As soon as Shen Yanqing returned to the mansion, a servant told him everything that had happened that day.
He listened with a calm expression, said he understood, and went to his mother’s courtyard first.
Madam Shen was still angry about Ji Zhen leaving the ancestral hall without permission. When she saw Shen Yanqing, she sneered, “That wonderful wife of yours is quite something. He doesn’t even respect his own mother-in-law.”
Father Shen, who had just returned from court, was also furious upon hearing the news. He flung his sleeve and sat down in the main seat, sulking.
Shen Yanqing knew his parents disliked Ji Zhen, so he didn’t speak up for him directly. Instead, he took a roundabout approach. “He’s only twenty, with a very immature temperament. He spoke foolishly and caused you trouble, Mother. I will be sure to properly teach him a lesson tonight.”
“You were already a top scholar at twenty. What ‘immature temperament’? I think he’s just spoiled rotten by the Ji family.”
Shen Yanqing did not argue. “From now on, I won’t let him come before you to anger you.”
Madam Shen huffed. “You think I want to see him? I’m only doing this for your sake.”
With that, she had a maid present the portraits. Before she could say anything, Shen Yanqing’s mind was clear. He glanced at the paintings and preempted his mother, “The civil service exam is approaching, and the Hanlin Academy is busy with official business. I have no time to worry about personal matters. I appreciate your good intentions, Mother, but these paintings should be put away for now.”
“You use that excuse every time,” Madam Shen said with displeasure. “Do you really intend to live only with Ji Zhen?”
Shen Yanqing gave a light laugh. “Father often taught me to prioritize my career. I am now working in the Hanlin Academy, and it’s time for a promotion. Mother, you know my ambition. If I get entangled in private affairs, I may not be able to fully serve the court. It would be of no benefit to me or the Shen family.”
Only then did Madam Shen reluctantly give up the idea.
Shen Yanqing added, “In the future, you should also interact less with Ji Zhen. He is too childish. Let him mature a little before he waits on you.”
Madam Shen could hear the underlying protectiveness towards Ji Zhen in her son’s words. She chided, “Go on, keep spoiling him. He’s going to turn our Shen family upside down.”
After placating his mother and discussing some official matters with his father, Shen Yanqing finally took his leave.
Yu He had been following Shen Yanqing for years and knew that it was hard for an upright official to handle family disputes. His master, caught between his parents and his wife, found it more difficult than dealing with the most complex official business.
Seeing how Shen Yanqing soothed the anger of the two elders with just a few words, Yu He said in admiration, “My Lord truly knows how to handle things.”
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Shen Yanqing’s smile vanished. He raised a hand to lightly rub his forehead, and for once, he made a joke. “Say that again after I return to the courtyard.”
Yu He understood and chuckled. “The Young Madam listens to you the most, My Lord. If you just coax him a little, a big problem will become a small one, and a small one will disappear completely.”
Shen Yanqing gave him a fleeting look. “You seem to know Ji Zhen well.”
Yu He cleared his throat. “Who in the entire capital doesn’t know that the Young Madam is completely devoted to you?”
Shen Yanqing didn’t respond to Yu He’s words and walked toward his courtyard under the moonlight.
—
In the main courtyard.
Ji Zhen stirred the stewed soup in the green and white bowl with a spoon. The shark fin and abalone were stewed to a soft consistency, and the broth was fragrant but not greasy and very palatable. But instead of savoring a delicacy, he looked as if he was drinking bitter medicine, his handsome face slightly furrowed and looking dispirited.
He dropped the ceramic spoon into the bowl with a clang, then used a soft brush made of tender willow to clean his teeth with powder made from precious fragrant woods, and rinsed his mouth with mint water. “Take it away.” He said.
Ji An looked at the table of untouched food and urged, “Young Master, please eat a little more.”
Ji Zhen shook his head and reached down to rub his legs. He had knelt for a full three hours and still hadn’t recovered. Every movement felt like ants were gnawing on his bones and flesh, they were both sore and painful.
The maids cleared the dishes. Ji An assisted Ji Zhen onto the bed and said, “I’ll wash Young Master’s feet and give your legs a massage.”
