Chapter 42. Ah Mi, I can't hold back anymore...
She braced herself against her back, feeling utterly infuriated. Why did she have to put up with this man taking her bed when she came back? Didn't he have his own bedroom?
She had originally intended to retreat to the outer chamber, where there was a daybed where she could take a nap. But after taking a couple of steps, she hesitated. The cushion on the daybed wasn't thick enough, and lying on it for too long would easily cause bone pain.
What should I do? Maybe I should just put up with it a little longer. Anyway, it's almost dawn, and he'll leave when it gets light.
So she kicked off her shoes, climbed to the other end and lay down. The moment her body touched the bed, that figure silently twisted beside her.
"Why are you so distant?" he asked, his voice muffled and nasal. "I've been waiting for you for so long, but you never come back, so I couldn't help but fall asleep."
Shimi didn't want to talk to him, so she turned her back to him. Unsurprisingly, he leaned closer again and murmured, "Ami, my wound hurts terribly. Can you take a look at it for me?"
Shimi raised his hand and covered his ear, pretending not to hear.
He wouldn't give up, continuing to chatter in her ear: "I've applied medicine, but it's not working at all; it's probably going to get infected. Take a look, this is where you pricked me."
He was so long-winded, so long-winded it made Mimi angry. She cursed as she turned around and tore open his clothes. "You've had enough sleep, you have the energy to argue with me. I just got into bed, you know that!"
However, the wound does not look good. It is only slightly off the red line between the ribs, with the skin and flesh turned outwards, and it cannot heal.
She stared at it for a moment, sighed, picked up the small porcelain jar from the bedside, scooped a spoonful of mortar into her palm, then bit her finger and squeezed out two drops of blood, which she then used to plaster his wound like a wall. "It's done. Tomorrow it will blend in with the flesh and won't rot."
He raised his hand to cover his eyes, looking both aggrieved and complaining: "I never expected you would have such murderous intent. You want to kill me."
Shi Mi's eyebrows shot up immediately. "Didn't you lock me in a birdcage too? Let me tell you, I'll never forget a grudge. If it weren't for the fact that we can still cooperate, you wouldn't see the sun rise tomorrow, understand, kid!"
"Kid?" he asked, taken aback.
Even if it's unfair, I can only swallow my pride and accept it. After all, I really did resort to any means to achieve my goals. Fortunately, I'm quick-witted enough, otherwise this grudge would have been too big to be resolved in my lifetime.
Let's change the subject; let's not get hung up on who's right and who's wrong. His gaze fell on her bitten finger. "Is this how you usually draw blood?"
Shimi turned back, closed his eyes, and said, "Before, I couldn't let you notice, so I had to cut in a hidden place. Now there's nothing to hide, so isn't this the most convenient way to draw blood?" Suddenly realizing that the so-called hidden place would probably make him think all sorts of things, he raised one leg, letting his trouser leg hang down, "It's not heart blood, don't get the wrong idea."
Only then did he notice the numerous wounds on her calves, densely packed and crisscrossing.
He didn't offer any insightful opinions, which is good. Shimi casually remarked, "Since you want to control the Yan people, you naturally have to pay a price. You don't need to be moved."
But when he spoke again, it was as unpleasant as ever: "I think it's a pity that it could have been drawn more neatly, but it's so messy and disorganized."
She suddenly widened her eyes, "Is that human language? Do the math and see how many more days you can last. If I use some tricks, I can easily make you perform a striptease, let alone kill you outright."
As expected, he didn't argue back this time, and looked at her for a long time with a mixture of defiance and helplessness.
Shimi said, "What are you looking at! I don't like having someone spying on me when I'm sleeping. Get out of here when you wake up, and don't block my way from turning over."
But he didn't move; he neither got out of bed nor lay down, but sat facing her as if keeping vigil.
He glanced at her calves, where he could vaguely see scattered scars beneath her trousers. He asked, "The more puppets you raise, the more blood you deplete? And each puppet has a different lifespan, so you have to cut yourself whenever you need to. Over time, that's how you ended up like this."
Shimi found him noisy and kept him from sleeping, so he said impatiently, "Take what you need, it's fresh."
"But the blood you gave me was all stored in an iron box..."
The astute man frankly told him the truth: "Don't doubt it, you're using blood that's been sitting overnight, but it doesn't matter, the effects are the same."
He fell completely silent, his gaze fixed and unreadable, leaving no one knowing what he was thinking.
