By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Chapter 22 The Transformation of Relationships

After the two made up, Pei Rujing showed Wen Zongji the broken mahjong tile: "I accidentally broke it."

Wen Zongji looked at it and said, "It's alright, the gap is inside, you can't see anything from the outside."

If a mahjong tile has a defect, someone might try to memorize it. However, if the defect is very small and located on the inside, with the back intact, it will not affect the game.

Pei Rujing frowned: "But it's not perfect if it has a flaw."

Wen Zongji smiled and said, "There are no perfect things in this world; imperfections are the norm."

Pei Rujing looked up at him: "What you said makes some sense."

"You've read quite a few books, after all," Wen Zongji said, holding her hand. "Have you been sleeping well these past few days?"

Pei Rujing became arrogant again: "I slept very well without you."

Wen Zongji feigned pitifulness: "But I didn't sleep well, Your Highness, may I request to return to my room?"

Pei Rujing suppressed a laugh, coughed lightly, and generously said, "Granted!"

Wen Zongji cupped his hands in thanks: "Thank you for your magnanimity, County Princess."

Pei Rujing finally couldn't help but giggle.

After she finished laughing, Wen Zongji said, "I'm going to a banquet tomorrow. Would the county magistrate like to come along?"

Pei Rujing's eyes lit up instantly: "Okay, okay—"

Pei Rujing never knew how to feign refusal; if she wanted something, she would just agree directly.

Wen Zongji said, "The banquet is all men, so it's not appropriate for the county princess to join. Please go and browse the shops first, and I'll join you after I'm done."

Pei Rujing nodded emphatically: "Okay."

She had wanted to leave the manor for a long time, and given Pei Rujing's personality, it was already quite difficult for her to stay put for a month.

Pei Rujing then asked, "Is your banquet during the day or at night?"

"In broad daylight!"

It's not a formal banquet and is generally not held in the evening.

Pei Rujing tugged at Wen Zongji's sleeve: "After we finish shopping, I'm going to have dinner with my mother."

Her bright eyes blinked, full of anticipation.

Wen Zongji nodded: "Okay."

Pei Rujing laughed heartily: "Wen Zongji, you're a good person."

Wen Zongji: "..."

Getting friend-zoned by your own wife? That's something else!

……

With Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing reconciled, the somber atmosphere in Yunguang Courtyard dissipated. The servants, while not exactly relaxed, were at least no longer terrified.

Wen Zongji had dinner in the main room, and then went back to his study to continue reading.

Inner room

After Wen Zongji left, Pei Rujing instructed, "Go and make the bedding for the young master."

Hearing this, Granny Feng stopped Qinghe from leaving and whispered, "Princess, you and your husband have been married for over a month, it's time to consummate your marriage."

Pei Rujing's face instantly turned bright red, and she lowered her head somewhat awkwardly, which was unusual for her.

Granny Feng looked at her with a smile and said to Qinghe, "Go and put away the extra bedding."

Qinghe replied cheerfully, "Yes."

Pei Rujing pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but her heart couldn't help but race.

Before her marriage, the eldest princess had taught her some common sense. However, Pei Rujing was reluctant at the time and didn't listen carefully at all. Now that the time had come, her knowledge about consummating the marriage was very limited.

The only thing Pei Rujing was certain of was that consummating the marriage required the couple to share a bed.

There were only a few people in the inner room, all of whom were Pei Rujing's confidantes. When they learned that the county princess and her son-in-law were going to consummate their marriage tonight, even the few inexperienced maids blushed, but they all hoped that things would go smoothly.

Only after consummating the marriage could Pei Rujing become pregnant and give birth to a child.

Even though Pei Rujing was a county princess, she still had the responsibility to ensure that Wen Zongji had an heir.

If Pei Rujing is unable to conceive for a long time, all sorts of unpleasant rumors will circulate both inside and outside the mansion.

They were Pei Rujing's maids, so their interests naturally aligned with Pei Rujing's.

