Chapter 525: Well-Taught in the Women’s Quarters, a Lady Worthy of Admiration

He had lost too much blood—he collapsed and fell asleep almost instantly.

If someone had told Zhu Ping’an before this that a man could get a nosebleed just from glimpsing a girl’s exposed body, he would have dismissed it with utter contempt.

What nonsense.

That was something straight out of anime, wasn’t it? Pure exaggeration for comedic effect. In real life, how could anyone possibly get a nosebleed over something like that?

A flushed face? A racing heartbeat? Even blushing so hard your face turned crimson—those were understandable. Or even certain… physiological reactions that men were known to have—those, too, could be explained.

But bleeding?

Heh. What a joke.

Maybe someone with high blood pressure or fragile capillaries might rupture a vessel under extreme stimulation and get a nosebleed—but a normal person? Absolutely not. Who would believe that? These days, just walking down the street, you could see girls in ultra-short skirts barely covering their hips, or stylish beauties flaunting curves and cleavage everywhere. And yet, had anyone ever seen a man suddenly clutch his nose and start bleeding in public?

No. Of course not.

And yet—of all things—

He had seen Li Shu in her open-crotch undergarments… and actually, pathetically, started bleeding from the nose.

And not just that—it wouldn’t even stop.

Zhu Ping’an felt the warm, sticky sensation spreading inside his nostrils. He stared blankly at the vivid red staining the cloth in his hand, then rubbed his nose helplessly, utterly speechless.

Li Shu’s job… had somehow become his responsibility.

“…I didn’t expect you to be this kind of person, Zhu Ping’an… getting a nosebleed over something like this. How indecent!”

Li Shu clamped her legs together tightly, her arms crossed over her chest to shield what little modesty she could salvage. Her lips puffed into a pout, her face arranged in an expression of clear disdain as she glared at the nosebleeding Zhu Ping’an.

Of course, that disdain was only on the surface.

Deep down, she was secretly delighted.

That stupid toad had seen her body and actually gotten a nosebleed—didn’t that prove she was attractive? That she had charm? Just one glance, and he had reacted like this… At this moment, Zhu Ping’an’s nosebleed was the highest form of praise she could receive.

But—

Why was it still bleeding?

Li Shu watched as he tried to wipe it away, only for fresh blood to keep flowing. Her heart skipped in alarm, and she immediately grew anxious.

A little bleeding meant she was charming.

But if it wouldn’t stop—what if something went wrong?

What if he bled too much?

With that thought, she no longer cared about anything else. Flustered, she scrambled about, opening drawers and rummaging through boxes in search of something to stop the bleeding. In wealthy families, when a daughter married, she would bring along not just dowry goods but also various medicines and emergency supplies—and Li Shu was no exception.

It didn’t take her long to find a piece of white silk cloth used for staunching blood, along with an emergency hemostatic pill.

Clutching them, she hurried back, hands trembling in her urgency as she tried to stop Zhu Ping’an’s bleeding.

In her haste, she paid no attention to her own state.

Especially since she had climbed onto the bed, kneeling and leaning forward over him as she worked. In that posture, and with the loose undergarments of the time—far from the secure fit of modern clothing—what should have been hidden was now partially exposed. The soft curves beneath shifted subtly with her movements, swaying just enough to leave Zhu Ping’an dizzy.

Open-crotch pants. Kneeling posture.

It was the kind of position that, in certain unspeakable “instructional materials,” seasoned viewers favored the most—because it revealed everything that was meant to remain hidden, placing it fully within a man’s line of sight.

Such a posture had never once disappointed male eyes since ancient times.

And this time was no exception.

Fragments of poetry inexplicably surfaced in Zhu Ping’an’s mind, tumbling over one another in chaotic succession—

“A riot of blossoms dazzles the eye…”

“Shallow grass just begins to cover the horse’s hooves…”

“The flower path has never been swept for guests…”

“The humble gate now opens for you…”

Words, imagery, and suggestion blurred together, flooding his thoughts.

Li Shu was so close that with every breath, he could catch the faint, delicate fragrance of her body. His own body began to react instinctively, beyond his control. His heartbeat quickened again, his blood rushing faster through his veins.

And that led to one inevitable result.

Li Shu, frantic to stop the bleeding, suddenly realized—

Not only had it not stopped…

It was flowing even more.

“This medicine always worked before! Why is it still bleeding?” she cried, growing more flustered, her movements increasingly chaotic.

And with every trembling motion she made—

Another surge of blood rushed from Zhu Ping’an’s nose.

“…Cough—cough… I’ll do it myself.”

Zhu Ping’an finally felt that if this continued, he might very well become the first groom in history to die from a nosebleed on his wedding night. Gritting his teeth, he averted his gaze and struggled to take matters into his own hands.

Li Shu, unaware of the true cause, naturally refused.

“How are you supposed to stop it yourself? You can’t even see properly!”

It wasn’t until she noticed the strange look in his eyes that realization slowly dawned on her.

And then—

She realized she was exposed again.

What followed was utter chaos.

Servants were called in, footsteps hurried, and soon both Hua’er and another attendant who had been keeping watch outside rushed into the room to help.

Wiping blood. Staunching the flow. Administering medicine. Fetching water. Cleaning up.

By the time everything was finally settled and the bleeding stopped, quite a while had passed.

As for what had happened that night, Li Shu issued strict orders to the maids: not a word was to be spoken of it outside.

What happened in the bridal chamber must remain secret.

If word got out that the groom had nearly bled himself dry on the first night… who knew what kind of gossip would spread?

The maids withdrew.

And then—

Well.

Losing blood was exhausting.

Zhu Ping’an collapsed back onto the bed and fell asleep almost immediately. All those earlier concerns—about being too young, about whether things were too soon—had been completely unnecessary.

Once asleep, what could possibly happen?

—

“Madam… the Young Lady and Young Master-in-law still haven’t gotten up…”

Early the next morning, Zhu Ping’an was awakened by a voice.

Opening his eyes, he saw his mother, Madam Chen, entering the room carrying two bowls of noodles. Behind her trailed two maids who had been stationed outside; they hadn’t dared to stop her and could only follow her in.

Li Shu, too, seemed to be roused by the commotion. She let out a soft murmur, opened her eyes, and upon seeing Madam Chen, called out softly, “Mother,” as she began to sit up.

“No need, no need,” Madam Chen said with a smile, placing the bowls down. “I’ll just leave these here. You can get up later and eat while it’s still warm.”

Her gaze fell upon the two lying side by side beneath the covers, sharing the same pillow—and her face lit up with unmistakable satisfaction.

This was an old rural custom.

On the morning after a wedding, the mother-in-law would rise early and bring a bowl of egg noodles to the newlyweds before they woke. Eggs symbolized fertility—laying eggs, bearing children—a wish for the couple to have offspring soon.

Of course…

There was another purpose.

To check the “results” of the previous night.

As Madam Chen set down the bowls, her eyes caught sight of the bloodstained white cloth resting at the bedside.

Her expression grew even more pleased as she looked at Li Shu—and when she turned to Zhu Ping’an, there was even a trace of approval in her gaze.

“Eat while it’s hot,” she said with a knowing smile, casting one last meaningful glance at them before turning and leaving.

She came quickly.

And left just as quickly.

Before Zhu Ping’an and Li Shu could even exchange a word, she was already gone.

—

“Virtuous within the chamber, worthy of praise as a lady.”

After returning home, Madam Chen had someone deliver a message bearing those words to the Li family in Shanghe Village—a formal announcement of good news, and a customary practice in the region.