Possession
She was caught between laughter and tears in his arms. Did he really think that way about her?
Dou Yanxun was already tall, and now, resting his chin on her hair, he felt as if it were all a dream. Was the person in his arms real, or was it all just another fantasy in his endless dreams these past few days?
He couldn't tell the difference for a moment. Or perhaps, he simply didn't dare to tell the difference.
Thinking of this, his heart tightened suddenly, and in an instant, he had already picked up the slender and petite woman in his arms and walked straight to the table.
Before Lin Xu could even gasp, she felt the world spinning around her. In the blink of an eye, he had laid her down again, this time in front of her desk by the window where she copied Buddhist scriptures every day, and he pressed her down tightly beneath him. The cold desk pressed against her thin back, making her tremble slightly.
Now that things had come to this, how could she not see the flames rising in the eyes of the man towering above her? Her cheeks, already burning from the fever, grew even hotter, and she could only weakly plead in a low voice:
"Dou Yanxun...no..."
Not here...
Dou Yanxun, however, seemed bewitched, a stubborn look appearing on his face, completely disregarding everything else. He released his right hand, which had been tightly gripping hers, and instead reached for her slender neck. With just a slight pressure, his fingers, resting on her chin, forced her to raise her head, no longer able to avoid his gaze.
"Didn't you miss me? Prove it to me."
Lin Xu bit her lower lip, and her eyes gradually filled with tears.
She really missed him.
These days, their separation has been sudden and unexpected. During their last brief meeting, she accidentally injured him, causing him to bleed profusely. Naturally, she is also in pain. She has been facing everything alone these days, enduring all kinds of hardships. How could she not recall the tenderness she once shared with him?
But the two were already on opposing sides, and now they were even more eager for revenge. If she took another step forward now, she might hurt him even more deeply in the future...
She opened her lips, but only managed a broken sob.
Seeing her pale face and hesitation, the thick mist in Dou Yanxun's eyes gathered again. Without saying a word, he almost rudely spread her legs apart and pulled her closer to him.
She was his, always had been. It was always like that.
He personally searched every single street and alley in Mujing, but couldn't find her anywhere. He was almost ready to give up.
Fortunately, he eventually found her.
Even if she tries every possible way to escape, to leave, to hide from him and never see him again, she will stay by his side as long as he wants.
Regardless of the method.
Before she could catch her breath, his domineering and passionate kisses rained down on her. Her collar came undone in the struggle, revealing her porcelain-white skin.
Over the past few days, the anger that had been building up finally erupted. He could no longer hold back, and with one hand he firmly clamped her struggling hands, while with the other he wrapped his arms around her waist, moving up and down or swimming over the body he had longed for.
The desk beneath her gradually began to shake under the weight, and amidst the scattered books, ledgers, Buddhist scriptures, and ink stains, Lin Xu let her tears flow freely, closing her eyes almost as if giving up.
He's right.
She did not lie that day; she truly missed him and even... really wanted to know how he was doing.
Over the past three years, her body had become intimately familiar with everything about him; that cool, delicate fragrance, just one whiff was enough to almost intoxicate her. It was even somewhat sickly yet reassuring. She thought she must be ill—
At this moment, she didn't want to think about those complicated and turbulent past events anymore. What did it matter if he was an enemy, or if he was full of scheming and plotting? He clearly still loved her, and she couldn't forget him either, and that was enough.
In a short while, he had left one tooth mark after another on her neck and shoulders, some light, some heavy, some tender, some brutal, all his masterpieces.
The incense burner inside the hall had burned out at some point and was gradually turning cold.
He watched as the bare shoulders and neck of the person beneath him trembled from the cold, and the burning desire in his eyes hesitated for a moment. He sighed softly, helplessly stopped what he was doing, picked up the petite figure, and pressed her tightly against his chest.
Are you cold?
Lin Xu had not seen him naked like this for a long time, and her face turned red with embarrassment. She could only close her eyes shyly and nod gently after a while.
Dou Yanxun was amused by her appearance. They had been married for nearly three years and their child was almost six months old, yet she remained the same.
He kissed her trembling eyelashes with almost indulgent tenderness, his soft lips landing on her burning earlobe. But the next instant, Zhu Ling's voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard.
"...Second Master, Madam...This servant doesn't want to bother you, but suddenly a guest has arrived...it's that poor scholar from last time...he insists on seeing you, this servant really has no other choice..."
Dou Yanxun paused, raising his eyebrows to look at Lin Xu, who was slowly opening her eyes in his arms.
Lin Xu clearly felt the chilling killing intent emanating from Dou Yanxun.
"...I, as your wife, have been living a secluded life here, enjoying a quiet existence unknown to anyone."
For some reason, she felt a little guilty and snuggled even deeper into his arms.
.
When the two of them finally got dressed and arrived at the front hall together, Lin Xu still didn't understand why he had been so kind as to help Xu Yanqing that day.
After not seeing him for many days, I noticed that this picky scholar was still poor, wearing a faded long gown, his hair tied up with a strip of cloth of the same color, and each of his hands was filled with some local specialties.
Rongwei had been tormented by Xu Yanqing last time, and now she was on the verge of tears, saying, "Madam, this man is not here to express his gratitude. He is so absurd as to want our kitchen to cook a good meal for him with these mountain produce!"
Lin Xu was still confused, but Dou Yanxun stepped forward and shielded Lin Xu behind him.
He frowned and looked at Xu Yanqing, equally puzzled. "Since you are a candidate for the imperial examination, and the spring examination is approaching, why are you disturbing others instead of studying diligently?"
