Chapter 57 The delicate, intermittent sound of Little Golden Bell trembled beneath the covers...

Holding the soft embroidered pouch in his hand, Xie Xianheng initially thought it was just a handkerchief. Seeing that Meng Shutai was about to leave, Xie Xianheng, with a hint of wanting to provoke him, immediately opened the embroidered pouch.

But... how could this little rabbit be so brave?

The color of the bodice is rather deep, not a glaring and frivolous bright red, but a somber and heavy crimson. If it were to cover fair skin, clinging tightly to a soft waist and a soft, cloud-like chest, it would be like a deep, sweet dream, making one close their eyes and simply bury themselves in it.

His father had served in the army and was awarded the title of Prince of Zhennan for his meritorious service. Xie Xianheng grew up in the military camp with his parents. Where there are many men, there are many lewd things. He used to never feel ashamed when he saw the soldiers being affectionate, but now the undergarment in his hand was burning him to death.

Xie Xianheng, who had never experienced the ways of the world, suddenly understood why a beautiful woman's belly was a hero's grave...

He glanced at Meng Shutai with a flickering gaze; the man's expression was even more composed than before. The Meng family were hereditary retainers and close advisors, maintaining close ties with the royal family for generations. He had already been reprimanded today; if he were to confront him directly at this juncture, he might even be impeached for "picking quarrels and provoking trouble."

Yes, that's it.

Xie Xianheng replaced his anxious fantasies about the owner of the undergarment with the turbulent political situation. He quickly stuffed the undergarment back into his embroidered pouch, his head still spinning.

Did they stuff something else in there too? Like his trembling and heartbeat... Xie Xianheng didn't know.

"There were many matters to attend to at the palace today. Did you perhaps mistakenly take the wrong gift in your haste?"

Xie Xianheng stretched out his arm and returned the embroidered pouch to Le Jin.

Her hand was nearly crushed by the person beside her, but Le Jin endured the pain without moving. Seeing that Xie Xianheng had given her a way out, she immediately held back her tears, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon.

"Yes, you took the wrong one! That's not mine at all!"

She took a step to retrieve the embroidered pouch, but suddenly half of her body was pulled, and she bounced back onto Meng Shutai.

Le Jin felt like dying. Her expression crumbled, and she leaned against Meng Shutai's arm, tears welling in her eyes, her voice barely audible: "I was wrong..."

Yet, his face remained calm and composed, his eyes even filled with tenderness. He lifted Le Jin's lowered head, pinched the soft flesh of her cheek with his fingers, and his eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Ah Jin, really, when have I ever bothered you with such trivial matters as social obligations? I prepared the thank-you gift for the Prince of Zhennan a long time ago, and he received it this morning."

Her hands were almost numb from Meng Shutai's grip, and even when he claimed to be her husband, Le Jin had no mood to argue.

However... she and Meng Shutai are together every day, and she has never seen him instruct anyone to prepare gifts to be sent to the Prince of Zhennan's residence.

Turning her head to look at the other party involved, Le Jin was stunned for a moment. Xie Xianheng's expression was even worse than hers!

The hand holding the embroidered pouch suddenly clenched into a fist, the knuckles turning white and trembling slightly.

It turns out that he gave her a "big gift" because she had just met his wife.

Xie Xianheng sneered, "Did I not know that having his military power taken away by the Emperor could be considered a thank-you gift from Lord Meng?"

When Meng Shutai looked at Xie Xianheng, his smile vanished instantly, and his cold voice carried a faint hint of mockery.

"What does the Prince of Zhennan think is the reason for his return to the capital this time? His Majesty has long been dissatisfied with the Xie family's reliance on military power. Your Highness, why don't you guess how many days you and your sister would have to live if the Xie family's army were still in your hands?"

Meng Shutai tilted his head slightly, his pupils darting around, as if he were calculating something.

"You saved my wife's life, and I'll repay you with two lives from the Xie family. Isn't that enough? Your Highness should rein in your insatiable desires."

After he finished speaking, he handed the umbrella in his hand to Le Jin, and then stepped forward in the snow to retrieve the embroidered pouch.

"Since Ah Jin married into the Meng family, I have never let her worry about managing the family business. I hope Your Highness will not take today's small mistake to heart."

Meng Shutai smiled, turned around, took his wife's hand, and walked away through the vast snow. Xie Xianheng stared at their retreating figures without uttering a sound, but his eyes were filled with hatred as if a raging flood had descended upon them.

