Chapter 46 This kneading position is perfect for kissing.

One hour later.

"I'm not playing anymore, I can't beat you."

Yu Wenxue ran to the bronze mirror in her homemade slippers and couldn't help but sigh.

Three thick whiskers were drawn on each cheek, and a touch of rouge was used to dab the tip of the nose, making it look like a kitten.

I thought I would easily beat him in her favorite game, cat and mouse, but I didn't expect that she was so clever no matter what game she played, and in the end, it turned out to be mouse chasing cat.

Is this what they call extraordinary talent?

"I never knew playing chess with you could be so interesting." Gu Yun Shen gazed at the stray hairs on the back of her neck, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Seeing this expression, Yu Wenxue felt an unprecedented sense of humiliation. She thought he must be mocking her. She slowly moved back from the bedside and casually leaned closer: "Actually, I was just trying to make you happy, because real big shots always hide their strength."

"Oh? Really?"

She blinked, patted her chest, and said, "It's so real!"

Gu Yunshen looked away: "Okay, let's play another round."

"..."

Another incense stick's worth of time has passed.

Yu Wenxue looked at the chessboard and closed her eyes with a sense of helplessness.

You must have opened it wrong; your luck has been stolen!

"A bet's a bet, so let's go."

"OK."

Gu Yun Shen clenched his fist and pressed it to his lips, but a smile still escaped from his eyes.

He gently pinched her chin, not with much force, but the soft flesh of her cheeks was still squeezed into two small dents. Suddenly, a wicked thought arose in his mind, and he couldn't help but knead it a little.

He did the same when he pinched the kitten; every time he touched its cheek, it would pretend to be angry and bite him.

It's a pity, when will Yu Wenxue be willing to bite him...?

"Hurry up and draw." Because her cheeks were being pinched, Yu Wenxue's voice was muffled, much like a child learning to speak, but her eyes remained stubborn as she said, "Next time, I'll definitely beat you next time!"

Gu Yun Shen held her face and looked at it for a long time. Her skin was as smooth and delicate as jade, and beneath her long, thick eyelashes were a pair of expressive eyes, sparkling brightly, even more beautiful than the starlight.

His fingertips rubbed back and forth intentionally or unintentionally, and an undisguised destructive urge resurfaced in his heart.

But in the end, he didn't paint anything; he gently brushed away the powder from her face.

"Maybe next time, let's save it for now."

"I won't lose next time. I'll draw you as a puppy then." Yu Wenxue rubbed her face, which was covered in makeup, and wiped it in front of the mirror for a long time before finally getting rid of the makeup.

However, quite a few bluish-black marks remained, making her look like a female ghost...

Before she could reach out to wipe it, a cool, refreshing touch landed on her face.

In the bronze mirror, Gu Yun Shen used his fingertip to dab a little ointment and gently applied it to her face.

In an instant, the two were very close, their noses filled with a faint medicinal fragrance.

Yu Wenxue's eyelashes trembled, and she simply closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and let him do as he pleased.

His movements were extremely gentle, his fingertips lightly circling her face, a stark contrast to his usual ruthless and decisive demeanor.

After applying the ointment, he dampened a handkerchief and patiently wiped her face.

He always seemed very gentle with her.

My chin was lifted, and when I opened my eyes again, a pair of deep, dark eyes suddenly appeared in front of me.

A boy's clear voice drifted by: "Asleep?"

"No." After saying that, she felt a little awkward, so Yu Wenxue smiled and said, "Thank you."

My heart began to stir inexplicably, and a slight itch spread through my chest.

This position is perfect for kissing.

Thinking of the task she had not yet completed, she steeled herself and took the initiative to approach him.

At the same time, Gu Yun Shen withdrew his movement, rubbed her head, her lips brushed against his chin, and due to the loss of balance, she tilted forward and, by some twist of fate, fell into his arms.

Gu Yun Shen subconsciously supported her waist. The summer clothes were thin, and the heat radiated through the fabric, making Yu Wen Xue shiver. Then, the two of them rolled onto the ground together.

Clearly, it was Yu Wenxue on top again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

After saying that, she went all out and prepared to lean down and forcefully kiss him.

Gu Yunshen's eyes darkened, his Adam's apple bobbing involuntarily. After a long stare, just as she was about to lean in, he barely managed to push her away, saying, "Get some rest."

It failed again.

Yu Wenxue thought.

"Then you'll be with me..."

Shall we sleep together?

Yu Wenxue hesitated, wondering if asking like this would be too obvious. It would be like she was showing him her true intentions, a rather crude and unsophisticated approach.

But they had slept together before, only she didn't need to do any missions back then.

