Chapter 70 Sister, please be kind to me.

The sound of waves came from the seaside. On the sea, the moon peeked through the clouds, casting a hazy light on the towering tree canopies. The shadows of the trees fell on the roofs of thatched houses, swaying gently in the wind.

Inside the room, two figures nestled together, silently intertwined, indistinguishable from one another.

When their lips parted, both were panting heavily, their foreheads pressed together, their hot breaths mingling, the air thick with an unyielding ambiguity and lingering desire.

Sweat soaked his temples, and the areas where his body was pressed against his skin were incredibly hot.

The hurts, deceptions, and heartbreaks of the past... the sharp past that had stood between them now seemed as thin as a cicada's wing, as if just one more step forward would be enough to pierce through it completely and plunge them into the abyss.

Yuezhi nestled against the warm bed, tightly embracing Pei Heng's back. In her hazy breathing, she could no longer distinguish whether the person in her arms was the liar who caused her heartache and tears, the younger brother she cherished, or the lover who gave her unparalleled pleasure.

In that moment of embracing each other, right and wrong became blurred; all that remained was the warmth surging through their bodies and the reassuring feeling of holding each other.

Pei Heng, panting heavily, nestled his head in the crook of her neck, as if suppressing some impulse. After a moment, he turned his face and kissed the side of her neck, his body gradually rising as he kissed her lips.

The intense demands gradually transformed into gentle caresses, their lips lightly touching and lingering, like a silent comfort and confirmation, filled with a careful and cherished tenderness.

This intimate embrace had been so long since he had lasted; he couldn't bear to stop, much less leave her arms.

The kiss lasted intermittently for nearly an hour, until Yuezhi was so weak that she had no strength left. Her hands, which were holding his back, almost slipped away, and she could only instinctively wrap her slender arms around his neck.

The tenderness he felt during the heat of passion greatly encouraged Pei Heng. He gently kissed her lips, a sigh escaping his lips, "Sister, may I...?"

Even before his voice reached my ears, it was the sensation of his hard pectoral muscles pressing against my heart.

Yuezhi's mind was a complete mess. She hugged him as if clinging to the only mast in a stormy night. Her loneliness was washed away by her impulsive passion. Only when she heard his question did she briefly come to her senses and vaguely answer, "No."

Pei Heng was clearly more lucid than her. He licked her lips with his tongue wet, like a dog that couldn't be shaken off, wagging its tail and arching its head, clinging to her and insisting on having her.

"I won't touch there, but your chest is all wet, and it'll get your clothes dirty... Can I help you?"

His words were very sweet and hit Yuezhi's weak spot, so this time she didn't refuse immediately.

"I'm the one who got you pregnant, had the child, and turned you into this. I should take responsibility for you." The young man's handsome features lingered on her face, his gaze sliding down to the rain-soaked snow-capped peak, his flushed cheeks showing a look of heartache.

How could you bear to leave it unattended?

He carefully licked her lips and entwined his tongue with hers, making her breath sticky and unable to utter a single word of rebuttal.

Then, he used his thumb to loosen the belt and open the collar, saying, "If you don't like it, just treat me like a puppy or a kitten and play with me?"

Yuezhi gritted her teeth, "Don't talk nonsense."

"It's so swollen, it's pitiful, is it because of me?"

"Stop talking."

"I shouldn't say that. I only have one mouth. If I only talk, I won't be able to concentrate on doing my work."

His fingertips lingered on her red, swollen, and moist skin, his voice hoarse: "So beautiful."

Yuezhi looked up at the low thatched roof. Her hand, which had been resting on the back of his neck, fell onto his hair as he moved. The tingling sensation that occasionally ran up her spine made her fingertips tense, sometimes clenching and sometimes opening.

Time is so long, yet so short, like a sweet punishment he gives you. You hate him, and you really want to kick him off the bed, but you also love him so much that you can't bear to part with him.

She was momentarily amused and delighted, and sighed softly.

"Who... taught you all these things?"

Pei Heng looked up at her lowered gaze, licked the sweet taste from his lips, and let out a laugh.

“I noticed that you are plump, but your face is not very fleshy. It must be hard for you to feed your child. I have been wanting to help you with this for a long time. Today I tried it and it is indeed very sweet.”

A surge of anger rose within Yuezhi, and she kicked him, saying, "Whether it's to relieve my worries or to vent your anger, you know the answer in your heart."

A coquettish voice stirred the young man's heart.

Pei Heng's anger wasn't initially that strong, but her gentle and soft words made him almost burst into flames.

But remembering that she said no, he stubbornly refused to utter a single word, secretly finding amusement in himself, lowering his head to continue working hard, speaking haltingly with a hint of flattery.

