Chapter 63 I'd Serve You with My Beauty
"Shen You, I'm so happy."
As he spoke, his lips pressed against the side of her neck, gently brushing against the soft flesh, sending shivers of pleasure through her.
Shen You subconsciously shrank his neck, but was immediately pressed back down.
Skin to skin, he felt hot.
It was a scorching temperature.
Her ears flushed a light pink, and the fine downy hairs around them looked soft and lovely in the candlelight.
Her earlobes were lustrous and white, with a faint, pearl-like halo.
Chu Xiao's eyes darkened, and his hot lips pressed straight into hers.
Shen You trembled and instinctively raised her hand to press against his chest, "Chu Xiao!"
"Hmm," he breathed heavily, his broad back slightly hunched, as if he were restraining something, his voice low and hoarse as if it had just passed over gravel.
"Chu Xiao is here."
"You're so heavy," get up quickly.
Chu Xiao straightened up slightly, no longer pressing most of his weight onto her, but his arms were still wrapped around her.
The man's presence faded slightly. Shen You took a deep breath, steadied herself, and looked up at him. "Let's talk."
Realizing what she was about to say, Chu Xiao felt as if his heart had been gripped tightly, and a sense of tension spread from his heart to every part of his body.
His Adam's apple bobbed heavily. "Fine, go ahead, I'll listen to you."
Shen You broke free from his embrace, went straight to the round table, sat on the embroidered stool, and said in a low voice, "You want to get back together with me, don't you?"
"yes."
Chu Xiao looked at her expectantly, his voice low and firm.
"If you're just looking for someone to marry, you'd better find someone else, because I..."
“No change,” the man’s voice suddenly turned cold, his gaze towards her becoming exceptionally serious and earnest. He emphasized again, “I love you, so it’s impossible for me to change partners.”
I would rather die than trade it.
Shen You's eyelashes fluttered slightly; the four words "I am delighted with you" seemed to have thrown a pebble into the lake of her heart.
Although small, it was enough to create ripples.
During those two years in Qingxi Town, she so desperately hoped to hear those words from his mouth.
But four years later, she doesn't seem to be looking forward to it as much anymore.
Her expression remained cold. "You want to get married, but I don't."
She suddenly realized that her current life wasn't so bad after all.
She owns a estate and shops, and will never have to worry about food or clothing for the rest of her life, so why should she care about what others think?
Will the gossip of others affect her mood? Or will it cause her financial hardship?
No, not at all.
If she doesn't know how, why would she remarry and burden herself with unknown shackles?
Chu Xiao knelt down on one knee in front of her, looked up at her, a deep sense of loss flashing in his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. "If you don't want to get married, then we won't get married."
"You don't have to feel pressured. Let's just... stay like this, okay?"
His voice was hoarse, his eyes filled with deep, dark emotions, as he forcefully suppressed the urge to embrace her.
“Shen You, I just want to stay by your side, no matter what my role is.”
Aren't you going to get married?
“No,” Chu Xiao replied quickly.
If she wishes, he can ask the Emperor to issue a decree for their marriage tomorrow.
But if she doesn't want to, then he doesn't want to either.
Shen You lowered her head, looking into his eyes, which were exceptionally clear, while the man's gaze, when he met hers, was full of piety and expectation.
For some reason, the burden that had been building up in her heart suddenly dissipated, and even her expression became much more relaxed. She even had a slight urge to tease him.
"If the Duke doesn't get married, the matchmakers in Lin'an will probably wear out the door of the Duke's mansion."
She spoke in a relaxed tone, but those listening to her felt no sense of ease whatsoever.
"No one can change my mind except you."
She's just a matchmaker.
He would kill more corrupt officials and stain his hands with more blood, so that the noble ladies of Lin'an would have to avoid him sooner or later.
He had finally managed to get along with Shen You like this, and he would never allow anyone else to cause any more trouble.
If he can't even handle this small matter, then he doesn't deserve to say what he just said.
