Chapter 63: The clothes were completely removed, sweat was mixed, and the breath was tender...
I wish you a good wake-up call, and a piece of letter pressed against a hydrangea by the windowsill.
"My husband has to be away from home for several months due to his work. I hope you will take good care of yourself, eat and drink in moderation, and get enough sleep. I will always think of you, and I hope you will think of me as well."
She often spent her time sitting under the old pomegranate tree in the courtyard, wishing for a good time. She had originally thought that the wait would last several months, but it turned out to be only one or two months at most. Unexpectedly, two months had already passed, and it was early September, and she still hadn't seen the man come.
Zhu Hao kicked the door sill hard, who would blame him?
She gradually recalled some old events, although they were only pieced together in bits and pieces, but she vaguely felt that... many past events were completely different from what Song Xieqing said.
I wish you to stop sitting and wasting time, and start embroidering, or make a pot of good tea and read a book under a tree.
On the fifth day of March when he left, Zhu Hao sat under the pomegranate tree as usual. Almost at the same time as he opened the scriptures, the door of his house was opened wide from the outside.
The dusk was dark, the sun was chasing the lone wild geese down the peaks, and the man stood under the eaves, smiling at her.
Zhu Hao didn't find it funny at all and just stared at him, feeling a dull pain in his heart. Suddenly, a ripe pomegranate fell from the top of his head, and this time it really hurt.
He stood tall like a green pine, wearing a red robe. Song Xieqing's eyebrows and eyes remained the same, but Zhu Hao inexplicably felt that he looked haggard, and there was clearly no flaw on his face.
Zhu Hao closed the book in her hand and looked up. This person, who looked like a ghost, approached her in an instant. Song Xieqing first held her face and looked at her for a long time before taking her into his arms and rubbing Zhu Hao's head that was hit by the pomegranate. "Pianpian, I missed you so much."
"Really?" Zhu Hao let out a muffled groan. She felt Song Xieqing's embrace was cold, but she didn't push him away. Instead, she said, "What's there to miss? Why do I feel like you just left yesterday? What kind of job requires you to be away from home for three months..."
"I'll tell you." Song Xieqing took her hand and said, "Pianpian, come with me."
Zhu Hao's intuition was baffling. Why couldn't he talk about it in the courtyard? However, what happened next was enough to make Zhu Hao hold his breath.
Just now they were standing on the green stones and grass of the courtyard, but in the blink of an eye they were standing on an endless field of pink flowers. The breeze was blowing gently, like pink waves stretching to the sky. The setting sun had all its afterglow, and the bright moon was hanging high in the sky, its brilliance no less than that of the day. The two of them were in the wild, with the sound of flowing water in their ears and the fragrance of flowers at the tip of their noses.
Zhu Hao was terrified. Seeing her like this, Song Xieqing knew that she had not yet regained her memory. He stroked Zhu Hao's wrist and said, "Pianpian, don't be afraid."
The next moment, he leaned over and, in front of her surprised eyes, kissed her lips.
I hope that the memories that I haven’t picked up yet will come into my mind completely at this moment.
She suddenly grabbed Song Xieqing's wrist, and the two of them were kissing each other, their lips stained with blood.
His lips were bitten by her again. Song Xieqing separated from her, but held her tightly with both hands. "Do you remember?"
Zhu Hao tried her best but still couldn't break free from Song Xieqing's grasp. She glared at him, "Yes, I remember now! I remember you talking nonsense to me, I remember you asking me for a debt, and... who allowed you to kiss me? Who allowed you to pick the hydrangeas in my yard? You casually wrote those few crappy words and left without a word. What are you doing back now? Song Xieqing! I still remember you..."
She regained the memory that had been erased by Song Xieqing, although it failed in the end.
"You're just blaming me. Isn't there anything good in me?" Song Xieqing suddenly put his forehead against hers. "I wish you all the best. Just listen to me. From now on, you can blame me however you want."
Zhu Hao stiffened her neck and leaned back an inch, banging her forehead against his chest with all her might. She said sullenly, "What's there to say?"