“If you don’t like my impetuousness, willfulness, and impulsiveness, I will change them all… As long as you don’t kick me out, I’m willing to endure it even if it means spending the whole night.”

"It's so sweet! Do our children usually eat a lot of this?"

"Sister... Yuezhi... I feel so bad, don't you feel bad too? You don't love me, but do you like this body of mine?"

"When we met again at the Marquis's residence, you kept staring at my face. Do I look even more handsome now? Do you like it? I'm handsome in other ways too... Shall I show you?"

"Sister, you are so beautiful and smell so good. I feel like I've eaten it all. I'm such a bad father. Sister, please punish me."

In a moment of euphoria, the impeccably dressed emperor became like a dog in heat, clinging to you and making you weak at the knees, yet his heavy physique made him impossible to push away.

Yuezhi couldn't answer a single one of his half-serious, half-joking remarks. As his words became increasingly explicit, to prevent him from saying anything more nonsense, she had no choice but to kneel down and punish him.

The slightest movement sent shivers down the young man's spine.

Yuezhi couldn't tell whether she loved him or hated him. She only saw that he changed his obedient expression for this tiny touch, which was really pathetic.

He hissed in a low voice, "Is this what you wanted?"

His eyes were glazed over, buried even deeper, "I want anything my older sister gives me."

"If you like it so much, haven't you taken a wife or concubine?"

"No." The young man immediately raised his face, his cheeks sticky and wet, but it didn't change his handsome appearance. His eyes, which were usually bright and reliable, were now pitifully lowered, looking very aggrieved. "I don't want anyone else, my sister will think I'm dirty."

Yuezhi's heart stirred slightly: After nearly two years apart, he really had no one else? Not indulging in romantic relationships, not considering the matter of succession, was he truly only acting as emperor for the sake of the people of the Great Zhou?

His long hair was soft and pleasant to touch, and Yuezhi couldn't resist her old habit of running her hands through his hair.

Feeling the gentle warmth flowing through his heart, he sighed, "After this matter is over, return to the capital, marry and have children as soon as possible, so that the future of the country will have someone to rely on."

"All I want is my sister." Pei Heng's voice was restrained, making it impossible to tell whether it was from pain or joy.

"Perhaps, I should stay in Qingzhou with you. If you don't want to see me, I will watch over you from afar. If you... sigh... still remember something good about me and are willing to let me relieve your loneliness, I, umm... I will definitely do better than any other man."

"Yuezhi, did I do a good job? Would any other man make you feel this comfortable as I do?"

Yuezhi was speechless. She pressed his head down, and both of them felt a tremor in their hearts.

He finally had no time to speak, and the only sound in the room was their breathing. It should have been late at night, and the show was over, but the neighbors were making a ruckus.

The island's inhabitants come from all walks of life, mostly rough men, vagrants, and people of low social status. During the day, they are either bent over by heavy labor or trembling under the whip of the overseers. At night, when they return to their thatched huts to shelter from the wind and rain and embrace their own women, their primal instincts and desires can no longer be hidden.

In the past, perhaps out of consideration for Yuezhi and Pei Heng's "sibling" relationship, the neighbors would restrain themselves and keep their voices down.

But tonight, when Yuezhi pulled people into the house, the simple wooden bed was no match for the two of them, and any slight creaking noise could be heard.

So the sea breeze couldn't dispel the sounds emanating from all directions, from those thatched huts with only stone walls and mud bricks.

Heavy breathing, a woman's moans that sounded like crying, the creaking of the wooden bed as it swayed under the weight, the man's rough language and the woman's mumbled coquettishness... all rose and fell, one sound after another, clearly penetrating their ears.

Yuezhi didn't want to pay attention, but the voice was intrusive, stirring up her emotions that she had finally managed to calm down.

Pei Heng, still unable to find relief, was in even greater distress. She was covered in a fine layer of sweat, and her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of her chest and crash into it.

That hoarse voice left her at a loss: if this fire wasn't quenched soon, neither of them would be able to sleep tonight.

With a determined effort, he rolled over and pinned the person to the bed.

On a night with the sea breeze blowing, an extra creaking sound was heard.

The damp, cold waves were whipped up by the wind and crashed onto the beach in waves, smoothing the rough rocks. In the middle of the night, the restless sounds gradually subsided, leaving only the sound of the waves in one's ears.

*

When Yuezhi woke up, it was just getting light.

The island's morning air, carrying a salty, damp breeze, seeped in through the window cracks, making her fingertips, exposed outside the blanket, feel damp. Before she was fully awake, she felt the weight on her body.

Pei Heng was practically lying on top of her, his head buried in the crook of her neck, his warm, steady breaths brushing against her skin.

An arm encircled her waist, possessively and affectionately, while a leg pressed down on her, as if afraid she would run away.

