Wang Wan was speechless at his domineering attitude. The thought that her family knew she was with him made her feel very uncomfortable, and she hurriedly pushed him away.
"Don't touch me like that."
Xie Xuan pressed her down, grasped her bodice and kneaded it, then lowered his head to kiss her.
Palace lanterns were lit around the Jade Pool, and a hazy heat permeated the surroundings, with white mist everywhere. The entanglement between the two made the temperature even higher, and she was covered in fragrant sweat.
Wang Wan couldn't push him away. She placed her hand on his bare chest and breathed softly, "My family knows I'm in Jiankang. I really need to go back right away."
Xie Xuan kissed her neck but ignored her. He had promised the Langya Wang family to send her back before returning to Jiankang, and now that it had been so long, the two Wang family servants who had come with him would probably come to him again to ask for her back.
"You're injured, so rest for a few more days."
"I don't need to rest anymore, all my wounds have healed."
He didn't speak, but pressed her tightly against him, one hand holding her head and pressing his lips against hers, his other hand reaching inside her clothes to cup and play with her.
Wang Wan snorted, her eyes reddening with anger. She had been locked up by him for so long, and now that they had talked things out, he was still so domineering.
"I'm going back to Yandu tomorrow. Will you let me go or not?"
Hearing her tone turn cold, Xie Xuan's eyes darted around. He leaned closer to her, sighed suddenly, and said with a wronged expression, "Once you go back to Yandu, I won't be able to see you anymore."
Wang Wan was taken aback, then realized that he was working in Jiankang while she had returned to Yandu, so the two of them would not be able to see each other.
Her expression softened, and she looked at him softly, saying, "Then I can't be locked up here by you forever; I'll have to go back eventually."
He shook his head and continued, "You don't understand. I just want to be with you day and night, inseparable. I don't want to let you go."
"---"
Wang Wan was somewhat overwhelmed by his words, and her ears turned slightly red. Before she could say anything, he took her earlobe into his mouth, his tall body pressing tightly against hers. All sorts of sweet nothings poured out like honey, leaving her at a loss for what to do and her mind in a complete mess.
The two were close together. The temperature in the Jade Pool was high, and there was white steam everywhere. They were covered in a fine layer of sweat.
Xie Xuan noticed that her body had gone limp, so he grabbed her waist and lifted her up, rubbing against her with a smile and shamelessly clinging to her, saying, "So tender."
Wang Wan was truly at her wit's end. Her face was flushed crimson from his teasing, and she turned her face away, saying, "Let me go first."
The temperature in the medicinal pool was so high that he felt like a furnace, making it hard for her to breathe.
He wouldn't let go, and chuckled heartily, "I just won't let go."
"---"
Feeling dizzy from his shameless behavior, she clenched her fist, gently punched his shoulder, and glared at him.
"I've had enough soaking today, I'm going out now."
Xie Xuan scooped her up in his arms and carried her up the jade steps, humming, "Then I'll carry you out, okay?"
It was the perfect time of year, and the lotus flowers in the Spring Garden were in full bloom. Large swathes of tender green lotus leaves were in full bloom. Under the blue sky and clear water, the ladies of the capital city sat in boats, laughing and enjoying the view of the lotus blossoms. The entire lake was filled with the colors of spring.
Xie Xuan disliked that she was always sickly and stayed in the house, so whenever he had free time, he would take her out to play, take her boating, see the ten miles of lotus lanterns, and eat freshly picked lotus cakes.
When Wang Wan was in Yandu, she stayed in Qushui Garden all year round. Apart from attending banquets, she rarely had the opportunity to go out. In addition, she was in poor health and had little energy. But during her time in Jiankang, he took her out to play everywhere. She seemed to have become a different person, and her personality became more and more bright and cheerful.
He took her to the savage Death Forest to hunt and taught her to draw a bow and shoot arrows. The wild beasts there were ferocious, and there were also man-eating flowers that liked to eat human flesh. They were chased and he laughed like a madman. When he saw that she could no longer run, he leaped up, picked her up, and flew into the air to a tall building. Like a proud child, he showed her the deer antlers in his hand.
She angrily scolded him, but he held her tightly and kissed her in the night. The starlight shone brightly in the forest, where ferocious beasts roamed and man-eating flowers greedily devoured everything with their bright red mouths open.
She enjoyed the thrill, all the excitement he brought her; the intense pleasure filled her stagnant life with interest.
In the secluded valley, he took her to play in the clear pool. He bent down and stared at her intently. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, like a mischievous boy trying to scare her with a snake in the water. He laughed loudly when he saw that she was frightened. She stomped her feet in anger and quickly went ashore barefoot, ignoring him angrily.
To appease her, he took her to see the Luo River God. In the quiet of the night, he stood on a lake of clear water and flaunted his love to her. The lively crowd laughed and called out to him. She blushed and pulled him away quickly. Under the moonlight, their sleeves fluttered like kites spreading their wings, leaving two intertwined shadows.
He would also take her to the Royal Ice Garden to watch the ice waist dance brought by the Quanrong people, and the heavenly palace music. The upper-class gentry would keep dancers and female musicians in their mansions, but the dances and music here all came from the Western Regions and were quite elegant.
Wang Wan was skilled in dancing and playing the zither. She was a renowned talented woman in Yandu back then. Later, her heart disease worsened, and she was sickly for many years, so she gradually stopped playing the zither.
He presented her with a Moonlit Zither at her coming-of-age ceremony in her brother's name. The strings were made of ice strings from the Western Regions, each string was eight feet and six inches long, and it was lacquered in a divine purple glaze, gleaming with a faint, cold light. It was said to be the murder weapon that Lady Wuhua used to carry with her, a celestial instrument among zithers, which she had kept in her brothel.
What are you thinking about?
As the two emerged from the ice garden, he completely disregarded the numerous dignitaries and nobles surrounding them, smiling as he bent down and approached her, tapping her on the head.
Wang Wan was startled by him, and quickly touched the veil on her face before letting out a sigh of relief.
Seeing her guilty look, Xie Xuan snorted, "I can't stand being seen by people."
"Stop fooling around, go back now."
"Why go back? I'll take you to a nice place."
After saying that, he grabbed her waist, picked her up, and leaped onto his horse. Night enveloped the bustling capital, with thousands of lanterns swaying throughout the city. The horse galloped swiftly through the lively streets and out of the city gates.
Today, Wang Wan was forced by him to change into a bright red dress. Under the moonlight, the red dress was like fire, making her gentle face look as beautiful as a peach blossom, and her beauty was flamboyant.
The wind blew, and their robes became tightly intertwined, their voices echoing from all directions.
Xie Xuan looked at the smile she couldn't hide and laughed heartily, "Young lady, always dressed in white, this looks better."
Wang Wan blushed at his words and couldn't help but look down at her gorgeous clothes. The sleeves were embroidered with intricate and delicate pear blossoms, their bright red color resembling flowing silk ribbons. The satin belt around her waist accentuated her slender and supple figure, and a light gauze overlay seemed to shimmer in the moonlight.
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