Chapter 25 Noble Lady × Imperial Son (Part 2) "What a disobedient dog."...
The space behind the bed was too cramped; the two had to press themselves so close together that there wasn't even a gap between their bodies before they could barely squeeze in. This sudden movement caused the back of her head to hit the wall with a thud, making her grunt in pain. She laughed, "So eager?"
Su Xiaotang was burning up and couldn't hear anything clearly. Her misty eyes were so wet they looked like they were about to drip water. He impatiently leaned forward, pressed her down, and sniffed her lips like a little animal, occasionally sticking out the tip of his tongue to lick them.
At first, Yuan Mingjin didn't understand what he wanted, so she let him do as he pleased. After observing him carefully, she suddenly realized and said, "So you want to get closer to me?"
Such a chaotic situation... it seems she's just clueless about romance.
The two then naturally rolled into a soft bed.
Like unwrapping a gift, Yuan Mingjin untied Su Xiaotang's green dress, which he had already torn loose, revealing her fair skin like solidified cream. His fingertips traced down her chest, across her smooth abdomen with a few blue veins, and finally poked the red silk cage, showing a slight surprise: "Not bad-looking."
It was so full that it seemed about to burst the lock cage.
The color was also beautiful, white with a hint of pink, which, set off by the bright red silk thread, made him look even more like he was made of jade.
Her body was already sensitive from the drug, and Su Xiaotang shuddered when she was poked. She sobbed and said she felt uncomfortable, hugging her and crying incessantly. Her tears quickly soaked her shoulders, and the golden phoenix soaring on the veil was soaked with water, as if it were trapped in a cloud of mist.
He was so clingy, but fortunately Yuan Mingjin was patient enough to just laugh and scold him, "Get out of here."
The three words were spoken in a flat tone, but Su Xiaotang still felt wronged. Nevertheless, she obediently got out of bed and knelt down. Yuan Mingjin then took off his shoes and socks and stepped on them barefoot.
The prince's belongings were naturally of the finest quality, and the cage was no exception. It was said to be woven from the silk spun by a type of blood silkworm, soft and supple. Her jade-like feet trod on red threads, the white becoming whiter and the redder redder. Su Xiaotang looked down and her eyes immediately reddened. Her well-defined hands cupped her foot, and as she did so, she whimpered, "So cold..."
Before he could finish speaking, the foot in his hand suddenly exerted force and kicked him to the ground.
"What a disobedient dog."
With a slight frown, Yuan Mingjin looked down at him and made a move to get up.
Although Su Xiaotang had been stripped naked, she herself had only taken off her shoes and socks, and her clothes and accessories were all neatly arranged. Afraid that she would really be abandoned, Su Xiaotang quickly got up. This time she dared not be presumptuous again, but eagerly pressed her cheek against her calf, looking up at her pitifully with red eyes and fluttering eyelashes, appearing completely obedient and docile.
The creature inside the cage was completely different from the innocent face above; it was menacing, throbbing and pulsating, scalding Yuan Mingjin's feet as if she were stepping on a branding iron, or like a lurking, poised beast. She winced from the heat, crossing her arms and shuffling it like a loom, when suddenly her toes touched a hard object the size of a soybean. Looking down, she saw Su Xiaotang curling up like a shrimp, shrinking back.
"So it's a virginity mark." Yuan Mingjin wouldn't let him dodge, so she simply moved up and pressed her foot down on his lower abdomen with a little force. Su Xiaotang was so frightened that he froze and didn't dare to move, afraid that she would remove it and dirty Yuan Mingjin's foot if he relaxed.
The effects of the medicine had mostly worn off, and the rest could be dealt with by soaking him in cold water. Su Xiaotang quickly grabbed her clothes to wipe her clean, her cheeks burning, too embarrassed to look up at her. Yuan Mingjin sat on the edge of the bed, raising one leg to make it easier for him to move, his elbow resting on his leg, his palm supporting his chin, looking at her with feigned annoyance as he sighed, "Sigh..."
