Chapter 23: If you dare to run away, I'll lock you in the bed.

Qu Rong always thought Li Yue'er was scheming and ambitious, but she never expected her to be so greedy and insatiable.

It was fine last night, but she wants it again today.

He held her finger tightly, unwilling to let go.

Both mouths have their own desires.

Li Yue'er was curious about Su Rou's background, but she also wanted her mistress to delve deeper into it. However, she couldn't ask her mistress to continue as she was told, so she could only say some nice things, "She misses you."

Are you drooling with envy?

The mistress didn't speak, but looked up at her expression, her face expressionless, making it impossible to discern her joy or anger.

Li Yue'er was kneeling, a head taller than the mistress, looking down at her from a superior position. But even though she was looking down from a high place, she always felt that she was being looked down upon by the mistress.

Her expressive eyes were reflected in the mistress's cool and aloof gaze.

Li Yue'er was so embarrassed that her ears turned red.

She hadn't intended to do this; it was the mistress's hand that wandered under her skirt, which aroused her like this.

Just as Li Yue'er was about to slide down from the armchair, she felt the mistress's other hand on her waist and hip, stopping her from retreating.

Li Yue'er looked into the mistress's eyes again.

The mistress had already looked away, and Li Yue'er could only see the small, red, carp-like beauty mark at the corner of the mistress's eye, the only bright and vivid color on the mistress's cold and indifferent face.

Li Yue'er lowered her head and gently touched the spot with the tip of her nose.

An unintentional little movement prompted the mistress to speak, "...kneel a little wider."

Li Yue'er lowered her eyes to hide the light in them, and obediently spread her knees a little wider, half-kneeling and half-sitting, pressing them against the warm palms of her mistress.

This posture makes it seem like they're swallowing even deeper.

Li Yue'er tried to straighten up and create some distance, but the more she moved up, the more her mistress chased after her. Unless she got off the chair, she couldn't escape her mistress's grasp. Just like her, unless she died, she would probably never be able to escape her mistress.

Are you scared?

Li Yue'er wasn't too afraid, just a little flustered.

It was so deep that it made her heart race, as if she were about to be pierced through.

Tears streamed down Li Yue'er's face, landing on her mistress's clothes. She grabbed her mistress's shoulders with both hands and bowed her head obediently, saying, "Mistress, I was wrong. I dare not, I dare not run away again."

The higher she climbed, the colder the mistress became.

This person responds better to gentle persuasion than force.

Li Yue'er slowly tried to sit back down, her hands now gripping the smooth edge of the armchair behind the mistress, her breath trembling and her eyelashes fluttering.

Qu Rong said, "I can indulge your pride, but you must not let yourself become arrogant."

Li Yue'er nodded, and tears fell again.

Qu Rong glanced down at her clothes and ultimately let her go.

Li Yue'er is more insightful than Su Rou, and also bolder and more resourceful.

Qu Rong needed to make some things clear to her in advance, lest she have other plans. "I asked Su Rou to teach you how to manage the household, so naturally I need you to be of use to me, and only to me."

Whether in bed or out of bed, from the moment Li Yue'er begged her that night, she had always belonged to her.

Li Yue'er didn't understand why her mistress was emphasizing this again. Could it be that she was too happy to become Su Rou's apprentice and thought that she wouldn't have to rely on her mistress after learning a skill, and that her mistress had seen through her?

When she wondered why Su Rou married Steward Shi, her deeper thought was that Su Rou was clearly capable, so why did she condescend to be a second wife? Just by looking at Shi Yi's age, it was clear how much older Steward Shi was than Su Rou.

Perhaps because of the examples of Li Juren and her mother, Li Yue'er instinctively wanted to rely on herself rather than depend on others and end up like her mother.

Although she is currently clinging to the mistress, deep down she still hopes to one day break free from the mistress's control and be able to support her own family...

Especially after learning that he could learn accounting, he was so happy that he became a little carried away. Just now, he not only dared to act coquettishly with the mistress, but also kept asking her about Su Rou's background.

The hidden thoughts in her heart, things that she herself might not have figured out or thought through, were actually seen through and revealed by the mistress in just a few words.

Li Yue'er looked away, not daring to look at her mistress again.

The mistress has a natural talent for understanding people's hearts.

Qu Rong glanced at Li Yue'er's expression, pursed her lips, then gave a mocking smile and asked in a low voice, "Scared?"

Even when Li Yue'er was being disrespectful to her, she already knew the changes in Li Yue'er's thoughts.

Li Yue'er nodded obediently.

