Chapter 81: Chapter 38: A Heavy Grace
The night was quiet, punctuated only by the occasional chirp of an unseen insect. The moon shyly hid behind the clouds while a flickering candle cast a warm, hazy glow, outlining two embracing silhouettes.
Third Sister lay on Fang Rui’s chest, her eyes heavy with sleep, a vision of languid beauty like a flower waking in the spring.
Fang Rui narrowed his eyes in contentment, gently stroking the beauty in his arms as he tried to make conversation. "Third Sister, don’t you worry about those bandits... Just be at ease. I’m here!"
"Mmm," Third Sister replied softly, her voice a languid, melodious murmur.
She was the essence of southern charm, a cup of Wu wine and a dance of hibiscus blossoms... Third Sister was truly like a woman who had walked out of the misty rains of Jiangnan—as intoxicating as wine, as graceful as the Dance of the Startled Swan.
"Actually, my mother stopped by earlier," Fang Rui said suddenly.
"What?" Third Sister sat bolt upright.
Fang Rui continued, "Third Sister, don’t be alarmed!"
In truth, he had sensed it when Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family came to the door...
Afterwards, he had devoted part of his attention to listening, and only continued once he’d heard that she had returned safely.
"Brother Rui, how can you just say that! I... I won’t be able to face anyone..." The blush on Third Sister’s face spread all the way down her long, fair, swan-like neck.
"It’s fine. A beautiful wife like you, Third Sister, has to meet her mother-in-law eventually..." Fang Rui said with a smile.
"Brother Rui!"
Third Sister’s tone turned serious. "Didn’t we agree? We wouldn’t talk about official status. You deserve someone better... And I... I have Nannan..."
"I’m not vying for anything, I don’t want it... I don’t..." she whispered, as if talking in her sleep.
"Oh, Third Sister!" Fang Rui tightened his hold on her.
’A beautiful woman’s affection is a heavy debt; how could I ever repay her?’
After some time, with their passions sated once more, Third Sister grew drowsy in Fang Rui’s warm embrace.
"Third Sister!"
Fang Rui called out to her softly. "Nannan is still at my house. She’s probably getting impatient by now... Here’s the plan: I’ll go start a fire and heat some water. You can rest here a bit longer, then get up and freshen up... I’ll keep Nannan occupied for a while, and bring her over in the time it takes an incense stick to burn..."
"Brother Rui, you’re so good to me!" The mention of Nannan sobered Third Sister up considerably. Moved by Fang Rui’s words, she tilted her head up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
"Alright, Third Sister, we have all the time in the world..." Fang Rui rolled over and got up with a soft POP, then turned back to pull the covers over Third Sister.
"Third Sister, you sleep well tonight... I’ll be keeping watch on this place... Nothing bad will happen... My house, and yours here... they’re both still too small. About those two courtyards you prepared—if there’s a larger one, let’s move there tomorrow. We can all live together..."
"Mmm!"
...
He started the fire, boiled the water, and left Third Sister’s house.
"Is it that late already? No wonder they say spring nights are all too short."
Fang Rui glanced at the sky and grumbled, tugging at his clothes to cover a mark on his neck. Feeling utterly refreshed, he headed home.
「At that moment.」
The moon peeked out from the clouds, bathing the world in a watery luminescence. With a bright moon and few stars, a gentle breeze stirred the night air, the chirping of insects a peaceful backdrop.
...
「Back at home.」
Nannan and Fang Ling, the two little girls, were still playing like mad, as if they had endless energy.
’They’re just five or six-year-old kids, after all. No matter how sensible they are, they’re still just children...’ Fang Rui’s gaze softened as he watched the two little girls.
"Brother Rui, come here!"
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family beckoned him over. She pulled Fang Rui into the inner room and asked, "What exactly is going on between you and Third Sister?"
"Ahem, Mother, it’s like this..."
Fang Rui hadn’t planned on hiding it, and he couldn’t anyway. He would have to protect Third Sister and Nannan in the future, and the crucial point was... Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family already knew.
When Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family heard that Third Sister was willing to be with Fang Rui without asking for any official status, willing to give him everything, her expression softened. At the same time, a touch of guilt appeared on her face. "Our family has let Third Sister down! Brother Rui, from now on, you must be good to her—better than good..."
"I know."
"You don’t know shit!"
The ever-gentle and kind Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family actually swore for the first time. She complained, "Brother Rui, look at this fine mess you’ve made! How am I supposed to get along with Third Sister now? This... this throws our seniority into chaos!"
’You’ll be calling me ’Mother-in-law’, while I’ve been treating you like a sister?’
Just thinking about it made her head spin. She pressed a hand to her forehead. "What a mess!"
Fang Rui rubbed his nose, not daring to speak.
’I’m the one who had all the fun, so... I guess I can take a little scolding. I deserve it. After all, this sudden ’slick move’ of mine must have been a huge shock for her.’
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family thought for a moment, then said, "Brother Rui, go call Third Sister over. We’ll all sleep here together. I’ll sleep with Third Sister and Nannan, and you’ll sleep with Ling’er..."
"Huh?"
"Or what? Did you expect me, Ling’er, and Nannan to sleep in one room just to accommodate you and Third Sister?" Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family shot him an exasperated glare.
"No, it’s just... our house is pretty small. Sleeping like this..."
’The main thing is: this is all happening too fast!’
Fang Rui was also surprised; he never expected his mother to be so magnanimous. One moment she was scolding him, and the next she had not only accepted the situation but was already inviting Third Sister and Nannan to move in...
Little did he know that while his mother’s displeasure was real, she was more concerned with how to manage the fallout and how to stabilize and protect his relationship with Third Sister.
In fact, deep in her heart, there was a sliver of pride that Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family hadn’t even noticed herself: ’My son is so charming! He even has a woman like Third Sister willing to be with him without any status...’
"Our home is small, but we can make it work if we squeeze together. That’s much better than taking a risk."
Mrs. Xue of the Fang Family explained her reasoning. "The world is in chaos right now. If we bring Third Sister here, it’ll be easier for us to look out for one another... Remember that thief who broke into our house the other day? What if another one comes, but goes to Third Sister’s place instead? How dangerous would that be..."
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