Noble Son-in-Law - Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Shen Qingqing had never dealt with a drunk guy before. After realising that Li Zhi had actually passed out, she instinctively called Yu Chan in.

Yu Chan turned on the lamp, and Shen Qingqing noticed that Li Zhi’s shirt was soaked on his chest, with a strong smell of alcohol wafting from him.

She recalled how those wild guys had forced Li Zhi to drink earlier in the day and figured he’d probably had, even more, to drink by now.

It must be really uncomfortable to have wet clothes clinging to him, so Shen Qingqing quickly told Yu Chan, “Hurry up and help the marquis take off his clothes.”

Since Shen Qingqing had never really taken care of anyone, her first instinct was to direct the maid.

Yu Chan was used to following her master’s orders, but when she approached the bedside and saw the marquis’s tall figure and flushed face, she suddenly felt anxious. With Madam watching, Yu Chan hesitated, and as she reached out, her hand started to shake. At the last moment, she bit her lip, pulled her hand back, and looked at Shen Qingqing with wide eyes, saying, “Madam, I… I can’t do it…” 

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. ‘What is there to be scared of when it comes to helping Li Zhi? He had always been nice to both of them.’

“What are you scared of? Come on, help the Marquis out!” Shen Qingqing whispered urgently.

Yu Chan took a quick look at the unconscious Li Zhi, then gently pulled Shen Qingqing aside and leaned in to whisper, “Madam, the Marquis has never asked me or Yu Die to help him when he’s bathing in the backyard. That shows he prefers not to have us around him. Plus, think about it—has the Third Master ever asked the maids to get too close to him?” 

Shen Qingqing pondered this and realised her father had always kept a distance from the maids around her mother.

Yu Chan continued. “Madam, it’s not that I want to slack off. The Marquis really cares for you, and I bet he’d prefer you to take care of him yourself.”

Shen Qingqing bit her lip. ‘Does Li Zhi really have strong feelings for me? Sure, he likes sleeping next to me.’

Even with those thoughts, Shen Qingqing told Yu Chan to get some hot water.

Once Yu Chan was gone, Shen Qingqing approached the bedside, hesitating as she looked at the unconscious man. With a sigh, she finally leaned down to loosen Li Zhi’s belt. It felt a bit awkward, and she found herself leaning over him. When she finally got the belt undone, she was surprised to find herself breaking a light sweat.

It was a sweltering summer day, and Li Zhi was dressed in an ordinary round-neck robe. As he moved, his smooth, pale chest became exposed. With a shy face, Shen Qingqing looked away for a moment. Then, after taking a deep breath, she tilted her head and carefully raised Li Zhi’s arms, removing his outer sleeves. When it came to the inner sleeve, she had to lean against him. Her small hands worked carefully to avoid awakening him, with her eyes looking anxiously and occasionally settling on his face.

Shen Qingqing was aware that Li Zhi’s usual warm smile was just a facade. Now, as he lay unconscious with his eyes shut, his striking features appeared sharp and cold. She felt a mix of confusion and curiosity. 

‘Who is her husband really?

What lay beneath his charming words and gentle demeanour?

Does he genuinely want to make amends with her?’

Lost in thought, Shen Qingqing found herself staring at Li Zhi’s face.

“Madam, the water is ready.”

Yu Chan’s soft voice broke the silence from outside the screen, startling Shen Qingqing. A quick glance at the bed reassured her that Li Zhi was still asleep, and she let out a sigh of relief.

“Madam, please help the Marquis with his bath.” Yu Chan placed the copper basin on the floor, avoiding looking at the bed, and gently reminded her.

Shen Qingqing was about to ask Yu Chan to do it, but then she recalled Yu Chan’s earlier reasoning.

‘Never mind…’

Yu Chan went out to the outside room to wait while Shen Qingqing soaked a towel, wrung it out, and sat at the end of the bed. As her fingertips brushed across his flesh, she noted how warm his face was, almost as if it were on fire. It showed that regardless of how powerful he was, he had to deal with unpleasant situations.

Shen Qingqing unexpectedly felt sympathy for Li Zhi. She opened her eyes and continued to wipe him off. 

She gently wiped out his face, neck, and upper body, and then flipped Li Zhi onto his side, ignoring everything else as she wiped his back.

After a while, Li Zhi lay on the bed, breathing steadily.

Shen Qingqing asked Yu Chan to take the basin away and then headed to the west room for a quick bath. When she returned, she was so worn out that she fell asleep next to Li Zhi.

The next morning, Shen Qingqing woke up to find Li Zhi had vanished again. 

Yu Chan informed her that he had gone to check on the camp.

“How did the Marquis look?” Shen Qingqing asked quietly. ‘Is he going to be okay after that last night?’

Yu Chan thought for a moment and replied, “The Marquis left early while it was still dark, so I didn’t get a good look, but he seemed fine from what I could hear.”

Shen Qingqing nodded and asked Yu Chan to start preparing breakfast.

After breakfast, Shen Qingqing went to the lake with Noble Concubine Chun and the Second Princess. While they were on the boat, Noble Concubine Chun mentioned that Li Zhi would be with the emperor all day. 

Shen Qingqing was already aware of Li Zhi’s busy schedule, so it didn’t really surprise her. 

The water in the lake looked especially blue, and there were wildflowers blooming nearby that she had never seen before. The gentle breeze made her feel relaxed and cheerful.

In the afternoon, she took a nap, and when she woke up, she wrote a letter to her parents. 

Before she knew it, night had fallen.

“Madam, is the Marquis coming back for dinner tonight?” Yu Chan asked.

Shen Qingqing shook her head, replying, “The emperor is throwing a banquet for the Chanyus tonight.”

Yu Chan frowned and asked with surprise, “Another banquet? Those Chanyus just drink all the time. Can the Marquis handle it?”

