Chapter 19 "Madam, please just take pity on me..."
At night, the rooster returned home and saw the rabbit in the woman's hand, and clucked a few times.
"Oh, are we having rabbit meat today? Or tomorrow or sometime later?"
Leng Cuizhu sat in the courtyard, lost in thought, unwilling to face the man in the room.
When the rooster returned from playing outside, she placed the rabbit next to it and patted the rooster's head.
"Dodder, please take care of it."
The rooster smiled, squinted his eyes, and nodded: "Okay, I love little rabbits and rabbit meat. So where are you going so late?"
"It's dangerous outside, be careful, host."
She muttered under her breath, "Nothing is more dangerous than this disgusting place..."
"I'm not going anywhere, I'm just going to take a bath."
Since arriving at the mansion, Yin Yuan had stayed in his room and refused to come out. She also ignored him and sat alone in the courtyard all day. The two remained deadlocked, neither paying attention to the other.
Yin Yuan sat on the couch, taking off his fox fur coat and placing it beside his legs.
He looked tired, resting his chin on his hand and glancing sideways. When Leng Cuizhu came in, he looked up at her and saw her walk past him to the bedside without saying a word.
She sat on the edge of the bed combing her hair. Her hair was still wet from her shower, with a few strands clinging to her shoulders and dampening her skin.
From this angle, you can only see the man's hands supporting him on the tatami mat.
The back of my hand was tense, and my arm was stiff.
He said quietly, "You've been holding a grudge for a long time."
Leng Cuizhu remained silent, only humming in response.
"If there was no affair, then there was no affair."
"...I misunderstood you."
"Um."
She remained silent.
The man remained silent for a long time before finally getting up and walking to the bedside.
Greedily, it seized most of the moonlight before her eyes, its shimmering radiance bathing him entirely.
The man slipped one of his legs between hers, separating them.
Leng Cuizhu lowered her eyes and stared at the back of her knees, where the thing slowly moved in, constantly probing and tormenting her emotions.
Every inch forward was excruciating.
He pressed against her pubic bone, slowly grinding against it, sending shivers of pleasure through her body.
Why do you have to get angry with me?
What did I do wrong?
The man suddenly grabbed her chin, forcing her to look up at the person in front of her.
"After so many days, can't you calm down?"
His brow seemed furrowed, but there was no sorrow or anger in his eyes; they were as calm as a stagnant pool.
Just like when he spoke, it was incredibly calm and without any ripples.
It's like having victory in hand.
"I gave you plenty of time."
"So, we should be grateful to you?"
Leng Cuizhu chuckled.
"I must praise you, my lord, how easily you soften your heart, how skillful you are at charming others... Ah, I have overstepped my bounds, I am not your concubine, much less your wife."
"I am merely your mistress, without any official status, just as you are nothing more than a person without a title to me."
"Since that's the case, I will choose a day to take you as my concubine."
Leng Cuizhu looked dejected: "My lord is willing to let me be his concubine, but I do not want him to be my husband."
She used to desperately want to enter the Yin family and become Yin Yuan's concubine, and she went to great lengths to achieve this.
Now, she only feels that men are stingy, just like she used to, trying every trick in the book to keep her and to quell her anger and resentment, but unwilling to give her too much.
If you really want her to submit, why not die for her?
In the past, she was so devoted that she was willing to die for her husband.
Men are really cowardly.
Or perhaps it's because they're too greedy, unwilling to let go of anything—emotions, dignity…
She wanted to see how much dignity he could squeeze out of her to make her laugh.
"So who do you want to do it?"
He asked, puzzled, "Him?"
"...If you back down tonight, I'll pretend that person never existed."
She raised an eyebrow slightly: "So, in your heart, there is still something there, right?"
The man stared at her face, hesitating for a moment.
"Is there?"
"Why is my lord so concerned?"
Her eyes were wet with tears: "Perhaps my lord has taken a fancy to Zhenzhen and is eager to accuse me of infidelity."
"Thus, the slave becomes immoral and incapable of bearing children."
"The gentleman can then take Zhenzhen as his own."
"Smack—"
She was slapped by the man and suddenly fell onto the bed, glancing sideways at the man beside the bed.
"Did I guess right?"
Yin Yuan's face rarely showed any expression; it was filled with fear, unease, disbelief... Even when she ran away from him before, he had never reacted this strongly.
I used to be so passionate, but I was always troubled by indifference. Who would have thought that such a day would come?
The man who was always silent was utterly shocked.
"Lingniang, you've gone mad."
After experiencing so many unbearable things, it would be strange if she didn't go crazy.
Her beloved husband fell in love with the child she had always cherished. Even though they were the ones who drove her crazy, they turned around and accused her of being insane.
“I’ve said it before, Leng Zhen is neither a legitimate nor a concubine’s daughter, and she is not a member of the Yin family. Besides, it was you who insisted on keeping this child.”
"If he were a girl, I would definitely prepare a generous dowry for him..."
