Red Bean Lives in the Republic of China - Chapter 43.2

Chapter 43.2

After He Yunqin went into the bathroom Yu Hongdou climbed into bed. As soon as she let her hair down and settled in, she sank into the plush mattress and gazed at the ceiling. She felt a bit lost in her thoughts. She had only known He Yunqin for nearly two months, and now they were already married. But she was sure if that person were Qin Xuekai, she would have chosen to escape to Tianjin or Beijing and avoid the marriage.

She tugged the quilt up a bit more and listened closely to the sounds coming from the bathroom. 

He was much quicker than she was, and he came out in less than ten minutes.

She thought about shutting her eyes and pretending to be asleep, but she knew she couldn’t fool him. She kept staring at the ceiling. When she heard him lift the quilt and settle into bed on the other side, her gaze instinctively drifted over, and she caught a brief glimpse of his prominent nose. Her cheeks flushed, and she quickly averted her eyes, closing them tightly.

He settled on the bed, 

Once he got into bed, he watched her for a bit, and noticing she was still awake, he turned off the lights and lay down.

The room was quiet, with only the occasional sound of insects chirping from outside the terrace. Their breaths were close together, and if they listened carefully, his breathing was not much steadier than hers.

In the dark, even the slightest movement from him made her heart race. It wasn’t out of disgust or rejection; she just wasn’t ready yet.

Fortunately, He Yunqin lay quietly for a while, as if he sensed her uneasiness. “Hongdou.” Suddenly his voice heard above her head.

“Yeah.” Yu Hongdou muttered after turning her head.

“If you have nothing to do tomorrow, I’ll show you around the house.”

Feeling his thoughtfulness, Yu Hongdou felt warm in her heart and replied, “Okay.”

Time passed and Yu Hongdou fell asleep. It seemed that it didn’t bother her much that someone was next to her, because she slept soundly as if she were at her mother’s house.

At dawn, she woke up feeling the heat like a stove behind her. The warmth wrapped around her completely. At first, she was a bit dazed, but when she sensed the warm breath on her neck, she realized it was He Yunqin holding her close.

Her body tensed up, and she felt confused and unsure. But then she noticed he was still asleep, with one arm around her waist and the other supporting her head. His steady breathing fell against her neck and it showed he was in deep slumber.

She always knew she had a terrible sleeping position, but this was just too strange. No matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t figure out how they ended up like this. She had no idea how long she had been lying on him, and her arms must have gone numb ages ago. But since he was still asleep, she didn’t want to move. His breathing made her feel both itchy and numb as if half her strength had been sapped away.

After a bit, she finally relaxed and let him hold her. But soon enough, he seemed to stir, and his breath shifted from her neck to the top of her head.

‘Oh, he is going to wake up.’ She quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep.

She could tell he was initially shocked, then surprised as well as her. After a long pause, he cautiously pulled back the arm he had around her and gently supported her head while pulling back his other arm.

Then, the mattress shifted behind him, and it seemed like he turned over to lie on his back.

She couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh of relief, but there was also a sense of confusion. She couldn’t quite figure out what was confusing her. Her heart was racing so loudly that it felt overwhelming. She was worried he might realise she had actually been awake for quite a while, so she stayed still.

He Yunqin lay there for a while, feeling uncomfortable and really wanting to move. It was torture to stay in that position any longer. As dawn approached, he decided to get up and take a cold shower in the bathroom.

When he stood up, Yu Hongdou could no longer pretend to be asleep. 

After a while, he came out of the bathroom, and she got up with the quilt. 

When their eyes met, He Yunqin was taken aback for a moment. “Awake?”

Yu Hongdou’s cheeks turned red, and she nodded calmly, “I’m awake.”

She tossed the quilt aside, got out of bed, and brushed past him to the bathroom to freshen up.

The man lingered by the door and didn’t leave. Instead, he frowned and asked her, “Do you know how to use this faucet?”

She glanced at the golden basin. Even though she had never seen one like it before, his serious question made her want to laugh. She simply shook her head and replied, “I don’t know how to use it.”

He seriously filled the water for her and got her toothpaste. She quietly watched him as he worked, only leaving when she started to wash herself.

After coming out of the bathroom, she changed into the clothes that the servants had neatly folded beside the bed.

He Yunqin changed his clothes, grabbed a book, and sat on the sofa waiting for her. 

After changing her clothes, she sat at the dressing table and picked up a comb to style her hair.

He watched her, stood up, and took out a blue velvet jewellery box from the drawer. Looking at her, he said, “See if you like it.”

Yu Hongdou acted like she was seeing the box for the first time. Concealing her happy feelings, she carefully picked it up. When she opened it, even though she had seen it the night before, she still smiled sweetly at the note inside. “I like it.”

He Yunqin had been closely watching every little change on her face. Seeing her so joyful lifted his mood. “It goes perfectly with the dress you’re wearing now. You can put it on.”

Upon hearing that, Yu Hongdou didn’t think twice. She took out the necklace and put it around her neck. After striking a pose for a moment, she noticed he was just watching and said, “Please help me.”

Yu Hongdou’s voice snapped He Yunqin back to reality, and he quickly fastened the necklace around her neck. 

At that moment, a servant came to the door and said, “Second Young Master, Second Young Madam, the master and mistress are waiting for you downstairs for breakfast together.”

Since their marriage, they had to adjust their names. The two exchanged glances in the mirror, and He Yunqin gently lifted her up. “Let’s head out.”

Naturally, he took her hand and led her out of the room.

In the dining hall, He Mengmei, Mrs. He, and others were already seated. The hall was quiet, yet, there was a shared, joyful vibe in the air.

When He Yunqin and Yu Hongdou walked in, He Lanzhi was the first to chuckle and said, “My dear brother, you’ve got great taste. The necklace is lovely, and the person wearing it is even better.”

End of chapter 43

Have a nice day!