Exclusively for the Marchioness – CH 042

Chapter 42

“Thank you… husband.”

Lu Shenru was about to turn around to pour her another cup of water when, before he could leave, these words, like a gentle breeze, brushed against his ear.

So soft.

He turned to look at her. Whether it was the stuffy room or her lingering illness, her cheeks were flushed.

Was she delirious with fever?

She had better not be delirious enough to call the wrong person.

He pursed his lips, put down the teacup, and reached out to touch her forehead. As soon as he touched her forehead, Du Lingjing knew what he meant.

She dodged his hand and blurted out, “I do not have a high fever.”

Those few words tinkled into Lu Shenru’s ears. Those incredibly soft words, brushing against his ear, now belatedly felt like they were brushing against his ear, making it burn slightly.

“Then say it again.”

He looked into her eyes.

The night was utterly still; not a sound could be heard from the mountains outside the window, only her soft, rapid breathing mingling with his heavy heartbeat, pounding against his chest.

He whispered, “Call me one more time.”

His brows were furrowed, his dark eyes, like an abyss, drawing her in. He wanted her to call him again.

Du Lingjing’s breathing quickened, but she bit her lip secretly.

“Then, Lord Marquis, just assume I have a high fever.”

She refused, and Lu Shenru gritted his teeth. She truly knew how to torment people.

But the next moment, he reached out and grasped her arm, gently pulling her. His other hand was already on her ear, his calloused hand cradling her ear and the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him.

His handsome brows furrowed even more, his lowered eyes seeming to touch hers.

His hoarse voice was even lower but also softer.

“Just call me one more time.”

She was pulled in front of him, her neck lifted, forced to look up at him, her lips almost brushing against his.

His last sentence, though low and somber, carried a subtle, almost imperceptible pleading.

Du Lingjing paused, taken aback.

Tingjun had told her to think it over herself, and she’d thought about it all day. Was this why he’d been displeased with her twice?

He felt she did not trust him, was not truly close to him, and did not consider him her husband?

Was this matter so important that it had made him angry twice, each time more suffocating than the last?

Du Lingjing found him both amusing and strange. How could anyone care about something like this?

He gripped her arm even tighter, the strength heavy and domineering, not allowing her even a moment’s distraction.

He was waiting for her response.

But she clearly could not escape his grasp.

Du Lingjing bit her lip again but also smiled faintly.

“My husband.”

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and the man saw a hint of a smile overflowing in her watery eyes.

Gentle as spring water.

It was as if someone who had nearly suffocated had been given a breath of fresh air.

Yet, the man inexplicably thought of the day she married him.

That day, it rained on and off all day. In the bridal chamber, everyone gathered, and two matchmakers vied to say auspicious words. He repeatedly said, “A generous reward awaits you,” but when he lifted the red veil, he saw her long brows slightly furrowed, tears still lingering on her face, her eyes indifferent, refusing to look at him…

But today, whether it was a divine intervention or the lingering warmth on her forehead, she called him “my husband.”

The man lowered his head slightly, wanting to capture her sweetly pursed lips, but before his lips could touch hers, she suddenly raised her hand and pressed it against his chest.

What? He looked into her eyes.

Her eyelashes trembled slightly. “I am not fully recovered; I will pass my illness on to you.”

Du Lingjing said no and heard him shake his head and chuckle.

“Just this little bit of illness?”

How much illness was there? Du Lingjing could not understand how he dared to underestimate the severity of her illness. She reached out and pushed him away forcefully, not allowing him to come any closer.

She felt she had used considerable force, but he turned and grabbed both her hands, holding them in his own. Du Lingjing was startled; before she could even inhale, her lips were captured by his.

It felt like a kiss, yet not quite. She wondered if she had eaten anything sweet today, but he seemed to taste sweetness, carefully savoring it, searching from the corner of her lips inwards.

His hand, clasped behind her ear and neck, kept pressing her closer to him. If she moved even a little or slightly closed her lips, his thumb would gently flick her earlobe. A tingling sensation ran through her ears, and she involuntarily opened her mouth. He searched her lips and tongue further, but she really had not eaten any candy. He would not believe her, his breathing becoming increasingly rapid as he forcefully began his assault.

