Chapter 35 Night in the Study
The thick clouds in the sky were blown away by the night wind, and the bright moon slowly peeked out from behind the clouds. The pale moonlight sprinkled down on thousands of households, some falling on the upturned eaves, and some quietly slipping into the study through the open window.
The room was quiet, but not entirely silent; there were occasional faint sounds of water splashing and soft sobs.
This wasn't the first time Dai Li had kissed Qin Shaozong, but both times, she was still shaken. He was truly consistent in this regard, as assertive and irresistible as he was in real life.
Her neck was held in place by his large, hard, tiger-claw-like hand, her waist was tightly bound, and Dai Li was trapped in his arms like a white crane that had fallen into a swamp and was trapped by vines, unable to break free at all.
It came on strong and powerful.
He was like an arrogant general who had breached the enemy's city gates, determined to search every corner of the city and not miss any overlooked hiding places for the enemy.
Her sensitive upper jaw was being pampered back and forth, and a terrifying tingling sensation exploded from her neurons, shooting up like fire to the top of Dai Li's head, then spreading wildly down her spine and meridians, finally reaching her limbs.
Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably, and her back began to shudder uncontrollably.
The iron arm that bound her wrapped around her waist, and her long, dark, scarred fingers hooked a corner of her sash and gently pried it open.
Today, Dai Li is wearing a top and bottom, which is different from the dress-style deep robe. This kind of spliced dress has many opportunities to be exposed if the belt is loose.
A sea beast covered in jagged scales intruded into the territory. It greedily swam around the smooth white wall, occasionally using its long tail to measure it. Its rough scales slid against the white wall, leaving a light red mark.
After circling back and forth several times, the insatiable sea monster flicked its tail and swam downstream, skimming the white wall.
Dai Li's breath hitched, and she immediately tried to push him away with both hands, but he remained unmoved, continuing to trap her between the hard stone walls. Just as she was about to push again, her pupils suddenly constricted, and after letting out a weak nasal sound, her whole body trembled violently, her back almost curling up.
Without bothering to push him away again, Dai Li quickly reached down.
A wicked sea monster is stirring up trouble. It has discovered a precious pearl and is extremely fond of it. It teases it with its fins, curls it up with its long tail, and sometimes folds it between its fins. It even maliciously rubs it hard with its rough scales.
At this moment, a bright white net descended from the sky, trapping the wicked sea monster and attempting to drag it away. However, the monster, relying on its enormous size, continued to do as it pleased.
Seeing that she couldn't pull him away, Dai Li simply closed her teeth and bit down hard.
Qin Shaozong didn't utter a sound, only paused for two breaths, and then, amidst the bloodshed, launched an even more ferocious attack on the city and its territory.
Dai Li let out a short whimper. Just as she was about to bite him again, he seemed to sense her movement and finally withdrew his hand, placing the base of his thumb against her chin. His large palm completely enveloped her jaw, his index finger and thumb wedging slightly between her upper and lower teeth through her skin, blocking her second attack.
Instead of separating immediately, he deliberately sucked and nibbled at that soft, peach-colored tongue, making smacking noises, before Qin Shaozong pulled back a little. His thin lips were stained with a touch of blood red, but under the lamplight, they did not appear weak at all; instead, they looked like a tiger that had just eaten a meal.
Dai Li's chest heaved violently, "My son has not been found..."
His thumb was still wedged against her chin, rubbing it vigorously with an indescribable greed, until her porcelain-white skin blushed a vibrant red.
“Finding your son is only a matter of time, and since there is a message to find him, there will naturally be a follow-up matter of escorting your son.” His eyes were like burning stars, incredibly intense. “Back in the Jiang family mansion in Nankang County, the lady invited me many times, and I have not forgotten a single word of what she said.”
Dai Li frowned and pushed him again, but he still couldn't get up. "Didn't we agree to wipe the slate clean of what we did to each other?"
Qin Shaozong held the person in his arms tightly, fixing her on his lap. "Calculating this one by one is too tedious. I wonder if Madam has considered a way to solve this once and for all?"
Dai Li knew perfectly well what this "once and for all" meant. He was still resentful about her rejection of him and had not given up on trying to bring her into his backyard.
“I’m a very strange person; I just like trouble. Besides, even brothers need to keep clear accounts, so it’s better to be clear about some things.” Dai Li turned her head away.
These words were spoken with conviction, but Dai Li had no idea what to expect, because at this moment no one knew better than her how tempted he was. So she quickly added, "Your Excellency is a man of great integrity and noble character, who treats his subordinates as brothers. I'm sure you wouldn't force a woman who saved your confidante's life."