The sigh made Su Xiaotang's heart tighten. He involuntarily softened his movements and asked cautiously, "Did I hurt you?"
I've heard that when a prince gets married, a fire-avoidance chart is always included in his dowry... He'll definitely study it carefully then!
"You're so promiscuous, messing around with unknown women before you're even married. No girl will ever want to marry you."
Upon hearing this, Su Xiaotang's face drained of all color. He stammered, "No, it wasn't 'Suibian'! Only you... I know your name!"
How could he forget the name of his savior?
Of course it could only be her… The moment he turned around and saw her face clearly, he gave up resisting. If it were any other woman, he would have bitten his tongue rather than let them succeed!
But...doesn't she remember him?
She achieved the highest honors in all three levels of the imperial examinations, and her mother was renowned throughout the court. With such fame, it would be difficult to find someone in the entire Tianyuan who hadn't heard of her. Yuan Mingjin didn't take these words to heart, continuing her humiliation of him as a promiscuous man: "What happens to a prince who can't get married? Hmm... perhaps he'll be sent to a foreign land for a political marriage? But premarital loss of virginity is considered adultery. It's one of the seven grounds for divorce. If your future wife doesn't know, that's fine, but secrets never stay hidden forever. If your licentiousness reaches her ears, she might still show you some mercy when she doesn't know, but if she does, she won't hold back. The Nine Luminaries are inherently barbaric. If they ruin a man, they'll cut open his head, use his skull as a wine bowl, then leave his body to rot in the wilderness, letting eagles peck at the flesh until they've eaten it all. Then they'll use his straight leg bones as weapons, and grind the rest of his bones into beads to wear as a necklace..."
This was, of course, a lie. Tianyuan Jiuyue, having harbored a long-standing grudge, naturally knew the other party wouldn't be so barbaric; she was merely trying to scare Su Xiaotang. However, Su Xiaotang, having grown up in the deep palace and never seen the outside world, believed it because it came from Yuan Mingjin's mouth. She immediately trembled with fear, crying, "I...I don't want a marriage alliance! Please, save me..."
Yuan Mingjin pretended to be hesitant: "Now that you are no longer pure, and I am always easily swayed and soft-hearted. Since you are so pitiful, I can reluctantly take you in as a mistress. If you are willing, just wait obediently in the palace. Once I have made all the preparations, I will take you out."
Su Xiaotang didn't understand what a "concubine" meant, and was completely confused, but she still nodded, knowing that if she agreed, she could be with her.
...
Although he had tried his best to hide it, when Eunuch Li served him a bath that evening, he twitched his nose a couple of times and still sensed that something was amiss.
"Your Highness, this old servant asks you, did you touch it yourself?" Eunuch Li asked sternly.
Su Xiaotang was stammering, unable to answer, when Eunuch Li suddenly noticed a teardrop-shaped, bright red pendant hanging on his chest, like a drop of blood and tears, resting on the saddle between two snow-capped mountains, like a plum blossom petal fallen into the snow. Just inches below his skin, his heart was pounding, pumping out hot blood.
"This is..." Eunuch Li scooped up the red pendant in his palm and examined it closely. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him. "This is the brow pendant of Yuan Xiuzhuan—Your Highness and she exchanged it in secret?!"
Since ancient times, the top scholar in the imperial examinations has been appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, a sixth-rank official. Seeing that she could no longer hide it, Su Xiaotang had no choice but to tell him the truth: she had been drugged by Su Yiyi, who wanted to embarrass him in public and had even arranged for someone to ruin his reputation. It was Yuan Mingjin who appeared in time and saved him.
As for how she was saved... Su Xiaotang lowered her head, revealing a swan-like, slender neck. Her fair skin was flushed with a thin layer of light pink, whether from embarrassment or from the hot water.
Everything is understood without words.
Eunuch Li was so frightened that his heart was pounding. He hurriedly went to check the lock cage and found that it was intact and had not been damaged by any external force. Only then did he feel relieved.
