Cage (7)
Li Qi burst into tears, her neck raised in a beautiful arc, and she cried and begged him to let her go, as if in pain and joy.
Feng Siji did not let go, but just watched her pain indifferently.
He had read in a book that a person's pain and pleasure were controlled by the same nerves, so whether it was pain or joy, the expression would be the same.
He gently stroked her frown, feeling her skin was burning hot. She had such a hot body temperature, but why was her mind so cold?
"Have you forgotten that we were married?" Feng Siji looked at the tears in the corners of her eyes. They were just a small, glittering tear, and they looked really pretty. "How can a wife call her husband by his name? You should call me husband."
"Mingrong is dead. I really don't know why you ask this. I don't know anything. Please let me go..." Li Qi cried and broke down.
"You really don't know? I'm giving you one last chance."
"I really don't know..."
Feng Siji withdrew his hand, pulled out a letter, opened it in front of her, and asked, "What is this?"
Li Qi tried hard to focus her scattered gaze and looked over there carefully. Her chaotic mind suddenly became clear.
That was the letter Dong Mingrong wrote to her last month. She didn't get it at Feng Siji's house, so it was taken away by Ye Lan. Later, Feng Siji ordered Ye Lan Shengxiang to go to his house to take care of her, but she accidentally lost it.
Li Qihou also looked for him in Feng's mansion, but found no trace of him. Unexpectedly, he had fallen into Feng Siji's hands.
Now it was wet by his wet fingers, and a dark water stain spread on the edge of the envelope.
Feng Siji read out the contents word by word: "Eldest sister, I'm glad to hear that you're doing well these days. Don't worry."
Simple content, like a daily safety report.
He turned his gaze from the envelope to Li Qi's still-blushing cheeks, sneering, "Only Dong Mingrong can call you elder sister. You faked her death and said it was a deity taking her life, creating an unsolved case."
He slowly tore the letter into pieces and threw them to the ground, and dense scraps of paper fell down in a swirling manner.
Feng Siji leaned over amidst the chaotic confetti, put his head close to her ear, and said slowly, "I'll give you one more chance. Where did you hide her?"
Li Qi shook her head, her eyes determined, and said the same thing: "I don't know."
His voice was nasal and a little hoarse from crying.
But this did not make Feng Siji sympathize with her. He placed his hands on either side of her body, looking down at her condescendingly. "I always torture prisoners who refuse to tell the truth. I can't bear to do this to you, so I can only use some other methods."
Li Qi shrank her waist in panic. The soft mattress beneath her was like silk, wrapping her tightly like a silkworm pupa and preventing her from breathing.
Above his head, Feng Si called out Qinglan.
The door was pushed open. Li Qi was afraid of being seen in this state, so she turned her head away to face the inside of the bed, staring at the water-red bed curtains and not daring to even look out.
Feng Siji instructed Qinglan, "Prepare water for the hot spring."
Qinglan's footsteps went towards the hot spring pool. Soon the sound of flowing water was heard, and then she walked out of the room.
Feng Si quickly got out of bed, untied Li Qi's hands from the head of the bed, picked her up and walked towards the hot spring.
There was steam coming out of the hot spring, and Feng Siji's face was a little blurry in the mist.
He held her in his arms and slowly walked down the hot spring.
Li Qi felt the warm water gradually submerging her body, her pores were opened, and the warmth flowed through her pores to soothe every tired and tense nerve. She unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.
Her whole body was soft and relaxed, like a puddle of mud, and she leaned in Feng Siji's arms.
But the next moment, he pushed her back hard, and she lost her balance and fell forward. The shackles on her wrists hit the edge of the hot spring with a dull thud, and then she fell to the edge of the hot spring.
She accidentally choked on some water while struggling and coughed violently. Her throat was blocked by water and felt itchy and painful.
After she finally recovered, she was about to get up by holding onto the edge of the hot spring, but he suddenly pressed against her from behind, and his hot body made her let out an involuntary cry.
He also stretched out his arm and wrapped it around her waist. He lowered his head and whispered in her ear, "Don't tell me. You asked for this."
