The morning sun was shining brightly.
When Luo Qingzhou woke in the morning, he found the spot beside him empty.
There were a few sparrows on the windowsill. They were chirping non-stop as if they were trying to wake him up.
He looked at the red decorations in the room and sniffed the air faintly, picking up the residual fragrance from last night.
Thinking of last night, when they got intimate with one another, Luo Qingzhou felt like it was a dream.
However, it was obvious that was not a dream.
He felt light-headed as if all his energy reserve was used up.
His body was indeed too weak.
Luo Qingzhou lifted the blanket.
There was a white cloth under him.
There were spots of blood on it, reminding him of what had happened the previous night.
First Madam suspected that this girl was no longer a pure maiden.
To be honest, he was also mentally prepared for that.
However, reality proved that this girl maintained her chastity.
Her precious first time was given to him on their wedding night last night.
However, what he felt the most unacceptable was that he still did not know what his bride looked like even though they had already consummated the marriage.
No one would believe him even if he told them about it.
Luo Qingzhou thought that it was strange that his wife was so proactive last night.
They had not even had a formal exchange of cups of wine, and he did not even get to lift the bride's veil.
That did not seem like the type of character a daughter of an influential family should have in this era.
So…
Was there really something wrong with her head?
Luo Qingzhou's thoughts ran wild as he continued to sit in bed. The door was suddenly pushed open.
An old maidservant walked in and came to the bed. She remarked, "Sir, get up. I have to bring this white cloth out for Madam to see."
Luo Qingzhou was stunned momentarily, taken aback by her sudden appearance. He quickly wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and, with a red face, he helped pull out the white cloth.
The old maidservant took the white cloth and glanced at the blood on it. She said with a serious expression, "Sir, it's time to get up. You still have to serve tea to Old Master and Madam later together with Young Miss."
With that, she rolled up the white cloth and left the room.
After the door closed.
Luo Qingzhou hurriedly found some clothes to wear and got out of bed.
He could not believe that they would want to show Madam that white cloth that had been stained with red.
It was going to be so awkward when he went to serve them tea later on.
"Young Master, are you awake?"
Xiao Die's voice came from outside.
Luo Qingzhou hurriedly put on his shoes and socks. "I'm up," he replied.
Xiao Die pushed open the door and brought in warm water. She shyly peeked at the bed and put down the basin. "Young Master, wash your face."
Luo Qingzhou went over to wash his face. He glanced at her and asked, "Have you seen the bride?"
Xiao Die shook her head. "No, I slept in the small courtyard next door last night. When I woke up in the morning, I hurried over here and saw Bai Ling pruning flowers outside."
Luo Qingzhou wiped his face with a towel and asked, "Where's Bai Ling?"
Xiao Die answered, "Bai Ling just left because she has something on. She told me to wait outside so that I can wait for you to wake up, Young Master. I heard that you still have to serve tea to Old Master and Madam later."
Luo Qingzhou washed his face, brushed his teeth, and left the room.
The sun was shining brightly, and the snow in the courtyard had melted.
There were pale pink flowers growing in the nearest flower bed. They were flowers that continued to bloom in the winter. At that moment, they were swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Luo Qingzhou closed his eyes and smelt the fragrance of the flowers. He felt that life had become better.
"Young Master, is the bride… is Young Madam beautiful?"
Xiao Die tidied up the room and asked in a low voice, her face full of curiosity.
Luo Qingzhou felt a little awkward and said seriously, "Xiao Die, you shouldn't be too superficial and only pay attention to others' appearance. It doesn't matter whether she's ugly or beautiful. Since she's already married to me, she's my wife. I don't care if she's good-looking or not."
Xiao Die blinked her eyes innocently and said, "Young Master, I don't mean anything by that. I was just curious to know if Young Madam is good-looking or not. After all, I haven't even seen her before."
Luo Qingzhou sighed inwardly. "That makes two of us. I've also never seen her before," he thought.
However, he was too embarrassed to say that.
After all, they had already consummated their marriage last night.
It would be beyond embarrassing if he told this little girl that he was pressed onto the bed by the bride before he even got to see her face.
"You can see for yourself later."
Luo Qingzhou deliberately put on a cryptic expression on his face as he walked out of the small courtyard.
In actual fact, he was even more anxious and curious than Xiao Die.
He wondered where the bride went so early in the morning.
They still had to serve tea to the elders later.
After which, he had to make haste to study and cultivate.
Luo Qingzhou walked into the garden and strolled around for a while before standing under the plague "Moonlight Rain Court".
He strolled in.
The branches of willows leaned over the water. Flowers bloomed across the lake. The temperature was cool and pleasant.
The master-servant duo chatted as they strolled along the lakeshore.
Just as Luo Qingzhou was thinking about something, he suddenly saw that the fog in the lake parted to reveal a small boat.
Two beautiful women stood on the boat. A slight breeze fluttered their robes, and they looked very much like divine beings.
There was a man standing at the stern of the boat, rowing and driving the boat.
The lake's surface was sparkling with sunlight on ripples of water.
The red lotuses were gorgeous.
The boat slowly rowed out of the lotus flowers, and the mist gradually receded.
As the boat got closer, the figures became clearer.
Luo Qingzhou was afraid of offending the distinguished guests and was about to leave. However, when he caught sight of the figure standing at the bow of the boat, he was rooted to the spot.
The cool, clear waters of the lake shone brightly. The surface of the water shimmered with a slight ripple from the wind.
The young woman standing at the bow of the ship was dressed all in white, and her skin was as white as snow. She had clear, bright eyes and a slender, graceful figure. Her thick black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. With the stunning landscape all around her serving as a foil to her, it highlighted her beauty, making her look like some celestial being who had descended from the heavens!
