Shen Jue froze the instant the girl collapsed against him.
Her weight barely pressed into his chest, light enough to make his heart jolt instead of settle. Instinct moved faster than thought.
His arms wrapped around her narrow shoulders, steadying her before she could slide to the cold wooden floor.
She was… too light just as light as his books.
The realization struck him with unreasonable force.
Even wrapped in thick bridal robes, her body felt fragile, like something hollowed out by wind and hunger.
When he adjusted his grip, his fingers almost met around her arm.
Nan Si's forehead brushed his chest. Her breathing was uneven, broken, carrying faint heat that seeped through the fabric of his robe.
Shen Jue's pupils shrank.
For a split second, his heartbeat skipped.
He didn't understand why.
This was supposed to be nothing more than a farce arranged by malicious court and a greedy family — a humiliation pinned to his name. He should have pushed her away.
He should have let her fall. He should not have cared whether she lived or died.
And yet—
His arms tightened instead.
"…Tch."
He lowered her slowly, carrying her toward the bed. The candlelight swayed with each step, shadows rippling across the red silk curtains.
When he placed her down, the mattress barely dipped, as if receiving only air.
Shen Jue looked down.
Her lashes trembled, long and dark against skin so pale it almost glowed in the firelight.
A faint bluish tint lingered on her lips.
Each breath she drew sounded thin, shallow, as though her lungs were fighting something invisible.
His gaze sharpened.
"…Poison."
Not the kind meant to kill instantly.
The type designed to weaken, numb, silence — to make someone obedient before slowly stealing their air.
His jaw clenched.
The Nan family truly knew no bottom line.
Selling their daughter was already disgusting. Sending her here half-dead was outright malicious.
For a moment, Shen Jue simply stood there, staring at her face.
The veil had already slipped aside earlier, revealing a beauty that didn't belong in this dusty village cottage. Delicate, ethereal, like porcelain left in rain but malnourished as her cheeks slightly sunken.
Even unconscious, she looked wrong in this place — too clean, too soft, too easily broken.
When he first saw her lift the veil, his mind had gone blank for half a heartbeat.
That had never happened before.
He hated that.
Shen Jue straightened, intending to leave. Staying near her felt like inviting trouble into his own chest.
Just as he turned—
A thin hand slid weakly across the quilt and caught the edge of his sleeve.
His steps stopped.
Nan Si's eyes fluttered open, unfocused and watery, like a frightened animal waking in a stranger's arms. Her pupils struggled to gather light.
"Hus… band…?" she murmured.
The word came out soft, slurred, unfamiliar on her tongue.
She stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly smiled.
It wasn't seductive.
It wasn't shy.
It was clumsy and innocent, crooked at the corners, as though she had practiced smiling by watching others and never quite learned why people did it.
"Pretty… husband…"
Something in Shen Jue's chest twitched.
His brows furrowed.
The irritation rose first — automatic defense.
"Let go."
Her fingers trembled but didn't release him. Instead, they tightened weakly, as if afraid he might disappear if she loosened her grip.
"Cold…" she whispered, curling slightly closer. "Don't go…"
The words were simple.
But they landed wrong.
The room fell into a strange stillness.
Wind brushed against the paper windows. Candle flames leaned. The incense smoke coiled lazily in the air.
Shen Jue looked down at her.
Her wrists were thin enough that two of his fingers could circle them easily. Beneath her sleeves, faint bruises peeked out — old, careless marks left by people who treated her like property rather than flesh.
His jaw tightened.
He didn't like weakness.
He hated humiliation.
But something about this foolish bride made his instincts rebel against logic.
"…Annoying."
He sat at the edge of the bed and carefully pried her fingers from his sleeve, placing her hands back onto the quilt. His movements were slow despite himself.
Nan Si whimpered softly, lashes trembling.
Inside her mind, calm calculation flowed.
Good. He didn't throw me away.
Baby's tiny voice whispered in her consciousness.
[ Host, poison level stabilizing, but the body is still weak. Don't provoke him. ]
Nan Si answered silently as she rolled her eyes.
[Relax. I'm baiting, not fighting. Didn't you watch the popular drama in last world.]
She shifted slightly, pretending effort.