"Yes, it's very important." Song Xieqing gently rubbed her slightly red forehead. "You asked me this in the cave, and now I can answer you properly."
Zhu Hao's chest was suddenly gripped by an invisible hand.
"Chi Xing is my half-brother. He told you, right? He also told you about your fate. Otherwise, why would you want to get even with me?" Song Xieqing adjusted a hairpin on her bun. "You asked me what our relationship is, Pianpian, and I'll tell you."
"You and I are just a marriage that was forcibly tied together by an accident, and now, you and I are still a fake couple."
"Since this is a forced marriage, what does it mean that you're tying my hand now? You're not allowed to touch me." Zhu Hao was momentarily bewildered, but quickly composed herself. She sarcastically said, "When I lost my memory, I saw that Immortal Song and I were quite happy to play husband and wife. How could it look like this was forced?"
"Pianpian..." Song Xieqing smiled dumbly. Not only did he not let go, but he pecked her lips angrily, "I haven't finished speaking yet. What I just said is not what I think in my heart."
Zhu was furious. She felt like she was being teased, but she was no match for Song Xieqing and could only let him hold her there.
"The reason I didn't answer you before was precisely because of your fate. I wish you well. I don't want to hide it from you anymore." He ignored her struggles and held her in his arms. "You won't survive next winter."
He could faintly feel the woman in his arms trembling. Song Xieqing gently stroked her back, "But it's okay now. I told you before, I wish you well. I promise you a long life."
"I didn't dare answer you before not because I wanted to tease you, nor was it because of our status. Zhu Hao, I was afraid. I was afraid that if I married you, I wouldn't be able to have both of us. Then, I would have no choice but to give you my heart. But if I really became your husband, how could I leave peacefully? Zhu Hao, I don't want to make you sad, so Pian Pian, I can promise you a long life, but I can't allow you to stay together because of a momentary selfishness."
Zhu Hao pushed him away with all her might, "Song Xieqing, what do you mean? Just because we're not husband and wife, can you unscrupulously trade your life for mine? If you do that, I'll despise you for the rest of my life. I don't even care about your life in exchange for mine."
Song Xieqing's face showed no sign of panic. She knew exactly how to make him panic, so she steeled her heart and made up a lie: "Oh, if Immortal Lord Song must exchange his life for mine, then that's fine. I will do as the Immortal Lord wishes, live a good life, find a handsome husband and grow old together. If it is the anniversary of the Immortal Lord's death, I will also burn a stick of incense for you with my husband, and we will also..."
"It's too late." He thought of the red thread between them and said with a half-smile, "You can only be entangled with me."
"Best wishes. In the few months since I left, I've found a solution that will satisfy both of us. You and I can both live well and have no worries."
"I didn't help Pian Pian in the past because it was difficult for me to be by her side. A temporary solution couldn't withstand the disasters of the future. Pian Pian had to rely on herself to make a living, but now it's different. Zhu Hao, I love you. It's not the kind of love that gods and Buddhas give to all living beings, but I am solely devoted to you, and I can protect you for the rest of my life." Song Xieqing completely let go of her. "It was my fault for kissing you privately before I explained everything to you and for lying to you. When we first met, I wasn't very kind to you either. I will spend my whole life to make up for it."
"Pianpian, I don't want to be your husband and wife in name only anymore. I also want to be like an ordinary couple in this world, with you in harmony, like a zither. I can learn how to draw eyebrows, how to weave hair, and how to style a bun." Song Xieqing's face was calm, but his heart was already like a thousand horses galloping. He said solemnly: "Are you...willing to marry..."
He suddenly remembered something and changed the subject, "Miss Zhu, do you think I could be your second-in-law?"
Zhu Hao tried to hold back her laughter, but when she thought about what had just happened, she became furious. She gathered all her strength and stomped hard on Song Xieqing, then she lifted her skirt and ran towards the path full of pink daisies.
