Chapter 52: Upon waking, she bit down on his prominent Adam's apple.

The next day, the sky was bright and clear.

The dew from last night has long since vanished, leaving only a slightly cool dampness among the grass and trees in the courtyard, mixed with the freshness of the morning dew after evaporation, gently permeating the air.

Cui Ying regained consciousness amidst a dull headache.

She struggled to open her eyelids, her vision blurred for a long time before gradually clearing. Her limbs and bones felt as if they had been disassembled and then barely pieced back together, weak and sore that even lifting a finger was difficult.

She couldn't remember what had happened last night, only that she felt extremely tired after sleeping, and her throat was so dry it felt like it was about to crack, and every time she swallowed it felt like being pricked with needles.

"Water, give me water quickly..."

Cui Ying had just woken up, and her voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible.

But no sooner had he finished speaking than light footsteps echoed in the room, followed by the clear sound of water being poured into a cup. The sound grew louder as it approached, stopping steadily beside the bed. Finally, the boy's usual voice, tinged with a hint of detachment and impatience, appeared:

"Drink it."

Cui Ying turned her head and saw Xiao Qiyu's icy face, which looked as if someone owed her a hundred or eighty taels of silver every day.

Those who knew him would think he had just poured himself a glass of water, but those who didn't would think he had just had a piece of flesh cut off.

Cui Ying was too weak and had no energy to engage in a verbal battle with him. She forced herself to sit up, took the teacup, and wolfed down the tea.

After drinking a glass of water, she slumped back into bed, panting heavily. The burning sensation in her throat eased slightly, and she finally felt alive again.

She looked up, wanting to ask Xiao Qiyu what time it was. She felt like she had slept for an exceptionally long time, as if half a year had passed.

But when you look over, you see Xiao Qiyu sitting upright on an embroidered stool by the door, about ten feet away from the bed.

He crossed his arms over his chest, his back ramrod straight, his entire body taut like a fully drawn bow, radiating an aura of wariness that kept strangers at bay. His long, narrow phoenix eyes, filled with a complex mix of vigilance, stared directly at her.

Cui Ying frowned: "Why are you standing so far away from me? And you look like you've seen a ghost."

Xiao Qiyu remained expressionless, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment before he said in a clear and resonant voice, "From today onwards, unless absolutely necessary, you must maintain a distance of at least ten feet from me."

Cui Yingfei glared at him, his tone languid and impatient, as if he had just woken up: "You're sick."

Xiao Qiyu's thin lips were pressed tightly together, his tone cold and hard, revealing strong displeasure: "Even if I'm sick, I'm less sick than you, at least I'm not stronger—"

He originally wanted to say, "At least I wouldn't force a kiss on someone," but he stopped abruptly when he got to the point, because he remembered that he had clearly done it once before. So his Adam's apple bobbed, and he changed his words to, "At least I wouldn't put my tongue in someone else's mouth."

Cui Ying, who had been feeling heavy-eyed and wanting to take another nap, instantly woke up upon hearing this. As if she had heard the biggest joke, she couldn't help but sneer and looked Xiao Qiyu up and down as if he were an idiot: "What do you mean by that? It's as if I'm going to stick my tongue out at your mouth."

Just thinking about that scene made her skin crawl with nausea, and she couldn't help but rub her arms.

A faint, burning blush rose behind Xiao Qiyu's ears, and even her neck was tinged with a light red, but she still spoke coldly and firmly: "Who did it, they know in their hearts."

“Look at what you’re saying,” Cui Ying laughed out loud, pointing to her own nose with a confident tone, “Me? Kiss you? And stick your tongue out? Xiao Qiyu, were you still half asleep last night? Or are you still dreaming? If I, Cui Ying, ever kiss you first in this life, I’ll change the character of my name back to Xiao from now on, and I’ll take your surname from now on—”

Before she could finish speaking, a beautiful scene suddenly flashed into Cui Ying's mind like a thunderbolt.

Bathed in moonlight, the curtains swayed, and somehow she found herself clinging to the young man's slender shoulders. With her face tilted back and her eyes unfocused, she pressed her lips forcefully and haphazardly against his tightly pursed lips.

The boy's body stiffened instantly, his eyes filled with shock and resistance. He tried to push her away, but she held him tighter, deepening the kiss and offering him her saliva.

"ah!"

Cui Ying screamed.

She shook her head violently, covered her face with her hands, and muttered to herself, "No, this memory isn't mine! How could I have done such a thing!"

How could she possibly pounce on Xiao Qiyu and kiss him, even impatiently sticking her tongue into his mouth...?

Cui Ying's headache worsened, and she couldn't help but raise her hand to rub her temples. But the more she rubbed, the more images flooded back. Those intoxicating scenes of passion surged forth like a flood breaking through a dam.

Her lips traveled down Xiao Qiyu's chin, and she opened her mouth, gently biting his prominent Adam's apple with the tip of her teeth. Xiao Qiyu trembled, his hands around her waist tightened suddenly, and his breath sprayed onto the top of her head, incredibly hot.

The two kissed passionately, their kisses so intense they seemed inseparable, the air thick with the scent of gunpowder burning, ready to ignite at any moment.

But she seemed like an insatiable imp, feeling that such intimacy was far from enough, her hand lingering all the way...

"ah!"

Cui Ying screamed a second time.

Her cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and even her ears and neck were tinged with the color of rouge. Her palms still felt as if they were on fire, as if they were still burning hot.

She glanced quickly at her hands, then abruptly looked up at Xiao Qiyu, her gaze involuntarily drifting downwards...

