To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: My Sister-in-law is Quite Bold in Private…

Beneath her palm was the chill of the porcelain wine cup; upon the back of her hand rested a firm, callused palm. The temperature of his hand wasn’t particularly high, yet the stark contrast with the cold cup made the contact feel searing, sending Jiang Shu’s heart into a flutter of panic.

She hesitated, unsure of how to break this ambiguous tension. Just then, the hand covering hers retracted suddenly, its fingers skillfully shifting to grasp the other side of the cup, taking it from her.

Her palm was suddenly empty. Jiang Shu instinctively curled her fingers inward, clutching only at thin air—a hollow, drifting sensation that left her feeling inexplicably despondent. Flushed with embarrassment and terrified that Lu Changji might notice her distress, she silently dropped her hands beneath the table, hiding them within her wide sleeves.

Lu Changji, ever sharp-eyed, took in her every movement. Knowing the young woman was thin-skinned, he pretended not to see her lapse in composure and calmly shifted his gaze to the plum wine.

The liquid was crystal clear and vividly colored, resembling the rouge on a maiden’s cheek—subtle, yet carrying a warm, rosy elegance.

Lu Changji lowered his head and took a light sip. It was slightly tart upon entry, but as the wine slid down his throat, a unique, refreshing sweetness fermented and blossomed. It was quite a sophisticated flavor.

He took another sip and looked at Jiang Shu. “Your brewing skills are excellent, Sister-in-law.”

She had worried her “rural” craft would be unfit for refined tastes, but hearing Lu Changji’s praise allowed her racing heart to finally settle.

She let out a soft smile, walked back to the corner of the wall, and dug up another jar of plum wine. She wiped the jar until it was spotless and said to him with a beaming face, “Since you enjoy the taste, please take this jar with you.”

“I learned this craft in the countryside. No one in the capital can replicate this flavor. If you finish it, just have Guard Cheng send me a word, and I will brew more for you.”

During the years she had lived in the country with Auntie Lin, Jiang Shu had mastered many rural arts. Financial debts were easy to pay, but debts of gratitude were heavy. Lu Changji’s ointment was extraordinarily precious, and she had expected to owe him a massive favor; finding that he liked her wine allowed her to return his kindness in kind.

Lu Changji gave a non-committal nod and left the Little Cooling Villa carrying the jar of wine. His robes swayed in the breeze, making him look like a celestial being ascending to the heavens.

Jiang Shu watched his receding figure for a moment before closing the courtyard gate.

…

The products of the Imperial Pharmacy were indeed extraordinary. Following the steps Lu Changji had written, Jiang Shu applied the ointment. By the next morning, the redness and swelling had vanished completely, leaving her face as flawless as ever.

Feeling relieved, she hurried back to Xinchun Court, arriving just as Madam Zhao was visiting Lu Changyi. Madam Zhao was a devoted mother to her son, but she rarely had a kind word for Jiang Shu.

After personally feeding Lu Changyi his medicine, Madam Zhao called Jiang Shu to the drawing room. Her eyes scanned Jiang Shu’s flat stomach before she launched into a blistering scath: “Hu Lingshuang’s belly grows larger by the day, yet you haven’t a hint of movement. Have I been too indulgent with you? Have you forgotten your duty?”

Madam Zhao’s face grew darker as she spoke. She leaned in, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper: “I gave you a three-month deadline. One month has already passed, and you have made zero progress. If you aren’t pregnant in two months, there will be no need for you to serve Yi-er anymore. You can pack your things and return to your mother’s house.”

“Furthermore, regarding those two shops I gave you—deliver the account books to Yanxi Hall this afternoon. Yi-er’s private assets were all settled by me; don’t even think about touching them. From now on, you can live off your own dowry!”

Madam Zhao was fuming because of the morning’s events. Lu Lin had finally joined her for a meal, only to spend the entire time praising Hu Lingshuang for her filial piety and her pregnancy. He had even suggested that if Lingshuang bore a son, she could take over the management of the estate’s affairs. Madam Zhao had fought Concubine Hu for over a decade without losing her grip on power; she certainly wasn’t going to lose it to a concubine’s daughter-in-law.

Jiang Shu was the Madam Heir. If only she were more capable, Lu Lin wouldn’t have even entertained the idea of letting Hu Lingshuang manage things.

Jiang Shu had grown accustomed to a life of luxury and could not bear the thought of poverty. Moreover, she had already burned her bridges with Madam Yang; there was no returning to the Jiang house. She had to survive in the Marquis’s estate.

She took a step forward and knelt gracefully before Madam Zhao. “Mother, please rest assured. The Heir and I are very harmonious. Perhaps you will hear good news by next month.”

Knowing Madam Zhao came from a grand family and didn’t care for money itself, Jiang Shu ignored the threats regarding the shops and focused solely on the topic Madam Zhao cared about most.

Hearing that the couple was “harmonious” finally soothed Madam Zhao’s temper. As long as they were in tune, an heir would eventually come. After a few more rebukes, she decided not to seize Lu Changyi’s private assets for the time being.

Once Madam Zhao left, Jiang Shu immediately summoned Fang Yu. “Go and invite Imperial Physician Qin to Xinchun Court. I must ask him about the Heir’s condition.”

