Chapter 30. Journey (Part 3)
Journey (Part 3)
I changed my clothes, washed my face, and laid down on the bed, closing my eyes, carried away by the effects of alcohol.
But for some reason, my mind felt filled with inexplicable thoughts, feeling dizzy, unable to fall asleep. In a hazy state, I heard the sound of a door, accompanied by a man's low whisper, sounding like Wei Tan…
Wei Tan!
I immediately opened my eyes.
Wei Tan was not far away, pouring a cup of water from a teapot. He looked surprised when he saw me sitting up and asked, "You're still not asleep?"
I looked at him for a while and asked, "How come you are back?"
"En?" Wei Tan took a sip of tea and glanced at me.
"What do you mean?" He set down his tea cup and walked to the edge of the bed, unhurriedly. "Am I not allowed to come back?"
I found myself at a loss for words, realising that my question was indeed without rhyme or reason.
Wei Tan, seeing that I remained silent, said, "Go to sleep. We have a long journey ahead tomorrow." With that, he turned around and started to walk away.
A thought stirred in my heart, and I spoke up, saying, "Wait."
Wei Tan turned back.
I looked at him for a moment, biting my lip. "I have something to tell you."
*****
The flames flickered quietly on the oil lamp placed on the desk, as Wei Tan and I sat facing each other across the table.
The tea cups in front of us were filled with freshly poured tea. Wei Tan lifted his cup and took a sip, while I remained still, contemplating my words in my mind.
Ever since returning from the banquet, I had been feeling a tightness in my chest.
I had always disliked being swayed by emotions, but this time, I couldn't quite understand where this frustration was coming from. Was it because of what Ah Yuan mentioned about taking concubines? As I lay on the bed earlier, closing my eyes and pondering, I finally arrived at an answer.
It's not about taking concubines or not. It's about Fan Yue, that arrogant old man. Right in front of me, he blatantly allowed courtesans to seduce my husband. Even the most tolerant woman would be angered by such behaviour. There's another layer to it as well. Given my current situation, whether for the sake of stability or for financial reasons, I must stay in the capital. And from any perspective, the best position for me would be to continue being the Da GongZi Furen.
If I want to continue being Da GongZi Furen, I cannot be divorced, especially during this time when beauty holds such significance. I must seize the opportunity and act quickly.
"Didn't you have something to tell me?" Wei Tan set his tea cup down.
"En," I nodded softly, looking at him. "Fujun has mentioned before that our marriage was a matter of expediency."
Wei Tan's gaze paused, looking at me without revealing any emotions. "En," he responded.
I mustered my courage and continued, "ChengXiang allowed me to marry into Fujun's family, because he valued the reputation of the Fu family, isn't that right?"
Wei Tan gently spun the tea cup with his finger and said, "If that's how Furen sees it, then it is indeed the case."
With his tacit acknowledgement, I maintained a calm smile and asked, "One wonders if ChengXiang is currently satisfied?"
"It's all thanks to Furen. With the support of the scholars, the new dynasty is now stable," Wei Tan replied.
I inwardly took a deep breath and asked, "In that case, I’ll return to the Yongdu, can I?"
Wei Tan's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"Please let me finish!" I was afraid that I hadn't explained clearly enough and that he would misunderstand. I hurriedly continued, "Since we are already married and have come together from Huáiyáng, it would be troublesome for both of us if I were to leave. You would have to explain to your family. Instead, why don't we continue this marriage? I have always taken care of household matters diligently, as you know. As for your affairs outside, I will still refrain from interfering, just as I have always done. What do you think?"
Wei Tan looked at me with an intense gaze that almost made it difficult for me to meet his eyes directly.
"Repeat the sentence you just said," he spoke after a moment.
I froze for a moment and thought, "I will not interfere in your affairs outside..."
He interrupted, "The sentence before that."
"I have always taken care of household affairs diligently..."
"Before that."
"Why don't we continue this marriage..." My voice became quieter and quieter.
Wei Tan looked at me and then smiled, his lips curling up.
"Continue being husband and wife?" He took a sip of tea from his cup.
"En." My heart started to race higher and higher.
Wei Tan set down his tea cup, his gaze deep as the bottom of a pond. He spoke slowly, "You just called me 'Fujun' a moment ago, a term I haven't heard in a long time. Can you call me that again?"