"Envoy Feng..." Li Qi cried weakly.
The water in the hot spring pool was rippling, and Li Qi's pleas for mercy were getting louder and louder.
But Feng Siji just wanted that answer.
He wouldn't give up until she said it.
It was not until the water in the hot spring turned cold and Feng Siji felt the goose bumps on her skin that he carried her out and put her back on the couch.
She had fallen asleep and lost consciousness.
Her body, which had just been ill, was very fragile and could not bear it.
He dried her body, changed her into a dry undershirt, and covered her tightly with the quilt before undid her shackles. He sat beside her, lowered his head, and stared at her face in silence.
He had clearly relieved his stress and although he couldn't say he was satisfied, he should at least be happy.
But his heart seemed to be crawling with millions of ants, disturbing him and making him uneasy. He did not feel the satisfaction he had imagined, but only irritability and emptiness.
After a long time, he was a little confused about what he wanted. If he wanted to own her, she already belonged to him, didn't she?
Feng Siji wiped his eyes tiredly, stood up from the armchair, took the cloak beside him and put it on his arm, then walked out of the room slowly.
Qinglan and Liuanhuaming outside saw him and bowed to him together.
Feng Siji looked at nothing and said calmly, "Go clean it up. Be quiet and don't disturb her."
Liu An Hua Ming lowered his head and walked into the house silently.
Feng Siji walked around Qinglan and went down the wooden building.
Feng Siji was dressed casually with his clothes slightly open, revealing scratches on his collarbone and neck. A few strands of hair hung down, and the half-covered privacy gave people endless reverie.
He walked down from the Gold Storage Pavilion. The courtyard downstairs began to turn green, and colorful flower buds grew in the weeds on the ground. They were all unknown but tenacious wild flowers.
The scent of spring permeated every inch of the air, and a layer of faint golden sunlight enveloped the entire Gold Storage Pavilion. Feng Siji raised his head slightly and saw that the branch of the window on the eleventh floor had been cut off, revealing a complete square window pane.
"Where are you going, sir?" Ye Shu, who had been waiting downstairs, jumped out of the carriage and asked.
The Treasury is indeed a good place to hide people, but it's a bit useless, so Ye Shu rarely goes there. He basically waits here for Feng Siji to come out.
Feng Siji bent down and got on the carriage, "Let's go find him at Li Ke's mansion."
The carriage began to move swayingly, and Feng Siji took off the cloak from his arm and spread it flat beside him.
It's not necessary now, but it will be useful when the spring nights get a little chilly.
-
When Feng Siji arrived outside Li Ke's mansion, it was time to get off work and the person had not returned yet.
He sat in the carriage and waited for a while before he heard the sound of wheels outside. Ye Shu called out, "Sir, he's here."
Feng Si quickly lifted the curtain of the carriage and saw Li Ke standing on the driver's seat, squinting his eyes and looking at him.
The sun was setting in the west, and the golden sunset shone on Li Ke, giving his slender body a character as strong as the green mountains.
The first time Feng Siji paid close attention to this person, he discovered that Li Ke had a kind of aloof coldness and a hint of tenderness, like a piece of melting ice.
Li Ke's eyebrows were calm, and he asked slowly, "Master Feng, what a rare guest."
Feng Si quickly got off the carriage and nodded slightly to him: "Today I learned that you are not a eunuch but a minister. With such a high position, I should have come to your house to flatter you earlier."
When the internal minister called out, Li Ke's expression did not change. He was serious and Feng Siji had never seen any emotion other than gentleness in him.
He is worthy of being the person that Concubine Li has favored and trusted and has used for many years. Even if he leaves, she will keep him by Li Qi's side to assist her.
He stepped down from the carriage and said, "Lord Feng is not that kind of person."
He walked towards the mansion, and Feng Siji followed him.
Some high-ranking eunuchs would set up residences outside the palace, and even if they were unable to have sex, they would spend money to bring a few women into the residence.
All the eunuchs' mansions that Feng Siji had seen were filled with smoke and chaos.