Seeing Dou Yanxun's refined and noble bearing, Xu Yanqing knew he was either rich or noble, and at this moment, he was not at all reserved, simply offering a cupped-hand salute:
"Your Excellency, I have just received some fine items and I am also longing for the taste of my hometown. Therefore, I humbly request to use your kitchen."
Even though Dou Yanxun was a man of wide experience, he had never seen such an eccentric person. He looked Xu Yanqing up and down a few times, but he also felt that such a poor student would never catch Xuxu's eye. Even so, he still did not want to see any more strange men here.
"These silver notes should be enough for you until the end of the exams, and even until next spring. Take your things and leave now. You live nearby, right? Let's use this money to find a clean and bright place to live."
As expected, Xu Yanqing once again declined with a bow.
"I am poor and do not care for material possessions. I only crave a few old dishes. Last time I was fortunate enough to taste such delicacies thanks to Madam's kindness. I am truly grateful. If I have caused you any trouble, then I am disturbing you."
After saying that, he turned to leave. Lin Xu looked at the few pheasant feathers and a few pieces of wild mushrooms that had fallen from his hands when Xu Yanqing bowed. After a long while, he finally looked at Dou Yanxun with a questioning look. "All he asked for was a few delicious dishes. Why don't we tell Li Niang in the kitchen to make them? That would be our good deed for the day."
Seeing Lin Xu looking at him with such tenderness, a rare occurrence since their divorce, Dou Yanxun felt a slight stirring in his heart and nodded in response.
Xuxu is so kind-hearted that she attracts so many strange people. It doesn't matter, as long as he protects her and her daughter from now on.
Having received the order, Li Niang, who is always quick and efficient, used the ingredients brought by Xu Yanqing and added some kitchen materials to quickly prepare five dishes and a soup.
Wild pheasant stewed over a wood fire, dried bamboo shoots stir-fried with cured pork, very fresh bitter lettuce stir-fried with eggs, braised tofu in soy sauce, pumpkin shortbread, and a mountain-flavored soup with various wild mushrooms and lard.
Lin Xu hadn't seen Mianxue all day, and now he finally had time to hold her in his arms and kiss her again and again.
When she returned to the front hall, she found that, as expected, Xu Yanqing had devoured all the food on the table in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, just like last time. Full and satisfied, he looked languid and content.
Dou Yanxun, however, sat opposite him, quietly sipping a small cup of the only brew available in the kitchen.
Xu Yanqing had extended a warm invitation to Dou Yanxun several times, but feeling bad about eating alone, he wiped his mouth clean and smiled apologetically, "Sir, may I borrow your pen and ink?"
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei had been watching Xu Yanqing the whole time and were already used to his behavior. Seeing Dou Yanxun nod in acknowledgment, they quickly brought over the brush and ink.
But Xu Yanqing's eyes sharpened, and he became unusually serious, as if he had become a completely different person.
He had one hand behind his back, writing at his desk. In just a few breaths, the black and white characters on the paper appeared, with a strange and vigorous style, like a sparse forest of cold pines and a clear spring on a rock. Every stroke of the pen had the atmosphere of mountains and rivers.
Even Dou Yanxun, who was sitting on the opposite side, narrowed his eyes slowly after seeing the poem written by that person.
Wild mushrooms grow in secluded ravines, and evening smoke rises from the thatched gate.
If a single dish is as delicious as fine food, why would I want to sleep in the kitchen?
...A single dish is worth a hundred flavors, and a single poem is worth ten thousand words. Yet, the person who can casually compose such a masterpiece is by no means an ordinary examination candidate.
Lin Xu stood not far away, holding Mianxue in his arms. After quickly reading the vigorous and powerful handwriting, his heart suddenly stirred.
In an instant, those vague memories from her past life gradually came back to life: her father's praise and regret for the examinee when he was drunk; the unusual temperament she had felt for Xu Yanqing after meeting him last time; his strange and unforgettable personality...
Her body froze instantly, staring in disbelief at the thin, poor-looking scholar before her.
This person... was actually the student my father had praised back then!
She finally remembered everything!
Xu Yanqing was already a well-known candidate in Mujing at that time. However, because of his eccentric personality and picky eating habits, people jokingly called him "Good Picky Three" who was picky about food. Over time, people started calling him "Young Master Hao". Eventually, everyone mistakenly thought that his surname was Hao.
Even when his father mentioned him, he only assumed that his surname was Hao.
Back then, Lin Xu often secretly ran out of the manor to play, and even scoffed at the famous Young Master Hao. He was just a picky scholar; why was he so popular? It wasn't until one day, when she passed by the bookstore Zhou Weikan had bought for her in her previous life, and overheard several fellow examinees praising Young Master Hao's poems, that she began to remember him. Even though she was illiterate in her previous life, she could tell at a glance that the poems were extraordinary.
Today, when she finally saw the familiar poems and writing style again, she suddenly realized what it meant.
However, in this life, for some unknown reason, neither the names Xu Yanqing nor Young Master Hao were well-known. This is why, when she first heard the name Xu Yanqing, although she was somewhat puzzled, she did not think it was really that person from back then.
And back then, during the imperial examination when my father was in charge of the civil service examinations...
Lin Xu vaguely remembered that the top three scholars in the first-class imperial examination were all from official families. Since Xu Yanqing was so poor, he could not be him. As for the other scholars who passed the imperial examination, there were many names on the list. Even if her father mentioned them at that time, she had long forgotten them.
However, judging from Xu Yanqing's talent, he is not only lucky enough to rank in the top three, but he would definitely be in the second place even if he came in last.
As if telepathically connected, she and Dou Yanxun exchanged a long, leisurely glance across Xu Yanqing.
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