As the head steward of the prince's palace, he must be a shrewd person. How could he not have realized that women from outside the palace were not allowed to move freely within the harem? Yuan Mingjin's appearance was too coincidental; he didn't ask for help, and instead, he took pity on her and personally relieved Su Xiaotang's immediate crisis, preventing her from exploding and causing shame upon the royal family.
But is she really such a kind person?
Eunuch Li had heard that she had kicked a dancer who came to fawn over her at a banquet, so he assumed that she didn't like men—after all, which woman at a banquet doesn't have two men on her left and two on her right?
Otherwise, upon seeing the graceful dancer, even if she had no intention of engaging with him, she would not have kicked him so viciously.
Full of doubts, Eunuch Li asked Su Xiaotang again, "The red silk cage wasn't damaged, so how did she manage to solve the problem for me?"
Su Xiaotang then confessed with great embarrassment. Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li nearly fainted with anger, shouting, "Your Highness is of noble birth, how can she be trampled underfoot! This is utterly disrespectful! This old servant will certainly report this to His Majesty and punish her for disrespect!"
After saying that, he strode out, completely forgetting that Su Xiaotang was still soaking in the bathtub. Su Xiaotang quickly grabbed him, blushing, and said, "Sister Jin's massage felt really good... Father-in-law, please don't blame her. She saved my life and prevented the royal family from being disgraced. We should be thanking her, not punishing her."
"You! Ugh...you little brat..." Seeing that he was being sold out and still helping to count the money, Eunuch Li was even more furious. He poked Su Xiaotang's forehead with his finger until it turned red. "You're not even married yet, and you're already siding with outsiders!"
Even the slow-witted Su Xiaotang could tell that his tone had softened. She blinked, her eyes widening in disbelief, and couldn't help but cover her forehead and back away, saying, "If Father-in-law hit me now, he can't hit her anymore."
Eunuch Li chuckled in exasperation, saying irritably, "You can rest assured that Yuan Xiuzhuan will not be punished."
Now that the royal family is in decline, the world only knows the surname Yuan and not the surname Su. If punishment is to be imposed, it will probably depend on the whims of Yuan Mingjin's powerful mother, a minister with considerable influence.
Furthermore, there is no concrete evidence yet, and it's debatable whether Yuan Mingjin will admit it or not; since Su Yiyi has done something wrong, she certainly won't admit it.
The emperor might not believe Su Xiaotang just by her words.
...
The next morning, when the imperial decree of marriage was forcibly shoved into his hand, Su Xiaotang was still stunned, his eyes unmoving. The eunuch who delivered the decree congratulated him, but he couldn't hear a single word.
"Is this child so happy she's gone mad?" After seeing everyone off, Eunuch Li turned around and saw Su Xiaotang still looking dazed. He couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
Su Xiaotang was overjoyed, but she couldn't help worrying. Yuan Mingjin said he could only be a mistress, but now she had become his legal husband... Would Sister Jin blame him for forcing her to marry him?
With a heart full of trepidation, he sat in the bridal sedan chair, went through the wedding ceremony, and became husband and wife. Even after being led to Yuan Mingjin's bedroom, he was still so nervous that he dared not breathe.
When Yuan Mingjin lifted the veil with the auspicious scales, she saw a small face full of sorrow.
"What, you're unhappy about marrying me? You'd rather be my mistress than my legal husband?"
In fact, Yuan Mingjin had already seen through his cautiousness, so she deliberately put on a stern face and pretended to be displeased. Seeing this, Su Xiaotang quickly forced a smile and tried to please her cautiously, but looking at her indifferent eyes, she endured for a long time, and finally couldn't help but cry. Tears fell like beads from a broken string, but she bit her lower lip and tried hard to suppress her sobs, afraid of upsetting her again.
"What's wrong?" Seeing him crying so miserably, Yuan Mingjin couldn't pretend anymore. She immediately comforted him gently, and lightly kissed his face, licking away all his tears.
