Liu Lu opened the door and Song Liang Zhuo stumbled into Liu Lu’s bedchamber.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi’s smile disappeared. She thought Song Liang Zhuo was someone with a high tolerance. She didn’t want to concede either. She sat still on the bed while he waited at the door. Her heart wanted him to stay away from her. She didn’t want to compete with anyone, and she didn’t care if he wanted to be intimate with his Shang Ruo Pai.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sighed a dozen times, but Song Liang Zhuo didn’t understand and he refused to leave.</p>
Liu Lu couldn’t stand the tension between Qiao Xiao Qi and Song Liang Zhuo. Liu Lu walked to the bed and whispered a threat in Qiao Xiao Qi’s ear. ‘Mistress, if you’re angry with master, I’ll go back to the Qian Manor and I’ll tell mistress’ mother about it. Mistress’ family will come here and tear down the Song Manor.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi bit her lips, got out of bed and patted Liu Lu’s hand. ‘Hehe… Liu Lu have a good sleep.’</p>
‘Mistress, master, have a good sleep,’ Liu Lu said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi bowed her shivering head, and silently followed Song Liang Zhuo outside.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi entered her bedchamber. The bed wasn’t small, but she wasn’t used to sharing a bed with a man.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sat in front of the table and poured a cup of tea.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo untied his outer robe, turned his back toward Qian Xiao Qi and waited for her to disrobe him.</p>
A long time later, Qian Xiao Qi still didn’t disrobe Song Liang Zhuo. He turned around and saw her drinking tea. Reluctantly he disrobed.</p>
‘Xiao Qi, you should sleep,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi kept her eyes on Song Liang Zhuo’s uniform. She felt shy to look at his face. ‘Official Song, you should sleep first. I… I’m thirsty. I want to drink tea for a while.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt there was a misunderstanding. He wanted to compensate Qian Xiao Qi a wedding night so he prepared himself mentally. But her shyness made him sigh in relief. He didn’t need to force himself to sleep with her.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo laid straight on half of the bed to save room for Xiao Qi.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi turned around to look outside the window. She thought Song Liang Zhuo wanted to give her the outer bed half because he wanted her to pour him tea and serve him in the middle of the night.</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi clenched her hands. How could she love a man like Song Liang Zhuo? After he married her, he still had an ambiguous relationship with another woman. She raised her hand to hit the table, but stopped her hand midway.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi reasoned she wasn’t at a tavern listening to people tell stories so she shouldn’t hit the table. She sat upright, and occasionally nodded her head. She disliked a man who would hit her because of another woman. She believed she was someone compassionate and understanding before she lost her memory. How could Song Liang Zhuo hit someone with a good heart and weaker than him?</p>
Qian Xiao Qi drank a whole pot of tea, propped her head on the table and yawned.</p>
‘Come here and sleep,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘It’s the middle of the night.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi jolted awake. She had planned to sleep on the table, but she couldn’t deny a bed was more comfortable.</p>
‘Is there another blanket?’ Qiao Xiao Qi asked.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo frowned. ‘There’s another blanket in the chest.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi ran around the bedchamber to look for the chest. After a long search, she found the chest and pulled out a good quality soft blanket made from rabbit fur. She nodded her head, and felt satisfied with the blanket.</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi wrapped the blanket around her body, walked toward the bed while looking wearily at Song Liang Zhuo and blowing out the candles.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo observed Qian Xiao Qi’s suspicious movements.</p>
‘Xiao Qi, how can you forget what’s inside the bedchamber?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked. ‘Wasn’t it you who brought the chest here?’</p>
‘Oh?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked and scrunched her face. ‘I forgot many things after I hit my head.’</p>
‘Is it something serious?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked.</p>
‘It’s nothing,’ Qian Xiao Qi said.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt like summer was quickly approaching, and he remembered his promise with his father-in-law.</p>
‘It’s good it’s nothing,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘I married you so I’ll be good to you. Don’t think too much.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo thought for a while about what was making Qian Xiao Qi worry.</p>
‘Little sister Ruo Pai and I only have a brotherly and sisterly relationship,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘Don’t let it worry your heart.’</p>
‘I don’t care if you and she have a brotherly and sisterly relationship,’ Qian Xiao Qi said and yawned. ‘I’ll go see my father and explain everything. I won’t make things difficult for you two.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt frustrated looking at Qian Xiao Qi’s nape.</p>
