Chapter 123 Birthday 2 Does that mean she'll have to be with him for the rest of her life...?
The Buddhist hall was dimly lit, filled with the scent of aged incense. Bright candlelight streamed in from outside, illuminating a small area in front of the Buddha statue. The beam of light descended from above, making it appear exceptionally sacred.
Xiao Qiyu placed Cui Ying on an ebony altar that was more than half a person's height. Bright light poured down on Cui Ying's whole body. Behind her, a golden Buddha statue sat quietly on a lotus platform, its lowered eyes half-closed, silently gazing at the mortal world.
The purple-blue jacaranda trees outside the door sway in the wind, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, creating a mesmerizing scene under the moonlight and lamplight.
Xiao Qiyu raised his eyes, his gaze calm in the dreamlike light, looking up at the girl in front of him with an almost devout infatuation.
This was the first time Cui Ying had seen that look in his eyes, the kind only a believer would have. She glanced instinctively at the Buddha statue behind her and wondered if he was looking at that Buddha.
But his increasingly hot breath reminded her that he was indeed looking at her.
“I… I think,” Cui Ying’s throat was a little dry, her eyes flickering, “it’s better not to do it here…”
She doesn't believe in Buddhism, but that doesn't stop her from feeling awkward.
It's... very much like having an affair.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Qiyu not only did not back away, but instead leaned even closer, his tall figure completely enveloping her petite body in his shadow.
The lamplight danced behind him, casting a soft glow on his silhouette. His face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes shone brightly, brimming with undisguised desire.
"It's just a stone," he said, his hand unconsciously landing on the knot of her sash, his fingertips burning hot. "What, worried about being seen?"
He scoffed lightly, displaying a rare, unruly attitude. The wildness that had been lurking in his eyes was awakened, and his narrow eyes stared intently at Cui Ying.
Those eyes were as black as ink, with a restless red heat emanating from the center and corners, like a bottomless abyss, or a beautiful yet poisonous flower. As Cui Ying stared at them, she felt as if her soul was being sucked into their eyes.
Cui Ying could only turn her face away from him, her fair earlobes flushed red, and she swallowed hard: "I wasn't worried, I just..."
Before she could finish speaking, a pair of large hands bent her knees, and Xiao Qiyu leaned down, his voice low and passionate: "Since you're not worried, then don't speak."
He held her waist firmly with one hand, and with the other hand he piled up her pomegranate red skirt layer by layer.
The silk slid against her skin, making a soft rustling sound. The coolness of the Buddhist hall touched her skin, causing Cui Ying to shiver slightly, but this coolness was quickly covered by a more intense heat.
Cui Ying was puzzled and looked down to ask Xiao Qiyu what was so hot?
Then Xiao Qiyu lowered his head and buried himself in it.
A flash of white light appeared in her mind, and the jacaranda trees outside the door burst into a myriad of colors in an instant. Cui Ying gasped in surprise, her body bouncing uncontrollably upwards, but was firmly pressed down by a large hand on her waist.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Cui Ying, overwhelmed by a tingling sensation, bit her red lips and pleaded, "Xiao Qiyu, please don't..."
As soon as he finished speaking, the hand gripping her slender ankle tightened even more, the veins on the back of his hand bulging. He forcefully and slowly pressed the jade-like ankle down, exposing more of it.
The long, moist, and nimble tongue sometimes skims the water like a butterfly, sometimes surges like a raging storm, tirelessly immersing itself in the experience, maliciously provoking even more reactions.
"Xiao Qiyu, you bastard, how could you be here..."
Cui Ying trembled violently, her skin turning red all over. She clearly wanted to escape, but her hands were uncontrollably digging into his dark hair, her fingertips piercing through the strands as she desperately tried to push away the evil head.
But for some reason, she couldn't help but yearn for more deep down. The two thoughts fought fiercely, and in the end, her hand just twitched and trembled weakly in his hair before finally closing tightly.
A series of sobs escaped her lips, and Cui Ying involuntarily tilted her head back, her snow-white neck forming a long, slender arc. Her gaze, moist and hazy, wandered aimlessly, looking at the indistinct beams and spiderwebs on the roof in the dim light.
The spiderweb, like a whirlpool, dazzled her, making her completely forget who she was. She reacted only on instinct, saliva spilling from the corners of her mouth, forming clear, continuous strands. Her once clear and bright almond-shaped eyes were now as muddy as the mountains after spring water, misty and unfocused, half-closed. Something was reflected in her pupils, but nothing was clearly visible. Her long eyelashes trembled constantly, and her red lips panted incessantly. Her whole body seemed to have all its bones removed, limp and at her mercy.
