Perfect Match – CH 032

Chapter 32

Xiuniang returned and told Deng Ruyun about seeing Qingrui.

“Qingrui is Nanny Wei’s goddaughter. There’s no doubt Nanny Wei was behind this! It’s just that they ran away too quickly; I do not know what happened afterward.”

Deng Ruyun nodded.

Nanny Wei was behind it all, which did not surprise Deng Ruyun, but Nanny Wei’s methods against her were far more ruthless than she had imagined. A mere warning would not have been so bad, but Nanny Wei had set her sights on her old house in Jinzhou, clearly intending to keep her there.

Deng Ruyun could not understand why Nanny Wei would go to such lengths to deal with her, but now that two swindlers had approached Qingrui, this matter was far from over.

The two talked as they walked back from Teng Xiao’s Chengfeng Garden.

Just now, Teng Xiao had invited her sister-in-law to her courtyard to show off her many hidden mechanisms and weapons, which had greatly impressed Deng Ruyun. Now, on her way back, she happened to run into someone.

It was Nanny Wei.

She seemed unaware of what was happening outside. Seeing that only Deng Ruyun and Xiuniang were present, Nanny Wei stopped pretending to bow to Deng Ruyun.

She glanced at Deng Ruyun and walked past, as if she were a lowly servant.

Xiuniang glared at her, but Deng Ruyun was not angry. Just then, a young maid rushed over.

“What’s the rush? No manners!” Nanny Wei scolded.

Unexpectedly, the maid spoke up, “Nanny, please do not scold me! Something’s happened at your house!”

“What happened?!” Nanny Wei froze.

The maid said, “Sister Xia fell and hit her head and fainted!”

Upon hearing this, Deng Ruyun saw Nanny Wei stumble. If the maid had not supported her, she probably would have fallen to the ground. At this moment, she no longer cared about etiquette or manners, repeatedly calling out “Xia’er,” and ran towards her home on the back street of the Teng mansion.

The figure of Nanny Wei disappeared from the roadside immediately. Deng Ruyun and Xiuniang exchanged a glance.

*

In Nanny Wei’s small house, the stench of blood and a strong medicinal smell permeated the air.

Nanny Wei’s legs went weak when she arrived. Fortunately, the physician came out of the room and said that the head wound had bled a little, but it was not serious. The important thing was to see if it would trigger her pre-existing illness.

Nanny Wei ran to the room in a daze and looked at the person on the bed.

Her daughter, Luo Xia, lay on the bed with her eyes closed, her face completely pale, but at least she was sleeping peacefully and had not had another seizure.

Nanny Wei sat by her daughter’s bedside for a long time before gradually regaining her senses.

She stood up and grabbed Qingrui. “What happened? Who did this?!”

“Godmother, you ask who? It was those two swindlers you hired to torment the new Madam! They failed to gain anything, and now they’ve come to our door!”

Qingrui recounted what had happened, “…I do not know how Sister Xia was there. She saw those two trying to take advantage of me, and she was beaten by them while protecting me.”

Nanny Wei was stunned for a moment, then raised her hand and slapped Qingrui.

“You still let Xia’er protect you! Do you not know her condition?”

Qingrui’s tears fell from the slap.

“I know, she has epilepsy, but those two tried to take advantage of me!”

Qingrui’s statement left Nanny Wei speechless for a moment.

She only had Xia’er as her biological child, but something happened during childbirth, and the child was born with epilepsy.

She felt that this was her fault. Every day, she was afraid that the child would not survive, and she was also afraid that no one would take care of her when she got old. That was why she bought Qingrui back and did not treat her as a slave. Instead, she simply recognized her as her goddaughter.

She wanted Qingrui to protect Xia’er for life, but unexpectedly, this time, the tables had turned.

But then, a weak voice suddenly rang out from the room behind her.

“Mother.”

This voice snapped Nanny Wei back to reality, and she rushed to Sister Xia’s bedside.

“My child, how are you? Is anything wrong?”

But her daughter, Luo Xia, shook her head, only looking at her and asking.

“Those two people who harassed Ah Rui, do you know who they are?”

Nanny Wei quickly replied, “Mother does not know either; perhaps just some street thugs.”

But as she said this, she saw her daughter frown.

