Chapter 68
During this time, Yun Zhan stayed at Mingyue Manor. Shi Mingyue used the excuse of taking care of her to keep Yun Zhan from leaving. Pei Yanxi and Wen Sixue made several phone calls, but Shi Mingyue endured the pressure and did not let Yun Zhan go.
In the afternoon, the sunlight at Mingyue Villa was like a thin glaze, brushing onto the green tiles and corridors.
Yun Zhan leaned against the entrance hall, his fingertips just touching the brass doorknob, when he heard hurried footsteps behind him.
Shi Mingyue almost ran over, her leather shoes making a soft "tap-tap" sound on the floor. She grabbed her wrist, her knuckles tightening until they turned white.
"Going out?" Shi Mingyue took a few quick breaths, her voice low but trembling with suppressed emotion. "I'll go with you, okay?"
Her eyes held a sleepless mist, like a fawn longing to be left behind.
Yun Zhan glanced sideways and saw the bloodshot in her eyes. He sighed silently and simply raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear: "I'm not leaving, I just need some fresh air."
Shi Mingyue loosened her grip slightly, but still wouldn't let go, rubbing her thumb back and forth on Yun Zhan's wrist as if to confirm that the pulse was real.
This scene was witnessed by Shen Qingyi, who was standing in the corridor.
She beckoned and pulled her daughter deeper into the shade of the flowers. Sunlight filtered through the wisteria, casting dappled shadows on their shoulders.
"About you and her," Shen Qingyi said softly, but her anxiety was palpable, "what did her family say? Has the wedding been planned?"
Shi Mingyue lowered her eyes, her fingertips twirling a fallen petal, her voice steady: "She has no family."
Like a frozen lake, Shen Qingyi was stunned for a moment before recovering, her brows furrowing slightly: "I see..."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over the faint hickeys visible beneath her daughter's collar, her tone softening, "You've been sleeping together these past few days, have you...?"
"It's already been done."
Shi Mingyue looked up and answered decisively, even with a deliberate air of composure.
She looked directly at her mother, open and honest, without any attempt to hide anything: "I am already hers, and she is mine. Mom, don't even think about breaking us up."
Shen Qingyi was speechless at this blunt honesty, and after a long while she sighed: "Then this Yun Zhan, isn't he going to stick with you for good?"
Shi Mingyue remained silent, the petals between her fingers were pinched to extract juice, which stained them with a faint green hue.
Shi Mingyue shook her head, her voice lowered as if afraid the wind would hear: "I don't know. She's only just recovered, and I don't want to talk about this with her."
The sunlight slanted down, casting extremely long shadows of the mother and daughter, one end connected to the wisteria and the other disappearing into the depths of the corridor.
On one end is passionate love, on the other is an uncertain status.
In the afternoon, the shadows cast by the eaves seemed to be nailed to the floor by the sunlight, remaining completely still.
Yun Zhan stood by the window, his back to half of the painting and calligraphy in the bedroom. When he spoke, his voice was low and steady: "Shi Mingyue, I have to go to the Pei family."
The moment the words left her lips, the teacup lid between Shi Mingyue's fingers made a soft "ding" sound.
She looked up in a panic, her face paler than ashes: "What's so important? You're not fully recovered..."
Shi Mingyue hurriedly put down her cup and placed her palm on Yun Zhan's wrist: "I'll go for you, okay?"
The question "Is it good or not?" was trembling out of tune, with the last syllable hiding jealousy and fear.
Shi Mingyue knew that Pei Yanxi also liked Yun Zhan, and had even called him quite a few times recently... Could it be that Yun Zhan overheard those words?
She had tried her best to hide it. Shi Mingyue lowered her eyes, her gaze dark and troubled... In the end, she still couldn't keep him?
Yun Zhan let her hold his hand, his fingertips gently caressing the back of his trembling hand.
"I'm going to find the heart,"
It's not what you're thinking.
She hadn't been to Pei Yanxi's basement yet... Last time she saw some of her own documents there, and there were many sealed files on the walls.