Shi Mi was relieved that he could finally sleep peacefully, but then he heard him say in a low voice, "I originally wanted to do as you wished and bring the Five Guards Generals here for you to slaughter, but now I think it's better to give up. There are limits to what you can give up. Your blood can't support so many Yan people. It's better to use your blood on the blade."
Yes, it's heartbreaking to see food leaking from your granary. She had long seen through his selfish nature; once he achieved his goal, he would probably get rid of even Ran Dian and Yan Dian.
He said something else later, mumbling and babbling, but she was too sleepy to hear a word. She fell asleep and didn't get up until the afternoon of the next day. When she woke up, luckily Lu Min wasn't there, so she quickly washed up and hid in the dark room upstairs.
Just as her senior brother said, every cloud has a silver lining. By exposing the truth, she wouldn't need to rack her brains to get close to the Five Guards General anymore. What she needed to do now was create a puppet for Empress Song. The sight-seeing device on He Baolin had already proven its worth. She spared no effort in trying to get close to Emperor Shengyuan and Empress Song. To curry favor, one had to use their best skills. So, from small things like fans, pouches, and sachets to large things like the embroidery on imperial robes, as long as she was willing to help, the people at the Needlework Bureau welcomed her to share their hardships.
It was precisely because of the complete set of clothing that Shimi could accurately measure the length of his arms and waist through her eyes. She recorded the measurements, informed her senior brother, and entrusted the body parts of Emperor Shengyuan to him with confidence. As for the facial features, she would complete the rest herself.
She was so busy in the dark room that she didn't step out for five days straight. This room was her forbidden territory, and no one was allowed to trespass. So Lu Min could only occasionally stand at the door and greet her from inside, asking what she was busy with and when she would come out.
The astute man didn't mince words; a single word, "Get lost," perfectly encapsulated everything.
Two days later, I was indeed exhausted. I was resting with my head propped up on my desk when I saw a figure carrying a lamp move from the window to the door. The figure said in a serious tone, "I didn't want to bother you, but the time is almost up. Please, lady, show yourself and help me out of this urgent situation."
Shi Mi then stood up and opened the door to the dark room.
The person holding the lamp was a little pale. She pointed to the next room and said, "It's over there."
He didn't quite agree. "It's cold and hard upstairs. You should go back to your room. You haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time. I'm afraid you'll die suddenly if this continues."
He's got nothing but harsh words; the Grand Tutor's speech is so sharp, sometimes even I'm no match for him. But thinking about it, he's right, I've been working day and night these past few days. Even standing here, I feel dizzy and lightheaded; it seems I should go back and rest.
Holding onto the wall with one hand, she worried that she might lose her footing and fall down the stairs as it got dark. Just as she was about to touch the handrail, he stood beside her and put his arm around her waist.
Shimi turned to look at him, "Trying to lay a hand on me again?"
He said no, "I'm afraid you'll fall."
She snorted, "You underestimate me. You think I'd fall?"
She pushed him aside, spread her arms and grabbed the railings on both sides, and went downstairs in a bold and unrestrained manner.
He followed behind, watching her walk like a crab, and couldn't help but sigh. This woman's stubbornness was truly extraordinary. She seemed easy to talk to, but her resolve was unwavering. Her compromise stemmed from her kind nature; without so many complications, he genuinely wanted to spend his life with her, peacefully and lovingly.
Unfortunately, she was now very hostile towards him. As soon as she entered the room, she looked him up and down and said with great dissatisfaction, "Even if I don't come back, you still sleep in my bed. Is there no law anymore?"
He answered matter-of-factly, "This is our shared bed, why can't I sleep alone? Even if I can't see you, I can't fall asleep with your pillow next to me?"
These words made her ears burn, and she quickly calmed herself down, deciding to endure it for the sake of their cooperation. If it were before, she would have killed him.
Annoyed as he was, he still had business to attend to, so he casually pointed and said, "Take it off and lie down."
He did as instructed, exposing his chest and lying down in the bright candlelight. Shi Mi went over to examine him and found that the knife wound had mostly healed, and his skin was white, smooth, and without any flaws.
This person is not likable, but one has to admit that his self-healing ability is indeed strong. If he hadn't been poisoned by bone toxin, his life would have been flawless.
Turning around, she rummaged through the small cabinet, searching among the bottles and jars until she found a small porcelain bottle. She uncapped it and sprinkled a layer of white powder onto the red line. Then she took a knife, cut her forearm, filled an iron box with the powder, and gave him two drops.
He looked at her, puzzled, and pressed her for details about the powder. Shi Mi replied that it was nothing, "just a sleeping potion."
He was startled. "You drugged me?"
