Chapter 155 Loving me is already shameless.

Xie Qingyu's breath hitched.

A sudden burst of fireworks exploded in his mind, leaving him dizzy and disoriented. He could only repeat in a hoarse voice, "...Wh-what?"

"I ask you, why are you infatuated with me?"

The cold wind and snow were biting, but Xie Qingyu's palms began to sweat, and her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was about to jump out of her throat. "...You've discovered it."

“You didn’t hide it very well either, did you?” Yue Yining said. “At first, I thought you just wanted to repay a debt of gratitude and treat me well like a benefactor.”

"It's not that I wasn't suspicious of you. Back in Jiulian Town, I tested you many times. At first, I thought you were after money, and then I thought you were after sex. I deliberately tried to seduce you into sleeping with me, but you refused. Since then, I've believed that you truly consider me your benefactor, and have no other intentions—"

Before she could finish speaking, Xie Qingyu suddenly coughed.

His eyes widened: "You...you were seducing me?"

Yue Yining paused, then looked up at him. "Yes."

"However, if you had actually gotten into my bed back then, I would have used a drug to knock you out, and then have Fu Yao carry you out and throw you outside."

"..." Xie Qingyu tightened her throat, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as if she had thought of something. "I..."

"Later in Yanjing, we met again. You treated me so well that it went far beyond repaying a debt of gratitude, so I always suspected that you had fallen in love with me." Yue Yining said slowly, "After returning from handling the case in Suyang, I deliberately tested you by making two identical sachets. I gave one to you and the other to Ye Miheng."

"As I expected, you really care about this matter, and you're always competing with him in front of me. Later, Ye Miheng even came to me and said that you even had someone steal his sachet, is that right?"

When Xie Qingyu heard her recount the secret behind the sachet, she was first taken aback, and then, upon hearing her revelation, her body stiffened instantly.

He hadn't expected her to know even about his secret sabotage against Ye Miheng; a wave of panic washed over him. "I..."

"Don't argue with me, just answer whether you did it or not."

"...Yes." After struggling for a long time, Xie Qingyu felt a sense of relief the moment she admitted it. "I did it."

“I’m jealous of him,” the man before me said, dignified and composed, his face as white as jade, his expression calm and quiet. Only the flush on his neck and his low, husky voice revealed the turbulent emotions he was experiencing as he spoke these words. “I’m jealous that he can also get what Miss gave me.”

Yue Yining stared at him intently.

She wasn't about to back down, and slowly continued, "During the disaster relief efforts in Qinghuai, on our last night in the cave, you kissed me after I fell asleep. You admit that, right?"

As Yue Yining gradually exposed his thoughts and the numerous crimes he had committed, Xie Qingyu completely gave up any desire to beg for mercy or explain. He could only bow his head and numbly confess, "Yes."

It turns out she was awake at that time too.

Xie Qingyu blushed, as if she knew she was extremely ashamed. She lowered her head slightly and looked at her shyly. Her figure was like a mountain of jade, and her eyes were like calm autumn water.

“…I have already said a lot,” Yue Yining looked at him, “but you still haven’t answered my question from the beginning.”

Xie Qingyu naturally understood which issue she was referring to.

He felt his throat parched again and lost his voice.

Why did he fall in love with her? Xie Qingyu had thought about it many times. If he hadn't chosen the history of the Eastern Yuan Dynasty as his theoretical topic, if he hadn't studied this history day and night for ten years, if he hadn't read the book "Yining" and hadn't become Xie Qingyu in the book, he wouldn't have fallen in love with Yue Yining.

If any link in the chain had been out of place, he wouldn't be where he is today.

This question is meaningless. As long as he is Xie Qingyu, a history researcher, and Xie Qingyu, the eldest son of the Xie family, he will definitely love her.

His destiny was to convert to her.

I once used red beans as mud and snow, but who knew that longing would penetrate to the bone?

During those days of longing for her, he tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He searched for her shadow word by word in the vast sea of ​​history books. There were very few records of women during the Dongyuan Dynasty. He flipped through them dozens of times. He remembered every name, but none of those women were Yue Yining.

The only person he wanted to know about was someone whose name could not be found in the history books.