"Ah! I'm going crazy!"

"Someone! Bring me water! I need to wash my hands... no! I need to take a bath! Now!"

Cui Yingfan's exposed skin was now flushed a beautiful rouge color. She pointed sharply at Xiao Qiyu, her voice trembling with shame and anger, her almond-shaped eyes wide as bells: "You...you get out of here! I never want to see you again in my life!"

Xiao Qiyu snorted coldly, slowly stood up, and said indifferently, "I would be delighted to have you, Miss Xiao Ying."

"Get out!"

As Xiao Qiyu turned and left, the moment he closed the door, Cui Ying buried her face in the blankets, kicking her legs wildly and letting out a desperate scream.

"God, what is this all about! How did I become like this! How could I... force Xiao Qiyu?"

"Ah! I don't want to live anymore!"

...

Inside Jingsong Hall, the aroma of tea wafted through the air, but it couldn't dispel the cold and oppressive atmosphere.

Qian Qiuchan knelt on the cold floor tiles, her eyes red and swollen like walnuts, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and sobbing softly, her shoulders shaking, revealing her deep grievance.

Madam Qin sat upright in the grand chair at the head of the table. The fragrant tea in her hand had gradually cooled down, but she still used the lid to gently skim off the foam. The porcelain lid touched the rim of the cup, making a crisp yet oppressive sound, each sound like a knock on the heart.

She slightly raised her eyelids, her gaze as cold as ice, and fixed it on Qian Qiuchan. Her voice was authoritative, filled with undisguised anger: "You said you had a way to make Lao Qi and his wife inseparable. I thought you had some brilliant idea. Turns out it's such a filthy and despicable trick. Now that word has reached the old lady's ears, she's pointing her finger at me and saying I've failed in my parenting, unable to even control my daughter-in-law. Tell me, where did you learn this skill?"

Qian Qiuchan cried even harder, her shoulders shaking like a leaf, her head buried almost to the ground, her voice choked with sobs, breaking into incoherent sentences: "Daughter-in-law was wrong, daughter-in-law was only in a hurry, thinking that the incense was just to enhance the mood, it would never harm anyone, so that's why..."

With a "smack," Madam Qin slammed the teacup heavily onto the table, splashing some tea that left a small damp stain on the clean surface.

Her voice suddenly rose to a much higher pitch: "Every medicine has its side effects! You should be glad that Seventh Prince and his wife are young and thin-skinned, and that they can't bring themselves to cause you trouble. Otherwise, do you think the Marquis's mansion would still tolerate you?"

Qian Qiuchan was stunned upon hearing this, and the color drained from her face instantly, even her lips turned white.

She raised her head, her eyes wide with tears, filled with disbelief and fear, yet she forced herself to explain: "Mother, please understand! Since I married into the Marquis's mansion four years ago, I have been dutiful in serving you and the old lady, and have never done anything out of line."

"This is all because I was too eager to share the burdens of my mother and the old lady. I was confused for a moment and made a terrible mistake by seeking medical help in my desperation. I beg you, Mother, please have mercy and forgive me this time, since this is my first offense!"

After saying that, she slammed her forehead heavily on the ground with a dull thud, and her forehead quickly turned red.

Madam Qin merely stared at her coldly, her gaze unwavering, her tone scrutinizing: "You keep saying you're doing this to share the burdens of me and the old lady, but when have you ever asked us to use such harmful spices?"

Qian Qiuchan was speechless for a moment when asked the question. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but in the end, it turned into a louder sob. She dared not say anything more and could only lie on the ground, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Looking at her like this, Madam Qin frowned even more, her tone becoming more impatient: "Instead of thinking about crooked ways, you should think about how to win your man's heart and have a son or daughter for the third son as soon as possible. Otherwise, if you still don't have any signs of pregnancy in two years, even if I want to keep you, the old lady may not agree."

As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Qin stopped looking at her, stood up, flicked her sleeves, and walked forward, saying, "You may be spared the death penalty for this matter, but you cannot escape punishment. From today onwards, you will kneel in the ancestral hall for one hour every day for a month first."

After saying that, he walked straight to the back room, leaving the room in complete silence.

Qian Qiuchan remained kneeling in place, the fear she had felt earlier gradually fading away, replaced by a chilling coldness that spread throughout her body.

She trembled uncontrollably, not from fear, but from the resentment rising from the depths of her heart.

She gritted her teeth, watching Qin's retreating figure, cursing inwardly: "You damned old vile woman, you wretched old hag with sores in your mouth! Don't I want to have children? Do you think I can give birth to children all by myself? It's all because of your useless son, who can't even sleep with women properly, he's probably a castrated man destined to have no descendants!"

Previously, she still felt some pity for Qian Peng for scheming against Xiao Shu's innocence.

But at this moment, that bit of compassion had long since vanished, replaced by a bellyful of resentment.

Qian Qiuchan lay prostrate on the ground, her nails digging deep into her palms, secretly determined that one day she would make this whole family kneel on the ground and beg her!

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Author's Note: Dear Reviewer, may you have a blessed day! It's still just the neck and above; a little bit of atmospheric description won't hurt, right? Long live the Reviewer!

Ahem, getting back to the point, everyone. I'm really sorry I can't update regularly right now, but I'm trying my best to adjust. To be a little pitiful, I've had a fever for a week and been on IV drips for five days. I'm typing this with one hand in the hospital right now. I can confirm that daily updates are definitely not a problem, and I'll try to update six times a day once I'm fully recovered. Life is still full of hope! [heart]