Chapter 34

Moonlight streamed in through the window cracks, illuminating the stubbornness in his eyes, yet it was coated with a layer of gentle sugar.

His hand slid down his clothes, his fingertips brushing against Su Zhelan's waist, causing the other to flinch and shudder.

"Don't dodge," Xiao Qiyun chuckled softly, biting Su Zhelan's lip with a light touch, almost like a kiss.

"Aren't you the best at teaching? You can even fool that blockhead Sheng Xuan. Teach me, hmm?"

Su Zhelan's throat tightened, and her tears fell even more fiercely, but he gently wiped them away with his fingertips.

“Teach me…” Xiao Qiyun’s voice was close to his lips, seductive, “Just like now, let me see what you mean by ‘liking’.”

In the darkness, Xiao Qiyun's approach brought an unmistakable heat, mixed with the bitter taste of mint.

He no longer exuded the same oppressive aura as before, but instead used a more unsettling method—a subtle touch, accompanied by warm breath, brushing past her almost imperceptibly, stirring up an indescribable shiver.

Su Zhelan could clearly feel the approaching temperature and scorching breath. An unprecedented panic gripped him, and he gripped the bed sheet tightly with his fingertips, causing deep wrinkles in the fabric and turning his knuckles white from the force.

"Ugh..." A soft groan almost escaped from between her teeth. Su Zhelan bit her lower lip tightly and tasted a faint metallic taste of blood.

He desperately warned himself that if he let out even the slightest gasp, it would be as if he were condoning this out-of-control intimacy.

Xiao Qiyun's breath drew closer, almost touching his forehead as he whispered, "Why aren't you saying anything? Hmm?"

Every word he spoke carried a burning breath, searing Su Zhelan's taut nerves. Moonlight occasionally peeked in, illuminating Su Zhelan's skin glistening with sweat and his tightly pursed, pale lips.

Su Zhelan's Adam's apple bobbed repeatedly, her suppressed breaths hitting her chest, making it ache with a dull pain.

He could feel his body temperature soaring, and his consciousness began to drift. Yet he still bit his lip tightly, even though his lower lip was numb from biting it, he refused to let a single sound escape—it was like a last shred of dignity, teetering on the brink of collapse in this forced intimacy.

Xiao Qiyun could feel the person in his arms trembling slightly, not because of the cold, but because of extreme tension.

This deepened the obsession in his eyes—he wanted to see how long this person could hold out.

When Sheng Xuan came out of the study, it was already late at night. The urgent letter from the border that Sheng Chi mentioned was just a small matter, which could be clarified in a few words, but he lingered for a long time, his mind still preoccupied with Su Lan—his confession during the day had been too rash, and that kiss was even more abrupt; he wondered if Su Lan was still angry.

As he passed through the moon gate, the fragrance of osmanthus filled the air. He walked quietly into the courtyard and could see from afar that the window paper was dark and the lamps were indeed out.

"Looks like you're really exhausted." Sheng Xuan scratched his head, his black cloak sweeping across the stone steps, scattering a few osmanthus petals.

He stood at the courtyard gate, staring at the tightly closed door, a bitter feeling welling up inside him. He knew he was in the wrong today; he had been so loud and impulsive, not considering Su Zhelan's feelings. Anyone would be angry in his shoes.

He moved closer to the door, the moonlight illuminating his hesitant steps on the bluestone slabs. Should he...knock on the door? Even just to hear his voice would be nice. If no one answered, it meant he was truly fast asleep, and he would obediently go back without disturbing him.

Thinking this, he raised his hand, his fingertips hovering over the door, but hesitated to strike. His fingertips brushed against the cold door knocker, and his heart pounded: What if I woke him up? What if he was still sulking, and hearing it was me made him even more annoyed?

A cool breeze, carrying the scent of osmanthus blossoms, crept into her collar. Sheng Xuan took a deep breath, finally making up her mind, her fingertips just about to touch the door panel—

"Ugh..."

A very soft, muffled sound leaked from the crack in the door, as delicate as the wind blowing through a harp string, yet it struck Sheng Xuan's ears precisely.

His movements abruptly halted, his pupils instantly contracting. That sound… didn't sound like the murmur of a sleeper, but rather like… a gasp forced back down by something covering the mouth?

A chill ran down Sheng Xuan's spine; his previous guilt and hesitation were instantly swept away by the strange noise. Without further hesitation, he slammed his palm on the door, the force so strong it startled a night bird in the corner of the yard: "Ze Lan? Are you in there?"

The door was slammed shut with a loud "bang," causing dust to fall from the door frame.

Sheng Xuan's voice, carried by the night breeze, burst in, instantly shattering the silence of the room. Su Zhelan's heart pounded, and in her panic, she instinctively tried to break free, but Xiao Qiyun stopped her with a look.

Sheng Xuan, standing outside the door, knocked on the door again, his voice urgent: "Ze Lan? Are you feeling unwell? Something sounds wrong with you..."

Su Zhelan forced herself to remain calm, took a deep breath, and tried to make her voice sound steady: "N-nothing..."

"I'm...tired today," he said through the door, his voice deliberately weary. "Second Young Master...you should go back and rest early too..."

Sheng Xuan outside the door was silent for a moment. The fragrance of osmanthus blossoms drifted in through the crack in the door, mixed with his hesitant voice: "Are you really alright? Then... you should get some sleep. What happened today... I was a jerk, I'm sorry. I'll come see you again tomorrow."

Su Zhelan gave a vague reply, listening to the footsteps outside the courtyard gate gradually fade away and eventually disappear into the night.

Only when the footsteps were completely out of earshot did Su Zhelan's tense body relax slightly. He turned his head and glared at Xiao Qiyun, his eyes still filled with lingering fear and anger.

Xiao Qiyun chuckled softly, gently stroking his cheek with her fingertips: "Brother, you were really good at pretending just now."

"You!" Su Zhelan's cheeks flushed with anger, and she raised her hand to push him away.

“Alright,” Xiao Qiyun said, taking his wrist and suddenly becoming serious. “There’s plenty of time.”

Before he finished speaking, he had already nimbly rolled out of bed and straightened his slightly disheveled clothes. Moonlight filtered through the window paper, casting dappled shadows on him.

Su Zhelan stared blankly at his retreating figure as he walked towards the window, unsure how to react. It wasn't until Xiao Qiyun nimbly leaped out of the window and disappeared into the night that he came back to his senses.

A cool night breeze blew in through the open window. Su Zhelan gazed at the deep darkness outside, murmuring those four words repeatedly: "There's plenty of time..."

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside him: shame, indignation, panic, and a vague sense of loss. He got up to close the window, and his fingertips trembled slightly as they touched the cold windowpane.

The window latch clicked shut, shutting out the night. Su Zhelan leaned against the window frame and slowly slid down to the ground, burying her face in her hands, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Moonlight streamed through the window paper, casting a cool halo around him and illuminating the long, chaotic night.