Xue Niang was already down to her red bellyband, her dark hair like silk cascading over her shoulders, her alluring collarbones faintly visible. She knelt with bent knees on the bright red wedding quilt, tugging at Xiao Shan's wedding robe.
"Mmm~ Xue Niang."
Xiao Shan, his eyes red, lunged forward like a wolf that had been starved for a long time.
"Xiao Shan, I feel unwell... What are you doing? No, no, we can't be husband and wife, you'll die, I don't want you to die."
Xue Niang was groggy, her mind a blur, unable to clear her thoughts. She held Xiao Shan tightly, yet her heart ached to push him away.
"You won't die, this is a dream, you're dreaming, it's not real," Xiao Shan coaxed, his voice by her ear. "Shall we be husband and wife in our dreams?"
"In dreams, you won't die..."
"Yes, I won't die."
"Xiao Shan, Xiao Shan, you don't know, when I left that day, my heart felt frozen, it hurt so much it was numb. I didn't want to leave you. I know I'm selfish, I can't be your wife, I can't have your children, but leaving you was so painful, I really didn't want to leave..."
"Don't cry, don't cry, my good Xue Niang, it's me who can't leave you. I don't want children, I only want you. Without you, I will die... You must cherish me."
Xiao Shan was so happy he could have wept. Xue Niang had never opened her heart to him, always like a sealed gourd. This was the first time she had revealed her feelings so clearly. Her feelings for him were the same as his for her. He was so fortunate he hadn't lost his senses and hurt her that day.
"I cherish you, A Shan..." Xue Niang took the initiative to kiss him.
"Call me what?" Xiao Shan's heart burned, his eyes red as he confirmed.
"A Shan, husband, I want to be husband and wife with you in dreams."
Heavens above!
"You enchantress, my darling, I give you my life..."
A pair of red candles, as thick as children's arms, burned until midnight. Even the chirping of insects outside had fallen asleep. By the head of the kang, red shadows still flickered, a lingering fragrance, the room filled with romance, and soft whispers continued unabated.
The mandarin duck embroidered quilt churned like waves.
A wild soul seemed to have entered an immortal boat.
The red candles burned all night, and as the sky turned white, they gradually extinguished. Outside, human voices could be heard on the road, the greetings of farmers heading out early to the fields.
On the wide kang, the two people nestled in the center, embracing, slept soundly.
After an unknown amount of time, bright sunlight streamed through the paper windows. Xiao Hu whined, sounding aggrieved.
Xue Niang's eyelashes fluttered, and she slowly opened her eyes. There was no canopy above her head, and she didn't realize where she was for a moment.
She moved, only to feel an unbearable soreness all over her body, especially... it was numb and painful. Then, scenes flooded her mind.
Her clinging, his ferocity, the passionate cries, his eyes as deep as the sea...
She remembered being husband and wife with Xiao Shan in a dream, again and again, their bodies entwined, her entire being burning, their passion desperate.
But wasn't that in a dream?
Why did the sensations feel so vivid, so painful?
A surge of panic welled up in her heart. She moved again and felt a large hand resting on her waist.
Turning her head, she saw Xiao Shan's enlarged face, pressed close to hers, utterly still.
"Xiao Shan..."
She called out in a trembling voice, her voice hoarse to the point of being unrecognizable. But she couldn't care about anything else. She suddenly sat up, only to collapse onto his chest due to lack of strength.
"Xiao Shan, Xiao Shan, wake up, wake up quickly, don't scare me, don't scare me..."
"Xiao Shan, it's morning, it's morning!"
Xue Niang shook Xiao Shan's sturdy body, large tears falling onto his chest.
Had she killed him?
Xiao Shan felt the heat on his chest and dared not tease her any longer. He wrapped his arms around her and spun them around. "Why are you crying?"
He leaned down to gaze at her, his large hand reaching to wipe away her tears, but they only flowed more freely.
"Don't cry, don't cry, I'm fine! Look, I feel even stronger!"
But Xue Niang didn't look at him, covering her face and weeping.
How could it be real? It was clearly a dream.
So many times, and she couldn't save him.
Xiao Shan was at a loss. He gripped her waist and pressed his thigh against hers, saying forcefully, "If you cry again, if you cry again, I'll eat you?"
"Eat me, eat me! If you don't want your life, then die, die! At worst, I'll go with you!"
Xue Niang, angered, grabbed his offending hand and bit it fiercely.
Xiao Shan, however, began to laugh, remaining still as she bit him. "I'm not dying. I want to live another hundred years with you. This life is just starting to get interesting! Xue Niang, you are truly my treasure."
No wonder people say the wedding night is the peak of joy.
Before, when he kissed her, he thought life had reached its pinnacle. Who knew that in comparison, that was nothing? He was still halfway up the mountain.
Only after experiencing the scenery from the summit did he realize how muddled his past life had been, living worse than a dog.
Xue Niang was flustered by his brazen words, releasing his arm and burying her face in the quilt.
Her mind drifted back to yesterday, her hands covering her chest, almost curling herself into a ball.
That scoundrel. She thought he genuinely loved peaches. He had even discussed it with her innocently before. It turned out that peach was her...
A tingling sensation surged again, occasionally like a needle prick. He was too wicked. She had begged him to stop, but he hadn't listened, acting as if he were mad.
"Does it hurt? I'll apply medicine for you. It was your first time yesterday, and I didn't control my strength well..."
"Shut up!" Xue Niang muffled a grunt from under the quilt.
"Alright, alright, I won't say anything. I'll stew some meat for you to eat. You need to nourish yourself these past few days. I see your body is still a bit weak, not very resilient..."
"Get out quickly!" Xue Niang, filled with shame and anger, threw off the quilt and hit him.
But she pulled a muscle and fell softly onto the soft quilt.
Xiao Shan's heart ached at the sight. Her face was so perfect, without a single flaw. Unadorned, she was delicately beautiful, as if sculpted from dough. When she frowned, he felt his own heart clench.
"Get out, I'm getting out. You lie down and rest well."
Xiao Shan got up. Because the doors and windows were closed, the fragrance in the room had not yet dissipated, along with the lingering scent of their intimacy. He felt a stirring within him again. With a body full of pleasure, he got off the kang, put on his clothes, and opened the door and windows.
The sun was already high in the sky. Good heavens, it was almost noon.
Xiao Hu looked at him pitifully, hungry. Xiao Shan threw him a steamed bun and then fed the chickens.
"Xiao Hu, be sensible. Your mistress slept late yesterday. What's wrong with enduring your hunger for a while? Why are you making such a fuss?"
Xiao Hu whimpered, as if in response.
After he prepared the meal and brought it to the bedroom, he found that Xue Niang had fallen asleep again. Her small face was buried in the red quilt, truly like a delicate white lotus.
How had she grown to be so lovable everywhere, so irresistible?
Xiao Shan took out the wound medicine and quietly lifted the quilt.