Xie Xianheng remembered this grudge.

——

Meng Shutai was extremely tall, with naturally long legs. Le Jin now realized that when they walked side by side in the past, Meng Shutai had intentionally slowed down to accommodate her pace. Otherwise, at his current speed, she would have trouble keeping up even if she jogged.

He was absolutely furious.

She hadn't been caught red-handed in the past, but this time she was the one who met him, she was the one who gave him the gift, and she even deliberately chose a time when her husband wasn't around...

This was only one aspect of the problem; what terrified Le Jin even more was that Meng Shutai had stripped Xie Xianheng of his military power!

That was her bargaining chip to complete her mission. Gone!

The wind, carrying snow and rain, stung her face, making Le Jin unsure of where to go next. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Meng Shutai's dark blue brocade robe fluttering, brushing against her knees and calves, clinging to her.

He is more terrifying than the wind and snow.

Yue Jin was filled with sorrow when Meng Shutai suddenly asked:

What do you want to give him?

He hadn't spoken the whole way, but his sudden outburst startled Le Jin. She lowered her head and obediently replied, "A handkerchief..."

“Then this embroidered pouch is exactly what you were going to give him; you didn’t take the wrong one.”

He checked, and there was indeed a handkerchief inside.

"I..." Le Jin panicked and stamped her feet. No matter how she explained, it would only mean certain death.

"I had someone else prepare it, so there might have been a mistake somewhere."

"Oh? Which stupid fool is this blind? Let's beat him to death with sticks."

He spoke lightly, but Le Jin's soul almost left her body; she was so dizzy she nearly collapsed on the snow.

"No, no, no! It was an accident, it really was an accident!"

Meng Shutai stopped in his tracks, and Le Jin almost bumped into him again. The umbrella was in her hand; he had to stop so Le Jin could stand on tiptoe to shield him.

I just hope this little bit of flattery will calm him down.

"An accident?" Meng Shutai looked down at her, a few pure white snowflakes resting on his eyelashes, echoing the cold, shimmering light in his eyes. The biting chill brought out a sharp edge to the light sandalwood fragrance emanating from her, blowing like blades onto Le Jin's body in the wind.

"That thing has the honey scent I just blended for you. Even if it's an accident, it's still something you wear close to your body. Is that for real?"

The last time she casually mentioned that the room had scented eyes, Meng Shutai prepared smokeless honey incense for her the next day and burned it by her bedside, filling the room with a sweet fragrance without any smoke.

One of a kind in the world.

Le Jin had nothing to say, hanging her head as if she would accept being beaten or scolded, rubbing the umbrella handle in her hand.

Suddenly, another hand completely enveloped her hand, and they shared an umbrella.

"Your resentment is my own fault. I don't blame you."

Le Jin slowly raised her eyes in surprise and saw Meng Shutai give a self-deprecating smile, "But if you don't like me, why did you bother me in the first place?"

He pointed to the bright flower ornament between Yue Jin's eyebrows with his finger, "Since you've already provoked me, why bother provoking others?"

"Your promises never stand."

It was a lie to say I liked him at Huayan Temple, and it was a lie to say I was with him on our wedding night. The only thing I truly hated was him; everything else was just a mirage.

Le Jin opened her mouth as if to say something, but Meng Shutai suddenly changed his tone from sorrow to a bright smile. "Today is the first snow. According to the custom of our dynasty, couples would exchange red strings to tie around their wrists, praying for harmony in the coming year. You gave him two things, but didn't give me anything?"

"I……"

Sorry, I'm not from around here.

Seeing Le Jin's worried expression, Meng Shutai chuckled, as if nothing had happened that day.

"Let's go home."

——

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and in less than half a day it had reached above ankle level. By nightfall, the eaves were covered with snow, and the houses were getting colder.

The servants added extra charcoal, and the warmth made the honey fragrance even sweeter and more intoxicating. After washing up, Le Jin leaned against the headboard and stared at the incense burner, which was no longer emitting any smoke, for almost half an hour.

The Prince of Zhennan has temporarily lost his military power, but that doesn't mean he can't make a comeback; there's no need to worry too much about him. However, if Meng Shutai refuses to let Xie Xianheng go now, she'll be in the same boat...

