To Marry the Elder Brother of One's Late Husband - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: You Pressing Against Me, I Covering You

The air seemed to congeal; a deathly silence fell over the room.

Jiang Shu stood frozen in place, her gaze locked on Lu Changji. Her lips parted slightly as if to say something, but she knew not what, and in the end, no sound came out.

Her face was flushed deep red, like a wash of seductive sunset clouds. Looking further down, her garments were damp and half-open, tracing her enchanting and graceful curves.

The opening revealed a small patch of her primrose-yellow undergarment. Beneath it, soft contours rose like mountain peaks; from the skewed side, a sliver of snowy, jade-like skin spilled out. That patch of white skin caught Lu Changji’s eye, as if threatening to draw his entire gaze deep into the folds of her clothing.

Lu Changji’s breath hitched. Somewhat flustered, he averted his eyes, casting them toward the shattered porcelain shards on the floor.

He stepped past Jiang Shu, walking slowly behind her. He leaned down, picked up the broken pieces, and placed them on a small side table. “Were you burned?” he asked in a gentle voice.

This single, short sentence rescued Jiang Shu from the mire of shame and unease.

She could finally be certain that he did not suspect her; he did not think she was a woman of loose morals.

Jiang Shu’s heart, which had been hanging high in suspense, finally settled. Her taut nerves relaxed. Lowering her head, she murmured, “I only feel a burning sensation in my chest. I don’t know if I’ve been scalded.”

A woman’s skin is as delicate as cream and cannot tolerate the slightest damage. Fearing that her injury might worsen if delayed, Lu Changji turned around to face away from her. “Check if there is a burn,” he said in a low voice. “If there is, I will send for a doctor immediately.”

Jiang Shu gave a soft “Yes” in response. Her voice was even smaller now, like a feather brushing past Lu Changji’s ear.

Lu Changji’s silhouette from behind was tall and lean, like a stalk of bamboo—strong, upright, yet full of vitality. A body this robust would certainly not be as weak in the bedroom as Lu Changyi’s.

Looking at his back, Jiang Shu’s cheeks grew even more crimson, burning as if they might catch fire.

She knew she had to succeed today. If she lost this opportunity, she didn’t know when she would ever be alone with Lu Changji again.

Jiang Shu pinched the edges of her outer robe and let it slide down to her waist. Her smooth shoulders and slender back were completely exposed to the air.

Shame and panic surged into her heart simultaneously. She was so nervous that her body temperature seemed to rise, and her breath felt hot.

Her pearly teeth left a row of fine marks on her tender lower lip. Steeling herself, Jiang Shu reached her hands behind her back and untied the strings of her undergarment at the waist.

With the constraint gone, the primrose-yellow cloth hung loosely from her neck, swaying as if it might drop to the floor at any moment.

Though Jiang Shu had already experienced the “matters of the bedroom,” she was still a young woman at heart, with skin as thin as paper. She glanced at the snowy peaks before her, closed her eyes, and suddenly threw herself against Lu Changji’s back.

“Brother-in-law!” Her voice was low and urgent, as if she had been frightened by something.

Two clouds of softness pressed firmly against Lu Changji’s back. Immediately, he caught the sweet scent of her “Pear-in-the-Tent” fragrance. The scent wafted from behind him to the tip of his nose, enveloping him in a circle of perfume.

With her chest pressed against him, Jiang Shu could feel Lu Changji’s spine tighten inch by inch through the fabric of his clothes, turning rigid.

Because of this change, she knew he was not as composed as he appeared on the surface. Her courage grew; she let out another soft cry, and her smooth, slender arms wound around his firm waist. Her hands hung naturally over his lower abdomen, pressing herself even tighter against him.

Her soft, bare hands brushed against him as if by accident. The area of contact between her softness and his back increased; he could even sense the tactile presence of those two small “red fruits” between them.

Adam’s apple bobbed. The temperature at his midsection rose sharply, and his muscles knotted into distinct, hard ridges. Lu Changji took a deep breath, his eyes involuntarily sliding shut.

Jiang Shu remained pressed against his back, waiting for him to turn around and pull her into his embrace. If he did, everything would follow naturally.

