Chapter 30
“Cousin…” Jiang Mian bit her lip and moved her wrist. A red mark appeared on her fair and delicate skin.
Her eyes glistened with tears, and she felt a pang of grievance. Yes, she felt wronged. If her cousin really thought this way about her because of that madman's few words, she didn't know how to explain it.
This whole thing was Bai An's audacious and reckless act. She only said those things to protect herself. At that time, she was not yet with Shen Ji and was not sure if he could protect her. In desperation, she came up with that desperate measure.
Now she is completely focused on him, but she doesn't know what he is thinking.
Jiang Mian looked up at him. The young man's face showed no sign of anger. He lowered his eyes, as if he was suppressing something.
Jiang Mian subconsciously called out again, "Cousin, let me explain, it's not what you think."
"Does it hurt?" he suddenly asked in a deep voice, his cold eyes slowly falling on the wrist that he had just held tightly. His fingertips gently brushed over it, and Jiang Mian felt as if he were holding her in his heart, and he was feeling sorry for her.
She knew that her cousin still cared about her; he was just jealous. The thought that her cousin would be jealous because of her made her feel a little sweet. She shook her head and hugged his waist affectionately.
"It doesn't hurt, as long as you don't blame me, it doesn't hurt."
Shen Ji lowered his eyes and looked at the girl in his arms who trusted him quite a bit. She leaned her whole body against him, completely unaware of how difficult it was for him to suppress the madness raging inside him.
He knew she was right; the fault lay with that arrogant lecher. But the thought of her feigning ingratiation with him under duress was like someone gently slicing open his heart with a knife, the flesh and blood flowing out softly. He couldn't tell if it was desire or murderous intent.
"Mianniang." It seemed like a long time had passed before he called out to him softly, with a hint of indulgence and pampering that he himself was unaware of.
"What's wrong, cousin?" Jiang Mian looked up, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting his image.
"Do you like me as a person, or do you like the benefits I can bring you?" He gently stroked her silky black hair with his fingertips, his thin lips parting slightly as if speaking casually.
Jiang Mianxin jumped suddenly. She had a strange feeling that her cousin was not as indifferent to desires as she had imagined. It was as if if she said the wrong thing, the hands that were behind her would move to the front and then grab her snow-white neck, suffocating her and causing pain silently.
She suddenly felt a chill down her back.
“Of course… he’s someone who likes you. Why would you ask that, cousin?” Jiang Mian lowered her eyes. For some reason, she suddenly felt a little guilty and didn’t dare let him see her expression.
It's true that she likes Shen Ji, but more than that, it's because he can protect her, and his aloof and elegant appearance makes her unable to resist him.
Oh, I see.
Shen Ji smiled silently, stroking her hair with obvious affection. Regardless of whether what she said was true or false, he believed her.
"It's nothing," Shen Ji said calmly.
Jiang Mian was afraid he would ask more questions, so she continued, "Cousin, I am yours. No matter what others say, I love you, and that will never change."
"Mmm." Shen Ji was no longer listening to what she was saying; he suddenly had a strong urge to kiss her.
It wasn't a gentle, fleeting touch; he wanted to go deeper. He wanted Jiang Mian to be completely enveloped in his scent, so that she wouldn't look at anyone else.
"Mianniang, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that."
“Cousin, it’s alright. Look, the red marks have faded.” Jiang Mian stretched out her wrist and waved it in front of him.
Shen Ji's eyes were gradually filled with abnormal desires. He lowered his gaze to her full red lips. Usually, he only dared to act recklessly when she was asleep. Now, with the vibrant Jiang Mian right in front of him, he felt that he no longer needed to suppress the desires that could drive him crazy.
At that moment, all he wanted to do was kiss her.
He slowly lowered his head, and when he was only two fingers' width away from her, he suddenly reached out and covered her eyes.
Jiang Mian was slightly taken aback. Before she could react, she suddenly felt a more distinct touch on her lips. She was somewhat surprised that her cousin would take the initiative to kiss her.
Unlike her gentle probing, his kiss was restrained yet passionate. His tongue pried open her teeth, stealing all the air between her lips and teeth, and then lingered on her lips, rubbing and teasing them. Jiang Mian was almost immersed in this pleasure, her legs felt weak, and if she hadn't been leaning on him, she would have almost collapsed.
"Cousin..." She could no longer speak a complete sentence, and called out with difficulty. He seemed not to hear her, and continued to kiss her tirelessly.
After an unknown amount of time, his kisses spread from her lips to her neck. Jiang Mian's heart skipped a beat, filled with both anticipation and fear.
The young man suddenly stopped.
Everything went black before her eyes, but his hand remained on her eyelashes. Jiang Mian felt as if her heart had stopped. She couldn't tell if she was dreaming or if Shen Ji would kiss her.
Hearing his slightly heavy breathing, Jiang Mian felt as if a firework had quietly exploded in her heart, and the tips of her ears turned red.
Shen Ji kissed her breath and whispered, "Mian Niang, I..."
"Cousin." Jiang Mian's heart pounded, and she suddenly interrupted him. Her breathing was erratic, and she leaned against him, panting softly. Her eyes were like spring water rippling, revealing a hint of coquettishness.
