Chapter 118 The Martial Arts Examiner's Eyes Lose Focus
The spring night was warm, with a faint fragrance of flowers in the air. The carriage moved slowly along the street, and the clear, melodious sound of the wooden clapper drifted in through the window.
The night watchman struck the clapper one beat at a time.
Sometimes light, sometimes heavy; sometimes short, sometimes long.
Cui Ying's eyes became muddy like spring mud amidst the crisp tapping sound. Hot tears hung precariously on her long eyelashes, as if about to fall. Her ears seemed to be behind a veil, unable to hear any sounds from the outside world, only her own rapid breathing and heartbeat.
A large hand turned her chin back, and a boy's low, husky voice, barely restrained, sounded above her head:
“Look at me.”
Cui Ying was forced to look up, her misty, tearful eyes slowly lifting.
Their gazes met Xiao Qiyu's.
His phoenix eyes were dark and deep, the usual indifference within them long since burned away by intense desire, the corners of his eyes tinged with passionate crimson, like cinnabar spreading.
Beneath his high, straight nose, his thin lips were as red as blood, glistening with moisture, and he breathed heavily as his lips parted slightly.
Further down, there was a chest that rose and fell violently with each breath.
The persimmon-red round-necked robe that covered her chest was perfectly in place, with the collar neatly gathered, revealing only a small glimpse of the snow-white inner garment collar.
His collar was damp with a thin layer of sweat, and his Adam's apple bobbed wildly with each breath.
Judging from his upper body alone, no one would guess what he was doing at that moment.
But if you just shift your gaze down a little further, you can see that his bright persimmon-red robe overlaps and presses against Cui Ying's skirt embroidered with twin peonies, making them indistinguishable. His arm, tightly wrapped around her waist, has bulging muscles and visible veins.
Even through several layers of clothing, Cui Ying could feel the heat of his palm, the force almost breaking her waist.
Cui Ying couldn't help but want to make a sound, but she was afraid that she would be heard by those outside, so she could only bite her lip tightly.
Xiao Qiyu looked at those ravaged red lips, his eyes suddenly darkened, and he placed his hand on Cui Ying's lower back, lifting her up and pressing her onto his lap.
In a dizzying moment, Cui Ying let out a soft cry, her soul almost instantly vanishing.
The cool spring night seemed to have turned into a sweltering summer day. The carriage was filled with the smell of alcohol, and it was so hot that it was hard to breathe. Peony skirts were piled up on top of persimmon-red robes, and the brilliant colors intertwined.
Like a drowning person clinging to the only piece of driftwood, Cui Ying instinctively stretched out her arms and tightly embraced Xiao Qiyu's neck, burying her burning cheeks in his shoulder, inhaling his scent, and sobbing softly.
The veins on Xiao Qiyu's forehead throbbed, as if he had used all his strength to barely restrain himself. He wrapped his arms around the girl in his arms, his large hands tightly enveloping her slender waist and trembling back, lifting her up and pressing her hard against himself.
Their hair was intertwined, and it was unclear whose sash had come loose first—perhaps hers, or perhaps his.
Cui Ying tried to bite her lower lip again, but her lips were suddenly held firmly in her mouth, and all the sounds she was about to utter were swallowed by another lip.
The air was thin, and my mind was foggy.
Cui Ying's consciousness rose and fell with the slight swaying of the carriage.
After an unknown amount of time, seemingly realizing that she was about to suffocate, Xiao Qiyu finally released her.
A long silence fell over the car.
The air is as thick as syrup; inhaling it makes one's blood boil.
The distant sound of the wooden clapper continued.
Cui Ying raised her teary eyes and looked at Xiao Qiyu in the messy lamplight.
The intense red in the boy's eyes did not dissipate; instead, it intensified due to the sudden stillness. Beads of sweat slid down his taut chin and dripped onto Cui Ying's skin below her collarbone, burning her and causing her to tremble involuntarily.
Her trembled, and his muscles tensed up as well.
Their eyes met, the young man and woman facing each other like strangers on a cliff.
Silently, the wheels rolled over a rock of moderate size, and the carriage lurched violently.
A sob finally broke through Cui Ying's teeth. Her eyes suddenly went unfocused, and her soul plummeted into the abyss. In her mind, it was as if a dazzling firework exploded, white light burst forth, and golden stars danced wildly, leaving her completely blank.
The carriage slowed down, and the driver said cautiously, "It was my fault for not seeing the road clearly. Were you frightened, young master and young mistress?"
All of Cui Ying's thoughts were ripped away and shattered at this moment. Her insteps tensed instantly, and even the fingers gripping Xiao Qiyu's clothes turned white from the extreme force.
She was like a small boat adrift in a stormy sea, completely lost and helplessly clinging to the boy in front of her.
Even though she knew that all the storms and waves were brought to her by him.
"It's alright." Xiao Qiyu lowered his head, his kisses moving down her slender neck, finally stopping on her delicate collarbone. He parted his lips and bit her with his canine teeth, laughing softly, "Young Madam can handle it."
Cui Ying tilted his head back, his eyelashes trembling, his eyes shimmering with tears, his fingers tightening slightly, creating messy wrinkles in the smooth fabric on his shoulder.
The carriage resumed its original speed, and a breeze blew in through the windows, dispelling some of the sticky smell of alcohol.