Half of her body was pressed down firmly, heavy and uncomfortable, but it didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Instead, it felt like a thick cocoon, tightly wrapping her up and giving her a strange sense of security.

Yuezhi tried to move slightly, but found she couldn't break free.

She turned her head and could see his disheveled black hair and a small section of his high nose. He was sleeping soundly at the moment, and the maturity and composure he had deliberately maintained in the past few days had completely disappeared. His eyebrows and eyes were relaxed, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned, revealing an adorable childlike innocence and dependence.

Like a big dog that has finally returned to its den, contentedly cuddling, rolling around, and then falling into a deep sleep.

Her heart softened instantly, as if it had been made sticky by the sea breeze. The distance and aloofness she had deliberately maintained since their reunion had largely crumbled after last night's unconscious intimacy with him.

She looked at him quietly, raised her hand to stroke the back of his long hair that was falling loosely, and even softened her breathing.

After an unknown amount of time, Pei Heng slowly opened his eyes. His beautiful phoenix eyes were initially a little hazy, but when he met her gaze so close to his, his eyebrows curved and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his lips, like sunlight shining on the sea, shimmering and rippling into one's heart.

The next second, he regained consciousness.

Last night, he couldn't resist and kissed her first, then took her, and begged her relentlessly until he finally managed to stay in bed instead of going back to sleep on the floor.

He had promised her he wouldn't be willful anymore, but in the heat of the moment, he said things that made her feel awkward.

Pei Heng's lips were swollen and hot. He raised his hand to wipe them, and they smelled of milk.

Thinking of those captivating details, he hurriedly rolled off Yuezhi, almost falling, and landed on the floor, his gaze unfocused, unable to look at her any longer.

He cleared his throat twice, trying to regain his previous calm and serious tone.

"You, you sleep a little longer, I'll go cook."

Without waiting for Yuezhi's response, he hurriedly put on his coat and walked out quickly. In his haste, he almost tripped over the threshold.

Watching his retreating figure and listening to the sounds coming from the kitchen outside, Yuezhi couldn't help but turn over, burying her face in the blanket that still retained his warmth, and chuckled softly.

She actually found him adorable.

The island is precarious and chaotic. Even if we manage to get off safely, how many days can we spend together? The warmth and tranquility we feel now is like a beautiful dream after two years of loneliness, allowing us to enjoy a brief moment of happiness.

Thinking about it this way, the grudges and resentments of the past are not so important anymore. We can't go back to being siblings, we can't be husband and wife, but being two people who keep each other warm and relieve loneliness is fine too.

At least for this moment, she was genuinely happy.

After dressing and washing up, Yuezhi walked towards the busy figure in the kitchen and said gently, "Do you need my help?"

Pei Heng turned around at the sound, and his eyes flickered for a moment when he saw her before he quickly looked away, his ears gradually turning red. "No need, it'll be ready soon."

"I'll start the fire." Yuezhi avoided his gaze, squatted down in front of the stove, and picked up the tinderbox.

The two of them silently cooked thin porridge, while the other looked down at the flames in the stove. There was no extra conversation, only the occasional soft clinking of pots and pans and the crackling of burning firewood.

The space was cramped, and when Pei Heng handed her the firewood, he was too shy to look her in the eye, but Yue Zhi seemed to see something amusing on his face.

After staring at him for a while, he finally asked, "Did you wash your face?"

Pei Heng blinked, raised his hand to wipe his face, and realized that dried milk stains were all over his face. Even though his long hair covered his forehead, they were still visible when you got close.

He put down the firewood, quickly got up to pour water to wash his face, and while washing, he looked up at her and explained in a serious tone, "I'm not being silly, I just smell like you and forgot about you for a moment."

Yuezhi pursed her red lips, squatted in front of the stove, added more firewood, and looked at him while resting her cheeks on her hands.

"You like it that much?"

"I like it," Pei Heng answered without hesitation.

Yuezhi chuckled, "Do you know what I asked? Your quick answer doesn't seem sincere."

"I like anything that's yours."

He held water in his hands, half of his face submerged in the shimmering water, but his sharp, affectionate eyes were exposed. Strands of his wet hair fell in front of his eyes. With his back to the sunlight, his gaze appeared even more profound, making Yue Zhi feel slightly uneasy.

If she stayed in his presence any longer, she would be drowned by this silent ambiguity.

She got up and stirred the porridge in the pot, then turned around hurriedly, saying, "The sun is nice today, I'm going to air out the blankets."

She took the quilt out to dry on the stone wall. Pei Heng had already washed his face and returned to the kitchen. His eyes followed her everywhere, but whenever she looked over, he would turn away like a startled bird, his cheeks flushed, stammering and muttering something to himself.

