Chapter 24: "Sheng Sheng, when you look forward, you must also recognize the direction ahead."
As dusk approaches, the sunlight is almost at its dimmest point of the day, yet it is not yet dark enough to completely obscure the view.
Xiao Xu was dressed in a dark blue casual suit, his eyes as dark as ink, his emotions hidden deep within them.
"Why are you here?" After regaining her senses, Yun Sheng got up and strode to the door to greet him.
Before Xiao Xu could even speak, a soft, warm touch pressed against his forearm, momentarily throwing his thoughts into disarray. He simply said calmly, "I came to see you after finishing my official duties."
Yun Sheng made a slight tugging motion towards him, but Xiao Xu did not take a step. He then said, "I didn't know Miss Yun was here too. You're still talking, so I'll wait for you outside?"
"..."
Yun Sheng was annoyed by his strange way of speaking, but how could she really let him wait outside? The unfinished conversation had to be ended there.
"We've almost finished our talks, so we won't bother you anymore."
Upon seeing this, Yunzhi also curtsied and said, "Greetings, Your Highness. Yes, we have almost finished our discussion."
Yun Sheng's lying was still not very clever, but Xiao Xu did not want to expose her.
Because she seemed too calm, as if she wasn't worried at all that he might have overheard their conversation, or perhaps she didn't care whether he heard it or not.
Her fair fingers tugged at his sleeve and gently pulled it twice: "Changyu, come in and sit down."
Xiao Xu glanced down at her before nodding and following her inside.
Since they chose a more spacious private room for their private conversation, the room felt somewhat cramped after Xiao Xu entered.
It wasn't that the private room was actually that cramped; it was just that the man was tall and had long legs, and his calm gaze casually swept over the tea set on the table, which brought a strange sense of oppression.
Yun Zhi couldn't be as calm as Yun Sheng, after all, she was the one who started that conversation.
After their marriage, Fifth Master Yun was filled with regret at home. He had spoken many good words about Xiao Ling to Yun Sheng, but now he was too ashamed to face Xiao Xu.
Unexpectedly, she found herself in a similar embarrassing situation to her father. Even though Xiao Xu didn't seem to have overheard their conversation, she still couldn't help feeling guilty.
Yun Zhi was so restless in this mood that she couldn't sit still. After exchanging a few brief pleasantries, she made an excuse to get up and take her leave.
Xiao Xu said, "Miss Yun, please take care. I'll have someone escort you."
"Thank you, Your Highness. I came by carriage myself, so please don't trouble yourself."
Yunzhi left in a hurry; anyone who didn't know better would have thought that she really had an emergency at home, just as she had said.
But Yun Sheng knew the truth and couldn't help but scold, "Why did you scare her?"
Xiao Xu remained silent, glancing at him indifferently.
As the sun sets in the west, rays stream in from the side window, casting soft patches of light on one side of my face.
His expression remained calm, only his eyes showed a slight darkness.
It doesn't seem too scary.
Yun Sheng felt embarrassed when she thought of the image of him leaning down and staring at her with a dreamy gaze. She lowered her head to avoid looking at him.
Only the two of them remained in the private room, sitting opposite each other in silence.
The brief silence was broken by the gurgling sound of water.
As Xiao Xu poured her tea, he asked, "Have you finished everything you needed to do today?"
Yun Sheng let out a soft "Ah," then remembered, "No, not a single thing has been done yet."
Xiao Xu's brow twitched slightly upon hearing this.
So for more than two hours after leaving the mansion, she just chatted with her sisters here.
If he hadn't come looking for her, she might have gone off to do what she needed to do, and he might not have seen her come home until it got dark.
Xiao Xu said coldly, "Are we still going to do it?"
"Of course I'll go."
Yun Sheng was also a little annoyed. He had lost track of time while chatting with Yun Zhi and didn't know if the Five Flavors Shop was closed yet.
Without further ado, she lost all interest in leisurely drinking tea, picked up the teacup and drank the tea that Xiao Xu had just poured for her in one gulp.
"Let's get it done now."
After saying that, she stood up, but Xiao Xu remained seated.
What does this mean?
Yun Sheng had no choice but to sit down again: "Chang Yu?"
Xiao Xu slowly put down the teapot: "If you don't need me to go with you, you can wait here."
"..."
Yun Sheng was not stupid; how could she not realize that the man's emotions were off by now?
She asked directly, "Changyu, are you unhappy?"
