Chapter 53 Intimacy: Practice Makes Perfect
The moment their lips and tongues intertwined, Yu Wenxue froze on the spot again.
Compared to the previous kisses, this one was much better. Taking a breath between the movements of their tongues, she was surprised to find that she had been guided by him to learn how to breathe without even realizing it.
This is roughly what is meant by "practice makes perfect".
But does acting have to be this realistic?
Sensing her distraction, Gu Yun Shen leaned close to her ear and said in a deep voice, "Wen Xue, be serious."
His movements were very light, as if he were savoring a rare delicacy, delicately tracing its flavor with the tip of his tongue.
Before this, Gu Yun Shen had never imagined that he would have such intimate contact with a woman.
Those sordid deals, every ugly expression on their faces, touched a raw nerve with him.
But now, he willingly submits to her lips, yearning to savor that sweetness.
Their lips parted, they looked at each other, then looked away.
"Just now..."
"I know." Yu Wenxue turned her back and tossed her hair. "You said someone was watching, right? I played my part pretty well, didn't I?"
"Very smart," Gu Yunshen said in a hoarse voice, "and learns very quickly too."
To ease the awkward atmosphere, Yu Wenxue coughed lightly, her fingertips hooking around his collar, but she didn't look up at him: "Then can you teach me how to swim?"
Since we're going to soak in hot springs anyway, we might as well learn a survival skill while we're at it.
Gu Yun Shen nodded in agreement: "Okay, but remember to pay the tuition fee."
"...How about you change your name to Gu the Skinflint?"
Yu Wenxue clutched her purse and secretly weighed it in her hand.
Actually, she didn't have much money of her own, but she still couldn't bear to part with it. She touched it very gently again and again, tentatively saying, "Name your price, and then I'll decide whether to learn or not."
“Since ancient times, the six gifts for a bride price have been: dried meat, celery, dried longan, lotus seeds, red dates, and red beans.” Gu Yun Shen turned his head and chuckled, “However… I don’t want any of these.”
Feeling a vague unease, Yu Wenxue held her breath: "Then what do you want?"
It's too expensive; she can't afford it.
Gu Yunshen said with a half-smile, "I want all of you."
"This..." Yu Wenxue hesitated, "Are you really that heartless?"
There wasn't much money in total; if I gave it all away, I'd be broke.
Although she didn't spend any of her own money during this time...
Gu Yun Shen stood beside her, his eyes languid, his tone slightly teasing: "If you can't bear to part with it, you can use something else instead."
So that was his ultimate goal!
Yu Wenxue took a step back, tilted her head and blinked: "Fine, if you won't teach me, I'll find someone else."
"..."
Seeing him frozen in place, she put her hands behind her back, casually strolled around, and smiled brightly: "There are plenty of people who can swim. If you don't want to, then you'll just have to give up."
Gu Yun Shen didn't speak, but his hand, hidden in his sleeve, unconsciously curled up.
Yu Wenxue didn't pay attention to the details, assuming he hadn't heard her. She tiptoed closer to his ear, her smile radiant: "How about this, tomorrow I'll prepare the gifts you mentioned and go find the waiter. He'll definitely have connections, what do you say?"
Just as she was about to leave, Gu Yun Shen grabbed her arm and turned his head away, saying, "Make me another puppy."
*
Carving a puppy isn't difficult; the difficulty lies in not having the materials.
After racking her brains for a long time and having no other choice, Yu Wenxue decided to try her luck in the kitchen and ask for a piece of wood to start a fire.
The person tending the fire in the kitchen was a plump old woman, around fifty years old, with a very kind smile.
Upon learning Yu Wenxue's purpose, the old woman hesitated but still gave her a piece of wood.
Seeing her strange behavior, he hesitated for a long time before finally asking, "Miss, were you abducted?"
"Hmm? Why would you ask that?" Yu Wenxue asked curiously, and smiled, "Do I look like I'm being coerced?"
The old woman wiped her hands with her apron, her gaze shifting uncertainly.
Looking around and seeing no one else, she took Yu Wenxue's wrist and said with concern, "Last night I went to the front yard to collect my wages, and I saw you all when you came."
"Look, your wrists are all red from being squeezed."
“I asked to be tied up,” Yu Wenxue explained patiently. “I wasn’t kidnapped. He… he is my husband.”