His eyes were tightly closed, but his strength remained undiminished.

Du Lingjing suddenly understood this man a little. If you gave him an inch, he would take the whole road; if you opened half a door for him, he would seize the entire building; if you showed him any weakness, you would have no choice but to let him take whatever he wanted…

He still would not let go of her, seeing that she was about to become restless. He supported her waist, preventing her from pulling away.

Du Lingjing was secretly annoyed. Taking advantage of his momentary lapse in attention, she bit his lip.

He was startled, his tightly closed eyes opening.

But the light in his eyes made Du Lingjing’s heart race. The next moment, he pinned her against the bedpost…

How long it lasted, she did not know. When he finally pulled away from her lips, Du Lingjing could barely breathe. Clearly, she was not fully recovered. He did not go any further, unusually letting her go this time.

He brushed aside her loose hair, gently touching her forehead.

“Quan Quan…”

Du Lingjing’s breathing was uneven; she did not want to talk to him anymore and turned her head away.

Fortunately, Chong-Ping came back from outside, saying that the physician from the inn had prescribed her some medicine.

“He said that if Madam takes the pills tonight, her journey tomorrow will be smoother.”

Upon hearing this, he got up and called Chong-Ping in. He smelled the pills and inquired about their preparation method. Chong-Ping answered in detail, and he nodded, instructing Chong-Ping, “A generous reward awaits.”

Chong-Ping immediately went to fetch the pills, while he poured more water and brought them back.

Just this one pill… Du Lingjing wondered to herself, what exactly did he mean by “a generous reward”? She found him amusing; it seemed he particularly liked the phrase “a generous reward.”

Fortunately, the illness’s protective energy prevented him from doing anything further that night. He simply held her hand tightly in the quilt as they slept.

But the next day, they traveled together in the carriage.

Thanks to the physician’s medicine from the previous night, Du Lingjing was indeed much better today, but he insisted she sleep longer, saying, “Lean on me.”

Du Lingjing’s face flushed; Qiu-Lin and Ai-Ye were still in the carriage.

Fortunately, the capital was in sight, but as soon as the carriage entered the Marquis of Yongding’s residence in Jiqing Ward, he was surrounded by people.

He had been shuttling between Baoding and the capital for several days, handling many urgent matters along the way, yet he was still being sought after and requested to see people. He did not even have time to escort her back to the main courtyard, and he could not even spare the time to see Chong-Ping.

As evening approached, he finally seemed to have a moment of free time.

Du Lingjing had just sent someone to fetch Steward Zhao, wanting to inquire about the recent book acquisition situation at Guilin Tower. With all the members of the Flicking Faction found, Guilin Tower could proceed with careful selection of books at a leisurely pace.

But Steward Zhao had not arrived yet; instead, Chong-An had come at the Marquis’s behest. Chong-An carried a birdcage, inside which stood a parrot with brightly colored feathers.

“Madam, Madam!” the parrot cried as soon as it reached the corridor.

Du Lingjing approached, and Chong-An explained that the trinkets were gifts from his servants to the Marquis. “The Marquis said they were for the Madam to cheer her up, but he will not be finished until later.”

Du Lingjing knew he was incredibly busy, but she did not need him to always come to keep her company. Besides, she was generally hesitant to touch children or small animals, so she stood a step back, observing them.

Chong-An said, “Do not worry, Madam, this bird is trained; it’s very docile.”

Only then did Du Lingjing move closer.

While they were talking, Chang-Pu and Ai-Ye gathered around to look. Chang-Pu, who loved these things, immediately spoke up.

“This is a red-beaked green parrot. I was just strolling around Qianxing District when I saw someone lose money gambling, so he used this as collateral. It’s worth a lot!”

Before he could finish, Ruan Gong’s eyes flashed across his face. “You dare go to Qianxing District, you brat!”

