Chapter 19 Good Wife "Didn't I tell you not to pick them?"...
(nineteen)
Red candles are lit, the tents are warm and the couch is fragrant, bamboo shadows sway slowly, and a night rain sweeps over Xiaofu Mountain.
Fine raindrops wove together on the window, creating hazy watermarks that slid into the window frame along the streaks.
Chu Li's body was half-buried in the red wedding quilt, and her knees were forcefully pulled apart without any room for refusal.
Her inner collar was stained with a thin layer of sweat. She subconsciously reached out to touch it, wanting to feel the lightning mark on his neck, but when she touched the skin on his neck, she was startled by the burning heat of his body and withdrew her hand. Shang Xinglan, on the other hand, grabbed her fingertips and pulled her into his arms.
Through the sweat-soaked brocade robe, Chu Li awkwardly looked away, vaguely hearing a heartbeat more chaotic than the torrential rain outside the window, unsure if it was her own or his.
Shang Xinglan looked down at her, his breathing becoming slower and heavier. His gaze fell on the small wooden hairpin in her hair. He reached out and pulled it out, and her dark blue hair cascaded down onto the pillow like a waterfall.
They've really grown up.
She was completely different from that thin, pitiful little girl, whose hair was dry and yellowish, and whose skin was not as porcelain white and clear.
He quickly forgave himself for falling in love at first sight after becoming a demon; it was understandable, and no one could blame him.
Chu Li couldn't bear his direct and intense gaze, so she reached out and pressed her hand against his chest, whispering, "Take off all your clothes."
Shang Xinglan raised an eyebrow and said softly, "Okay."
He freed one hand and quickly opened her bodice.
A chill ran through her body. Chu Li opened her eyes and said somewhat angrily, "Take off yours, not mine."
Shang Xinglan seemed not to hear her. His gaze slowly fell on her, his breathing slowed, and an unbearable heat welled up in his nostrils. He suddenly looked away and said softly, "You go first."
Upon hearing this, Chu Li cursed him inwardly for being pretentious, then took off all her clothes and threw them into a corner.
She was completely open with him, without a trace of shame in her mind; all she wanted to do was see the lightning marks on his body as soon as possible.
She insisted on seeing if it was the same as Shang Xinglan's lightning mark.
Seeing that she undressed so readily and without any hesitation, Shang Xinglan suddenly felt a little annoyed.
She had no idea who he was, yet she still gave herself to another man without reservation.
His gaze darkened, and he took off his inner garment.
As her clothes fell from her shoulders, Chu Li's pupils contracted slightly.
They're different; he has far more lightning marks on his body than Shang Xinglan.
Starting from the third of the neck, the marks spread down to the chest and under the ribs, all the way to the firm muscles of the lower abdomen, all covered with dense, numerous lightning marks.
Chu Li's mind was a jumbled mess, impossible to sort out. He stared blankly at the light golden lightning marks that had spread to his chest, extending like veins. Anyone who saw it would be terrified, and one could imagine that soon these lightning marks would cover his entire body.
"What's going on?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
As if guessing her question, Shang Xinglan calmly replied, "I'm sick, it's nothing serious."
How can it be insignificant if you die before the age of twenty-five?
Chu Li stared at him intently, as if trying to see through the mask to his face.
"This is a curse unique to those who ascend to immortality in the merchant realm."
Her tone was unquestionable, merely stating a fact, as if she had already confirmed something. Shang Xinglan's expression froze slightly, then she suddenly laughed.
"Perhaps these lightning marks are not unique to those who ascend, but rather a symptom that all those who ascend suffer from?"
Chu Li was stunned for a moment. Before she could think about his words carefully, he suddenly covered her with a hand and pressed her into the depths of the soft couch without any politeness.
"Alright, let's continue." Shang Xinglan leaned down and pressed her down, his grip tightening as if to draw her attention away from him.
"You...!" Her face flushed red, like glass that had been burned through, and even the tips of her ears were stained with a deep, unyielding crimson.
