Chapter One

Midsummer, July. The sun was blazing, and as evening approached, the orange-red glow of the sunset fell upon the window eaves of Rongming Hall.

Beside the latticed window, a woman of striking beauty sat at a desk, busy copying texts with a brush. Her hair was styled in the fashion of a married woman; her skin was fair, and her features were delicate. Having copied books for nearly the entire day, her dark, clear eyes were clouded with fatigue, and the fingertips holding the brush were gradually turning pale.

Song Xingyue was serving a penance of copying. Seated in the primary armchair was her mother-in-law, the Duchess, and opposite her sat her sister-in-law, the second young mistress of the Duke’s estate, Lady Huang.

Song kept her head down, lost in her writing, while the other two chatted amongst themselves.

The Duchess, born a princess with the title Jingxi, was the beloved younger sister of the current Emperor. From birth, she had lived in jade-paved halls, and after coming of age, she married into the Duke’s estate. She had never known hardship in her life, and even now, in her forties, not a trace of age could be seen on her dignified, opulent face. She wore a luxurious brocade robe, and golden butterflies embroidered on the wide sleeves moved with her wrists.

Jingxi held a teacup, brushed aside the froth, and took a light sip before looking at her second daughter-in-law, Lady Huang. "Now that you are with child, there is no need to run about just to watch the excitement. You have only just conceived; it is better to rest peacefully in your room. If something were to happen, I do not know when I would be able to hold another grandchild."

Her words were addressed to Lady Huang, but her eyes were narrowed, casting sharp daggers at Song Xingyue’s face.

Jingxi had two sons and a daughter. Her eldest, the heir to the Duke’s estate and Song Xingyue’s husband, was Xie Linxu. She had never liked Song Xingyue, finding her family background insufficient and believing that, aside from her face, she had nothing to offer. She detested that such a woman had married her fine son. It had been two years since she entered the estate, yet her belly remained flat. Her sister-in-law, however, had conceived less than a year after her marriage. Jingxi could not let such an opportunity to disparage her pass by.

Song Xingyue let the words go in one ear and out the other, pretending not to hear, but her grip on the brush tightened, causing ink to smudge across the page.

Lady Huang, hearing her mother-in-law’s words, looked at Song with schadenfreude while curving her eyes to reply, "I understand, Mother. But how could I be lazy when it comes to visiting you? Even if I were late by a quarter of an hour, I would feel uneasy."

The insinuation was clear to everyone, and the target, Song Xingyue, naturally understood it.

The matter traced back to the previous night. Things had been quite intense in the bedroom, and she and Xie Linxu had not rested until the hour of the Ox. Yet, the next morning, Xie Linxu had risen early to pay his respects alone. Not only did he leave her behind, he did not even instruct the servants to wake her. By the time she arrived at Rongming Hall to greet Jingxi, she was a full hour late, and Xie Linxu had already departed for his official duties.

Seeing her late, Jingxi had looked at her coldly, scolded her severely, and ordered her to copy books here for the entire day, forbidding her to stop even when her hands grew numb. Her sister-in-law, having heard of the commotion, arrived fashionably late to mock her, seizing every chance to ridicule her.

Song Xingyue felt helpless; she could not explain. Late was late. Was she to blame Xie Linxu for not waking her? If she told her mother-in-law that, it would likely result in more than just copying books. Reduced to this state, Song could only blame Xie Linxu in her heart. He hadn't woken her, and he hadn't let the servants do it either. Was he doing it to harm her on purpose? Had she done anything to anger him lately? She could think of nothing.

As she harbored these resentments, the sound of a servant announcing a visitor came from outside. Shortly after, the red silk curtain at the main gate was lifted. Song Xingyue looked up and realized that, as the saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear.

The curtain was lifted, and Xie Linxu walked in, full of grace. As he approached, his features became clearer. He had likely come straight from the imperial court, as he was still wearing his green official robes, a black gauze cap, and a plain silver belt at his waist that made his tall frame appear even more upright. His long, narrow phoenix eyes slanted slightly upward, and his jawline was sharp and well-defined. Looking at his thin lips, one could only see coldness.

After entering, he gave Song Xingyue a cold glance before looking away to bow and greet Jingxi. Xie Linxu usually only came to Rongming Hall in the morning; once a day was the maximum. It was quite odd for him to come again after his shift.

Jingxi knew his intentions well; she knew exactly why he had come. Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at him with dissatisfaction. "You are thoughtful indeed, to remember to come visit me at this hour."

"Mother is too kind," Xie Linxu replied. "I went to the palace today to pay respects to the Emperor and received some rewards, so I thought I would come to see you first."