The woman walked lightly, the wind gently lifting her waterfall-like black hair. Her lilac skirt and silk fluttered in the wind. She was like a butterfly flying through the pink sea under the moon. Song Xieqing heard her say, "If you catch up with me, I will reluctantly agree, but I won't be able to borrow your magic..."
Before Zhu Hao could finish her words, she had already fallen into the man's arms. She gritted her teeth and said, "You're breaking the rules..."
"You haven't said it yet, how can I be considered breaking the rules?" Song Xieqing bent down and asked: "Pianpian has agreed."
Zhu Hao didn't look at him, but he wasn't the type to be coy. "Well, let me start by saying that since you're marrying into my wife's family, you have to obey my wife's orders. If she tells you to go west, you must never go east. Also, you need my wife's permission to take a concubine. But I'm narrow-minded, so you don't stand a chance. By the way..."
"Pianpian, I said, I only want you." He produced an object from his palm, which turned out to be the butterfly-patterned wedding dress that his parents had sewn for her stitch by stitch.
Zhu Hao's eyes became hot and tears rolled down. She had pawned her wedding dress last year because she was short of money. Later, when she went to redeem it, it had been taken by someone else.
It was at this moment that she finally understood the true meaning of Song Xieqing's red robe. The golden cloud pattern on the edge of the robe drew a bright line under the moonlight, making the man's tall figure look even more upright. He seldom wore brightly colored robes. Zhu Hao still remembered that the last time he did so was during his wedding.
Zhu Hao caressed every stitch on the wedding gown, "How can you change clothes in the wilderness? Why do you have to do it here..."
"What's so difficult about this?" Song Xieqing bent his fingers and concentrated his magic. A breeze suddenly arose, and a sky full of fragrant petals surrounded Zhu Hao. Amidst the swaying shadows of flowers, her old clothes had fallen off. She was wearing a wedding dress with hundreds of butterfly patterns. Her black hair was like a waterfall, tied into a bun. A crabapple hairpin was inserted diagonally into her bun, swaying gracefully.
Under the stars and the moon, the two held hands and kowtowed to heaven and earth, and became husband and wife.
The mountains and rivers are our witness, and we will be together forever.
Zhu Hao suddenly pinched the back of his neck and complained, "When we first met, you pinched the very heaven and earth I worshipped."
Song Xieqing touched his nose and said hesitantly, "You just asked me why I had to be here. Pianpian, come with me."
He did not use any magic this time, but held his wife's hand with one hand and lifted the hem of her skirt with the other hand. The two of them strolled on the path full of pink flowers. The stars and the moon were shining brightly tonight, and there was a warm light in Song Xieqing's eyes when he looked at her.
Zhu Hao pinched his fingers. "Song Xieqing, what method did you just mention? Will it embarrass you? Or...will it hurt? Oh, right, Chi Xing told me that I can only maintain a healthy body if you feed me flowers from the forbidden area of the upper realm. Song Xieqing, have the gods in heaven punished you?"
Song Xieqing said calmly, "If I were punished by the gods, how could I be with you in the mortal world right now? As for the method... I'll tell Pianpian next year. But don't worry, since I said it's a way to have the best of both worlds, it's naturally a piece of cake."
“Why next year?”
"It was supposed to happen next year."
Zhu Hao was skeptical. The hand he held felt cold, and no matter how hard she tried to warm it, it wouldn't warm up. Song Xieqing pointed ahead, "Pianpian."
Zhu Hao followed his gaze and suddenly saw a vast lake in front of him. Lotus shadows swayed, sometimes sparse, sometimes dense, but not lonely. Flowers and water were intertwined, pink and white intertwined. Occasionally, a pair of lotus flowers were seen, leaning against each other, just like a perfect couple. The moonlight was like water, and the lotus petals were shrouded in clear light. When the wind blew, the tip of the nose was filled with fragrance.
The boat moored at the lakeside. Song Xieqing helped Zhu Hao step onto the deck. "Pianpian, I want to appreciate the flowers and the moon with you."