Xiao Xu was taken aback by her directness, and the words he was about to say stopped in his throat.
Yun Sheng was puzzled. She felt that the whispers inside the room shouldn't have been heard outside, and Xiao Xu didn't seem like the type to eavesdrop.
Besides, even if he heard it, there shouldn't have been anything wrong with what she said, so why would Xiao Xu get angry about it?
Xiao Xu's gaze fell on Yun Sheng's unconscious fingertips stroking the teacup as she pondered.
He reached out and took the teacup away, replacing the position in her palm with his own fingers.
Have you figured out what you did wrong?
Yun Sheng felt a tingling sensation all over her body as he lightly pressed her fingertip.
She tried to pull her hand away, but he suddenly grabbed it tightly.
Xiao Xu always seemed to enjoy playing with her hands like that.
Whether it's the fingers, the back of the hand, the palm, or the web of the thumb, he has already played with this small hand thoroughly.
She had gotten used to it a little bit before.
But last night, he did just that while kissing her, he was also playing with her hand.
Then he pulled her hand toward him.
Chest, waist and abdomen.
Even mouths...
Yun Sheng had just experienced this event, which was so intense that it left a deep impression on her. She was both scared and curious, and a little bit intoxicated. This wasn't the first time she had been distracted by these thoughts today.
When Xiao Xu pressed down on her, her face suddenly turned bright red.
"I didn't do anything wrong, don't pinch my fingers!"
Xiao Xu was stunned for a moment. He was just about to settle the score with her for running away as soon as she woke up when a blush suddenly appeared in his eyes.
Her makeup today was pure and pretty, and with this touch of crimson, it was truly captivating.
Xiao Xu almost calmed down.
He said softly, "You didn't think of anything wrong, but something else. Your face is so red."
How could he expose her?!
If he hadn't done that, she wouldn't have thought of these things.
Yun Sheng seized the opportunity to slip out of his grasp, and asked with a stern face, "What exactly did I do wrong?"
Seeing her so self-righteous, Xiao Xu's last bit of resentment dissipated on its own.
He found it somewhat amusing, laughing at himself.
But he still spoke up: "When I woke up, she was gone. She didn't even send anyone to inform me when she went out. When I returned to the courtyard, I saw the empty house. I didn't send anyone to inquire, and I had no idea where my wife had gone."
As Yun Sheng listened to him recount the so-called wrongdoings she had committed, she gradually became surprised and then felt guilty.
She was surprised that he could treat this as a huge mistake, so seriously accusing her, and she also felt guilty because she seemed to have indeed done something inappropriate.
Xiao Xu looked into her clear almond eyes and, as she was still in a daze, took her hand again.
"We were so intimate last night, but you treated me coldly as soon as it got light."
"Sheng Sheng, I'm not happy that you're treating me like this."
Yun Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and her initial guilt turned into a feeling of remorse, as if she had betrayed him.
"You, you shouldn't say that."
Xiao Xu indeed stopped talking, remained silent, and even withdrew his hand.
Yun Sheng felt a chill on the back of her hand, and her heart tightened.
She thought for a moment, then walked around the table to Xiao Xu's side.
She sat down beside him, but for a moment she didn't know what to say, so she could only reach out and poke his arm with her finger.
Xiao Xu ignored her, and she whispered again, "Alright, I didn't think this through. I was thinking that I had already overslept, and if I delayed any longer, it would be too late to get back to the manor, so I was in a hurry to leave."
"Well, and by this time nothing has been done."
That's because...
Yun Sheng pursed her lips, feeling guilty and unable to continue.
She wasn't really good at comforting people; at home, she was always the one being comforted. Now, asking her to comfort a man with a blank expression was something she really didn't know how to do.
After a moment's thought, she could only nudge his arm again.
Xiao Xu's arms were strong, their lines hidden beneath his dark robes, but they felt hard to the touch.
However, Yun Sheng had already witnessed the overwhelming power of this place yesterday.
Unconsciously, she bent her knuckles, her fingertips turning white and bleeding, her fingertips moving subtly along his smooth fabric.
Xiao Xu's eyes darkened, and he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling the unsuspecting girl in front of him without much effort.
"Why? Why aren't you saying?"
Xiao Xu's aura instantly enveloped her, and Yun Sheng could hear the man's strong heartbeat vibrating in her ears, making her already disorganized words even more chaotic.
She was still a little annoyed that she couldn't be appeased no matter how small the matter was.