Chu Xiao stared at her intently, his gaze sweeping over the canopy bed behind her. He carefully tugged at her sleeve and whispered, "Winter is coming. I can warm Miss Shen's bed, and I can also be used as a hot water bottle."
What he said was true.
Shen You recalled the warmth that had been continuously transmitted from his body when he had just held her.
She raised her eyebrows slightly, but did not refute the statement.
Chu Xiao keenly sensed the possibility that she might relent, and pressed on, "I'll do whatever you want me to do."
He took her hand in his, his long fingers swirling and gently caressing her palm, enticing her with a seductive smile, "I can serve you with my beauty."
Using her beauty to please you...
How could he say something like that?
Shen You was reluctant to admit it, but in his heart he had to agree with Chu Xiao's words.
After all, he certainly had the looks to charm people.
Putting aside his usual cold and intimidating aura, his appearance and temperament are indeed exactly what she likes.
Shen You coughed lightly and looked away uncomfortably, but the words that came out were crystal clear.
What she said was, "It depends on how you perform."
Chu Xiao felt as if bursts of fireworks had suddenly exploded in his heart, dazzling and spectacular.
He gripped her hand tightly, straightened up, and wanted to hug her, but she stopped him with one finger.
The girl's fingers were slender, soft, and white. When she touched him, she used only a slight force, yet it made him obediently stop his movements.
She raised her chin and said, "I don't need you to warm the bed tonight."
He then pointed to the outer room separated by a screen, "Bring me the booklet on the table and read it to me."
"Okay," Chu Xiao replied, got up and went directly to the outer room.
Shen You took off her cloak and returned to the bed, watching the tall figure of the man enter from outside, holding the storybook she had only read halfway through.
She patted the spot beside the bed. "Sit here and study."
She read many different kinds of storybooks, including tales of the strange and interesting, travelogues, and love stories.
The book Chu Xiao is holding right now tells the story of a country girl who is betrayed by a heartless man, but ultimately gets her just desserts.
At the end of the story, the unfaithful man's deeds are exposed one by one in court. In the end, he loses all his fame and fortune and is forced to wander in the countryside, where he is bitten by vicious dogs while fighting for food. Meanwhile, the country girl, relying on her skills, opens a shop in the capital and lives a prosperous life.
Shen You hadn't actually seen the end yet, but he could vaguely guess the direction of the story. Such an ending was very satisfying and matched Shen You's pleasant mood tonight.
The floor heating system inside the house was already running, and the temperature was just right.
Shen You hid herself completely under the covers, her clear and innocent eyes fixed on him, eagerly anticipating the ending of the story. "Read it to me quickly."
Chu Xiao tucked the blanket around her, turned to the end of the book, and read the contents aloud following the marks she had made.
The man's voice was low, magnetic, and slow, sounding especially gentle in the quiet night.
Shen You closed his eyes contentedly and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Only after finishing reading the story did Chu Xiao close the book and put it aside.
His deep gaze fell on her face, fixed on her for a moment, his eyes filled with tender and affectionate love.
When the girl was asleep, her eyebrows were relaxed, her cheeks were rosy, and her thin eyelids covered her clear and quiet almond eyes, making her less aloof and more adorable.
Chu Xiao couldn't resist. He braced himself on his arms beside her and leaned down, pressing his cool lips against hers.
Gently suckle.
Afraid of waking her, he moved slowly and gently. Even though the girl's unique fragrance enveloped him, he restrained himself from making any further moves.
Just by simply sticking to it, an indescribable sense of satisfaction flowed through his heart.
After an unknown amount of time, Chu Xiao finally released her and sat up straight.
The night was deep, and a cold wind was blowing outside, but the bedroom in the main building of Guiyuan was warm as spring.
Chu Xiao extinguished the candles until only the one by the bedside remained, then lowered the gauze curtains, put the storybook back in its original place, and then opened the window he had come through, deftly climbing out.
——
At the same time the following day.
The night was deep, and a cold wind howled.
With a slight movement, the back door of the Chengde Marquis's residence was opened, and two servants carried Shen Linhui's wheelchair out the back door with great care.