The boat slowly drifted toward the center of the lake. Zhu Hao sat on the edge. She took off her shoes and socks, just enough to reach the water. She folded the hem of her skirt up to her knees and splashed her feet on the surface, splashing water. "I have to wear a wedding dress to enjoy the flowers and the moon? But... thank you for finding it for me. It is the only comfort my deceased parents have given me."
Zhu Hao didn't wait for a response. She turned sideways and met his bright dark eyes, which reflected the moon and herself.
"Now that we're husband and wife, you're not allowed to say thank you anymore." Song Xieqing caressed her cheek and rested his forehead against hers. "Now, can I kiss you?"
Zhu Hao turned around, "Does it matter whether I agree or not? Didn't you trick me into kissing you in the past few months?"
"Pianpian, I want to be close to you, but I'm afraid you'll remember and get angry with me, so... I'm trying to take advantage of the opportunity."
Zhu Hao hadn't expected him to say that. Song Xieqing's hand, which had just turned cold, gradually warmed up, making Zhu Hao's face flush. He asked again, "Is it okay?"
Zhu Hao's upper body was like boiling water, and his lower body was immersed in the lake, like being in ice and fire, "Hmm..."
"What do you mean?" He flicked her forehead. "Why are you so stingy with words to me?"
"Okay, is that it? I said, can you..."
"Yes, I heard it this time." Song Xieqing just kissed her forehead, "Pianpian, I prepared the wedding wine."
Zhu Hao followed him into the boat room. Sure enough, two gourds were placed on the small table. The moonlight reflected in the small window, its clear light like frost. The two of them walked outside, holding the gourds. The sake also shone like a moon. Zhu Hao shook hands with him and, as he drank, exclaimed in surprise, "Is this a fruit drink?"
As soon as she said this, she regretted it. Last year at her wedding, she was so nervous that she drank too much wedding wine and passed out.
Zhu Hao had just turned around when the man hugged her from behind. She felt the heat beside her ears, and Song Xieqing's lips pressed against her neck inch by inch. Suddenly, the boat trembled, and she didn't know what it hit. Zhu Hao felt dizzy, and the stars and the moon in the sky were intertwined with the shadows of lotus in the blue lake. Then she heard the gourd fall to the ground. When she came to her senses, the two of them had already fallen on the deck.
Song Xieqing protected the back of her head with one hand and pulled off the Begonia hairpin on her bun with the other hand. Her long black hair fell down on their intertwined necks. He leaned over and slowly inserted his teeth into hers, sucking and biting from time to time.
Song Xieqing loosened her belt and slightly opened her collar. Zhu Hao leaned against his shoulder and said, "Someone..."
Song Xieqing looked at her and untied the leather belt around his waist. The iron buckle made a crisp sound, which made Zhu Hao dizzy. He put his arm around her earlobe, undressed with one hand, and said in a hoarse voice, "Just you and me."
Zhu Hao's mind seemed to be filled with paste. Her wedding dress had been removed, her inner garment hanging down her shoulders, revealing her delicate skin. Song Xieqing's rough hands caressed her back, which was scarred by flogging. She saw a glimmer of light gathered at Song Xieqing's fingertips, and Zhu Hao clenched him tightly. "You hate my scars, don't you?"
"Pianpian, I like you no matter what you are." Song Xieqing raised his eyes, "If I hadn't stood by and watched, how could you have suffered this disaster? I wish you well, what's the difference between me and a fellow criminal?"
"Hasn't your help been enough for me?" Zhu Hao took the initiative to kiss his Adam's apple. "Song Xieqing, this is good. I want to keep it."
Frogs croaked faintly in the distance. The bright moon was reflected in Zhu Hao's eyes. Song Xieqing buried her head in it. She panted and pushed him away, "Don't tell me... you didn't bring me here to appreciate the flowers or the moon? You clearly..."
"Didn't Pianpian see the flowers and the moon just now?" Song Xieqing suddenly hugged her and sat her on his lap. His vision suddenly widened. "I'll take care of my own business. Pianpian can continue to enjoy the flowers and the moon. If you like it and want to see it again in the future, I can bring Pianpian with me anytime. If it's the season when the flowers fade or the rainy season comes, I still have ways to make peanuts stop the rain, as long as you want."