Moreover, there was a bottomless emptiness in Le Jin's heart.

To this day, she still doesn't know Meng Shutai's attitude towards her "infidelity." Although she knows that this madman's thoughts are beyond the comprehension of normal people, he is just too abnormal. Every time she has an affair with someone else, Meng Shutai never blames her, always handling it lightly.

Le Jin wondered if Meng Shutai would agree to her "free love" if they sat down and had a proper talk.

The absurd idea was still swirling in her mind when Meng Shutai finished washing up and returned to her room.

However, he did not go to the chaise lounge, but went straight to Le Jin.

"I originally wanted to give you the red string during the day, but suddenly I felt that the red string alone was missing something."

The soft pink curtains were lifted, and Meng Shutai handed over a palm-sized mahogany box.

His eyes were gentle and tender. "Open it and take a look."

Actually, Le Jin was relieved that he hadn't given her the red string during the day, and was quite frank that she hadn't prepared one for him. Now, it's too late to buy one right away.

She hesitated, looking awkwardly at the box and then at him. Meng Shutai, however, ignored her hesitation and opened the small box himself.

The red string inside was indeed unique, tied with more than a dozen small golden bells the size of red beans, delicate and cute, making people like it at first sight.

Le Jin smiled naturally, picked it up and looked at it. "Wasn't it supposed to be tied to the wrist? Why is it so long?"

The rope was a foot long, and it looked more like it was wrapped around something than tied around the wrist.

Meng Shutai shook his head as expected, a glint in his phoenix eyes that Le Jin couldn't decipher. "I've thought about it for a long time..."

"Ah Jin's eagerness is entirely my fault."

"Huh?" Le Jin's eyes widened. What the heck?

“Even if it's against human ethics, I should still do something for you. Otherwise, Ah Jin wouldn't be in this state today.”

Startled, Le Jin threw away the red rope and shrank into the blanket.

"You, you, you mustn't do anything reckless!"

Meng Shutai smiled, reached into Le Jin's blanket and grabbed her ankle, pulling her towards him.

Before Le Jin could react, her underpants were pulled down and thrown off the bed by Meng Shutai. She lay there limply.

Now, Le Jin knows where the red rope is tied.

Tiny golden bells were placed between her thighs, their coldness making her shiver, and the delicate, dense sound of the bells vibrated under the covers.

Golden orioles and soft-necked sparrows flutter among the flowers.

“Last time it was too sudden, and I’m afraid Ajin didn’t get any enjoyment. This time…” As Meng Shutai spoke, his cool fingertips gently touched Lejin.

She let out a soft gasp, accompanied by the clear sound of bells.

Meng Shutai leaned close to her ear, his warm breath coming from between his lips: "With the bell as a reminder, Ajin will definitely not fall asleep again this time."

He kissed Le Jin's earlobe, neck, and shoulder in turn, his fingers kneading and manipulating her, the sound of bells like birds chirping outside the window in spring, each sound announcing the disaster to the flower's heart.

Her soft petals were pinched and torn, sometimes hard, sometimes light. Le Jin went from crying out to panting to sobbing again, like a cycle she could never escape.

The bells between her legs were wet, yet their sound remained clear and crisp. She grabbed at Meng Shutai's shoulder, struggling desperately but ultimately succumbing to his resistance.

The surge of emotion between her legs jolted her awake. How could Meng Shutai be indifferent and not angry?

He was furious...

Le Jin cried until she was silent, then bit down on the man's beautiful neck, intending to make him taste the agony of being worse than dead. But what she heard was Meng Shutai looking up and sighing, then chuckling softly. He even used his other hand to support the back of her neck, offering her jade-like neck for Le Jin to bite.

His voice was low and deep, filled with intense determination and resentment. Le Jin had never heard him speak with such emotion before.

"As long as you stay by my side, I will not go anywhere else. I, Shutai, am willing to offer my neck for slaughter..."

Su Ma felt overwhelmed once again, and Le Jin was led by the sound of the bell to the place of decadence pointed to by Meng Shutai.

She had lost count of how many times the light and shadow had shifted before her eyes, and she could no longer see the top of the tent through the fog, but the bells were still ringing.

The sound reached the horizon at dawn.

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Author's Note: Little Golden Bell is so precious to the flower...

Sorry, Mr. Tang Xianzu! [Facepalm peeking][Facepalm peeking][Facepalm peeking]