Chapter 98 In this situation, why did you kiss me tonight?

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, its cycle never ending.

The once lush and vibrant lotus flowers in the pond have faded, and the large, green lotus leaves are no longer thriving, as if their beauty has been taken away by the approaching autumn. The cicadas' chirping has also become low and sparse, no longer clamoring to disturb people's peaceful dreams, with only a few light, soft murmurs occasionally rising up.

As time passed, one day, two days, three days, four days... gradually, a month went by. Although some people still cared about the Xue family's affairs, they no longer caused a great uproar. Many wealthy and powerful families began to focus their attention on the upcoming autumn hunt.

Before the sunset had faded, Xue Rongyue, with the help of Jingnu, boarded the carriage.

This was the first time she had left the Xue family mansion since the incident.

The coachman skillfully drove the carriage around the long street, heading towards Qin Jin's private residence.

Xue Rongyue lifted the curtain, and a sliver of blood-red sunset fell perfectly on her brows and eyes, outlining her clear, almond-shaped eyes. Looking at the bustling street, she suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.

Before she could finish her thoughts, the carriage quickly stopped at the side gate of the private residence. As she entered, Guang Sheng was about to leave. He was taken aback when he saw her, then smiled and reported, "The young master is in the Hibiscus Pavilion."

To everyone's surprise, when Xue Rongyue arrived at Furong Pavilion, she couldn't find Qin Jin anywhere. She called a servant to ask him and learned that he had moved to Jin Gui Courtyard.

Xue Rongyue sighed and had no choice but to take another step.

Several begonias were planted on both sides of the Qin Mansion's covered walkway. They were not very noticeable in spring and summer, but they began to bloom in autumn. The pink buds had already opened, and although they were not dense, they were still quite beautiful under the candlelight.

Xue Rongyue plucked a flower and played with it in her hand. As she glanced back at the secret room, she didn't pay it any mind at first, but after taking two more steps, she suddenly realized—

The once-secret room, whose windows were all nailed shut with wooden planks, now had a crack in the door.

Xue Rongyue couldn't help but take two steps forward, her gaze probing as she looked into the secret chamber.

There were no lamps lit inside the secret room, and because the windows were boarded up tightly, not a single ray of light could penetrate. Only a lantern hanging under the veranda near the secret room let in a sliver of light through the open door crack, swaying in the night breeze.

This allowed Xue Rongyue to see clearly the open scroll hanging directly opposite the door.

She was taken aback.

She hadn't expected Qin Jin to actually be hiding a painting inside, but it wasn't a painting of a beautiful woman as he claimed, but rather...

Xue Rongyue squinted her eyes, took two more steps forward, and confirmed that the painting was indeed a winter plum blossom appreciation scene.

The painting technique is quite exquisite, and it should be painted by Qin Jin. Under the heavy snow, in a magnificent and rich courtyard, white plum blossoms blend with the snow, showing the cold atmosphere of winter.

Xue Rongyue pursed her lips.

So this is what the painting is like?

She had even thought that Qin Jin had actually secretly drawn her portrait and kept it among the others.

It's just a painting of plum blossoms in the snow, what's the point of hiding it? And why deliberately hide it in a secret room?

Thinking this, Xue Rongyue took a few more glances and actually noticed something amiss.

Under several white plum trees, there was a patch of ground untouched by wind and snow. It wasn't that it was clean, but rather that it was completely empty, as if a piece of a painting was missing.

And look at that missing outline...

Xue Rongyue frowned, how could it be so similar to...

The candlelight flickered, making it difficult to see clearly. Before Xue Rongyue could take two more steps forward, she suddenly heard hurried footsteps approaching from behind.

Xue Rongyue turned her head and saw Guang Sheng running over in a tense and flustered manner.

Swallowing hard, Guang Sheng strode up to Xue Rongyue, curtsied, and asked, "Has my wife not found the young master?"

His figure was perfectly positioned, blocking the open doorway and completely obscuring Xue Rongyue's view.

Seeing this, Xue Rongyue naturally understood why he had returned. She smiled and smiled, but since she wasn't particularly interested in the painting, especially since she wasn't in it, and seeing that he was sweating profusely, she didn't press him and nodded.

Guang Sheng breathed a sigh of relief and quickly instructed the servants who had come with him to lead the way for Xue Rongyue.

After watching Xue Rongyue's figure disappear into the distance, Guang Sheng rushed to the secret room as if his pants were on fire, flustered and anxious, almost shedding a few tears: "How could I have forgotten to close this door! The young master will definitely kill me this time!"