But Li Ke's mansion was shaded by flowers and trees, with insects chirping, birds singing, and winding streams flowing, exuding an elegant atmosphere everywhere.
He invited Feng Siji to the flower hall. There was no armchair for receiving guests in the hall. On the four walls hung huge ink paintings of the Four Gentlemen: plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum. One could even smell the fragrance of ink in the air.
The open ground is decorated with rockery and flower bushes, a tea stove on the floor table, and three or two cats with snow-white or black fur are sleeping on the rockery, and their purring sounds can be heard.
There is a stream coming from nowhere on top of the rockery, gurgling along the mountain, as pleasant as listening to a mountain spring.
This is not a flower hall, it is clearly a green courtyard in the house, with winding stream and flowing tea.
Feng Siji looked at Li Ke with a hint of surprise: "I didn't realize that Li Neixiang was such a clever and elegant person."
Li Ke personally made tea for him and said, "You mean this room? This was all Empress Ming's idea. She has always been a thoughtful and thoughtful person."
When Dong Mingrong was mentioned, his expression remained unchanged, but a tender smile appeared at the corners of his eyes and eyebrows.
He added, "Even the imperial decree for you to return to Beijing was also her idea."
Feng Siji paused while holding the teacup, "You know the purpose of my visit."
Li Ke sat down beneath the enormous ink painting. The bamboo in the painting was majestic and cold, making his expression look even more indifferent. "The county lady was in trouble, and Jiao Lan happened to appear in Yongshou Hall to attract His Majesty's attention. He also kept asking the eunuchs for information. It's not hard to guess."
"What is the purpose of Concubine Li sending me to the capital?"
Li Ke said: "I don't know either."
Feng Siji looked at him inquiringly, not quite believing what he said.
He and Dong Mingrong are almost one and the same, and he doesn't believe that they don't communicate with each other.
But he didn't say anything, and Feng Siji didn't ask any further questions.
-
As the night deepened, when Feng Siji returned to the Gold Storage Pavilion, the moon was already above the treetops.
The light and bright moonlight splashed on the ground. He was wearing a moon-colored cloak and stepped into the courtyard full of wild grass and flower buds. Li Qi stood on the eleventh floor and watched him. He almost merged with the moonlight.
He seemed to sense something and looked up from under the tree.
Li Qi did not hide or avoid, but continued to look at him.
He withdrew his eyes and walked up the wooden stairs.
After a while, the door behind him was pushed open.
She turned around and saw Feng Siji standing by the door. He took off his cloak, which was stained with night dew, with one hand, casually put it aside, and walked towards her.
He leaned out and closed the window. "It's late at night, the wind is strong and the dew is heavy. Why are you standing here in the cold wind?"
After closing the window, he turned around and took her hand. When he touched her cold fingers, Feng Siji frowned, pulled her to sit down next to the charcoal stove, and held her hands to cover them.
His palms were very warm, and soon Li Qi felt her hands were warmed by him.
When his hands were warm, he lifted her feet again, took off her shoes, and placed her cold feet on his stomach.
The raised scar on his foot just happened to hit the sole of her foot, which felt a little hot. Li Qi wanted to pull it back, but he held her very tightly.
Li Qi no longer insisted and leaned back in the rocking chair, feeling his warmth under her feet. Suddenly, his voice rang out in the empty room: "What have you done since I left today?"
Li Qi was playing with her nails out of boredom. "I didn't do anything. I just wondered when you would die. I'd be free when you died."
Feng Siji was not annoyed. He chuckled and gently lifted her skirt. He saw a red mark on her ankle and the smile on his face gradually disappeared.
It was the mark left by the shackles during the day. He looked up and saw that there were also marks on her wrists.
Feng Siji moved quickly, and Li Qi suddenly felt like she was facing a formidable enemy. She shrank back abruptly and stared at him warily: "You want to come again?"
Feng Siji said nothing, just kept getting closer to her. Seeing his tall body pressing down on her, Li Qi subconsciously stood up and wanted to run, but he grabbed her wrist and pulled hard, and she was pulled into his arms.
