Chapter 36 Where has my soul gone in Jiangzhou? My deepest feelings are hard to conceal. ...
After entrusting the affairs of Huayun Pavilion to a talented embroiderer, Su Jinxiu, along with Manshu, Linlang, and Hanfei, hired a fast boat and went to Jiangzhou to collect silk.
After setting off, Su Jinxiu was not as excited as everyone had expected. She spoke much less and often stared blankly at the river.
Hanfei couldn't contain herself any longer and pulled Linlang aside to ask, "Sister Jinxiu, what's wrong?"
Linlang was checking the shopping list when she glanced at it and teased, "You look like you're lovesick. But you're about to see him, so why are you getting more and more worried?"
Su Jinxiu looked listless, her heart filled with sorrow. This was not only because she had heard of Shi Qin's inconsistent virtues, but also because she had relived an old dream the night before, her soul still longing for her hometown.
In her dream, she was dressed in a wedding gown and forced to smile. Finally, her grandmother took her away from the shackles. She then dreamt of returning to the modern world, where her deceased grandmother called her by her childhood name, "Qiaoqiao," over and over again. When she woke up, her pillow was soaked with tears.
The fast boat sailed steadily, its bow cutting through the shimmering waves, and after eight days, it finally reached the border of Jiangzhou.
As soon as the boat planks were set down, Su Jinxiu and the others, each carrying a veil, stepped gracefully into the city.
We had hoped that winter in Jiangzhou would be a bit warmer than in Bianjing, but the chill was not much less. Fortunately, everyone had prepared cloaks and coats in advance, so we did not get cold.
After disembarking, they first found an inn and booked rooms, then immediately began their busy journey. They visited embroidery workshops throughout the city, selected dyes, silk threads, and fabrics, and finalized their return voyage. There were many things to do, and they were extremely busy.
After finishing their shopping for the day, the four of them strolled around the streets of Jiangzhou. When they passed a stall selling candied hawthorns, the three of them bought a skewer, but Su Jinxiu shook her head.
Seeing her gloomy expression, Linlang asked, "What's wrong? When you're done with your work, go find your beloved Wenlang. Don't look so sad."
"I will not seek him on this trip," Su Jinxiu said softly.
Linlang was taken aback: "Oh, what's wrong? You haven't replied to his letters these past few days?"
"It's nothing," Su Jinxiu avoided her gaze, "I just want to prioritize the affairs of our Huayun Pavilion. I don't want to think about anything else."
The four of them ate and strolled around, and before they knew it, dusk had fallen and a light snow began to fall from the sky.
"Does it snow in Jiangzhou too?" Linlang asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu parted the thin veil, and a cold current carrying light snow rushed towards her.
A delicate hand is raised, but the snowflakes melt at the touch, like someone's tears, impossible to hold back, like someone's fate.
Before long, the streets and alleys of the city were covered with a thin layer of snow, and even the mountain peak of Bailudong was tinged with white.
Someone leaned against the railing, even more restless than Su Jinxiu.
Sixteen days have passed, and she hasn't replied to a single letter.
At first, he could restrain himself and only wrote a letter every three days, but since she disappeared, he sent letters every day, but they all disappeared without a trace.
He resisted thinking about the reasons in detail, because just thinking about those possible scenarios made him so anxious he felt like he was going to vomit blood.
So he couldn't think too much about it. He could only tell himself over and over again that she must be too busy.
As the year drew to a close, Bailudong Academy granted a five-day holiday. This academy gathered scholars from all over the country, and Wen Shiqin and Xie Hongying had several like-minded classmates. Xie Hongying invited them to a restaurant for a drink, a token of their newfound friendship in a foreign land.
He punched Wen Shiqin's arm: "Hey! Wen Shiqin, let's go!"
Wen Shiqin then came to his senses and said in a low voice, "Let's go."
Xie Hongying was puzzled, so he asked the servant beside him, "That's strange, who has offended him these past few days?"
The servants looked at each other, then shook their heads, saying they didn't know.
As the snow intensified, Su Jinxiu advised everyone not to linger and to return to the inn early to warm up, lest they catch a cold unnecessarily, which would be a greater loss than gain.
The inn's heavy wooden doors kept out the wind and snow outside. The four of them stepped inside and saw several tables of guests sitting around a stove, drinking and chatting. The second and third floors were elegant private rooms.
