Jiang Shuyue smiled sweetly and obediently took his hand, secretly scratching his palm.
The system bristled:
[Host! You came here to feast on gossip and rack up green tea points, not to hook up with the villain!]
Jiang Shuyue rolled her eyes dramatically. [The Heavenly Dao found me such a handsome husband. Do you know what that means?]
[What?]
[Perks! Lord Heavenly Dao is sending me perks. How could I bear to refuse? Hehe, this ten-thousand-year-old green tea is finally going to bloom!]
[Tomorrow, I'm setting off fireworks to celebrate and tell all my descendants: your granny has blossomed!]
Jiang Shuyue looked bashful, but inside, flowers were blooming wildly.
Zhou Yunshen could almost see the little pink flowers sprouting in her heart.
He couldn't stop the corners of his mouth from lifting.
After they bowed to each other, Jiang Shuyue suddenly studied him with a serious expression.
[System, the big bad villain really is handsome.]
Zhou Yunshen's expression relaxed completely, a hint of peach-blossom sweetness entering his cool eyes.
The women who approached him usually found all manner of excuses to conceal their true intentions.
Even those who genuinely liked him would choose to use him because of various vested interests.
Only this woman was unafraid of him and uninterested in his rank or status. She simply lusted after his body.
Zhou Yunshen felt he might have been bewitched. In any case, he didn't dislike the feeling.
Jiang Shuyue sighed. [But I've read so many books that say looks aren't proportional to that. Do you think Zhou Yunshen can perform in that department?]
The system replied:
[Hmm... hard to say, but you'll have to try. If he can't, you can spend ten green tea points, and this system can let the villain show his true manly colors in your dreams.]
[I have to waste my green tea points on something like that? You profiteer! Don't even think about swindling a single coin out of me!]
Jiang Shuyue gave Zhou Yunshen a long look. [Big bad villain, you'd better deliver. Don't let the chain slip at the crucial moment!]
Zhou Yunshen clenched his back teeth.
His new bride was questioning his masculine prowess on the very day she married him?
Splendid!
If she couldn't get out of bed tomorrow, she had better not complain that he didn't know how to cherish a delicate flower!
That very night, Zhao Min vanished from the world without a sound.
Jiang Shuyue also experienced firsthand the formidable prowess of a man who could go three rounds in one night.
Whimpering, she bit Zhou Yunshen's shoulder and sobbed inwardly. [Who told me this would be pain mixed with pleasure? It's nothing but pain! My waist is about to fall apart!]
Zhou Yunshen gripped her slender waist and murmured into her ear, "My wife, your husband is very pleased with this marriage."
Jiang Shuyue's mind was a muddled mess.
Like a bullied kitten, she clung to Zhou Yunshen and nodded frantically.
"You delivered, you delivered! You really delivered!"
Jiang Shuyue thought, [Boohoo, I've praised you this much. How about we stop?]
That was impossible!
Once a sharp sword left its sheath, it could never be put away without drawing blood.
He was only halfway through. There was even less chance of him holding himself back now.
Zhou Yunshen laid her on the bedding. Thinking it was over, Jiang Shuyue grabbed the covers and wrapped herself in them.
[Boohoo, I can finally rest. You brute, why are you so fierce? Are you trying to send me to heaven?]
Jiang Shuyue turned to glare at him. [Come to think of it, handsome as he is, his features look a little like that bastard who got me struck by lightning.]
Zhou Yunshen was displeased. He had finally resolved to be gentler, yet she was thinking about another man.
"My wife, then your husband will continue."
"Huh?"
The next moment, Jiang Shuyue nearly screamed her throat raw.
Pinned beneath him, she wanted to cry but had no tears. [No more, no more! This old green tea is going to lose her life here!]
[Boohoo, those novels lied about how wonderful seven rounds in one night would be! I quit! System, save me!]
The system replied:
[This system is still a minor. Automatically avoiding the scene. In sleep mode. Do not disturb!]
Zhou Yunshen glanced at the woman sleeping deeply on the bed. Both her inner voice and the system had fallen silent. She curled obediently beneath the covers, still muttering, "Those books are all lies."
He put on his robe and slipped quietly out of the room.
"Why are you three out here eavesdropping instead of sleeping at this hour?"
Zhou Yunshen swept them with a cold glance, and all three children straightened their backs.
Although their father treated them exceedingly well, he was also extremely strict.
None of the three dared take him lightly.
Zhou Yunshen asked, "Shi Ye, is it done?"
Zhou Shiye bowed respectfully. "Father, I've recorded all the guests who behaved strangely today."
Zhou Luming handed over the list.
Some people had reacted with the same repeated shocks as they had. They had probably heard Jiang Shuyue's thoughts too.
The others, however, had looked utterly bewildered.
Zhou Shiye guessed there were only two possible reasons they couldn't hear her thoughts:
One, they were too stupid to be chosen as the lucky ones.
Two, they were enemies.
Although he didn't know the rules governing who could hear her, the fact that some people had been excluded suggested they might, like Li Qiner, be harboring sinister intentions.
There could be no harm in recording their names and taking precautions.
"Well done."
"Luming, have you finished what I assigned you?"
Zhou Luming nodded. "Rest assured, Father. Li Qiner drank the medicine and no longer even has the strength to speak. In another month, her oil will run dry and her lamp will go out. Then I'll find a suitable excuse to make her disappear."
"Very good. Don't let her die too comfortably during this month."
Zhou Shiye and Zhou Luming exchanged a glance.
Zhou Luming's look said, Little brother, are we really not telling Father that we can hear her thoughts?
Zhou Shiye's answered, Can you guarantee nobody besides us can hear them? What if Father can hear them too? What will he do if he learns these secrets have leaked?
Zhou Sesong forced her way into the group conversation. He'll definitely kill us to silence us!
Zhou Sesong drew a finger across her throat. Zhou Shiye and Zhou Luming recalled how, a year earlier, someone had gotten drunk and gone around telling everyone their father farted, only to be beaten half to death.
Their father was beautiful but ruthless, and particularly good at holding grudges. They absolutely couldn't let him find out about this.
Seeing their odd expressions, Zhou Yunshen asked, "Why do you look so shifty? Is something wrong?"
"Nothing. We were merely considering what time we should pay our respects to Mother tomorrow."
Composed and seasoned, Zhou Shiye immediately came up with an explanation.
It wasn't a lie, though. They were very curious about their new stepmother and couldn't wait to come pay their respects.
Zhou Yunshen glanced into the room. "Wait until she wakes naturally."
Zhou Shiye fell silent, Zhou Luming looked disgruntled, and Zhou Sesong was on the verge of tears.
Wake naturally? Was he serious? Ever since they were little, they had risen during the fifth watch to practice riding, archery, and calligraphy. They had never tasted the pleasure of waking naturally.
"One more thing."
Before returning to the room, Zhou Yunshen paused. "Burn all the illustrated storybooks and miscellanies in the house."
Zhou Luming started. "Burn them? Why?"
Had Father discovered she was secretly reading picture books?
Zhou Yunshen said, "They lead the young astray."
Zhou Luming thought, Boohoo, I'm done for. Father definitely found out!
Before you continue