She interrupted, "Just because he is a man, does that give you the right to possess him?"
She snorted coldly: "Neither legitimate nor illegitimate, not a member of the Yin clan... My lord, you really know how to exonerate yourself."
"You always say he looks like me, is that something you find amusing?"
Yin Yuan's expression froze.
“No, no. I don’t have that kind of interest, and I’m not interested in him either…” He trailed off.
“Lingniang, but there are some things I can’t control…and so can you. Neither of us can control them.”
He just wanted to be a good father, just like she had always hoped.
That day by the lake, he witnessed her jump into the lake to save Leng Zhen, and he was filled with confusion.
Perhaps all Lingniang wanted was a harmonious family, or perhaps she deliberately chose to go against him.
Yin Yuan could never understand her.
But he could only watch helplessly as Leng Zhen swam ashore.
Leng Zhen grabbed his collar and questioned him sharply why he did this, and even tried to pull him into the lake to commit suicide.
Lingniang certainly didn't want to see things like this between the father and son.
So he had someone sever Leng Zhen's Achilles tendons, and then he held Leng Zhen in his arms, feigning concern and asking after her, thinking that this might comfort Leng Niang.
I never expected it to turn out like this, that she would actually think that way... It was his clever trick that backfired.
"Many times, I don't know what's wrong with me."
Leng Cuizhu retorted angrily, "You're disgusting!"
"Um."
He straightened up, moving away from her. He slowly moved to the edge of the bed, murmuring, "I feel the same way..."
Leng Cuizhu left the room alone.
The moonlight, cool and gentle as water, bathed the quiet courtyard.
Most of the snow that had accumulated in the past few days had melted. She sat on the bluestone steps, unconsciously stroking one of her slightly flushed cheeks.
"lady?"
She turned her head: "Eun...it's so late, why aren't you asleep?"
Not wanting to show Eun her embarrassing state, she quickly covered her reddened cheeks with her hands and lowered her head.
In the blink of an eye, the man was kneeling in front of her, raising his hand to gently stroke her cheek and humming a few times.
"What does it matter..."
Leng Cuizhu was startled and hurriedly dodged away.
"you……"
Eun lowered his eyes: "I'm sorry, it was my rudeness."
"I was just feeling sorry for Madam, and I was just feeling down for a moment, that's why..."
"Madam is injured, she must be in a lot of pain, right?"
"...Thank you for your concern."
She touched her cheek; her skin still seemed to retain warmth.
"It doesn't hurt much anymore."
“In that case…” the man tilted his head, brushing his long hair over one shoulder, “I can finally relax.”
Leng Cuizhu looked up and saw the bite mark on the side of the man's neck, pinkish-red, with a soft scab on it.
...That night, did she bite Eun?
"Madam, I'm leaving."
"etc……"
She grabbed the man's sleeve.
The man was wearing the clothes she had given him, which were originally Yin Yuan's clothes.
"Was it...was it before that I..."
She actually mistook Yu En for Yin Yuan and confided so much to him!
"I know, I'm very similar to Yin Yuan."
"That night, it was indeed I who seduced your wife."
"You... I'm sorry, I must have taken the wrong medicine that night, I mistook you for him and bit you... I'm sorry."
"Does this...does it still hurt?"
The man bent down, and she reached out to touch the bite mark on his neck. Her fingertips touched the broken skin, and she felt more and more guilty as she touched it.
"Why are you doing this? It must hurt a lot..."
The man smiled and replied, "Because it's seduction."
"……ah?"
“I have ulterior motives. I want to use this face to win the lady’s love, even if I am mistaken for someone else.”
Even if this love is unclear and mixed with a lot of hatred, I still want it.
"I want both your love and your hate for him."
Her eyes widened, her cheeks burning: "You..."
The man took her hand, his fingertips slowly entwining with hers until their fingers were intertwined.
"Don't give it to him anymore, give it to me."
Despite hearing so much from him, Leng Cuizhu did not resist and let him hold her hand.
Even though Eun didn't say those words, Leng Cuizhu understood what he meant.
Yin Yuan has been suspecting her of having an affair these past few days.
Since he already suspected her like that, of course she had to satisfy that man's fantasies.
Besides, Ewan did nothing wrong; he has always been a good kid.
She didn't dislike Eun; in fact, she quite liked him, but she always treated him like her own child or a pet.
She should have guessed he would have such thoughts.
In fact, whether it's a child or a pet, as long as they are young and handsome, and listen to her, she will grant them any request.
She was not an unapproachable hostess.
"...Have you thought this through?"
But she asked one last time.
"Madam, please take pity on me."
The man nodded, his cheek lightly brushing against the back of her hand, his long hair flowing down her back like water.
"That's good."
She pulled her hand away from the man's tight grip, cupped his cheeks with both hands, and tilted her head back to kiss his lips.
How can you treat this as pity for someone and give them charity?
She chose to do it herself, and she had indeed thought about doing it before.