‘What’s the matter?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked. ‘Are you still angry because I hit you?’</p>
‘No,’ Qian Xiao Qi said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi wanted to say she disliked Song Liang Zhuo, and that she wished they could live their own separate lives away from each other. But she was sleepy, and couldn’t open her eyes after she laid on the bed. In the end she didn’t know if she opened her mouth to tell him the truth before she fell asleep.</p>
‘Then it means what you said before was out of anger,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo couldn’t see Qian Xiao Qi’s face clearly in the dark.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo wanted to live a happy life with Qian Xiao Qi. It was hard for him to accept she was his wife. But he decided to marry her so he had to accept the consequences. He needed to have a child with her soon.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo slid an arm under Qian Xiao Qi’s rabbit fur blanket. She didn’t stir so he pulled her body close to his body, took a deep breath and kissed her lips.</p>
The kiss frightened Qian Xiao Qi awake. She couldn’t see in the dark so she screamed.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo covered Qian Xiao Qi’s mouth. ‘Don’t scream, it’s me.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi could only mumble under Song Liang Zhuo’s hand. His other hand held her wrists. She couldn’t move besides glaring at him to show her discomfort.</p>
‘Don’t be scared,’ Song Liang Zhuo coaxed. ‘We’re only having a wedding night.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi shook her head.</p>
‘I’ll take my hands away but you can’t scream,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘What will people think if they can hear you screaming outside?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi nodded her head.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo let go of Qian Xiao Qi. She moved away from him, jumped out of bed, sat on the floor and wrapped the rabbit fur blanket tighter around her body.</p>
‘What do you want?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo didn’t know how to answer an awkward question. What did he want? What should he say? Should he say he wanted to have a wedding night with her?</p>
Song Liang Zhuo coughed softly. ‘We’re husband and wife.’</p>
The words husband and wife coming out of Song Liang Zhuo made Qian Xiao Qi angrier.</p>
‘Song Liang Zhuo!’ Qian Xiao Qi said. ‘Even if you’re Official Song, you shouldn’t demean another person. I know you see me as an untamed inconvenience. It’s obvious someone like me is an eyesore to a scholar like you. Tomorrow I’m going home, and I’ll explain everything to my family. You’re free to be intimate with anyone you want. I, Qian Xiao Qi won’t stop you.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi propped herself off the ground. Her legs got tangled in the rabbit fur blanket and she fell on the ground.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi heard Song Liang Zhuo laugh at her pain. What kind of person laughed at someone in pain? How could she marry a small provincial magistrate without a conscience?</p>
Qian Xiao Qi raised her knees to kick her legs. But Song Liang Zhuo carried her. She was angry and embarrassed. She banged her head against his chest, jumped down and landed on her back again.</p>
The bedchamber was filled with cries of pain and laughter.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo stopped laughing, and squatted next to Qian Xiao Qi. ‘Stop being noisy. Does it hurt?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi glared at Song Liang Zhuo and gritted her teeth. ‘Official Song, you shouldn’t be amused by another person’s pain. Wait until I go home and explain everything.’</p>
‘Wait,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘What?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked. She sat up and rubbed her sore arms. ‘What do you mean?’</p>
‘Father-in-law won’t agree,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘Why?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked.</p>
‘He won’t let me divorce his daughter after a couple of days of marriage because he doesn’t want his household’s reputation blemished,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘I didn’t mean divorce, I meant separation,’ Qiao Xiao Qi said. ‘Do you understand separation?’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head and laid back on the bed. ‘You should sleep. It’s almost morning.’</p>
‘Official Song,’ Qian Xiao Qi called.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo turned his back toward Qian Xiao Qi.</p>
‘Official Song, I know I’m not beautiful and you think I’m ugly,’ Qian Xiao Qi said. ‘Why can’t we separate? I think my father must have blackmailed you to marry me. I’ll talk to my father, and help free you… Official Song?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sighed. Song Liang Zhuo must have been forced to marry her. She needed to go home soon and tell her family that she didn’t want to be married to him. She was only seventeen, and was shocked to find out he was twenty-four. They had a seven year age difference. Seven years!</p>
Qian Xiao Qi squeezed her cheeks. She vaguely remembered someone telling her that it was alright if she married someone who was older than her by eight or nine years, but she shouldn’t marry someone who was seven years older because she would be bullied her whole life.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi climbed onto the table, curled herself into a ball, closed her eyes and slept.</p>