“Thugs? But I just heard you talking, saying Mother hired people to torment the new Madam.”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Wei glared fiercely at Qingrui. Qingrui, already feeling wronged, stamped her foot and said, “Godmother, tell Sister Xia yourself! I did not lie!”

She turned and ran out the door.

Only Nanny Wei and her daughter remained in the room.

Luo Xia propped herself up and looked directly at her mother.

“Why did Mother hire people to torment the new Madam? Did the new Madam offend you?”

Nanny Wei, feeling pressured by her daughter’s gaze, did not dare look up. She changed the subject, went to a cabinet, and carefully took out a golden pill from a delicate medicine box. She then brought water to her daughter.

“Take this golden pill first?”

But Luo Xia only shook her head.

“This elixir is too expensive; it’s almost drained our savings. Mother, tell the truth, is it because of money that you’ve made things difficult for the new madam?”

Nanny Wei grew anxious when she saw her daughter refusing to take the medicine.

“That woman surnamed Deng does not have much money. Her meager savings are not even enough for you to take medicine for several months!”

“Then why is that?” Luo Xia could not understand why her mother would hire a swindler from the black market to cause trouble for her, almost harming her younger sister, Qingrui. She said bluntly, “If Mother does not explain clearly, I will not take this medicine.”

Nanny Wei broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.

“Alright, alright, my dear! I will tell you! But if I do, you must take this medicine properly!”

Luo Xia nodded with a stern face.

Nanny Wei, thinking of all the trouble that had happened today, all because of Deng Ruyun, gritted her teeth.

“That country girl surnamed Deng is not the new wife at all. She’s just a betrothed the Second Master arranged for by the Old Madam, and the Second Master does not know it.”

Upon hearing this, Luo Xia was stunned.

“A contract wife?”

Nanny Wei nodded. “She’s a woman who entered the household under a contract to shield the Second Master from trouble for now and will leave in two years. Of course, the Old Madam would not really marry the Second Master to a wife who cannot help him. Not only can she not help him, but her family is a mess, and she has a family to support, requiring the Second Master to raise them. The Old Madam’s true choice for the Second Master’s principal wife is the fourth young lady of the Zhang family from the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion in the capital!”

“That’s a high-ranking family in the capital, the legitimate daughter of the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion. If she had not been orphaned and bullied, why would she even consider this Second Master?”

She said the Zhang family was one of the most prestigious in the capital, especially in recent years, as the Fourth Young Lady Zhang Zhenhui’s uncle, the current Yongchang Marquis, had a good relationship with the Ninth Prince in the palace, and the Yongchang Marquis’s Mansion’s prestige had steadily increased.

Originally, Young Lady Zhang could have married into a higher family through this arrangement, but the Marquis’s wife, her aunt, was a seemingly kind but actually wicked woman. She had a long-standing feud with Young Lady Zhang’s mother, and now that Young Lady Zhang’s parents were dead, she had no one to rely on. If it were not for the mourning period, she would likely have been married off to some worthless family.

“The Old Madam intended for Young Lady Zhang to be the Second Master’s principal wife, and Young Lady Zhang did not mind that the Teng family was not prestigious. She also admired the Second Master’s heroic spirit and promising future. Both sides were interested, but then Princess Rongle of the Prince Enhua’s Mansion interfered!”

Nanny Wei spoke of this with great regret.

“If it were not for Princess Rongle, why would the Second Master have married that country girl surnamed Deng?”

Luo Xia asked a question.

“That’s the old lady’s business. What does it have to do with you, Mother? Why make things so difficult for that betrothed? She’s already pitiful enough to be betrothed.”

Nanny Wei sighed slowly and shook her head.

“My child, do you know where you got this golden elixir? It was specially found for you by Fourth Young Lady Zhang. We are repaying her kindness.”

She explained that when the old lady had just begun to show interest, Fourth Young Lady Zhang’s wet nurse encountered her and inquired at the pharmacy whether they had any prepared medicine specifically for epilepsy.

The wet nurse had only asked casually, and Nanny Wei had only given a brief reply. Unexpectedly, not long after, the wet nurse sent a letter saying that there was a royal physician in the capital who specialized in treating epilepsy and that this physician could make a golden elixir that was highly effective against the disease.

At that time, Nanny Wei took out all her savings, wanting to entrust the Zhang family to help her buy this golden elixir in the capital.

Before she could even discuss the matter with the Zhang family, the Fourth Young Lady Zhang’s father passed away, forcing her to immediately return to the capital.