With his back to her, Gu Yunshen said calmly, "My room is next to yours. Just call me if you need anything."

"Oh~" Yu Wenxue patted the dust off her body, walked listlessly to the bedside, and planned to change into a nightgown to sleep.

She was just a hair's breadth away from succeeding.

Did he figure it out, and that's why he's deliberately avoiding her?

Is she really that annoying?

Who helped relieve his discomfort last time?

I tossed and turned in bed for a while before finally pulling the covers over my head.

A summer evening breeze blew gently in through the half-open window, causing the pale pink curtains to sway and dispelling her restless heart.

On the other side of the wall, Gu Yun Shen leaned against the corner and took out the handkerchief that he had rubbed in his palm many times.

After a long while, a low moan escaped from his throat.

...

I slept without any dreams.

The next morning, Yu Wenxue groggily got up and found that the sun was already high in the sky; she had slept until the sun was high in the sky.

After a quick wash, she jogged to catch up with Gu Yun Shen as he left.

"I'll go with you tonight."

Gu Yun Shen stopped, tightened the mechanism on his wrist, and turned to look at her: "You really want to go?"

"It's to go with you." Yu Wenxue patted her heart, which was pounding wildly from running for so long, and repeated, "It's me who wants to go with you."

Gu Yun Shen lowered his head, as if he had thought of something, and laughed out loud. When he looked up again, his eyes were like a galaxy, sparkling with tiny lights.

These words greatly pleased him, and his mood improved, even his tone became much more relaxed: "No need, you should practice more at home."

"When you get back tonight, continue playing chess with me."

Yu Wenxue thought of the pain she felt last night: "..."

But she still tried to argue for herself, saying, "Are you really not taking me?"

Gu Yunshen's lips flattened, but Yu Wenxue didn't notice and continued to mutter, "No matter what happens, I hope you stay safe."

"The Gu family doesn't deserve your forgiveness, but Gu Rongting..."

He didn't mean to hurt you.

The implication was that she was still afraid he would harm Gu Rongting.

She's always like that.

"Understood," Gu Yun Shen replied indifferently, and then left.

Before leaving, he instructed, "Don't wander off."

Don't worry!

Yu Wenxue nodded.

That being said, it's not in her nature to stay at home obediently.

No sooner had Gu Yun Shen left than she slipped out.

The climate in Beijing after the Dragon Boat Festival is not much cooler than in the south, and because the climate is drier, people are more prone to thirst.

Holding a bowl of coconut juice, Yu Wenxue spent half a day shopping and bought a lot of daily necessities. Because the items were too heavy, she simply asked the shopkeeper to deliver them to her door and also gave them a lesson on what "express delivery" meant.

"'Express delivery' means to deliver it to you quickly."

The shopkeeper was completely bewildered and didn't quite understand the specific meaning behind it, but being always shrewd, he thought it was a good idea and readily accepted it.

So Yu Wenxue, with her unseen achievements and empty hands, swaggered back home.

Suddenly, a boy appeared out of nowhere and blocked her way.

Behind the boy was a woman wearing a headscarf, who kept saying sorry.

"I'm sorry, miss, my little rascal has disturbed you."

"It's alright." Yu Wenxue waved her hand, ignoring the little incident. After the mother and son left, she quietly looked back.

She walked around all morning, stopping occasionally, and grabbed a quick bite to eat outside at noon before heading towards a quiet alley.

The path here is remote and rarely visited by people.

When she reached a dead end, she stopped and suddenly turned around, sprinkling a handful of sleeping potion.

"Madam, it's me."

Guan Nan, with a wrinkled little face, pinched his nose and gasped for breath.

"Oh! It's you!" Yu Wenxue was startled, so much so that she didn't notice the change in Guan Nan's address. "Were you following me the whole time?"

"Young master guessed that you would definitely go out, so he asked me to protect you secretly."

Yu Wenxue suddenly realized: "Then he's quite smart."

Guan Nan chimed in, "You're quite clever too, so quick-witted and alert, you almost bewitched me..."

They're truly a family; every pot has a lid, and they're all so clever and well-matched!

After the commotion, Yu Wenxue's tense heart relaxed considerably. Thinking of the kitten, she asked, "How is Wenyu? Is she still behaving?"

"obedient."

He only listens to his master.

This cat is used to fawning on the powerful and belittling the weak. Ever since the young master fed it fresh catfish, it has looked down on the beans he fed it and spends all day clinging to the young master, acting cute and rolling around.

Of course, he wouldn't say these things. When the young master was around, he would cuddle with the kitten and sleep with it all the time, and no one could say a bad word about it.

