Chapter 98 Attempt 2 "I want to try again."

In the stillness of the night, the weeping crabapple blossoms quietly bloom in Qiyun Pavilion, their tender stamens gently unfurling their sepals, swaying in the breeze, their subtle fragrance wafting through the air.

Cui Ying returned amidst the fragrance of flowers, the flush on her cheeks still lingering, burning all the way from her ears to her neck. Her long, dark hair fell in disarray, clinging to her fair skin, and her clothes were more disheveled than ever before, the ties at the top of her collar tied in a wrong knot, slightly crooked, revealing a small patch of skin under her neck, white with a hint of pink.

She had barely stepped into the room when she abruptly turned around, blocking Xiao Qiyu who was following closely behind. Her almond-shaped eyes blazed with fury as she glared at him fiercely: "Don't follow me! Go back to your study!"

Xiao Qiyu was dressed neatly, except that her lip color was slightly more vibrant than usual. Her deep phoenix eyes were fixed on Cui Ying, and she was not angered by her reprimand. Her gaze swept over Cui Ying's disheveled collar, and she said in a steady voice, "I can choose not to follow you, or I can leave, but you have to answer one question for me first."

Cui Ying's chest heaved as she said irritably, "Spit it out if you have something to say."

Xiao Qiyu: "Are you still in pain? Should I go and fetch the imperial physician?"

With a loud "bang!", Cui Ying slammed the door shut, nearly hitting Xiao Qiyu's nose.

Cui Jin was making the bed when she heard the noise and hurriedly went around the screen. She saw her young lady leaning against the closed door, her chest heaving violently, and her eyes gradually reddening.

"What happened?" Cui Jin was startled and quickly stepped forward.

Cui Ying bit her lower lip, trying hard not to let her tears of shame and indignation fall, unaware that this appearance would only make people think more.

Cui Jin panicked and took out a handkerchief to wipe Cui Ying's tears, asking softly, "What happened? Did your husband bully you again?"

The pain in her private parts was still clear and intense. Cui Ying's face turned even redder. She nodded heavily and choked out, "Yes, he bullied me, and... he bullied me very badly."

Cuijin was both anxious and angry, but she didn't know the specific reason. She could only ask repeatedly, "How did he bully the young lady? Where did he bully her? Never mind, I will go to the old lady to settle the matter on the young lady's behalf tomorrow."

Scenes from inside the carriage flashed through Cui Ying's mind: scattered clothes and intertwined breaths were still vivid in her mind. She shook her head, hesitating to speak, and said, "You don't need to concern yourself with this matter. I know what I'm doing."

She tried to take a deep breath to calm her heartbeat, but the scent of Xiao Qiyu lingered all over her. The more Cui Ying inhaled, the more vivid those lewd images became in her mind.

Cui Jin tried to ask more questions, but Cui Ying saw through her intention and vigorously wiped her face to hide her embarrassment: "Don't ask anymore. Tell someone to boil water. I want to take a bath. I feel so sticky and uncomfortable."

It was all Xiao Qiyu's saliva.

...

After taking a bath, Cui Ying casually picked up a dry towel and wiped the water off her body, her mind still filled with the scenes from inside the carriage.

Xiao Qiyu's burning lips and tongue, his heavy breathing, the arms wrapped around her waist, and the suppressed yet greedy sounds of him swallowing as he buried his face in her neck...

Cui Ying's body, which had just cooled down, was once again a vibrant crimson. She shook her head vigorously and looked at herself in the dressing mirror, trying to distract herself.

At first glance, Cui Ying's mind went completely blank.

The body reflected in the mirror was covered with varying shades of crimson marks, starting from below the neck. After being soaked in hot water, some marks were just a light pink, like rouge applied unintentionally, while others had turned into a deep crimson. One mark on the collarbone was particularly deep, with the outline of teeth marks even visible at the edge. It was not hard to imagine the force with which it had been sucked and bitten...

"hiss--"

Cui Ying gasped, unable to believe that this was her own body.

Outside the door, Xiao Qiyu heard her gasp and assumed she was unwell. He suddenly asked, "What's wrong?"

Cui Ying's heart tightened, but she forced herself to remain calm: "Why haven't you left yet?"

The two faced each other across the door, the atmosphere delicate.

Xiao Qiyu wanted to blurt out, "This is my home. I can leave or stay as I please," but he swallowed the words back down.

After tonight, he will never be able to say a harsh word to her again.

The night breeze blew through the eaves, tinkling the bells on the upturned feet.

Xiao Qiyu's tone was unusually gentle: "I can't sleep."

He paused, as if carefully choosing his words: "I want to talk to you."

Inside the door, Cui Ying remained silent for a moment. The marks on her body were still faintly burning, and she was still embarrassed and angry, but her voice had calmed down a bit: "I don't want to talk about it. If you're not leaving, just sit outside and wait for dawn."

Outside the door, Xiao Qiyu looked up at the tranquil night sky. The delicate fragrance of the weeping crabapple blossoms brushed against his face, but his mind was uncontrollably filled with images of the carriage, those breathtakingly alluring scenes that only he could glimpse.

He said softly, "Okay, I'll wait."

The quiet door remained silent, seemingly never to be opened.

After a long silence, the door creaked open.