"Are you alright?" Xiao Qiyu asked, lowering his head and breathing against Cui Ying's ear.
Cui Ying was speechless, limp and weak in his arms, her body twitching slightly.
Xiao Qiyu lowered his eyes and looked at her carefully.
Before him, the girl's eyes were half-closed and unfocused, her cheeks still flushed. Though disheveled, she showed no real pain; instead, she exuded a coquettish charm she had never seen before, a charm that was both alluring and reluctant.
"Looks like you're alright." He tightened his arms around her waist, drawing them even closer together, and opened his mouth to kiss her earlobe.
"Then I'll continue."
...
The carriage slowly came to a stop in front of the Marquis's mansion. In the darkness, all was quiet and there was no sound. But if you listened carefully, you could hear a soft scream from a woman as the carriage came to a stop.
After being urged repeatedly by his attendants, Xiao Qiyu got out of the carriage first. He was neatly dressed and looked radiant, except for a hint of red at the corner of his eyes.
He then turned around and reached his hand into the carriage curtain.
A small, flushed hand grabbed his. Cui Ying helped him and carefully leaned out of the car. But as soon as her toes touched the solid ground, the surging sensation was so intense that her legs went weak and she almost fell down.
Xiao Qiyu swiftly caught her around the waist, supporting her steadily. Looking down at her flushed cheeks, he asked softly, "Can you still walk?"
Cui Ying shoved him away, her face flushed an unnatural red, and retorted defiantly, "Of course I can. Don't get too cocky. You're not that great either."
Xiao Qiyu was not annoyed at all; upon hearing this, he smiled and nodded, "That's perfect."
Cui Ying's heart skipped a beat for no reason, and she had a bad feeling. She looked up at him and asked, "Just what?"
Xiao Qiyu stared into her watery eyes, then suddenly leaned closer and said, in a voice only the two of them could hear, word by word, "You don't think I can be satisfied in one time, do you?"
Cui Ying felt a chill run down her spine. She took a step back, forced a yawn, and turned to run away incoherently, saying, "I'm sleepy, I'm going back to sleep. You can take your time, but it's best if you don't go back to your room tonight!"
The night was long, but Xiao Qiyu remained calm and composed, and followed after him.
...
In early summer, the military examination was held as scheduled and lasted for three days.
Similar to the imperial examinations, the evaluation of military examination results was very rigorous. It required joint review and deliberation by the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Rites, and the results would not be posted until the middle of the following month.
After Xiao Qiyu returned from the exam, he seemed to have completely forgotten about it and resumed his old life, practicing boxing in the morning and evening, and spending the rest of his time in his study, engrossed in studying military books, as if he had never taken the exam.
In contrast, Cui Ying appeared extremely anxious, especially in the three days leading up to the announcement of the results, when she couldn't even sleep soundly.
That night, all was quiet.
Cui Ying tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
Just as she was about to roll over for the umpteenth time, a strong arm suddenly appeared beside her, and then a solid chest appeared above her body.
The young man had a jade-like face and dark eyes, with an exquisite appearance like an immortal, but the next moment he was about to capture her lips.
"What are you doing!" Cui Ying bent her leg and kicked him, almost making his hair stand on end.
Xiao Qiyu groaned as he was kicked, but did not back away. Staring at Cui Ying's flushed face, he said lewdly without changing his expression: "You're moving around next to me, aren't you implying something to me?"
"Bullshit!" Cui Ying glared at him and cursed, "Don't even think about it! I'm not in the mood these days!"
This wretched guy is insatiable. He always goes for three times at the very beginning. After a month, she feels like he's draining her dry, just like the unfortunate scholar in the storybook whose life force is sucked out by a fairy.
Xiao Qiyu observed her in the dim moonlight, noticing the burning fire in her eyes. Knowing she was serious, he asked earnestly, "Then what's wrong?"
Cui Ying glared at him: "The results will be posted the day after tomorrow, aren't you nervous at all?"
"What's there to be nervous about?" Xiao Qiyu's tone was as indifferent as water. He got off her and put his arms behind his head. "Anyway, my name will definitely be on the list."
This time, Cui Ying tilted her head to look at him and blinked: "So confident?"
"It's a done deal," Xiao Qiyu said casually.
After speaking, he suddenly turned his head, looked into Cui Ying's eyes, paused, and said, "Are you that worried about me?"
Meeting those dark, burning, narrow eyes, Cui Ying's face suddenly flushed. She pulled the blanket over her head, leaned against the wall with her back to the person, and said, "Who's worried about you? I'm just afraid you'll fail the exam and embarrass the Marquis's mansion. I'm going to sleep, don't bother me."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt a warm, large hand encircle her waist and pull her into a familiar embrace.
Familiar... pressing against her lower back, proud and ready to strike.
Cui Ying froze, then roared in embarrassment and anger: "Get your claws off me!"
"No, I won't."
Xiao Qiyu buried his face in the back of her neck, his voice low, like a coaxing, or like a coquettish: "You can sleep, you don't need to move."
"Get lost. I won't believe a single word you say in bed anymore."
"Really, really."
Xiao Qiyu held Cui Ying in his arms and gently rocked her, like a big dog shaking its owner's clothes: "Anyway, you can't sleep, don't worry, I'll be quick."
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Author's note: I'll say anything, even rubbish, over something like that. [Applause]
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