Chapter 68: Childhood Sweethearts IF Route (Part 3)
Because it was a woman's private room, even though it was his own sister, Yun Cheng did not look up into it. Instead, he took a half step back into the shadows.
Only Ye Fu entered the room, and she immediately noticed Yun Sheng's strange appearance in the candlelight.
Her cheeks were rosy, her hair was slightly disheveled, her breathing was a little uneven, her lips were slightly parted, her chest rose and fell, and there was a particularly conspicuous hairpin, which did not seem to have been seen during the day.
"Sheng Sheng, what's wrong with you...?"
Yun Sheng said in a panic, "Sister-in-law, I was just about to rest and was taking off my clothes."
Ye Fu was taken aback: "Are you resting at this hour?"
It's just past 7 PM now, and although it's getting dark, it's still early before my usual bedtime.
Yun Sheng said, "I've been reading for a long time today and am quite tired, so I'd like to rest early."
"Sorry to bother you."
Along with Ye Fu's words came a faint sneer, like someone laughing.
Ye Fu's expression changed slightly, and she asked warily, "What was that sound?"
Yun Sheng tensed up even more, inwardly scolding Xiao Xu for mocking her. She had actually read a book today, even if it was a storybook.
She quickly replied, "Perhaps it was the wind; I felt a bit hot just now, so I opened the window."
Ye Fu then noticed that the window in Yun Sheng's room was open.
She shared the same question as the previous maid: "Is it hot on spring nights?"
Yun Sheng didn't hear it, turned around and quickly walked to the window to close it.
As she closed the window, she noticed a large, bright footprint remaining on the windowsill, clearly the size of a man's shoe.
She gasped silently, not having time to think about the filth, and immediately reached out and wiped away the footprints with her fingers.
Yun Sheng hid her dirty hands behind her back and walked back to Ye Fu's side with a smile: "Sister-in-law, sit down."
"I wonder what brings you here at this hour, brother and sister-in-law?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Fu slowly sat down and glanced towards the door.
Yun Cheng was still standing in the shadows in front of the door, his face obscured, only a dark outline visible.
Ye Fu withdrew her gaze, smiled awkwardly, and then said, "It's nothing special, just some small things that your brother is worried about, so he asked me to ask you about them."
As soon as these words were spoken, the urgent sound of shoes scraping against the floor came from the doorway: "Afu, you..."
Ye Fu ignored him and continued, "Your brother found the thief who stole your purse at the lantern festival last month, but somehow, when he was found, he had already been beaten up and couldn't answer any questions. Do you remember if there was anything unusual at the time?"
"...No, my purse was never found. It was just some loose silver, so I didn't pay much attention to it."
Because Xiao Xu said that the filthy thief had touched her, he took her money bag without saying a word, and then bought her a new money bag filled with silver coins.
The thief was naturally given a severe beating by Xiao Xu's men and thrown into the suburbs, because his theft had disrupted their already limited time together at the lantern festival.
As for why the person wasn't sent to the authorities...
Yun Sheng glanced silently at the dark figure outside the door.
Xiao Xu then said that his brother would bring people to catch the thief afterward.
Now that the thief has been caught, they've come to question her.
Ye Fu nodded gently after hearing her answer, and then said, "Don't overthink it. Recently, the manor has noticed something unusual at night several times, but we haven't been able to find any concrete clues. So your brother is a little worried about you. He came today to give you a heads-up."
She glanced at the tightly closed window: "Don't open the window at night these days. If you notice anything amiss, call for help immediately. Your brother has also sent several guards to keep watch in your courtyard."
Yun Sheng was taken aback: "They even sent guards? No, there's no need for such a grand display."
If someone is guarding the area, will Xiao Xu be unable to climb over the wall to get in later?
No, it should be that he won't be able to leave later either.
Wouldn't that mean he'd be trapped in her room? How would he sleep tonight? And after her brother and sister-in-law left, what would become of the two of them...?
"Sheng Sheng, Sheng Sheng?"
Ye Fu's voice brought Yun Sheng back to her senses, and she gave her a strange look.
"Why are you being shy with your brother? Your face is all red. It's only right that your brother protects your safety."
"Ah, ah? Yes, yes."
"Ah, no." Yun Sheng stammered as she came to her senses and hurriedly said, "We don't need the guards. The courtyard is quiet every day, so there's nothing unusual. Besides, didn't my father say that even a fly from the Prince Zhao's mansion couldn't possibly fly into the Yun mansion?"
