Duft erhebt sich zum Tanz

Kapitel 8

Oh! She needs some fresh air!

Huan'er listlessly rummaged through the food on her plate, finally deciding to wander around. She wondered if she needed to report it to the authorities. Oh well! Let them think she was going to get diarrhea! Following the sound of water, about twenty meters from the carriage, she saw a small river, about two feet wide, crystal clear, with some fish swimming around! Where else in the 20th century could one see such scenery? She scooped up water and gently patted her face. Although it was autumn, the daytime heat was still oppressive. She even took off her embroidered shoes and soaked her feet in the water. The cool, refreshing feeling spread throughout her body, and Huan'er let out a satisfied sigh. She lay back on the grass, not caring if she wrinkled her clothes or disheveled her hair. She, a free-spirited and willful young woman, had never been bound by worldly constraints. Why should she care about anything now?

The grass rustled softly beside her. She half-opened her eyes, and sat her husband, Shi Wuji, beside her! Ha! For three days, he had treated her like she was invisible, ignoring her completely. Had she become like a ghost? What did it mean for him to sit next to her now? If the Shi family intended to ignore her, she would accept it. After all, she was an outsider, and she deserved to be dragged into the feud between the two families, becoming cannon fodder and dying a worthy death.

“Taking off your shoes casually is undignified; and lying down carelessly is unacceptable—only an improper woman would do that.” His eyes were fixed on her feet soaking in the water. A pair of natural feet, unadorned, naturally beautiful.

Huan'er half-turned over, propped herself up on her elbows, and looked at Shi Wuji. Seeing his furrowed brows and serious expression, she sighed softly:

"Finally noticed me? I thought I'd become invisible! If you can't stand me, then you've already done what you needed to say. There's no need to sit here. Why don't we each have some peace and quiet?"

Shi Wuji's eyes were filled with anger, and his jaw clenched.

"Are you trying to provoke me?"

"No. No! To be honest, I don't know how to behave properly. Was my listless tone rude? Or should I act all humble? I really don't know, after all, I'm new here and don't understand anything."

She was referring to her involvement in ancient times. And Shi Wuji was now portrayed as her newly becoming a daughter-in-law of the Shi family—in any case, their anxieties were the same.

"As long as you behave and stay quiet, nothing will go wrong." He couldn't help but tuck a strand of her hair behind his ear and play with it.

He should be frightening. His sharp, deep gaze always made people afraid to look him in the eye; his cold, hard aura and serious, self-possessed demeanor encased him in an invisible wall of ice, keeping everyone at a distance. Even his younger siblings dared not get too close to him. They only showed him respect. But Huan'er found herself loving to look at him, even without a word. When riding in the carriage, she would often gaze at his tall, upright figure leading the horses, lost in thought. What was the reason for this? Huan'er refused to delve into it. He was her husband, wasn't he? Since divorce wasn't common in ancient times, they were destined to spend their lives together, so she "of course" had to try to get used to him! Although they hadn't consummated their marriage—and it would have been best if they had never—Huan'er had already mentally committed to him, irrevocably in love with his handsome, upright face and figure.

Shi Wuji didn't speak again. Huan'er's long hair draped over his knees, and she rested her head lightly on his leg—an unconscious action. Then, like a cat enjoying a sunbath, she settled into a comfortable position and fell asleep.

Shi Wuji, without any restraint, stared intently at her charming and pitiful face, etching it into his mind.

A gentle breeze rustled through the treetops, and the intermittent low neighing of horses drifted from afar. Aside from that, time seemed to stand still…

Shi Wuhen silently walked back to the carriage, a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Where's Big Brother? Is he about to set off?" Wu Jie called out.

"Wuxia, let's go back to the carriage and rest. Wujie, let's go fishing," Wuhen announced with a smile.

"What's wrong? Why..." Wu Jie was completely confused. Before he could say anything more, his collar was grabbed.

Let's go!

No one may use the work for commercial purposes without the original author's consent; otherwise, they will bear the consequences.

As night fell, the group stayed at a large inn. Huan'er and Wuxia shared a room again. For the past few days, she and Wuxia had been sleeping together. Shi Wuji hadn't asked her to fulfill marital obligations, and she didn't understand why! Of course, she didn't want him to take action; it was just that a whole host of questions were overwhelming her, and no one could provide answers. She'd even missed her only chance at noon while sleeping! Thinking about it made her blush. She'd slept for about an hour, and when she woke up, she was in Shi Wuji's arms, making her incredibly embarrassed.

Wuxia fell asleep the moment her head hit the bed; whether she was truly exhausted or not, she simply didn't speak to her. Huan'er lay on the bed, her eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling. If she was certain she couldn't return to the twentieth century, then she had to find a way to reverse the current situation. Here, women were expected to be quiet, obedient, and subservient to men, having no self and not allowed to be independent. This kind of life was terrifying and unimaginable for a girl living in a twentieth-century society that valued gender equality and autonomy. She had to find a way, otherwise she would become the kind of wife Shi Wuji wanted her to be, which would be tantamount to suffocating herself.

As she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, Su Huan'er's attention was drawn to the flickering shadows outside the window. Because it was a full moon that night, the moonlight cast two furtive shadows onto the windowpane. Instinctively, she jumped out of bed. Finding nothing around to use as a weapon, she quickly opened the door to the inner room. The potted plants and chairs in the small flower hall could serve as weapons. Grabbing a chair, she aimed at the doorway. The Shi brothers were sleeping in the upper room on the other side of the courtyard. If the intruders had malicious intentions, by the time the three Shi brothers heard her cries for help and arrived, she would probably be dead too. Therefore, she had to save herself. She needed to take down one of them first, then one-on-one would be much easier, especially if there were only two of them.

The door latch was silently pried open by a dagger inserted through the crack. The door was pushed halfway open, and a figure nimbly slipped in. Without a word, Su Huan'er used all her strength to slam a chair into the back of the head of the first unfortunate soul to come in and die. With a muffled groan, the man collapsed.