A Willing Mistake, My Lady – Chapter 70
by Little PandaBridal Chamber and Wedding Candles
Lost in Tender Passion
Inside Shen Hetang’s quarters was an attached, private bathroom. Because her true identity had to be kept strictly secret, this bathing area was situated directly behind her bedroom.
Although it was a private bathroom, it was spacious. A square pool bordered in solid wood was sunken into the floor. There was no need for maids to come in specifically to change the water; the bottom of the pool connected to an outdoor boiler, so they only had to order the servants outside to heat the water.
Once heated, the water would automatically flow into the pool, which was lined with blue flagstones. When the pool needed cleaning, a waterwheel was used to pump the water out. This spared the servants from having to carry endless buckets of water back and forth, saving a great deal of trouble.
The bathroom spanned about fifteen square meters, surrounded by beautiful drapes of sheer gauze and beaded curtains. On an exquisite candelabra hung a row of five or six short red candles, glowing with the bright, warm radiance of blossoming fuchsia flowers.
On a small pearwood table nearby sat fresh fruit, candied sweets, and fruit wine that Shen Hetang had somehow sourced from who knows where.
In a corner stood a translucent grey vase holding a bundle of dried branches that nevertheless bloomed with tiny, rose-pink blossoms. Jiang Chenyu had never seen flowers that could bloom in the dead of winter, and she found them exceptionally rare and beautiful.
Under the matchmaker’s guidance, they lifted the red bridal veil, drank the nuptial cup, and cut the concentric love knot1. With the wedding rituals completed, Shen Hetang went to help Madam Shen see off the remaining guests.
Freed from her heavy bridal attire, Jiang Chenyu could not wait to submerge herself in the large bathing pool. The wooden tub in her previous small room had only been large enough to sit in, unlike this pool, where she could comfortably lie back and stretch out.
She carefully removed her wedding gown2 and folded it neatly to one side. Testing the water temperature with her pale, rounded toes, she found it was just right. After sitting stiffly the entire day, her body was deeply fatigued. Being able to stretch out and soak in the warm pool was sheer bliss.
She used a silver fork to prick a piece of fruit from the arranged platter, which held sweet-and-sour mandarins, peeled apples, sweet bananas, and a bowl of hawthorn soup sweetened with cane sugar.
She took a sip of the hawthorn soup. It was tart, sweet, and cool, refreshing her mind. After eating a couple of mandarin segments, she picked up a wooden ladle and began pouring water over her shoulders.
Warm water cascaded down her shoulders, merging with the pool water around her chest. Though her phoenix crown had been removed, her hair remained neatly pinned in an elegant updo, exposing the slender, graceful line of her fair neck. Droplets of water clung to her beautiful chin and trickled down to her enticing collarbones, making her look exceptionally endearing.
After drinking the hangover soup brought to her by Madam Shen, Shen Hetang returned to the bridal chamber. Her eyes, slightly hazy from the alcohol, scanned the empty room. Finding no sign of her bride, she walked toward the bathroom.
Through the sheer curtains and the rising mist, she caught sight of Jiang Chenyu’s back. Thinking how late it already was, she decided they might as well bathe together.
Stripping off her outer wedding robes, she stepped into the pool wearing only her close-fitting red inner robe.
Seeing her return, Jiang Chenyu happily waded over to greet her.
“Why are you stepping in with your clothes still on?” Jiang Chenyu asked, finding it rather amusing that she had entered the water fully dressed.
“It’s quite pretty. I want to wear it a little longer,” Shen Hetang said, her eyes hazy with drink.
This red silk inner robe3 was something Jiang Chenyu had personally prepared for her. The chest was embroidered with sprawling peonies, their petals layered one over another in rich, vibrant hues, outlined in gold thread to create a striking three-dimensional effect.
Because Jiang Chenyu had claimed the wedding gown originally meant for Shen Hetang, she had wanted to gift her a beautiful, flowered garment in return. Thus, she had spared no expense, hiring two master embroiderers to stitch the exact same peony patterns onto an exquisite piece of red silk within three days. With its delicate pinkish-white petals and pale green leaves, the embroidery looked even more vibrant than a real peony.
Though such an elaborate inner robe was hardly practical and could not be worn often, it was breathtakingly beautiful. Even if she only wore it once, it was worth it.
Once wet, the silk fabric clung tightly to her body, outlining her tall, straight silhouette with vivid clarity.
Jiang Chenyu raised a hand to trace the embroidered petals on her chest, teasingly saying, “Ah Tang, you must be drunk to come bathe with your clothes still on!”
Under the influence of the alcohol, Shen Hetang’s eyes were slightly rimmed with red, and a faint flush dusted her cheeks. She looked entirely different from her usual cool, aloof self.
As Jiang Chenyu stared, she found herself utterly captivated. Tilting her chin up, she initiated a kiss, gently biting Shen Hetang’s moist lower lip before softly sucking on it, over and over.
The alcohol was truly rushing to Shen Hetang’s head. In her daze, she felt a profound thirst, and before her lay what seemed like a sweet spring. Yet, no matter how much she partook, it failed to quench her desire. Ultimately, losing her patience, she pinned the other woman against the edge of the pool to claim the sweetness for herself.