Shang Xinglan chuckled maliciously and pinched her face. "What do you mean, 'I'? You didn't want me to do this, otherwise why did you take off your clothes and invite me to bed?"
Chu Li gritted her teeth and glared at him fiercely.
This person is definitely not Shang Xinglan; Shang Xinglan would never treat her like this. That person would only gently and carefully ask her if doing this or that would be alright.
How could such vulgar and shameless words come from Shang Xinglan's mouth? It is clearly an insult to him!
Chu Li shook off his hand and made a move to pick up her dress, "I suddenly don't want to..."
She had only spoken half a sentence when a hand suddenly covered her lips, silencing her before she could finish her sentence, along with her gasp.
The person behind her climbed up like a cold snake, their voice icy, "Don't you want to think about what?"
Chu Li whimpered twice, but couldn't pull his hand away no matter what she did, and couldn't utter a single word.
Damn it, bastard, how dare you treat her like this!
"If you can't hear me, just pretend you didn't say anything." Shang Xinglan said calmly, pulling her tightly into his arms, almost completely enveloping her small body, and slowly running the back of his fingers down her face.
Chu Li trembled violently, shaking at his every move, but she couldn't say anything. The tension in her mind was so high that it seemed about to snap at any moment.
Stop, stop!
No one heard the anxious voice in her heart.
The candlelight on the table flickered, while the rain outside the window beat faster and faster, as if determined to engulf the world.
With a sharp clang.
She clearly heard that the string in her head had snapped.
Tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, but the other person held her tightly, not allowing her any escape.
Chu Li collapsed into his arms, too weak to struggle. Her mind went blank, and she vaguely heard him speak softly, as if he were laughing.
"You're the fastest."
Chu Li: "...?"
Is he really sick?
The finger on her lips suddenly loosened, and Chu Li finally realized that she had forgotten to breathe. No wonder her vision went black; she had almost suffocated.
She took a deep breath, but before she could enjoy the rare fresh air, her ankle was grabbed again.
"The bedding is wet, you'll have to wash it yourself tomorrow."
He spoke casually, and Chu Li angrily gripped the bedding beneath her, about to unleash all the words she had been holding back, when she suddenly fell silent.
She shed fresh tears on the still-wet tear tracks, vowing to unleash the most nasty insults she had ever heard in her life. However, her crying and cursing had no effect whatsoever; instead, it only aroused the other person's interest.
Her wrists were tied to her lower back with a belt, and tears on her face gradually soaked the fragrant pillow.
"Does it hurt?" the person behind me asked with malicious intent.
Chu Li buried her burning red face in the pillow, trying her best to force herself not to make any unpleasant sounds.
Son of a bitch.
Go to hell.
"It seems it still hurts; he's even crying from the pain."
Die! Die! I'll definitely kill you!!
As if guessing that she was cursing herself viciously in her heart, Shang Xinglan scoffed, slowed down, and whispered in her ear, "From now on, I will treat you the same way I did today."
He would no longer be soft-hearted towards her. He discovered something even more interesting: as long as he shut her up, he would no longer be fooled by her pitiful and pathetic words.
"Good madam, please bear with it."
The gauze curtains hung low, the candle flames flickered brightly, and the night lasted until dawn, when the rain stopped and people finally rested.
Afternoon.
Chu Li slowly woke up and tried to get up from the bed, but her arms suddenly lost their strength and she fell face down onto the soft couch.
The fragrance of soapberry reached her nose, and she finally realized that the blanket she was wearing was not the same one as yesterday, nor was the bedding beneath her.
Even the undergarment she was wearing was not the one she had worn to bed the night before.
My limbs felt numb and weak, my lower abdomen felt empty, and my body was covered with teeth marks of all sizes—arms, backs of fingers, legs… everywhere was a chaotic mess of marks.
She was stunned for a moment, and memories of last night flooded into her mind. Chu Li slowly closed her eyes, tilted her head back, and lay down, unwilling to think about it anymore.
