After breakfast, Maxim continued to take care of her attentively for the entire day. She told him to go do his own things, but he didn't listen.
Maxim only wanted to stay by Yaelle's side. He didn't want to go anywhere. Even if they didn't talk, he felt happy just being with her.
They spent two shameless days together like that. On the third day, it was time for Maxim to return to his family home.
Since they had to wake up early, Yaelle firmly rejected his request to do it again the night before. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to get up the next morning.
The return gifts had already been prepared. Two fat chickens symbolized good luck, especially the rooster with its colorful feathers to ward off evil.
Fruits like oranges, apples, and bananas represented fortune and wealth. In ancient tradition, gifts had to come in pairs, not singles. This symbolized the unity of the couple.
There were also wine, meat, noodles, eggs, cloth, jewelry, and other items. Everything was packed into a horse carriage. It gave Maxim a lot of face.
The two of them sat in another carriage. Maxim could have ridden a horse. But he wanted to spend more time with Yaelle, so he accompanied her in the carriage.
When the carriage approached the main gate of the Xiao residence, they saw the butler waiting at the entrance. As soon as he saw them, he came to welcome them. He immediately told someone to call Elder Xiao and his wife.
The couple came quickly. When they saw all the gifts being carried down and their son's happy smile, they knew Yaelle had not been mistreated.
This was a proper marriage. Once she married into the family, she immediately became the mistress of the house. There were no rules about greeting elders or establishing discipline.
Even if Yaelle's parents had still been alive, they would not have made things hard for their son-in-law. Both of them were kind people. That's why the marriage had been arranged in the first place.
Yaelle only had an older brother. He was already at the age to get married. Soon he would leave too.
No one would make trouble for the newlyweds. It was just the two of them living together. Their days were peaceful and comfortable.
Elder Xiao and his wife became happier the more they looked at her. They warmly welcomed the couple. Since it wasn't noon yet, the meal wasn't ready.
Elder Xiao's wife sat with Yaelle for tea and chatted with her. Meanwhile, Maxim was called into the study by Elder Xiao.
"Maxim, how have things been these past two days? Has Yaelle treated you well?" Elder Xiao asked with concern.
"Father, she treats me very well. She has a good temper. She hasn't taken in any maids." Maxim smiled as he spoke.
"And the book I gave you? Have you used it?" Elder Xiao lowered his voice and asked. He blamed himself for not arranging someone to teach Maxim earlier.
"Dad~" Maxim blushed completely at the question. He was too shy to speak.
"What can't you tell your father?" Elder Xiao looked at him, a little displeased.
"It's okay, just... just..." Maxim bit his lip. "I don't know if Yaelle is satisfied. That time I hurt her, and she didn't punish me."
"And the first time, I... I finished really fast..." Maxim's voice got softer. Elder Xiao frowned slightly.
"The first time is always like that. What about afterward? Did it improve?" he asked.
"It got better later. But Yaelle doesn't seem to like it much. She keeps rejecting me." Maxim looked wronged as he spoke.
"Yaelle is still young. You have to be moderate, understand? Also, you'll be returning to the academy in a few days."
"Have you considered giving her a servant? I think Servant Carter is a good choice." Elder Xiao continued calmly.
"He grew up with you. At least he'll be on your side. Don't give others a chance to slip in."
Maxim felt a sharp pain in his heart. He had been mentally prepared. But he didn't expect it to come this soon.
After thinking it through, she realized what Servant Carter said made sense. Maxim only had ten days off. The academy wouldn't go on break until the Laba Festival and they wouldn't see each other for over a month.
She really couldn't expect Maxim to stay celibate just for her. She decided to talk it over with him. Whether they should be more restrained or just go along with things naturally.
After their talk, Maxim was no longer in a good mood. He went to the kitchen to cook and called them for lunch, but his mind wasn't present. He just followed Elder Xiao to the dining room like a ghost.
The Xiao family was clearly quite pleased with Yaelle. They made a huge table of food to welcome them, but Yaelle didn't feel comfortable eating too much. Even though the dishes were all her favorites, she only tasted them lightly.
She didn't eat like she did at home. After all, this wasn't her house. She didn't want to leave a bad impression.
After finishing the rich lunch politely, the young couple took the Xiao family's return gift and rode back home in a swaying carriage. On the way, Yaelle felt a little tired and leaned against Maxim's shoulder, falling asleep. She didn't notice that he hadn't said a word the entire time.
It wasn't until they returned to their room that she realized he had been quiet ever since they left his family's home. It was like he had something on his mind. "Maxim, what's wrong?" Yaelle asked with concern.
"Nothing." Maxim didn't want to talk about it yet. Yaelle didn't suspect anything. She took off her shoes, lay on the bed, found a comfortable position, and quickly fell asleep.
She really couldn't be blamed. The newly married boy was full of energy. He kept going all day and night.
She hadn't slept well the past two nights. And that was even with her turning him down several times. If she had let him have his way, she would've found out those guys on the internet boasting about doing it seven times a night weren't lying.
After Yaelle fell asleep, Maxim gazed at her sleeping face in a daze. He gently tucked her loose hair behind her ear. Maxim sighed and lightly stroked her cheek, full of affection and reluctance.
He decided to wait until he was about to return to the academy before bringing up the topic of taking a concubine. Since they'd be apart for a while, he didn't want Yaelle to feel too lonely. Still, deep down he felt uneasy and bitter.
He didn't know how she'd take it. Would she think he didn't trust her? But if she agreed, what then?
With all these mixed feelings, Maxim slowly closed his eyes and enjoyed a moment of peace. After that day, Yaelle noticed Maxim became even more clingy. At night, he kept coaxing and pestering her.
He kept saying things like he was about to leave and asked his wife to take pity on him. This went on for a few nights. Since their return visit, Yaelle hadn't made it to breakfast once.
She used to get up late, but not this late. On October eighteenth, Yaelle got up around noon again, just in time for lunch. After eating, the couple took a walk by the lake to help with digestion.
Then they fed the fish at the pavilion in the center of the lake. Maxim finally spoke after thinking for a while, "Yaelle, I have to leave by tonight at the latest."
"Yeah, I know. It's just over a month. It'll pass fast."
"I can even visit you at the academy." Right now, Yaelle couldn't wait for him to leave. Every night he wore her out and she was fed up.