Only from that novel of unknown origin, named after her, could he learn about her story—her tragic yet poignant life.

Later, he came to her side and witnessed her vivid and bright smile, which moved him more than reading thousands of dry and dull books. Words on paper are just clumsy and crude summaries, unable to capture even a fraction of her charm. Illuminated by her radiance, his love for her grew naturally and gradually became stronger.

She said she would never regret it, but he knew that one day she would.

He was all alone, asking for nothing more than to earn her a free and fulfilling life.

I don't need to be remembered for eternity, I only wish for a fulfilling life in this world.

“…Miss doesn’t recognize me,” he said, “but I’ve known you for a long time, and I’ve always looked up to you.”

“I was too greedy. At first, I was already overjoyed and happy just to be Miss’s servant. But people’s hearts are never satisfied. Later, I began to crave Miss’s gentleness and always wanted to stay as close to you as possible, hoping to receive your favor and care. Later still, I wanted Miss to look at me, love me, and be special to me alone.”

“I am a very jealous and greedy person. I cannot control my growing desire for Miss and my ever-increasing infatuation. I know I should have stopped long ago and understood my own status and position, but I am already hopelessly addicted.” His eyelashes trembled slightly as he whispered, “Miss has no idea how happy I have been these past few days.”

"But I also know that I stole these days, and soon I will have to give them back."

"Anything else?" Xie Qingyu felt he was already drunk, otherwise why would he feel that Yue Yining's gaze was inexplicably gentle? "Tell me everything."

What happened to the wound on my arm?

"I drew that line myself while I was thinking about you, Miss. I'm so sorry, I was just feeling so terrible..."

"Why did you hide the fact that you knelt down during the disaster relief efforts in Qinghuai? Why didn't you tell me about all the sacrifices you made? Aren't you usually so good at taking credit?"

"No, no, that was all I was supposed to do. I did it willingly. I didn't feel humiliated, and there was nothing to brag about."

Yue Yining looked at him: "How have you been these past few days since I stopped talking to you?"

Xie Qingyu opened his lips, his eyes reddening at some point. He said in a hoarse voice, "...No, not at all. For the past three months, I have been in so much pain every day. I would rather Miss hit me than be treated coldly and ignored by Miss."

“I… despise being an official, despise the dealings with powerful families, and despise the court full of scheming and treacherous officials. I miss the time in Jiulian Town when I wanted to make tea for Miss, feed her the meals I cooked, wake her up in the morning, and warm her bedding at night. I'm sorry, but those are all in the past, yet I still can't forget them and yearn for time to turn back. It is shameless of me.”

"I don't want to be Xie Qingyu of the Xie family, I just want to be Miss Ayu."

"I...I love...I love you, Miss." Though it was difficult, he finally managed to stammer out the words. The moment he revealed his true feelings, Xie Qingyu seemed to realize his embarrassment, closed his eyes, and bitterness instantly filled his mouth. "Please forgive me, Miss. I was despicable and shameless, I was utterly vile—"

Xie Qingyu was unable to finish speaking because a pair of slender wrists reached over the wine pot on the stone table and cupped his face.

The moment he opened his eyes, Yue Yining kissed him.

Cool lips, a fleeting kiss, he tilted his head back, his eyes filled only with the deep blue night sky and falling snow, and Yue Yining's magnified eyelashes, beneath which a faint smile seemed to flicker in her clear, pool-like eyes.

“Say it again.” Yue Yining stood up at some point, her green robe flowing over the stone table like water. She pressed his shoulder, lowered her eyelashes and looked down at him, saying softly, “Don’t say the last part, just say the first part.”

“I…I…I love…Miss…” Xie Qingyu stared blankly at her, completely forgetting how to think, his mind and eyes filled only with those moist red lips, the red lips that had just kissed his lips.

He thought he must be hallucinating.

Yue Yining touched his face, her fingertips tracing his fair skin, still unable to help but admire him in her heart. What a handsome face! She liked him so much. She had liked his looks before, but she always tried not to look at him too much, afraid that her heart would be corrupted.