The wardrobe suddenly made a soft sound.
But his urgent voice from outside the door drowned it out.
Upon hearing the words "Prince Zhao's Mansion," he immediately replied, "Daughter, this isn't about Prince Zhao's Mansion. Flies can't get into Prince Zhao's Mansion, but there might be other flies around."
The wardrobe door seemed to shake slightly, as if it was about to open.
When Yun Sheng saw this, her heart was pounding in her throat.
"Don't, don't talk about flies. There are no flies."
Ye Fu suddenly asked, "Sheng Sheng, what have you been looking at over there?"
"It's nothing," Yun Sheng immediately looked away.
Ye Fu didn't think much of it. She simply continued, following what she had discussed with Yun Cheng before coming, "The court has been quite turbulent lately, so it's always good to be cautious. I agree with your brother's approach. The guards have already been transferred to you. They'll just be there to keep watch and won't bother you. Just continue as usual."
Yun Sheng was somewhat troubled, but there was nothing more she could say at this point.
Besides, Xiao Xu is hiding in the closet; who knows if he'll feel bored after a while.
Yun Sheng couldn't help but imagine the dignified Prince Zhao's son, curled up and hunched over, hiding in a young lady's wardrobe.
Her heart skipped a beat before she suppressed her gloating curiosity.
Yun Sheng obediently replied, "Okay, I understand, sister-in-law."
Ye Fu nodded and was about to get up.
"Cough cough cough."
Suddenly, a clearing of the throat came from the doorway.
Both women inside the room looked up at the same time.
Yun Cheng's expression remained hidden in the darkness, making it impossible for anyone to see.
However, his tone was still noticeably stiff and unnatural: "After all, it's a young lady's courtyard, so I should go and make arrangements with those guards again."
After saying that, Yun Cheng walked away, his figure quickly disappearing in front of the door.
Yun Sheng looked away blankly and saw that Ye Fu looked somewhat embarrassed.
After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Sheng Sheng, there's just one more thing..."
"Can you tell your sister-in-law, do you really not have a man you like right now?"
After asking the question, Ye Fu closed her eyes and thought to herself, with Yun Cheng's pretentious and obvious intentions, she was forced to ask such an awkward question. It was no wonder that Yun Sheng would tell her, and she didn't want to ask any further.
Yun Sheng did indeed avoid the question, forcing a smile as she said, "No, sister-in-law, didn't we already say that today?"
“…Mm.” Ye Fu responded with the mindset of completing the task.
She had already asked, after all.
Ye Fu stood up, smiled at Yun Sheng, and said gently, "Then you should rest well. My brother and I will go back to our room first."
"Alright, take care, sister-in-law." Yun Sheng also got up to see her off, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Just as she reached the door, Ye Fu stopped and turned back to look at Yun Sheng.
Yun Sheng's heart tightened, and she took another breath.
Ye Fu looked at her quietly for a moment, then lowered her voice and said, "Sheng Sheng, it doesn't matter if you have a man you like. Your father, mother, brother, and I all hope that you can find happiness."
She took one last look at the hairpin in Yun Sheng's hair.
"The hairpin is very beautiful. Rest here, we'll leave you here."
Even after closing the door, Yun Sheng's heart was still pounding.
She stood silently in front of the door for a while, then suddenly realized what was happening and hurried to the wardrobe.
"Changyu, are you alright? My brother and sister-in-law have gone back, you..."
As she spoke, she eagerly opened the wardrobe door.
She had just opened the wardrobe a crack when a hand with distinct knuckles suddenly reached out and grabbed her.
"Ah!" Yun Sheng exclaimed softly, her body staggering as she was pulled along.
Suddenly everything went black, and Yun Sheng collapsed into the wardrobe.
The cabinet door was half-open, letting in a faint candlelight.
Yun Sheng looked up in surprise and saw Xiao Xu's deep and dark eyes up close.
"What’s wrong with you."
Yun Sheng felt that the temperature inside the wardrobe was very high, as if it were truly as hot and humid as a spring night.
The once impressive and spacious wardrobe suddenly felt cramped when two people squeezed in.
Closed, secluded, and dark.
In the moment that Yun Sheng suppressed her breath, she could feel Xiao Xu's presence.
He suddenly hugged her, pressing her cheek and body against his chest, and said in a low, husky voice, "It smells so good inside, it's all your scent."
Yun Sheng was stunned for a moment, then her face began to flush and her body went limp. She snuggled up with him in the closet, leaning against his chest and teasingly asked, "You don't actually want to live here, do you?"