I'm so tired, I'll sleep a little longer.
She wrapped herself tightly in her blanket and slept soundly until it was completely dark.
After getting a good night's sleep, Chu Li slowly got out of bed, went to the outer room, and saw a table full of food.
When Gu Ye saw her coming, he smiled and said, "Perfect timing, I just heated it up, eat up."
The master's timing is really accurate; she gets up exactly when she's told to.
Chu Li didn't even comb her hair. She sat down at the table, picked up her chopsticks, and belatedly realized that she was hungry. She wolfed down her rice.
She hadn't eaten like this, without any regard for table manners, in a long time, nor had she let herself get this hungry.
I hate being hungry; whenever I'm hungry, I think of the days when I was homeless.
Gu Ye watched in amazement as she devoured the food in just a quarter of an hour, and asked in a low voice, "Is that enough?"
Chu Li ignored him, pushed the bowl away, took out a handkerchief to wipe her mouth, and asked, "Where is your master?"
When he opened his mouth, his voice was terribly hoarse.
Hearing her words, Gu Ye thought to himself, "They're really newlyweds, so lovey-dovey that they can't be apart for even a quarter of an hour. Before Wuming went down the mountain this morning, he repeatedly told Chu Li to eat as soon as she got up. I wonder what happened to them yesterday. Wuming has been in a great mood all day."
“Your son didn’t cover himself properly last night and caught a cold. The master took him down the mountain to see a doctor and buy medicine.”
It was supposed to be a doctor's visit and medicine purchase, but in reality, Wuming could have easily cured the little brat with a simple spell. He was just taking him down the mountain for a stroll and to build a bond.
Upon hearing this, Chu Li's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? Why didn't you tell me!"
Gu Ye said casually, "It's nothing serious. The kid just has diarrhea. Master said to let you rest a little longer. They'll be back soon."
Chu Li couldn't sit still any longer and paced anxiously, "Yinyin rarely gets sick. It's only because no one covers him with a blanket at night. I'm usually the one who tucks him in..."
Seeing her anxious expression, Gu Ye said in a low voice, "He will learn to cover himself with the blanket from now on."
Chu Li paused, glaring at him, and said, "What do you know?"
She stormed out, slamming the door behind her. Gu Ye stared at the closed door for a long while before lowering his eyes.
His parents love him so much; that kid is really lucky.
In the courtyard, Chu Li pushed the door hard, but it seemed to be blocked by something from the outside and she couldn't open it no matter what she did. The wall had just been raised by Gu Ye and she couldn't climb over it. That bastard was really efficient; he actually repaired the wall in just one day.
In a fit of anger, she kicked the gate, her toe throbbing with pain, but the gate remained unmoved.
There wasn't a single handy tool in the huge courtyard. She remembered there was an iron awl in the side room, which she might be able to use to pry open the door.
Chu Li walked to the side room. There were two side rooms in the house. One was the east room, which was the room where Shang Xinglan used to sleep. Now it was given to the little one to sleep in. The other was the west room, which was used to store miscellaneous items and was never used.
Chu Li had previously sent Wuming and the others to sleep in the west room, but these demons didn't seem to need to sleep, so they probably never stayed there.
She unbolted the door and was about to push it open when she suddenly heard a faint clanging of chains.
Chu Li was stunned for a moment, then hesitated and went into the room. Old wood chips and dust rushed into her face, making her cough twice.
"Don't make a sound."
Chu Li took a half step back in fright, her legs still weak, and before she knew it, she had fallen to the ground.
A sliver of sunlight peeked through the square window, and dust motes drifted in the air. In the darkness, she gradually made out the person in the corner.
With her hands and feet bound by heavy shackles, and her body covered in bloodstains and wounds, Xie Liyi slowly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with complex emotions.
Chu Li stared at him in disbelief, got up from the ground, her heart pounding, "How did you get here?"
How could this be? Didn't Xie Liyi leave Xiaofushan to get reinforcements to rescue them?