A beautiful woman is meant to be admired, not to be flirted with. If one flirts with her too much, one's resolve will be shattered. She is destined for great things; how can she let a few pretty faces distract her from her studies, or let worldly love and affections hold her back?

But as she watched her life come to an end, she wondered if she had been too sensible, having only been willful once or twice in her entire life.

The first time she acted willfully in her life was after she divined the fate of the country and betrayed her master, ignoring Qiu Wuzhu's warnings and obstructions, and went down the mountain alone.

In the second act of her life, she bought a dilapidated old house in Jiulian Town. She finally had her own little courtyard, a courtyard full of bamboo and trees, even though she knew she would leave it in a year.

Because that house represented her childhood aspirations. She always dreamed that one day she could be free from homelessness, have a small home, settle down and live a peaceful and happy life.

Those born into a life of ease and comfort always yearn to achieve great things, while those born into hardship and suffering seem to be easily satisfied. She had only wandered in this world for about twenty years, yet she had experienced all sorts of bitterness. She cherished the "ordinary happiness" that others discarded, because even that was a life she had once found unattainable.

The old wooden house fulfilled everything she had hoped for. Rather than saying she wanted it, buying it was more like she was fulfilling an unfulfilled wish of her younger self, and bidding farewell to the past.

For the rest of her life, she will live for the people of the world and scheme for their benefit.

This is the third time.

Heaven forgive her, and consider this act of willfulness a reward for her constant hard work. She vowed that this would be the last time she acted so recklessly.

This was the third time in Yue Yining's life that she had acted impulsively. She wanted to follow her heart's desire and reciprocate this person's love for her.

This person came for her.

She could find a thousand reasons not to love him, but she wanted to love him.

Looking at Xie Qingyu, who was completely stunned, she chuckled, her icy expression instantly melting into a smile. "What's wrong? Stunned? Aren't you going to say anything?"

Xie Qingyu finally regained his voice. He didn't understand what Yue Yining meant, but he vaguely felt that the sky seemed to be brightening. His heart, which had been as silent as death, was suddenly revived by the light and began to beat wildly and recklessly.

He couldn't even speak properly; he was completely flustered. "Why... why did Miss... why did she kiss me just now...?"

"Xie Qingyu," Yue Yining called him softly, "I just thought about it, and I also have some feelings for you."

She spoke briefly and gently, but with just that one sentence, Xie Qingyu suddenly tightened her arms.

He pulled her into his arms, his hands gripping her shoulders, pressing her tightly against his chest.

The voice sounded like it was about to cry, lacking its usual composure and clarity, trembling as it pressed on incessantly in her ear: "...Really? Is everything you said true, Miss? You're not just making fun of me?"

Yue Yining's lower face was pressed against his shoulder, her nose filled with the scent of snow and the faint, cool pine fragrance emanating from Xie Qingyu.

Hearing his growing sobs, she inexplicably felt her heart soften completely.

Yue Yining, who never said sweet words to coax men, spoke up for the first time. Her gentle voice rang softly in his arms: "Really? This is the first time I've ever told someone I like them."

"I'm not like you; I don't lie to people easily."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a chill on the back of her neck. She paused, realizing it was his tears.

“…Xie Qingyu?” she called softly, her folded arm reaching out to straighten.

She placed her palm on his chest and gently pushed him. Xie Qingyu sensed her intention and stopped pushing. Yue Yining then left his embrace and saw his face covered in tears.

"...Why are you crying so pitifully?" She wiped away his tears with her fingers. Xie Qingyu looked at her with misty eyes. Her warm fingertips wiped away his tears. He saw Yue Yining's slightly upturned lips and the soft light in her eyes. "I was just joking. I don't care about you lying to me anymore."

"If he still harbors resentment, how could he possibly tell you he likes you?"

"Miss, Miss..."

Yue Yining's vision went dark as Xie Qingyu leaned over her, her lower back pressed against the stone table, leaving her nowhere to retreat, and he pressed her down and kissed her.

His kisses were haphazard, relentlessly entangled with her lips and tongue. His arms were wrapped around her, running from her shoulders to her slender waist, holding her completely in his embrace and refusing to let go. His movements were clumsy and reckless, intense and frantic.

