Chapter 63 (Still Not Bathed)
Seeing this, Gu Yun'an's deep eyes slowly turned to Ruan Xingzhu, whose gaze was darting away. His gaze seemed to be able to see through people's hearts, making Ruan Xingzhu even more flustered.
Immediately afterwards, he slowly stood up, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said in a somewhat ambiguous tone, "Xiao Wu is right. Xingzhu needs to be prepared carefully. I'm definitely going to have a good drink tonight to cool down."
Hearing Gu Yun'an's words, Ruan Xingzhu's mind was instantly filled with a jumble of thoughts, her mind filled with the image of him feeding her mung bean soup by mouth not long ago.
That intimate gesture made my heart race with anxiety, and I became restless. My lips trembled slightly, but I didn't dare to respond.
After waiting for a while without receiving a response from her, Gu Yun'an was not about to let her off easily. He stood there quietly, his sharp eyes fixed on her, his gaze unwavering.
Then, he deliberately raised his voice and uttered, "Hmm?"
This seemingly insignificant sound carried a tremendous weight, causing Ruan Xingzhu, who had been keeping her head down and trying to avoid his gaze, to flinch uncontrollably. She abruptly raised her head, her eyes filled with panic, and stammered repeatedly.
"Yes, yes, I'll be ready." Her urgent voice carried a hint of nervousness and obedience.
Seeing this, Gu Yun'an revealed a satisfied expression and slowly withdrew. But before leaving, he gave Ruan Xingzhu a meaningful look, his eyes seemingly telling her to make sure the mung bean soup was ready.
Ruan Xingzhu only glanced at it briefly before hurriedly averting her gaze. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her agitated heart.
It was quite a while after Gu Yun'an left that Gu Qingxu seemed to suddenly remember the purpose of her visit.
She quickly unfolded several drawings and said excitedly, "Xingzhu, these are wedding dress patterns sent by the embroiderer. Which of these suits me best?"
As she spoke, she unfolded the drawings of the wedding dress one by one and laid them on the table so that Ruan Xingzhu could see them clearly.
This morning, the wedding dress design was delivered to the mansion. Gu Qingxu looked at it over and over again but couldn't decide which one to choose, so she simply took it to Ruan Xingzhu for advice.
Ruan Xingzhu stared blankly at the sample drawings Gu Qingxu had unfolded, her gaze unable to focus. Her mind was filled with the scene of Gu Yun'an feeding her mung bean soup, her thoughts completely jumbled.
"Xingzhu, Xingzhu?"
Seeing that Ruan Xingzhu remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the sample drawing, Gu Qingxu couldn't help but call out in confusion.
"Ah!" Ruan Xingzhu seemed to be suddenly awakened from a dream, as Gu Qingsu abruptly pulled her out of her chaotic thoughts.
"What do you mean, 'ah'?" Her strange reaction surprised Gu Qingxu, who looked at her suspiciously. "I'm asking you which one suits me best?"
Ruan Xingzhu then mustered her spirits and began to carefully examine the several wedding dress designs on the table. This embroidery workshop was renowned throughout the capital for its exquisite craftsmanship. It had been personally selected by Madam Cheng, so every wedding dress design they sent was a masterpiece. No wonder Gu Qingxu was overwhelmed by the choices.
The wedding dresses above were all made to fit Gu Qingsu's figure. Just by looking at the sample pictures, Ruan Xingzhu could already picture Gu Qingsu looking like that in her mind.
However, looking at Gu Qingxu's upcoming happy marriage, Ruan Xingzhu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart.
Now that Gu Qingxu's marriage is already arranged, she is caught in this complicated and helpless situation, and she may never be able to sit and wait for her wedding like a normal woman.
With a slight shift in her thoughts, she looked up at Gu Qingxu. Just now, she had been so tense and stressed from hearing someone arrive that she was only thinking about how she absolutely couldn't let Gu Qingxu know about the unspeakable things between her and Gu Yun'an.
But upon closer reflection, Gu Qingsu was arguably the closest person to her in this household, besides Gu Yun'an. If she told Gu Qingsu about this, would she, out of consideration for their past relationship, help her escape this situation that both frightened and shamed her?
However, just as she was about to speak, Gu Qingxu seemed to remember something and excitedly said, "Xingzhu, I have some hairpins and phoenix crowns that were sent to my room. Why don't you go and take a look with me?"
And so, the two watched each other from day to night. Just as Ruan Xingzhu was about to get up and return to her own courtyard, she suddenly remembered something as if struck by lightning: Gu Yun'an's promise to wait for her to come back for mung bean soup before he left.
She really didn't know whether Gu Yun'an meant drinking mung bean soup in a simple way, or if he meant drinking it in an ambiguous way that made her feel uneasy, like before.
Thinking this, her body seemed to freeze, and she unconsciously turned back and stayed in Gu Qingsu's courtyard, thinking that she would go back after Gu Yun'an fell asleep, so that she could avoid disaster.
However, she calculated the time carefully and estimated that Gu Yun'an should be asleep before quietly returning to her own courtyard. As soon as she opened the door, in the dim light inside, she saw a figure sitting meticulously by her bedside.
