Chapter 112 Nothing special (Plot-driven readers can enjoy this...)
Having lived two and a half lifetimes, Xu Rong realized for the first time that she was so easily swayed by gentleness and not by force when it came to relationships.
If Lin Xin had acted like he did before, tearing up her contract, she might have immediately turned on him and kicked him out. But he had been tough once, and ever since then he had always followed her will. Especially now, he was so careful and gentle, as if he couldn't even bear to raise his voice to her, and she couldn't stand it.
A thought popped into her head: he was clearly, as if, trying to seduce her.
She had never thought that these two words would be so ordinary when she saw them before, but she never imagined that she would find them so wonderful and indescribable when she was actually in them.
She wasn't sure what she was thinking; perhaps she simply wanted to know. She asked him, "Do you think you should come to me and say these things only if you become the top scholar?"
Lin Xin froze for a moment, then nodded while leaning against her.
He was very honest.
But Xu Rong couldn't help but laugh.
They seem very knowledgeable, but it turns out they only have the confidence to ask adults for things because they got top marks in exams. Like a child who only feels confident to make demands after getting good grades in an exam.
Lin Xin knew what she was laughing at. He felt embarrassed, but there was no turning back now. He couldn't help himself and was determined to go all out: "Rongrong, I want to be your real husband and wife."
Xu Rong's scalp tingled, and she almost hit him again: "—What did you call me!"
"Then, sister, is it okay for you, sister?" Lin Xin quickly changed her mind.
...That sounds even more outrageous!
It's like they're acting out some kind of indescribable short drama.
But when she met Lin Xin's eyes, she knew he wasn't thinking that much; he was just genuinely giving in and begging for her consent.
Xu Rong herself became incredibly picky, and she realized that she wasn't ready yet—but then again, what exactly does it take to be ready for something like this?
The advantage of being older has also crumbled, and at this moment she is no more at ease than a real twenty-something girl.
But no matter how picky she was, Lin Xin became incredibly patient with her. He would gently kiss along the corner of her eye, and only proceed to the next step if she seemed comfortable.
Xu Rong didn't know how she got to the bedside until she fell down, when she realized she had struggled a little.
"Don't be afraid."
He was actually quite clumsy, only ever using those two words to coax people, but it was effective. After all, Xu Rong wasn't very knowledgeable in this area either. With him kissing and coaxing her like that, she did feel a bit more at ease. Besides, she felt a little ashamed for no reason—she should be the composed and steady one, so why did she seem like a child who needed to be coaxed?
She retorted, "I'm not afraid."
Lin Xin chuckled softly, his breath hot and lingering in her ear: "Okay, I'm scared."
Xu Rong, still confused, asked him, "What are you afraid of?"
"I'm afraid I'm not good enough, I'm afraid you won't be willing."
The red robe was removed, revealing the smooth lines of the young man's shoulders and arms. Xu Rong's heart softened, but she became nervous again—why was he so white?
Although he spends most of his time engrossed in reading and rarely sees the sun, it's normal for him to have fair skin. But if he's fairer than her, that's not right.
I always felt a little ashamed.
Xu Rong lowered her head and glanced at her collar, which was as white as jade, and couldn't help but let out a subtle sigh of relief.
She's fairer.
But then, as he bent down and his lips and tongue invaded, that small area became pink.
Xu Rong bit her lip instantly, suppressing that gasp.
"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?"
Lin Xin panicked a little. He touched her lips to make her let go, and then looked down to check her body, afraid that he might have accidentally left her with some injury.
Xu Rong: "..."
What can she say? At this point, the most serious issue is the bite she just took from herself.
"I'll be gentler."
Lin Xin breathed a sigh of relief when he found nothing, and still gave her a comforting kiss.
“…” Xu Rong whispered something.
Lin Xin didn't hear clearly and asked seriously, "What?"
He was face to face with her, a drop of sweat fell from his forehead and landed in her messy hair.
It's not that we're not in a hurry.
But I still endured it, ready to stop for her at any moment, being extremely careful, yet still wanting to be "even gentler".
“…I said,” Xu Rong raised her hand to cover her eyes, “that’s not necessary.”
Whether she was suppressed or cherished, it was not a feeling she was used to; it felt distant and unfamiliar to her. But she had to admit that when it happened, she did like it.
Her eyes were blocked, so she couldn't see his expression, but at such close range, she could clearly feel his breathing quicken.
"good."
Then she heard him say.
**
What happened after that was both clear and blurry in Xu Rong's memory. She clearly remembered what happened, but the whole sequence of events was blurred into a passionate and lingering crimson. The more she recalled, the more blurred it became. She seemed to remember that he asked for water and helped her bathe, but how she got into the tub and how she got back to bed were all blank. At that time, she was already half asleep from exhaustion...
It should be said that Xu Rong paid the price for his rash words.
When she opened her eyes again, her eyelids felt heavy.