Her forehead was hit and it hurt a little. Before she could react, her feet were suddenly lifted off the air and he picked her up horizontally. She instinctively reached out and hugged his neck to prevent herself from falling.
Feng Siji carried her to the bed with steady steps and let her lie down. Then he turned around and rummaged through the drawers and took out a small porcelain-white jade bottle.
He came back with the bottle of medicine, sat on the edge of the bed, pulled up her wrist, gently dipped his fingertips in the ointment, and gently applied it to her wrist.
A faint fragrance of the ointment wafted in. Li Qi pursed her lips and didn't move.
After applying medicine on his wrists and ankles, Feng Siji put the medicine back and went to the hot spring to bathe.
Li Qi listened to the sound of water in the hot spring and inexplicably thought of the way he took a bath. He actually had a good figure without a trace of excess fat.
When they were in the hot spring during the day, he turned her over so that she was facing him. She saw his deep chest and abdomen, with drops of water dripping down along his well-defined muscles.
Li Qi's cheeks were burning with thought when she suddenly felt a chill on her body. The quilt was lifted up and the side of her body sagged a little. His body, still covered with cold moisture, pressed against her back, bringing waves of coolness.
Li Qi wanted to move away from him, but as soon as she made a move, he reached out and put his hand on her waist, hugging her tightly in his arms.
He rested his chin on the top of her head without saying a word. She could feel his heavy breathing on her head, tickling the swirl of hair on her head.
When he was in Qianzhou, he always sat on the edge of the bed to accompany her out of courtesy.
Later in the Treasury, she would either ask for money endlessly all night long, or he would not come and she would sleep alone.
This was the first time she had slept in the same bed with him properly.
His heart was warm and generous, and the faint scent of soap lingered in her nose for a long time. Li Qi listened to his rhythmic heartbeat and slowly fell asleep.
-
Li Qi was woken up by a kiss.
Hot, intensive kisses fell on her cheeks one after another, almost soaking her face with kisses. The damp, hot feeling on her cheeks made her very uncomfortable. She opened her eyes uncomfortably, but before she could see the man on her body clearly, her vision went dark and someone covered her eyes.
It was Feng Siji's habit to cover her eyes every time he kissed her.
After so long, Li Qi still hasn't figured out why he did this.
His kiss went from her forehead to the tip of her nose, and then to her lips, gently pecking her lips like a bird pecking a person.
She was a little breathless and reached out to push him away. Her arms stretched out and felt extremely relaxed, only to find that he had taken off her clothes without her noticing.
At this moment, Qinglan's voice suddenly rang out from outside the house: "The county lady is not here."
Li Qi was startled. Someone came to see her.
"But General Dong said she's right here. Sister, please let her know for me. My mother asked me to bring some of her favorite dishes..."
"I said, the county lady is not here."
Before Shanmin could finish speaking, Qinglan interrupted him.
The person who came was Shan Min. Obviously Feng Siji also recognized his voice. He let go of Li Qi's eyes and stared at her with some anger.
"You..." Li Qi had just said one word when her lips were blocked by Feng Siji.
When I woke up just now, his kiss was still gentle, but now he was a completely different person, as if Shan Min's arrival made him unhappy.
Feng Siji didn't want to make love so early in the morning, but when he heard Shan Min's voice, he remembered the look in Li Qi's eyes that was almost glued to him on New Year's Eve.
He slowly pushed into her with anger or revenge.
Li Qi grabbed his arm, her nails digging into his skin, and when he released her lips, she cursed, "You bastard..."
Feng Siji held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead heavily, "Scold me, and it's better to curse louder so that Shan Min outside can hear it and know that you are with me."
As soon as he finished speaking, Shan Min's voice came in again: "Okay, this is the old hen and the fern that my mother asked me to bring her. When she comes back, you must give it to her and tell her that I came to see her."
Feng Siji seemed to want to let him know who Li Qi belonged to. Before he left, he treated Li Qi more and more cruelly, wanting her to shout out so that Shan Min could hear her, and from then on she would never covet things that did not belong to him.
Li Qi clenched her teeth tightly, refusing to make a sound, and prayed desperately in her heart that Shan Min would leave quickly.