Outside the Buddhist hall, the night wind rustled through the trees laden with silk flowers, and the scattered lamplight cast overlapping shadows on the empty and secluded ancient temple in the mountains. The girl's soft sobs and gasps were particularly clear in the darkness.
Xiao Qiyu finally raised his head.
Her thin lips were red and swollen, glistening with moisture and a crystalline sheen.
Is that enough?
He looked at the girl in front of him, his expression unchanged, his Adam's apple bobbing.
Upon hearing his question, Cui Ying was instantly filled with shame and indignation. She turned her head away and yelled at him, "Get out of here!"
Exhausted, the curses were not only completely intimidating, but also weak and feeble, much like a coquettish retort.
Xiao Qiyu observed her expression, reached out and wiped the saliva from the corner of her mouth, and said slowly, "It seems that's enough."
He reached for his waist with his other hand, and the leather belt that bound his narrow waist was instantly untied:
"You've had your turn, now it's my turn."
...
The next day, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Cui Ying opened her sore eyelids and found herself lying on the ground, with Xiao Qiyu's outer robe under her and his inner shirt covering her.
The morning light bathed the entire Buddhist hall. She turned her head slightly, and her gaze fell precisely on the huge ancient tree.
In the cool morning light, the jacaranda trees made of silk lost some of their nighttime dreaminess, but gained a more refined and elegant charm. Clusters of flowers stood gracefully on the branches, swaying gently in the morning breeze, a beauty that was breathtaking.
Looking at the flowers, Cui Ying murmured, "So beautiful..."
A long arm wrapped around her waist from behind, and a deep voice whispered against the back of her neck: "Isn't it great?"
Xiao Qiyu said lazily, his voice hoarse from just waking up.
Hearing him say that, the chaotic and shameful scenes from last night instantly flooded Cui Ying's mind. Overwhelmed with shame and indignation, she widened her eyes and glared at him, saying, "Shut up!"
Xiao Qiyu was only wearing a snow-white undergarment, the collar of which was slightly open, revealing large red marks. There were even several bloody scratches on his muscular chest.
He moved closer to her, his narrow phoenix eyes fixed on her, his dark pupils reflecting her current appearance.
She was completely naked, her black hair was disheveled, and her once luscious lips were now slightly swollen and red. There was also a clear bite mark on her lower lip, making it unclear whether it was bitten by Xiao Qiyu or by herself when she couldn't help herself.
"Shut up?" Xiao Qiyu scoffed softly, drawing out the last syllable. "Now you want me to shut up? I don't know who it was last night, but they kept getting more and more aggressive, clinging tightly to my waist and whining that they wanted more."
Cui Ying was so ashamed she was practically fuming. She quickly covered her ears, burrowed under her clothes, turned her back to him, and pretended to be dead, like a rabbit fleeing into its den.
Xiao Qiyu couldn't help but chuckle at her appearance. He reached out and pulled her out from under her clothes, pried her hands off her ears, looked at her tenderly, and said earnestly, "Don't be shy about this kind of thing. I'm happy if I can make you feel good."
He paused, his ears also turning slightly red, coughed, and said in a deliberately calm tone, "I like seeing you cling to me."
Long images of last night filled Cui Ying's mind. Her hand was tightly gripped by Xiao Qiyu, so she could only shake her head, her face flushed, and shout, "It's so embarrassing! Don't say another word! Not a single one!"
"Okay, okay," Xiao Qiyu readily agreed, but then added, "I'll say one last thing and then I won't say anything more."
Cui Ying raised her watery eyes and looked at him warily, her long eyelashes fluttering like small fans, waiting for his last words.
Xiao Qiyu embraced her, burying his face in the crook of her neck and gently nuzzling her. If he had a tail, it would surely be wagging right now.
"I want to do it again," he said softly and coquettishly.
"Smack!"
Cui Ying slapped him.
...
The mountain air was filled with dew and shrouded in mist. The path led past vast fields of rapeseed flowers, a stark contrast to the delicate beauty of the jacaranda blossoms. Their vibrant yellow color was as brilliant as the setting sun.
With a hot handprint on his head, Xiao Qiyu carried Cui Ying on his back as they walked along the mountain path.
Cui Ying lay on his broad back, her arms around his neck, toying with a freshly picked rapeseed flower in her hand.