She had a vague sense of foreboding until Xie Liyi spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Feel sorry."
In an instant, Chu Li understood everything.
Wuming must have noticed something amiss that day, which is why he brought Xie Liyi back after Xie left.
How terrifying! He actually hid someone so blatantly in her house, in this side room just a dozen meters away from her house, without even setting up the door!
Xie Liyi seemed to have guessed her thoughts. She took a breath and said in a low voice, "I just destroyed the array he attached to the door so that you were able to come in. Now I have no magic power left."
He was poisoned with an extremely potent toxin, rendering him unable to use his magic.
That day, Xie Liyi had just reached the mountainside when Yan Xinbai and Gu Ye blocked his way. The two used extremely insidious tricks to poison him, but they did not kill him.
From what they said, the nameless man's order was to leave him alive, because the child liked him very much.
This demon so readily decided his life or death with such a merciful tone; it was clearly a trap set by them.
Despicable! Shameless!
Chu Li listened to his words with trepidation, her vision blurring.
If even Xie Liyi can't beat her, how can she and the little one possibly survive?
Seeing her sink into despair, Xie Liyi forced himself to sit up and said in a deep voice, "There is still a chance. Go and find the antidote for me. Once I regain my magic power, although I can't fight three against one, I can still take you and the child away."
Hearing his words, Chu Li hesitated. She looked at Xie Liyi's injuries and whispered, "Are you really sure you can do it?"
Xie Liyi's lips twitched slightly, looking at her with disappointment, "Have you been bewitched by that demon? Even if it's not possible, it has to be possible. That's the Demon Lord Wuming. Are you really planning to compromise and be his wife for the rest of your life?"
"Of course I didn't want to!" Chu Li was annoyed by his words. If he hadn't been so weak, she wouldn't have been tormented by him all night.
Hearing her words, Xie Liyi breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief and said in a low voice, "Go find the antidote. Demon Lord Wuming is meticulous and would never give the antidote to his two subordinates. You can definitely find it by looking on him."
Chu Li stared at him in shock, then shrugged. "Have you gone mad from being beaten? Me, a weak woman with no strength to even kill a chicken, going to a demon to find an antidote?"
Xie Liyi, with just a few words, truly knows nothing of human suffering.
She struggled to even touch the mask, let alone get the antidote from the nameless man. She was afraid that she would be discovered before she even got close to him, and he would take the opportunity to retaliate.
Xie Liyi wasn't annoyed. She just pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Come here."
Chu Li looked at him warily.
"I have an invisibility talisman in my possession. If you stick it on your body, it will conceal your presence and temporarily dull his senses of touch, hearing, and other senses when you approach him," Xie Liyi said seriously. "But you must remember that this talisman can only maintain your concealment for half a quarter of an hour. Once the half quarter of an hour is up, you must remove it, otherwise he will discover you instantly!"
This talisman was originally given to him by his master to save his life. He thought he would never need it in his life, but unexpectedly he could actually use it today. It was truly a twist of fate.
Chu Li took the talisman from his body and looked at him with a mixture of belief and doubt. He nodded to her, giving the impression that he had entrusted his entire life to her.
She couldn't help but feel uneasy, and carefully tucked the talisman deep into her sleeve.
"I'll give it a try."
In short, there was no other way but to try anything as a last resort.
Watching Chu Li depart, Xie Liyi breathed a long sigh of relief. He had done all he could; the rest was up to fate. He hoped everything would go smoothly.
After leaving the west room, Chu Li closed the door tightly, her heart still pounding wildly.
She couldn't imagine when he had captured and locked Xie Liyi up so secretly, and even slept with her as usual... Could it have been on their wedding day? No wonder he didn't come to the bridal chamber until nightfall. Chu Li thought about it with trepidation. If Wuming wanted to keep her locked up like this, she would never be able to escape for the rest of her life.
Just as she was restless and pondering a solution in the courtyard, the gate to the small courtyard creaked open, and Shang Xinglan returned with the little cub in tow.