Xiao Xu chuckled softly, "It's not impossible."
"You and I together."
"Why should I live in my own closet?"
As she spoke, Yun Sheng pushed against Xiao Xu's chest, trying to stop their intimacy in this rather inappropriate place.
But Xiao Xu easily grabbed him back and pushed him into a corner.
The narrow space made the kisses even more intense, and the indistinct, ambiguous sounds were especially clear in the enclosed space.
Yun Sheng quickly felt him again, and between kisses, she asked breathlessly, "Have you not gone down since just now?"
Xiao Xu reached behind her with one hand to prevent her back from pressing against the hard wooden board, while his other hand rubbed the skin of her neck with some impatience.
"This place is filled with your scent, how can I go down here?"
Yun Sheng felt embarrassed by his words.
She had thought he would feel stifled and embarrassed hiding inside, but it turned out he was just thinking about inappropriate things.
Wouldn't that be letting him off easy?
Just as she was about to take the opportunity to scold him, Xiao Xu tightened his grip on her throat, with a hint of punishment in his voice, and said before she could, "Don't you have a man you like?"
"..."
Yun Sheng's breath hitched slightly. She was already struggling to breathe from the kiss, and the constriction on her throat made it even harder for her to breathe. Her eyes welled up with tears, which, in the dim candlelight, resembled tiny, scattered stars.
When she answered Ye Fu, she hadn't considered whether Xiao Xu would hear her.
She only realized what was happening now that she was being interrogated.
This person is completely undetectable in public; you'd never guess they're actually a petty and narrow-minded person behind the scenes.
Their inability to have an open relationship made him feel as if he had suffered a great injustice. He often brooded over his anger, and when he couldn't stand it anymore, he would punish her.
Yun Sheng turned her head to avoid his kiss and carefully tried to pry his fingers apart.
"That's the only thing I can tell my sister-in-law, otherwise she'll keep asking who the man is."
Xiao Xu lowered his head and gently bit her lips.
Who is it?
"It's you."
Xiao Xu loosened his grip a little, but still didn't completely let go of her: "Isn't this the answer? Why don't you answer her like this?"
Yun Sheng was helpless.
He's just being unreasonable and making trouble out of nothing.
Xiao Xu pinched her buttock again with his hand behind her.
Am I really that unpresentable?
Yun Sheng chuckled: "Do you think you're presentable?"
The only people her father and brothers disliked, besides King Zhao, were probably his eldest son.
Perhaps as Xiao Xu grows older and his talents become more apparent, he is now in the eyes of her father and brothers to be just as unpopular as King Zhao.
In other words, the student surpasses the teacher.
In the Yun family, it became clear that the Xiao family members were all incredibly annoying!
Yun Sheng was just teasing him, but Xiao Xu took it seriously.
"It's presentable."
"What?"
"Sheng Sheng, I will make you feel that I am someone you can be proud of in front of your father and brothers."
Yun Sheng was taken aback, then stopped joking: "I was just kidding, of course you can present it."
"You are the best man I have ever met."
"I only love you."
Xiao Xu captured her lips, deepening the kiss passionately.
Yun Sheng no longer refused, wrapping her arms around his neck and tilting her head back to respond intimately.
Xiao Xu has a great physique, which Yun Sheng has not yet fully revealed, but she has touched it many times.
The chest, waist, abdomen, and back are all covered with firm and supple muscles.
When aroused, they are usually tense and feel hard to the touch.
When relaxed, it feels like a different kind of softness from her body, and it feels very comfortable to touch.
Xiao Xu's breathing became increasingly heavy as she traced the movements of her fingertips.
Unable to contain himself any longer, he bit the soft flesh of her neck and said in a hoarse voice, "I want to eat here."
"You're crazy."
"I want it." Without waiting for a reply, Xiao Xu lifted her skirt.
Yun Sheng weakly tried to block his hand, muttering in dissatisfaction, "I don't want to, it will get my clothes dirty."
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Xu paused for a moment.
Suddenly realizing something, Yun Sheng exclaimed in surprise, "Could it be that you just dirtied my clothes in my closet...?"
Xiao Xu looked up at Yun Sheng's expression, which was a mixture of shyness and surprise.
He chuckled in exasperation and pressed his hand down on her leg: "What nonsense are you thinking? I didn't."
Yun Sheng responded with an "oh".
"What, are you disappointed?"
"How can you tell it's disappointment? It's clearly disbelief."
"If you don't believe me, touch it."