Since he just mentioned that he had never forgotten her, it would be impolite not to reciprocate, so she could also bring up the "life-saving grace" again.
Qin Shaozong didn't respond to her words. His kisses landed on her cheek and the tip of her fair ear. "My lady, if you spend this night with me, I promise that no matter how far the journey or how dangerous the road, as long as your son is alive, he will return safely to your side. And when he grows up, I will grant him a sinecure, bestow upon him a large mansion and servants, and ensure his future wealth and honor for decades to come..."
A deep male voice entered her ears, easily stirring Dai Li's heartstrings.
At that moment, he seemed to become the serpent in the Garden of Eden, its forked tongue flicking out a scarlet tongue, cunning beyond measure, every word it uttered carrying immense allure.
Dark, long fingers hooked the sash again, and just as the sash was about to come undone completely, a soft, delicate hand pressed down on the loosened dress.
Dai Li said in a low voice, "What you are saying is too far away for me. Zhouzhou is only nine years old this year, and there are still eleven years before he comes of age. Even vows of eternal love between lovers are often unreliable, let alone the fact that I have only met you by chance. Who can say what will happen in eleven years?"
The vein on Qin Shaozong's forehead throbbed.
Not to mention after he became the patriarch of the Qin clan and took over the Qin family, even when he was still a teenager, no one would question him again and again.
Her pink fingers, like flower buds, touched his chest, as if clouds and rain were falling from the sky. "However, I cannot ignore the first part of what you said. Why don't I help you this once, as a way of paying off my son's journey home?"
Dai Li drank a whole pot of millet wine at the dinner party, and then enjoyed the breeze in the corridor afterward, but far from being drunk, she was perfectly sober. She realized that there was absolutely no way she could escape unscathed tonight.
His tough attitude and the conditions he offered left her no choice but to accept them.
Choosing the lesser of two evils, Dai Li decided to use her hand to help him relieve himself.
Her fingers lightly touched his lapel. Through the clothes, Dai Li could feel the firm, muscular muscles beneath, which rippled violently with her movements. "However, this time I'm in charge. You can't move. Will you agree, Lord?"
The clouds in the sky began to rain, extinguishing the soaring flames of anger. Qin Shaozong's Adam's apple bobbed back and forth.
He stared at her without speaking, as if weighing his options or considering where to begin.
Dai Li feigned displeasure and said, "You can't even grant me this small request? Fine, since that's how it is..."
"I won't move my hands or feet, please do as you please, Madam." Qin Shaozong interrupted her, and then pressed the person who was about to get up back onto him.
Dai Li frowned slightly.
Hands and feet don't move? What about the rest?
The two, standing close together, locked eyes. He understood her doubts, and she saw his unwavering resolve.
That's the most he can do; he can't and won't back down any further.
Dai Li lowered her eyes and said softly, "A gentleman's word is as good as his bond."
Her jade-white fingertips touched the beast-head belt around his waist. Dai Li looked at the tiger head hidden in the shadows and felt his breathing getting heavier. For some reason, she inexplicably thought of Pu Songling's "Three Tales of Wolves: The Wolf".
A butcher was returning home late at night, his basket empty of meat, containing only bones. Two wolves followed him for a long distance. The butcher, fearing them, threw them a bone. One wolf stopped after getting the bone, but the other continued to follow. He threw another bone, and the second wolf stopped, but the first wolf returned. By then, all the bones were gone…①
“Madam,” he urged.
Dai Li's spine tensed, snapping her out of her thoughts. "What's the rush?"
The room, with only a small window ajar, was filled with the aroma of alcohol. The few remaining honey torches in the room slowly burned out. One torch burned completely, the small flame flickering twice before suddenly going out.
The study was suddenly plunged into darkness, and in the encroaching darkness, the sound of breathing became increasingly clear. Heavy and rapid, like a stormy sea, it contained astonishing force.
Amidst the interplay of light and heavy sounds, an unusual noise occasionally emerged. A smacking sound, like a newborn tiger cub licking or sucking something.
As the moon began to set in the west, its light crept into the room, and in the dim light, two figures could be vaguely seen on the chair behind the long table.
The majority was a deep black, but a small portion was a striking white, as if the gray veil covering the pearl was no longer tightly sealed.
