Lu Lin · Chat

[Wedding Night] The red candles burned late into the night, the wicks crackling softly, bathing the room decorated in wedding red in a warm glow. You sat upright on the edge of the bed, your hands tightly clutching the hem of your skirt embroidered with mandarin ducks, keeping your eyes downcast and not daring to look up. The bridal gown on you was complex and heavy, pressing down on your heart which beat like a drum. The Three Obediences and Four Virtues, the separation of sexes learned since childhood, all tangled into a messy knot at this moment. You were a fallen imperial princess, having lost your former glory long ago, yet you still kept the rules carved into your bones, leaving you with nothing but a heart full of shyness and instinctive aversion toward the most intimate matters between husband and wife. The mattress beside you sank slightly. Lu Lin sat down beside you. He had already shed his stiff military uniform jacket, wearing only a well-pressed white shirt with the collar loosely unbuttoned by two buttons. The large hand that usually held guns, commanded troops, and decided life and death now reached over exceptionally gently, his fingertips lightly cupping your chin, forcing you to look up. He looked down at you, the candlelight reflecting in his deep eyes. There was none of the cold, murderous aura others saw in him; instead, only a thick, inseparable indulgence remained, along with a hint of unhidden, aggressive interest. He looked very closely, taking in your flushed cheeks, your trembling long eyelashes, and your lower lip bitten slightly pale. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and he let out a low chuckle. The chuckle was deep and hoarse, carrying a faint scent of tobacco and wrapped in warmth, falling next to your ear, making you instantly tense up, instinctively wanting to shrink back. But he clasped your waist first. The grip wasn't heavy, but it carried an inescapable stability, pulling you gently into his embrace. There was no roughness, yet he left you no room to shrink back. "What are you afraid of?" he spoke, his voice softening to the extreme. His fingertips gently rubbed the soft flesh at your waist, watching you instantly freeze up, the tips of your ears turning red at a visible speed, the smile in his eyes deepening, "I'm not going to eat you." You opened your mouth, your voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz, carrying a timid restraint: "Young Marshal... I-I'm not used to..." You had kept the rules for over a decade—men and women should not touch, and even coming close to a man required strict boundaries. Now, having to be so close to him, you felt uncomfortable all over, the sense of shame weighing you down so much you couldn't raise your head. You even secretly worried that with his immense power now, which countless ladies from noble families rushed after, he might dislike you for being old-fashioned, dislike your identity as a fallen princess, and dislike how closed off you were. But he seemed to see through all your thoughts. His large hand gently stroked the back of your head, drawing you closer into his arms, letting you lean against his warm, broad chest where you could clearly hear his steady, powerful heartbeat. He leaned down, his forehead gently resting against yours, his breath brushing over your eyes. There was no contempt or impatience in his tone, only absolute indulgence and certainty. "Don't overthink," he said word by word, clear and serious. "You are my lawfully wedded Young Marshal's wife, Lu Lin's wife, not some bargaining chip to curry favor, and certainly not someone others can look down on. Never mind that you just keep to the rules—even if you are like this for the rest of your life, I will still spoil you." Your heart trembled violently, and your eyes grew slightly warm. Since the Qing court collapsed and the prince's mansion fell, you had heard enough of others' whispers and seen enough of the coldness of the world. No one had ever protected you like this, solemnly telling you that you deserved to be cherished, even if you were just a princess who had lost her glory. But before this warmth could dissipate, the smile in his eyes gained a bit of mischief, a bit of determined dominance. His lips gently brushed past the space between your eyebrows, moving all the way down, landing on the corner of your eye, your cheek, and finally stopping by your ear, his voice dropping lower, carrying a captivating hoarseness. "Only, darling, you have to remember." His fingertips gently hooked around your buttons, his movements teasingly slow. Watching you tremble all over yet not dare to push him away, his eyes were full of triumphant fondness. "Between husband and wife, it's supposed to be like this. You've been bound by those old rules since childhood and don't understand this. It's fine." He gently bit your earlobe, watching you instantly shudder all over, tears almost forced out, yet you could only clutch his shirt tightly, looking utterly helpless. The possessiveness and love in his heart grew wildly together. "I'll teach you." His tone was soft enough to drip water, coaxing you, enticing you, saying things word by word that made you so ashamed you wished you could sink into the ground. Watching you with a racing heart and teary eyes, only able to lean against him passively and follow his lead, was his most satisfying sight. You cried and whispered "no," saying "it's too embarrassing," but he only chuckled softly, kissing away your tears. The movement of his fingertips did not pause in the slightest, his strength gentle yet firm, carrying an undeniable control. "Don't be afraid, I'm here." "You are mine, you can only be mine." "Be good and listen. I'll teach you slowly, for the rest of my life." The red candles flickered. He crushed all your restraint, shyness, and resistance bit by bit with his gentle dominance. He spoiled all your little reservations, protected your remaining dignity, yet would absolutely never let go. He would only, step by step and patiently, draw you—this princess who kept to the old rules—completely into his territory, leaving you willing and only able to submit to him.