Xiao Xu grabbed her wrist with his other hand and led her away.
"If it got dirty, it wouldn't still be like this."
The moment Yun Sheng was scalded, Xiao Xu also let out a heavy gasp.
This was indeed irrefutable proof, but Yun Sheng immediately withdrew her hand.
Xiao Xu looked up, his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes so dark they seemed to want to devour someone.
Yun Sheng said in a low voice, "Use the other hand, this hand is dirty."
"Why is it dirty?" Xiao Xu looked down again, using the dim light to examine her palm.
"I just closed the window, and your footprints were left on the windowsill, so I reached out and wiped them away."
Xiao Xu grasped her hand, hesitated for a moment, and then gently rubbed it against his chest a few times.
"Next time I'll clean the soles of my shoes."
Yun Sheng chuckled as she imagined Xiao Xu climbing over the wall, having to wipe the soles of his shoes outside her house before knocking on the window.
After laughing, she remembered what her brother and sister-in-law had just said, and opened her mouth to speak.
Xiao Xu kissed her lightly, interrupting her: "Don't talk about anything else, just wipe it clean."
"Sheng Sheng, use both hands, I want it."
Yun Sheng's eyelashes trembled, but she still managed to clasp them together.
Just as Xiao Xu was about to bend down and lower his head, there was another knock on the door.
"Sheng Sheng, it's me. You haven't rested yet, have you?"
Ye Fu left but returned.
Yun Sheng was startled and lost control of her grip, causing Xiao Xu to groan in pain.
Startled, she quickly raised her hand to cover his mouth.
Xiao Xu's pupils dilated instantly, and he abruptly removed her hand: "You just touched it."
"..."
After he had sex with her, didn't he always come to kiss her, but when it was his turn, he became disgusted with her?
Yun Sheng lowered her voice: "Don't make a sound, stay hidden."
She quickly opened the closet door and left the wardrobe.
As soon as she came out, the candlelight illuminated the even more disheveled folds on her body than before.
As she tidied up, she replied, "What's wrong, sister-in-law?"
"Sorry, I think I left my handkerchief in your room. I didn't go far, so I came back to get it."
Yun Sheng glanced sideways and immediately noticed a handkerchief in the spot where Ye Fu had just sat.
"Yes, sister-in-law, please wait a moment, I'll get it for you."
Yun Sheng picked up the handkerchief, tidied herself up again, and then went to the door to open it.
Ye Fu lowered her eyes slightly, not looking into the room at all, nor looking directly at Yun Sheng.
She took the handkerchief, thanked him, and said goodbye: "Thank you so much, I'm really sorry, I'll be going now."
"Okay, take care, sister-in-law."
After the door closed, Yun Sheng didn't leave immediately, but instead leaned against the door.
Sure enough, she heard her brother's voice.
"Well, have you looked inside the house?"
Ye Fu: "What are you looking at? You made me lose face in front of Sheng Sheng. I can't even lift my head up."
"There's nothing shameful about it. It's just a look; I didn't ask you to ask her anything."
"Anyway, I feel awkward. She says no, so that's it. It's late at night, what can you tell from her room? Don't say anything more."
"Have you forgotten what happened between us before? Wasn't it just that we were in your room at night..."
The conversation between her brother and sister-in-law gradually faded into the distance until it could no longer be heard, and only then did Yun Sheng leave from the doorway.
She let out a long breath, a hint of worry on her face.
My brother is perceptive; this is not unfounded. He must have noticed something.
The truth will eventually come out, and this can't go on like this.
She was in love with Xiao Xu and had already decided in her heart that she was determined to marry him.
But she didn't want their affair to be exposed so unexpectedly; this was something she really needed to think about and put on the agenda.
Yun Sheng walked back to the wardrobe, but this time she didn't open the door. Instead, she reached out and knocked on the door.
"Brother, come out."
A moment of silence fell over the wardrobe.
A moment later, Xiao Xu pushed open the door and emerged from her clothes with a gloomy expression.
Yun Sheng smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I've made you suffer."
Is she trying to comfort a child?
Xiao Xu propped himself up and stood up from the wardrobe. His tall figure made him more than a head taller than Yun Sheng, which made her coaxing tone seem even more incongruous.
But Yun Sheng continued to coax him, standing on tiptoe to kiss his chin again: "Now they probably won't come back."
She blinked: "Shall we continue?"
"..." Xiao Xu tightened his lips, his gaze fixed on the smiling girl.