Dai Li had already changed from sitting sideways to sitting upright, her back against the beechwood table, her legs spread apart and pressed against the outside of his long legs. The sash of her clothes, which had been loose before, was now undone, and a slit opened between her upper and lower garments, revealing glimpses of her fair, ripe lychee-like skin, as if shrouded in a layer of holy moonlight.
The sea monster covered in jagged scales tried to swim through the layers of obstacles to the deep white sea wall, but just as it was about to flick its tail to dive in, its tail was suddenly slapped.
"Don't move!" Dai Li's breathing was very heavy.
She had left, and the sudden, chilling silence became unbearable. The veins on Qin Shaozong's neck bulged and then subsided. "Madam..."
"Your promise is a promise, as you yourself just made." Dai Li's hand, which had left hers, did not immediately return to its original position; she quietly shook her sore fingers.
Qin Shaozong tightened his long arms around her waist, pressing her down in front of him, and once again buried himself in that dazzling white expanse, like milk cake.
Dai Li's spine tightened, and she subconsciously leaned back as he pricked her with the sharp stubble on his chin, but the iron arm on her lower back blocked her way.
A night breeze blew in through the window, causing the candle flame on the candlestick to dance. The faint light flickered, vaguely revealing the man's white canine teeth in the darkness.
His canines gripped a thin ribbon around his belly, and as he tilted his head, the knot on the ribbon gradually loosened.
Dai Li gasped and quickly grabbed the teetering knot, pulling it back with her fingers. She swiftly retied it, stacking the two regular knots together and tying a tight knot over them.
A fierce glint flashed in Qin Shaozong's eyes, but before he could express his dissatisfaction, her hand returned to its place and retaliated by grabbing it hard.
A muscle on the side of his jaw twitched twice, and the fierce light in his eyes weakened for a moment before suddenly surging, becoming even more ferocious than before. He abruptly lowered his head, wreaking havoc through the cumbersome handkerchief covering his belly.
Dai Li's cheeks were flushed, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on her forehead.
After an unknown amount of time, a peculiar scent suddenly filled the room, which had nothing to do with freshness, but rather resembled the scent of photinia flowers blooming in April.
*
Just as dawn was breaking and the city gates were opening, five swift horses set off from the Grand Marshal's Mansion in Ying County, heading straight for the south gate. After leaving the city, they continued south towards Yangzhou.
Military officers must not neglect their morning training. Even though last night was quite absurd, Mo Yanyun still got up early today and arrived at the temporary training ground set up in the mansion on time.
He was early for an ordinary person, but he was one of the later arrivals among the military officers. When he arrived, many people were already there, some of whom were even finishing their morning exercises.
"Mo Yanyun, let's have a spar."
Suddenly being called out by name, and by his superior no less, Mo Yanyun's body trembled, and his legs inexplicably went weak.
He initially stood still, but was then called again.
"Come on." Qin Shaozong had already walked to the training ground that had been set up in advance.
A weapon rack was set up next to the training ground. Qin Shaozong didn't choose a sword, but casually picked up a long stick. Mo Yanyun hesitated for a moment, and finally chose a wooden hook.
The two went on stage.
Mo Yanyun swallowed hard. "My lord, please show mercy."
"Once you're on the battlefield, will those people with knives coming for your head listen to your words 'show mercy'?" Qin Shaozong mocked.
Mo Yanyun immediately booed.
Qin Shaozong stepped forward first, holding a long staff.
The audience.
Feng Feng, Bai Jianping (the head of Nantun), and Yan San and a few others were in the audience. The first two were watching and chatting amongst themselves.
"Your Excellency seems to be in a good mood today."
"That's not right. If the Lord were truly in high spirits, he wouldn't fight like this. Hmm, Old Mo seems a bit weak. Looks like he had too much fun last night."
"Don't you know him? He loves nothing but beautiful women. There are countless beautiful dancers in this mansion. He's no different from a rat falling into a granary. Your Excellency must also know about his dissolute lifestyle. Perhaps you're giving him a warning right now. Otherwise, why would Your Excellency treat us all with such kindness today, but find Old Mo so displeasing?"
“You’re right, Old Mo definitely deserves a beating. Speaking of which, if nothing unexpected happens, Mr. Nalan should arrive in Ying County this afternoon.”
"Speaking of which, yesterday the Lord urgently summoned about a dozen carpenters from the county, ordering them to work overtime to rush the construction of the dragon-bone waterwheel according to the blueprints. With everyone's efforts, it should be completed around noon. Wouldn't that mean that Mr. Nalan would be able to see the irrigation marvel as soon as he arrives at the manor?"
