Chapter 76 Cold Spring (Part Two)

With another splash, water sprayed everywhere, and just as Chu Jianshan was about to curse, his lips were sealed with a kiss.

Cheng Yuan held him tightly in his arms, preventing him from moving. He held his waist with one hand and pressed his head down with the other to keep him still, making it easier for him to kiss him more passionately and deeply.

Chu Jianshan could only make whimpering sounds, unable to break free no matter what he did.

Strangely, the spring water wasn't cold this time; instead, my body felt increasingly warm, as if something was about to burst forth.

He tried to push the person off him, but was pressed even deeper. Cheng Yuan even dragged him into the depths of the spring, his knee pressing between his legs, forcing him to lose his balance and only able to hold onto his neck to keep himself upright.

The water shimmered, the moonlight was shattered into sand, and the ripples gathered into waves that crashed against Chu Jianshan's thin body. He was almost half-floating in the water, clinging tightly to the only straw that was in front of him.

They were getting deeper and deeper, and the water was almost up to their mouths and noses. He could only breathe when the waves subsided, but Cheng Yuan was still unwilling to let go, and the feeling of suffocation became more and more obvious.

"Enough...enough!" Chu Jianshan pushed him away abruptly, but choked on his water and couldn't finish his sentence.

Before he could cough, Cheng Yuan suddenly pulled him down, and both of them ended up underwater.

Chu Jianshan struggled to float to the surface, but Cheng Yuan pressed him down.

The water was stirred up and became murky. Chu Jianshan couldn't help but cough, forcing the air out of his mouth, and his body began to slowly sink.

Just as he was about to sink to the bottom, Cheng Yuan pulled him back and gave him mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

As his consciousness gradually returned, Chu Jianshan slowly opened his eyes, looking at the person with the perverse sense of humor in front of him, as if he were seeing this side of him for the first time.

As soon as the two broke the surface of the water, Chu Jianshan started coughing violently. Cheng Yuan pulled him up and made him lie on top of him.

Chu Jianshan was panting heavily, wishing he could beat this rebellious disciple to death.

"You...did it on purpose."

It's not a question; he's certain this person did it on purpose.

Cheng Yuan put him down and looked down at the person beneath him. "Yes, I did it on purpose. I wanted you to know that only I can save you."

He lowered his head, as if he were about to kiss him again.

"I am your only lifeline."

Snap—

A crisp slap.

Chu Jianshan stood there, his hands still trembling slightly. "Have you had enough fun?"

A burning pain shot through his face, but Cheng Yuan's smile only deepened. "Master did a good job hitting me. But since we've already hit you, we need to go even further to make up for it."

"You want more... um!"

Chu Jianshan's outer robe was ripped off in an instant and thrown aside, floating alone on the spring water.

Chu Jianshan was pinned to the edge of the spring, and Cheng Yuan began kissing him from the corner of his mouth, slowly moving down to his snow-white neck and then to his collarbone.

"You...no, not there!"

The more Chu Jianshan tried to refuse, the weaker his body became. His consciousness was hazy, and his face was burning hot. His slender white fingers rested on Cheng Yuan's shoulder. He wanted to push him away but was powerless. Instead, it seemed as if he was trying to refuse while welcoming him, and his desire was unfulfilled.

When Cheng Yuan encountered him, Chu Jianshan was startled and his mind cleared up instantly. However, Cheng Yuan did not give him any chance to resist. His broad body encircled him completely, leaving no gap for him to escape.

Chu Jianshan tilted his head back, revealing his fair and delicate neck. A few drops of spring water slid down from his neck, only to be kissed away by Cheng Yuan again.

"This won't do," Chu Jianshan thought. He had never met Cheng Yuan like this before. There was no restraint, no gentleness. He was a puppet completely controlled by desire.

And it's quite obvious that he's happy to be dominated.

"Master, is it comfortable?" Cheng Yuan asked again, close to his ear.

"You...you're not allowed to ask!"

Cheng Yuan curled his lips into a smile. "I'm going to ask anyway, Master, you're feeling very comfortable, aren't you? I just didn't dare to say it out loud because I was concerned about Master's reputation."

Chu Jianshan practically gritted his teeth, "Get...out of my way!"

"If I leave now, my master will be very upset."

Cheng Yuan's movements became increasingly forceful, and the spot where his hand gripped Chu Jianshan's waist was already red. It was as if he had some obsession with making Chu Jianshan cry out, so he pinched him harder.

"ah……!"

Chu Jianshan did indeed scream, and it wasn't just from pain.

He leaned on Cheng Yuan's shoulder, panting. Cheng Yuan, unusually, didn't tease him anymore, giving him time to catch his breath.

After calming down, Chu Jianshan still felt suffocated and wanted to beat him up, but he was too weak. So, in anger, he bit Cheng Yuan hard on the shoulder.

"hiss……"

Cheng Yuan looked over and saw that a tooth mark had been bitten on his left shoulder, with traces of blood still visible. Chu Jianshan hadn't held back; he was aiming for blood.

"Is Master repaying kindness with enmity?"

Chu Jianshan glared at him fiercely, "If I were to repay kindness with enmity, Mo Yang would already be holding a knife to your neck by now."

Cheng Yuan raised an eyebrow slightly, "In short, Master is comfortable now, so to be fair, Master should also help me."

Chu Jianshan's pupils widened slightly, and he certainly understood the meaning behind his words.

"Don't even think about it!"

"There's no other way, I've already thought about it."

