Chapter 54: Little Moon.
Seeing her follow her in, the mistress raised an eyebrow and looked at her with feigned surprise, "Why didn't you stay overnight at Aunt Qiu's?"
Li Yue'er first looked at the bath tub, which was still that small, heat-concentrating tub, not big enough for two people to sit in. Disappointed, she looked away at her mistress. "?"
The mistress followed her gaze, and after realizing what she was thinking, she seemed to smile briefly, then quickly pursed her lips and asked in a strange tone, "Can't Meng Xiaoxiao take a bath over there?"
Li Yue'er finally understood what kind of temper she was throwing.
Since they couldn't bathe together, Li Yue'er placed her own clothes on the soft couch and reached out to help her mistress undress. "If I really bathed with Xiaoxiao and then stayed overnight at Aunt Qiu's place, would the mistress be happy?"
The mistress, her face expressionless, glanced at her sideways and said, "Happy."
The sound was colder than the wind outside.
Li Yue'er laughed, pulled off her belt, and opened her clothes to the sides. She then slipped her hands inside the clothes and wrapped them around the mistress's waist. "Even happier than this?"
The mistress, "..."
She tried to kiss the mistress's lips, but the mistress turned her face away and wouldn't allow her to.
Li Yue'er didn't hesitate, and kissed her mistress's earlobe, playing with it in her mouth, "How does it compare to this?"
The mistress, "..."
The mistress lowered her eyelashes and remained silent. Although she did not allow the woman to kiss her, she also did not push her away from her embrace.
Li Yue'er's lips kissed from the mistress's neck to her collarbone, then down to unbutton her cotton robe and kiss her cold, white yet warm chest.
The mistress was initially reluctant, but after being kissed for a while, she didn't refuse and even silently turned her face away.
Li Yue'er smiled with her eyes lowered.
Afraid that the mistress would see her expression, Li Yue'er pushed the mistress down onto the soft couch, knelt down on the mistress's waist and abdomen, leaned over, gently pinched the mistress's earlobes with both hands and gently caressed them, while carefully kissing the corners of the mistress's mouth. After the mistress was no longer angry, she slowly pried open her lips and kissed her deeply with her tongue.
Sometimes it's easier to appease the mistress of the house than to appease a child.
The mistress's period had just ended, and hers hadn't started yet. After being separated for several days, their encounter was like dry grass meeting a flame—it ignited instantly.
The mistress turned over and pushed her down, but awkwardly refused to kiss her first.
Li Yue'er relaxed her legs on the soft couch, wrapped her arms around her mistress's neck, and kissed her lips softly. At the same time, she let her mistress untie her belt and push her hands up from her lower abdomen.
The mistress lowered her long eyelashes and let her kiss her. Although she was unhappy, she cooperated by raising her face and letting her kiss and bite her chest.
Li Yue'er tore off her mistress's undergarment, sat up, and held her mistress's waist with both hands, her kisses and hands moving downwards in the same direction.
Qu Rong turned and knelt on Li Yue'er's waist, her long, slender fingers threading through her hair, quickly removing her double buns, letting her long hair cascade down into her palms.
Her black hair was smooth and silky, and strands of hair slipped from her palms and fell onto Li Yue'er's fair and slender shoulders and back.
Her long, jet-black hair made Li Yue'er's skin on her shoulders appear even whiter and more radiant, like pearls under candlelight—white, smooth, and delicate.
Especially Li Yue'er, whose clothes were half off, with her open outer garment piled up at her forearms and elbows, and a light pink bodice embroidered with peonies barely covering her white clothes.
Li Yue'er kissed her lower abdomen.
Qu Rong lifted Li Yue'er's chin with her index finger, stopping her movement.
Li Yue'er looked up at her, her eyes red at the corners and moist, her lips glistening with tears, gazing at her with a mixture of bewilderment and deep emotion.
Qu Rong's eyelashes fluttered slightly. She wanted to punish Li Yue'er as she had done before, but when she looked at Li Yue'er's face, she couldn't bring herself to actually speak.
If it were when they first met, Li Yue'er would probably be kneeling on the ground serving him tonight.
But now, she gently stroked Li Yue'er's neck and jaw with her thumb, her fingers sliding down to touch Li Yue'er's chest. At the same time, she bent down and kissed her lips. "Turn your back and wait for me."
Even though she takes a bath every day, she didn't want Li Yue'er to serve her like that before she had even taken a bath today.
Li Yue'er felt a warmth in her heart, wrapped her arms around the waist of her mistress, her eyes filled with the flickering candlelight, and said, "Okay."