The old woman still didn't believe her, and pursed her lips, saying, "Don't worry, hitting a woman here will get you arrested by the authorities. Even a real husband can't kidnap someone. Don't be afraid, I'll take you to report it to the authorities..."
"Even at a time like this, you're still speaking up for your husband." The old woman tending the fire looked at her with exasperation: "What a disappointment to your daughter! How can she be so stubborn!"
Yu Wenxue: "Actually, I only need oil and salt; I enjoy everything I eat."
The two were locked in a stalemate. The old woman who tended the fire was convinced that Yu Wenxue was a kidnapped outsider, and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "I've seen this kind of thing many times. Men just need to be taught a lesson..."
She was naturally strong, with a loud voice and a strong grip. Yu Wenxue got a headache from the noise and rubbed her wrist, which was being squeezed so hard.
If she had known that getting a piece of wood would cost so much, she would have chosen to stay in bed and not go anywhere.
If he wants a puppy, he should go find some wood himself.
Outside the corridor, a tall, slender figure in black walked in with his arms crossed, his handsome face calm and indifferent.
The old woman tending the fire was on high alert. She immediately shielded Yu Wenxue behind her, her face full of vigilance. "You little brat, you look quite presentable, but you have such a cold and fierce face. A man like that will never find a wife around here."
Gu Yunshen didn't look at her, but reached out his hand to Yu Wenxue: "I've been looking for you for a long time."
"Husband!" Yu Wenxue jumped up and waved her hand, taking advantage of the gap to escape from the old woman's firm grasp.
She didn't care about being shy anymore; she just wanted to clear up this beautiful misunderstanding as soon as possible.
Taking advantage of the moment when the old lady was stunned, she quickly pounced into Gu Yunshen's arms and gave him a bear hug.
His body reacted faster than his brain; the moment she ran over, Gu Yun Shen reached out and caught her in his arms.
Before he could answer, Yu Wenxue kissed him on the cheek.
The unexpected kiss came so suddenly that Gu Yun Shen straightened his back abruptly, his thin lips pursed slightly, and a blush spread from the tips of his ears all the way down his neck.
His fingers sank into her soft flesh, and the hand supporting her thigh couldn't help but increase the pressure, slowly caressing her.
Yu Wenxue glanced back and said, "Auntie, he really is my husband. We were just playing around."
The old woman tending the fire was still speechless with surprise. She looked at the girl with her bright, smiling eyes, and then at the boy holding her.
The former had a warm smile, while the latter was as cold as ice...
How did these two people get together?
Before she could ask any more questions, the waiter pulled her away anxiously: "Hey Aunt Li, what are you doing here? That young couple has a great relationship!"
"I'm afraid this person is a kidnapper..."
"What do you mean by 'crutch'? Have you ever seen a cripple who looks like that?"
"This young master got up early to buy sweets for his wife. What kidnapper would do that?"
The waiter kept muttering to himself, and the woman tending the fire still glanced back, still worried.
Seeing their relaxed demeanor and intimate actions, he finally realized he had misunderstood and muttered, "Young people these days, they really have a lot of tricks up their sleeves..."
Only after the old woman had walked away did Yu Wenxue jump down from Gu Yunshen's arms and straighten her collar, which had been wrinkled by the old woman.
"Actually, the old lady was a very kind and warm-hearted person. She was afraid that I would be kidnapped by a trafficker."
Gu Yun Shen thought about it seriously for a while, then said lazily, "Do I look like a bad guy?"
Yu Wenxue propped her chin up and circled him a few times before finally confirming, "He doesn't seem like a bad person, more like a womanizer." Then she added, "But his personality doesn't seem like it."
Gu Yun Shen didn't understand the meaning behind her words, but he still followed up with, "Do you like to eat radishes?"
Yu Wenxue couldn't help but laugh, her eyes forming crescent moons, the pearl hairpins in her hair jingling. She shook her head: "I don't like eating radishes."
“I don’t like it…” Gu Yun Shen’s smile faded, his thoughts drifting, and he said softly, “Then make me ten little dogs, and I’ll teach you how to swim after you’ve done it.”
Yu Wenxue could no longer laugh.
She hugged the piece of wood and caught up with him as he left: "Didn't we agree that we only wanted one?"