Perhaps this is what they mean by "love me, love my dog"...

Leaving the narrow path, the two walked down the street, one in front of the other.

The area ahead was chaotic and crowded, with people gathered in a circle, discussing something unknown, while soldiers stood on both sides to clear the way for the palanquin behind them.

Guan Nan circled around to Yu Wenxue's front, fearing that if anything went wrong, the young master would fight him to the death. "The Flower Pavilion is ahead, let's take a detour."

"good."

Just as they turned around, a disheveled woman suddenly rushed out, blocking their way and shouting, "Help!"

Guan Nan instinctively kicked the man. The woman clutched her aching abdomen and rolled on the ground, her hair rubbing against the ground and getting covered in dust.

Even though her face was disheveled and pitiful, Yu Wenxue still recognized who this woman was.

"Chen Yuru?"

She probed.

Upon hearing this, the woman on the ground was stunned for a moment. She lifted her hair, revealing half of her disfigured face, and murmured, "Please, save me."

Logically speaking, Yu Wenxue shouldn't have saved her. After all, Chen Yuru had escaped from the notorious brothel, Huamanlou, which was bound to cause trouble. It wouldn't be good if she caused trouble for Gu Yunshen.

But as a woman herself, she really couldn't bear to see Chen Yuru, who was once so proud and arrogant, reduced to this state.

The historical context depicted in the book, where human life was cheap and insignificant, is completely at odds with the modern educational philosophy she received.

If you want to survive, you have to fight for it.

Guan Nan wanted to dissuade her, but when she remembered what the young master had said—that no matter what the lady did, she should not interfere, but only ensure her safety and tidy up everything for her—she silently withdrew her outstretched hand.

Chen Yuru was taken away by Yu Wenxue just like that.

Everywhere you look, there are scars. In just over two months, all its vigor has been extinguished, and it looks emaciated.

"I admit that I betrayed you back then, but I never intended to take your life. I just... wanted to marry in your place."

"But who knew that the old lady wasn't as kind as she seemed on the surface. Behind my back, she did many heinous things, even poisoning me and nailing me to the coffin..."

"Later, the coffin bearers had evil intentions and secretly switched me out, selling me to the brothel, Huamanlou."

With each word Chen Yuru spoke, Yu Wenxue felt a chill run down her spine; every wound on Chen Yuru's body was a bloody reminder of this painful truth.

If Gu Yun Shen hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would have ended up in the same situation.

Chen Yuru hugged her knees, a tear falling onto them: "I would rather die than submit, I slashed my face with a hairpin, and the owner of Hua Man Lou, seeing that I was no longer of any use, made me clean the chamber pots, that's how I narrowly escaped..."

"So, what do you want me to do?" Yu Wenxue asked.

Chen Yuru's eyes widened: "Take me to the Marquis's mansion, I want revenge."

Yu Wenxue shook her head: "Going there like this is like throwing an egg against a rock. The old lady has made a lot of money over the years by trafficking young girls. She has provided many high-ranking officials with opportunities for power and sex. It will be difficult for you to fight against her on your own."

"So you're just letting her continue to roam free?" Chen Yuru shouted. "If I'm not mistaken, you also have a jade pillow that emits a strange fragrance, right?"

“The pillow is poisonous,” Yu Wenxue said calmly.

But what could she do even if she knew? She couldn't exactly storm into the Marquis's mansion and beat her up.

Chen Yuru stared blankly out the window: "Anyway, I won't live much longer. This poison has already seeped into my lungs and internal organs, and there is no cure."

"I asked around, and it turns out he will die suddenly within a year."

Yu Wenxue bit her lower lip and remained silent.

Her life was saved entirely by Gu Yun Shen.

But there was nothing she could do to help him.

Just like tonight's trap, she knew it was a deliberate scheme to set him up, but there was nothing she could do. She could only watch helplessly as he was surrounded by wolves and went off alone to seek revenge...

The lingering warmth of the setting sun intertwined with the twilight.

After calming down Chen Yuru, who was still emotionally agitated, Yu Wenxue changed into some clothes that were easy to move in and went to the pharmacy to buy a large bag of sleeping pills.

No matter what, she would never let anything happen to him.

Even she herself couldn't tell whether it was to prevent him from harming Gu Rongting, or...

Her selfish motives.

After she left, Chen Yuru also secretly slipped away and followed her out the door.

Author's note: Xiao Gu avoided her because he was afraid his terrible desires would frighten her [poor thing].

My daughter is starting to care, but she doesn't want to admit it. [Milk tea emoji]

The author has some rambling to say: The boss is away on a business trip, hehe ...