***</p>
End of Chapter Three</p>
Liu Lu opened the door and Song Liang Zhuo stumbled into Liu Lu’s bedchamber.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi’s smile disappeared. She thought Song Liang Zhuo was someone with a high tolerance. She didn’t want to concede either. She sat still on the bed while he waited at the door. Her heart wanted him to stay away from her. She didn’t want to compete with anyone, and she didn’t care if he wanted to be intimate with his Shang Ruo Pai.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sighed a dozen times, but Song Liang Zhuo didn’t understand and he refused to leave.</p>
Liu Lu couldn’t stand the tension between Qiao Xiao Qi and Song Liang Zhuo. Liu Lu walked to the bed and whispered a threat in Qiao Xiao Qi’s ear. ‘Mistress, if you’re angry with master, I’ll go back to the Qian Manor and I’ll tell mistress’ mother about it. Mistress’ family will come here and tear down the Song Manor.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi bit her lips, got out of bed and patted Liu Lu’s hand. ‘Hehe… Liu Lu have a good sleep.’</p>
‘Mistress, master, have a good sleep,’ Liu Lu said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi bowed her shivering head, and silently followed Song Liang Zhuo outside.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi entered her bedchamber. The bed wasn’t small, but she wasn’t used to sharing a bed with a man.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sat in front of the table and poured a cup of tea.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo untied his outer robe, turned his back toward Qian Xiao Qi and waited for her to disrobe him.</p>
A long time later, Qian Xiao Qi still didn’t disrobe Song Liang Zhuo. He turned around and saw her drinking tea. Reluctantly he disrobed.</p>
‘Xiao Qi, you should sleep,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi kept her eyes on Song Liang Zhuo’s uniform. She felt shy to look at his face. ‘Official Song, you should sleep first. I… I’m thirsty. I want to drink tea for a while.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt there was a misunderstanding. He wanted to compensate Qian Xiao Qi a wedding night so he prepared himself mentally. But her shyness made him sigh in relief. He didn’t need to force himself to sleep with her.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo laid straight on half of the bed to save room for Xiao Qi.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi turned around to look outside the window. She thought Song Liang Zhuo wanted to give her the outer bed half because he wanted her to pour him tea and serve him in the middle of the night.</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi clenched her hands. How could she love a man like Song Liang Zhuo? After he married her, he still had an ambiguous relationship with another woman. She raised her hand to hit the table, but stopped her hand midway.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi reasoned she wasn’t at a tavern listening to people tell stories so she shouldn’t hit the table. She sat upright, and occasionally nodded her head. She disliked a man who would hit her because of another woman. She believed she was someone compassionate and understanding before she lost her memory. How could Song Liang Zhuo hit someone with a good heart and weaker than him?</p>
Qian Xiao Qi drank a whole pot of tea, propped her head on the table and yawned.</p>
‘Come here and sleep,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘It’s the middle of the night.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi jolted awake. She had planned to sleep on the table, but she couldn’t deny a bed was more comfortable.</p>
‘Is there another blanket?’ Qiao Xiao Qi asked.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo frowned. ‘There’s another blanket in the chest.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi ran around the bedchamber to look for the chest. After a long search, she found the chest and pulled out a good quality soft blanket made from rabbit fur. She nodded her head, and felt satisfied with the blanket.</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi wrapped the blanket around her body, walked toward the bed while looking wearily at Song Liang Zhuo and blowing out the candles.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo observed Qian Xiao Qi’s suspicious movements.</p>
‘Xiao Qi, how can you forget what’s inside the bedchamber?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked. ‘Wasn’t it you who brought the chest here?’</p>
‘Oh?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked and scrunched her face. ‘I forgot many things after I hit my head.’</p>
‘Is it something serious?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked.</p>
‘It’s nothing,’ Qian Xiao Qi said.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt like summer was quickly approaching, and he remembered his promise with his father-in-law.</p>
‘It’s good it’s nothing,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘I married you so I’ll be good to you. Don’t think too much.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo thought for a while about what was making Qian Xiao Qi worry.</p>
‘Little sister Ruo Pai and I only have a brotherly and sisterly relationship,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘Don’t let it worry your heart.’</p>