Qu Rong laughed again, "I'm afraid they're still 'biting' so tightly."

Li Yue'er, "..."

Li Yue'er bit the mistress's shoulder.

The mistress is best at giving a slap followed by a sweet treat.

This solitary act of pleasure filled Li Yue'er with trepidation. Rather than satisfying her, it was more like the mistress demonstrating her "methods," a unique form of discipline tinged with a hint of warning.

Li Yue'er felt that she really had no pride at all, because she didn't resist it at all, and even enjoyed it when the mistress quietly poked at her without saying a word.

The mistress's hair was completely dry, as was Li Yue'er's.

When the mistress went out to wash her hands, Li Yue'er was left alone in the washroom.

Li Yue'er breathed softly and carefully sat on the chair where the mistress had sat, enduring the mud and waiting for someone to bring water to wash up.

When she finished showering, changed into clean clothes, and came to the bedside, the mistress was already leaning against the headboard and reading a book, and had even changed into a clean dress.

...because it had just spilled onto the mistress's skirt.

Li Yue'er lowered her head and climbed onto the bed, snuggling up to her mistress and wrapping her arms around her waist.

Qu Rong glanced at her with some surprise.

Just moments ago, Li Yue'er had been curled up like a mouse that had been breathed on by a cat, but now she was stretching out and getting closer to her.

Truly, they can bend and stretch.

Qu Rong looked away, her fingers turning the pages of the book with a soft rustling sound, before asking, "Are you still going to hear about Su Rou?"

Li Yue'er looked up at her and said without hesitation, "Listen."

Qu Rong scoffed, "You only remember the good times, not the bad ones."

Li Yue'er blinked, deliberately raising her hand from around the mistress's waist and abdomen, trying to loosen the skirt's ties and slip inside the mistress's clothes, "It's because the mistress feeds me so well that I want more after I finish eating."

Qu Rong, "..."

Qu Rong reached under the covers, grasped Li Yue'er's restless hand, and looked at her with deep eyes.

If my period hadn't stopped...

Li Yue'er dared not make a fuss anymore and obediently waited to hear the story.

Qu Rong said, "Su Rou was originally the daughter of a high-ranking official. Because her father was convicted, her whole family was implicated. The men were exiled to Lingnan, and the women were sent to the frontier to become prostitutes."

"Manager Shi had once received a favor from Su's father and spent all his family's wealth to redeem Su Rou. In order to prevent Su Rou from being implicated by the Su family's affairs, he officially married Su Rou as his second wife."

Li Yue'er grasped the key point: "On the surface?"

Qu Rong looked down at her and said, "Manager Shi is old enough to be Su Rou's father. If he is repaying a debt of gratitude, how could he possibly ruin his benefactor's daughter?"

"Because he married Su Rou as his second wife, his first wife was divorced. Fearing that Steward Qu would mistreat his son after having a second wife, he took Shi Yi away. Two years ago, Steward Shi fell seriously ill and his first wife remarried, so Shi Yi returned here to fulfill his filial duties and observe mourning."

Qu Rong pointed at Li Yue'er, "Su Rou received a favor from Steward Shi, and not only did she observe mourning for him, she also had to worry about his son's affairs. Even someone as cold-blooded and selfish as her never thought of leaving the Shi family."

She was practically saying, "Look at yourself!"

Before its wings have even grown feathers, it's already thinking about where it will fly once its wings are fully grown.

Li Yue'er began to play dumb, "Sister Su doesn't seem like a cold-blooded and selfish person."

Qu Rong scoffed, "Su Rou only cares about herself. She treats Shi Yi with all her heart, but she just wants to hide away as the Shi family's stepmother."

Even sending Shiyi to work for the Qu family was a way to establish a connection with them, hoping that the Qu family might lend a hand if anything happened in the future. Just like when Aunt Tan redeemed her, she used the Qu family's connections.

But Li Yue'er was different. She came from a clean and respectable family, and her only stain was that she became a concubine in a merchant's household.

Once they gain their freedom and receive their indenture, they will naturally not have to hide in the Qu family like Su Rou did when she sought protection.

Qu Rong covered Li Yue'er's face with the book, placed her hand on the edge of Li Yue'er's pillow, and threatened in a low voice, "If you dare to run away, I'll strip you naked and lock you in the bed."

Li Yue'er, "..."

She probably wouldn't dare to run away, but since the mistress had said so, if possible, she really wanted to try this tempting outcome.

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Moon: Why are you rewarding me? [shy]

Mistress: ...[melted]