Chapter 55: The True Faces Behind the Veil

After spending the past few days getting along harmoniously as siblings, Yin Zhi had begun to notice that Shen Ti had developed a certain gender awareness toward her after his first sexual experience. But to her, it wasn’t a big deal.

Considering their ages and appearances—both young and attractive—it would actually be stranger if he didn’t develop any such awareness. It was a sign he was a healthy young man with normal desires.

What concerned Yin Zhi more was whether his first time had gone poorly.

This was, after all, a feudal society. People didn’t exactly talk openly about such things. And Shen Ti, being a naturally proud youth, would probably feel too embarrassed to speak of any failure in that regard.

If such an experience left behind psychological scars and ended up affecting his future happiness, that would be a real tragedy.

As an elder sister—well, sort of—Yin Zhi couldn’t help worrying. She tossed and turned like a fish on a pan.

After all, she came from a different time and space, and was older. She couldn’t just ignore her younger “brother’s” distress. So eventually, she decided to speak up.

The moment she dropped her thunderbolt of a question, even the sharp and perceptive Shen Ti was rendered silent.

There was a long pause inside the canopy bed before Shen Ti slowly asked,
“Elder sister, what do you mean by that?”

He propped himself up on the bedding and sat up.

In the dimness, they faced each other.
Their eyes had adjusted to the dark, and outlines could be vaguely made out.

The boy turned his face slightly, the line of his cheekbones to jaw just visible.

Yin Zhi cleared her throat and said, “I asked the maids about your situation. They said because of Feng-shi and the imperial exams, your aunt and uncle never arranged a bedmate for you.”

“And since Ji Yun—your character is noble and pure, I trust you. I don’t think you’d ever go to a brothel or any unsavory place.”

“So I guessed… that until yesterday, you were probably still a virgin. Am I right?”

“Noble and pure.”
“I trust you.”

Those compliments were flattering, and they eased Shen Ti’s mood slightly.

He asked, “And then?”

His tone was still as composed as ever, but Yin Zhi could sense the guardedness underneath.

Understandably so—this was a sensitive subject for a man, deeply tied to pride.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” Yin Zhi said seriously. “The first time for a virgin male often doesn’t go smoothly. Premature release is common. But that’s perfectly normal. Try a few more times, or maybe relieve yourself beforehand to reduce sensitivity. That should help. There’s no need to overthink it.”

Shen Ti was silent for a long time before he asked,
“Why should I overthink it?”

This time, it was Yin Zhi’s turn to fall silent.

But they were already this deep in the conversation…

She shifted her gaze and said, “You consummated with Feng-shi just yesterday, but today you’re already ignoring her. I thought maybe it didn’t go well last night, and now you’re avoiding her…”

“You thought wrong,” Shen Ti said.

He bent one leg upright, the other folded underneath, his arm draped over his knee. In the shadows, Yin Zhi could barely make out his silhouette.

A silhouette that didn’t reveal age—only that it belonged to a man.

“I misunderstood?” Yin Zhi scratched her cheek. “Then why didn’t you go to Feng-shi today? Shouldn’t you two be stuck together like glue at this stage?”

Shen Ti seemed to tilt his head upward at her words. Had she misspoken again?

Staring blankly at the canopy above, Shen Ti said nothing. It was pitch black. Nothing to see.

His cousin really had an overactive imagination.

“Then what’s the reason?” she pressed.

Shen Ti lowered his gaze and looked at her.

There was a dim lamp in the room—faint, but still some light. Since she was facing outward, he could see her face more clearly than she could see his. Her features were visible.

And as she talked about such a topic, she showed no shyness or bashfulness—only a hint of seriousness, the manner of an older sister instructing a younger brother.

Shen Ti was even more speechless.

But this was something he had wanted to discuss with her anyway. He’d meant to say it while she was drying his hair, but she’d interrupted him then.

“A favored concubine may be loved, but a wife without authority cannot stand,” he said.

“…What does that mean?” Yin Zhi asked cautiously.

“Ultimately, you are my official wife,” Shen Ti said. “We are newly married. If I indulge too much in the concubine’s bed so soon, the household staff and our relatives will inevitably gossip—either flattering her or belittling you. As mistress of the inner chambers, you must have authority. Without that, you won’t be able to stand your ground.”

Yin Zhi hadn’t planned on becoming any kind of household matriarch. She just wanted to live like a happy little rice worm—keep Lady Shen and Shen Ti happy, and enjoy a peaceful life.

So her thinking had totally diverged from his. While he was strategizing about household hierarchy and social perception, she’d been stuck in explicit daydreams.

Not entirely her fault—every morning she woke up to see a young man’s flagpole salute, dragon spirit and tiger strength, robes falling open to reveal a muscular chest. How could her thoughts not go there?

Who would’ve thought that while celebrating his new concubine and having his first taste of love, Shen Ti’s mind was busy contemplating family dynamics and wife-concubine balance.