Yun Sheng frowned and struggled in his arms: "What else do you want to say? I've already explained that I didn't do it on purpose. So what can I do? Just hit me."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xu laughed in anger, tightened his embrace around her, suddenly lowered his head and leaned in, taking a piece of smooth skin from her neck into his mouth and biting her.
Yun Sheng's eyes widened in shock, her voice changing tone: "What are you doing? This is outside..."
Xiao Xu didn't use much force; the sensations were just itchiness and numbness, and he released her in a short moment.
"I won't hit you because you're outside."
His voice lowered, deep, close to my ear.
Yun Sheng felt a surge of heat throughout her body. She stared blankly at his chest, her gaze seemingly angry, but in reality, he was limp and utterly intimidating.
Xiao Xu looked into her shimmering eyes, pursed his lips, and ran his thumb along the mark left by a light touch on her neck: "But you seemed to like it yesterday, so that doesn't count as punishment, and it won't matter when we get back."
"..."
As Yun Sheng emerged from Tingfeng Pavilion, her face was still flushed.
She stood beside the carriage, glancing sideways at the man a few steps away who was giving instructions to his subordinates.
His face was as white as jade, and he exuded an air of refined nobility. The sunlight outlined his tall and straight figure. When he listened to his subordinates' reply, there was a hint of cold detachment in his eyes. He looked like someone who was unapproachable and not to be trifled with. The surrounding street scene became blurred, and only he stood out as the focus of the view.
It was as if the man who could say shameful things without batting an eye in private was just a figment of her imagination.
No, he can do more than just talk.
A faint sensation spread across Yun Sheng's neck. Even though she had checked carefully before leaving the private room and there were no traces left, she still raised her hand to touch it, still feeling uneasy.
Just then, Xiao Xu finished his business and turned to walk towards her.
Yun Sheng suddenly lowered her hand, her posture somewhat stiff.
Xiao Xu didn't expose her, but gently said while holding her hand, "Get in the car."
Yun Sheng inwardly criticized his hypocrisy, but outwardly she slightly raised her chin, letting him act as her attendant, and helped her gracefully onto the carriage.
The carriage started moving, and Yun Sheng instructed the coachman to go to Wuweipu. Turning back to Xiao Xu, she said, "I was planning to stop by Wuweipu to buy you some pastries, even though it's not on my way. Wuweipu also has quite a few pastries with mild flavors, and I wanted to buy some for you to try."
Xiao Xu raised an eyebrow slightly; it was the first time he had ever heard someone boast about their achievement like this.
He said calmly, "Is that so? Thank you for your trouble."
Then, the carriage stopped in front of the Wuweipu store, whose gate was tightly closed.
Xiao Xu slowly lifted the car window curtain and turned to Yun Sheng, saying, "Last time I came to buy, Mu Shan was chatting with the owner. This place closes at Shen Shi (3-5 PM) every day."
It is now past midnight.
Yun Sheng: "You knew it was closing time, why didn't you say so just now?"
Xiao Xu chuckled lightly, "I thought you had your own plans."
Yun Sheng pursed her lips and remained silent for a long while before finally instructing the coachman to go to the silk shop again.
On the way, Yun Sheng said, "Lingluofang doesn't close until 9 PM, so it's okay to go later."
"There is one more thing. The manager of Lingluofang does not know my identity. When you go there, do not reveal your identity. Just treat us as an ordinary couple. The servants can wait outside."
The word "couple" brought a sense of comfort to Xiao Xu.
He asked, "Why is that?"
Yun Sheng lowered her voice somewhat embarrassedly and moved closer to Xiao Xu.
“I enjoy embroidery in my spare time. After getting to know the manager of Lingluofang, I embroidered some pieces and displayed them in the shop. Later, the manager even sent one of my embroidered pieces to Hanqinxuan for auction. However, this was just a pastime for me when I had nothing to do. At that time, I didn’t want people to know my identity, so I just kept it that way.”
Yun Sheng also had some hidden girlish thoughts that she did not reveal.
Back then, she watched women in storybooks establish their own businesses and accumulate vast fortunes through their skills, and she too, with naive fantasies, was eager to try it out.
Embroidering a delicate piece of embroidery is time-consuming and exhausting, and in the end, the money she receives is less than her monthly allowance.
She couldn't bear the hardship of persisting for so long, so she gave up on the idea and only occasionally used it as a pastime in her spare time.