Shi Mi glanced back at him and said, "The rope can't tie you up. What if we don't drug you to make you unconscious? Anyway, it's not a large dose. You'll be fine after a nap."
As soon as she finished speaking, he fell silent. She leisurely tossed aside the bottles and boxes and went to bed.
But perhaps because the amount wasn't enough, just as she was about to drift off to sleep, the person in the recliner stirred. Without saying a word, he quietly climbed onto the bed and lay down close to her. She was too sleepy to keep her eyes open, so she wrapped herself in the blanket and turned over. A short while later, she realized that he had pulled out the thin quilt that was under her, and he had brazenly slipped into her bed.
There were two people lying in the bed, it was warm and crowded.
"Why can you sleep?" He breathed softly against her earlobe, murmuring to himself, "But I can't sleep..."
He vaguely thought, "Isn't that right? Those two drops of her blood are like a super tonic for him. No wonder he can't fall asleep."
He rustled closer, then pulled her into his arms. He seemed to have completely forgotten how he had been so ruthless just a few days ago, locking her in a birdcage and injuring San Yan. This kind of person is born with two faces; they're ruthless without hesitation when it comes to killing, but they can also be shameless when seeking warmth.
But today he went a little too far, their intimate caresses becoming quite intense. He turned her over, straddling her, and kissed her cheek, his lips tracing a path down her face to her throbbing neck. He said in a deep voice, "The Leopard Cavalry General guarding the eight gates of Baiyujing is my man. I've had him replace all the gate guards. From today until we return to Shangdu, he has enough time to establish connections between the inside and outside of the city gates. No matter which face we bring into the city, we can pass through without hindrance."
Shimi's mind sluggishly tried to break free from the overwhelming drowsiness. He slapped him twice haphazardly, attempting to shove him away, but failed.
He held her hand, continuing to exude confidence, "I also have people among the Chaocheng Guard and Zhidang Guard in Dragon City. This matter is not urgent. As long as your puppeteers do a good job, we don't even need to alarm these two guards."
Shi Mi didn't quite understand why his hoarse voice, like a honey-soaked anesthetic, made her feel increasingly dizzy. She didn't know when he had opened her collar, and his burning lips flowed down, landing on her collarbone.
Her hands, which had been clenched tightly in her palms, were finally able to relax briefly, but were soon forced to intertwine with his again. He breathed softly in her ear, "Ami, I can't hold back anymore, what should I do?"
Isn't it normal for a 27-year-old man with a strong and healthy physique to be unable to resist?
She mumbled, "My blood isn't an aphrodisiac; you just want to let things run wild..."
He kissed her again, silencing her unfinished words. Shimi seemed used to this kind of physical intimacy; she could accept just hugging and kissing. But this man went too far, parting her legs and pressing himself inside her. She suddenly snapped back to reality, her eyes fixed on him, and asked in a cold voice, "Lu Min, what are you doing?"
The puppeteer still holds considerable power over the half-puppet in a split second. She is willing to tolerate it without any problem, but if she finds it intolerable, she only needs to steel her heart to destroy him.
Surprise and dejection flickered in his eyes. After a moment's hesitation, he backed down and said, head bowed, "You still don't want to..."
She pulled the thin quilt over herself and gave a stern warning, "Don't make me angry. I'm giving you a new body so you can start over, not for this kind of thing." She paused and said, "Go sleep in the outer room. Don't share a bed with me anymore, or something bad will happen."
He sat up silently, his long, flowing hair and cold gaze conveying a sense of vulnerability. Thankfully, she didn't turn around, otherwise she might have become confused and wondered if her attitude had been too harsh.
Hearing his hurried footsteps, she quickly opened the door, indicating he was heading back to his quarters. She, however, couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned several times, finally covering her face in frustration.
His body heat still lingered on her skin. It was always like this, constantly pushing her boundaries. If she wavered even slightly, he would have already taken advantage of her. She couldn't understand how such an unjust thing could happen. Winning him over was the worst deal she had ever made. She gained nothing, lost everything, and the promised retribution hadn't materialized yet.
Filled with resentment, she fell asleep amidst endless complaints and grievances. The next morning, her mood hadn't improved. She washed up and ate breakfast in silence. San Yan, sensing her distress, asked blankly, "Ami, are you unhappy again?"
Shimi grunted in response, his face long and drawn.
Yan Dian asked, "Are you angry because the Grand Tutor didn't sleep in your bed last night?"
The world as seen through the eyes of the Yanren is that simple and direct. Ali Dao immediately chimed in, "Aren't you afraid to sleep alone? Don't worry, we'll sleep with you tonight."
