Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 12

Danmei was taken aback when she heard him say that. She had thought he would refuse again, but he let her go so easily. It wasn't that she hated doing that kind of thing, but in her memory of the previous times, his ruthlessness later on had really been too much for her, and besides, her limbs were indeed a little sore today.

That night, Xu Jinrong indeed didn't touch her much, only occasionally reaching under her clothes to touch her a few times. He slept soundly, and when he woke up the next day, it was already bright daylight, and the person beside him was gone and the bed was cold. When Danmei got up to wash, she asked Miaochun and learned that he had gotten up and left before dawn, probably to attend the morning court.

After Danmei finished getting ready, she went to the old lady's room with Huijie, who had been brought over by the wet nurse. She noticed that the old lady looked a little depressed and said that she was still worried about her father's anger. She comforted her for a few words, but it didn't seem to make any difference. Then the wet nurse said, "Madam, you don't know, but the young lady's birthday is in a few days."

Danmei was just about to say that birthdays are a good thing and should be celebrated properly when she suddenly remembered that she seemed to have heard Qin mention that her birth mother had passed away not long after giving birth to her, and she immediately understood. Every year on one's birthday is the anniversary of one's mother's death, and no one would feel good in that situation.

"It will be in four or five days. In previous years, we would set up a shrine to worship, but now that we're living here, we don't know what to do..."

The wet nurse was still nagging on and on, but suddenly seemed to remember something, glanced at Danmei furtively, and shut her mouth.

Danmei's heart stirred slightly. Since marrying into the Xu family, aside from the time she was led to the bridal chamber on her wedding day and bowed respectfully towards the gate as a sign of respect for the deceased first wife, she had almost forgotten her status as a second wife. According to custom, a second wife was also a legal wife, holding a superior position over concubines, but compared to her deceased first wife, she was merely a successor who had taken over her duties. She didn't know what the arrangements would be this year, but she estimated that she would most likely have to return to the main house.

When we arrived at the old lady's room, we had breakfast with her. Sure enough, she coughed and looked at Danmei with some difficulty: "Daughter-in-law, I know your family is of high status. Hui Jie's mother, who passed away earlier, was just from a small family in the countryside. But death is a serious matter. She and my son were childhood sweethearts. Her death anniversary is in a few days. I'm afraid you'll have to go back and pay your respects as well."

Danmei smiled slightly and replied, "Mother is right. Even if Mother hadn't said anything, your daughter-in-law would have gone on her own."

The old lady looked her over carefully, and seeing that her expression was no different from usual, she was satisfied and nodded slightly without saying a word.

Seeing that everything was alright, Danmei returned with Sister Hui. Actually, her attitude just now wasn't entirely feigned. Although she felt a little awkward, she was, after all, a latecomer, and out of respect for the deceased, it wasn't a big deal for her to accompany Sister Hui back to pay her respects.

The day passed quickly. In the morning, she tended to the flower garden and took a nap. After having dinner, knowing that Xu Jinrong wouldn't be back so early, she let Hui Jie play in her room for a while to digest her food before personally taking her back.

Danmei escorted Huijie back to her room. Seeing that Huijie clung to her reluctantly, unlike usual, Danmei stayed a little longer. Huijie then asked her to tell a story, and Danmei thought for a moment before telling the tale of "Open Sesame." Not only Huijie, but also the wet nurse and the maids nearby were completely engrossed. The wet nurse clicked her tongue and said, "This spell is quite effective. When I was little, there was a cave sealed by stones outside my mother's house. If I had known, I would have gone there and recited it; maybe it would have opened up and brought some treasure." This made everyone burst into laughter.

Seeing that it was getting dark outside the window, Danmei told Huijie to rest early and was about to leave when Huijie grabbed her hand and wouldn't let go. Turning back, she saw that Huijie seemed to have something to say, so she dismissed the wet nurse and maids in the room and told them to disperse. Then she looked into Huijie's eyes and said, "Huijie, is there something you want to say?"

Hui-jie bit her lip before speaking in a barely audible voice, "I once heard that Father and Grandmother disliked me because I supposedly caused the death of my mother a few days after I was born. So every year around this time, I'm always a little afraid... Mother, was my mother really killed by me?"