However, she never expected that such a day would actually come.
The surroundings were quiet, and she could only hear her own increasingly unsteady breathing, like a light drizzle hitting her face, blending with the man's breath.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he held her waist. The two became entwined, their bodies and minds melting into the lonely night.
After an unknown amount of time, her tongue felt numb and sore, and she slowly let go of his hand, burying her head in his chest.
A few strands of silver hair were blown by the wind, brushing against her face and gently tickling her.
The soft, smooth feeling still lingered in her mind, and the lingering melancholy in her heart dissipated and was cast to the winds.
"Stay with me tonight."
The man chuckled softly, his body trembling.
"Madam, I couldn't ask for more."
Leng Cuizhu originally thought the courtyard was quiet because it was only her and You En.
She never imagined that just a few steps away, under the plum tree, Yin Yuan stood there, like a withered tree stump, his lips tightly pressed together, looking anxious and worried.
Fallen plum blossoms scatter like snowflakes on my shoulders; I brush them off, but they still cover me.
Yin Yuan wasn't speechless; he was so shocked he couldn't utter a word.
This was the first time in his life he had ever been so devastated.
A note from the author:
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Fallen plum blossoms lie scattered like snow beneath the steps; I brush them off, yet they remain covering me. — Li Yu
Laughter fades, voices grow quiet; tender feelings are tormented by indifference. — Su Shi
——
The next chapter will be available for purchase, and I'll be posting two pre-orders here.
The column also has many pre-orders with simpler descriptions; feel free to check them out and see if there's anything you like.
The female protagonist has been practicing Taoism since childhood, with her hair still intact. She lives in a Taoist temple with her beautiful and ethereal master. While gathering herbs on the mountain, she accidentally finds an infant in swaddling clothes.
She doesn't like children.
However, her master told her to be a person with great love in her heart and to refrain from anger and resentment.
She likes her master.
Therefore, she still brought the baby back to the Taoist temple and used the child as her spiritual practice.
She told her master that she wanted to raise the child and become his foster mother.
The master patted her head and said with a smile, "She's still a child herself, how can she be a mother?"
She didn't heed her master's words.
Secretly, she repeatedly taught the child to call her mother, and then pointed to the back of her master meditating and cultivating, saying to the infant in her arms, "Child, that is your mother's lover, and also your father."
At least in the child's eyes, she and her master were a couple.
Later, her master ascended to heaven, leaving her and her child alone in the Taoist temple.
She became a Taoist priest, took in many disciples, and raised her child alone.
Every year and every month after her master passed away, she would point to his portrait and say to her child, "This is your deceased father, and also your mother's lover. When your mother dies, remember to burn paper money for us."
As the child grows older, he will call her "Mother" and kneel with her before the master's memorial tablet.
However, the way he looked at her became increasingly strange.
——
The male protagonist transmigrates to ancient times, has no one to rely on, so he simply becomes a carefree Taoist priest and takes in a homeless child, raising her to adulthood.
However, the way his little apprentice looked at him was very strange.
Later, his soul transmigrated into the body of an infant.
He then understood why he was being looked at.
*Both characters are virgins, but the female lead has a marital relationship with the male lead after marriage, while the male lead has a physical illness and the female lead has a mental illness.
My adopted son finds me very strange after my husband's death.
The female protagonist is reborn into ancient times. As the eldest sister in her family, she is the pillar of the family and goes out to sea to fish every day from dawn to dusk.
Life was uneventful, but not happy either.
Her parents gave birth to so many younger sisters like chickens, and the family was so poor they couldn't even afford to eat. No wonder they couldn't be happy.
Until one rainy day, she encountered the legendary mermaid!
She rescued the man, and the first thing he said was, "My wife, I know you married me for my money. It doesn't matter if you try to kill me by throwing me into the sea."
"But how could you save me again! If you do, I'll just stay with you and never die!"
Female lead: ?
She really didn't know this man.
How can there be such a cheap man who calls someone else's wife the moment he opens his mouth...
Ever since taking in the male merman, the female protagonist has been attracting an uncontrollable stream of suitors.
She encountered a male corpse on the road. She intended to remove the jewelry from the corpse, but accidentally knocked out the poison from the corpse's mouth.
The male corpse came back to life and insisted on following her.
On a rainy day, a young prince came to stay overnight. He not only used the heroine's precious wool coat to wipe his shoes, but also ordered her to let him sleep on the softest bed. Unexpectedly, in the middle of the night, the prince fell off the mattress that had been padded high.
The young prince fell and became a vegetable, unable to go anywhere.
The female protagonist was forced to take in these three men.
But she's not some pushover; serving men is out of the question for her.
She hasn't saved enough for her sisters' dowries yet, and there's also her mother's retirement money, her own clothing expenses... Great, now there are people to do the housework.
Sorry, but she'll gladly accept all their money and their bodies. ^ ^
*A slow-paced, slice-of-life farming story, but with a bit more romance.
Daily Life After Taking in Three Men
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