Breakfast wouldn't be ready for a while, and Yuezhi couldn't stand the ambiguous silence any longer. She was afraid that if she looked at him again, she would be unable to resist pulling him into the house.

He practically fled, grabbing the bucket and heading out the door.

The well was in an open space between several thatched huts, some distance from the front door. Yuezhi walked slowly, trying to relax.

When they arrived at the well, several women were already there, chatting and laughing as they waited in line to draw water. When they saw Yuezhi coming over, their eyes immediately focused on her, full of curiosity.

"Hey, girl, you're here to get water? Look at your rosy cheeks, wow, you look even prettier than if you'd put on rouge!"

A woman next to her laughed, "We finally slept in the same room last night! We even made a bet, saying why there was no sound from your room, was it because Instructor Zhang was all show and no substance?"

"How's it going? Is Instructor Zhang's injury healing well? How was he at night...?"

Yuezhi's face flushed red, and she hesitated, her hands holding the bucket of water unsure of what to say. Her heart pounded, and memories of last night flooded back uncontrollably.

Seeing her blushing so much she looked like she wanted to disappear into the ground, yet her eyes were full of spring-like joy, the women understood immediately and burst into laughter.

"Oh dear, judging from this, it must be something good!"

"Instructor Zhang looks strong and sturdy; he must be quite capable!"

"This girl is so lucky! She has a caring and considerate man on this island; that's better than anything else!"

They chatted amongst themselves, their tone a mix of teasing and envy.

Surrounded by them, Yuezhi listened to their teasing about "husband and wife," "men," and "night," her cheeks burning.

She clumsily fetched water, vaguely responding to their words, unable to deny or explain.

In the silence, she seemed like a newlywed woman, deeply in love with her husband, being teased by her neighbors in a good-natured way, with a considerate husband waiting for her to come home for dinner.

Yuezhi carried the heavy bucket of water back home, her pace quickening as a sweet feeling welled up in her heart.

*

The person is still the same, the environment hasn't changed, but the mindset has changed, and life is completely different.

Yuezhi began to miss Pei Heng, not only because she felt insecure without him, but also because she missed his flustered yet affectionate eyes, his clumsy yet clingy actions, and even his farewell as he left home touched her heart.

It felt like going back to many years ago, when she was still his older sister, taking care of all the little things, watching him go and waiting for him to come back.

Throughout the day, a long-lost peace enveloped her, and she even began to look forward to the warmth of embracing each other at night.

Before she knew it, the sun was beginning to set. Knowing that Pei Heng would be back soon, she stood up and pretended to go to the yard to collect the quilts, hoping to see him as soon as he got home.

The rattan cane was patted and hit repeatedly on the spread-out bedding, while the gaze kept drifting towards the path in front of the door.

Finally, the young man appeared around the corner and walked towards them.

Yuezhi exhaled softly, the corners of her mouth curving upwards, but the smile froze before it could even reach her face.

Suddenly, a woman darted out from the roadside and blocked Pei Heng's way. Although her clothes were old, she had deliberately dressed up, and she had a shy and timid smile on her face. She was the woman who had caught a cold that Pei Heng had rescued yesterday!

The woman was emotional and tried to tug at Pei Heng's sleeve but failed. With tears in her eyes, she pleaded, "I am willing to become your concubine and take care of you and my sister to repay my sister for saving my life."

Pei Heng was puzzled; he didn't know this woman at all.

Even if she knew Yuezhi, he wouldn't risk exposing his identity by allowing an outsider into his home.

He coldly shooed him away, "You'd better leave now. If you keep bothering me, you might lose your life."

There's no need to bother explaining to irrelevant people.

His expression was sinister, and his hand was already on the sword at his waist. The sword forged on the island was not as good as the one he used to use, but it was enough to intimidate people.

The woman, however, seemed fearless, and placed her hands on his sword sheath. "I have no way to survive. The instructor is so kind-hearted. If he can support a wife, why worry about supporting a concubine? Just consider it as giving me food to eat and keeping a cat or dog at home."

Yuezhi saw it all, but felt cold inside.

She was soft-hearted, which made her even more disgusted by the lack of reward for good deeds. She dropped the rattan cane in her hand, walked over quickly, and before the woman could say a second word, she reached out and grabbed Pei Heng's hand, pulling her behind her.

He addressed the woman, who stood frozen in place, meticulously applying makeup, his voice clear and firm.

"He already has a family and can't accept anyone else."

The woman glanced sideways defiantly, then looked questioningly at Pei Heng behind Yue Zhi.

But the tall man looked down at their clasped hands, his eyes filled with shyness and sweetness. His fingertips repeatedly traced the back of his "wife's" hand, enjoying himself immensely, without giving her a single glance.