Her face bathed in the golden glow of morning, making her all the more beautiful and ethereal.
How was this a woman from the mortal world? She was clearly a fairy from the heavens!
Luo Qingzhou stood immobile at the lakeshore, his eyes widening to their fullest extent as he stared at the woman in astonishment, struck by her breathtaking beauty.
Her beauty also got Xiao Die, who was standing at the side, in a daze.
The small boat did not row in their direction.
With mist swirling around the boat, it rowed in another direction.
"Sir, is she pretty?"
At this moment, a pleasant voice sounded close to his ear.
Luo Qingzhou was taken aback by the sudden voice and snapped out of his trance.
Bai Ling was standing beside him, grinning at him. She followed his gaze and looked toward that small boat and the gorgeous woman on it.
Luo Qingzhou became a little inattentive. He suddenly had a bold guess.
Because of this guess, his heart started to race, and his breathing became rapid. He was so excited that his body started to quiver.
"Miss Bai Ling, the woman on the boat…"
He turned to look at the pretty girl beside him, his voice trembling with excitement.
Bai Ling looked at the lake and said enviously, "Isn't she beautiful? Everyone who sees her is stunned by her beauty."
Luo Qingzhou held his breath. "She is…"
Bai Ling retracted her gaze and smiled. "She's the distinguished guest from the Capital, and she's Young Miss' cousin. Her name is Nangong Meijiao. She is born to one of the most illustrious noble families in the Great Yan Empire. However, she has a bad temper. Although she's very beautiful, if you see her in the residence in the future, you must stay away."
Luo Qingzhou did not know what to say.
"All right, I'm overthinking things," he thought.
He felt a great sense of disappointment.
Bai Ling looked at the lake again and said, "Sir, do you see the person standing behind her?"
Luo Qingzhou recomposed himself and looked over again.
Behind the beautiful girl stood a girl in a light green dress.
The young girl held a sword in her arms. She had a delicate figure, a beautiful face, and a cold temperament. At that moment, she was looking over coldly.
Luo Qingzhou met her gaze and suddenly felt cold killing intent.
Bai Ling introduced, "Her name is Xia Chan. She's that young lady's maid, or rather, her guard. She's never practiced martial arts, but she has an innate talent for sword techniques. She has the ability to kill with a single strike. The sword that she's holding on to is a very powerful one. Even a Martial Master who has a steel-like head and arms won't be able to withstand a single blow of her sword. Sir, you have to be careful. When you see her in the future, you must take a detour to avoid her. If you really can't avoid her, you have to give in to her. Don't look into her eyes, and don't anger her. Otherwise, your life will be in danger."
When Luo Qingzhou heard this, he immediately felt the hair stand on his neck and quickly retracted his gaze.
Bai Ling looked at him with a smile. "Sir, is she beautiful?"
Luo Qingzhou did not dare to look around anymore. He could only look at Xiao Die and make a sound of acknowledgment.
However, the most beautiful woman was naturally the white-robed girl who was standing at the bow of the boat.
Whether it was her appearance or her temperament, she was so beautiful that she did not seem like an ordinary mortal.
He had never imagined that there would be such breathtaking beauty in this world.
This world was indeed exciting.
"Then, who do you think is prettier, me or Xia Chan?"
Bai Ling suddenly smiled and asked.
Luo Qingzhou was stunned for a moment before he said honestly, "Both of you are gorgeous, but the feeling both of you give off is different."
Bai Ling smiled. "Sir, you have to choose one."
Luo Qingzhou thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll choose you. Xia Chan has a cold aura and gives off a murderous aura. I prefer you."
Bai Ling chuckled and said happily, "Sir, you're so sweet. I didn't wait outside the door the entire night in vain."
Luo Qingzhou's lips twitched. "Last night?"
Bai Ling smiled and replied, "Yeah, I was worried that you and Young Miss don't know how to consummate your marriage as it's the first time for the both of you, so I waited outside the entire night."
Luo Qingzhou opened his mouth. His face turned bright red and he stammered, "Then last night, y-you…"
Bai Ling giggled. "Sir, don't be embarrassed! I'm Young Miss' maidservant, after all. According to the rules, I was actually supposed to go into the room and stand by the bed. Granny Xu taught me a lot. Last night, she even kept urging me to go into the room and watch you two. She was afraid that you and Young Miss would get injured."
Luo Qingzhou did not know what to say.
Gosh, this was such a perverted rule!
When the newlyweds were consummating their marriage, someone had to be by the bedside watching and guiding them.
"But it seems that Granny Xu was worrying unnecessarily. You know everything, Sir. You must have been to the brothel many times in the past, right?"
Bai Ling said with a half-smile.
Luo Qingzhou's heart skipped a beat and he immediately denied it. "No, I've never been to that sort of place."
Even if he had been there before, he would never admit it to her.
As they were speaking, Bai Ling started to sound him out. "Is she doing this on the Young Miss or Madam's order?" he wondered.
Xiao Die quickly backed him up. "Bai Ling, my Young Master is at home every day studying. I swear that he has never been to that kind of place before."
Bai Ling's eyes flickered. She did not say anything else. Smiling sweetly, she said, "Sir, let's go. We still have to serve tea to Old Master and Madam."
The master-servant duo followed behind her and left the lake.
Luo Qingzhou turned around and looked at the lake not far away.
The small boat and the people on it were already far away. The mist slowly swallowed the boat, rendering the outlines of the figures indistinct.
Everything that happened earlier was like a dream.