She truly never expected that such crucial information would be intercepted by her.
In the original plot, the Heir most likely saw this newly submitted household registration register.
Inside was the registration data of a newcomer suspected of being the female protagonist, which led him to suspect that the female protagonist might not have died in that fire at Rose Garden. Following various clues, he eventually verified that she was hiding in the male supporting character's hometown.
Consequently, burning with monstrous rage, the Heir had galloped at breakneck speed to Tongzhou, only to catch the female protagonist just as she was about to be married off.
Wu Weiwei stealthily glanced at the Heir, who was busy with his official duties. Seeing that he had not noticed anything amiss about her, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Now that she had become the Heir's woman, logically speaking, even if the female protagonist returned, she might not necessarily have to fear her.
Why wait for things to become complicated before resolving an issue that could be solved simply?
After all, the female protagonist was the Heir's white moonlight. Judging solely by how deeply he loved her—to the extent of wanting to hold her casket during their wedding—one could tell that she held considerable weight in the Heir's heart.
The female protagonist was the white moonlight, while she was the first woman to break his virginity. She wondered whether He Yuyan or herself weighed more in his heart.
Yet one thing was clear: in the Great Wei Dynasty, the status of a concubine was barely above that of a maid—nothing more than a lower-class person.
To put it bluntly, she was a commodity. If the master was displeased, she could be sold off or given away.
As things stood, she had not seen any sign of the Heir losing his heart to her, so she could not afford to gamble on her standing in his heart.
Without absolute certainty, she was not foolish enough to gracefully welcome the female protagonist's return.
Therefore, the only thing she could do now was to find a way to prevent the female protagonist's return.
Even if she could not stop it completely, delaying it for as long as possible was better than nothing.
Ideally, she wanted the protagonist to marry that scholar, consummate the marriage, and give birth to a bastard child. She wanted to see then if the Heir would still disdain such a woman.
Even if she failed to prevent the female protagonist's return, the woman would by then be pointed at and gossiped about for having lost her chastity in a previous marriage.
To become the mistress of the Dingguo Marquis Estate with an unchaste body—that woman was simply daydreaming.
Of course, if the Heir truly dared to marry her, she would have no choice but to fight him with her wits.
Taking advantage of the man's distraction, she quietly tucked the register behind her back.
Among so many registers, surely the loss of one thin volume would go completely unnoticed.
She secretly hid the register inside her undergarment, then feigned sleepiness and said to the man who was intently processing official documents:
"Heir, your concubine has finished organizing these household registration dossiers. I am truly exhausted now; might I be permitted to return and rest?"
Glancing at the towering stacks of registers beside her, then looking at her weary expression, Lu Hanting's thin lips pressed into a tight line.
It really hadn't been easy for her, organizing things for him for so long.
"There is a small bed in here. You will sleep right here tonight!"
"Ah?"
Wu Weiwei, guarding the register pressed against her body, couldn't help trembling slightly. In all her calculations, she had never expected the Heir to make her stay overnight in Qingsong Courtyard.
"What, are you unwilling?"
The Heir's gaze suddenly turned sharp.
"No, I'm just pleasantly surprised."
Even for the female protagonist, she remembered that he had never once asked her to stay overnight.
."Since you know that, go on and get some rest. I will come to bed once I finish the work at hand."
Seeing him utter such seductive words with his sensual lips, Wu Weiwei felt a twinge of internal struggle.
Again?
Not again!
Those mere few minutes—she hadn't even experienced any pleasurable soreness before it was over.
It was just a flash in the pan.
Yet when she raised her eyes to look at him, the Heir was already deeply immersed in his official documents.
The inner chamber of the Study contained a small bed, used ordinarily for resting when he grew tired from attending to official business.
Lying on the bed, however, Wu Weiwei tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep no matter what she tried.
One moment she worried that her hiding spot for the stolen register would be discovered; the next moment she worried that the Heir would suddenly barge in and forcefully take her.
If the experience were wonderful, that would be one thing, but with those clumsy, amateurish skills of his...
Knowing that Wu Weiwei was sleeping just inside, Lu Hanting found it impossible to calm his mind.
After forcing himself to read official documents for a little while, he realized he had completely lost his focus.
Thinking of the delicate, alluring curves of Wu Weiwei's body pressed against his just moments ago, he put down his paperwork and walked straight toward the inner chamber.
Finding the woman curled up on her side in the corner of the bed, occupying only the tiniest patch of space, he let out a hearty laugh.
Shedding his outer robe, Lu Hanting scooped the little creature right up into his arms.
Pressing against a hard object, Wu Weiwei flew open her eyes in fright. "H-Heir..."
Although she knew what was about to happen, Wu Weiwei still wanted to put up a dying struggle.
"Um, could we just do it once tonight, please?"
"Why?"
"My waist is still aching..."
She watched his face sink, trying her best to offer a sincere smile.
He stared at her for a long time. Just when Wu Weiwei thought he was going to refuse, she heard a pleasant, deep voice reply indifferently: "Fine."
Yet little did she know that the "once" spoken of by the Heir would last for a full hour and a half, utterly destroying the lower back that had only just recovered.
Looking at the pitiful sight of Wu Weiwei under him, begging for mercy while daring to be angry yet too afraid to speak, Lu Hanting smiled.
After this, her little concubine would never dare look down on him again!
In the dark of night, gazing at her indistinct silhouette, Lu Hanting felt a trace of satisfaction blossom in his heart.
A month ago, he had lost Yan'er, believing he would never look at another woman for the rest of his life. Yet he never expected this reckless little girl to barge blindly into his territory.
Thinking back to their first meeting, when she had nearly been pierced through the heart by his sword, and the utterly foolish sight of her being carried out by Liuyun after being scared out of her wits—
She looked nothing like the same person now.
Yet no matter who she was, as long as she did not threaten his life, he was willing to try pampering her.
Holding the soft, fragrant creature in his arms, Lu Hanting felt as though his heart had come back to life.
Seeing her utterly exhausted yet emitting adorable little snores, Lu Hanting gently pecked the tip of her nose. He decided to spare her and not torment her anymore tonight.
The next day.
When Wu Weiwei woke up, Lu Hanting had already left for court.
Knowing that she loved to sleep in, Lu Hanting had specifically instructed the servants in the courtyard before leaving for court to let Wu Weiwei sleep until she woke up naturally.
Cuiyun, who served in Qingsong Courtyard, told Wu Weiwei this after she got up.
Wu Weiwei supported her slender waist, cursing the main culprit hundreds of times over in her heart.
Wuwu, she blamed herself for lowering her guard.
She had thought Lu Hanting would finish in a few minutes like last time, but who could have known his stamina would suddenly skyrocket—and not just by a little bit.
Massaging her aching back, she figured she would probably need to rest for quite a while.
"Cuiyun, has your Heir been taking any nourishing soups like deer penis or bear gallbladder recently?"
Cuiyun, who was helping Wu Weiwei dress, looked completely baffled by the question. However, when she lowered her gaze and spotted the purplish-blue bruises on the concubine's body, she instantly understood what her words implied.
Covering her mouth with a chuckle, Cuiyun said, "The Heir's diet has been just the same as always; this maid hasn't seen him taking any tonics."
"Oh."
Wu Weiwei found it rather strange. Then how on earth had he suddenly figured it out?
Could it be that he was provoked by what she had muttered in her sleep that night?
Thinking of how the man had hovered over her the previous night, looking majestic and overbearing as he demanded to know if it felt good and if he was formidable, the corners of Wu Weiwei's lips twitched upward. It seemed she no longer needed to worry about becoming a sexually unsatisfied woman.