Seeing the child's dejected expression and the complete absence of her earlier smile, Danmei felt a pang of pity for her, realizing that such a young child already carried such a shadow in her heart. She cursed the superstition for its harmful effects, sighed, and knelt down in front of her, saying softly, "I guess your mother just felt too tired and left. How could you have caused her death? You are her flesh and blood, born with her life of risk, and she cherished you like a treasure. If she knew you thought this way, she would be heartbroken."

Hui-jie seemed to be hearing such words for the first time, and remained stunned for a long while. Danmei thought for a moment, then whispered, "I'll tell you a secret, I used to be said to have cursed several men to death, which is why my mother forced me to marry your father and come to your family. Look at your father now, isn't he perfectly fine, without even a scratch? It's clear that those rumors about cursed men are just nonsense spread by foolish women and men who have nothing better to do. Hui-jie is the best girl, and among all the people in your family, you're the only one I feel comfortable with..."

Relieved by her words, Hui Jie's face slowly broke into a smile. Danmei breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, patted Hui Jie's hair, and was about to tell her to go to bed when she suddenly saw Hui Jie's expression change as if she had seen a ghost. Startled, she hurriedly turned around and saw that Xu Jinrong was standing at the doorway, lifting the curtain. The room was already somewhat dark because the candlelight couldn't reach it, and the sudden appearance of this extra figure was quite frightening.

The maids and servants had all been sent away and weren't guarding the door, so she didn't know when he had arrived. She also didn't know how much of her conversation with Sister Hui had been overheard. Danmei felt as if she had been spied on, and felt slightly displeased, but she quickly suppressed it and turned to Xu Jinrong, saying, "When did Third Master return? You came in without making a sound, which startled me."

Xu Jinrong glanced at her, grunted, and turned to leave. Seeing that he had come so suddenly and left as quickly as a gust of wind, Danmei took off Hui Jie's shoes and helped her to the bed. After tucking the quilt in, she followed him out. She saw the wet nurse, who had just returned, rushing to greet him, but he didn't even stop walking and just walked past her. This made the wet nurse stand there for a moment, wondering anxiously if she had done something wrong to serve Hui Jie and offend her master.

Danmei returned to her room, but found no one there, and wondered where he had gone. After waiting for a while, she grew impatient, and her hands and feet became cold. So she took off her hair, removed her outer clothes and shoes, and went to bed, wondering if she should light a charcoal fire in the room to keep warm in a couple of days. But just as a wisp of warmth began to rise from the bed, Miaoxia came in and said that an old woman had just delivered a message that the master was in his study and wanted to ask the madam to come over to discuss something.

Danmei sighed inwardly, unsure why she was being called over. She simply put her clothes and shoes back on, casually tied her hair in front of the mirror, and went over.

Although the garden wasn't large, and Xu Jinrong rarely stayed overnight there, he did have a study, located in the last row of detached houses in the northeast corner of the garden. He chose a south-facing, well-ventilated room, which was usually quite quiet and secluded. During the first six months of Xu Jinrong's absence, Danmei would only occasionally go there to find a few miscellaneous books to read. An old woman was specifically assigned to sweep the area, making it pitch black at night. But this time, when Danmei went there, she saw that there were only extinguished lanterns hanging along the corridor at intervals, so there was no need to light any lanterns.

When Danmei arrived at the study, she saw light coming from the door and window, so she pushed open the slightly ajar door and went in. She immediately saw him sitting behind the large desk with its chicken-wing wood frame, looking at something and writing. Hearing the door being pushed open, he only glanced up slightly, without stopping his writing.

Danmei closed the door, walked a few steps away from him, and stopped. She glanced at him briefly, noticing he seemed to be writing a letter, but decided not to look any longer. She then strolled to the display cabinet by the south wall and examined the various items displayed there. Seeing that they were mostly jade vases and the like, she quickly lost interest. However, she focused on a bonsai in the lower vertical shelf, which appeared to be a tortoise-shell holly, with an old, grayish-brown, scaly trunk and vigorous, ancient branches. It even had a certain shape, though the lower leaves were somewhat withered and yellow, likely due to improper care.

"come over."

Danmei was still reading when she heard a voice behind her. Turning around, she saw him still writing a letter with his head down. After hesitating slightly, she walked over and stood a few steps behind him, staring at his back. After a moment, she saw him put his pen down on the pen holder, spread out the papers he had written on to dry, and then turn to look at her, saying, "I called you over, why are you still standing there?"