As she spoke, Xiao Xu casually pulled her into his arms. After hearing her finish speaking, he seemed quite interested: "When was it sent to Hanqin Pavilion for auction?"
"Several years ago, that piece only sold for less than fifty taels. I was ashamed of it, so I forbade the shopkeeper from sending my embroidery to Hanqinxuan after that."
As they spoke, the carriage came to a steady stop in front of the Silk and Brocade Shop.
The horn-shaped lamps in front of the shop were just lit, casting a warm glow, indicating that the shop was still open.
Yun Sheng and Xiao Xu entered the store one after the other.
The shopkeeper was tidying up the accounts behind the counter when he heard the sound. He looked up and saw that it was Yun Sheng. A familiar smile appeared on his face.
"Miss Yun, it's been a long time." Before she finished speaking, her gaze had already swept over the man with a refined and elegant demeanor beside Yun Sheng.
Yun Sheng noticed the gaze, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she introduced him gently, "Manager Li, this is my husband, Xiao Changyu."
Xiao Xu nodded: "Manager Li."
Shopkeeper Li immediately understood and smiled as he stepped aside to lead the way: "You two have come together today, what would you like to see? Have you received some new Jiangnan silk fabrics, or would you like to choose some trendy embroidery threads?"
Yun Sheng explained her needs to Manager Li, who then warmly led the two of them to the shelves displaying the newest styles in the store.
Yun Sheng paused to examine it closely, her fingertips gently tracing the satin surface.
The bright lights inside the shop shone on her, drawing Xiao Xu's gaze.
Looking at a beautiful woman under the lamplight, one feels her purity even more.
She chose to focus, and he gazed at her intently.
Yun Sheng ultimately chose a piece of plain, soft brocade in sky blue, along with several strands of green silk threads in varying shades.
The two took the selected items and went to the counter.
As Manager Li wrapped the package, he smiled and said, "Last time, when Miss Yun mentioned choosing those bolts of satin for her fiancé, I was curious about what kind of outstanding gentleman could make her so attentive. Today, after meeting Young Master Xiao, I realize that Miss Yun has a keen eye for choosing satin, and even more so for choosing a good man. Young Master Xiao is handsome and refined, and the satin that Miss Yun chose that day is a perfect match for him."
She gently pushed the wrapped brocade in front of Yun Sheng and said in a loud voice, "Consider this my congratulatory gift. I wish you two a long and happy marriage, and a harmonious and loving relationship."
"…………"
Xiao Xu's face darkened from the very first sentence Li Zhanggui uttered.
Yun Sheng was stunned and forgot to stop him, so Manager Li finished speaking incessantly.
Emerging from the silk shop, the atmosphere was deathly still.
This was extremely embarrassing, even more so than the sachet and blueprints before. Yun Sheng's scalp tingled, and she lowered her eyes, afraid of accidentally meeting Xiao Xu's gaze.
Once inside the carriage, the enclosed space and dim lighting made the atmosphere even more stagnant.
The air was so stuffy it was hard to breathe. No one gave any instructions, and the carriage remained silently in place, the oppressive atmosphere spreading endlessly.
Yun Sheng lowered her head and silently took several deep breaths. Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, she finally looked up at him and said, "Chang Yu, Manager Li doesn't know who we are, nor does she know about those things. She didn't mean anything by it."
That's the truth. But in the current situation, in front of Xiao Xu, the words praising another person were forced onto him, and even the words of congratulations were associated with that other person.
Xiao Xu leaned back in his chair with his eyes half-closed, legs spread apart and arms hanging down, seemingly in a lazy and leisurely posture, but his face was frighteningly gloomy.
He gave a curt "hmm" and then fell silent.
He was not an inexperienced young man; he knew that the past was inevitable and undeniable, so he couldn't blame Yun Sheng, and he had no right to hold a grudge against her.
However, after a while, he became increasingly angry and suddenly asked, "Where are the clothes?"
"What?"
Xiao Xu sat up straight, finally opened his eyes and looked at Yun Sheng, and said in a deep voice, "Are the clothes you made for him at the Yun family's house?"
He was very upset because he didn't know about this on the day he returned home, so he couldn't find it and throw it away like he did with the blueprint.
But what's the point of throwing it away?
Over the course of two years, Xiao Ling had left countless marks on Yun Sheng's heart.
You never know when you'll find yourself unexpectedly stepping on those marks again and again.
At this moment, a soft fragrance approached from her side, and Yun Sheng replied, "No, there was only brocade, not clothes. I only bought it because it looked nice, but it has been sitting idle ever since, and I haven't made any clothes from it."