Upon hearing that it was about finding the heart, a glimmer of light immediately appeared in Shi Mingyue's dark eyes. She stood up and grasped Yun Zhan's hand tightly: "Then... how can I help?"
"It probably won't be of much help to me for now; I'll have to try myself." Yun Zhan patted her hand.
"It's just a guess, and it might not come true. Trust me, just stay at Bright Moon Manor."
Having learned her lesson from Shi Shaoxuan's previous experience, Shi Mingyue dared not disobey Yun Zhan. After a long silence, she nodded with difficulty. Yun Zhan was a very capable person… If she forced herself to help, she might only cause trouble for him.
Guilt surged over Shi Mingyue like a tidal wave, making her feel suffocated with pain.
Shi Mingyue finally let go. She lowered her eyes and whispered, almost to herself, "Call me if you need anything."
At 10 p.m., the streets were shrouded in a gray-white hue by a sudden downpour.
Pei Yanxi walked out from behind the glass door of the 24-hour pharmacy, holding a folding umbrella, with a bag of stomach medicine clutched in her fingertips.
She called Shi Mingyue in the morning but no one answered. She was in a bad mood because she didn't see Yun Zhan. She finally got some free time to go out for some fresh air, but then it started raining heavily. She didn't eat dinner and her stomach started to hurt.
The cramps in her stomach made her brow furrow and her lips turn bloodless. She stumbled onto the sidewalk, the rain splashing onto her ankles, icy cold.
In the instant he looked up.
Across the street, Yun Zhan stood in the rain.
Her long black trench coat was gilded with a cold gold by the streetlights, and raindrops slid down her shoulders like silent waterfalls.
Pei Yanxi froze, as if the cramping pain in her stomach had been suddenly pulled away by another hand. Before her brow could even relax, her heart was already leaping with joy.
The light in her eyes was brighter than car headlights. She flicked the edge of her umbrella and ran towards them, splashing through the water: "Why are you out? Didn't Shi Mingyue come with you?"
The rain was so loud that she had to lean close to Yun Zhan's ear, her voice filled with barely suppressed surprise.
Upon receiving a "no," the surprise blossomed completely, and a beautiful smile curved her lips.
Without a word, Pei Yanxi grabbed Yun Zhan's sleeve, pulled him under the umbrella, and then shoved him into the passenger seat, her movements so quick it was as if she was afraid he would change his mind.
"Come sit at my place. It's too cold outside; it's not good for your health." The car door slammed shut, shutting out the rain.
Pei Yanxi turned to the side and fastened Yun Zhan's seatbelt, her fingertips brushing against his collarbone, a gesture that was both restrained and deliberate.
Her eyes gleamed with smug satisfaction, like she'd caught a soaking wet cat, and her voice was low and cheerful: "The rain's too heavy; you probably won't be able to get home tonight."
Yun Zhan nodded; she had originally intended to go to Pei Yanxi's house.
With the engine roaring, Pei Yanxi turned the steering wheel, the car's rear end swishing out a crescent-shaped arc of water, carrying the stolen moments of solitude straight towards her private villa.
The windshield wipers swung back and forth, as if counting her heartbeats, one, two, all written in the irrepressible curve of her lips.
Pei Yanxi parked the car in the underground garage, walked around to the passenger side, opened the car door, and a cold wind carrying rain rushed in.
As soon as Yun Zhan leaned forward, his shoulder was soaked by raindrops, casting an even deeper shadow on his dark trench coat.
"Come in quickly."
Pei Yanxi tilted the umbrella over, and her hand naturally landed on Yun Zhan's back, protecting her as she passed through the small door.
As soon as the front door opened, a warm breeze rushed in.
Pei Yanxi bent down and took out disposable slippers from the shoe cabinet, squatted down and placed them next to Yun Zhan's feet: "Change into these first, the floor is cold."
As she stood up, her gaze swept over Yun Zhan's shoulder; the dampness had seeped deep into his skin, its color so dark it was almost blinding.
"It's all wet."
Pei Yanxi frowned, her fingertips twirling on Yun Zhan's sleeve, a drop of cool water rolling down the back of her fingers: "You'll catch a cold."
