A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 17
by Little PandaWhen did I kiss you?
Since Wu Daoyuan was taking a second wife, the ceremony did not strictly follow the evening wedding customs. Moreover, since he was marrying a widow, everything was kept especially low-key. Only a banquet was held, with minimal fanfare. Jiang Chenyu made a round with her husband, then returned to her own courtyard.
It was already afternoon. After bathing, Shen Hetang changed into white inner garments and collapsed onto a rosewood bed frame. Sunlight flooded in; the weather was hot. The thin silk bed curtains had been tied back. Light filtered through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows across the room. Fortunately, this room stayed cool in summer and warm in winter, making the heat somewhat bearable.
Jiang Chenyu saw him lying fast asleep on the inner side of the bed. She leaned forward slightly to watch him—those striking brows, those red lips that invited flights of fancy. She quietly extended a finger and traced the shape of his eyebrows, stroke by stroke. The cool, silky satin cuff brushed back and forth against Shen Hetang’s neck. The corner of her mouth twitched. Thinking it was Ah Fu2 from home, she simply reached out and pulled Ah Fu into her embrace, shifting to press the dog against her side. She missed Ah Fu. It had been so long since she transmigrated. She wondered if that silly dog had gone to Grandma Wang next door for help. At the thought, she tightened her arms around Ah Fu.
Jiang Chenyu had only touched his eyebrows twice when, without warning, he rolled over and pinned her beneath him. His arms locked around her waist so tightly she couldn’t move. In an instant, her face burned as if painted with thick rouge, scalding hot. Pinned on her side beneath him, her hands had nowhere to go—she could either wrap them around his neck or let them sprawl to either side. And since it was summer, and they were at home, she wore only a thin silk robe, smooth and cool to the touch, intimately close against his skin.
This sudden closeness already made her shy, but his warm breath fell directly against her chest. Before long, the heat and tickling sensation made her head buzz. She pushed twice but couldn’t budge him. Fine beads of sweat rose on her forehead. In the end, she could only settle in and sleep beside him. She couldn’t help wondering whether this fastidious immortal would be shocked when he woke up.
In her dream, Shen Hetang felt that today’s Ah Fu was so soft and cool—wonderful to hold. It had been so long since she’d seen the dog. She even rubbed her head against it hard. But Ah Fu didn’t seem to want to be held and kept trying to run, so she pressed it firmly back into place.
This nap lasted until dark. When Shen Hetang opened her eyes, the room was already lit with candles. A faint sweet fragrance rose from beneath her. One hand was still resting on someone else’s body—she nearly bit off her own tongue in shock. Clutching her face with both hands, she felt she had no face to show anyone. This kind of taking-advantage behavior was absolutely not something she would do. It must have been the original owner acting up again.
She shrank back, carefully separating herself from Jiang Chenyu. Only when she was sure she wouldn’t be caught in the act did she relax. Restless, she fell asleep again.
The next day, Jiang Chenyu woke early. She wore a pearl-pale pink standing-collar long robe, its entire surface shimmering with subtle light. At the pipa sleeves3, two cranes were embroidered in silver thread. The collar was fastened with two gold buttons. Below, she wore a lotus-colored horse-face skirt4, likewise adorned with silver embroidery.
In her hair, styled into an intricate, formal coiffure, she wore only a single cloisonné enamel peony hairpin inlaid with pearls, paired with matching peony earrings. Yet even such vibrant adornments couldn’t overshadow her natural beauty. Instead, they added a touch of elegant grace.
“Chenyu?” Shen Hetang rubbed her forehead as she opened her eyes to find Jiang Chenyu standing by the window, arranging a flower vase.
“Ah Tang, you’re awake?” Hearing the voice behind her, she turned her head and leaned slightly, offering a faint smile.
A breeze stirred the gauze of her robe. The wide sleeves floated gently, like butterflies poised to take flight and dance. Jiang Chenyu’s clear eyes curved with a smile that brimmed with tenderness as she looked at her. A beauty like jade, captivating and alluring.
