaze, “Who says I’m bearing your daughter?”
Cui Xingzhou held her close, his eyes downcast. “When you left, as the northwestern army advanced, I thought the growing distance would help me forget you. But you refused to see me even when you came to the northwest to trade sheep. When I heard this, my heart ached. I couldn’t bear to imagine you marrying and having children with someone else. So I had people watch over you, preventing you from marrying… I suffered so much, and you have feelings for me too. Now that you’re so adamant about not marrying, can you bear to see me wed another?”
Mian Tang pressed her lips together, silent. She knew she couldn’t remain indifferent, especially when he spoke of his heartache. She understood that feeling all too well…
Seeing Mian Tang’s silence, Cui Xingzhou knew his words had reached her. He continued, “The Huaiyang Prince’s mansion isn’t a den of tigers and dragons. I have no chambermaids or pre-marital concubines to compete for your affection. You only need to respect my mother. Moreover, the prince’s mansion isn’t like those gentry households where mothers-in-law torment their daughters-in-law. My mother is busy with tea parties and theater societies daily. You’d be lucky to see her for morning and evening greetings. What is there to worry about?”
Mian Tang turned to look at him. “My mother also thought simply, but when my father grew to despise her, even the old servants dared to talk back to her. Your prince’s mansion has strict rules. I have no foundation there. If you trick me into marrying you… one day when you tire of me, even the guard dogs might bark at me…”
Cui Xingzhou couldn’t help but laugh at this. “I might believe anything else you say, but with your temperament, Mian Tang, how could you let servants bully you? If a dog barked at you, I fear you’d break its legs and feed it to wolves… Didn’t you already have Old Madam Li, my household’s head matron, wrapped around your finger?”
Mian Tang was left speechless by his retort. He had a point. If someone bullied her without reason, she indeed wouldn’t tolerate it.
However, dealing with the social intricacies of the prince’s mansion wouldn’t be as simple as Cui Xingzhou made it sound. Though usually fearless in facing any situation, this time she was truly afraid, scared by Cui Xingzhou’s deception…
“Our feelings are but a castle in the air, a mere illusion. Let’s not even discuss how sincere you were… Before, I respected you, and we got along well, but if I enter the prince’s mansion, I fear there won’t be much joy… If you truly love me, let’s part ways here… I don’t want to look back on you with regret in the future…”
Her thoughts went far beyond those of a typical nineteen-year-old girl. Their life on North Street wasn’t real life; it was more like playing house.
If he, in a moment of impulse, insisted on marrying her, and she, equally impulsive, agreed, their married life would be filled with endless troubles. He was destined for greatness, needing a noble lady who could gracefully handle interactions with aristocrats, not a woman from the jianghu world whom even the old Imperial Consort couldn’t accept.
Her mother had once loved her father deeply; otherwise, she wouldn’t have married him, and become a stepmother to her brother. But what happened afterward? The intense love was worn away to nothing in the minutiae of married life.
Remembering her mother’s resentful gaze on her deathbed, refusing to mention her father even once, Mian Tang had silently vowed to marry a man who would truly respect and honor her.
Her mother had lived with people constantly criticizing her for marrying into an official family. Mian Tang didn’t want to live even a day like that!
Now, with Cui Xingzhou pressing her, she poured out her heart, hoping he would understand her perspective. After their pleasant time together, it would be best to part ways. Surely, with time and distance, both he and she, though initially pained, would eventually reach a day when their feelings faded without a trace.
Cui Xingzhou patiently listened to her, his brows furrowed. “I am not your father, and I know you well. How could I come to despise you? As long as your heart is full of me, what are these needless worries? Have you ever heard of someone stopping eating just because they choked once? As for deceiving you, I’ve already admitted to it. You’ve been away from me for so long, surely that’s punishment enough. If you reject me because of this, I won’t accept it!”
He turned her face towards him and passionately kissed her lips.
Mian Tang, flustered by his persuasion, didn’t want to speak to him after the kiss.
Cui Xingzhou, his lips close to her ear, whispered, “I’ve never seen you so hesitant before. Just because I deceived you once, will you let me off so easily? Since I tricked you for your beauty, why don’t you trick me for my wealth? When I provide a generous bride price, if you sense any danger, you can take it and leave…”
Mian Tang couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m not a bandit. How could I run off with your bride price?”
Seeing her soften, Cui Xingzhou whispered again, “Will you stay with me tonight? I thought of you so much last night that I couldn’t sleep…”
She consistently refused, leaving him starving. How could any virile man endure such abstinence for so long? Regardless of Mian Tang’s answer, he was determined to stay in her room tonight.
This stone-hearted woman, didn’t she ever recall their past intimacy in her midnight dreams?
Mian Tang glared at him fiercely this time and stood to leave. He lazily called after her, “After lunch, I’ll go to the Lu residence to play chess with your grandfather. If I return late, I might have dinner there…”
Surprised by Cui Xingzhou’s familiarity, Mian Tang hastily asked before she could scold him, “Why are you going to my grandfather’s house again? Who invited you?”
Cui Xingzhou, his eyes fixed on her kiss-reddened lips, replied casually, “This morning, I had Mo Ru send a visiting card. Your grandfather accepted and even said he’d keep me for dinner… Don’t worry, you can go about your business. I’ll go by myself.”
How could Mian Tang focus on her affairs? Who knew what schemes this prince, full of mischief, might concoct at her grandfather’s home?
In the end, Mian Tang found herself following the Prince of Huaiyang to the Lu family residence.
Mian Tang had always thought her husband was somewhat slow to warm up to people. But recent events proved that Cui Xingzhou could control his attitude at will, whether warm or cold.
During these two visits to the Lu family, Cui Xingzhou seemed determined to maintain a friendly, approachable demeanor. He treated the younger generation of the Lu family like an elder brother, joking with them in the courtyard and even demonstrating some grappling techniques.
The Lu family valued martial arts. For the younger generation, a set of powerful fist techniques was far more admirable than even the priceless golden walnuts.
Soon, “Young Master Cui” naturally became “Elder Brother Cui.”
For some reason, her grandfather hadn’t revealed the Prince of Huaiyang’s true identity to the family, so the younger generation interacted with Cui Xingzhou without reservations, developing a warm rapport.
While the male cousins practiced martial arts in the courtyard, the women sat in the hall listening to Quan Shi from the second branch discuss yesterday’s betrothal.
It was only today that Mian Tang learned how meager and somewhat embarrassing the Su family’s betrothal gifts were.