Su Jinxiu walked to the counter, ready to get the room key, but the waiter looked troubled and said, "Miss, I'm really sorry, but of the two rooms you booked, there is only one left, and there are only two beds in the room."
"How could that be? We clearly made a reservation a long time ago." Su Jinxiu frowned slightly.
The waiter grew impatient: "It's just that the end of the year is approaching, and there are many people traveling. Two young masters came by earlier and offered five times the price to book both of our top-class rooms. We had no choice but to share one of our rooms with you. If you can offer an even higher price, I'll help you get the room back."
“You’re just…” Su Jinxiu was about to argue when Manshu gently tugged at her sleeve and shook her head.
This was a foreign land, and they were all young women; it was not appropriate for them to quarrel with others. Su Jinxiu understood the concerns in their eyes, so she had no choice but to suppress her anger, accept the money returned by the servant and the only room key, and led everyone upstairs.
"Does having money mean you can be unreasonable and steal other people's rooms?" Hanfei couldn't help but feel indignant.
Manshu advised, "Forget it, it's good enough to have a place to stay. Luckily, they didn't take this last room too."
But when they opened the door, they found that although the room was elegantly furnished, there were only two beds, and the four people were crammed together, which was really cramped.
Su Jinxiu glanced at the two tightly closed doors of the adjacent rooms and a thought struck her. She first led everyone back to their rooms to settle their belongings, and then personally lit the brazier before saying, "I heard that those two young masters have booked two rooms. I'll go and talk to them to see if we can spare one. If that's not possible, I'll just come back and curl up on the soft couch."
After saying that, she straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and mentally prepared a thousand different explanations before going out and gently knocking on the door of the next room.
After knocking for a long time, the candlelight inside flickered, but no one answered the door.
Is anyone there?
She knocked a dozen more times before a slightly lazy and impatient male voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
You've taken over someone else's room, and now you're acting all impatient?
Su Jinxiu stubbornly knocked on the door until hurried footsteps came from inside.
"Xie Hongying, try meowing like a cat again!"
The door was then pulled open forcefully, and the two people looked at each other, both startled.
The man before her wore a moon-white nightgown, embroidered by her own hands. The hairband on his head was sewn by her own hand. Even the love-decorated hairpin he clutched in his hand was wrapped by her own hands.
Su Jinxiu thought it would only be a short while before she left, so she didn't put on a cloak. Now, after standing in the wind and knocking on the door for so long, her hands and feet were already frozen stiff, and the tip of her nose was red.
The strong arguments she had prepared were now stuck in her throat, and she couldn't utter a single word. Looking at his familiar features, she felt a chill run up her spine and couldn't help but sniffle.
Achoo!
Wen Shiqin suddenly realized what was happening, his heart clenched, and he quickly picked her up and slammed the door shut behind him.
The room was warm and cozy, the fire in the stove was burning brightly, but the person in his arms was as cold as ice, making him feel extremely guilty.
He hurriedly fetched three thick quilts and wrapped her up tightly, then stuffed three hot water bottles into the quilt, before sitting back on the bed with the silkworm pupa in his arms.
Su Jinxiu's hands and feet were being warmed by the hot water bottle. She was nestled in his arms, with only her two icy hands outside, which he held tightly in his palms and rubbed repeatedly.
Wen Shiqin lowered his head and kissed her slightly reddened cheeks gently, his voice full of lingering fear and tenderness: "Sister, I didn't know it was you... You're not cold, are you?"
Even after being settled in this way, Su Jinxiu was still somewhat bewildered.
"Wen Shiqin?"
"Yes, it's me." He whispered in her ear, his breath warm. "Are you feeling any warmer?"
Su Jinxiu had originally decided not to seek him out again, but she never expected that she would end up delivering herself to him in this situation.
Wen Shiqin's voice trembled uncontrollably: "Sister, how did you come here? So you didn't reply to my letters for so long because you wanted to surprise me and secretly came here? I'm so happy, I'm going crazy with happiness! But your trick of playing hard to get is really making me uncomfortable. Let me give you a good kiss."
Despite his passionate words, he was very restrained in his actions, only daring to lightly kiss her cheeks, earlobes, and eyebrows, never daring to cross the line.