Shen Qingqing wasn’t sure either.

Worried that Li Zhi might return drunk again, Shen Qingqing decided to grab a book and sit on the couch in the side room to wait.

Just as she was starting to feel drowsy, Li Zhi walked in. 

He didn’t let the maids announce his arrival, so Shen Qingqing had no idea he was back. She was yawning when the door curtain suddenly opened, and a tall, slender figure stepped in.

Shen Qingqing: “…”

She stared in surprise at Li Zhi.

Li Zhi was also surprised to find Shen Qingqing sitting outside with a book. When their eyes locked, his eyes sparkled like stars. “Are you waiting for me?” 

Shen Qingqing felt a bit flustered under his stare and quickly shot back, “Who’s waiting for you? I just didn’t want to deal with you crashing on the bed like last night and messing up the sheets. If that happens, I’d rather stay out here and avoid the hassle of getting up when I’m trying to sleep.” She looked at him with a hint of disgust. She realised that although Li Zhi was drunk, his face was only a bit flushed and his eyes were still clear.

‘Looks like he didn’t drink too much tonight.’

Feeling a bit relieved, Shen Qingqing pointed towards the west room and said, “The hot water is ready, so go take a bath first.”

Li Zhi knew how much his wife valued cleanliness, so he gave a wry smile and headed to take a bath.

When he came back to the inner room, Shen Qingqing was already in bed.

He blew the lamp, pulled down the gauze curtain, and settled in behind her.

Even after bathing and sipping sobering tea, Li Zhi still had a faint scent of alcohol on his body.

As Shen Qingqing was about to shift further away, Li Zhi wrapped a strong arm around her waist, and leaned in close, resting his forehead on her shoulder. “I was really drunk last night. Thanks for putting up with me,” he muttered softly. 

Shen Qingqing felt a knot in her throat as she attempted to relieve the unusual tension developing within her. She spoke in a comfortable tone, “It’s Yu Chan who has been looking after you, changing your clothing, and washing you up. I couldn’t handle the scent, so I went outside for a while.

Shen Qingqing held her breath as she finished speaking, waiting for Li Zhi to respond.

The room became silent for several minutes. 

She felt his arm fall away, and then Li Zhi’s weary voice pierced the silence. “Next time when I get drunk, just leave me alone. There’s no need for maids to fuss over me. Except for my wife, I am not comfortable with ladies touching me.

Shen Qingqing was taken aback. 

‘Did Li Zhi really have that kind of preference?

Was he truly as particular as people said?’

Gripping the mattress tightly, she couldn’t help but ask, “Why don’t you like having maids around?”

She waited for what felt like ages before Li Zhi finally replied, “If my parents were still here, they would love each other just like my in-laws do.”

Shen Qingqing was surprised. ‘Why is he bringing up his in-laws?’

Li Zhi continued, “After my Third Aunt passed away, my grandmother urged my Third Uncle to remarry, but he insisted he couldn’t love anyone but her.”

A sudden wave of emotion hit Shen Qingqing. She started to grasp what Li Zhi was really saying.

Li Zhi whirled around and effortlessly drew her into his grasp. Just as Shen Qingqing was beginning to relax, he held her chin up. 

She turned her face away in an instant, unable to control it. 

But Li Zhi drew in closer with his handsome face inches from hers. As he stared into her big almond eyes, he admitted, “It is not true that I am unconcerned by fame or riches, nor that I am open-minded. The only fact is that I want to live a pure life, just like my third uncle, with only one person at my side.”

Shen Qingqing was dumbfounded.

She stood still, like a statue. 

Li Zhi chuckled, leaned down, and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Get some sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out for a walk.”

With that, he nestled her head against his chest and closed his eyes.

Shen Qingqing was still processing his earlier words.

‘Could it be that this sly guy really just wants to marry and spend his life with me?

Is it real or just a facade?’

She didn’t ask, so she didn’t get any answers from him.

She could feel his warmth and hear the steady rhythm of his heartbeat through his thin shirt.

Listening to it, Shen Qingqing drifted off to sleep.

When she woke up again, she was still in Li Zhi’s arms, and the commander of the imperial guards was about to start a fight in the early morning.

With a gasp, she carefully shifted away.

After stepping out of the man’s embrace, Shen Qingqing finally felt her tense body relax. Just then, she heard Li Zhi ask, “Can you ride a horse?”

His tone was low and crisp, not like someone who had just woken up.

Shen Qingqing clenched her teeth, sat upright, and said, “No.”

Li Zhi smiled. “Want to learn? “I can teach you.”

She promptly responded. “Not interested.”

She rarely had the opportunity to ride a horse, so why bother learning?

Li Zhi abandoned the aim of teaching his young wife after realising she was uninterested.

After eating, he asked Yu Chan to stay in the palace and took Shen Qingqing out himself.

At the palace gate, Arong had been waiting with Li Zhi’s horse.

“Where’s the carriage?” Shen Qingqing asked, surprised.

Li Zhi chuckled, “The carriage is too slow; riding a horse is way better.”

She wanted to argue, but before she knew it, she was suddenly lifted into the air by Li Zhi!

If it weren’t for the guards outside the palace, Shen Qingqing might have screamed!

“Hold on tight.”

Li Zhi walked over to the horse and effortlessly placed Shen Qingqing on its back.

The saddle felt so stiff that she thought she might fall off at any moment, making her face go pale. It wasn’t until Li Zhi mounted the horse and pulled her into his arms that she finally caught her breath.

“You…”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

Li Zhi quickly rubbed her head and promised in a low voice.

Shen Qingqing bit her lip, and the moment the horse galloped out, she hugged the arm around her waist tightly.

End of chapter 41

Have a nice day!