Danmei had no choice but to slowly walk towards him. When she was about an arm's length away, he suddenly reached out and pulled her over to sit sideways on his lap. As soon as she steadied herself, her waist was already encircled by his hand.

Danmei could only sit carefully without moving, and looked up at him slightly to ask, "Why did you call me here?"

"Can't I call you if there's nothing wrong?" Xu Jinrong raised an eyebrow and lowered his head slightly. Whether unintentionally or intentionally, he gently rubbed his chin against her loosely tied hair bun a couple of times.

A note from the author: Thank you so much for all the comments you left yesterday; I read them all. Thank you everyone.

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Chapter Thirty

When Danmei heard him question her like that, she felt that an ambiguous atmosphere was gradually spreading in the study. Her nerves tensed up, and she subconsciously leaned forward slightly, almost touching the edge of the desk.

Xu Jinrong seemed oblivious, and continued, "I haven't seen my father-in-law at court these past few days; I heard he's unwell and staying at home..."

Danmei was startled and turned her head abruptly, her forehead almost hitting his chin. While she was at her parents' home, although she was closer to Qin Shi, she didn't have a particularly strong bond with her father. Hearing the news of his illness still saddened her, especially given Qin Shi's anxiety. After all, both of them were over fifty and not in good health, and she immediately wished she could sprout wings and fly back to see what was wrong.

Xu Jinrong seemed to have read her mind and continued, "I went to visit him today and brought two old ginseng roots. He seems to be doing well."

Danmei was slightly relieved when she heard that he was alright, and whispered her thanks.

"We are already husband and wife. As husband and wife, we should be of one mind. These are our duties. Why should I thank you?"

Danmei listened to his words with an air of complete self-righteousness. In her view, although the two were indeed husband and wife, and she was gradually becoming familiar with his body, when it came to being of one heart, it was as distant as a fish in water and a bird in the sky—utterly mismatched.

Such a topic left her speechless. Noticing the ink on the few sheets of paper had dried, she hurriedly said, "Were you writing a letter just now? It looks dry. I'll get you an envelope to put it in." She was about to get up when she felt a weight on her waist and was pressed back down.

No rush.

As soon as Danmei heard him say something, he picked her up and turned her around, so that she could sit on his lap with her legs bent and facing him.

"When you arrived at my house, out of all the people there, only Sister Hui called you Kexin?"

Danmei was being carried around like a chick by him, and she was still feeling a little awkward when she suddenly heard him ask such a question. She looked up in surprise and saw that he was looking at her with his eyes on his lips, and there seemed to be a smile on his lips. But no matter how Danmei looked at that smile, it seemed a little strange.

He had indeed heard his unintentional words earlier.

Danmei was at a loss for words. Seeing him staring intently at her, she thought for a moment and was about to say that she had only been coaxing the child to get away with it when she heard a soft knock on the door and a voice said, "Madam, the snacks have been delivered. Have you eaten them here?" It turned out that the kitchen maid had brought the evening snacks again.

Danmei didn't usually eat at night, but the old lady always thought she was frail and used to make her eat sweet chicken soup for over a month before she gradually gave up. These past few days, with Xu Jinrong back, she remembered and asked the cook to prepare an extra meal for her every night. The cook did as instructed, and sure enough, she would bring over snacks around 7 PM every night. Just now, she thought she had sent some to Danmei's room but couldn't find her, so someone told her, and that's why it was sent here.

Hearing the call at the door, Danmei immediately tried to climb down from his lap. This time, Xu Jinrong didn't stop her and let go. Danmei went to open the door and saw a bowl of steaming almond milk pudding on a tray, sprinkled with osmanthus flowers.

"Put it here, you can go down."

Xu Jinrong said something, and the girl immediately and quickly placed it on the table, then left and closed the door behind her.

"What are you looking at? It'll get cold if you don't eat it soon."

Seeing that Danmei was standing motionless by the door, Xu Jinrong beckoned to her and then stirred the sauce a few times with a spoon.

Danmei approached somewhat hesitantly and said, "You're back from outside, here's some food for you. I'm not hungry, I'm afraid I'll get too full if I eat too much."

Xu Jinrong glanced at her waist and laughed, "I'm a man, I can't handle this sweet stuff. It's just a bowl of porridge, how much can you eat? It'll save you from complaining about having no energy again."

His last sentence sounded somewhat familiar. After a moment's thought, Danmei remembered that it was something she had said when she was on the verge of tears after he came back that night. She didn't expect him to bring it up to tease her now. Her ears burned slightly, and she could no longer move her feet.