Nanny Wei thought the matter was likely lost, but to her surprise, a month later, the Zhang family sent her four golden pills and a letter.

These four golden pills were specifically for treating epilepsy, but they were expensive in the capital and difficult to transport, far beyond Nanny Wei’s means.

However, the imperial physician specializing in epilepsy had a junior fellow disciple. This junior disciple also knew how to treat epilepsy, and his medical skills were excellent. However, he was unable to enter the Imperial Medical Academy due to his ugly appearance. His hometown was in the Henan area, not far from Xi’an, so she could easily buy the pills from him at a much lower price.

Nanny Wei, upon receiving the pills and the letter, practically kowtowed to the Fourth Young Lady Zhang.

However, the Zhang family relayed Fourth Miss’s message, saying that the Yongchang Marquis’s family was a prominent family in the capital, and this matter was merely a small favor, not worthy of a great reward.

But since she had indeed intervened, she feared it might seem like she was deliberately doing a favor or trying to win her over. She decided to simply have Nanny Wei administer the medicine and not make a fuss, especially not mentioning it to Old Madam Lin.

Hearing this, Nanny Wei felt that such matters should be discussed with the Old Madam, but remembering Young Lady Zhang’s wishes, she did not mention a word to the Old Madam.

At this moment, she only told her daughter.

She pulled her daughter aside and said, “None of this can be spoken of. We just need to focus on taking our medicine and getting better.”

Luo Xia was stunned, then asked her, “So, Mother, you are tormenting Madam Deng because of Young Lady Zhang?”

Nanny Wei’s eyes widened with admiration upon hearing this.

“Only a noblewoman like Young Lady Zhang, as noble as a celestial maiden and as compassionate as a Bodhisattva, should be the Second Master’s principal wife.”

But then her expression suddenly changed. “Who is that Deng woman? If it were not for the Old Madam’s intervention, she would have been married off to a blind old man as a second wife. She has not behaved herself since arriving at the Teng family and has only made the Second Master more intimate with her each day!”

As she spoke, Nanny Wei grew increasingly anxious, thinking about the events of the past few days.

She had originally planned to take advantage of the Old Madam’s absence to create chaos in Jinzhou, thus entangling Deng Ruyun in a power struggle with her uncle and aunt, a bunch of scoundrels. Once the Second Master returned from Ningxia, he would not be able to see her and continue his intimacy with her.

Furthermore, given the many scandals within Deng Ruyun’s family, she also wanted to use this opportunity to make Deng Ruyun realize how much she owed Old Madam Lin for her comfortable life, thus prompting her to properly distance herself from the Second Master.

But Nanny Wei never expected that the Second Master had been keeping an eye on her all along. Hearing of her family’s troubles, he rushed to help, bringing her back with him.

This plan backfired.

Nanny Wei, thinking of the current situation, felt she had failed in her duty to Young Lady Zhang.

“I was worried the Second Master had fallen for her, and what if he would not let that Deng woman leave? Even if Deng Ruyun disappeared voluntarily according to the contract, given the Second Master’s temperament, he’d probably search the entire Shaanxi province to find her. How could he then marry Young Lady Zhang, his rightful wife?”

But the worst part was that the Second Master had probably already fallen for her.

What would happen next was beyond her control.

She was only worried and saddened for Young Lady Zhang, but Sister Xia was shocked by the unspeakable situation and developed a headache.

Her sudden headache terrified Nanny Wei. “Quickly, take the golden pill!”

She hurriedly helped her daughter and fed her the pill.

But Luo Xia shook her head.

“Mother, you’ve caused so much trouble because of this golden pill, but I do not feel any better after taking it! It’s better not to take it.”

“What nonsense are you talking about? Even the most miraculous medicine will not cure your illness quickly; you will need to take it for three to five years. I can afford it! Besides, you even fell and hurt your head today…”

As she spoke, fearing her daughter might have another attack that night, she said, “If the physicians in Xi’an Prefecture cannot help, I will talk to Second Master tomorrow and take you to Henan for treatment! We will go to Henan, and I will cure your illness no matter what!”

*

The news of Nanny Wei’s daughter, Sister Xia’s, illness quickly spread throughout the entire Teng Mansion.

Only then did Deng Ruyun hear of the matter. Xiuniang had not expected that the two swindlers would end up like this.