Chu Li immediately got up and went forward. The little boy was holding a small windmill in his hand and pounced on her as soon as he saw her.
"Yinyin, how are you?" She cupped the little boy's face and examined him carefully with concern. Fortunately, his complexion was rosy and she could not see any discomfort.
The little boy said softly, "I'm fine, Mother."
He whispered in Chu Li's ear, "I pretended to be good. He didn't bully me. He even bought me a little windmill and some snacks."
The little boy took off the small bundle on his back, took out the snacks and handed them to her, saying, "I picked the most expensive ones, I bought a lot of boxes, have a taste."
Chu Li felt a little relieved, took the pastries, and said softly, "Next time you feel unwell, tell your mother first, okay?"
The little boy nodded.
He just had diarrhea and hadn't planned to see a doctor, but Wuming saw he looked unwell and insisted on taking him. They didn't actually see a doctor; he just took him around aimlessly, neglecting his studies—that wicked devil!
Shang Xinglan ruffled his hair and said with a deep smile, "Let's go inside."
Chu Li trembled at the sound of his voice, her mind filled with the image of him dragging her down by her ankles last night, and Xie Liyi, whose hands and feet were bound by shackles just now.
horrible.
She forced herself to remain calm and led the baby inside.
Shang Xinglan glanced at her unintentionally, but her gaze was averted just before they met.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and followed them through the door without making a sound.
The little boy ate his snacks in small bites, and Chu Li absentmindedly picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. It wasn't very sweet, and her fingertips were tinged with the delicate fragrance of osmanthus.
How can I get close to him without him noticing?
Unless he's asleep, which is when he's least guarded.
But how could she get the demon to sleep? She had never seen Wuming sleep before... No, she had. This morning, in a hazy, half-awake state, she felt someone lie down beside her, their head gently resting on her neck, their breathing even.
He must have been very tired, so he briefly fell asleep leaning against her.
Chu Li bit her lip, her fingers, hidden inside her sleeve, slowly curling up.
For freedom.
She suddenly stood up, as if making an extremely difficult decision, and said in a deep voice, "Husband, come with me."
Shang Xinglan was watching the little one eat when she heard this and her eyelids twitched slightly.
He stared at her for a long time before following her into the inner room.
Upon seeing him enter, Chu Li immediately locked the door. Under Shang Xinglan's slightly confused gaze, she took a deep breath and squeezed out a few words, "Take off your clothes."
"..." Shang Xinglan suddenly laughed, "Beg me."
Chu Li didn't hesitate to hug him tightly, "Please, hurry up."
Shang Xinglan paused for a moment, then used a finger to push away her forehead. "Daytime debauchery is not good."
Although I don't know why she did this so suddenly, I'm sure it's not something good.
Chu Li refused to let go of him, stubbornly saying, "It's getting dark soon, what excuse are you making? I think you're too tired last night and can't do anything today."
That mouth should be shut forever.
Shang Xinglan squinted at her, then picked her up and threw her onto the bed.
...
Clothes were scattered all over the ground. Chu Li lost control several times, tears falling like broken beads. She gritted her teeth and persevered, as if she was about to melt into a pool of water.
She couldn't take it anymore and completely fainted when Shang Xinglan lifted her to his waist for the second time.
Before everything went dark, she seemed to fall into a warm embrace, and heard a mocking sneer from the other person.
"fool."
When she woke up, it was already late at night.
Her shoulders felt heavy, making her numb and sore. Chu Li opened her eyes and turned her head to look. The man was leaning quietly beside her, his arm around her, his breathing shallow.
He seemed to really enjoy holding her like this, in an invasive way, as if he wanted to possess her entirely.
A tiny flame gradually lit up in Chu Li's eyes, and her heart pounded like a drum.
He fell asleep.
I slept very comfortably.
She took a deep breath and, with minimal effort, took out the invisible talisman from her sleeve and gently placed it on the back of her hand.
Chu Li carefully moved his arm, her fingertips slipping inside his clothes to search.