"Head… hurts…" she murmured, blinking at him as if trying to understand the world. "Why… pretty husband angry?"
Shen Jue stared at her.
If she were acting, her performance was flawless. Her pupils were unfocused, reactions slow, breathing unstable — exactly what poison would cause. There was no trace of calculation in her gaze.
Only confusion.
"…You should be angry," he said quietly. "You were sold here like livestock."
Nan Si tilted her head, clearly not understanding.
"Sold…?"
She thought for a long moment, then smiled again.
"Oh… Mother said… I come be wife. Wife stays with husband."
She reached out halfway, stopping timidly.
"Then… stay."
The word lodged unexpectedly in Shen Jue's chest.
He looked away.
"Sleep. Don't die in my house. It's unlucky."
Nan Si nodded obediently.
"Mm… won't die."
Her eyes closed slowly, lashes trembling like fragile wings.
Shen Jue remained seated longer than necessary.
The candle burned lower.
When he finally stood, something tugged in his chest — unfamiliar, unwanted.
Before he could take a step—
The door creaked.
Footsteps followed.
"Brother Shen! Open the door!"
His expression darkened.
The wooden door was pushed open without permission.
An old matchmaker entered, smiling awkwardly.
Behind her came two figures, Nan Si recognized instantly through memory.
Her uncle.
Her aunt.
Their gazes didn't land on Nan Si first.
They swept the room. The bed. The decorations. Shen Jue himself.
The matchmaker laughed nervously. "Scholar Shen, we just came to see if the bride settled well."
The uncle rubbed his hands. "We sent her properly. Clothes, food, everything."
Nan Si's lashes fluttered.
Inside, her lips curved faintly.
Here come the wolves.
Shen Jue's gaze cooled to winter ice.
"Properly?" he repeated.
The aunt stepped closer, eyes measuring Nan Si like merchandise. "She's foolish, but obedient. You won't regret buying her."
The word buying echoed in the room.
Before Shen Jue could speak—
Nan Si stirred.
She pushed herself up weakly, movements clumsy.
"Husband…"
Everyone froze.
Nan Si blinked at the Nan family as if recognizing them after long thought.
"Uncle… Aunt…"
Her face brightened with naive joy.
"You came see me?"
The aunt hesitated.
Nan Si smiled wider.
"Why… why you give me bitter candy before coming?"
Silence slammed down.
The uncle stiffened. "What bitter candy?"
Nan Si frowned, confused.
"The one make chest tight… mouth sleepy… Mother said eat so I won't cry…"
She touched her lips softly.
"But I almost couldn't breathe."
Shen Jue's gaze snapped to the Nan couple as he listened to Nan Si mumblings.
Cold.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
"…Poison," he said quietly as the room temperature dropped.
The matchmaker's face went pale.
The uncle stammered, "N-No! She's foolish, she talks nonsense—"
Nan Si suddenly swayed and coughed, body trembling as if the poison surged again.
Shen Jue moved faster than thought.
He caught her.
Her forehead bumped lightly against his chest.
She whispered, perfectly timed:
"Husband… it hurts…"
The air froze.
Shen Jue's arm wrapped around her instinctively, possessively.
For the first time, he didn't see the Nan family as relatives — only threats.
"Get out," he said,his voice low and cold.
The uncle forced a laugh. "Scholar Shen, you misunderstand—"
"I said," Shen Jue repeated, eyes dark as inked frost, "get out of my house."
The matchmaker hurriedly dragged the Nan couple backward.
The door slammed.
Silence returned.
Nan Si leaned weakly against him, breathing soft, trembling.
Shen Jue looked down at her.
She was still playing foolish.
Yet something about her timing felt… sharp.
"…You're not completely stupid, are you?" he murmured.
Nan Si blinked innocently.
"Stupid… bad?"
He didn't answer.
He carried her back to the bed and tucked the quilt around her.
This time, his movements were careful.
Outside, wind whispered against the windows.
Inside, Shen Jue stood beside the bed, staring at her sleeping face longer than logic allowed.
The moment her veil had lifted, something irrational had already gone wrong in his heart.
And now, he knew—
He had already fallen.
He just refused to admit it.
[System Notification]
[ Affection Value: -12
Blackening Value: 77 ]