Shen Ji lowered his eyes, his breathing also somewhat disordered, but a hint of abnormal desire shone in his eyes. He gently stroked her hair, his voice low and deep: "Mian Niang, do you like it?"
What do you like?
Jiang Mian was a little confused, but then she realized that Shen Ji was probably asking her if she liked the kiss just now.
She was somewhat surprised; this wasn't something her cousin would say. But she didn't feel uncomfortable. Instead, an indescribable sweetness spread through her heart. She rested her head against his chest and nodded gently: "I like it."
Shen Ji's breath hitched for a moment, his eyes swirling with emotion. He gently brushed her hair behind her ear and said, "From now on, Mian Niang, you are only allowed to love me, okay?"
For some reason, she suddenly felt a tingling sensation in her back, but Jiang Mian, immersed in her joy, didn't pay attention to it. Instead, she thought it meant that her cousin cared about her more, and she nodded without hesitation: "I will only like my cousin."
Shen Ji curled his lips again.
She said it herself, so he'll believe it.
If she goes against this promise in the future, he will not let her go easily, after all, she herself said that she would only like him.
As darkness fell, the last ray of light disappeared from the horizon.
Yun Qing reported all the information he had gathered.
When he mentioned Song Mingyan, he paused for a moment before continuing, "Young Master, Song Mingyan is about to find out where Miss Wu is. Should I secretly stop him?"
Yun Qing lowered his head. In the past few days, he had learned that the young master's relationship with the fifth young lady was now extraordinary. He would not interfere with any of the young master's decisions. However, a few days ago, the young master had specifically asked him to pay attention to Song Mingyan's movements, so he came to ask the young master for instructions.
"Hmm." Shen Ji nodded, his face hidden in the shadows, like a god or Buddha lurking in the dark, making it impossible to tell whether he was helping or harming people: "Spread the news about Cui Xuezhong. Also, send someone to the Bai family."
"Has the young master decided to pledge allegiance to the Crown Prince?"
Yun Qing was slightly taken aback.
"It doesn't matter who you join; what matters is that the net has been woven, waiting for people to walk into it, and once they're in, they can never get out."
Shen Ji slowly wrote the character "囚" on the rice paper.
Outside, the snow fell softly again, covering the ground and obscuring the red plum blossoms blooming on the branches.
For some reason, Yun Qing felt that the young master had changed. In the past, the young master was not a person who was eager for quick success, but this time, he lost his sense of proportion again and again.
That day, he was assigned to protect the Fifth Miss. The young master went to the Feng family to find the military defense map. If everything had gone according to plan, everything would have gone smoothly. However, the young master acted ahead of schedule, which led to him being ambushed. But it was precisely because the young master was injured that the spies hiding in the shadows were found.
Yun Qing later realized that perhaps this was all a setup from the beginning, with the young master using himself as bait to eliminate the hidden poisonous insect.
However, he also had a vague suspicion that if the Fifth Miss hadn't suddenly appeared, the young master might not have been injured. With all these reasons combined, Yun Qing could no longer figure out what the young master was thinking.
**
The candlelight flickered gently, but Jiang Mian bit her lip tightly.
She closed her eyes, a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
The pale moonlight shone on the couch, making her already radiant face even more breathtaking.
It was as if she had a long, drawn-out dream.
In her dream, she was in a pitch-black place, with not a single ray of light around her. Holding a lantern, she cried out helplessly, "Chong'er, where are you? I don't want to play hide-and-seek anymore, it's not fun at all..."
In the absolute darkness, the girl wore only a thin garment and held a tattered umbrella she had picked up from somewhere, carefully walking forward.
It happened to be snowing heavily, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of ice.
She couldn't remember how she got there. The sound of the wind in the distance, along with the temple bells ringing one after another, seemed to be striking her ears as she walked forward alone.
She didn't know how long she had walked when suddenly something beautiful, like a red ribbon, appeared at her feet. She stopped, seemingly forgetting her fear.
She vaguely remembered that her aunt had brought her and Chong'er here, but now, her aunt and Chong'er were gone, leaving her alone, unable to find her way home.
Jiang Mian felt a great fear rise in her heart. She was all too familiar with this feeling. From childhood to adulthood, she had always been the one who was abandoned. In her dream, she ran forward desperately, trying to escape the darkness that was swallowing her up. Suddenly, she stopped.
She thought she saw a person covered in blood.
...
"No...no..."
The cold wind lashed against the windowpanes. Jiang Mian suddenly gasped and opened her eyes. The fear from her dream had not yet dissipated. She subconsciously looked up and saw Shen Ji sitting in the darkness.
The doors and windows were all closed, so it was unclear when he arrived or how long he had been sitting there.
A strange feeling suddenly arose in Jiang Mian's heart, as if the person in front of her was not a god or Buddha who could save her from the darkness, but a devil who would lead her to hell.
Her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively called out, "Cousin..."
"Had a nightmare?" A gentle voice rang out, and Jiang Mian breathed a sigh of relief. She must have been overthinking it; her cousin was still the same as always.
However, the way he sat alone in the dark without saying a word just now sent a chill down her spine. In a daze, she thought that he had been watching her for a long time while maintaining that posture.
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