Chong-An thought to himself, “Steward Ruan, you better teach this kid a lesson.”

No one in the entire Marquis’s Mansion dared to go to the gambling den, but he was the Madam’s person; he could go wherever he wanted. Chang-Pu quickly hid beside Du Lingjing, and this time, even Du Lingjing glanced at him.

He quickly changed the subject. “I was wrong; I just went to see what they were betting on.”

“What are they betting on?” Du Lingjing asked.

Chang-Pu did not dare to answer this time.

The matter of the Marquis and his wife was always the subject of speculation. Some even asked if the fact that the Marquis’s wife had never attended banquets hosted by noble families after her marriage was due to the awkwardness of being the daughter of a civil official and being incompatible with the noble families who were on good terms with the Marquis’s household.

He dismissed these as trivial matters and quickly changed the subject, saying that the red-beaked green parrot was excellent at mimicking human speech. “Madam, why not teach it something?” he suggested.

Chong-An agreed, speaking to Du Lingjing.

“The Marquis means to have this parrot mimic your speech, Madam.”

“Mimic me?”

Du Lingjing shook her head. She was not usually talkative and did not have any interesting catchphrases. She did think of someone.

“But we could teach it to say something else.”

…

Lu Shenru, having finished his work and changed his clothes, asked Chong-An this question.

“Does Madam like the parrot?”

Chong-An nodded hurriedly, saying that Madam had immediately taught the parrot to talk.

The man smiled. “What did it say?”

Unexpectedly, Chong-An did not answer but instead suppressed a laugh. “You will find out when you get back, Lord Marquis.”

The man raised an eyebrow. By evening, he had finally finished dealing with most of the matters and strode back to the main courtyard.

Entering the courtyard, he saw the candlelight casting shadows on the latticed window and someone sitting by the window, head bowed, reading.

Her word “husband” at the inn made his heart skip a beat. He quickened his pace, lifted the curtain, and entered the room. Disturbed, she looked up. The lamplight made her eyelashes appear long and curled, falling on the bridge of her nose between her eyes.

She did not call him “husband” again, nor “Lord Marquis,” but simply looked at him and softly said…

“You are back?”

She was still holding a book, and Lu Shenru’s heart fluttered.

He could not help but sit down beside her. “Were you bored all alone this afternoon? Did you teach the parrot to talk like you?”

She blinked, a smile appearing in her eyes. Lu Shenru’s gaze remained fixed on her face until she pointed to the display cabinet. “Yes, it’s over there.”

Lu Shenru snapped out of his reverie, suddenly remembering Chong-An’s strange expression when he spoke to him. He got up and went over, playfully teasing the parrot. He glanced back at his wife under the window and said, “How did you teach it, Madam? Tell me a few words.”

The parrot seemed to recognize him, first squawking “My Lord!” in a high-pitched voice, then speaking again. “A generous reward! A generous reward!”

Lu Shenru paused. He turned to look at his wife, seeing her covering her mouth to stifle her laughter.

The parrot’s voice was not quiet; it even drew suppressed laughter from outside the room.

The man shook his head and laughed, then looked down at his wife.

“Is this what you taught her? Who did she learn this from?”

“A generous reward! A generous reward!” the parrot continued to squawk.

Du Lingjing could not hold back any longer; her face flushed with laughter, but then she saw the man approaching.

He just stared at her, unblinking, then suddenly asked a completely unrelated question.

“Are you feeling better?”

Du Lingjing nodded subconsciously.

She nodded, then suddenly realized something and paused.

His voice trailed off, “That’s good.”

…

It was not raining in the capital, but the banana leaves beneath the window seemed to sense the damp heat emanating from inside, swaying gracefully in the night breeze.

No more incense was lit in the room, yet a strange, alluring fragrance lingered within the bed curtains, mingling with the humid heat emanating from their intimate parts.

The brocade quilt beneath Du Lingjing was nearly soaked through. Fine beads of sweat gathered at the nape of her neck, sliding down her back with his sudden thrust, clinging to her long hair, and then dripping down her face.