Before long, Jiang Chenyu’s heart was racing, her cheeks burning with a silent, bashful exasperation. Her skin was incredibly sensitive and tender. With Shen Hetang pressed flush against her, grinding deliberately, the heavy, raised embroidery of the peonies chafed repeatedly against her. Even without looking, she knew the friction must have left her skin flushed crimson.
Seeing the flushed, passionate look in the corners of Jiang Chenyu’s eyes, Shen Hetang quietly raised her knee, pressing it between her legs.
Feeling her movement, Jiang Chenyu shut her eyes, her breath catching as she let out a soft pant. Her soft fingers slid down to Shen Hetang’s waist, giving her firm side-waist a quiet, playful pinch.
How wicked, she thought. Recently, this person was always teasing her like this, step by step, leaving her heart itching with desire.
When nothing happened even after a long while, Jiang Chenyu placed both hands just above Shen Hetang’s knee and slid herself directly onto her lap.
Shen Hetang inwardly mused that people truly needed a bit of coaxing to unlock their potential. With just a little pressure, everything they were supposed to know—and even things they supposedly did not—would naturally come to light.
With both hands resting on Shen Hetang’s shoulders, Jiang Chenyu swayed her hips back and forth, sending ripples through the water. Shen Hetang leaned down to kiss her, matching her movements to heighten her pleasure.
After some time, a completely exhausted Jiang Chenyu rested her head in the crook of Ah Tang’s shoulder, refusing to move even a muscle.
Shen Hetang brushed her fingers against her own thigh, feeling a sensation that was distinctly slicker than the water around them.
She removed her wet silk robe, gave them both a brief wipe, and stood up to lift the other woman in her arms, carrying her back to the alcove bedchamber. Jiang Chenyu’s once-neat updo was now slightly disheveled, with stray locks of hair clinging to her cheeks, making her look incredibly delicate and alluring.
She clung weakly to Ah Tang, her face half-hidden against her shoulder. The bright lamplight illuminated her slender, delicate back, casting a glow that made her skin look as smooth and slick as milk curd—a sight that made one want to ravish her mercilessly.
Inside the room, two braziers of charcoal burned brightly, casting a wave of snug heat across their faces.
The built-in alcove bed was crafted in deep reddish-brown wood. Upon the openwork lattice screen panels were colorful, gold-painted woodblock prints depicting auspicious themes: persimmons symbolizing every wish fulfilled, magpies resting on plum branches, mandarin ducks playing in the water, fish representing abundance year after year, and interlocking flowers. These prints were mounted along the lintel of the alcove, invoking a sense of blessings descending from heaven.
In front of the bed lay a polished mahogany footstool. Because of today’s wedding, the bed curtains, which hung like door drapes, had been swapped for bright red ones woven with subtle patterns of the character for good fortune. Inside the alcove’s inner walls, rectangular niches had been carved out to hold lit candles.
Directly beside the alcove bed stood a pair of rose chairs4 and a modest Eight Immortals table5. The chairs were fitted with red embroidered backrests, while the table held an exquisite set of celadon teaware and a vase containing a branch of red plum blossoms.
Spread across the floor was a rectangular carpet of intricate craftsmanship, featuring a dark red background woven with a gold pattern of interlocking lotus vines. The mahogany footstool sat perfectly on top of it.
On a nearby floor lamp stand hung a lantern painted with landscapes that glowed a warm, buttery yellow, making it look as though they had captured the moon and set it right there in the room.
Inside the cozy alcove, against the bright red brocade quilt, her damp, slightly curled long hair fell in wild disarray over her pale skin, every inch of her exuding an intoxicating, sweet fragrance.
Jiang Chenyu pulled a sheer red silk kerchief to barely cover herself, casually crossing her slender, pale legs. With eyes like silk, she beckoned with a curled finger toward her, wearing a brilliant, captivating smile.
Seeing her look like such an absolute vixen, Shen Hetang found herself instantly jolted half-sober. As if under a spell, she leaned in close.
To her surprise, the beauty suddenly turned the tables, pinning her down instead. Jiang Chenyu began planting faint pink marks down her long, pale neck, showing a particular fondness for those straight, well-defined collarbones where she lingered repeatedly. Even her soft, delicate hands remained busy, tracing lazy, playful circles over her skin.
Just as she was about to sober up, Shen Hetang was thrown into a fever by her touch. Her firm arms hooked under the curves of the other woman’s legs, refusing to let go.
Jiang Chenyu suddenly felt a sudden shiver run to her core. Letting out a soft, helpless cry, she opened her cherry-blossom pink lips and bit down against Shen Hetang’s chest, and they became hopelessly tangled together, neither willing to yield.
The red candles burned tall and bright. Inside the alcove, they bowed their heads in tender intimacy, lost in a deep, lingering passion.
The wedding night they had initially missed, under the light of the bridal chamber and wedding candles6, was in the end beautifully made up for.