Even in the darkness, she recognized that familiar silhouette at a glance—it was Gu Yun'an. She froze, as if under a spell, her lips trembling slightly, and instinctively uttered, "Fourth Brother..."
The man's figure was hidden in the darkness, with only the faint candlelight revealing his outline. Even so, the outline seemed to exude a chilling aura.
"Why are you so late coming back?" Gu Yun'an's voice rang out in the quiet night, carrying a hint of accusation.
"I……"
Ruan Xingzhu was speechless for a moment. She couldn't very well tell the truth that she was deliberately avoiding him.
Her eyelashes blinked rapidly, as if she were thinking about something. After a moment, she said, "Help Fifth Sister choose a hairpin and phoenix crown."
Gu Qingxu is currently the only unmarried girl in the household. Now that the engagement has finally been arranged, the ceremony and details must be done to the best of our ability. Therefore, she must be very careful in selecting these hairpins and phoenix crowns.
As if he believed her words, Gu Yun'an nodded slightly, then patted the bed beside him, speaking softly in a calm tone that carried an undeniable air of authority.
"come over."
Although this place was considered her private room, even though Gu Yun'an frequently came and went, she only treated him as a younger sister.
But things are different now. Ever since those intimate things happened, and her first time was also in this room...
Now that he can freely enter and leave her boudoir, she feels an unprecedented sense of unease, even mixed with a trace of fear.
"Fourth brother..."
Ruan Xingzhu was about to say something, trying to find a reason not to get close to him, but before she could speak, Gu Yun'an seemed to have lost his patience. He slightly raised his eyes, and his cold gaze went straight to her.
Startled by his gaze, Ruan Xingzhu trembled like a frightened rabbit, and could only shuffle towards him in small steps. Once there, she stood by the bed, not daring to sit down near him, deliberately keeping a distance.
Seeing her so distant, as if he were some kind of monster, Gu Yun'an felt a nameless rage rise within him. Without a word, he stretched out his long arm and pulled her close.
"Ah—!" Ruan Xingzhu exclaimed instinctively, before she could even react, her body crashing straight into Gu Yun'an's arms.
Gu Yun'an's arms were instantly filled with her fragrance, that unique scent making his breathing gradually become rapid and heavy. He slowly lowered his head, burying his face in her neck, like a hungry beast, greedily inhaling her scent.
Feeling a tickling sensation on her neck, Ruan Xingzhu instinctively shrank back, her face full of panic, and hurriedly said, "Fourth Brother, I haven't bathed yet."
However, Gu Yun'an seemed not to hear her words at all, still holding her tightly as if trying to meld her into his own body. After a while, he slowly released her, but then picked her up again.
At this moment, a hint of lust filled his eyes, his gaze was somewhat unfocused, and he spoke in a dry voice: "Go."
Ruan Xingzhu was stunned for a moment before realizing that Gu Yun'an meant for her to take a bath. As if she had been granted a pardon, she quickly got off him and hurriedly went straight into the bathroom without daring to delay.
Seeing her enter the bathroom, Gu Yun'an seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. He quickly picked up the cold water on the table and drank several cups in a gulp, trying to extinguish the lust she had aroused.
Ruan Xingzhu fussed around in the bathroom for a while, slowly washing herself, her mind filled with thoughts that Gu Yun'an might not be able to wait and would leave. But just as she was thinking this, she suddenly heard a man's soft voice coming from outside.
"Xingzhu, are you suggesting I go in and rescue you?"
Gu Yun'an looked out the window at the shimmering moonlight, but the sound of running water from the bathroom kept reaching his ears. The sound seemed to have some kind of magic, making his throat feel dry and his words unconsciously carrying a hint of warning.
Ruan Xingzhu, who was wearing an undergarment, suddenly froze. She looked down at the dirty clothes and undergarment she had thrown on the ground, and a hint of hesitation appeared on her face.
Because she had thought that Gu Yun'an would leave before she could wait, she didn't bring any change of clothes in at all, since she usually went straight to bed after taking a bath.
She glanced at the night outside, thinking that it was so dark outside that Gu Yun'an probably couldn't see her either. But she was also afraid that Gu Yun'an would get impatient and actually come in to catch her. After weighing these thoughts, Ruan Xingzhu made up her mind and carefully went out wearing only her undergarments.
Hearing the footsteps coming from the bathroom, Gu Yun'an's previously anxious mood finally calmed down a bit.
"Fourth Brother." Ruan Xingzhu walked out lightly, stood by the bed, and called out softly.
Gu Yun'an looked over and saw Ruan Xingzhu standing against the moonlight. In the hazy moonlight, her figure was vaguely outlined, as if veiled in mystery.
Moreover, he keenly sensed that she seemed not to be wearing that undergarment.
Gu Yun'an's face suddenly felt hot. He subconsciously reached out and pulled her down, intending to let her sit down so that he could hide in the darkness and avoid being aroused by his uncontrollable impulse again.
But Ruan Xingzhu lost her balance and fell into his arms...
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