But the man before her stood as straight as a spear. Even his breathing remained orderly. A steady voice flowed from his throat: “Sister-in-law, what is wrong? What has happened?”

The novels clearly said that the “hidden yet revealed” was what men found most irresistible. Jiang Shu had already let him glimpse half of her “springtime scenery” through her sheer robes, and now she was pressed against him without a gap—how could he still remain so unperturbed?

Jiang Shu was anxious beyond measure. Sweat slid down her neck into the valley of her chest. She glanced down at her own glowing white skin; she had already discarded her dignity and desperately did not want to return in defeat.

However, she understood the principle of knowing when to stop. Two “accidents” were already rare; any more, and it would inevitably arouse Lu Changji’s suspicion.

Jiang Shu sighed silently. She took a step back and said hoarsely, “It’s my own carelessness. I didn’t see the two pearls rolling on the floor, and that’s why…”

Pretending to be shy, she swallowed the rest of her words.

The man in front of her remained with his back turned, as immovable as a mountain. Jiang Shu knew he was giving her time to adjust her clothing.

Disappointed, she tied her undergarment and pulled her outer robe back on. Only after the rustling sounds stopped did Lu Changji turn to face her.

The woman before him kept her head low, her moist cheeks covered in a layer of red mist. Her outer robe was still wet, clinging tightly to her body and outlining curves that made one’s heart skip a beat. Her slender fingers tugged incessantly at her belt, clearly showing her unease.

Her hair was somewhat messy. The peacock buyao (dangling hairpin) at her temple swayed unsteadily; the pearl tassels at the tip had come apart, with two pearls visibly missing.

Lu Changji knelt before Jiang Shu, picked up the two pearls by her feet, and stood back up. He gazed down at her and said softly, “The peacock buyao on your head has come loose. Would you like me to help you string these two pearls back on?”

His gaze was sincere and deep, like a bottomless abyss that drew people into its depths.

Jiang Shu didn’t even process what he had said before she reflexively nodded.

Lu Changji pinched the hairpin and slowly drew it out. Her full mane of black hair cascaded down as the pin was removed, spilling over her back.

Jiang Shu was naturally beautiful. With her hair down, her beauty was not diminished but rather gained a touch of lazy, bright charm.

Lu Changji’s gaze swept over her face before fixing on the peacock hairpin.

He was rigorous by nature and demanded perfection in everything he did. After his long fingers had strung the pearls, he carefully tied a beautiful knot at the end of the tassel.

Once finished, he placed the hairpin in Jiang Shu’s palm and asked warmly, “Do you know how to style a ‘Rising Cloud’ bun?”

Jiang Shu had been wearing that style when she entered.

She was gifted with skillful hands; aside from her lack of literary education, she was an expert in both needlework and hairstyling. She instinctively wanted to nod, but suddenly remembering there were no maids in Canaan Courtyard, she shook her head instead.

“Usually, my maids dress me. I am slow-witted by nature and do not know how to style it myself.”

Lu Changji didn’t comment. He led Jiang Shu toward the side room. The western side room was simply furnished; inside was a canopy bed with an indigo silk quilt, folded so neatly that there wasn’t a single wrinkle.

Aside from Lu Changyi, Jiang Shu had never been alone in a bedroom with another man. Her heart, which had just calmed down, began to ripple again.

As she stared blankly at the bed, Lu Changji’s voice suddenly rang in her ear: “Sister-in-law, please sit at the dressing table.”

Jiang Shu pulled her thoughts back and noticed a dressing table by the window. It was made of sandalwood, ancient in style, and emitted a faint, haunting fragrance.

She sat down as instructed, her back straight. Through the bronze mirror, she saw Lu Changji take an ivory comb from a side drawer.

Lu Changji’s skin was fair; his well-defined fingers holding the ivory comb appeared even whiter than the ivory itself.

He lowered his head and patiently combed through her hair. His gaze was focused, as if he were performing a task of the utmost importance.

His long fingers moved up and down, gradually gathering her scattered hair.

The sunlight spilled through the window into the room, stretching their shadows long and thin. Two people who originally had no intersection now had their shadows overlapping on the wall—one pressing against the other, one covering the other. It looked almost as if…