Zhu Hao clung to his firm, hot shoulders. Her lowered gaze could only see his rolling Adam's apple and the red mole that grew even more vibrant under the moisture of sweat. Her legs went numb from the pain, and she trembled as she said, "Song Xieqing... go inside."
He gasped, "Okay."
Inside the boat, the moon was as bright as day. The empty boat deck, originally only a small table, was transformed into a wide couch. Zhu Hao pinched his veiny arm, her wet, snow-white breasts rising and falling as she taunted him, "You're just using magic to do some indecent things..."
He returned from the corner of the sea with his blood frozen. Although he tried to cover it up with magic, he could only hide it from Zhu Hao. Now, because of her, he felt like he was in a sea of fire.
The clothes were all taken off, sweat was mixed, and the breath was lingering.
Their eyes met and Zhu Hao hurriedly avoided him. Her breathing was disordered and her eyelashes trembled. The man's knuckles covered with thin calluses touched Zhu Hao's jaw, forcing her to turn around.
Zhu Hao met a pair of obsessed eyes. His breathing became heavier and his veins bulged. "Pianpian, look at me."
Song Xieqing interlocked his fingers with hers, his blood boiling, his patience reaching its limit, and finally he thrust in with all his strength.
I wish you a short and soft hum, with your toes curled up and your waist like a bow, like a willow branch under the moon, trembling in the wind.
She leaned back uncomfortably, and Song Xieqing kissed the whipping scars on her back and the burn scars on her wrists. He slowly approached and gently soothed her. Zhu Hao couldn't bear it anymore, so she bit his shoulder as if in revenge, and her back was also scratched by her, leaving several bloody marks.
Song Xieqing let her do whatever she wanted, and the two of them were entangled like a red thread.
Zhu Hao's eyes turned red, and she seemed to have fallen into a sea of joy and was about to drown in it. She recalled the twin lotus flowers she had just seen, just like them who were leaning against each other at this moment.
Song Xieqing gently stroked her eyebrows, and Zhu Hao's frown finally relaxed. Her face flushed like a lotus petal just opening. However, he did not dare to take any risks and kept an eye on Zhu Hao's expression.
The bright moon appears and disappears from time to time, and the black carps on the lake want to pick lotus petals. As they jump up and down, pearls fly and splash, and the lotus petals are stained with crystal beads. Some black carps covet the unopened flower buds. After several jumps, the flower branches tremble slightly, and the tightly closed lotus buds suddenly bloom. The black carps swing their strong long tails and crash into the deep heart of the flower. The lotus petals tremble and turn bright red, and the nectar is moist and dripping.
There was no wind on the lake, but the boat was still swaying, creating ripples on the water so strong that the low gasps of the men and women swimming in the boat could be heard.
"I wish you all the best. From now on, I will give you whatever you want."
Zhu Hao's lips were filled with small gasps. She put her arm around Song Xieqing's sweaty shoulders. Their black hair had already been wet and tangled, making it difficult to tell them apart. She saw Song Xieqing's back rise and fall, and his ears and neck were completely red. Zhu Hao bent her little finger and gently brushed Song Xieqing's sensitive spots, causing him to tremble. She asked, "What about the 1600 taels..."
He suddenly found it funny. The so-called 1600 taels of debt was just a trick to scare her. Now that they were inseparable, did she still care about this?
"It was Liu Rutang who originally owed me the debt. Won't you ask her to pay it back?" Song Xieqing's hot breath brushed her neck. "But... I'm already yours. Why would I care about a mere ten thousand taels? It's okay to give it to her as a wedding gift between us."
Zhu Hao could no longer tell whether the sound of water lapping against rocks beside his ears was the surging of the lake or the tide of their mutual affection. "Don't you want anything?"
"Yes." He chuckled, "I only seek the title of husband and the real power of being a husband."
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The author has something to say: Fujian people sent a congratulatory message [cat head]
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