Since he was going out tomorrow, Wen Zongji did not stay in the study too late today. Seeing that it was getting late, he went to the bathhouse to wash up.

When he entered the inner room, he noticed that the maids were looking at him strangely, as if they were secretly expecting him.

Wen Zongji: "..."

Upon walking around the screen and seeing that there was only one quilt on the bed, Wen Zongji instantly understood.

Goodness, they're hoping they'll consummate their marriage!

Pei Rujing clearly agreed.

Looking at Pei Rujing, whose eyelashes were fluttering incessantly on the bed and who was clearly pretending to be asleep, Wen Zongji was caught in a dilemma.

Pei Rujing is only sixteen years old; even the most ruthless Wen Zongji couldn't bring himself to do it.

Although it was common for a sixteen-year-old to become a mother in this era, Wen Zongji couldn't get over that mental hurdle.

At the very least... at the very least, it will take another year!

He knew that it was unreasonable to not consummate the marriage for a long time, so he could postpone it as long as possible.

Wen Zongji steeled himself, lifted the covers, and lay down. He immediately caught a whiff of Pei Rujing's fragrance. He paused for a moment, then pretended to be calm as he lay down next to Pei Rujing.

Pei Rujing was probably nervous too, her body was very tense, and she kept pretending to be asleep.

This was exactly what Wen Zongji wanted. He pretended not to notice Pei Rujing's abnormality, closed his eyes, and calmed his breathing.

Pei Rujing, who had been waiting for a long time without seeing Wen Zongji make any move, couldn't help but secretly open her eyes and saw that Wen Zongji was asleep.

Pei Rujing was stunned: "..."

What should she do?

Wake up Wen Zongji?

No matter how bold Pei Rujing is, she would never take the initiative to seek pleasure.

Forget it, if it doesn't work out today, we'll try again tomorrow.

Pei Rujing was able to let go of her worries. Her tense body relaxed, and she leaned on Wen Zongji's shoulder, quickly falling asleep.

Instead, Wen Zongji, who was "sound asleep," reluctantly opened his eyes. The two were lying in the same quilt, and their bodies inevitably came into contact. He didn't want to touch Pei Rujing, ignoring her youthful and vigorous body.

Ugh!

It’s so painful!

……

The next morning, Granny Feng came in to wake her up.

Pei Rujing woke up first. She rubbed her eyes and blinked. Looking at Wen Zongji who was close by, she subconsciously sat up, and then remembered that they had slept under the same blanket last night.

Pei Rujing yawned and nudged Wen Zongji: "Wake up, we're leaving the manor today."

The excitement of leaving the mansion instantly overshadowed the embarrassment of not being able to consummate the marriage the day before.

Wen Zongji didn't even open his eyes: "It's still early for the banquet, I'll sleep a little longer."

God knows how tormented he was last night. If it weren't for Granny Feng and the others still guarding outside, he would have wanted to take a cold shower.

Pei Rujing was unhappy: "Can't we leave earlier?"

"I want to be with my second brother."

"That old tyrant?!"

Pei Rujing grew increasingly dissatisfied with Wen Zongjing.

Wen Zongji was amused by her, and when he opened his eyes, he saw Pei Rujing looking displeased.

He reached out and put his arm around Pei Rujing's shoulder, pulling her back down to lie down and holding her in his arms: "Be good, sleep with me a little longer."

Pei Rujing's face turned bright red, and she froze, not daring to move an inch.

I thought something was going to happen, but after waiting for a while, I found that Wen Zongji had fallen asleep again.

Pei Rujing pouted slightly, but didn't pull away. She found a comfortable position and fell asleep as well.

Having heard no commotion outside, Granny Feng and the others had no choice but to retreat again.

Granny Feng was somewhat confused, unsure whether Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing had consummated their marriage.

Logically speaking, if they had consummated their marriage, they should have called for hot water, but there was no sound at all last night.

Granny Feng could only wait until Pei Rujing woke up and ask her privately.