I was still sleepy, and it wasn't even dawn yet, but I suddenly woke up for no reason.
Xu Rong vaguely moved her arm, and when she touched a warm body next to her, she realized: there was someone else. No wonder.
She's not picky about beds and can sleep well anywhere when she's alone, but she needs to adjust when someone else takes up half of her bed.
The person next to me was fast asleep.
Even in his sleeping posture, after Xu Rong adjusted to the dim light in the tent, she turned her head and saw him lying upright, with his head turned towards her, his eyes closed, his features calm and relaxed, exuding a sense of peace and contentment.
Xu Rong was somewhat lost in thought.
After last night, looking at him from a completely new perspective, he seemed a little more unfamiliar, yet also much closer.
This state of mind is something you can't imagine unless you've experienced it yourself.
It's like—
Xu Rong sighed. She hadn't expected that what was immobilizing her now wasn't pain, but exhaustion.
After responding, he maintained a considerable degree of gentleness, but in return, the battle lines were stretched out... stretched out far too long.
Calling for a halt at that point would be useless.
Saying no is useless.
He took complete control and dictated the pace; his gentleness was like a trap, but he wanted her to succumb to it...
Unspeakable images replayed in her mind, and the parts that touched him grew hot. Xu Rong suddenly felt that this bed was a bit uncomfortable, and with difficulty, she directed her body to curl up to the inside of the bed—
The action was stopped halfway through.
"woke up?"
Lin Xin wrapped his arm around her, but he didn't seem to be fully awake yet. He turned over, put his head in the crook of her neck, and then fell silent again.
Xu Rong: "..."
She no longer felt uncomfortable; she felt unbalanced.
How come he sleeps so well?
She felt like she'd been run over by a truck; she couldn't sleep, and she was exhausted.
He's still pressing down on her with his arm; how can one arm be so heavy?
Xu Rong tried to pry it off, but couldn't budge it.
Lin Xin finally woke her up. He withdrew his hand, rubbed his eyes, and then picked her up. He opened his eyes and smiled, asking her, "Rongrong, you woke up so early."
Xu Rong: "..."
She couldn't muster any enthusiasm to object to the address anymore, because he had called her that countless times last night, and whenever she protested, he would change his address to "sister," making her so uncomfortable that her toes curled up. She had no other thoughts left.
"Are you feeling unwell anywhere?" Lin Xin asked her softly again.
Xu Rong then spoke up, coldly snorting, "I'm uncomfortable everywhere."
"Really? Let me see."
Lin Xin tensed up, all his remaining sleepiness vanished, and he was about to pull back the blanket on her side when Xu Rong realized she had shot herself in the foot and quickly said, "No! I was just joking."
"Really?" Lin Xin asked doubtfully.
Xu Rong swallowed her anger and said, "It's true."
"oh."
Lin Xin finally lay back down, but he wasn't as upright as before. Instead, he moved closer to her, sometimes touching her hand, sometimes gently embracing her, and sometimes playing with her hair.
Xu Rong found him rather annoying, but couldn't help but curl the corners of her mouth: "There's still a while before dawn, don't you want to sleep?"
Lin Xin shook his head on the pillow: "I'm fine now. You go to sleep."
Xu Rong couldn't sleep.
The tent was quiet for a while.
Lin Xin could tell that she wasn't sleeping, so he wanted to talk to her. He squeezed her hand and asked, "How are you feeling?"
Xu Rong knew what he was asking, but she hadn't expected him to ask, so she mumbled, "What do you mean, how?"
"It was last night." He seemed a little embarrassed, but still insisted, "I felt great."
After sharing his own, he squeezed her hand and urged her on.
The tent became a small world of its own, and the quilt was warm and intimate. Xu Rong's embarrassment subsided, and she finally said, "Mmm."
Everything went well from the beginning to the middle, even better than she had occasionally imagined before. Later, she felt a little uncomfortable, but because he was gentle enough, she could tolerate it. The problem arose later on—
"Things didn't go well later." She put on a stern face. It was his question, so she couldn't be blamed for answering. "You've been going on for too long."
Quiet.
After a while, Lin Xin said, "Oh."
His tone was subtle.
Xu Rong suddenly realized what she meant and snapped, "I wasn't praising you!"
Lin Xin chuckled softly beside her, "I know. It's my fault."
He admitted his mistake very sincerely, saying, "I couldn't help it, I won't do it again next time."
Xu Rong couldn't say anything more after seeing his attitude, and said with satisfaction, "Hmm."
However, when the time came, she realized that even the promises of the top scholar could not be trusted in such matters.
That's a story for later. Right now, the two of them were lying in bed, chatting idly. When the light outside the bed curtains finally came on, Lin Xin got up.
He still had many things to do, such as attending the Imperial Banquet and receiving the imperial robes from the Ministry of Rites, so he was busy all day.
Xu Rong lingered, unwilling to get up, but once he finally left, she drifted off to sleep again, still half-asleep.
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