She lay on the edge of the stone steps, biting her lip with some impatience.
Her legs were unconsciously pressed tightly together, and her soaked underwear clung to her skin, creating a distinctly strange sensation.
Xue Shen's hands were still massaging Shen Youying's shoulders and back, and each time his fingertips brushed against her delicate, reddened skin, they would cause her to tremble. Shen Youying was like a tea leaf thrown into boiling water, being slowly smoothed out by the scalding water, then instinctively curling up, and finally losing her senses, drifting away with the warm water.
She could barely contain herself and let out a low hum.
Xue Shen half-lifted her up, looking at her flushed face: "You can't soak in the medicinal spring for too long, shall I carry you up?"
Shen Youying opened her eyes, her gaze misty and unclear. She nodded groggily, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and neck, and pressed her body against him tremblingly.
Xue Shen carried her out of the water like a child and into the pavilion.
The pavilion was spacious inside, with pink gauze curtains hanging around it. Instead of tables and chairs, the floor was covered with carpets, and cushions and small tables were placed on them. On the small tables were tea, fruit, and a cluster of red wildflowers picked from the mountains.
Xue Shen took out a cloth and wrapped it around the person, intending to place her on the cushion.
Shen Youying realized this, but refused to go down. She frowned her slender eyebrows, hugged his shoulders haphazardly, and entwined her legs with his.
Xue Shen noticed her erratic movements, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he lightly patted her buttocks: "This was Zhao Zhao's initiative."
Shen Youying looked up in a daze, and in a daze, tilted her head back to kiss his chin.
Xue Shen lifted her up and kissed her down her slender neck.
Shen Youying tilted her head back and let out a satisfied and pleasant "hmm" from the tip of her nose.
Xue Shen pinned her against the pavilion's thick pillars, kissing her tenderly and fiercely, sparing no inch of her skin. Shen Youying ran her fingers through his hair, letting out low, soft sobs.
...
Shen Youying felt as if a fire was burning inside her body, making her unbearably hot.
Her mind was sometimes clear and sometimes confused. When she was clear-headed, she would beg for mercy; when she was confused, she would be coaxed and lured by Xue Shen, and cooperate almost completely.
The hot spring water was drawn from fresh water, and the temperature was constant. The temperature inside the pavilion was just right, and the two of them fooled around for most of the night. It wasn't until the chill of the night came in that Shen Youying hunched her shoulders and Xue Shen carried her upstairs.
Upstairs, the bed had already been laid out with dry and soft bedding, but Xue Shen thought that if he called someone to change it later, Zhao Zhao would be embarrassed afterward, so he didn't get on the bed. He just grabbed one of his robes and draped it over her, then placed her on the windowsill.
The red lanterns outside the window swayed slightly. Shen Youying would occasionally glance at them absentmindedly and see the candles inside burning shorter and shorter...
*
Shen Youying slept very soundly.
When I woke up at noon, apart from the familiar soreness in my waist and legs, I felt unusually energetic.
She put on her outer robe and got up, only to see Xue Shen painting by the window, depicting the pavilion from the previous night...
Shen Youying's cheeks flushed, not understanding his wicked sense of humor: "Why do you keep drawing this?"
Xue Shen didn't turn around. He sketched the figures in the pavilion with his brush and said with a smile, "It's rare for Zhao Zhao to take the initiative. Such a beautiful memory should naturally be painted to cherish in the future."
Shen Youying: "..."
She stared at Xue Shen, speechless, before finally muttering, "There's something strange about that medicinal spring."
Xue Shen laughed: "Zhao Zhao finally figured it out?"
"This eye-medicine spring is called Spring Water. It is said that a very nourishing medicine grew beside the original pool, but because the medicine was too strong, no one could withstand it, so the spring water was diverted to dilute the medicine."
Shen Youying pursed her lips and complained in a low voice, "What kind of medicine is so evil? It doesn't sound like a proper hot spring."
Xue Shen laughed: "It's just that your body is weak and can't withstand the effects of the medicine. I've been soaking in it, and I haven't seen anything unusual."
Shen Youying glared at him with a mixture of shyness and anger, thinking that there was something unusual about it.
He was fiercer than usual.
But given his thick skin, this person would probably think he was being praised.
Shen Youying simply didn't say anything, changed her clothes, and went downstairs.
With Lunar New Year's Eve fast approaching, there were no other tourists in the village besides them. The villagers, enjoying a rare moment of leisure, bought New Year's goods from the town and were busily preparing for the new year.
Shen Youying looked at Danzhu and Bailuo and said, "Although we are spending the New Year away from home this time, we still need to have what we need, just to bring good luck. Let's go and buy some ingredients from the villagers. I will cook for them myself on New Year's Eve."
Upon hearing this, Bai Luo exclaimed "Yes!" and couldn't hide her excitement, saying, "I'll go ask him, I'll go ask him."
Shen Youying was amused by her and let her walk ahead excitedly, while she followed slowly with Danzhu.
Shen Youying bought some chicken, duck, fish, and meat—essential for the New Year's Eve feast—as well as some wild vegetables from the farmer's house. The farmer knew they were noble ladies from the capital and refused to accept money. Shen Youying insisted, and noticing the lady of the house weaving a net with dried red straw rope, she asked curiously, "What are you doing, elder sister?"
The woman looked to be in her early thirties, with a round face and large eyes. Her face showed signs of age, but she possessed a vibrant beauty. Especially when she glanced back at her busy husband in the distance upon hearing Shen Youying's question, a deep smile welled up in her eyes: "This is our local custom. In the mountains around here, there grows a kind of grass that grows intertwined like two vines. Legend has it that a deeply loving couple was forced to commit suicide here by evil people, and after their deaths, they transformed into this grass, growing together for all eternity, never to be separated again. That's why we call it the 'Heart-to-Heart Grass.' After drying, the Heart-to-Heart Grass turns dark red. Near the end of the year, we gather the Heart-to-Heart Grass, dry it, and weave two Heart-to-Heart Ropes by hand. On New Year's Eve, the husband and wife each wear one, symbolizing their unity and eternal love. It's also a way to bring good luck."
Shen Youying's heart stirred slightly: "Where can we find the Love-Holding Grass?" She said somewhat shyly, "My husband and I are spending the New Year on the estate this year, so we should follow local customs..."
The hostess, seeing that she was pretty and young, and that her current shy demeanor made her even more pitiful, said repeatedly, "It's too late to pick and dry them now. I have extra at home. If you don't mind, I can share a few with you."
Shen Youying thanked her, and the hostess conveniently went back into the house to get a handful of dried love grass.
Just as the other party had said, these love-loving grasses split into two plants at the root, intertwined and inseparable.
The hostess picked out a few dried and pliable love knots and handed them to her: "Wife, give it a try. These love knots look simple, but it's not easy to weave them properly."
Shen Youying took it, and following the example of the mistress, cut off the roots, carefully separated the two grass stems, and then began to weave somewhat clumsily.
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