‘I don’t care if you and she have a brotherly and sisterly relationship,’ Qian Xiao Qi said and yawned. ‘I’ll go see my father and explain everything. I won’t make things difficult for you two.’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo felt frustrated looking at Qian Xiao Qi’s nape.</p>
‘What’s the matter?’ Song Liang Zhuo asked. ‘Are you still angry because I hit you?’</p>
‘No,’ Qian Xiao Qi said.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi wanted to say she disliked Song Liang Zhuo, and that she wished they could live their own separate lives away from each other. But she was sleepy, and couldn’t open her eyes after she laid on the bed. In the end she didn’t know if she opened her mouth to tell him the truth before she fell asleep.</p>
‘Then it means what you said before was out of anger,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo couldn’t see Qian Xiao Qi’s face clearly in the dark.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo wanted to live a happy life with Qian Xiao Qi. It was hard for him to accept she was his wife. But he decided to marry her so he had to accept the consequences. He needed to have a child with her soon.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo slid an arm under Qian Xiao Qi’s rabbit fur blanket. She didn’t stir so he pulled her body close to his body, took a deep breath and kissed her lips.</p>
The kiss frightened Qian Xiao Qi awake. She couldn’t see in the dark so she screamed.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo covered Qian Xiao Qi’s mouth. ‘Don’t scream, it’s me.’</p>
Qiao Xiao Qi could only mumble under Song Liang Zhuo’s hand. His other hand held her wrists. She couldn’t move besides glaring at him to show her discomfort.</p>
‘Don’t be scared,’ Song Liang Zhuo coaxed. ‘We’re only having a wedding night.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi shook her head.</p>
‘I’ll take my hands away but you can’t scream,’ Song Liang Zhuo said. ‘What will people think if they can hear you screaming outside?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi nodded her head.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo let go of Qian Xiao Qi. She moved away from him, jumped out of bed, sat on the floor and wrapped the rabbit fur blanket tighter around her body.</p>
‘What do you want?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo didn’t know how to answer an awkward question. What did he want? What should he say? Should he say he wanted to have a wedding night with her?</p>
Song Liang Zhuo coughed softly. ‘We’re husband and wife.’</p>
The words husband and wife coming out of Song Liang Zhuo made Qian Xiao Qi angrier.</p>
‘Song Liang Zhuo!’ Qian Xiao Qi said. ‘Even if you’re Official Song, you shouldn’t demean another person. I know you see me as an untamed inconvenience. It’s obvious someone like me is an eyesore to a scholar like you. Tomorrow I’m going home, and I’ll explain everything to my family. You’re free to be intimate with anyone you want. I, Qian Xiao Qi won’t stop you.’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi propped herself off the ground. Her legs got tangled in the rabbit fur blanket and she fell on the ground.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi heard Song Liang Zhuo laugh at her pain. What kind of person laughed at someone in pain? How could she marry a small provincial magistrate without a conscience?</p>
Qian Xiao Qi raised her knees to kick her legs. But Song Liang Zhuo carried her. She was angry and embarrassed. She banged her head against his chest, jumped down and landed on her back again.</p>
The bedchamber was filled with cries of pain and laughter.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo stopped laughing, and squatted next to Qian Xiao Qi. ‘Stop being noisy. Does it hurt?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi glared at Song Liang Zhuo and gritted her teeth. ‘Official Song, you shouldn’t be amused by another person’s pain. Wait until I go home and explain everything.’</p>
‘Wait,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘What?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked. She sat up and rubbed her sore arms. ‘What do you mean?’</p>
‘Father-in-law won’t agree,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘Why?’ Qian Xiao Qi asked.</p>
‘He won’t let me divorce his daughter after a couple of days of marriage because he doesn’t want his household’s reputation blemished,’ Song Liang Zhuo said.</p>
‘I didn’t mean divorce, I meant separation,’ Qiao Xiao Qi said. ‘Do you understand separation?’</p>
Song Liang Zhuo shook his head and laid back on the bed. ‘You should sleep. It’s almost morning.’</p>
‘Official Song,’ Qian Xiao Qi called.</p>
Song Liang Zhuo turned his back toward Qian Xiao Qi.</p>
‘Official Song, I know I’m not beautiful and you think I’m ugly,’ Qian Xiao Qi said. ‘Why can’t we separate? I think my father must have blackmailed you to marry me. I’ll talk to my father, and help free you… Official Song?’</p>
Qian Xiao Qi sighed. Song Liang Zhuo must have been forced to marry her. She needed to go home soon and tell her family that she didn’t want to be married to him. She was only seventeen, and was shocked to find out he was twenty-four. They had a seven year age difference. Seven years!</p>
Qian Xiao Qi squeezed her cheeks. She vaguely remembered someone telling her that it was alright if she married someone who was older than her by eight or nine years, but she shouldn’t marry someone who was seven years older because she would be bullied her whole life.</p>
Qian Xiao Qi climbed onto the table, curled herself into a ball, closed her eyes and slept.</p>
***</p>
End of Chapter Three</p>