Surprised, I instinctively opened my mouth, but those two words got stuck in my throat for a moment.
There seemed to be a slight flicker in his eyes.
I quickly said, "Fu..."
"I'll go take a bath." Wei Tan said calmly, getting up from the bed and walking out of the room.
I felt a bit resentful towards myself for being so weak. It was just two words, "fu" and "jun." If I had managed to say them smoothly earlier, the matter would have been settled. But now, Wei Tan has already shown some magnanimity by allowing me to stay. Yet, I couldn't even give him the face of calling him "fujun" once. As I thought about it, I realised I shouldn't see things this way. What was I so anxious about? I was a legitimate married woman. My family background and reputation were there to support me. Even if I were to leave, the Wei family would bear the blame for breaking the marriage, and I had already given him enough face by saying what I did just now…
After pondering for a while, there was one thing that was truly bothering me. Did Wei Tan actually agree or not?
I lay on the bed, tossing and turning.
The sound of the door being pushed open reached my ears.
"Da Gongzi..." It was Ah Yuan's voice.
"Tonight, I will share the bed with Furen. You can go to the next room." It was Wei Tan's voice.
I startled and opened my eyes.
Share the bed?
"You..." I stammered, taken aback as he approached me.
"Lie further inside," Wei Tan said as he picked up a pillow. "You've taken up all the space for two people, how am I supposed to sleep?"
"You," I stuttered, "why do you want to share the bed with me?"
Wei Tan sat down, propping himself up on the bed, and turned to look at me. "Since we are husband and wife, we should share the same bed, shouldn't we? Furen."
When the words "Furen" came out of his mouth, his voice sounded particularly deep. I gazed at his face, feeling as if there was something hidden within his pupils, a flickering and enchanting radiance.
I wanted to argue, but I couldn't find the words to do so.
My heart was pounding, a mix of happiness and worry washing over me.
I felt happy that Wei Tan agreed, but at the same time, I was worried about having to sleep together with this scoundrel.
Since it was my suggestion to continue being husband and wife, I couldn't just kick him out. I stared at him warily, pulled up the blanket, disregarding the fact that it might make me sweat in the summer night, and wrapped it around myself before lying down.
Wei Tan paid no attention to me and blew out the lamp next to the bed. I heard a creaking sound from the bed, and I could feel the presence of something heavy and immense lying beside me.
"Why are you sleeping so close to the edge? Come closer." In the darkness, Wei Tan's voice sounded very close.
"I won't come closer. En... it's hot," I said.
"It's hot but why covered by the blanket? Take it off."
"Ah... if you want to take it off, go ahead, but why are you reaching over?"
"This is how husband and wife should sleep. What's the point of calling ourselves husband and wife if we sleep like the Cowherd and Weaver Girl?"
"Don’t you're also leaning closer..."
"My arms aren't long enough. If I don't lean closer, I won't be able to hold you."
"Who asked you to hold me... Ah, you have stubble on your face..."
"Don't move!" Wei Tan suddenly whispered in a low voice.
I immediately froze, no longer struggling.
I could feel a firm resistance against my legs.
Wei Tan was very close, his breath warming my ear, and my entire cheek grew hot. "Ah Jin..." he murmured, his voice carrying a distinctly masculine allure. It felt like something had crawled across the depths of my heart, leaving a tingling sensation. Suddenly, I realised that his hand was reaching beneath my clothes.
"Don't come any closer! You pervert!"
"Si! Don't kick... you woman!"
"Ah! Ah!"
*****
The last exclamation was from me, and I shouted it loudly because I had twisted my foot again, causing me great pain.
Fan Yue, that old scoundrel, was not fair. Even his bed was not fair. Why would he add a decorative carved railing to a perfectly good bed? And the gaps in the railing were too wide. When I panicked and tried to avoid Wei Tan, my right foot got caught in the railing. Wei Tan pulled on it, and I heard a "crack" as one of the railing's pieces broke, and my foot was injured once again.
In the middle of the night, Wei Tan woke the servants up to boil water and fetch medicine. He then began massaging and rubbing my injured foot once again.
"Ah..." The pain was so intense that tears welled up in my eyes.
"Endure it," Wei Tan said. “You have quite the strength. Why not twist the other one as well?”
"Who asked you to hug me?" I glared at him. "If it weren't for your mischief, why would I have extended my foot in those places... Ah!" I exclaimed in pain.
