Chapter 4 — Daytime Succubus

Lifting the tray, I carried it toward the quiet sanctuary of the study.

The heavy wooden door was left slightly ajar, and I pushed it open with a soft, cautious nudge. Shen Zhu was standing by the desk, deeply engrossed in practicing his calligraphy. Hearing the faint rustle of fabric, he did not even raise his eyes.

"Is there something you need?"

Carefully, I set the plate of red bean pastries and a steaming cup of tea down upon the corner of the polished mahogany desk, adopting a tone uncharacteristically obedient and gentle.

"I made these sweet pastries just now while I had a moment of leisure. Do you want to try one?"

"About before... it was entirely my fault. I shouldn't have constantly bullied you."

"I... I am sorry."

Having spoken these words straight from the depths of my heart, I foolishly imagined that even if Shen Zhu could not immediately forgive me, the frozen distance between us would at the very least begin to thaw. Yet when he finally lifted his head, his gaze falling upon the delicate plate of pastries, his eyes were instantly flooded with a profound and defensive wariness.

"What have you slipped inside them this time?"

I froze for a moment before I understood that he was still brooding over the absurd events of the previous night. A mixture of guilt and sudden indignation flared hot within my chest.

"I didn't put anything in them! Shen Zhu, I am apologizing to you in all sincerity. Must you always assume the absolute worst of me?"

Laying his calligraphy brush aside with a sharp clack, Shen Zhu offered neither affirmation nor disbelief. Refusing to back down, I reached out, picked up a red bean pastry, and bit into it right before his very eyes. The rich, velvety sweetness melted instantly upon the tip of my tongue.

"Look for yourself. There is no poison here, no harm at all."

With that, I picked up another pastry with my chopsticks. Leaning forward, I tilted my body toward him, attempting to bring the sweet treat directly to his lips. Shen Zhu furrowed his brow and raised a hand to block me. Unwilling to yield, I applied more force. Separated only by the wide expanse of the writing desk, the two of us locked into a stubborn stalemate.

"Would it really kill you to taste just a single bite..."

"I already told you, I will not..."

The red bean pastry trembled precariously at the tips of the chopsticks, looking as though it were about to tumble off at any second. Impulsively, I lurged further forward. The tips of my chopsticks swept past Shen Zhu's sleeve, snagging inexplicably on some unseen thread. A faint snap echoed quietly in the stillness. The slender red cord tied around Shen Zhu's wrist suddenly frayed apart, tumbling in two separate pieces onto the tabletop. Silence descended upon the room instantly. Instinctively, I raised my gaze to look at him.

The brows and eyes of Shen Zhu had turned instantly cold and desolate. Panic seized me, and I hurriedly reached out my hand to scoop up the fallen fragments.

"I am sorry, I am truly sorry, I did not mean to. I will fix it for you, this thing can easily be re-strung..."

"It cannot be fixed anymore."

Shen Zhu spoke abruptly. He gripped his wrist tightly, staring fixedly at the severed red string. Never before had I witnessed him wear such an expression. Throughout the past three long years, no matter how cruelly I teased him, mocked him, or put him through every imaginable hardship, he had always merely flustered, stumbling over his words as he offered quiet pleas. Never once had there been a hint of such piercing hostility. Yet at this moment, he looked genuinely, deeply enraged. Lifting his eyes, he stared straight into mine. Within that gaze lay a cocktail of profound disappointment and lingering panic.

"Ning Yu Fei, you are forever the exact same."

"No matter what I try to protect, no matter what I choose to keep hidden away, you always act solely on your own reckless whims, never caring even in the slightest for the feelings of others."

Those words struck me like a physical blow, leaving me stunned. A suffocating wave of grievance welled up within my throat. By what right did he blame only me? The one who had sat in the wedding chamber last night declaring that a kiss demanded responsibility was him; the one who had turned around this morning and refused to acknowledge it was likewise him. Could it be that I was the only one incapable of consideration?

"I already said I didn't do it on purpose! It is merely a piece of string, and I will gladly buy you a replacement. Do you honestly need to blow such a trivial matter completely out of proportion? Back when I bullied you relentlessly time and time again, you never once grew this angry!"

"The past is the past."

Clutching the broken red cord, the tips of Shen Zhu's fingers trembled faintly as his voice dropped into an icy, unyielding tone.

"This is entirely different."

"To you, this object is utterly worthless, but to me, it is the only one of its kind in this world, utterly irreplaceable."

Trembling with unmitigated fury, I stormed back into our chambers and slammed the wooden door shut with a force that rattled the walls. Qing La, who was in the midst of smoothing out the blankets, jumped in fright, casting me a look of anxious hesitation.

"My lady, should we wait for the young master?"

"Wait for him? What on earth for! Let him go live out the rest of his days with his precious red string!"

Pulling the heavy quilt up over my head, I let out an aggrieved, muffled shriek into the darkness.

"Extinguish the lamps! Go to sleep!"

Daring not to utter another syllable, Qing La moved with light, practiced steps to douse the candles before quietly retreating from the room. Between the exhausting labors of the entire day and the fiery confrontation that had just transpired, both my body and spirit were utterly drained of energy. Before long, weariness claimed me, and I drifted into a deep sleep.

I cannot be certain how much time elapsed. In the hazy realm between wakefulness and slumber, I faintly heard the door hinge creak open. The sound of soft footsteps mingled with the whispered, respectful greeting of Qing La.

"Young master."

That single voice instantly banished more than half of my remaining sleepiness. A moment later, the mattress beside me dipped slightly. A radiating, searing warmth pressed tightly against my back. Hot palms wrapped firmly around my waist, and ragged breath brushed warm against the nape of my neck. Burying his face deep into the crook of my shoulder, Shen Zhu spoke in a voice choked with a muffled, hoarse vulnerability.

"My wife..."

My entire body stiffened. Not again? Had we not just finished tearing into each other with bitter words? Had he not just accused me of being forever thoughtless? What sort of madness had seized him this time? Abruptly, I twisted away, trying to break free.

"Shen Zhu! What on earth are you trying to do?"

The man pressing against me offered no reply. Instead, the arms wrapped securely around my waist tightened until they were locked like a vise, resembling a drowning traveler who had finally managed to clutch the sole remaining piece of driftwood.

"Shen Zhu."

Lowering my voice, I drove my elbow backward in a sharp jab.

"Let go of me..."

"Mmh..."

Shen Zhu let out a soft, pained groan against my skin.

"I am begging you, please do not move..."

Feeling the feverish heat radiating against my spine, I stared fixedly at the carved canopy above, my mind spinning into a tangled, inextricable knot.