Chapter 4

He had insulted me behind my back, hadn't he?

I looked up at him and said at leisure, “You're cold-tempered and spend your days with corpses, Second Young Master. Never mind the bad luck—even being in bed with you is painful. How desperate would I have to be to insist on becoming your bedchamber attendant?”

Xie Hui covered my mouth, his face red with embarrassment.

“Are you even a maiden?”

I knocked his hand aside.

“Surely you know whether I am or not.”

He stood speechless for a long time.

He had probably never met such a shameless maid.

Looking away, he eventually forced out, “You… you're utterly insolent…”

Just then, a maid knocked. Hot water was carried in, and steam filled the room.

Xie Hui seized the escape as though it were a lifeline.

“I'll bathe first.”

“Mm.”

I went to sit outside the screen, listening to the water and nursing my grievance.

Being a bedchamber attendant was bad enough. Being one to a man who had insulted me—could anything be more galling?

07

That night, we slept far apart, one on either side of the bed.

A quilt each. Separate territories.

Xie Hui tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

At last, he asked in a strained voice, “Was being with me… really that painful?”

I was about to fall asleep. At that, my temper flared.

I rolled over.

“No feeling, no skill. No wonder you haven't married. You're hopelessly inexperienced.”

Annoyed, he propped himself up and turned me back toward him.

“I don't believe it.”

I sneered.

“I'd rather not believe it either. Unfortunately, that's exactly how you are.”

Through gritted teeth, Xie Hui said, “We'll try again.”

I punched him in the eye.

“You're not the one it hurts!”

Clutching one eye, he shouted, “A-Li! How dare you!”

He yanked away my quilt. I snatched it back.

He pulled. I pulled.

Back and forth we went. I no longer knew who moved first, but we ended up in a tangled heap.

An incense stick later, I said without expression, “I told you your technique was poor. You wouldn't admit it.”

Xie Hui was annoyed!

Xie Hui was furious!

He flung off the quilt, got out of bed, threw on his robe, and strode to the study.

I lay staring at the bed canopy and thought all night.

At first, I felt vindicated. I would infuriate him again tomorrow.

But as I tossed and turned toward dawn, my thoughts took a different direction.

I had originally set my sights on Xie Yuan. I wanted to become his wife, make Xie Hui call me sister-in-law every day, and use an elder sister-in-law's authority to torment him.

Now fate had turned me into Xie Hui's bedchamber attendant. There was no point thinking about Xie Yuan anymore.

In that case, why not change tactics?

Have his child.

Then run.

What was the phrase?

The storybooks had it right: keep the child, ditch the father!

There was not another man in the capital handsomer than him.

If I had a plump, fair baby with his features, wouldn't my parents treasure it?

Then they would stop nagging me to marry.

I already had banknotes. I could keep a few handsome men in my courtyard and replace them whenever I lost interest. What freedom!

Father had money. My sister had money too.

Once I had worked that out, my gloom vanished. Even my dreams featured me holding a plump baby and counting silver.

08

These days, Xie Hui came home punctually every evening. He no longer lingered at the office at all.

Old Madam noticed and was delighted. She summoned me, rewarded me with a heap of loose silver, and patted my hand with a broad smile, telling me to keep up the good work.

I was trying. But affairs behind the bed curtains were still miserable.

Gritting my teeth, I spent a small fortune tracking down several erotic picture books in an alley behind a bookshop.

While Xie Hui was working at his desk, I quietly went over and set them beside his hand.

“What's this?”

He did not look up.

Then he casually opened one. His eyes nearly fell out, his hand shook, and the book dropped to the floor.

“A-Li! Where did you get this?”

“Five taels,” I said mournfully. “They'll help you study. You owe me the money.”

Flustered, he could barely get his tongue to work.

“You… you… how dare you…!”

I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

“Study hard. I'll be testing what you've learned tonight.”

Then I turned and walked out.

Behind me, Xie Hui roared, “This overturns every proper order! An outrage against decency!”

That night, I sat on the couch and watched him fidget, preparing to slip away to his study again.

“Stop!”

His legs gave a little shake. His voice was barely audible.

“I… I haven't finished studying.”

Then he bolted.

The door curtain swayed twice. He was gone.

I was furious.

09

For days he avoided me, going the long way around whenever he saw me.

Once, when I blocked him in his room, he turned and escaped through the rear window.

The dignified Deputy Minister of the Court of Judicial Review could get through a window faster than a burglar.

How was I supposed to have a baby at this rate?