Xiao Qiyu looked up and saw Cui Ying standing inside the door, her black hair tied back, wearing a plain ivory-white nightgown with delicate magnolia patterns embroidered in pink and white silk thread on the chest. She had obviously just finished bathing, and her body was still steaming with moisture, exuding a fragrant warmth.

Cui Ying's face was expressionless, and her voice was devoid of any emotion. She glanced at Xiao Qiyu and said coldly, "Come in and talk."

Xiao Qiyu gazed at her face, then stepped into the room, the door closing gently behind him.

The indoor lighting was warm and inviting. The two sat facing each other around a table, the air seeming thick and heavy, with undercurrents surging and their breaths mingling.

"Speak," Cui Ying said casually, picking up a pair of silver scissors to trim the lamp wick, her long eyelashes covering her eyes.

Only when he got closer did Xiao Qiyu see the glaring mess on her neck.

His throat was dry, and he spoke stiffly, "It was my fault tonight. I hurt you."

"I'll be more careful next time."

Cui Ying finally looked up, her face showing a look of utter disbelief: "What next time?"

Xiao Qiyu was taken aback, speechless at her question, staring at her intently, his dark eyes growing even deeper.

Cui Ying took a deep breath, avoiding the burning gaze from the other side, and continued trimming the lamp wick. She said calmly, "I've thought about it, Xiao Qiyu. Let's just stay the same as before."

"Why?" Xiao Qiyu blurted out, his brows furrowed, his heart feeling as if something had suddenly clenched around his chest.

Cui Ying glared at him.

I'm so angry!

How dare he ask her why?

She couldn't very well say that it hurt so much that she had no desire for sex anymore, that the thought of it made her shudder. She never wanted to experience that pain, which felt like her body was being cleaved in two, again.

"There's no reason why. Just pretend tonight's events never happened." Cui Ying raised her eyes, trying to make her voice sound calm and strong.

Xiao Qiyu remained silent.

He looked at the marks of varying depths on her neck, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty. The words of pleading, even somewhat forceful, swirled on his tongue a few times, but in the end, he could only say calmly, "I'll do whatever you say."

Cui Ying breathed a sigh of relief, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled at him, saying, "Once you've promised, you can't change it, okay? Remember, it has to be the same as before."

Xiao Qiyu remained silent, then suddenly stood up and walked to the display cabinet against the wall. He deftly pulled out a brocade quilt and a soft pillow, and started to make a makeshift bed on the floor.

Cui Ying froze, and blurted out, "What are you doing?"

Xiao Qiyu didn't stop what he was doing, nor did he raise his head. He uttered a concise sentence: "Same as before, go to sleep."

"I know you're sleeping!" Cui Ying was a little annoyed, the feeling of punching cotton was back, and her voice was obviously irritated. "I'm asking you, why are you sleeping here? Did your study collapse? You didn't used to rest here all the time."

Xiao Qiyu paused slightly as he spread the quilt, a multitude of ideas flashing through his mind in an instant.

You could say you're afraid the old lady will ask about the couple sleeping in separate rooms and you won't be able to explain it to her; you could say you're still used to sleeping here; you could even jokingly show weakness by saying you can't sleep without her.

But these words seem out of place at this moment.

Without even raising his head, Xiao Qiyu suddenly uttered three words:

"I'd like to."

Cui Ying: "..."

She felt a lump in her throat, unable to breathe.

Sure enough, Xiao Qiyu is still the same annoying Xiao Qiyu. Let's just consider everything that happened in the carriage tonight as a dream she had.

With a belly full of pent-up anger, Cui Ying sullenly climbed onto the bed, forcefully pulled the brocade quilt over herself, and turned her back to the direction of the floor bed.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to banish the unpleasant images and sounds from her mind, repeatedly telling herself to treat it as a dream and not to overthink it.

Perhaps she was really tired from tossing and turning all night, or perhaps it was the presence of Xiao Qiyu that gave her a sense of security that she herself was unwilling to admit, but Cui Ying soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Cui Ying slept very soundly, and even in her dreams, the familiar, refreshing scent lingered around her nose.

She was dazed and subconsciously tried to turn over and change her position, but found that she couldn't move.

Her back felt as if it were surrounded by a scorching city wall, giving her no chance to loosen her grip, and her waist was also tightly bound, as if entwined by vines.

"Don't move."

A familiar voice came from behind her head.

Perhaps because he was just waking up, Xiao Qiyu's voice was unusually low and hoarse. His once clear and youthful voice was replaced by a heavy nasal tone, revealing an undeniable desire.

"Xiao Qiyu?" Cui Ying asked incredulously, wondering if he was still half asleep.

But the sensations in her body reminded her that it was all real.

A hard chest pressed against her back, and the arms wrapped around her waist tightened again. Even more strangely, she felt something unfamiliar pressing against her lower back, causing her lower back to ache and go numb.

"How did you end up sleeping in my bed?" Cui Ying's voice was still dazed.

Xiao Qiyu suddenly lowered his voice and called her name seriously: "Cui Ying".

Cui Ying was still trying to struggle: "What?"

“I’m a rough man, and there are many things I don’t understand, but I can learn. I’m confident I can learn them very well,” Xiao Qiyu said in a low voice.

Cui Ying was completely baffled: "What are you talking about?"

Xiao Qiyu tightened his grip on her waist, pressing her lower back firmly against his body, and said without hesitation:

"I want to try again."

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Author's Note: Here it comes!