***

Xue Rongyue stepped into the Golden Osmanthus Courtyard, only to find that no lamps were lit inside the courtyard or the house, and the courtyard was shrouded in darkness, with only a few silver rays of moonlight shining down.

She looked suspiciously at the servant who was leading the way, only to see the servant bring over a ladder and place it on a lush old tree near the eaves.

Xue Rongyue understood and instructed Jingnu to climb the ladder at the front and back of the courtyard. Sure enough, they found Qin Jin's figure on a thick tree branch.

He lay on the tree branch, his arm as a pillow, his long, muscular legs slightly bent, covered with a cloak. He was sleeping soundly, but not peacefully, his brows furrowed in a knot.

Perhaps due to overwork in recent days, his eyes are now bruised.

Xue Rongyue stared at him blankly.

This scene inevitably reminded her of the newly emerging plot of the original work that she had seen a few days ago.

On the rainy night when the Xue family was in trouble, he begged for mercy and rode back to the Princess's residence. However, he never said anything, not how he entered the palace to beg the Emperor for mercy, nor how much he paid for it. He showed no intention of taking advantage of the situation, even when she asked him.

After that night, she never saw Qin Jin again. Princess Yu'an, fearing that she might overthink things, came to explain that Qin Jin had only been in office for a short time and was too busy with official duties.

Actually, she knew there was another reason.

After the Xue family's incident, Qin Jin went to the palace to plead for her. Although she was not implicated, many eyes were still watching her. If Qin Jin did not avoid suspicion, countless insults would be hurled at her. Therefore, he could no longer even go to the Princess's residence.

It was precisely because she knew this that she could only wait until the storm had passed before disguising herself to see him.

Xue Rongyue raised her eyes, and the layers of branches and leaves buried the two figures. Apart from Jingnu, there was no one else in the courtyard.

After confirming, she raised her hand, her fingertips trembling slightly with panic, but she did not withdraw it. She pursed her lips and, following the description in the original book, her snow-white fingertips finally landed on Qin Jin's thick, sword-like eyebrows after a moment's hesitation.

Xue Rongyue's heart still couldn't help but clench for a moment.

She knew very well that at the moment her fingertips touched the ground, the precarious barrier between them would be completely shattered, and certain feelings, once revealed, would be impossible to conceal.

My fingertips traced down his thick, sword-like eyebrows, first his prominent brow bone, then his high, straight nose, and finally...

Xue Rongyue's fingertips landed on those thin lips with their clean, sharp curves and a hint of coldness.

Xue Rongyue had no idea what she was thinking at that moment.

Her heart was pounding, and her thoughts were in turmoil. One moment, she was replaying the torrential rain that day, and the way Qin Jin appeared before her, soaking wet, with those eyes looking at her. The next moment, she was replaying scene after scene from the original novel.

But there was one thing she was very clear about—

She knew what she was doing and was well aware of what would come after she did it.

But she still wanted to do it; the emotions that had been churning in her heart all this time urged her to do it.

She thought she could now give a clear answer to Qin Jin's question from that night.

So she withdrew her hand from Qin Jin's lips, then bent down inch by inch, and kissed him amidst her rapid heartbeat.

When their lips touched, Xue Rongyue seemed to suddenly go deaf, unable to hear any other sounds, only the deafening sound of her heartbeat.

Her mind went blank, and Xue Rongyue felt like she couldn't breathe.

Contrary to her appearance, Qin Jin's lips were very soft, so soft that Xue Rongyue didn't know what to do and froze completely.

Then what?

A thought suddenly popped into Xue Rongyue's mind.

So what should she do?

Xue Rongyue thought about it slowly for a long time before she realized what was going on.

There is no answer.

Even the original book's plot ends abruptly, without providing a sequel.

What happens after the kiss?!

Xue Rongyue wanted to shrink back.

She subconsciously wanted to purse her lips, but forgot how inappropriate this action was. Their lips touched and gently caressed each other, and the soft touch made Xue Rongyue stiffen again.

The warmth spread throughout her body, and Xue Rongyue felt as if she had been pushed into a furnace, wishing she could burn up.

This can't go on any longer!

In a panic, she closed her eyes and was about to straighten up when a pair of large hands suddenly gripped the back of her neck.

A warm palm gently rubbed her neck, the force light, yet it restrained her from retreating. Then, the owner of the lips that she had been toying with opened her eyes.

Xue Rongyue stared in astonishment at Qin Jin, meeting his gaze. His usually dark and sharp eyes were now somewhat moist, yet this did not diminish the extremely aggressive look in his eyes.