Feng Siji was getting more and more outrageous, and she couldn't help but raise her hand and slap him hard in the face.
His face was knocked to one side, and five finger marks slowly appeared on his handsome face. He glanced at her sideways, with no anger in his eyes, but excitement instead. He lowered his head and bit her collarbone hard.
The severe pain came suddenly, and Li Qi couldn't help but let out a cry of pain.
Outside the door, Shan Min asked uncertainly, "I seemed to hear her voice just now."
Qinglan said angrily, "You must have heard it wrong."
"Impossible, I would never mistake her voice. Why on earth wouldn't you let her see anyone? She's the County Lady. Aren't you afraid of her making things difficult for you by doing this?"
Qinglan said, "Little brother, stop joking. The county lady is now a fugitive in the Qianzhou Jiedushi case. Not only her honor and disgrace, but even her life is in our masters' hands. If you don't leave now and anger our masters, you will never see the county lady again."
There was silence outside the door for a long time, and finally there was the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs.
Li Qi breathed a sigh of relief, pushed Feng Siji aside, got out of bed, and stared at him angrily: "Envoy Feng is really going backwards. A mere villager can make you feel like you are facing a formidable enemy."
Feng Siji got up leisurely, walked to the hot spring, took a bath, washed away the hot sweat he had worked up early in the morning, and changed into a scarlet official robe.
When he came out, he saw Li Qi still sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at him resentfully. He fastened his belt while looking at her and said, "I have something to do in the next few days, so I won't be here. You should live your life wisely. If I find out that you've been fasting for a few days, I'll be starving for a few days. Do you understand?"
Li Qi just hated him for not speaking.
From his tone, it seemed as if he had become her master and she had to obey him and depend on him in everything.
Feng Siji didn't care whether she listened or not, he adjusted his waist belt and left.
After the person left, Li Qi's tense heart relaxed a little and she felt free.
She sat in front of the mirror and saw a row of teeth marks on her collarbone, as if someone had left them.
She frowned a little unhappy, and the door behind her suddenly opened. She looked in the mirror and saw Qinglan coming in with clean clothes, putting them on the table, and then walking to the hot spring to prepare water.
Li Qi looked at Qinglan, who was busy in the mirror, and said, "I see you are still young. When did you follow Feng Siji?"
"This servant and I followed you when we were twelve years old. At that time, we lived in the beggar Pengli in Qianzhou. It was you who saved us."
Li Qi groaned and said, "Did he give you a lot of money, or some other benefit? I can give you ten times as much as you can, as long as you do me a favor."
Qinglan paused, as if she had guessed what Li Qi meant by "busy". She stood up, looked at Li Qi seriously and coldly, and said, "County Lady, don't even think about it. I will never betray you. What you gave me was not gold or silver, but a new life. Nothing you can give me can replace it.
"I will not tell you about what happened today, lest you be punished. But please do not mention it again in the future."
Li Qi looked at her intently for a moment, then said, "Here's what the little brother brought me just now. I want to eat it."
Qinglan said calmly, "My Lord has told Liu An to deal with it. He should give it to the coachman to eat."
“…”
Seeing that she had nothing to say, Qinglan prepared the hot water and turned to leave.
Li Qi stood up from the mirror and called to her, "I have a lost gold and pearl necklace in the county lady's mansion. It's very important to me. Go find it yourself and bring it back to me."
Qinglan thought for a moment and said, "I'd like to ask your Excellency's opinion first."
"It's up to you, but if I don't see Yingluo tonight, I'll have him send you away." Li Qi didn't even bother to see Qinglan's reaction. She walked straight into the hot spring and said, "Let Liu Anhua Ming help me bathe."
Qinglan noticed something unusual and asked, "Doesn't the county lady dislike being served?"
"I was so tired last night, okay?"
As Li Qi spoke, she had already walked into the pool.
Qinglan didn't say anything else. She quietly left and not long after, Liu Anhuaming walked in.
Li Qi silently observed the two maids, and finally locked her sight on Liu An, whose figure was most similar to hers.
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