Cheng Yuan grabbed Chu Jianshan, who was trying to run away, and this time he used his spiritual power to hold him tightly in his arms. As expected, Chu Jianshan struggled fiercely.

Seeing that Chu Jianshan was about to erupt, Cheng Yuan gently rested his chin on Chu Jianshan's shoulder.

In an instant, the flames were extinguished.

The way the child nestled against the adult made it impossible for Chu Jianshan to stay angry.

"Master," Cheng Yuan said softly, "it's been so long since I've hugged you like this."

Chu Jianshan lowered his eyes, his eyelashes trembling slightly, and said in a hoarse voice, "It hasn't been that long, has it?"

"But I just feel like it's been a very, very long time, like a lifetime."

He hugged Chu Jianshan tighter and rubbed his face against Chu Jianshan's like a kitten, "Master, it hurts."

Upon hearing this, Chu Jianshan panicked, thinking it was an old injury flaring up, and quickly turned around to check.

Taking advantage of the moment he turned around, Cheng Yuan pressed his head down and kissed him again.

This time it wasn't so harsh; it was as gentle as the spring water, making Chu Jianshan fall in love with it.

He willingly succumbed to the kiss, slowly wrapping his arms around Cheng Yuan's neck, savoring every moment.

The ripples in the water gradually increased in size, one ripple was broken by another larger ripple, stumbled and bumped to the shore, and then turned back.

The soft murmur of water sounded like human groans, intermittent yet continuous. The dark clouds swirling around the crescent moon dispersed, and the bright moonlight clearly illuminated every patch of white and crimson.

As a result, Chu Jianshan's teeth mark was also branded on Cheng Yuan's other shoulder.

The culprit was still unconscious. Cheng Yuan picked him up, covered him with dry clothes, and carried him back to his room.

They encountered many servants on the way, and although they dared not look up because of Cheng Yuan's imposing presence, they still caught a glimpse of him. After the two left, they began to whisper among themselves, wondering who the person in his arms was.

Cheng Yuan looked down and saw that the person in his arms was breathing steadily. He was much quieter than usual after falling asleep. Cheng Yuan just stared at him, not even wanting to blink.

Let this road be a little longer.

...

"hot……"

Chu Jianshan muttered something, pulled off the clothes covering him, and reached out to block the sunlight streaming into the room.

Based on his experience, the sun is probably high in the sky by now.

After finally getting out of bed, I rubbed my numb lower back, and then felt sore all over after standing up.

Looking around, this room was not the one from yesterday; it should be Cheng Yuan's main room, much larger and fully furnished.

He walked up to a sandalwood box and, judging from its shape, believed it contained a sword.

Chu Jianshan subconsciously thought it was Cheng Yuan's black iron sword. He had seen that sword before, but his hand was out of control and reached for the wooden box.

The box wasn't locked, and he opened it easily.

Liuyin lay there quietly.

Chu Jianshan stopped all movement, and after a long while, he gently stroked the Liuyin sword, as if touching a spring of memories.

The wooden box was closed again, and Chu Jianshan, as if nothing had happened, walked a few steps into the yard to bask in the sunlight.

As March arrived and the weather gradually warmed up, swallows began building their nests on the beams. However, this pair was clearly novices, carrying fresh mud in their beaks but unsure where to begin.

"ah!"

A girl's scream pierced their ears, startling the newlyweds.

Chu Jianshan turned around and saw an ordinary maid carrying a food box, presumably there to deliver food.

Chu Jianshan asked, "What's wrong?"

The girl hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't, and finally asked, "Are you a man?"

"Huh...?" Chu Jianshan wondered if he had misheard.

He looked himself up and down, trying to figure out what it was about him that made her feel he wasn't a man.

Chu Jianshan asked, "Why do you say that, young lady?"

The girl snapped out of her daze, apologized to him, and explained, "It's like this, last night we all saw the Lord carrying someone back to the main house from the Cold Spring. That Cold Spring... the Lord never allowed outsiders to get close to it before."

"So?" Chu Jianshan still didn't understand.

"So... we all thought this person was the Lord's new favorite concubine, but we never expected... it was a man."

“New favorite concubine…” Chu Jianshan pondered these three words repeatedly.

"So that means he had a former favorite concubine?"

The girl remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "Yes...no."

"What's the meaning?"

"That's a long story. The Venerable One's path to the throne was not smooth. Not only were the remaining tribes dissatisfied with the Venerable One, but the largest branch of the Liyuan clan almost rebelled against the Linyi Sect. The former Venerable One wanted the Venerable One to marry Steward Ji in order to appease them. However, the Venerable One was unwilling, which is why it has not been settled until now. But Steward Ji's title as his fiancée has already been made public."

“Steward Ji… Ji Ziyan?” Chu Jianshan realized, then felt something was wrong. “The Li Yuan collateral branch is an old family, they should be surnamed Liu, what does this have to do with Ji Ziyan?”

The girl replied, "Three years ago, at the behest of the former Lord, Steward Ji recognized Liu Xiao as his father."

That makes sense, Chu Jianshan recalled. Three years ago, when He Kun was still in office, it seemed that the Ji siblings only recognized Qiao Yi.

"Where is Cheng Yuan?" Chu Jianshan asked.

The girl replied, "In the study, but the master has instructed that no one should disturb me."

Chu Jianshan then asked, "Do you... have any wine here?"

"Huh?" The girl didn't react. "Yes... I guess so."

"Get me a few jars of good wine, and tell Cheng Yuan to come here tonight."

The girl bowed slightly and said softly, "Yes."