Chapter 90 Shamelessly, she steals fragrance from the pillow, whispering endlessly with lowered eyes. ...
In the dead of night, at the Zhenyuan Marquis's residence, on the third floor of the embroidered tower.
Layers of gauze hung down like waves, yet were thin and transparent, allowing moonlight to filter through and spill onto the couch, casting hazy shadows and creating a soft, tender atmosphere in the dim light.
Su Jinxiu's waist was tightly held, her upper body pressed against Wen Shiqin's warm chest, one hand resting lightly on his shoulder, and soft breaths escaping her lips.
The hand that had been around her waist rested on her back again, its palm lines soothing and gently stroking to comfort her.
Su Jinxiu clung to him like a vine clinging to a tree. It wasn't her initiative; Wen Shiqin insisted on holding her so tightly. But at this moment, she was exhausted and had no energy left to argue.
Wen Shiqin pulled her closer, and Su Jinxiu couldn't help but let out a low, hoarse groan, the last syllable of her voice trailing off with exhaustion.
"Now that you've said it, do you still have the strength?"
Wen Shiqin's fingertips caressed her smooth, alabaster back, tracing its delicate texture. At the same time, he lowered his head and planted a gentle kiss on the top of her head, his tone teasing. These words seemed to come too late, like hindsight.
"Shameless..."
Su Jinxiu didn't say a single important word, only repeating the words she had already cursed countless times. Although her almond eyes were closed, she still angrily accused him, like a fledgling sparrow chirping.
Wen Shiqin suddenly chuckled, the vibrations in his chest transmitted through their skin, and Su Jinxiu, lying on his chest, felt half of her cheek go numb from the vibrations.
"You keep repeating the same few phrases over and over?" His voice was low, husky, and mischievous, laced with laughter. "I can practically recite these insults by heart. Shameless, bastard, isn't that right? Or maybe a rogue? A son of a bitch?"
Annoyed, Su Jinxiu punched him in the chest, the force more like a coquettish act than a venting of anger, merely a formality of dissatisfaction.
"I'll teach you how to hurl insults."
He immediately turned his head, his lips brushing against her ear, his warm breath carrying a few whispered words that slowly spilled out, each word like a burning spark, making her skin feel hot.
Hearing those words made Su Jinxiu's cheeks burn instantly, and her whole body felt hot. Her anger vanished in an instant, leaving only a heart full of shame. She simply closed her eyes and pretended to be dead, not making a sound.
"Speak up? Why aren't you cursing anymore?" Wen Shiqin stroked her reddened earlobe with his fingertips. "Sister, this is what you call a good, satisfying curse. Try it, it can make me cry."
Su Jinxiu was too lazy to engage in such crude talk with him. After recovering from her exhaustion, she recounted the events of the day in a fragmented and detailed manner.
Wen Shiqin's smile faded gradually as she spoke, and the trembling in his chest also subsided.
"She's pregnant with the Emperor's child?"
Wen Shiqin then realized why she had insisted on being alone with him before revealing this secret. If she had spoken rashly amidst the noise of the banquet, and others had overheard her, it would have only brought unnecessary trouble.
Su Jinxiu's voice was slow and deliberate: "Moreover, she carried an imperial edict, specifically requesting to enter your Marquis's residence and ordering you to take her in. Have you recently... perhaps gone astray and offended the Emperor?"
Wen Shiqin sighed softly: "It's just that I was recently ennobled and gained military power, so I'm currently enjoying unparalleled fame and overshadowing my peers. You should know that there is no such thing as a smooth road to success in this world. When things reach their peak, they decline. This is the natural order of things."
Su Jinxiu listened, her heart heavy.
His voice rang out above me again, carrying a cold indifference that seemed to know the ways of the world: "The Emperor's actions are nothing more than testing the waters and seeing what I'm thinking. He had previously wanted to take this woman into the harem, but the Empress Dowager had always refused. Later, he secretly went to Mingyu Lane several times to look for her, and now that she is pregnant, he has just thrown this hot potato onto my head."
"If I agree, I will willingly endure this humiliation, raising concubines and children for the emperor, and he will know that I am flexible and can be manipulated. If I refuse, and he throws her out, he will remember me as unruly and intolerant of humiliation. But whether I agree or not, it will be a pretext for his subsequent suppression. If I tolerate it, he will see me as weak and easily bullied, and he will restrain me even more in the future. If I cannot tolerate it, he will accuse me of being arrogant and disrespectful to the emperor, and remove me with a legitimate reason."