While the young couple was entangled in passion, on the other side of the manor, Madam Shen and Nanny Gui were still wrestling with a dilemma.
“Madam, are we truly not going to arrange separate quarters for the young mistress?” Nanny Gui asked considerately.
“If we were to arrange separate quarters, wouldn’t it arouse suspicion if word got out?” Madam Shen was quite undecided.
“The little master has never been willing to share her quarters with anyone since she was a child. Suddenly having another young lady move in to live with her—will she be able to get used to it?” Nanny Gui still felt that it would be more convenient if Shen Hetang slept alone.
“That girl already knows Ah Tang’s true identity, so there’s no need to hide it from her. They’re just two girls after all, so there’s no thing wrong with them living together. Let’s keep it as is for now,” Madam Shen replied, recalling that when Ah Tang was small, she had actually been quite willing to sleep with her older sister—it was only her sister who had refused, not wanting to get drooled on.
The two of them spent some time organizing the wedding gifts and wedding gift-money. This was the first time the General’s Manor had hosted a wedding, and the volume of gifts they had received was substantial and incredibly varied.
But every item had to be carefully recorded, as they would have to return the favor with reciprocal gifts in the future.
She still remembered her eldest daughter’s wedding. Back then, the Shen Manor had been shrouded in a heavy gloom, a stark contrast to the joy of today. It was only a shame that even this marriage was merely a match of a fake phoenix and a hollow dragon. She let out a soft sigh.
Madam Shen sighed softly as she continued to put away the wedding gifts.
“Madam, will we still be having the daughter-in-law’s tea7 tomorrow morning?” Nanny Gui asked.
“Of course we must. I still need to see what my daughter-in-law looks like, don’t I?” Madam Shen said as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“What you say is true, Madam. This servant will prepare it first thing tomorrow morning.”
“There’s no need to make it too early. It’s not as if this is a genuine marriage, and everyone is exhausted today. Tomorrow, let them wake up whenever they please. You don’t need to be so tense either,” Madam Shen said, looking at Nanny Gui, who had been preparing everything with utmost seriousness.
Their Shen Manor had truly become like a stage play. Her daughter had to pretend, her daughter-in-law had to pretend, and even she, the mother-in-law, had to pretend. If they remained so tense every single day, they would surely tire themselves to death.
“This servant understands. I’ll make the arrangements. Please rest easy, Madam.”
“How could I ever doubt your work? Just make it casual. Don’t be too tense, or outsiders might notice something amiss.” The two of them had played their parts all day, and now they felt a bit at a loss as to what to do with themselves.
Early the next morning, Jiang Chenyu opened her bright, star-like eyes. Seeing the faint dawn light outside, she tugged on Shen Hetang’s fingers and urged anxiously, “Hurry and get up! Don’t make Mother wait for us.”
“My mother doesn’t wake up that early. Just sleep,” Shen Hetang mumbled, pulling her back into her arms. She covered her hand with her own, intertwining their fingers to feel the soft, slender touch of her hands.
“No, get up now.” She pulled herself free from Shen Hetang’s grasp and dragged her up along with her. On her very first day, how could she leave Madam Shen with the impression that she was lazy and loved to sleep in? How would she ever face anyone in the future if she did?
“Alright, alright, I’m getting up. Why are you so tightly wound now that we’re in the manor? You’re starting to show signs of becoming a Hedong lioness8,” Shen Hetang teased, seeing her look of absolute urgency.
“Who’s a Hedong lioness? I don’t have time to argue with you right now. Some people, you see, when they’re having their fun, they call you their little darling. But once they’ve had their way with you, you suddenly become a Hedong lioness.” Jiang Chenyu shot a glare with her alluring peach-blossom eyes at the disheveled person sitting up in bed with a groggy face.
Shen Hetang’s eyelids twitched. She quickly and obediently began putting on her clothes, thinking to herself: They say wives always end up just like their mothers-in-law. Please, absolutely anything but that…!
Footnotes
- A traditional love knot. In ancient Chinese wedding rituals, the bride and groom each cut a lock of hair and tie them together, symbolizing an eternal, unbreakable union of their hearts.
- A traditional Chinese red wedding dress, typically embroidered with auspicious symbols such as dragons, phoenixes, and peonies representing prosperity and harmony.
- Liyi refers to the traditional Chinese inner garments worn beneath outer robes, with red silk versions specifically worn on wedding nights for auspiciousness and intimacy.
- A classic type of low-back armchair in traditional Chinese furniture, characterized by its light, delicate, and rectangular frame, popular since the Ming Dynasty.
- A traditional Chinese large square wooden table designed to comfortably seat eight people, two on each side, commonly used for dining and formal occasions.
- A traditional Chinese idiom representing the wedding night and the consummation of marriage, literally referring to the decorated bridal chamber and the brightly lit wedding candles.
- A formal post-wedding tea ceremony where the newlywed daughter-in-law serves tea to her parents-in-law, showing respect and officially joining her husband's family.
- A traditional Chinese term for a fierce, domineering, or sharp-tongued wife, originating from a classic Song Dynasty anecdote about a henpecked husband.
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