Shimi blinked twice. "Thank you, but no need."
"It seems you still prefer sleeping with the Grand Tutor."
She was overwhelmed with worries, thinking that this wasn't about who she slept with; their meddling was only making things more complicated.
Just then, someone came in with a message that the wife of the General of the Heavy Cavalry had come to visit. Shi Mi was at a loss, as this secluded building had never hosted guests before. After looking around, he had no choice but to set up the tea table in the small flower room by the pond on the east side.
The greenhouse is small but exquisite, decorated with delicate elegance. Opening the window reveals large lotus leaves on the pond, and several budding lotus flowers with their heads held high, just waiting for the right moment to bloom in full glory.
Lady Heavy Cavalry came to share her joy. She eagerly grabbed Shimi's hand and said, "Madam, the gamble paid off! I'm finally alive!"
Shi Mi had lost interest in the matter, since she didn't need to lift a finger for the remaining generals, nor did she expect the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry to bewitch the five ladies for her.
As she poured tea, she replied, "Has General Yang truly changed his ways and submitted to you?"
Madam Yang was overjoyed. "At first, he cursed me, saying I had harmed him and crippled him. So I withheld the medicine the physician gave me until he was on the verge of death before giving it to him. I had to let him know what death tasted like, to make him afraid, so that he wouldn't dare to disobey me in the future. Now he's under my control, very afraid of me, and he dares not spend the night in that slut's brothel anymore. Yesterday, that slut provoked me again, and I beat her face black and blue in front of him. I've already found a maid to sell her first thing tomorrow morning."
Shimi nodded repeatedly, "Sister has finally triumphed, congratulations! But the medicine must not be delayed. If the timing is not right, I heard that the person will pass away and even a god cannot save them."
Lady Chongqi was silent for a moment, then smiled again. “Don’t be afraid to call me heartless, but I suddenly feel that it might not be so bad if my husband were dead. We’ve both been through this before, and I won’t hide anything from you. We haven’t been close as husband and wife for years, and I’ve long since given up on the idea. He spent the night in my room yesterday, and I felt very unfamiliar with him, as if he was different from before.”
Shi Mi stumbled slightly, cautiously probing, "How come the methods are different?"
She understood what was going on. After all, the measurements there were hard to get right, and anything done haphazardly according to her own ideas would definitely be different from before. Not only did she feel it was different, but General Yang himself probably felt it was unfamiliar as well. But this kind of doubt was unspeakable. After all, he didn't even know he had been switched bodies. He could only attribute what he couldn't understand to cause and effect, karma.
However, the answer she knew perfectly well was completely different when it came out of Madam Yang's mouth.
"He was in high spirits, but when the time came, he couldn't keep up."
Shi Mi stared in disbelief, "It's not working?"
"It's true," the Lady of the Heavy Cavalry said, blushing. "He was so eager, I thought we'd go on for three hundred rounds, but when he picked up his spear... he went limp. Madam, what happened? Please pass on a message to my friend and ask him to inquire with the Puppeteer. Is it because the medicine the Puppeteer gave him malfunctioned, and he can no longer be a man?"
Shi Mi was extremely embarrassed and comforted him, saying, "No, it's just that your body hasn't recovered yet. You'll be fine in a while."
The Lady of the Heavy Cavalry was utterly bewildered. "I don't know why it turned out like that... He was clearly so lustful, as if he hadn't seen a woman in eight hundred years."
Shimi grew increasingly terrified, after all, as a Banyan (a type of malevolent spirit), she hadn't really paid attention to this kind of issue. Her lustful nature, her inability to see a woman for eight hundred years… reminded her of Lu Min. If this was a common flaw among Banyan… she couldn't imagine whether he would be so angry as to take his own life after realizing his incompetence.
The current situation is that Madam Yang is confused and bewildered. Is it because she is not skilled enough, or because General Yang is using this body too early? Counting the time, it has only been more than ten days from beginning to end. Military generals are in good physical condition. If it were an ordinary person, they would have difficulty even sitting up. How could they have the mind to have such wild thoughts?
Shi Mi rubbed his hands and said, "I don't know how to ask about this. Just wait a few more days and see. Maybe it will be alright."
Madam Yang sighed with regret, "Alas... I was so anxious that I scratched my head and cheeks, but who would have thought it would be useless."
Shi Mi's heart pounded with anxiety, but he couldn't say much, so he could only make excuses, "Wait a little longer... try again... if it really doesn't work, come and tell me, and I'll find an expert to help you find out."
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