Su Jinxiu felt the blanket was too tight. The warmth of the hot water bottle, the temperature of his palms, and the delicate kisses on her cheeks made her feel hot all over and impatient.
She struggled a few times, but then heard him whisper that she was playing hard to get.
It's laughable that the person who's best at playing hard to get calls her hard to get.
So when the next kiss landed, Su Jinxiu only said, "I'm not cold anymore, let me go."
Wen Shiqin wanted to get closer, but she dodged him. Even though she had come to him, Wen Shiqin assumed she was just shy and quickly coaxed her, "Okay, okay, I won't kiss you anymore. I'll just hold you for a little while."
Su Jinxiu, however, remembered that while he was writing letters to her, he was also having ambiguous relationships with other people. She felt a surge of anger and, with a burst of strength from who knows where, she suddenly broke free of the covers and got out of bed to put on her shoes.
Wen Shiqin was completely stunned. He realized that she wasn't shy, but he didn't understand what he had done to offend her. He hurriedly got up, hugged her from behind, and pulled her back to bed. They covered each other with the blanket. He pressed down on her and pleaded in a low voice, "Sister, don't move around. If you get cold, I'll be heartbroken. Just a little longer, just a little longer."
Their posture was far too intimate. When they were brought back to bed, the bed curtains had already been drawn, and now they were sharing the same quilt, with him on top of her, their skin almost touching, completely sealed off. Su Jinxiu tried to push him away, but his shoulders were broad and firm, and he didn't budge.
Wen Shiqin was puzzled by her push and asked in a deep voice, "Since you've come to me, why are you resisting like this?"
After asking him, a thought suddenly occurred to him: even if she came to find him, she should have gone directly to Bailudong. Why would she come to the inn and knock on a stranger's door?
Then there's only one possibility: she came to see another man.
I see.
The people of Bianjing could no longer satisfy her, so she came all the way to Jiangzhou?
Unable to push him away, Su Jinxiu frowned and glared angrily. Wen Shiqin, who was on top of her, also grew increasingly gloomy. Although they maintained this close position, their hearts were growing colder and colder.
"say."
"What are you going to say? I have nothing to say."
Wen Shiqin took this as a tacit agreement and, burning with anger, leaned down to kiss her.
Su Jinxiu turned her head to dodge, causing him to miss his target.
Then her hands were pressed down, her legs were pinned down, and she was unable to move. She could only turn her head to avoid it again and again.
Wen Shiqin was thoroughly enraged. He grabbed her chin and forcefully turned her face back.
The next second, a passionate kiss, tinged with punishment, landed hard on his lips.
It's soft, really soft, exactly the same feel I've described countless times in my dreams.
Wen Shiqin was completely captivated. He tightened his grip on her chin and kissed her more deeply, his breath filled with anger and possessiveness, as if he wanted to devour her whole.
"Ugh...!"
Su Jinxiu was breathless from the kiss, feeling dizzy and disoriented. She struggled to grab his collar, barely managing to separate their lips a little. Just as she took a breath, he suddenly caught up with her and kissed her fiercely again, with an irresistible force that completely drowned out all her struggles and gasps.
At first, his kisses were haphazard, and he accidentally bit her lip. His clumsy tongue made several impulsive attempts, causing her to burst into tears from the pain.
When I smelled the moisture in the corners of her eyes, I was able to calm down a bit from my anger and passion.
Then, his kisses became gentler, landing lightly on her lips like a dragonfly skimming the water, carefully holding her bitten lower lip and gently soothing it.
As her sobs subsided, his gentleness turned into force, and he cupped the back of her head with one hand, penetrating her deeply once more, conquering and taking over her territory.
Su Jinxiu was overwhelmed by his sudden tenderness and subsequent force, and had no strength left to resist. She could only tightly grip the front of his shirt with both hands, making it wrinkled, and passively endure his kisses, which were sometimes fierce and sometimes gentle.
Their heavy breathing mingled inside the tent, and the temperature gradually rose.
After a long while, feeling the person in his arms melt into a pool of spring water, no longer offering any resistance, he finally released her, panting.
Su Jinxiu was trapped beneath him, her consciousness already blurred. She could only gasp for breath, greedily inhaling the fresh air, tears still streaming down her face.