The warmth of their intertwined breaths made them both feel a little dazed. Qin Jin looked straight at her, but unlike his gaze, Qin Jin's thin lips gently brushed against the corner of her lips, tender and gentle, with a soothing quality, as if afraid of disturbing this beautiful dream.

When Xue Rongyue, not to be outdone, gently rubbed her lips against his in return, the kiss suddenly took on a different meaning.

Qin Jin's eyes darkened. He tightened his grip on Xue Rongyue's neck, pulling her upper body completely into his arms. Suddenly, he captured Xue Rongyue's lower lip in his mouth, a more aggressive and burning kiss than the previous gentle caress.

He forcefully and domineeringly seized her breath, his thin lips pressed tightly against hers, occasionally taking her in his mouth, while his tongue gently pried open her teeth.

Qin Jin tightened his grip, placing his other hand on her slender waist and pulling her into his embrace. Xue Rongyue was gradually overwhelmed by his advances, her fingertips gripping his clothes tightly. The entanglement between their lips and teeth grew more intense, and even their breaths became hot.

"...Qin...Qin Jin, I can't stand up anymore..."

In her panic, Xue Rongyue closed her eyes and pushed Qin Jin haphazardly, managing to squeeze out these intermittent words, mixed with low moans, through the friction of her lips and teeth.

Qin Jin then stopped.

With heavy breathing, his veins bulged and his pale neck, glistening with sweat, tilted back. He only stepped back an inch, not completely letting go of Xue Rongyue. He merely withdrew his hand from Xue Rongyue's neck, while the hand around her waist not only didn't retract but tightened its grip even more.

He supported Xue Rongyue's body with one hand to prevent her from falling. His neck was tilted back, his breathing was unsteady, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his rapid breathing caused his broad and sturdy chest to heave violently.

A cool breeze brushed past her ears, and Xue Rongyue subconsciously pursed her lips again. It was at this moment that she realized how hot her ears were.

It's not just the ears.

Xue Rongyue suddenly became sensitive, even Qin Jin's hand on her waist felt hot to her.

She's thinking of running away again.

Qin Jin clearly understood her; his hand on her waist remained firmly in place, showing no intention of loosening its grip. Moreover, the moment she moved, the pressure on his hand immediately increased.

Qin Jin sat up straight and pulled her up the wooden ladder without saying a word, not even giving her a chance to struggle.

A red blush rose at the corners of his eyes, and Qin Jin's dark, deep eyes were now churning with emotion. The usual coldness in his eyes was gone, and his gaze toward Xue Rongyue was like a hook tempered with fire, burning with desire that seemed to burst forth.

He stared intently at Xue Rongyue's reddened lips, as if he were eyeing his prey, his sharp gaze concealing a surging lust. His gaze slowly moved upward until it met Xue Rongyue's eyes.

His Adam's apple bobbed, Qin Jin's breath was scalding hot, and his voice was hoarse, as if it had just been ground with gravel: "Xue Rongyue, do you know what you were doing just now?"

For the first time, Xue Rongyue felt the word "danger" from Qin Jin. His vigorous and powerful aura enveloped her, making her feel like prey that had been dragged back to its den. The menacing gaze in front of her even made her tense up, and her fingertips turned red.

She instinctively turned her head away, trying to avoid that gaze, and forced out two words: "I know."

Qin Jin took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and suppressed the increasingly surging emotions and desires within him. His voice was deep: "Have you thought it through?"

He pulled Xue Rongyue closer to him, his tone almost clenched through gritted teeth: "After this issue, you will have no chance to back out."

Xue Rongyue knelt in Qin Jin's arms, his hot breath washing over her neck. She pursed her lips, raised her head, and met Qin Jin's gaze: "I didn't mean to go back on my word."

She said, "I can tell you the answer to your question from the other day."

It was as if a huge boulder that had been hanging in his heart had finally been lifted, or as if a prisoner who had been confined for many years had finally seen the tightly closed door opened. As Xue Rongyue's words fell, a mix of emotions instantly overwhelmed Qin Jin.

Before his brain could even process or process the sentence, his heart was already pounding faster and faster, as if it would jump out of his throat.

He was nearly drowned by the overwhelming emotions that were pressing down on him.

The redness at the corners of her eyes became clearer, and Qin Jin's gaze lingered on her. The veins on his hand, which was placed on Xue Rongyue's waist, bulged out. His strength was astonishing, and his gaze was terrifying, as if he wished he could immediately press Xue Rongyue into his very bones.

At the same time, the system notification sounded—

[Attention, host: The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has increased by 2]

[Attention, host: The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has increased by 5]

[Attention, host: The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has increased by 7]

[Attention, host: The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has increased by 9]

[Attention, host: The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has increased by 10.]