Stealing was easy for her; she had observed Wuming before, and he usually kept things in his inner pocket or storage ring. Sure enough, Chu Li took out several small medicine packets from her inner pocket. She took them first, regardless of which one was the antidote; if Xie Liyi died from it, then it was Xie Liyi's bad luck.
Just as he was about to stop, Chu Li caught a glimpse of the mask on his face out of the corner of her eye.
As if an invisible hand was guiding her, Chu Li moved closer quietly, almost as if possessed.
I'll just take a quick peek; he won't know anyway.
Unable to contain her curiosity, Chu Li had never been so curious about anything before. Her fingertips slowly reached towards the mask, lifting it off gently.
In an instant, the mask slipped from Chu Li's palm, and all color drained from her face. A chilling aura rose from the depths of her heart.
It took her a long time to come to her senses. She trembled violently and retreated in a panic as if she had seen a ghost.
How is that possible?
How could that be?
—It was a face exactly like her deceased husband's.
She clearly remembered watching him fall into the abyss.
On the soft couch, the man opened his eyes at some point and stared intently at her until he took in Chu Li's increasingly flustered expression. He suddenly chuckled, but his tone was extremely cold.
"Didn't I tell you not to pick them?"
A note from the author:
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I'm recommending this pre-order novel!
Title: He Seems to Be Enjoying It After Forcibly Taking His Master
Synopsis: I have a master whom I have long admired.
His name is Jiang Min, a sword immortal unparalleled in a thousand years, at the half-step ascension realm.
Although he was called my master, I was actually just an outer disciple responsible for cleaning his cave.
I suffered a fire when I was a child, and half of my face is covered with ugly scars.
The disciples of the sect all disliked me because of my gloomy personality and ugly appearance, and therefore they ostracized and bullied me.
The only person who will treat me well is Jiang Min.
Every time he cleaned the cave, he would prepare snacks for me, ask me about the weather outside, and chat with me about the progress of my cultivation recently.
I secretly admired Jiang Min and would go to his cave to clean it every day, thinking that it was our special time together.
Until one day, I saw Jiang Min treat another disciple with the exact same attitude, smiling.
I stared at it coldly for a long time, then went back to my place and smashed things like a madman.
Exhausted, only one thought remained in my mind.
I must have him; he's all I need for the rest of my life.
It seems that fate is on my side; Jiang Min actually failed to transcend the tribulation.
The first person to discover him was me, who went to clean the cave every day before dawn.
He raised his head, his face pale and weak, filled with unbearable pain, and then collapsed to the ground.
My heart was pounding as I slowly walked toward him and touched his face for the first time.
"Master, may I take you somewhere?"
No one knows where Jiang Min went.
Only I know that he was tied up in my little house by a ridiculous hemp rope.
Jiang Min will probably resent me and hate me.
But to my surprise, after he woke up, he still trusted me as usual.
"Zhizhi, I want to drink water..."
"My body aches so much."
"This rope is in the way."
My gaze was deep as I handed him a glass of drugged water, which he drank without hesitation.
"It's so hot, it's so uncomfortable."
"Don't come near me."
"Don't……"
After a night, Jiang Min finally understood her situation and guessed my purpose.
His ears turned red as he helped me pull my shirt up over my shoulders.
"I will take responsibility for you."
I have truly never met anyone like him.
He accepted everything without complaint, and even cooked and did laundry for me, and obediently shared a room with me.
Is it that your brain isn't working very well?
Just then, a miraculous medicine that could heal scars appeared in the cultivation world. I spent all my money to buy it and cured the scars on my face.
Strangely enough, people started talking to me, inviting me to admire the moon, and even giving me gifts.
I came home very late every day and rarely spoke to Jiang Min anymore.
Until one day, my friend and I were walking home after visiting the lantern festival.
I was horrified to see a broken piece of hemp rope on the ground.
Jiang Min looked at me quietly, walked slowly over, and crushed the lantern in my hand.
"Go to bed."
"immediately."
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