"I've changed my mind."
"A man's word is his bond!"
"I'm not a real man, and you call me a big radish."
"..."
Without Lin Qingwan's guidance, Yu Wenxue spent two whole days carving this wooden puppy, and angrily carved it into a pitiful face.
The candlelight flickered, and strands of hair fell across her face, making it itch. She pouted and blew on them, trying to lift them up.
Cool fingertips lightly touched her earlobe, her hair was brushed behind her ear, Yu Wenxue stopped carving and stared at the person in front of her.
He glanced at it once, then immediately lowered his head to complete the final step in the wood carving process.
Ten wooden carvings—he's truly ruthless!
He truly deserves to be called a major villain.
Gu Yun Shen slowly withdrew his hand. "We're setting off the day after tomorrow. Would you like to go out and see the world?"
Yu Wenxue didn't look up, holding her breath, so her tone was naturally a bit sharp: "No, I haven't even finished one of the ten puppies yet."
"Are you really not going?"
"I'm not going."
Gu Yunshen said in a gentle voice, "I heard there are Kongming lanterns outside. I thought you would be interested."
Upon hearing this, Yu Wenxue slowed down her movements, waiting for him to continue.
Gu Yun Shen simply stood quietly to the side, his eyes dark and unfathomable, revealing no emotion.
Another cup of tea's time passed.
Seeing that he remained silent, Yu Wenxue knocked on the wooden carving and said, "Could you ask me one more time?"
"If you ask me one more time, I'll agree."
The streets were crowded with people, young and old, men and women, all carrying all kinds of lanterns.
There is a century-old bridge between the two banks of the river. Legend has it that if lovers walk across the bridge together, they will live a happy and fulfilling life.
In the very center of the river stands a pavilion where Hu (Central Asian) dancers gracefully perform, their movements so beautiful that it's impossible to look away.
Yu Wenxue excitedly patted Gu Yunshen's shoulder, her eyes sparkling like stars: "Look at them, they're so beautiful."
Gu Yun Shen's gaze was fixed on her, his deep eyes revealing seriousness, and he echoed, "Beautiful."
“I heard that you can make a wish when you release a sky lantern. Write your wish on it, and the higher it flies, the greater the chance of it coming true.” Yu Wenxue naturally took his hand and walked to the vendor’s stall to buy two sky lanterns.
"One for you, one for me, let's see whose lantern flies the highest."
Gu Yunshen did not refuse and accepted the Kongming lantern.
Yu Wenxue sat upright and wrote stroke by stroke: Wishing myself and my loved ones happiness and good health.
After she finished writing, she realized something was wrong. She examined the writing repeatedly in the moonlight and finally found the flaw.
If no name was written down, how could the gods know who she was writing down?
Without much thought, she wrote down her grandparents' names on the paper.
It's still not right.
Yu Wenxue frowned and added Lin Qingwan's name after her grandparents' names.
Lin Qingwan was the first friend she made after arriving here. She was gentle and considerate, and treated her like a younger sister. She deserved a place in her life.
And there's Wenyu, Xiaobai, and Xiaohuang...
As for Gu Rongting, he's quite good to her, so we can add him.
Just as she picked up her pen to write the radical of the character "顾", Gu Yun Shen casually asked, "Aren't you finished writing yet?"
"immediately."
Finally, Yu Wenxue blinked her eyelashes and wrote Gu Yunshen's name.
"That's it, I'm going to release it now." Yu Wenxue reached out and released the Kongming lantern, nervously clasping her hands together and repeatedly chanting, "It must fly, it must fly..."
Gu Yun Shen lowered his eyes, stared at it for a long time, and then casually wrote down a sentence.
Yu Wenxue opened one eye, curious but adhering to the principle of not prying into other people's privacy, and asked, "Have you released any sky lanterns before?"
Yes, I have.
"So what did you wish for?"
Under the starry sky of Shuozhou, twelve Kongming lanterns stood in neat rows, all bearing the same wish.
Under her excited gaze, Gu Yun Shen parted his thin lips slightly: "I won't tell you."
Yu Wenxue: "...Don't go to bed tonight."
Author's Note: This puppy is innocent, jealous, and awkward. It doesn't say anything, but just wags its tail and deliberately causes trouble to get its owner's attention. [Dog head holding a rose]
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