As she spoke, she brazenly groped the mistress's buttocks twice, which earned her a cold look from the mistress.
The mistress got out of bed, barefoot on the floor tiles, took off her clothes which were already almost completely off, threw them at Li Yue'er's face to cover her head, and stepped into the bathtub to sit down.
Before the clothes covered their faces, the scent of cold plum blossoms emanating from the mistress's garments reached them.
Li Yue'er curled up her legs, placing her feet on the edge of the soft couch, letting her clothes cover her face.
She really doesn't understand the mistress. The two of them have gone to such lengths, why is she still afraid that he will peek at her taking a bath?
However, after much effort, Li Yue'er finally calmed down and stopped making a fuss. She simply lay down and listened to the soft water sounds her mistress was making.
What you can't see and can hear is the most agonizing.
The fever on Li Yue'er's face and body did not subside; instead, it intensified.
So when the mistress put on her nightgown again and straddled her waist, she lifted the clothes off her face and looked up with bright eyes.
The mistress still didn't like people prying into her true thoughts or seeing through her emotions, so she pulled her robe tighter with one hand and covered Li Yue'er's head from top to bottom.
Li Yue'er gripped the mistress's waist and hips tightly with both hands. Without light, the darkness further concealed her shame, allowing her to relax and be more engaged in her actions.
Their area is located in the north and there is no sea. However, Li Yue'er has read a lot of local chronicles and knows that wheat is grown in the north, rice is grown in the terraced fields in the south, and fishermen who live by the sea live a herding and fishing life. In addition to fishing, they also raise mussels to cultivate pearls.
When the pearls are firm and mature, fishermen pry open the soft oyster meat, roll out the pearls, and then carefully examine their color.
After prying open the two soft flesh lobes and finding the pearl, Li Yue'er continued to probe further inside.
She was in the same position as last time, but this time she couldn't see the mistress's expression, but she could feel the changes in the mistress's breathing and the obvious contractions.
Li Yue'er clenched her hands tightly and swallowed even deeper.
After she got up and washed her face, the mistress also put on her nightgown, her long hair piled up on the soft couch.
Li Yue'er wanted to rinse herself in the water her mistress had used, but as soon as she got off the bed, her mistress, who was sitting next to her, pulled her back.
Li Yue'er sat down in her mistress's lap, her palm pressing against the back of her head. As she lowered her head, her mistress kissed the corner of her mouth and stroked her waist with her hand.
Li Yue'er couldn't help but raise her chin, her eyelashes fluttering and drooping, letting the Mother of God kiss her in her arms.
If she is a fisherman, then the mistress is a rice farmer.
Unlike wheat cultivation in the north, rice cultivation is more complicated. The seedlings must be planted during the rainy season when the soil is wettest and muddiestest.
.
...During the few days she stayed at home, Li Yue'er could only manage a quick wipe down and couldn't take a proper bath. Today, when she returned, she used the tub of hot water that the mistress hadn't used to take a bath and also washed her hair.
Li Yue'er soaked in the bathtub, and the mistress sat on a low stool behind her, gently washing her hair.
Li Yue'er looked up at her with a smile, took her wet hands out of the bucket, and reached back to touch her mistress's cheek.
The mistress gave her a cold, displeased look. "You have energy again?"
Li Yue'er's arms immediately went limp like noodles. "No, they were so numb it felt like I had no bones."
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong lowered his head and sealed her lips with his.
Li Yue'er's eyes smiled silently.
After she finished showering and getting dressed, dinner was laid out outside.
The maids went in and out, cleaning the washroom. Li Yue'er thought of the mess on the soft couch and the clothes on the floor. Her eyes darted around, and her face turned so red that she wanted to bury it in a bowl.
She glanced at her mistress out of the corner of her eye.
The mistress sat upright to the side, her expression calm and composed, as if she had done nothing in the purification room. She even glanced at her with a puzzled look, as if she didn't know why she was blushing.
Li Yue'er, "..."
Who's more shameless between the two of them?
During the meal, Li Yue'er told her mistress about what had happened at home in the past few days, and mentioned that her younger sister and mother had moved to the academy. She said with satisfaction, "I'm relieved that they are all doing well."
Qu Rong took a sip of the chilled almond tofu, swallowed it with difficulty, and asked in a low voice without even raising her head, "Do you want to go back to the academy?"
The tofu was too cold; even after chewing it and swallowing it, it was still so cold it made me wince.
Li Yue'er turned her head to look at her.