Usually, she would just send a servant to the palace, but this concerned Lu Changyi’s private health—his “potency”—and she didn’t want the servants knowing the details.

However, luck was not on her side. Physician Qin’s mother was ill, and he had taken leave to care for her. Fang Yu returned empty-handed.

Thinking of Madam Zhao’s threat, Jiang Shu was desperate to conceive. If she couldn’t get a medical opinion, she would have to try a different approach.

She couldn’t bring herself to ask Lu Changyi directly if he “could” or “couldn’t,” but she couldn’t let things drag on. She suddenly remembered a garment Auntie Lin had tucked into the bottom of her trunk before her wedding.

Perhaps… if I wear that, I can test the waters. If Lu Changyi was willing, he would react. If he truly couldn’t, she would pretend she was just wearing it for comfort, avoiding any awkwardness.

As soon as night fell, Jiang Shu dug out the outfit.

It was a set of thin silks. The outer layer was a pale pink gauze robe, so sheer that it hinted at the silhouette beneath under the lamplight. The inner bodice was peach-colored, embroidered with “mandarin ducks playing in water,” and cut smaller than her usual size, accentuating her porcelain-fair skin. The hem was short, revealing a sliver of her slender waist. The lower skirt was a deep plum color—a bold, playful combination that, under the soft glow of a candle, created a provocative charm.

It was daring, but not overly lewd. Jiang Shu felt she could handle it.

After bathing, she put on the clothes and sat by the lamp, waiting for Lu Changyi. But as time ticked by, he did not appear.

“Where is the Heir?” she asked her maid, Zhu-er. “Is he in the west room playing with crickets?”

Zhu-er shook her head. “The Heir has recently taken up cockfighting. Fearing the noise would disturb your rest, he’s keeping the roosters in the Jiaochun Garden. He’s there now, gambling with the servants.”

Jiang Shu detested gambling and blood sports, but she reminded herself that Lu Changyi was frail and rarely left the house. He needed some form of entertainment.

Zhu-er’s eyes widened as she noticed Jiang Shu’s attire. Even as a woman, she felt her face grow hot looking at her mistress. “You look… truly beautiful today, Madam!”

Jiang Shu, who had been trying to stay calm, felt a wave of bashfulness and dismissed the maid. Once alone, she became restless. Is this too much? Will he think I’m loose?

She considered changing, but then thought of her future and Madam Zhao’s threats. Seducing a man was like a battle—you needed momentum. If she hesitated, she would lose her nerve.

Since Lu Changyi wasn’t coming back, she would go to him. But should she change?

The night was dark, and the path to Jiaochun Garden was short. She shouldn’t run into anyone. She decided to risk it and slipped out of the room.

The paths were quiet and deserted until she rounded a corner and saw a figure. He was carrying a lantern, walking with the elegance of a wild crane strolling through a courtyard. In this entire estate, only one man possessed such a presence: Lu Changji.

Jiang Shu’s current outfit was utterly inappropriate for a meeting with her brother-in-law. She looked for a place to hide, but the path was open, and Lu Changji’s long strides brought him to her before she could move.

“Greetings, B-brother-in-law!” she stammered, dropping into a panicked curtsy.

To emphasize a graceful figure, the hem of her plum skirt was longer than usual. In her haste and nervousness, her left foot caught on her right, tangling in the fabric. She lost her balance and fell straight toward the ground.

Her mind went blank for a second. Instinctively, she tried to scramble up to flee the humiliating scene, but a sharp pain shot through her ankle. She had sprained it.

She sat there, trapped between pain and mortification, wanting to cry but having no tears.

“Did you twist your ankle?” Lu Changji’s voice was warm and smooth, like a clear spring flowing through the mountains.

“Mmh,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Lu Changji set his lantern on the ground and stepped to her side. He grasped her forearm—careful to touch only the fabric of her sleeve—and helped her toward a nearby stone bench.

His grip was composed—not too tight, yet she could feel the immense strength held in reserve. His hand was steady and dry, filled with the presence of bone and muscle, a stark contrast to Lu Changyi’s soft, weak touch.

She sat down as he guided her, her head bowed so low she was staring at the dirt.

Just then, a breeze swept away the clouds covering the moon. The once-dim night became starkly clear under the moonlight.

In the chaos of her fall, Jiang Shu’s outer robe had loosened. Because Lu Changji was tall and standing right over her, a casual glance downward revealed the “unparalleled heights” of her chest. Because the inner bodice was so short and the gauze so thin, he could see not only the dazzling white of her bosom but also the curve of her waist, as supple as a willow branch.

The usually unshakable Lu Changji felt his thoughts suddenly scramble. He jerked his head to the side, adjusting his breathing. By the time he looked back, his expression was once again a mask of icy clarity.

Lu Changji was a man of strict self-discipline. Although he had little experience with women’s fashion, he could tell that Jiang Shu’s clothing was far from ordinary.

Seeing the direction she had been walking—toward Jiaochun Garden—he understood everything.

Truly, one cannot judge by appearances, he thought. This sister-in-law looks so composed, but in private, she is quite… bold.