Without waiting for Yun Zhan's response, she turned on the hallway light and led him to the master bedroom, Pei Yanxi's own room: "There's hot water in the bathroom, I'll find you some clean clothes."
Yun Zhan stood at the door without moving, and lowered his head to unbutton his trench coat.
Pei Yanxi turned back and reached out to brush the hair that was stuck to her neck. Her fingertips touched her skin and felt so cold that she flinched.
Her voice lowered, almost coaxingly: "Go take a hot shower, okay? I'll stay outside and keep watch."
The bathroom door closed, and the sound of water began to run.
Pei Yanxi leaned against the wall and listened to the pattering inside gradually increase before her breathing slowly eased.
She looked down at her fingertips, where the slight chill from before seemed to linger, like a secretly pressed stamp, reminding her that Yun Zhan was now under her roof, and for the time being, belonged only to her.
She leaned against the door, listening to the pattering water, her fingers unconsciously stroking the corner of her lips, as if sketching out the shape that would follow.
A short while later, the doorknob turned.
Yun Zhan walked out: he was wearing a women's white shirt with a wide neckline, his collarbone was faintly visible through his wet hair, and the hem just covered his thighs. His skin was flushed pink from the steam of the hot water.
She raised her hand to brush away the wet hair from her forehead, and her sleeve slipped down, revealing a slender wrist, carrying the cool fragrance of shower gel, like a white rose suddenly blooming in the rain.
In that instant, Pei Yanxi felt as if something had struck her chest heavily.
She stepped forward, reached out and gently pulled him into her arms, her palm pressed against Yun Zhan's back, and she could still feel his body temperature through the damp cloth.
She lowered her head, her gaze falling on her lips, which were flushed red from the hot water, her eyes so dark they seemed to drip ink.
Pei Yanxi's fingertips crept up her collarbone, tracing the still-dampened curve. Her voice was low and husky, yet she made no attempt to hide her desire: "I want to do it with you..."
"Yun Zhan... do you still want to cultivate together?"
Whether Yun Zhan wanted it or not, she didn't know, but she definitely did.
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned her head and kissed him, not as a test, but as a passionate French kiss that pried open his teeth.
Her tongue probed in, eagerly taking over, hooking Yun Zhan's tongue, entwining and sucking, making soft watery sounds.
With his other hand, he gripped the back of Yun Zhan's neck, his fingertips sinking into her wet hair, pressing her against him as if he wanted to swallow her whole into his chest.
Under the lamplight and amidst the sound of rain, only overlapping breaths and increasingly rapid heartbeats resounded wildly in the silent night.
"Yun Zhan... I can't hold back anymore, is it okay to do it?"
The next instant, Pei Yanxi suddenly bent down, her arms passing under Yun Zhan's knees, and picked him up horizontally.
Yun Zhan only managed to grab the fabric from her shoulder before her slippers fell onto the carpet with a dull thud.
The master bedroom lights were off, and the curtains were left slightly ajar, allowing the rain to stream in at an angle, casting streaks of silver-gray on the sheets.
Pei Yanxi put Yun Zhan on the bed, then immediately climbed on top of him, her knees spread apart and pressed against his legs, her palms resting on his ears, her breath hot.
She lowered her head, her lips first landing on her cheek, then sliding down to her carotid artery. Her tongue tasted the lingering cool scent of shower gel, mixed with the smell of rain, like tasting mint with midnight dew.
The kisses deepened, the tips of teeth gently tapping against the skin, the sucking sounds delicate yet clear.
Each time I left, a bright red round mark would appear on my neck, and hickeys would bloom one after another, like bonfire sparks suddenly lit in the snow.
Pei Yanxi's breathing became more and more rapid. Her fingers had just touched Yun Zhan's leg along the hem of her shirt when she suddenly fainted and collapsed onto Yun Zhan.
Yun Zhan's pupils shrank to slits in the darkness, a flash of red demonic power disappearing in an instant.
She raised her hand and gently touched Pei Yanxi's brow with her fingertips, her voice soft and gentle: "Senior, I'm sorry... I need to find my heart first."
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