The Emperor had been ill of late, and the morning court had been suspended for several days. As Xie Linxu spoke, his personal attendant handed a sandalwood food box to the elderly matron beside Jingxi. She took it and placed it on the table.

Jingxi’s expression did not improve much, but she did not give him a hard time, merely humming softly. She looked at Song Xingyue and said, "Your wife is becoming increasingly ignorant of the rules. You should take her back and discipline her properly; I cannot keep worrying on your behalf."

She made no effort to avoid saying this in front of Song. Xie Linxu said nothing, merely nodding slightly before glancing at Song again. Song Xingyue immediately put down her brush, rose to his side, and the two of them bowed to Jingxi before departing one after the other.

After they left, Lady Huang, having lost her entertainment, felt uninterested and also took her leave.

With everyone gone, Jingxi looked at the food box on the table. "If not for this box, do you think he would have come today?"

The old matron beside her replied, "The Young Master is filial; why must you overthink it, Princess?"

Jingxi did not wish to speak further, and the room fell silent.

It was midsummer, and the days were long. Even now, the sky had not darkened. The setting sun, like molten gold, cast its crimson glow upon the two of them. The main hall had been cooled with ice, but as soon as they stepped outside, they were hit by a wave of heat. Xie Linxu and Song Xingyue walked along the corridor, passing through the hanging flower gate toward their residence, the Clear Lotus Courtyard.

Xie Linxu was tall and walked with long strides. Having spent the day copying books, Song Xingyue could hardly keep up. Looking at his broad back, she could not help but call out, "Changzhou, wait for me."

Changzhou was Xie Linxu’s courtesy name. Song Xingyue’s voice was as soft and lingering as ever—the tone she habitually used when acting coquettishly toward him. Xie Linxu was a cold and detached man, accustomed to keeping a stern face. Song Xingyue, however, acted as if she were blind to it, clinging to him regardless. No matter how cold he was, she remained smiling and sweet.

Even so, Xie Linxu did not stop. Song Xingyue bit her lip, lifted her skirts, and trotted after him, calling out in an even softer, more delicate voice, "Changzhou, slow down, please, slow down a little."

A vein throbbed on Xie Linxu's forehead. He could not help but recall last night... Last night, she had called out to him in the exact same way. With her voice trembling and breathless, she had cried out: *Changzhou, slow down...*

Xie Linxu could bear it no longer. He stopped abruptly, and Song Xingyue, caught off guard, bumped into his back. He turned to look at her, his voice cold. "In broad daylight—where is the propriety?"

Servants were all around; how could she be so shameless? Xie Linxu was only twenty-two, just four years older than Song, but when he drew his face into a scowl, he was no different from a stern tutor at an academy.

Her nose aching, Song Xingyue rubbed it and looked at him aggrievedly. "You were walking too fast. I just wanted you to slow down."

Xie Linxu’s expression did not soften. His eyes seemed to say, *You had better be talking only about walking.*

Song Xingyue did not care about his sour face. Since she had married him, his expression had never been pleasant. Instead of being frightened by his scolding, she tugged at his wide sleeve, whispering, "You go on, I will follow you."

If she held onto him, he wouldn't be able to walk so fast.

Xie Linxu wanted to say, *Pulling and tugging—where is the propriety?*

But Song Xingyue spoke first. "Can we go back to our room now? My hands are so sore and painful." She had been copying books all day, and her fingers were still trembling.

The sunset added a touch of softness to Song Xingyue’s face. Xie Linxu looked down and saw her long, fluttering lashes and her slightly pale complexion, making her look frail and obedient. Yet, even seeing his wife like this, Xie Linxu remained unmoved. He coldly pulled his sleeve away and finished what he had intended to say: "Pulling and tugging—where is the propriety?"

Song Xingyue looked at her empty palm, stunned for a moment. But soon, she smiled, not minding. She was used to it. And she no longer cared. Xie Linxu had a stubborn temper, just like the rest of his family.

He continued walking, though his pace was noticeably slower.

The walk from Rongming Hall to the Clear Lotus Courtyard took only the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn. When they returned, the courtyard was already lit, and dinner was waiting. Song Xingyue sat down and finally found the breath to ask about the morning.

"Why didn't you wake me when you left this morning?" she asked.

And why hadn't he let the servants wake her? She suspected he had done it on purpose. Was he angry about something? If Xie Linxu was displeased, he wouldn't say it aloud, but he would harbor his resentment toward her.

Yet, no matter how much she thought about it, she could not fathom what could have caused him to hold such a grudge.