Shen Hetang was stunned so early in the morning—she thought a celestial being had descended to earth. This girl was already so beautiful, and she knew exactly how to dress. She left no room for anyone else to compete. It was a good thing she didn’t go out much; otherwise, every man on the street would be walking into trees.
“Is something wrong with your body?” Seeing his silence, Jiang Chenyu asked again.
“Ah, no. Everything’s fine.”
“Then have breakfast quickly. There’s still time before you need to go to the Yamen.”
“Oh. Alright.”
After hastily washing and eating, she was about to leave when—
“Ah Tang?” Jiang Chenyu called to him sweetly.
“What is it? Do you want me to bring something back?” She assumed Jiang Chenyu wanted some kind of snack.
“Here…” Jiang Chenyu suddenly stepped forward, her eyes speaking volumes as she looked at him. She tapped her cherry-pink lips twice with her index finger.
“What?” Shen Hetang didn’t understand.
“Hmph. You said it yourself—that every morning before going to the Yamen, you’d kiss me once. And you already kissed me yesterday. Am I someone else’s wife, that I can only be kissed secretly at night?” She feigned a little displeasure, speaking as if it were the most reasonable thing in the world.
“Huh? When did I kiss you?” She was struck dumb. Her first reaction was that it couldn’t be true—but Chenyu wouldn’t lie about something like that. Could she have taken advantage while drunk yesterday?
“Last night. You held me while you slept. Did you forget?” The look she gave him was like an accusation against a heartless rogue—someone who’d taken liberties and then refused to take responsibility.
“Wait, wait. Let me think. I’m going to be late—I need to go. We’ll talk about this tonight, alright?” Shen Hetang fled.
Jiang Chenyu watched him vanish through the doorway. Her delicate brow furrowed slightly. Hmph. That villain usually pretended to be above such things, but after drinking, he held on just as tight. She didn’t believe for a moment she couldn’t win him over. From the instant she first saw him, she’d never once considered divorce. Sooner or later, he’d give in. Running was useless.
Shen Hetang hurried from the house, unable to recall ever having kissed her. But yesterday—she had indeed held her while sleeping, hadn’t she? She couldn’t be sure anymore. That damned dream. That damned Ah Fu. How was she supposed to explain this? It was over. Completely over!
For a bailiff, things were leisurely enough when nothing happened. But Jiang Chenyu had seemed unhappy this morning. Her image was surely ruined. Ahhh, this was so hard! She couldn’t turn into a man, and she couldn’t just divorce her immediately either. Watching her unhappy made her feel guilty. This was no way to live.
Li Baokui arrived to find him sitting on a rock, staring blankly into space.
“Brother, what’s wrong? Looking so downcast. Did your sister-in-law give you a hard time at home? Hahaha.” He laughed with obvious schadenfreude.
“Heh. Brother Li seems to have plenty of experience—you could tell just by looking?” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes.
“Hey, what’s so hard about it? Go back and buy her some clothes, some jewelry. Spend a little silver—women love that stuff.” Li Baokui patted his chest confidently.
“Brother Li looks like a rough sort. Didn’t expect you to have such a delicate touch. I’ll give it a try when I get back.” Shen Hetang followed his lead.
“Just do what I say. Guaranteed to work.” He patted Shen Hetang’s shoulder.
“But looking at your frame, you don’t seem sturdy enough. Couldn’t satisfy your sister-in-law, could you?” This Li Baokui was truly too curious. His words nearly made Shen Hetang choke on her own spit.
“Brother Li worries too much!” She was rather speechless.
“That said, Shen brother’s skills really are impressive. If that flower-plucking bandit5 ever comes to Qingyuan County, you’ll have to represent our Yamen and catch him.” Li Baokui was referring to a case from the neighboring county last month.
“Since I wear this bailiff’s uniform, this little brother will naturally do my utmost. I’ll be counting on Brother Li and the others, of course.”
“Naturally. We’re all brothers of the same Yamen. We have to work together.”
In the afternoon, she decided Li Baokui had a point. She should buy the young lady something to cheer her up. She suddenly remembered the white tiger skin she’d sent to the tailor. After obtaining that white tiger skin from Li Baokui some time ago, she’d found a skilled old tailor and sent the hide over. Even though fine work takes time, it had been nearly a month. Surely it was done by now.
