The moment the bed curtains were lifted, Lin Ting was stunned, but she quickly regained her senses.
Perhaps it was because she had climbed onto the bed too hastily that the belly band she had placed under her skirt had slipped off, landing outside the bed.
The lowered curtains had obscured her view, preventing her from noticing it immediately.
However, Duan Ling, who was outside the bed, could see it clearly.
Lin Ting’s scalp tingled with unease.
When her skirt had been dampened by the pot of tea, he had been present and knew it had soaked through to the very inside.
Since the tea had drenched the belly band as well, it couldn’t be worn again; a new one would have to be put on.
So when Duan Ling spotted the clean belly band lying outside the bed, he picked it up without a second thought, knowing it was the new one she had brought to change into.
They were already married, so there was no need to call a maid to bring in clothes; doing so would have been redundant.
It was only natural for him to lift the curtains and hand her the belly band…
Thinking this through, Lin Ting raised her eyes to look at the hand holding the belly band.
Duan Ling’s hand was as white as jade, while the bellyband was a striking red.
The stark contrast between the white and red colors made it impossible for her to look away once she set her eyes on it.
The few thin red ribbons of the bellyband dangled from Duan Ling’s fingers, and his fingertips were pressing down on the red peony embroidery on the bellyband, which, by sheer coincidence, was the spot that usually lay close to her chest.
Lin Ting’s eyelids twitched.
The crucial point was that the bellyband should have been the first thing she put on, yet she hadn’t noticed the new one was missing, indicating she hadn’t changed into new clothes after getting into bed.
It would be understandable if she had changed slowly, and he wouldn’t have probed further.
But lying naked on the bed without making any further moves—what could that mean?
Did she suddenly feel like sleeping, perhaps having a habit of sleeping naked, which was why she hadn’t put on clothes right away and then slept?
No, that couldn’t be it.
If she started sleeping naked every night, wouldn’t that be counterproductive?
Lin Ting tugged at the bedding that covered her bare body.
It was far from a quarter of an hour yet.
Duan Ling glanced at the wet clothes she had thrown at the foot of the bed, his gaze flickering over the bellyband on top.
The color of the wet bellyband was darker than that of the dry one.
His hand, holding the bellyband, moved imperceptibly, his fingers caressing the red peony before he looked at Lin Ting, who was covered by the bedding.
It was quite evident that she wasn’t wearing any clothes at the moment; she was naked.
Lin Ting came to her senses and said:
“So the bellyband fell outside. No wonder I couldn’t find it.”
Duan Ling’s hand, which had lifted the curtains, hadn’t yet lowered:
“If you couldn’t find it, why didn’t you let me help you look, or go to the wardrobe to find a new one?”
She gave an awkward smile and replied:
“I thought it had fallen into the bedding and wanted to look for it myself… It’s also a bit embarrassing to ask you to find the bellyband for me.”
He glanced at the bedding that concealed Lin Ting’s body, and his hand, which had touched the red peony on the bellyband, unconsciously tightened its grip:
“You thought it had fallen into the bedding and then burrowed in to look for it?”
Lin Ting felt Duan Ling’s gaze upon her, as if he could see right through the bedding to the skin beneath.
She stiffened slightly, feeling a sense of resignation:
“Well, can’t I?”
Duan Ling offered a faint smile, not pressing the matter further, and extended the bellyband towards her:
“You can.”
Lin Ting had initially intended to let Duan Ling place the bellyband on the bed, but since he had already brought it to her, she couldn’t very well say that now.
She had no choice but to reach out with her hand, which was hidden beneath the bedding, and take it: “Thanks.”
The quilt was also red, and a flash of white quickly emerged from within before disappearing again.
As soon as Duan Ling’s palm was empty, the red bellyband was taken away.
After receiving the bellyband, Lin Ting glanced at Duan Ling out of the corner of her eye.
He was still standing there, not having left yet.
“Are you going to watch me change?”
“I’m heading to the study to take care of some matters. You can take your time changing,” he replied, his voice betraying no urgency despite his swift departure from the bedside.
He lowered the curtains and left, his steps hurried but controlled, a testament to his martial training that concealed any hint of haste from her.
Lin Ting almost threw off the covers and chased after him, but she remembered she was still naked and stopped herself.
Instead, she called out to him, “Wait for me to change, and then I’ll accompany you to the study, okay?”
It hadn’t been long enough; he needed to stay for at least a quarter of an hour.
Suppressing the rising desire once more, Duan Ling responded, “You want to accompany me to the study?”
“Yes,” she affirmed.
He continued towards the door, pulling it open.
“You can find me there once you’re done changing.”
Lin Ting clutched the bellyband tightly, torn between quickly dressing and chasing after him or remaining naked in bed.