Seeing that she wasn't coming over, Xu Jinrong put down his spoon, hooked his foot on another stool next to him, and pulled her close, gesturing for her to sit down.

"If you don't eat, I'll have to feed you."

Seeing him lean back casually in his chair, speaking with such a serious tone, Danmei wasn't sure if he was being genuine. Afraid he really intended to feed her, she quickly sat down, moved the almond milk cheese in front of her, and began to eat it spoonful by spoonful. The cook wasn't very skilled at making these things; although it smelled wonderfully of almonds and tasted smooth, it was far too sweet. The first few bites were fine, but after half of it, Danmei felt nauseous. Only with his watchful eye did she reluctantly scoop a few more spoonfuls, eventually pushing away the last third of the cheese.

"I'm really full..."

Danmei looked up and spoke, but then suddenly stiffened. Xu Jinrong had already reached into her hair, kneading it for a moment. When he withdrew his hand, he had pulled out a hairpin that held her hair up and tossed it onto the table with a clink. Her long hair, now without support, immediately fell down, covering her waist.

"How does it taste?"

Danmei was still frozen in place when the man casually asked a question. His hand had already moved to her lower back, gathered her long hair, wrapped it around his palm a few times, and slowly pulled her towards him. A faint, ambiguous feeling slowly spread, making it difficult for Danmei to even breathe.

This isn't a bedroom, it's a study. This man, does he intend to...?

Danmei suddenly felt the hand holding her long hair behind her tighten slightly, and her head was involuntarily forced to tilt back. His face was right above her chin, so close that she could even feel his breath on her face.

Danmei's eyes widened as he pressed his face closer and closer, finally capturing her lips in his mouth. She felt his tongue seemingly lick the almond cream that had lingered on her lips before he released her, pulling her into his arms and whispering, "So sweet..."

Danmei felt as if all the blood in her body rushed to the place he had just licked. Her heart pounded, and she suddenly felt a chill in her chest. Looking down, she realized that his hand had somehow released her long hair and instead reached inside her.

"Not here..."

Danmei raised her hand and grabbed his wrist.

He had already pulled her onto his lap, and she could feel his tight pressure against her breasts, just like last night. Last night he had finally given in to her, but tonight… he probably wouldn't have the same patience.

She really wasn't used to doing *that* with him in such an open study; it only made her feel ashamed. If she really had to, it would be better to go back to the bed, where at least there were curtains to keep her out of sight, and she would feel much more comfortable.

But the man seemed not to hear her protests, or perhaps he simply ignored them. Danmei saw a flicker of fire in his eyes as he looked at her, and the hand she was holding on the wrist had already reached inside without hesitation.

Danmei tried to push him away, but after struggling, she was already disheveled, and even her shoes and socks had been taken off. He was also panting heavily. He suddenly picked her up and laid her flat on the desk. He lifted her legs and lifted her skirt. Just as he was about to pull off her silk trousers, Danmei finally couldn't help but kick out wildly. She kicked him on his forehead, which was leaning forward, and the force was not small. When he caught her, they were both a little surprised and stopped moving at the same time, looking at each other.

"Not here! I don't like it!"

Danmei tried to pull her foot back, but he held it tightly. Deciding to go all the way, she propped herself up with her arms and said somewhat angrily.

"We're husband and wife, what's the difference?"

Xu Jinrong casually responded, his gaze lingering on the fair and smooth foot in his hand. After a moment, his hand gently brushed against the sole of her foot, seemingly savoring the sensation. Danmei felt itchy and tried to pull away, but he not only didn't let go, but instead began to knead it with just the right amount of pressure.

Physiological reactions can sometimes really overcome everything. Although Danmei had no mood to laugh at all, the sensation transmitted through the nerves in her feet made her laugh out loud, while she futilely tried to get rid of this torment that forced her to laugh.

He seemed to enjoy seeing her smiling helplessly until Danmei, breathless, begged him for mercy. Only then did he release her feet, grasp her ankles, and pull her along the smooth tabletop, off the edge. Half her body was suspended in the air, her legs spread and wrapped around his lower back. She felt a chill below her waist; he had completely torn off her covering and thrust himself inside her.

Danmei let out a muffled groan, and then reflexively uttered a "No," but this time it was somewhat fragmented and incoherent...