Qu Rong gestured to the indenture on the table, "If you beg me, I might be able to give you your freedom."
Normally, Li Yue'er would jokingly ask her mistress for a contract of indenture, but the two of them had just finished in the washroom, and the mistress had even washed her hair. Her long hair was only half dry, and the maids hadn't even cleaned up the washroom yet, but she was saying this.
Li Yue'er pursed her lips, gave a soft hum, and deliberately tilted her head to ask, "Really?"
She felt a little uncomfortable.
The mistress nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips. "Of course."
A very casual and ordinary tone.
He clearly wouldn't give her a contract of indenture, yet he kept testing her with this matter. Last time he said she might die young, but this time he's even offering her a contract of indenture.
Li Yue'er, for some unknown reason, felt a surge of anger, but she smiled and put down her chopsticks. She got up and took out the blue purse, untied the strap, and poured all the silver inside onto the table with a clattering sound.
Qu Rong glanced at it, her gaze falling on the purse. She paused slightly, then, holding the spoon, looked up at her with pursed lips.
Li Yue'er took a deep breath, forced a smile, and pointed to the silver, "Ten...fifteen taels. My mother gave it to me, saying that if the mistress gets tired of me, she can let me use this money to redeem myself and go home."
When did she say she was tired of her?
Qu Rong didn't even glance at the silver, but looked only at Li Yue'er's tense smile. She paused, wanting to speak sarcastically but holding back.
Li Yue'er said, "The Qu family spent five taels to buy me. Here we have three times that amount, five taels. Is that enough to redeem me? Is that enough for you to return my indenture?"
She stopped eating, scattered the silver coins on the table, turned and went into the inner room to open the cabinet door.
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong silently put down her chopsticks and bowl, her eyes slowly shifting from the pile of silver coins to the almond tofu, her brows furrowed tightly.
She didn't chase after them inside. She slowly finished the almond tofu before picking up her teacup and taking a sip of hot tea to suppress the stuffy chill in her chest.
Li Yue'er took out her valuable red agate and gold jewelry from the wardrobe and placed it on the round table in the inner room.
She stared down at the gold-embroidered mask under the red cloth, then turned to look at the thick curtain separating the inner and outer rooms. Seeing that the curtain remained still, she lowered her long eyelashes, pursed her lips, and sat down.
She fiddled with the gold hairpin, feeling both aggrieved and annoyed, but also realizing that she had been a bit willful.
She liked the mistress, but the mistress only treated her as a concubine. What concubine would act so arrogantly and throw tantrums at her mistress?
If this had happened a month ago, she wouldn't have even dared to imagine it.
Li Yue'er was starting to regret it.
If she really wanted to redeem herself, she wouldn't have waited until tonight. She would have asked the headmaster to discuss this matter with the old lady several days ago, and it might not have cost fifteen taels.
Frustrated, Li Yue'er threw the gold hairpin back into the red cloth.
What if the mistress agrees?
She not only lost her heart, but also fifteen taels of silver, and the two taels of monthly allowance she would receive from then on.
Li Yue'er was on the verge of tears, unable to tell whether she was reluctant to part with the money or didn't want to leave.
Before she could even cry out, the curtain moved.
Li Yue'er immediately pulled back her emotions, straightened her back, moved her feet and smoothly spun half a circle on the stool, turning her back to the mistress so that she wouldn't see her face, nor would she look at the mistress's face.
Qu Rong's gaze fell on the gold headpiece. She stood still and asked, "Not hiding it in my wardrobe anymore?"
Li Yue'er looked up at the top of the cabinet and said in a muffled voice, "Didn't the mistress want to set me free? Then naturally I'll take it with me and hide it in the academy."
Qu Rong frowned as she stared at Li Yue'er's stubborn back, feeling that the headmaster's assessment of her was truly insightful.
They seem to have a good temper and be tolerant, but when they really get angry, they're as stubborn as a mule.
Qu Rong walked over, expressionlessly put away the gold headdress again, along with the heavy blue purse, and carried it towards the wardrobe.
Li Yue'er stared at her back, pursed her lips, and lightly twirled the belt around her waist with her fingers, remaining silent.
Qu Rong opened the cabinet with one hand, and with practiced ease, bent down and put Li Yue'er's things back in their original places.
Li Yue'er tilted her head to look at her, "How did you know I hid there?"
She assumed that her mistress didn't care at all what she had put in her wardrobe or where she had put it.
The mistress said softly, "Because I have a good memory; I remember it after just one glance."
She habitually curled her lips in a mocking tone, "What are you afraid of? I wouldn't even look at your worth."