Although Ji Zhen had been spoiled all his life, Ji An had grown up with him, and their bond was unlike any other. He wouldn’t normally let Ji An do such a coarse job. But his legs were so sore that he gave it a thought for a moment and pointed to a small stool nearby. “Then take that stool and sit down.”
Ji An moved the stool and sat by Ji Zhen’s feet. He had a maid bring in hot water and proceeded to take off his young master’s shoes and socks and immerse his feet in the copper basin.
A tingling numbness shot up from the soles of his feet. Ji Zhen gasped. “I’m not going to be crippled, am I?” He asked fearfully.
Ji An, who was washing his feet, said in an indignant voice, “If Young Master really gets a problem from kneeling, the entire Shen family will have to pay the price.”
Ji Zhen hung his head dejectedly. If Shen Yanqing heard that, he would surely think he was acting arrogantly again. He didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He let Ji An wash and dry his feet, then Ji An lifted his legs onto his own lap to massage them.
The soreness was replaced by ticklishness. Ji Zhen couldn’t help but fall back onto the bed, laughing. His voice was clear and broken. “Slower, slower, it tickles…”
Ji An kneaded Ji Zhen’s calves and asked, “Is this pressure alright?”
Ji Zhen kept laughing, trying to pull his feet back. By accident, he lightly kicked Ji An in the chest, and Ji An nearly fell so he grabbed Ji Zhen’s legs and sat back down, unable to control his force, leaving several red finger marks on Ji Zhen’s calves.
Ji Zhen still lay there, not moving. He swung his feet back and forth and said happily, “It doesn’t feel so sore anymore.”
Ji An was delighted. “Should I massage them some more for you, Young Master?”
Ji Zhen agreed and reached up to fiddle with the tassels on the bed, his calves still resting on Ji An’s legs.
Before Shen Yanqing and Yu He even entered the room, they heard laughter coming from inside, accompanied by low whispers of “slower” and “gentler”… a scene that was very suggestive.
Yu He was startled and looked at Shen Yanqing. Though his lord’s expression remained unchanged, the corners of his mouth had tightened slightly. Having served Shen Yanqing, who seldom displayed emotions for years, Yu He knew that even such a subtle shift signaled unrest in his heart.
Yu He wanted to slip away, but Shen Yanqing was already pushing the door open.
The scene in the room was laid bare. Ji Zhen was lying on the soft bed without his socks with his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his long, fair calves. A pair of white feet rested on Ji An, whose hands were massaging his calves. It looked like he had been massaging for a while already, as there were already red marks.
Shen Yanqing’s fingers twitched slightly, and his eyes were full of a quiet intensity.
Ji Zhen heard the sound and propped himself up on his elbow, looking at Shen Yanqing. For some reason, he felt that Shen Yanqing’s gaze was even colder than usual, which made him feel a little scared.
Ji An was about to get up and bow to Shen Yanqing, but Ji Zhen, who was still angry, stopped him. “Keep massaging.”
Shen Yanqing’s eyes fell on Ji Zhen’s dazzlingly white calves. He opened his mouth and said, “I have something to say to the Young Madam. Get out.”
“Ji An is my personal attendant, not yours. Why should he listen to you?”
Ji Zhen had been deeply aggrieved today. He was like a small beast brandishing its claws, taking a defensive stance.
Shen Yanqing’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Yu He.”
Yu He came in, understood the signal, and gave Ji An a meaningful look: ‘This is the masters’ business. Why are you getting involved?’
Ji An hesitated for a moment, but he didn’t want to cause more friction between the two, so he let go of Ji Zhen’s legs and said, “Young Master, I’ll go get some water.”
Ji Zhen didn’t stop him this time. He pulled his legs back and sat cross-legged.
Once the door was closed, Ji Zhen tilted his head back and vented, “Lord Shen, you don’t keep your promises.”
Shen Yanqing was still looking at Ji Zhen’s flawless calves. Ji Zhen was pampered and spoiled, and every inch of his skin was delicate. The slightest pinch would leave a red mark that wouldn’t fade for two or three days, it was something that Shen Yanqing knew well. The finger marks on his calves were clearly visible now, and they were a definite eyesore.