The old woman who had been waiting on the porch outside the study for her master and mistress to come out so she could tidy up the room, turn off the lights, and go to bed waited until mid-9 PM, but there was still no movement, only the candlelight still shining through. Growing impatient, she mustered her courage and crept over to investigate. As soon as she got close, she faintly heard what sounded like suppressed moans coming from inside. Startled, she didn't dare linger and tiptoed back to her original spot, covering her mouth and chuckling to herself. This time, she kept her eyes wide open, preventing even a night owl from sneaking in.

In the study, when Danmei finally lay motionless on the long meditation chair woven from wild vines from Tiantai Mountain, her only feeling was nostalgia for her own bed covered with thick brocade.

The next morning, as Danmei was half-asleep, she felt the person beside her throw off the covers and get out of bed. Knowing he was going to the morning court session held every three days, she forced her eyes open. The room was still pitch black, and she could only vaguely make out a figure. Normally, in spring and summer, there would be some dawn light filtering through the window at this time, but now the nights were long and the days short, so it still felt like midnight. Still incredibly sleepy, she pretended not to notice and closed her eyes again, falling asleep. A moment later, she vaguely heard a voice say in her ear, "If you're worried, I'll have Ding Da prepare a carriage to take you to visit your parents-in-law today?"

Danmei opened her eyes abruptly and saw that the room was already lit. Xu Jinrong, dressed neatly in his court robes, was standing outside the bed, looking at her with a hint of a smile on his face. Seeing that she did not respond, he got up and said, "If you don't want to go, then forget it."

"I'm going!"

Danmei blurted out. In the past six months, apart from Qin's visit last time, she hadn't seen him again. As a married daughter, she naturally couldn't easily return to her parents' home on her own; she had only received some festival gifts from Qin's servants during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She had long harbored this desire. When she first heard the news last night, she immediately felt the urge to go back to her parents' home, but since he hadn't mentioned it, she had held back. Hearing him say this so suddenly just now was too unexpected, which was why she hadn't responded.

Xu Jinrong smiled, lowered the curtain, and left with the lamp in his hand, seemingly indicating that she should sleep a little longer. Danmei lay there alone, pondering for a while, but finally succumbed to her heavy eyelids and fell asleep again. She woke up to find it was already daytime. After getting ready, she went to the old lady's as usual, mentioning that her father was slightly unwell and that she would visit him that day. The old lady naturally agreed.

When Danmei entered the city by carriage, it was almost noon. She encountered Steward Xu waiting there, who said he had received a message from the master, instructing her to prepare some gifts to accompany Madam Qin on her return visit. Danmei had been in a hurry and hadn't been able to prepare anything substantial in the garden, and had been worried about returning empty-handed. Although she was close to Madam Qin, it still felt inappropriate. She was naturally delighted to find Steward Xu already waiting for her.

Danmei, escorted by Steward Xu, returned to the Prime Minister's residence. Although her father hadn't fully recovered, he seemed to be in good spirits, just as Xu Jinrong had said the previous night. Qin Shi was overjoyed to hear that her son-in-law had summoned her back, and mother and daughter naturally had a long, intimate conversation. Judging from Qin Shi's tone, her son-in-law had performed a great service this time, and with the recommendations of the officials who were on good terms with the Prime Minister, a promotion was imminent, perhaps even a high-ranking position in a remote region. If it were truly a position of real power, it would be far better than wasting time in the capital. She seemed genuinely happy for Danmei. She was then invited to stay for a meal. Seeing that the sun was beginning to set, they reluctantly saw her off as she boarded her carriage.

Author's Note: To be continued...

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Chapter Thirty-One

Danmei returned to the garden, in a rather good mood. When her maid told her that the old lady had summoned her, she went over, knowing there was something to discuss. She quickly changed her clothes and went. Unexpectedly, the old lady told her to move back to the main house in the city.

“Daughter-in-law, I’ve noticed that since Ziqing came back, he’s been rushing into the city before dawn every day. It’s fine for a few days, but it can’t go on like this every day. I’m thinking it would be better if you two went back to live together, so that my son wouldn’t have to work so hard.”

Hearing her say this, Danmei knew that she felt sorry for her son having to travel back and forth like this. A son is a mother's heart and soul, and she naturally knew that. Since the old lady had made up her mind, although she was used to life here and somewhat reluctant to go back to the big house, she did not show it on her face and only replied with a yes.