Su Jinxiu felt a tightness in her heart as she listened. She knew he was in a difficult situation, but she had no way to help him. She could only ask in a hoarse voice, "Then... what should we do?" She tried to look up at him with her remaining strength, but he gently pressed her back to his chest with his warm hand.
"It's all my fault." His voice softened, and his fingertips gently stroked the top of her head. "You don't need to worry about these sordid things. I have my own ways of dealing with the unpredictable nature of officialdom. It was my poor handling that caused you to get caught up in these troubles. It won't happen again. I will never let you worry about these things again."
Su Jinxiu nestled in his arms and said softly, "It's nothing serious. Your worries are my worries. We are one, sharing joys and sorrows." She paused, looked up at his blurry outline, and asked softly, "So what are your plans for the future? Don't go back to the battlefield."
Upon hearing this, Wen Shiqin felt a sudden warmth in his heart, as if he were soaked in honey, and felt so light that he seemed to float away: "What? Are you so worried about me?"
Su Jinxiu readily agreed with a soft "Mmm," her voice gentle: "I'm worried about you. I've always been this petty; I don't ask you to achieve great things or go down in history, I just want you by my side. Otherwise..."
She bit her lower lip, knowing that what she was about to say was unrealistic.
How could a man of his stature, possessing extraordinary talent, easily give up high office and great ambition?
But after much hesitation, Su Jinxiu finally voiced her thoughts: "How about you resign from your official post and go into seclusion? We can live like we did back in the Embroidery Alley, without so much power or worries, just peacefully staying together, okay?"
Once the words were out, she felt somewhat unsure of herself.
Unexpectedly, Wen Shiqin became excited upon hearing this, and his waist unconsciously arched forward, pulling her even tighter. Su Jinxiu gasped and quickly patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't get so close!"
Before she could finish speaking, her cheek was being caressed and licked by his hot lips, biting and licking with an urgent burning sensation.
"What are you doing! Your face is so clean!" Su Jinxiu raised her hand and lightly patted his cheek.
Wen Shiqin became even more clingy, his nose brushing against her earlobe, his voice filled with undisguised excitement and huskiness: "Sister, dear sister, how do you know exactly what I'm thinking?"
He stepped back slightly, gently cupping her face in his palm, his thumb tracing the corner of her lips, reddened from the kisses, his eyes filled with tenderness: "Once I've cleaned up this mess, I truly intend to resign and retire from officialdom. At that time, let's cast aside the court intrigues, power, and wealth, and I'll take you to travel the world, to see all the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas, to witness the boundless beauty of nature, shall we?"
Su Jinxiu felt a surge of warmth in her heart upon hearing this. Such a tacit understanding between them made her agree without hesitation.
This response pushed Wen Shiqin's excitement to its peak.
The somber look in his eyes had long since vanished, leaving only an intense, overwhelming tenderness and ecstasy. He leaned down and embraced her tightly once more, their lips locked in a passionate kiss.
"You tomorrow..."
Before Su Jinxiu could finish her question, Wen Shiqin preemptively said, "I'll take a day off tomorrow."
The curtains swayed gently, the moonlight filtering through the layers of gauze, and the two of them fooled around again in the soft, sweet night.
Wen Shiqin had been working non-stop for days, and the autumn hunt had been exhausting. Last night, they had been intimately entwined until nearly dawn. After her blissful encounter, Su Jinxiu fell into a deep sleep, completely ignoring all the subsequent arrangements. He silently took care of everything, and only managed to rest when it was almost dawn.
In this situation, it was quite remarkable that Su Jinxiu was the first to wake up.
The sun was high in the sky, and the warm sunlight shone through the gauze curtains into the moon-shaped bed.
Last night, she was held tightly in his arms as she fell asleep, but when she woke up this morning, she found herself embracing Wen Shiqin. He was sleeping soundly against her chest, half of his body pressed against hers, so heavy that she couldn't move, yet she was happy to accept it.