Her breaths came in rapid, mingled sounds, her slender figure appearing even thinner from days of illness. The man, considerate of her, held her close, supporting her so she could bear more. Until gradually, even without the fragrance, she could endure it completely.

The man clasped her arms around his waist, his calloused hands encircling her slender arms.

Banana leaves swirled in the wind beneath the window, and he thrust deeply into her, his grip returning.

The banana leaves rustled and swayed in the wind until she bit her lip, her toes twitching slightly. In the depths of winter, nearing the end of the year, she was subjected to a sudden downpour within the high, damp gauze curtains.

His wife, like a soft, fragrant handkerchief, was completely soaked inside the brocade quilt.

The man stopped after a while, carrying her to the bathing room.

The underfloor heating in the main courtyard of the Marquis’s Mansion was toasty; the main house was toasty; even the west wing, which had been set up as her study, was toasty.

The courtyard was warm and cozy. He placed her in a large basin of water, watching her slender, fair, slightly flushed body as he held her underwater. Suddenly, he remembered her calling him “Husband.”

In an instant, he held her tightly, pressing himself against her.

Her eyes widened, but there was no escape.

The water was everywhere, and he made her climax again in the waves, leaving her completely exhausted…

The next day, he took another day off from court.

But Lu Shenru did not get to eat with his wife.

The old nanny went to check on the lady in the main room, and when she came out, her face was solemn. She called him.

“This old servant has something to say to the Marquis.”

Lu Shenru sighed inwardly, gestured for the nanny to step aside, and could not help but glance back into the room before speaking.

“Please speak, nanny.”

The nanny’s face was very serious.

“Who is the Marquis? And who is the Madam?”

Lu Shenru, realizing her illness had clearly subsided, was now feverish again this morning, unable to even get out of bed, and could not utter a single word in front of the nanny.

“The Marquis is a great general who has galloped across the battlefield, while the Madam is a scholar who sits peacefully in her study,” he listened to the nanny’s scolding. “Not to mention the Madam’s delicate constitution and recent recovery, just consider this: how long has it been since she first experienced intimacy? How could she withstand the Marquis’s torment all night?” The nanny suddenly said, “The Marquis is so reckless; he might as well take two concubines so the Madam will not be able to rest.”

The words left her lips, and the man panicked.

“You must not, Nanny!” he said hastily, his voice muffled. “I only want her.”

The Nanny glanced at him. “Then, Your Highness, please cherish your wife and pamper her. Can you do that?”

Lu Shenru sighed. “I can.”

“Then, light some incense for your wife as well.”

“Should we light incense?”

He could sense that things were different between them now.

But the Nanny insisted, glancing at him again.

“The incense will not only make your wife more comfortable, but it will also help her conceive sooner.”

The man paused slightly, turning back to look towards the inner room.

Helping her conceive?

“Then I will trouble you, Nanny.”

…

Du Lingjing rested for three days before fully recovering.

A few days ago, she had tried to speak with Steward Zhao of Publishing House but had not been able to see him. Today, she felt much more refreshed upon waking. Seeing her improved complexion, Qiu-Lin asked, “Which dress would Madam like to wear?”

While asking about the dress, she brought over a box of hairpins.

Du Lingjing had never seen these hairpins before, but upon opening the box, she found them piled high. They were not particularly exquisite, but their vibrant colors and lifelike appearance were their strengths.

She immediately understood the origin of these hairpins.

Qiu-Lin said, “The Marquis ordered the sewing workshop to make several dresses for Madam, and they all match these flowers perfectly.”

Qiu-Lin also liked her wearing flowers. She recalled how, when her husband was alive, he had felt that the young lady was too quiet. While others had their mothers dressing them up, she did not, so he always remembered to buy her some lively flowers to wear in her hair.

Unexpectedly, even though the master was gone, the Marquis had still found so many flowers for the young lady.

Qiu-Lin smiled and picked up a white and pink crabapple blossom. “Why not wear this, young lady? A pink dress and white skirt were delivered this morning.”