Ji Zhen waited for a reply that never came, convinced he had the upper hand. Pressing his advantage, he said, “What, did I hit a nerve? Are you so guilty you can’t even answer?”
Shen Yanqing took a few steps forward and looked down at him. Ji Zhen still held his chin up with a smug look on his face, completely unaware that “disaster was about to strike.”
“I sent someone to inform you about dinner, so it’s not breaking a promise,” Shen Yanqing said, his eyes cold as he looked down at him. “As for you being disrespectful to your elders, how do you plan to make amends?”
Before Ji Zhen could argue, Shen Yanqing laid an even bigger accusation on him. “As a wife, you’re undressing and staying in the same room with an outside man. That’s a severe lapse in conduct. I guess you haven’t knelt in the ancestral hall enough.”
“Ji An is my personal attendant, he’s not an ‘outside man’…”
Although he said that, Ji Zhen was feeling guilty and tried to hide his bare legs.
Shen Yanqing was quick and grabbed his ankle. Ji Zhen struggled in a panic. “Let go!”
The more he thrashed, the tighter the grip on his ankle became. The soreness and numbness returned, and he couldn’t help but say with a sob, “You want to punish me by making me kneel in the ancestral hall, too? Fine, just let me kneel to death, and we’ll see how you explain it to my father and elder brother.”
When he mentioned the Ji family, the look in Shen Yanqing’s eyes became even colder.
Ji Zhen didn’t notice. He sniffled, and then his tone changed. “I won’t die, though. If I die, you’ll marry someone else, I won’t let you get your way.”
Shen Yanqing turned, and Ji Zhen’s position shifted so he was now sitting with his legs apart on Shen Yanqing’s lap.
“What if I insist on marrying someone? Can you stop me?” Shen Yanqing had one arm around his slim waist and the other pinching his soft cheeks, staring at the reddish corners of Ji Zhen’s eyes with a cold expression.
Ji Zhen’s eyes were hot, and his nose stung. It was one thing for his mother-in-law to bring it up, but hearing Shen Yanqing talk about taking a concubine was a different kind of anguish. He bit the soft flesh of his inner lip, his voice choked with emotion. “If you dare to marry anyone else, I’ll drink a cup of poisoned wine on your wedding night and turn your family’s celebration into a funeral…”
Every word he spoke revolved around death, tightening Shen Yanqing’s chest with an unexplainable agitation.
Before he could figure out where this feeling came from, Shen Yanqing’s hand rose and then fell, striking a firm blow on the soft, rounded flesh.
Ji Zhen’s backside stung, and his eyes widened in surprise. He had never been spanked in his life. He was both shocked and humiliated. “How dare you hit me!”
“You were in the wrong first, so I must teach you properly.”
Ji Zhen twisted his waist, trying to escape, but Shen Yanqing struck him hard several more times. He wasn’t used to the pain. At first, he was still waving his arms and claws, ordering Shen Yanqing to stop. But then a sharp pain in his backside made him whimper, his voice breaking into a higher pitch. “Stop hitting me, it hurts…”
Shen Yanqing’s expression was icy, and his heart remained unmoved. He tossed him onto the bed, pulled down his trousers, and struck him with his palm.
After only ten spanks, Ji Zhen was crying out, begging for mercy. “I’m sorry, I know I was wrong.”
Shen Yanqing noticed that the spanked area was now covered with raised, swollen finger marks, far worse than those on his calves. Only then did he stop, extinguish the candle, and lie down in bed with Ji Zhen.
Ji Zhen was in so much pain that he was too embarrassed to rub it. He burrowed into Shen Yanqing’s arms, but despite just being taught a lesson, he didn’t forget to make a final threat. “You are not allowed to marry anyone else, whether it’s male or female, or I won’t forgive you.”
This time, Shen Yanqing didn’t provoke him. He placed his palm on the hot, spanked flesh and massaged it gently, as if to relieve the pain.
Ji Zhen was so happy that Shen Yanqing was beside him, giving him a sweet treat after a slap.
He thought that, maybe as time went on, Shen Yanqing’s feelings for him wouldn’t be all loathing. Even a tiny bit of affection would be enough.
The author has something to say:
Lord Shen, you couldn’t bear it when your wife was getting a foot massage? That’s just the beginning!