He took a deep breath, the darkness in his eyes gradually dissipating, only his expression still carrying a hint of displeasure at being repeatedly interrupted and missing the last bite.
"Alright, it's getting late, I'm going back."
Upon hearing this, Yun Sheng stepped forward and grabbed him, saying, "No."
"What, you want it?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Yun Sheng hit him lightly, the force of which was more like a coquettish gesture.
"You heard what I just heard, right? My brother has sent several guards to watch over you. It wouldn't be good if you went out now and were discovered."
Xiao Xu chuckled and said, "Are you really planning to let me live in your closet forever?"
"No, that's not it." Yun Sheng's voice lowered as she spoke, glancing at her bed.
Her gaze had barely drifted over when Xiao Xu grabbed her chin and forced her to look back.
"Get some rest, I'll come again tomorrow."
"Come again tomorrow, in case we get discovered."
Xiao Xu lowered his head and kissed her heavily as if venting his anger. The kiss was brief, but the impression on her lips remained strong.
"If we find out, we can get married right away, that's perfect."
Yun Sheng pouted.
Xiao Xu stepped back and said slowly, "Just kidding. Don't worry, I won't be found out."
Before leaving, he added, "But I don't want to wait any longer about the marriage proposal."
*
On the day of the Peach Blossom Banquet, Yun Sheng wore a beautiful pink dress and had Cui Zhu style her hair into an exquisite updo, adorned with the hairpin given to her by Xiao Xu.
Cuizhu whispered a compliment: "Miss, the hairpin that person gave you is really beautiful, it suits you very well."
As soon as he finished speaking, the maid who was tidying up the bed on the other side turned her head unintentionally.
The green bamboo, like a startled bird, fell silent instantly.
Yun Sheng frowned slightly in the bronze mirror.
In fact, the maid over there wouldn't hear what Cuizhu was saying, but just like Xiao Xu, she was starting to dislike this kind of secrecy.
To conceal who gave this beautiful hairpin, even praise must be given without mentioning the giver's name.
She longed to show it off to others, saying, "Look at this beautiful hairpin! My husband bought it for me."
Yun Sheng quickly composed herself and smiled again: "Of course it looks good. Let's go, don't be late."
The banquet was held at the Li residence, which has a garden full of peach trees. At a glance, the pink and white blossoms create a beautiful scene.
The girls sat in a circle in the open space of the courtyard, and Yun Sheng chatted and laughed with several familiar noble ladies close to each other.
Sitting next to her was her cousin, who was only a few months older than her; the two had been close friends since childhood.
Yunzhi said, "Isn't it good that your parents aren't in a hurry to arrange a marriage for you? If it were me, I would be overjoyed. But now they are forcing me to find a man every day, but I don't like any of them."
Another person said, "Perhaps Sheng Sheng already has a man she likes, so naturally she wants to marry her lover now."
Yunzhi: "Really? Do you have a man you like?"
He had previously said no, and was punished by Xiao Xu in dissatisfaction.
But now that she's ready to go public with their relationship, she doesn't want to hide it anymore.
Yun Sheng was about to respond.
Suddenly, someone spotted a tall, upright figure in the distance striding into the peach grove, surrounded by several sons of high-ranking families.
Yun Zhi was stunned: "That's the Prince Zhao's Heir Apparent. He would actually attend such a banquet?"
"He's really handsome, it's just a pity he's not interested in women, so he's someone you can only admire from afar and never get close to."
"Speaking of which, your two families were fighting again not long ago, right? If the relationship weren't so tense, I would think that Sheng Sheng and that prince are a perfect match."
"Don't even think about it. Even if we don't fight him, it has nothing to do with our Sheng Sheng."
Yun Zhi lowered her voice and gathered the girls together: "Last time I saw His Highness the Crown Prince picking out things for girls at the jewelry shop."
"You mean he has someone he likes?"
"It's not just the person I admire."
Yun Zhi's gaze drifted towards the man, and she raised her chin.
“Look, what’s that around his neck?”
The group looked in the direction Yunzhi pointed.
Yun Sheng stared intently and gasped. There was a noticeable red mark on his neck, partially hidden under his clothes.
She knew it all too well; it was the trace she had left unnoticed when he climbed through the window last night, demanding repayment, with interest, for the intimate moment they had been interrupted that day.
Why didn't he wear a high-necked shirt to cover it up?
Over there, the handsome and striking man seemed to sense something and turned to look at the girls at the same moment.
For some unknown reason, the man's cold and stern face suddenly softened, revealing a faint smile.
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