Her lips and tongue weren't as rough as her hands. Su Xiaotang felt a tickle and slightly shrank her neck, taking a step back. Unexpectedly, Yuan Mingjin interpreted this as resistance. Her eyes darkened, and she moved even closer, cornering him against the bed, leaving him nowhere to escape. She remained silent, only moving up and down, her hands lightly gripping his neck, her thumb pressing firmly on his Adam's apple, asking, "Can you stop crying, hmm?"
"...Your crying made your sister Jin even more excited."
She held his earlobe in her mouth and whispered in his ear in a soft, husky voice.
A warm breeze blew straight into his ear canal—it was clearly just whispered sweet nothings between lovers, and he hadn't shown any fear when her life was in his hands, but now he was so frightened that Su Xiaotang couldn't cry anymore, and started hiccuping one after another. She hurriedly covered her mouth, leaving only a pair of watery eyes looking at her helplessly.
But the changes in a certain area were so obvious that Yuan Mingjin even felt nauseous. She was both angry and helpless, so she pinched his face to vent her anger—it felt so good, she pinched it again and again, until finally Su Xiaotang couldn't bear it anymore and pitifully kissed her, begging her to move, and only then did Yuan Mingjin stop.
The clouds dispersed and the rain stopped; the two of them soaked in the bathtub.
Yuan Mingjin disliked being waited on, so Su Xiaotang took a towel and clumsily rubbed her back. Her eyes were very firm, her face very serious, and her expression very solemn, but she used very little force, afraid of upsetting her again.
After rubbing for a while, Su Xiaotang saw Yuan Mingjin leaning against the pool wall, idly flipping through a book, looking languid. A large expanse of his smooth, jade-like back was exposed on the water's surface. Su Xiaotang stared for a moment, then couldn't resist leaning down to kiss him. She then heard Yuan Mingjin lazily say, "You've got some nerve now. Why were you crying earlier? Do you think I'd eat you?"
"You've already eaten..." Su Xiaotang didn't realize she was angry, so she boldly kissed the back of her neck again.
...Once she's had her fill of sex, things are different. Quickly give her back her innocent and pure Su Xiaotang.
Yuan Mingjin said helplessly, "I was just trying to scare you, I wasn't really angry."
Su Xiaotang could see through her fierce exterior and soft interior, and now she dared to cling to her and act cute. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, buried his face in her neck and shoulder, and whimpered, "Sister Jin is bullying me, I was really scared!"
He was fooled into thinking he was only fit to be a mistress, and he felt uneasy, always feeling that he was not worthy. After hesitating for a long time, he finally asked, "Can I...can I be Sister Jin's legal husband?"
His tone was so humble it was almost palpable.
"What are you thinking about again?" Yuan Mingjin said wearily. "I originally wanted to ask His Majesty for your hand in marriage, but the imperial decree came much faster."
Since the emperor was able to issue the decree so quickly, he must have consulted her mother.
If she is unwilling, no one in the entire Tianyuan can force her.
Su Xiaotang was clinging to her affectionately, her nose and lips pressed against the skin of her neck. Hearing this, she was so happy that she could hardly contain herself. She rubbed against her neck like a little animal, "My wife is so good!"
After saying that, he blushed, and then, as if testing the waters, he couldn't help but call out "Wife, Wife..." over and over again, his warm breath spraying against her neck, making her feel both itchy and annoyed.
Yuan Mingjin was already exhausted, so she covered his mouth with her hand. Su Xiaotang took the opportunity to kiss her palm, quickly fetched a bath towel to dry them both off, carried her back to the bedroom, and seeing that she was already asleep, she snuggled up next to her, closed her eyes peacefully, and also fell into a deep sleep.
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Author's Note: After the final chapter is completed, there will be a bonus chapter featuring a childhood sweetheart falling from the sky!
That's all for this book. Thank you all for your support, see you in the next one! [Fireworks][Fireworks]
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