But if he left, neither option would succeed:
“Are you really in such a rush to go to the study? Can’t you wait just a little longer? I’ll be quick.”
It would only take another half a quarter of an hour.
Duan Ling didn’t waver: “I’ll wait for you in the study.”
And with that, he was gone, leaving her without even a chance to argue.
Alone in the room, Lin Ting sighed deeply.
She had been so close to success, yet it had slipped through her fingers once again.
But she consoled herself with the thought that failure was the mother of success; next time, she would surely succeed.
She sat in the room for a while, not immediately going to find Duan Ling.
If he hadn’t been willing to wait for her, it must have been something urgent.
Why bother interrupting him?
She would wait until he was done.
However, being alone was incredibly boring.
Lin Ting called for Tao Zhu to play chess, and they played for a good three quarters of an hour, which helped her temporarily forget her troubles.
After a while, Tao Zhu seemed hesitant to speak, but Lin Ting, perceptive as ever, noticed her indecision.
“Just say it. There’s no need to be so hesitant. Are you afraid I’ll blame you?”
“Miss Lin, did you and Master Duan… have an argument?” Tao Zhu asked.
Lin Ting picked up a black chess piece from the box with her left hand and placed it on the board, while her right hand picked up a piece of mung bean cake from a small plate and popped it into her mouth.
“What makes you think we argued? We didn’t.”
Tao Zhu held a white chess piece and replied:
“If you didn’t argue, then why aren’t you together? Today is your first day after getting married, and you should be inseparable the entire day.”
But here they were, with her in the room and Duan Ling in the study.
Lin Ting’s lips twitched in a wry smile.
“Who says we have to be inseparable the whole day after getting married? Wouldn’t that be suffocating?”
Marriage was just a formality; it didn’t mean they had to be physically attached like conjoined twins.
She pushed aside the black and white chess pieces on the board and stood up and said:
“I’m done playing. I’m going to find him.”
It was about time Duan Ling had finished his business.
Lin Ting had been to Duan Ling’s study before and knew the way, so she didn’t need any maids to guide her.
But as she arrived at the study, Duan Ling was just coming out.
Perhaps it was the heat of the day, but his face was a bit flushed.
The first thing he said upon seeing her was, “Did it take you three quarters of an hour to change your clothes?”
She explained, “I saw how anxious you were and didn’t want to disturb you while you were busy, so I waited in the room until now. Are you done with your business?”
“Finished,” he confirmed.
Lin Ting pointed towards the study.
“Can I go inside and pick out a few books to read?”
Reading was a good way to pass the time.
Duan Ling closed the door, descended the steps, and glanced at Lin Ting.
A few strands of hair had fallen onto her cheek, and he instinctively wanted to tuck them behind her ear.
His hand hovered mid-air, then he remembered what he had just been holding and the dirt it might have picked up.
He hesitated for a moment but ultimately brushed the hair away, his fingers grazing her skin.
Lin Ting didn’t flinch; she was used to it.
The scent of his freshly washed hands, which smelled faintly of soap, made her want to turn her head and look at him, but his next words distracted her:
“Wait until we return to the mansion tonight to pick out books.”
Lin Ting focused on the key phrase:
“Return to the mansion tonight to pick out books? Are you taking me out of the mansion?”
“Would you not like to?” he asked.
Lin Ting was more than eager.
Staying cooped up in the mansion, staring at each other, was far less appealing than going out for a stroll.
“I’d love to! When and where are we going?”
Duan Ling replied, “Now. Where would you like to go?”
At the mention of going out, Lin Ting’s spirits lifted.
“I’ve heard that a new tavern has opened in the capital city, called Linglong Pavilion. They have performances from morning till night. Shall we go take a look?”
Linglong Pavilion turned out to be located right across from Nanshan Pavilion, with the two establishments facing each other across the street, seemingly in competition for customers.
However, Linglong Pavilion indeed had the capital to compete with Nanshan Pavilion.
It was not only a full ten feet taller than Nanshan Pavilion but also more opulently decorated.
The plaque above its entrance gleamed with a golden luster, as if real gold had been melted down and used as ink to inscribe the characters.
The golden characters shone brightly under the sunlight.
While other taverns preferred to hang red lanterns in front of their doors, Linglong Pavilion chose a different approach.
Its lanterns were multicolored, and each lantern had a ribbon tied to its end, on which guests had written their blessings.
At first glance, it seemed less like a tavern and more like a place for prayers and blessings.
The exterior of the pavilion was adorned with colorful silk, and on the eaves stood several Huji dancers.
They danced in the wind, their feet stepping on the glazed tiles, their hands pulling on thin ropes that moved the colorful silk, creating a series of beautiful patterns.