This matter even alarmed Teng Yue and his sister, Teng Xiao.

Nanny Wei was an old servant in the family, having served Old Madam Lin faithfully for decades. Her husband, Luo Xia’s father, had died on the battlefield alongside Master Teng, and the Teng family had always treated Nanny Wei like family.

That evening, Luo Xia’s condition seemed unstable. Nanny Wei rushed to Teng Yue, pleading, “This old servant wants to get Second Master’s invitation to fetch a reliable physician.”

Teng Yue immediately sent Congying to get the invitation.

However, he asked Nanny Wei one question.

“Was Sister Xia beaten? Who was so arrogant?”

His question left Nanny Wei speechless, unable to utter a word.

She could not very well tell Teng Yue that the person who beat Sister Xia was the very person she had hired to torment Deng Ruyun. Nanny Wei was speechless. She had shot herself in the foot and could only swallow her anger and say that it was some street thug who had done it, so there was no need to pursue it for now.

Deng Ruyun and Xiuniang were also nearby. Xiuniang almost laughed upon hearing this.

She never expected that Nanny Wei, who had always bullied them, would have such a day.

Deng Ruyun could only shake her head secretly.

How long could she stay in the Teng family? Hopefully, Nanny Wei would restrain herself in the future.

Let’s all live in peace. After these two years, in the vast sea of ​​people, who would ever see whom again?

… …

Nanny Wei’s evil hand had been exposed, yet she had also created her own trap. Xiuniang whispered to her young lady, “I think we’ve cleaned up Liumingxuan’s mess. There’s not a single ghost left by your side, Miss.”

Deng Ruyun smiled. She thought so too, but when she finished washing up and prepared to go to bed that evening, she suddenly felt that perhaps not.

There was probably a little ghost in her bed, the kind that kicked people into someone else’s arms.

Deng Ruyun was determined to subdue this ghost in her bed tonight.

She turned and asked Xiuniang to find four small peach wood ornaments. Peach wood ornaments were not expensive, but they could be useful in a pinch.

Xiuniang told her mistress,

“Each time you place one, recite two incantations in that direction, and I guarantee no little ghost will cause trouble tonight.”

Deng Ruyun had no choice but to try anything, so she practiced the incantations as Xiuniang instructed and placed the peach wood ornaments in the four corners of the bed.

When Teng Yue returned, she was reciting the incantations and did not notice him.

But he overheard her muttering beside the bed.

“Southern Immortal, suppressing the little devils is your duty! Northern Immortal, capturing the little devils, appear tonight…”

Teng Yue tried hard to purse his lips to keep from laughing out loud.

He pretended not to see her, changed his clothes, and washed up, then followed her to bed.

Although Deng Ruyun had placed peach wood ornaments and prayed to the gods, she could not help but glance at the person beside her before falling asleep.

What if the “little ghost” she was referring to was not a ghost at all but this tall, large living person? Would Xiuniang’s little peach wood ornament still be able to suppress it?

She thought about this and pondered for a while.

She first told Teng Yue that the thin quilt from last night was too thin, but there were not any medium-thick quilts that had been aired out in the sun, so they would have to sleep under separate quilts tonight.

The living person had no objections and gently agreed.

Deng Ruyun always fell asleep quickly, and soon she was asleep.

Teng Yue reached into the corner under his pillow and pulled out a small peach wood trinket. He examined it in the dim light of the bedside lamp and saw that it was a peach wood turtle.

The man chuckled silently. Could a little turtle really ward off a ghost in bed?

He picked it up and played with it for a while, then put it back. Hearing her breathing become deep and even as she slept, he did the same as the previous two days, pulling her over, but this time, he wanted her, blanket and all.

Teng Yue looked at the small bundle curled up in the blanket and pulled her in as well.

This should have been smooth sailing, something Teng Yue was used to doing. But this time, he could only pull her halfway before he could not move her anymore. A force was pulling her, fixing her in place.

Could Xiuniang’s peach wood ornament really have worked its magic?

Teng Yue paused, then gently tugged at her again, only to see her ankle peeking out from under the quilt at the foot of the bed.

A red rope was tied to her fair ankle.

She had actually tied one of her feet to the bedpost at the foot of the bed! Teng Yue could not help but burst out laughing.

Deng Ruyun, jolted awake by his tug and laughter, opened her eyes and met his smiling gaze.