Though Head Li said she didn’t need to pay anything, she worried the other brothers might have something to say about it. So she spent twenty taels of silver buying dried goods, fish, and practical items for everyone to take home and improve their meals. As the saying went—taking gifts makes one obligated; eating someone’s food makes one go soft6. Once the tiger skin was in Shen Hetang’s hands, no one could say anything.
She returned the five hundred taels to Jiang Chenyu and received fifty taels as pocket money—Chenyu said she should carry some silver when she went out. Looking at the large sum Chenyu gave back to her, she thought: at least her salary was twenty taels a month. With bonuses, it could reach thirty or forty taels—enough to match a common family’s yearly income. She could barely say she wasn’t a kept man.
She spent five taels to retrieve the tiger skin cloak. Without examining it closely, she took the bundle and headed home.
“Miss, Miss! The young master is back!” Chuntao came running from the gate to deliver the news.
Jiang Chenyu hastily kicked off her shoes, climbed into bed, and draped one hand over her eyes in feigned slumber.
“Chuntao, what’s wrong with your miss?” Shen Hetang had barely entered the room when she saw Chenyu lying on the bed. She didn’t dare move too close, turning back to ask the little maid behind her.
“Miss said today her head hurts, her body hurts—everything hurts. No one cares about her. She misses her mother.” Chuntao looked at the clueless young master with a headache of her own. Was her miss not beautiful enough? Had the young master gone blind?
“I’ll go see her.” Sixteen years old—still a baby who wanted someone to dote on her.
“Chenyu, are you unwell?” She stepped forward and asked softly.
“I’m fine.” She said she was fine, but her voice didn’t sound fine.
“Is your body uncomfortable?” She touched the back of her hand to Chenyu’s cheek. No fever.
“My heart is uncomfortable, that’s all. A child without a mother has no one to care for her.” Her voice carried a plaintive, pitiful tone.
“Sigh. Then what would make your heart feel better?” Shen Hetang asked rather helplessly. No one had told her this job came with child-soothing duties.
“Just that a certain someone keeps his word, that’s all.” At this, she removed her hand and opened her eyes—red-rimmed at the corners—staring straight at him.
“What did I say?” She genuinely didn’t remember.
“You said you’d kiss me once. Everyone else’s husband kisses his wife. Why are you so cold and abstinent? Or am I not worthy of being liked?”
Before she could finish speaking, Shen Hetang leaned down and kissed her directly on the forehead. “There. Satisfied, Grandmother? Now get up—I brought you a gift.” It was just a kiss. She didn’t mind. As long as Chenyu didn’t regret it later.
The warm lips touched her forehead and withdrew. She hadn’t felt much, but hearing there was a gift, she got out of bed barefoot. Once there was a beginning, she wasn’t afraid there wouldn’t be more to come.
Shen Hetang tossed the bundle to her. Jiang Chenyu looked at the sizable package, unable to guess what it was. This was the first gift Ah Tang had ever given her. She held it in her hands, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t suppress the smile that spread across her face.
Footnotes
- 'Ruǎn yù wēn xiāng' (软玉温香) — a classical idiom describing the soft, warm embrace of a beautiful woman; often used in romantic literature to evoke sensual intimacy.
- Ah Fu was Shen Hetang's dog in her pre-transmigration modern world. She dreams of holding the dog while unconsciously embracing Jiang Chenyu.
- Pípá xiù (琵琶袖) — 'pipa sleeves,' a traditional Chinese sleeve style wide at the shoulder and narrow at the wrist, shaped like a pipa lute.
- Mǎmiànqún (马面裙) — 'horse-face skirt,' a traditional Chinese skirt with structured box pleats on the front and back panels, named for the elongated rectangular shape resembling a horse's face.
- Cǎihuā dàdào (采花大盗) — 'flower-plucking bandit,' a historical term for a serial rapist who targets women; a common antagonist in wuxia and historical romance fiction.
- A common idiom: 'Taking gifts makes one obligated; eating someone's food makes one go soft.' Those who receive favors feel compelled to go easy on the giver.
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