Su Jinxiu couldn't bear to wake him, so she lowered her head and quietly looked at his sleeping face. She gently poked his high nose with her fingertips, then raised her hand and gently patted his back, her movements as light and gentle as a cloud.
As I patted him, my gaze inadvertently swept across his back, and I noticed that next to the old marks, there were several new wounds.
Two areas on his back were carefully wrapped with gauze, with a faint red tinge around them. In addition, there were several bluish-purple bruises of varying shades spreading down his back.
Her heart tightened, and upon closer inspection, she noticed scattered bruises on his shoulders, forearms, and upper arms.
Could it be that he tripped and fell during yesterday's autumn hunt?
Su Jinxiu gently stroked the bruises on his side with her fingertips, unconsciously pressing down slightly. Perhaps the pressure was a little too strong, for the person on top of her let out a muffled groan, mixed with soft murmurs in his sleep, carrying a hint of suppressed pain.
Her heart tightened, and she quickly withdrew her hand, gently coaxing, "It's okay, it's okay, go to sleep, I won't bother you anymore."
Wen Shiqin was already mostly awake, but these gentle words made him even more clingy. He remained against her chest and refused to get up, only vaguely responding with an "Mmm".
Seeing that he had regained some consciousness, Su Jinxiu casually asked, "How did you get these injuries? Did you get them during yesterday's autumn hunt?"
Wen Shiqin was still in a daze, his mind not yet clear, and the truth came out: "It's nothing, I just beat up that bastard Mu Hualin."
Su Jinxiu suspected she had misheard and frowned, asking, "What did you say?"
Wen Shiqin then realized his slip of the tongue and hurriedly tried to make amends, pulling her closer and softening his voice: "I was talking nonsense, I had another nightmare." He paused, racking his brains to explain, "Mu Hualin was also at the autumn hunt yesterday, and there was a bit of an argument during the meal. I tripped and fell while riding my horse later, which is why I got these bruises. It's nothing serious, so I didn't tell you, so you wouldn't worry."
Seeing his attempt to cover up the truth, Su Jinxiu knew he was lying. She pinched his waist hard, avoiding the bruises.
Wen Shiqin was jolted awake by the pinch, but he still forced himself to close his eyes and pretend to be asleep, hoping to get away with it.
How could Su Jinxiu let him off the hook? She reached out with her other hand and gently pulled his cheek outward: "Stop pretending, tell the truth."
Wen Shiqin was pulled helplessly, so he could only groan, his eyelashes trembled, but he still refused to open his eyes, pretending to be extremely sleepy and unable to wake up.
Su Jinxiu already understood seven or eight parts of the situation; it was definitely to vent her anger.
It is likely that Yi Ruxu told him the whole story, but Mu Hualin is, after all, the Empress's younger brother, with a distinguished family background and immense power in the court. His reckless act of injuring someone would be detrimental to his future career and would be tantamount to handing over a handle to others.
She loosened her grip and began to lecture him incessantly: "Weren't you two sworn brothers before? Why did you have to make such a fuss over such a trivial matter? Besides, his family is incredibly powerful. You don't need to act so impulsively for my sake, turning friends into enemies for no reason. You'll only give the officials something to use against you. It's not worth it at all."
“Since he dared to hurt you, he doesn’t deserve to be my confidant anymore.” Wen Shiqin buried his face in the crook of her neck, then tightened his arms around her, holding her even closer. “Good sister, I’m really exhausted. Let me sleep a little longer.”
Su Jinxiu was so bothered by his persistence that she could only sigh helplessly and gently smooth his messy hair. But she was still worried and whispered, "I don't want you to do anything foolish for me, making your situation even more difficult, and I don't want to be a burden to you."
Wen Shiqin closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, but his tone was unusually firm, carrying an unquestionable solemnity: "Not a burden."
“I have heeded my elder sister’s advice and am now behaving more cautiously. I have also prepared a way out for myself, so you don’t need to worry about me. I have never been interested in this official position. Once the important matter is accomplished and we are married, I will resign and retire from public life. I will no longer be trapped in this world of power and wealth, having to feign affection and pretend to be perfect in front of others. I just can’t stand anyone bullying you. If anyone dares to let you suffer even the slightest grievance, I will not forgive them.”
"Also, you have never been a burden. Without you, there would be no Wen Shiqin today. I have lived until now because of you."
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