The man leaned down and asked, “Yunniang, are you still sleeping with ropes tied to your feet?”

Deng Ruyun was already somewhat confused, and his question only deepened her confusion.

Should she not be asking him why he had brought her to his side when she was sleeping so soundly?

She blinked. “I…I am afraid of ghosts.”

She was afraid of him, this living ghost.

But he remained calm, showing no shame at being caught in the act, and instead went along with her words.

“Then, Yunniang, you can sleep in my arms from now on. My blood energy is probably much more effective than Xiuniang’s peach wood ornaments.”

He stated it directly.

Deng Ruyun froze for a moment. “He’s not pretending anymore?”

But before she could respond, the man had already turned and stood at her feet.

Teng Yue noticed the red rope was tied quite tightly; he wondered how she had managed to sleep with it tied to her ankle.

Two blankets were not enough, the peach wood fittings from town were not enough, and she’d even tied herself up on her own.

So, this last layer of rope was actually to protect herself from him, was it not?

Quite cunning, was it not?

Teng Yue found it incredibly amusing. He bent down and untied the red rope from her ankle.

The light was dim, but the red rope was vibrant. The way it illuminated her pale ankles created a peculiar effect.

He struggled for a moment to completely untie her, but turning around, he saw her sitting on the brocade quilt, blinking, seemingly dazed by his words. Strands of hair fell across her collar, which had slipped down to her shoulders, revealing her delicate collarbone, tinged a pale yellow by the lamplight.

Teng Yue paused.

He looked at her, and she had already come to her senses.

“With the peach wood ornament, I am not afraid of ghosts anymore. I will sleep alone.”

She said, reaching for the quilt, but their blankets were already tangled. Deng Ruyun’s pull only pulled Teng Yue’s blanket completely to her side.

The man was now completely exposed to the cool air.

The contrast between hot and cold instantly shifted, something flowing downwards and gathering towards the center.

He just looked at her, and she seemed to sense the unusual atmosphere within the canopy bed, quickly pulling the quilt back onto him.

The two thin blankets were tangled too tightly, and when she returned one, she also returned her own.

She did not cover him; instead, her own body was exposed to the air.

The man smiled, his eyes lowered.

Deng Ruyun did not know what he was laughing at, but he raised his hand, his palm gently resting on her waist.

“Is your back better?”

Deng Ruyun instinctively replied, “It’s been better for a long time.”

She regretted saying those words as soon as they left her mouth.

The man had already ripped off his undergarment, revealing his formidable chest.

His voice suddenly became low and almost hoarse.

“May I?”

“Ah…”

… …

Tonight, his body was like charcoal. In the quiet night in the canopy bed, his heart pounded like a galloping horse across a plain, loud and rapid.

But he remained patient, his hands, used for years to nock arrows and wield swords, carefully tracing the delicate skin of his wife.

His face was flushed hotter than ever before, as if turning red. His gaze dared not linger on her, yet his hands roamed tirelessly along her smooth curves.

He had never been like this before, and Deng Ruyun’s heart raced along with his. This caressing was like lighting fires in a wilderness; wherever the torches touched, the flames spread.

Soon, her body also grew completely hot, as if an extra thirty percent of the fire had been added to the earthen ceiling. But compared to the dryness of the earthen ceiling, the humidity in the canopy bed was steadily rising.

Deng Ruyun could not tell if it was steam, sweat, or water.

She could not take it anymore and simply turned her face away. He, too, had reached his limit. He turned back, took her hand, and plunged into the humid, steamy water. If before she had always found it difficult to adjust, this time, he half-peeked in, half-entered, and then completely submerged himself within her.

He was no longer charcoal but a wet charcoal slick with strong liquor. He was incredibly hot, and wherever he touched her, it felt as if he would set her on fire as well. The heat stirred up a turbulent atmosphere in the tent, and the hot, large object was unbearable. She, too, was like a hot charcoal slick with liquor, constantly exuding a thick, intoxicating aura under the influence of this heat.

She did not know how much time had passed. Deng Ruyun, dazed, stared at the lamp, thinking it was dawn approaching, when he finally stopped.

She gasped for breath, wanting to simply pass out and sleep for three days and three nights, when he suddenly pulled her against the bed and held her in his arms.

He looked at her, his breath heavy. “Yunniang, give yourself to me again.”