Now it was her turn to be stunned into silence.

Just as she was about to speak, Shen Ti interrupted,
“And also, Luo-niang offended you. That was her mistake. On her behalf, I apologize. I didn’t visit her today because she was wrong and should be punished.”

Yin Zhi fell even more silent.

She knew what he meant—when Feng Luoyi had presumptuously called her “elder sister.”

At the time, he had turned to glance sharply at her. She hadn’t turned back, but she’d noticed out of the corner of her eye.

“But you won’t correct her, will you?” Yin Zhi said bluntly. “You’re punishing her by staying away, but I bet you won’t even tell her why.”

“…Yes,” Shen Ti replied softly.

He knew Yin Zhi was sharp. Of course she’d understand. The reason she hadn’t shown a hint of displeasure was because she’d seen through it all.

“Luo-niang was already well-known for her talents among the noble ladies of the capital. She was highly sought after. My mother acted quickly to secure her as my betrothed.”

“But fate changed. She’s now of fallen status, and can only be my concubine. Calling you ‘elder sister’ must have been her way of clinging to her former identity—as a noble daughter of an official family.”

“You couldn’t bear to shatter her illusion,” Yin Zhi said with a chuckle. “So you bought me gold bracelets to keep me happy and make sure I don’t mind. Isn’t that right?”

Shen Ti let out a breath. “I knew you’d understand. Thank you for your generosity, sister.”

“It’s just a small matter,” Yin Zhi replied. “As long as you keep buying me gold bracelets, I’ll remain endlessly generous.”

Everyone got what they wanted—Feng Luoyi had her emotional consolation, and she gained a stash of personal wealth.

A win-win.

No—Shen Ti may have spent some money, but he got the harmony and peace he wanted in his household.

So, a win-win-win.

But Shen Ti didn’t laugh.

He remained serious and said, “Since you’ve married me, regardless of whether we consummate or not, we are husband and wife. What’s mine is yours. I’ll provide separately for Luo-niang. Neither of you will be slighted. You don’t need to worry about money matters.”

Yin Zhi nodded. “Alright.”

As far as she was concerned, that conversation was finished. She even wanted to lie back down.

But Shen Ti wasn’t done. He had one more thing to ask.

“Sister, you misunderstood. You don’t need to concern yourself with my bedchamber matters,” he said slowly. “But I am curious—how does a boudoir lady like yourself, never stepping beyond the gates or seeing any men, know so much?”

Yin Zhi lifted her eyelids.

The room’s dim light filtered through the canopy.

But he was turned away from the light, and she couldn’t see his face—only his silhouette, outlined in the dark.

His arm resting on his raised knee.

There was a pressure in the air—not just from the young man before her, but from the entire society, from the weight of the era itself.

But Yin Zhi had broached this topic with full awareness. She was ready.

“I’ve read the Ode to the Supreme Joy of Union Between Heaven and Earth. Haven’t you?” she countered with a smile. “I’ve also read the Huangdi Neijing. You’ve surely read that one. You know what’s written in there—I don’t need to spell it out.”

She heard Shen Ti gasp in the dark.

With barely restrained frustration, he asked, “How could you read that kind of material? Who gave it to you?”

Yin Zhi laughed, “That reaction proves you’ve read it too. If you can, why can’t I? That kind of thing takes two—it’s not something only men should understand while women remain clueless.”

“I’ve read quite a few books, actually,” she said. “But very scattered, nothing serious or scholarly. That’s why I always say I’m not well-learned. Ask me to write poetry and I’ll fail—I can maybe complete a line or play a word game, but that’s it.”

In this world, ‘scholarship’ meant the Four Books and Five Classics, or poetry, calligraphy, and painting. Judging by that standard, Yin Zhi only knew the surface—she truly wasn’t “learned.”

“But that doesn’t mean I understand nothing.”

“Quite the opposite—I know a lot. Even things you think I shouldn’t. So you’d best get used to it.”

She faced the light. It was faint, but still shone into her eyes.

In the dark, Shen Ti saw the shimmer in her gaze—it was startling, even piercing.

This woman, Yin Zhi, had built a persona of honest, gentle filial piety in her maiden home. In just a few days at the Shen household, she had established a new image of elegance, grace, and respectful decorum.

Shen Ti had known all this. He had inquired discreetly in Huaixi, and kept watch after their wedding.

But in truth, only he knew how sharp she truly was.

A year ago at Donglin Temple, she had seen right through him—exposed his hypocrisy and immaturity without mercy. The shock to his soul, the sting to his pride—he still hadn’t forgotten.

Yin Zhi was absolutely not the woman she presented on the surface.

That smiling mouth… there was nothing warm or gentle about it. It was cold and radiant.

Completely different from her daytime mask.

Perhaps, Shen Ti thought, this was her real self.

And then he asked the one question that had been weighing on him most:

“Tell me, cousin,” Shen Ti lifted his eyes and asked in a low voice,
“Are you still a virgin?”