"Do you still have the strength?" Cui Ying waved the rapeseed flower in her hand at him. A few drops of dew from the petals splashed onto Xiao Qiyu's cheek. She said, "If you can't, I'll get down and walk by myself."
After all, that is physical work. Cui Ying thought to herself.
Xiao Qiyu said calmly, "Okay, then you can help me use up my extra stamina."
Cui Ying: "..."
Cui Ying: "Never mind what I said."
Xiao Qiyu chuckled, his chest trembling slightly, the sound traveling through their bodies to Cui Ying's heart.
Cui Ying felt a tingling sensation in her chest and suddenly realized that Xiao Qiyu was laughing more often.
He used to laugh, but it was either mocking or cold, and there was always an unyielding melancholy between his brows. Now, his laughter is light and bright, like a babbling brook in the mountains, pure and clean, just because he is happy.
Cui Ying gently rested her chin on his shoulder, looked at the vast expanse of bright yellow along the roadside, and whispered, "Xiao Qiyu, thank you."
Xiao Qiyu didn't stop walking, but only turned his head slightly to look at her: "What are you thanking me for?"
Cui Ying paused for a moment, then said frankly, "No matter what, this is the most unforgettable birthday I've ever had."
Xiao Qiyu paused slightly and lifted her up with his arms to make her more comfortable.
"Then promise me you'll spend your next birthday with me," he said.
"Okay," Cui Ying replied readily.
"And the one after that." He pressed his advantage.
"good."
"And the one after that." It was as if he wanted to reserve all the years to come.
Cui Ying finally couldn't hold back and laughed as she scolded him, "Are you ever going to stop? I promise you, we'll live together, we'll live together."
Xiao Qiyu finally stopped asking for more, gave a satisfied hum, and continued carrying her on his back, his steps even lighter and more energetic than before.
As Cui Ying smelled the fresh, clean fragrance of the flowers in the mountains, she belatedly realized what she had agreed to.
—If they celebrate every birthday together, wouldn't she be with him for the rest of her life?
The moment this thought crossed her mind, Cui Ying's heart began to pound. But unlike in the past, when she knew she would be with Xiao Qiyu for the rest of her life, she would have been filled with disgust and fear, her heart racing.
But now, realizing that she might be able to spend her whole life with Xiao Qiyu, Cui Ying is not afraid at all; on the contrary, she feels a strange kind of excitement.
"Why are you suddenly so hot?" Xiao Qiyu's voice suddenly became tense. "Are you sick?"
Cui Ying buried her burning cheeks in his neck, inhaling his cool scent, and nervously replied, "Oh, I'm perfectly fine. Go on your way. I need to go back and buy some xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), or they'll be gone."
Xiao Qiyu listened to her and realized she didn't seem sick, so he felt relieved and laughed loudly, "Alright, carry the glutton home."
Cui Ying tickled his lower back: "You're the glutton!"
Xiao Qiyu was so itchy that he quickly agreed, "I am, I am, whatever you say goes."
The two chatted and laughed as they descended the mountain path and onto the main road.
Just then, the sound of rapid hoofbeats approached from afar.
The two looked up at the same time and saw a fast horse galloping towards them like an arrow. The rider was dressed in dusty military uniform, wearing a conspicuous red turban, his face covered in dust, his lips chapped, one hand tightly gripping the reins, and the other holding an envelope with a bird feather stuck in it high.
Upon seeing this, the city gate guards were terrified and immediately opened the city gate wide, dispersing pedestrians and carriages to welcome him into the city.
"Is it the Feathered Cavalry?" Cui Ying looked at the bird feather held high, his voice filled with doubt, unable to believe it at all.
Cui Ying was born in a relatively peaceful era. In the past ten years or so, although the dynasty had constant friction with the Turks, there had never been a major battle. She had only heard of the Feathered Cavalry in legends.
Xiao Qiyu also stared at the galloping horse's back, his expression instantly becoming serious. The dust kicked up by the horse's hooves flew into his eyes, but he didn't blink.
“No,” he said in a deep voice, “Why would the Feathered Cavalry suddenly appear here? They are messengers in the midst of war, traveling thousands of miles on urgent matters, and should not be used except for matters of great military and national importance.”
As soon as the words were spoken, the two of them paused, realizing at the same time—
Something happened in northern Mobei.
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Author's Note: Dear Reviewer, I wish you good health, all the best, abundant wealth, and smooth sailing! I've already restrained myself from any descriptions below the neck. My dear readers, making a living isn't easy, so please be lenient and show me some mercy this once! By the God of Wealth, please let my soft-hearted reviewer win the lottery without any pain!
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