Du Lingjing readily agreed. It was just clothing; it did not really matter what she wore.

However, when she put on the dress and adorned her hair with a large crabapple blossom, she was momentarily dazzled when she looked in the bronze mirror. Was the person in the bronze mirror, as beautiful as a crabapple blossom, really herself? She could not help but look at herself a few more times in surprise.

Qiu-Lin chuckled beside her, “How come you do not even recognize yourself, young lady?”

Du Lingjing paused, then shook her head and smiled.

She felt somewhat like a stranger to herself.

*

In the outer city of the capital, in front of the Guangning Gate on the west side.

Jiang Fengchuan entered the capital before the rest of the Flicking Faction.

Unlike Hu Tinglan and his sister, he did not need to assist in the trial of Shao Boju at the Court of Judicial Review. However, in the fourth month, he would participate in the imperial examinations. If he passed, the Jiang family of Qingzhou, which had not produced a Jinshi in so long, would surely celebrate.

A letter arrived from home, urging him to stop traveling and go to the capital early to rest and prepare for the imperial examinations.

At this moment, Jiang Fengchuan discussed with Uncle Hui, “I used to live at the Du family’s residence in Chengqing District, but now Uncle Hui will not allow me to call her sister-in-law. It’s not appropriate to stay at her residence. Why do we not find a small courtyard near the Du family’s?”

He spoke pitifully, but Uncle Hui repeatedly said, “Sixth Young Master, you should stay somewhere else. The capital is very large.”

Why stay in Chengqing District? Right under Madam’s nose.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Fengchuan let out a low snort. “You will not even let me call her ‘sister-in-law,’ and I cannot even go near the brothel. Does that mean I cannot see anyone at all?”

Uncle Hui looked embarrassed. He then said, “Then I will pawn a courtyard near the Marquis’s Mansion in Jiqing Ward. Is that alright, Uncle Hui?”

Uncle Hui was shocked. “Sixth Young Master!”

Unexpectedly, Jiang Fengchuan actually changed course and headed towards Jiqing Ward.

Just then, someone called out to them. Jiang Fengchuan turned around.

“Nanny Pu?”

Nanny Pu, who served the Dowager Consort Jiang.

Nanny Pu stepped forward. “Her Imperial Highness already knows that Sixth Young Master has come to the capital to take the imperial examination. Sixth Young Master does not need to go anywhere else. Come to Hongluo Temple. Her Imperial Highness has asked the abbot to prepare a guest room for you.”

After Nanny Pu finished speaking, Jiang Fengchuan looked at Uncle Hui beside him.

“Uncle Hui told Her Imperial Highness I was coming?”

Uncle Hui’s face was slightly embarrassed. If it were not the Dowager Consort Jiang, who in the capital could control Sixth Young Master? He lowered his head and remained silent, while Jiang Fengchuan chuckled.

Since Nanny Pu had come in person, Jiang Fengchuan had no choice but to accompany her to Hongluo Temple.

After paying his respects to the abbot at Hongluo Temple, Jiang Fengchuan headed towards the secluded meditation area at the back. He made his way in until he reached a grand hall.

Dowager Consort Jiang was standing before a statue. The towering statue looked down upon the mortals. Jiang Fengchuan stepped forward, bowed to the statue, and then greeted her.

Before Dowager Consort Jiang could speak, Jiang Fengchuan spoke first.

“Why is Your Imperial Highness both protecting her and guarding against me?”

These words caused Dowager Consort Jiang to sigh.

“You know I’m guarding against you? Then why bother her? Let her live her life in peace.”

But as soon as she said this, Jiang Fengchuan chuckled softly.

He did not mention telling Du Lingjing to live a quiet life; he simply smiled, his voice slightly hoarse, and spoke softly.

“Three years ago, Third Brother was supposed to come to the capital with me to take the imperial examinations. The physician said his illness was not terminal; he had another year or two. But he did not come.”

He asked, “Does Your Imperial Highness know why he could not come?”

He lowered his voice even further. “If you knew how Third Brother passed away, could you remain calm?”