She turned to the side, her gaze fixed on his eyes, her pupils trembling with a faint light, revealing a mixture of anxiety and distress, her heart filled with worry because it was not her fault.
Xiao Xu's heart suddenly tightened. He reached out unconsciously, and when he came to his senses, his arm was already wrapped around her waist.
Yun Sheng was stunned as he pressed her almost against his chest, but the arm around her waist exerted force, easily lifting her to a higher position.
Beneath her were Xiao Xu's legs, but she could only kneel on the soft cushion with her knees apart, her buttocks dangling in the air, momentarily stiff and somewhat flustered.
Yun Sheng pushed him, supporting herself on his shoulders, saying, "Why did you lift me up here? Don't do anything reckless."
Xiao Xu tilted his head back, his expression softening. He seemed to enjoy being able to see her from below, and he also enjoyed her slight struggles in front of him. He didn't use much force, and she didn't really push him away.
Xiao Xu's Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze fell on her plump lips.
Under his obvious suggestive gaze, Yun Sheng gradually lost the strength to support her body and finally slumped down onto his lap.
The straddling position caused the heat to spread from where the skin touched, and a dense, tingling sensation bloomed in the core.
For some unknown reason, Yun Sheng asked as if possessed, "Chang Yu, do you want to kiss me?"
Just a moment ago she told him not to do anything reckless, but then she asked this question herself.
Yun Sheng felt ashamed and her heart was racing uncontrollably. She gripped Xiao Xu's clothes tightly. She felt ashamed not only about what was happening now, but also about the belated realization that she had felt the same way he had asked her the same question the last time.
Xiao Xu's eyes brightened slightly, somewhat surprised.
Before they even kissed, just imagining her cupping his face and bending down to kiss him completely dissipated the barely present resentment in his heart.
His thin lips moved slightly, his gaze tracing her face inch by inch, and he slowly spoke: "I really want to, I want to kiss you."
Yun Sheng's eyelashes trembled, momentarily at a loss for words due to his bluntness.
But Xiao Xu's broad hands had already cupped her face, and he tilted his head back to kiss her soft lips that were slightly parted in surprise.
Their breaths mingled, and the spreading heat dispelled all the silence that had just passed.
Xiao Xu was actually an extremely arrogant person at heart.
His life wasn't smooth sailing, but he almost never experienced failure.
He doesn't feel that everything came easily, including his current status and everything he owns.
Therefore, he has always been strict with himself and devoted himself to his work, but this does not mean that he does not have a proud and aloof attitude.
He once disdained comparing himself to his younger brother.
Except in the dead of night, he would not want to look back at the woman who refused to marry him and would later become his sister-in-law.
But the growing emotions accumulating in his heart had already eroded his proud self-esteem, and the despicable smugness he felt when he learned that Xiao Ling had run away from the wedding surged back into his heart.
He held a soft, fragrant body in his arms, their lips and tongues entwined in a tender embrace.
He felt her, savoring her tenderly.
A restless heat spread through him, and he felt a shameful yet proud comparison in his heart, realizing that Xiao Ling was inferior to him in every way.
It's only been two years, and they have countless more two-year periods ahead of them. Why should he worry about not being able to erase the past and re-imprint his own mark?
Xiao Xu kissed her soft lower lip, then slowly stepped back from her, his deep gaze seemingly still lingering on her.
Their slightly disordered breathing intertwined.
Xiao Xu looked at her seriously and said in a deep voice, "Sheng Sheng, even when you look forward, you must be sure of the direction ahead."
Yun Sheng's vision was blurred with tears, so she couldn't see clearly and could only murmur softly, "You heard everything outside the door."
"I heard you." Xiao Xu readily admitted, showing no shame whatsoever for his ungentlemanly act.
Xiao Xu cupped her face in his hands, his fingertips tracing the corners of her eyes, removing the moisture that obscured her vision.
In the confined space, in the close embrace, all she could see in front of her were those calm yet intense eyes.
"Sheng Sheng, did you see it clearly?"
————————!!————————
The part about the carriage isn't finished yet [dog head with rose in hand]. After all, Xiao Xu is good at quickly appeasing himself and then comfortably taking advantage of the situation.
Starting tomorrow, the update time will return to 6:00 PM every night!
I'll be giving out red envelopes to everyone who leaves a comment under this chapter before tomorrow's update! [Sprinkling flowers]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com