Wei Tan placed my foot into warm water and smirked, his voice low, "Keep your voice low, what if someone might hear?"
Only then did I realise that the servants were standing nearby, having overheard our previous conversation. Their faces displayed knowing smiles, filled with subtle implications.
Feeling embarrassed, I fell silent, no longer uttering a word. I only wished to leave a footmark on that smirking face before me.
After tending to my foot, it was once again wrapped like a cocoon and suspended by Wei Tan from the canopy.
As I lay back down, Wei Tan still held me in his arms, but he was no longer mischievous. Initially, I felt uneasy, thinking that this rascal would take advantage of the situation. However, he remained still, his arm wrapped around me. Before long, I could hear his steady and deep breathing.
Husband and wife? I remembered how back in Laiyang, Han Guang used to sleep with me like this every night.
Is this how it will be in the future?
...There's another thing. I made my request earlier, but Wei Tan didn't mention his...
Well, it's better not to bring it up.
Lost in my thoughts, I gradually fell into dream...
*****
The next morning, I woke up to find Wei Tan already dressed and standing by the bed.
"Awake?" His voice was husky with the morning, "Get dressed. We'll be on our way in half an hour."
I responded with a sound and tried to sit up, wanting to gather the covers around me, but I couldn't muster the strength. The canopy curtains rustled as my injured foot moved, making squeaking sounds. I simply couldn't sit up.
Next to me, I heard Wei Tan's low chuckle as he came over and sat down by the bed.
"Need help?" he asked, looking at me.
"Yes," I nodded.
"Missing two words," he said.
Me: “....”
Upon looking into his eyes, it took me a while to remember which two words were missing.
"Fu... um, Fujun," I said somewhat stiffly.
Wei Tan's lips curled up as he turned towards my injured foot and began to untie the bandage.
As I watched him work on my injured foot, I couldn't help but wonder if I had said something wrong last night. Why was he fixated on a particular title? The thought kept replaying in my mind.
Wei Tan gently released my injured foot and then grasped my shoulders, helping me sit up.
The blanket slipped off my body, exposing my thin garment underneath.
Wei Tan’s gaze suddenly paused at my neck.
I was taken aback and followed his gaze. I noticed that my collar had become loose, revealing a glimpse of the smooth and fair skin beneath... My face flushed instantly, and I hurriedly covered my collar again.
"Put on your clothes and tidy up. It's time to hit the road," Wei Tan smiled, his eyes gleaming, but his expression serious.
"Ah Yuan!" He let go of me and shouted towards the outside of the house.
"Here." The door opened, and Ah Yuan cautiously stuck half of her head inside.
"Assist Furen in changing her clothes," Wei Tan instructed, getting up and walking away.
After washing up and having something to eat, Wei Tan came in and asked if I had finished tidying up.
When I spoke, he lifted me up and walked out of the door.
Fan Yue and his family were all in the hall. When they saw Wei Tan coming out with me in his arms, their expressions froze slightly.
For some reason, I felt a great sense of relief in my heart and an unprecedented sense of pride being held by someone in front of everyone.
"Thank you, Fan Gong, for your hospitality. We have troubled you for some time, so we will take our leave now," Wei Tan said to Fan Yue.
Fan Yue smiled and said, "My humble abode is simple, and the hospitality may be lacking. Please don't take offence, GongZi" Then he looked at me and continued, "One heard that Furen's foot ailment recurred last night. One wonders if Furen is feeling better. If Furen doesn't mind, there are skilled doctors in Yingchuan who can provide medical treatment, and it would be a great kindness to stay and recuperate."
"Thank you, Fan Gong, but it's just a minor injury. It will heal in a few days," I replied with a gentle and apologetic smile. "I apologise for my inability to perform proper courtesy due to my difficulty in walking."
Fan Yue said, "Furen words are excessive. How could an old man like me dare to accept such courtesy?"
The carriages and horses were already lined up and ready. After some polite conversation, Fan Yue led everyone to see us off at the door.
When they bowed, I caught a glimpse of the dancing girl from last night standing behind Fan Yue's wife. With lowered brows, almond-shaped eyes, and a delicate and beautiful appearance.
Ah, what a pity.
I held my head high and got into the carriage, leaning on Wei Tan's arm.