......

Xue Rongyue stared at Qin Jin in disbelief, for a moment even doubting whether she had misheard.

What does Qin Jin mean by this?!

How could her two sentences have caused his hatred to skyrocket?!

The words "Are you crazy?" almost slipped out of Xue Rongyue's mouth. She was so shocked she couldn't speak. Fortunately, it didn't last long, and the system notification sounded again—

[Congratulations, host! The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has decreased by 5.]

[Congratulations, host! The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has decreased by 3.]

[Congratulations, host! The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has decreased by 7.]

[Congratulations, host! The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has decreased by 2.]

......

[Congratulations, host! The target [Qin Jin]'s hatred level has decreased by 5, currently at 1. Please keep up the good work.]

Xue Rongyue: ""

What does this mean?

Has Qin Jin really gone mad?

Before Xue Rongyue could figure out what was going on, Qin Jin pulled her into his arms and held her tightly.

Seeing that the hatred value no longer fluctuated, Xue Rongyue breathed a sigh of relief. After hesitating for a moment, she wrapped her arms around Qin Jin's waist from behind and hugged him.

Without saying another word, the two embraced tightly, feeling each other's heartbeats.

Everything seemed to quiet down, and the rustling of leaves in the wind seemed to have faded away. At this moment, they could only look at each other and hear each other's breathing.

A gentle breeze blew, and the moonlight filtered through the gaps, softly bathing the two figures embracing, as if witnessing their union.

Qin Jin held her for an unknown amount of time, until Xue Rongyue's legs went numb, before finally letting go of her.

During the embrace, the two gradually calmed down their emotions, and at least on the surface, no longer showed any turmoil.

Their eyes met, and Xue Rongyue belatedly felt shy, but then she saw Qin Jin's hesitant expression, and her heart, which had been calming down, suddenly skipped a beat.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her cheeks flushing even more, and her fingertips involuntarily tugged at the handkerchief in her hand: "...What, what do you want to say?"

In this situation, it would be fitting to express heartfelt words of love.

What should she reply with?

This was the first time Xue Rongyue had ever been so shy, and the blush on her cheeks showed no sign of fading.

Qin Jin hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, but after much deliberation, he felt this was the best opportunity to speak, so he couldn't help but say, "Now that things have come to this, then..."

"Can the two-year term in the three-point agreement be crossed out?"

Xue Rongyue: "?"

Xue Rongyue: ""

The two stared at each other, Qin Jin blinking innocently with a hopeful look on his face.

Xue Rongyue stopped fiddling with her handkerchief, stopped blushing, and stopped being shy. She looked at him expressionlessly and said, "Is that all you wanted to say?"

Qin Jin: "Ah."

After a moment of silence, Xue Rongyue chuckled twice and uttered those two words coldly: "Dream on."

After saying that, she slapped Qin Jin's hand, which was wrapped around her waist, twice, trying to knock it off.

Qin Jin looked at Xue Rongyue's sudden change of expression, completely bewildered. Just as he was about to ask why, he suddenly remembered something else: "You said that the question from that night has been answered. What is the answer? I want to hear it from you yourself."

You want me to say it myself? You think I'll just tell you because you want to?

Xue Rongyue chuckled coldly twice more: "Did I say that? I don't remember."

Qin Jin's eyes widened: "How can you deny it?"

Xue Rongyue ignored him and stubbornly tried to pull his hand off.

Qin Jin asked twice more, but seeing that Xue Rongyue still didn't respond, he was very unwilling and changed the subject: "Then why did you kiss me tonight, and with whom did you kiss me?"

Xue Rongyue suddenly looked up at him, her eyebrows slightly raised, and repeated, "With whom did you kiss me?"

Seeing that she finally stopped trying to pry his hand off, Qin Jin breathed a sigh of relief, but still pressed on, "Yeah, who exactly were you kissing me with tonight?"

Xue Rongyue pretended to think, then feigned shyness, lowered her head as if she were very embarrassed. Under Qin Jin's expectant gaze, she hesitated to speak, which made Qin Jin even more eager for the answer to the question, but she never opened her mouth.

Who is it?

Just as Qin Jin was about to ask a third time, she finally had enough of teasing him. She looked up, smiled, patted Qin Jin's shoulder, and cruelly uttered three words in his stunned gaze: "Chang'an person."

Qin Jin: ""

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

Author's Note: Persimmon really cares about that two-year deadline [droopy-eared rabbit head]

There are reasons for the fluctuations in hatred levels.

Goodnight everyone~