Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 36.2

Chapter 36.2

In the evening, the Emperor took some time to relax. So Li Zhi sent a messenger to inform Shen Qingqing that he would be returning quite late, advising her to eat without waiting for him.

Shen Qingqing had her meal alone.

By the time Li Zhi returned, it was nearly midnight. 

However, Shen Qingqing was still awake and as soon as Li Zhi came in, she sat on the bed. 

Seeing his little wife was still awake, a flicker of surprise crossed his face as he smiled. “Were you waiting for me?”

Shen Qingqing lazily smirked and replied, “You overthink. This bed isn’t comfortable for sleeping.”

It was their first long journey together, and Li Zhi just realised his little wife had specific preferences when it came to her sleeping arrangements.

Noticing the quilt from the Marquis’ Mansion already laid out on the bed, Li Zhi felt amused.

He didn’t say anything and just began to change his clothes.

Shen Qingqing glanced at that and asked, “Did you take a shower?”

With a grin, Li Zhi opened his outer robe and teased his wife. “Come and check!”

His boldness made Shen Qingqing roll over and settle into the bed.

Li Zhi hung his outer robe on a hook and then climbed onto the bed slowly.

It was completely dark outside, and the palace was very quiet. 

The man wrapped his strong arms around Shen Qingqing, pulling her into a familiar embrace. He didn’t say a word or rush into anything; instead, he buried his face in her dark hair and inhaled deeply. This gentle, intimate gesture made Shen Qingqing feel herself relax.

“Are you feeling tired?” Li Zhi asked softly, noticing her relaxed shoulders as he gently rubbed her earlobe.

Shen Qingqing turned her head slightly and replied, “Yeah, I’m tired.” 

After a bumpy journey, her waist and backside were aching so much.

“Let me give you a massage,” Li Zhi muttered.

Before Shen Qingqing refused, the man’s hands were already on her small waist.

Shen Qingqing felt a tickle and tensed up again.

Suddenly, Li Zhi sat up straight, pushed her down, and really began to work on her waist.

“Ouch…” she exclaimed as he applied more pressure.

Li Zhi eased up, glancing at her slightly blurred profile. “How does that feel now?”

Shen Qingqing initially wanted to decline his help, worried he might have other intentions, but his touch gave her comfort. The soreness on her body melted away under his fingers making it hard to say no.

“It’s fine,” she mumbled, resting her chin on the pillow.

Li Zhi smiled but chose to stay quiet.

After giving her waist a good massage, Li Zhi moved on to her back, and Shen Qingqing felt super relaxed. After being on edge for a while, she realized Li Zhi wasn’t up to anything sneaky. Her eyelids started to droop, and as Li Zhi worked on her left leg, she tilted her head and dozed off.

Shen Qingqing’s breathing was light and steady. Li Zhi watched her for a bit, continued massaging her legs, then lay down next to her. After wrapping his arms around her they both drifted off to sleep.

Since the emperor was there with them, the officials and their wives had to rise early, so Yu Chan woke Shen Qingqing before dawn.

Sleepily opening her eyes, Shen Qingqing noticed Li Zhi was missing.

“Where’s the Marquis?” she asked, peering at the still dark sky.

Yu Chan let out a sigh and replied, “The Marquis left about half an hour ago. He’s up early and comes back late, working harder than he does in court.”

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. Her gaze landed on Li Zhi’s pillow, and suddenly, she recalled the events from the night before. The busy commander of the imperial guards had taken the time to massage her shoulders and back, genuinely caring for her without any ulterior motives.

With time running short, Shen Qingqing quickly had breakfast and hopped into the carriage.

As the sun climbed higher, the carriage grew warmer. Yu Chan rolled up the cloth curtains, leaving just a bamboo one for some shade.

Shen Qingqing leaned in close to the window, peering through the bamboo curtain. She noticed imperial guards flanking the official road under the hot sun. They sat tall on their horses with sweat trickling down their bronze faces, shining like polished metal.

Her thoughts drifted to Li Zhi, the commander of the imperial army. ‘He must be enduring the same harsh sun in his armour, right? No matter how powerful or wealthy he is, he is still just a subject before the emperor. In contrast, I, a female relative of his, got to relax in a carriage and enjoy the comforts of life.’

After a long day of sitting in the carriage, she felt exhausted. She couldn’t imagine how hard it would be for her husband. 

‘Yet, despite all that, he still found the energy to attend to my needs yesterday.’

Pulling her gaze away, Shen Qingqing reclined on the couch, closed her eyes, and pretended to doze off.

Around noon, Noble Concubine Chun sent over a box of chilled melon slices.

Shen Qingqing munched on a few and saved the rest in the food box, wrapping it up with a light blanket.

“Madam, what are you up to?” Yu Chan asked, looking at her master curiously.

Shen Qingqing yawned and replied, “Just saving it for dinner.”

Yu Chan looked worried. “Isn’t it going to spoil if you cover it like that?”

‘The Yu Chan didn’t quite get it.’ Shen Qingqing smiled and explained, “Wrapping it in a quilt keeps the cool air inside, so the ice melts more slowly.”

Yu Chan stared at the food box wrapped snugly in a thin quilt, feeling a mix of belief and doubt.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the emperor’s carriage pulled up once more to an outside local palace.

Today also Shen Qingqing had dinner alone. After eating her meal, she took a bath and went to bed. 

Although she was tired, she was not sleepy at all. So she lay there with her eyes wide open, lost in thought until she heard Yu Chan call out, “My Lord,” from outside.

In an instant, Shen Qingqing shut her eyes.

Trying not to disturb her, Li Zhi entered without turning on the lamp. He hung up his outer robe and made his way to the bed. Just as he was about to pull back the gauze curtain, his little wife stirred and mumbled, “Yu Chan, I want to eat melon slices.”

Li Zhi was taken aback. ‘Where on earth could I find melon slices at this hour? This isn’t the marquis’s mansion.’

He stood still for a moment. 

Shen Qingqing waited for a reply, but when none came, she slowly turned her head.

“It’s me,” Li Zhi said with a grin.

Shen Qingqing looked at him, let out a soft “oh,” and sat up.

“Do you want some melon slices?” Li Zhi asked, sitting at the head of the bed and gazing at her.

Shen Qingqing nodded quietly.

Li Zhi replied, “The Imperial Concubine should have some. I’ll grab one for you in the morning.”

His voice was especially soothing in the stillness of the night.

Shen Qingqing turned to explain, “Noble Concubine Chen gave me a plate earlier, but I didn’t finish it. It’s still on the table and should still be nice and cold.”

Li Zhi was a bit taken aback at first, but remembering how much the Imperial Concubine liked her sister-in-law, he grinned and went to bring the melon slices.

This time, he decided to light the lamp.

When Li Zhi noticed the quilt on the table, he was initially surprised but then chuckled. His little wife was quite clever.

As he returned with the plate, Shen Qingqing caught sight of his sun-kissed face. After a moment of shock, she couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Have a nice day!