Li Yue'er, "..."
Qu Rong realized her mistake after speaking, since Li Yue'er was still angry. So she tried to make amends by taking off the jade thumb ring from her thumb and putting it in the tray.
Li Yue'er stood up, walked behind her, and looked down at the tray.
Qu Rong looked up at her, speechless.
This money-grubber.
Qu Rong said gently, "I'll add some for you."
Li Yue'er tried her best to purse her lips.
That thumb ring cost thirty taels; the mistress had told her that a few days ago when she put it on.
Li Yue'er looked up at the roof beam.
Knowing that the mistress had gone to such lengths, it was already giving her a way out.
Li Yue'er didn't really intend to leave; she just wanted to take the opportunity to back down.
Before she could suppress the smile on her lips and ease the tension between the two, the mistress raised her hand, grabbed her sleeve, and whispered with her head held high, "Little Yue'er."
Li Yue'er thought she had misheard and looked down in surprise.
His gaze fell on the mistress's face and her hands.
Qu Rong withdrew her hand, lowered her eyes, instinctively hiding the emotions on her face, and said in a calm voice, "Don't want it? Then I'll take it back."
As he spoke, he reached out to take the ring back.
Li Yue'er was very protective of her money. She immediately bent down, reached out, and wrapped her arms around the mistress, resting her chin on the mistress's shoulder and looking at her with bright eyes, "I want it."
Qu Rong glanced at her sideways and gave a cold, ambiguous snort.
Li Yue'er cheered up, "I was just joking with you. I haven't finished repaying what I owe you, how can I just leave like that? I'm not that kind of ungrateful person."
Qu Rong said, "You'd better not be."
The mistress's voice was too soft for Li Yue'er to hear clearly. She wanted to lean right up to the mistress to see her, and asked in a nasal voice, "Hmm?"
The mistress turned her face away and refused to say anything more.
The mistress held the cabinet door with one hand and raised the other to gently pat her arm, signaling her to let go so she could stand up.
Li Yue'er was unwilling, but kissed her mistress's face with her lips and said softly, "I've already said it."
Qu Rong lifted her eyelids. "What did you say?"
Li Yue'er pursed her earlobe and said, "Say it, I want it."
besides--
Li Yue'er, taking advantage of being on top of her mistress and the fact that her mistress had just given in to her unusually, snorted and wagged her tail, "I'm older than the mistress."
She lay on her back, her full breasts pressed tightly against her back, causing Qu Rong to instinctively think inappropriately.
Although I don't want to admit it, Li Yue'er is right.
Li Yue'er held up a finger and showed it to her, saying, "I am one year older than the mistress."
Qu Rong's ears turned red, and she realized what it meant.
Her voice was normal. "So?"
Li Yue'er pressed her lips against her mistress's earlobe, "So~"
"Call me 'sister'."
What "Little Moon"? "Little Moon" is a nickname used by elders to show affection. The mistress is of the same generation as her and is even a year younger, so she should be called "elder sister".
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong's eyelids twitched. She reached out and pulled open the cabinet door, her face expressionless. "Take the things out and hide them back in your study. Don't put them in my wardrobe."
Seeing the thirty-tael rings, Li Yue'er dared not cause any more trouble. She begged for mercy repeatedly, pleading in a soft voice, "Okay, okay, I'll call you sister, alright? Sister, elder sister, mistress~"
They're practically calling him their ancestor.
While the mistress remained silent, Li Yue'er quickly pulled her away from the wardrobe and slammed the door shut behind her, afraid that the ring and the long-legged man with the gold head and mask would escape.
She pulled the mistress back onto the bed.
Li Yue'er knew that it was impossible for the mistress to call her "sister," but it would be a piece of cake for the mistress to make her, the "sister," call her that...
Because they had a fight, they both wanted to make up. They went back and forth, with one taking the initiative and the other responding, until the middle of the night before it finally ended.
Qu Rong was almost asleep when she remembered, "Get up early tomorrow."
We're going to the farm to soak in the hot springs. The bathtubs in the house are too small; they can't fit two people at all. The hot spring pools are a different story.
Li Yue'er was still half asleep when she held her mistress's hand in her arms and gave a soft "hmm" as a sign of agreement.
Did she think she could do it earlier in the morning?
Qu Rong, "..."
Qu Rong rolled over and lay on her side, reaching out to grasp the object while mentally making excuses.
She's not that addicted.
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Moon: Take your hand away before you say that. [Smiling emoji]
Mistress: [Heart Yellow]
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