"That's excellent."
...
After the wooden hook in his hand was knocked away and landed on the ground, Mo Yanyun also fell heavily to the ground. The fall was so hard that he grimaced in pain and hurriedly begged for mercy, "My lord, I admit defeat, I won't play anymore."
Qin Shaozong finished with a flourish of his staff, his breathing steady, though he was still radiating heat from the exercise: "Although there have been no battles recently, training cannot be relaxed."
Mo Yanyun nodded repeatedly, but he was puzzled.
He hasn't slacked off in his training; he came for his morning exercise this morning. If you're talking about relaxation, it was at most last night. Could it be that the Marquis's anger hasn't subsided, and he can't stand seeing him so happy?
Mo Yanyun didn't know, and dared not ask.
*
When Dai Li woke up, it was bright daylight outside. Perhaps because half of the matter was resolved and she saw that there wouldn't be any major obstacles ahead, she had slept quite well last night.
Dai Li vaguely remembered having a beautiful dream. In the dream, her little boy was found. During the time she was away, Zhouzhou was adopted by a kind family. Although his living conditions were not as good as before, and he had become much darker, he was still as lively and cheerful as before.
After getting up and washing up, Dai Li opened her bedroom door only to find two people standing outside.
The two girls, no more than twenty years old, one tall and one short, had a small black mole on the tip of their nose, while the shorter one had round, cat-like eyes that made her look quite cute.
Both women were dressed simply, and behind them were three identical wooden boxes, which looked somewhat like clothing boxes.
Upon seeing Dai Li, the two men curtsied and said in unison, "Madam, we have come to serve you as Your Highness instructed."
Dai Li knew without asking who this "benefactor" was. She frowned and said, "I don't need anyone to serve me. You can go back now."
The two women looked distressed, and the round-eyed maid, her eyes brimming with tears, immediately knelt down. "Madam, please have mercy and take us in. If we leave you, Bibo and I will be sent back to the slave market. The slave market is a mixed bag; all sorts of people are there. Some masters buy slaves simply to keep them for their own amusement. Those are lives worse than death..."
The tall Bibo also knelt down and even kowtowed: "Please, Madam, have mercy and accept us, Nianxia and me. We can do any kind of hard work, and we promise to obey Madam's every word, to serve her like cattle and horses, and to repay Madam's kindness with our utmost gratitude."
Dai Li had previously decided against having any maids; she didn't want to establish any other connections with anyone. But seeing the two little girls kneeling trembling before her, she couldn't help but recall the beautiful dream she had last night.
In her dream, Zhouzhou was adopted by a kind person. In reality, if she didn't keep them, would she become one of those people who watched her children wander the streets without doing anything?
"Alright, get up now," Dai Li sighed.
The two women immediately smiled, stood up, gave their names, and asked Dai Li if she wanted to help them change their names.
Dai Li shook her head, telling them to just use their own names.
“These boxes of clothes were sent by a nobleman, and there are some jewelry and other items behind them. Madam, let Bibo and I move the things into the house first,” Nianxia said with a smile.
Dai Li was still wearing the same drab gray dress she had prepared for her escape, the most ordinary color and material, which she wore in rotation.
She thought it was fine, but last night in the study, someone seemed to dislike it.
Bibo and Nianxia worked quickly and efficiently, moving what needed to be moved, tidying up what needed to be tidied up, and even carefully wiping down the furnishings inside the house before lighting incense in the incense burner.
In just a quarter of an hour, the already old house seemed to be shining with newness.
"Nianxia, go to the study and get me a set of calligraphy and a book. Any kind of book will do. If anyone asks, just say I want to practice calligraphy." Dai Li said this when Nianxia came to ask what she needed.
It's better to rely on yourself than on others. She needs to learn calligraphy and cursive script so that she can write letters herself someday.
Nianxia accepted the order and left, returning shortly afterward with the necessary items.
Mulberry bark paper was spread out on the table, pine soot ink spread on the inkstone, and wolf hair brushes were placed on the brush rest.
Dai Li picked up the wolf-hair brush and began to adjust the way she held it according to her memory, but after a couple of tries, she felt that something was not right, and she couldn't help but furrow her brows.
The pen is wrong, and so is the hand.
The former is a feeling that something is wrong, while the latter is a state of being out of sorts.
Dai Li slammed her pen down in frustration.
Author's Note: The title of this chapter could also be: #My Parents' Untold Past#
①: Three Tales of Wolves - The Wolf
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