After this long kiss, Wen Shiqin's anger subsided. He gently kissed away the tears from the corners of her eyes, his movements tender and soothing.
After the intense struggle, Su Jinxiu's collar had already come undone, revealing her slender and delicate white neck. The exquisite curve of her collarbone was so alluring that one wanted to taste it.
Wen Shiqin did just that. He lingered on her neck and collarbone, gently nibbling, as if he wanted to drown in her smooth skin and faint fragrance.
Su Jinxiu had no strength left to resist. Her hands weakly gripped the collar of his shirt, but she couldn't even lift it. After their struggle, her whole body was limp, and she could only let him bite and lick her neck as he pleased.
After she had rested enough and stopped sobbing, she looked up at the top of the tent and asked him directly, "Besides writing to me, have you ever written to anyone else?"
Hearing her words, he looked up again, leaned down to meet her gaze, and said honestly, "I have written, I have written for others."
Su Jinxiu could no longer hold back and burst into tears. He actually admitted it so readily, he wouldn't even lie to her!
"Get out! Get out of here! Then why did you kiss me? Why did you treat me like this? Why did you lie to me with those things?"
Wen Shiqin was truly puzzled. What was wrong with writing a letter to Mu Hualin? Couldn't he write one?
No matter how many doubts she had, he went along with her and quickly coaxed her, "Okay, okay, I won't write anymore. From now on, I'll only write for you and never write for anyone else."
They had been kissing for so long that Wen Shiqin had to carefully support his weight, afraid of crushing her beneath him; half of his body was already stiff. So he changed positions, lifting her up and letting her sit in his lap, his large hand encircling her small hand.
He lowered his head, gently biting her shoulder and neck, and asked indistinctly, "Sister, is this what made you angry? You got so angry over this?"
What does that question even mean? Isn't this enough to get angry about? Is he still proud of having feelings for two women at the same time?
Seeing that he remained stubborn, Su Jinxiu felt that there was no point in saying anything more. She avoided his next bite and then crawled forward on all fours.
Wen Shiqin was not about to let the sweet fragrance slip away. He stretched out his long arm and wrapped it around her slender waist, then pressed his entire body against her from behind, his chest pressed tightly against her back, carrying a burning heat.
"open……!"
"I won't let go!"
The two were locked in a fierce struggle when suddenly footsteps sounded outside. It turned out that Linlang, worried that Su Jinxiu had been gone for so long and she hadn't seen her in the corridor, had come out to look for her. She reached the door and gently knocked: "Jinxiu, are you in there?"
Su Jinxiu froze, as if struck by lightning. Her clothes were disheveled, her shoulders half-exposed, and a man with unsteady breathing was pressed tightly against her back. To make matters worse, she had rushed in and forgotten to lock the door.
If Linlang were to actually push open the door and see this disheveled and intimate scene behind the bed curtains, she would be too ashamed to show her face.
Su Jinxiu hurriedly and frantically straightened her clothes, first pulling the clothes that had slipped down to her forearms back, then haphazardly adjusting her collar, before rushing to tie her belt.
Wen Shiqin lay to the side, glanced at the door, then at her, and instantly understood the situation.
It turns out she came with a friend, not to find a random man.
His mood instantly brightened. He propped his head up with one arm, lay on his side on the bed, and watched her tie her belt with a smile.
The scene before her now resembled the aftermath of a couple's intimate moments. Su Jinxiu tried her best not to look at him, put on her clothes, and headed for the door, but then suddenly stopped.
That's not right. The fact that she took so long to come out of the room directly means that she was inside the whole time.
So she rushed back quickly, trying to ignore the strangeness in Wen Shiqin's room, and said to him, "Go and tell her she got the wrong room."
Wen Shiqin smiled and said teasingly, "Oh? Didn't my sister always teach me not to lie?"
Su Jinxiu said urgently, "Go and tell them!"
Wen Shiqin slowly sat up, looking at her with an ambiguous gaze, his voice laced with laughter: "...Could it be that Sister is reluctant to let the wonderful thing just now end halfway, and wants me to send her away?"
Linlang knocked twice more on the door, which trembled as if it were about to be pushed open. She tentatively asked, "Is anyone home?"
Su Jinxiu panicked completely and blurted out, "Yes! It's me who can't bear to part with it! Go and tell them!"
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