Repeated words fell along with a barrage of kisses. In the midst of the chaos, he opened his chest, revealing his true heart to her again and again: "Miss, I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Snowflakes had accumulated on the trailing hem of Xie Qingyu's clothes. Xie Qingyu's reckless kissing was so intense that even Yue Yining, who was trying to remain calm, was almost out of breath, her cheeks gradually turning red. Fortunately, he let out a whimper and finally stopped her just as Yue Yining was about to hit him.

Xie Qingyu gasped for breath, his eyes glistening with tears, and he said in a hoarse voice, "...Am I really not dreaming?"

In that moment of confusion, he thought he was about to die.

I'm so happy I could die.

Yue Yining reached out and placed her palm on his neck, the two hot hands touching, gazing into his reddened eyes.

She slightly curved her eyes, lowered her head and kissed him again, her smile captivating. "Is this what you call a dream? Then you'll be heading to the underworld later, won't you?"

Xie Qingyu's chest heaved as he returned her kisses, then he lifted her up and carried her away from the courtyard.

Late at night, the snow falls, and the sky breaks into jade.

The red plum blossoms left their mark on the flawless white snow, and he left a kiss mark on her smooth neck.

Countless warm and tender kisses.

Inside, the stove burned even brighter, the flames clustered together, illuminating a corner of the bed curtains.

The dark curtains were drawn, and one piece of clothing after another was thrown off the bed and piled lightly on the floor.

Yue Yining had already straightened up and was supporting his shoulder.

Xie Qingyu's breathing quickened: "Miss..."

Yue Yining pinched his chin, forcefully making him look up at her, and whispered from her red lips, "Don't you want to?"

She traced his collarbone with her finger and slid it down, saying, "You have to do it whether you like it or not."

She smiled. "I've heard that as a scion of a noble family, you are extremely virtuous and chaste. Today, I forced you into this situation. Do you feel humiliated and want to kill yourself?"

Her response was Xie Qingyu's heavy breathing and the touch of her fingers.

Yue Yining groaned and couldn't help but bend over.

The incense sticks broke and broke, almost burning out. Yue Yining didn't get a reply, but her eyes became a little blurry. She closed her eyes and felt his fingers leave from underneath, wet and sticky. She shivered slightly.

Xie Qingyu put his arm around her waist and let her sit on top of him. He slowly swallowed her, and her waist and abdomen suddenly tightened. Sweat dripped down and soaked their chests.

A faint murmur escaped his throat, and his flushed face and eyes had long since melted into a pool of water, as if he were completely drunk.

Desires burst forth unleashed, no longer concealed or disguised.

"Didn't you see me humiliated before, Miss?" His lips met hers, his breath warm against her nose, his voice hoarse and indistinct. "In your eyes, Miss, I am already a shameless scoundrel."

-----------------------

Author's Note: [Yuanbao] Some Talk:

Ningning's gentleness is very divine, and I have always tried my best to portray the contradictory aspects of humanity and divinity in her.

The desire to protect herself and live a peaceful life as an ordinary person who has experienced tragedy, versus the desire to save the world and uphold justice with extraordinary talent, these two thoughts constantly battled in her mind.

I think this is what makes it real; after struggling, one chooses to sacrifice, and thus ordinary people acquire a divine quality.

So I saw some comments saying that Ningning would be afraid of Yuyu and would run away after she found out his true colors. But actually, Ningning wouldn't. If she really knew everything, she would feel that it was her responsibility, that she had the obligation and the ability to guide Xie Qingyu back to the right path, and she would definitely do it. She wouldn't run away.

The highest virtue is like water. Ningning is like water, which is inclusive, gentle, profound and enduring. It can bear countless sorrows and hatreds and transform them into love and hope.

(Of course, Ningning doesn't go to such lengths to care for just anyone; it's just that she genuinely likes Yuyu, and love is a very important factor.)

P.S.: It's a navel orange, but unfortunately I can't write more about it (regretful look). Anyway, there should be more couples' prey unlocked later [sunglasses]. Stay tuned!

Since we don't have any gifts to give, let's just give this young couple a bottle of nutritional supplement. [kissing emoji][heart emoji]