In the dimly lit alley, the wind sweeping in from the vents seemed to penetrate every part of a person's body, almost through their collar.
One of the servants couldn't help but rub his hands together. "Young master, do we really have to go?"
Shen Linhui raised his eyes and gave him a cold glance. "If you don't want to, then get back to where you were."
"Oh, young master, I was wrong..."
This servant was not a farmhand, but a slave who had signed a contract of servitude, his life and fortune entirely dependent on the man before him.
If Shen Linhui really had an accident in Xishan, as a servant of Songtao Courtyard, even if he didn't go with him, he would almost certainly die.
Since that's the case, it's better to go along so you'll feel more at ease.
Shen Linhui scoffed coldly and looked at another servant, "Have all the people been contacted?"
The servant bowed and scraped, "Young master, rest assured, everything has been arranged, they are already waiting outside the city."
It takes at least two or three hours to travel from Lin'an City to Xishan by horse-drawn carriage, and even longer at night due to the difficulty of travel.
However, crickets are difficult to catch in Xishan, especially with the weather getting colder these days.
Only by taking advantage of the morning dew and sunshine when the crickets come out to roam can you catch more of them.
Therefore, Shen Linhui decided to set off late at night, and by the time he arrived at Xishan, it would be almost sunrise, which was just the right time.
He prioritized pleasure above all else in his life. When he was a compulsive gambler, Chen Qiurong sold her dowry to pay off his debts and suppressed the matter. Afterward, she repeatedly ordered him not to go to the gambling den again.
His leg injury made it difficult for him to walk, and he had nothing to do for entertainment. Since Chen Qiurong no longer went to the gambling den, she turned a blind eye to his hobby of cricket fighting.
Shen Linhui suffered repeated defeats in the cricket fighting arena. Unable to swallow his anger after being provoked, he decided to take a risk and personally go to Xishan to catch fighting crickets.
His servant had warned him that bandits roamed the Western Hills, but he didn't take it seriously.
I don’t know where I heard it from, but I thought that now that winter has come and the mountains are cold, the bandits would not be as rampant as before, so I stubbornly decided to go.
To ensure he could catch fighting crickets, he spent a lot of money to hire several skilled cricket catchers from the fighting arenas, asking them to wait outside the city so they could go together.
In the alley, the carriage was ready, with thick velvet cushions laid inside.
Shen Linhui was helped into the carriage, and with a command, he set off with two servants and two guards.
At this hour, the streets were dark and quiet, with only the occasional night watchman passing by.
The sound of the wheels rolling was particularly jarring, but fortunately everything went smoothly. After leaving the west gate, Shen Linhui met up with the people from the cricket fighting arena, and together they made their way to the western mountains in a horse-drawn carriage and a donkey cart.
Tonight, the clouds are thick, hiding the moonlight within them. The woods beside the official road are quiet and mysterious, and the peaks of the Western Hills appear even steeper and more precipitous in the dappled light.
Two servants sat in front of the carriage. One of them couldn't help but push the door back and saw Shen Linhui fast asleep on the plush cushion. He carefully closed the door and complained in a low voice, "It's freezing cold. I don't know what's gotten into the young master that he had to come at a time like this."
"Shh," another servant gestured for silence, "keep your voice down, or the young master will be in big trouble."
"I've heard the bandits in these Western Hills are incredibly rampant. If we really run into them, we're afraid we'll all lose our lives here..."
"Pah, pah, pah, you jinx."
"We won't be that unlucky. Besides, didn't the young master say that the weather is cold now and the bandits don't want to come out? We're just catching a cricket, not fighting for territory. We'll be fine..."
However, the servant spoke the second half of the sentence in a softer and softer voice.
The horse seemed to sense the unusual commotion coming from the forest and neighed, refusing to move forward.
A cold mountain wind swept through, waking Shen Linhui from his sweet dream with a screeching sound. Annoyed, he was about to curse—
The next instant, a cold glint appeared in the blade, its sharp edge already pressed against his throat.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com