Chapter 69 Dry Wood and Raging Fire
This body has been lonely for far too long.
Almost the instant the kiss began, the young man gave his most honest response. Fortunately, due to the difference in their height and build, there was still a small gap between their embracing chests, preventing her from noticing this forceful change.
Pei Heng carefully measured the intensity of his kiss, observing Yue Zhi's reaction. He wanted her to like it, but he was also afraid that she would be angry at him for overstepping his boundaries.
Like playing with fire, the kisses were gentle on the lips, but the hem of their clothes was already grotesque and embarrassing, thrilling and exciting.
He held the back of Yuezhi's head, forcing her to tilt her head back to meet his light yet torturous kiss. She closed her eyes nervously, her long eyelashes trembling violently with embarrassment.
With people watching outside, she had to endure it even if she didn't like it. At first, she only cooperated reluctantly, but gradually her breathing became longer, her waist, which he was holding, became softer and softer, and her heart became more and more itchy. She loosened her tongue between breaths, but he did not go any deeper. He only kissed her lips lightly, like a dragonfly skimming the water, or more like a deliberate teasing.
Yuezhi felt a surge of resentment: In the past, she was an impatient and lustful person, eager to strip someone of their clothes as soon as she got close to them, but now she was behaving like a gentleman.
Enveloped by his rough aura, a hidden desire in her heart was stirred up, and she unconsciously pressed her chest against him.
She had secretly squeezed in that afternoon, and now it was starting to swell again. Touching a body that didn't belong to her through her clothes seemed to relieve her physical discomfort.
Yuezhi felt ashamed, as if she were secretly doing something wrong, but upon reflection, she realized that her body had become like this all because of him.
As if venting her anger, she tiptoed and gently bit his lip.
"Ugh!" Pei Heng's slightly narrowed eyes suddenly widened, as if he had been suddenly pulled out of his sweet immersion, and his steps abruptly lost their balance.
His wet lips brushed against her cheek, and he leaned forward, pressing her against the wall by the window. His hands instinctively pressed her against his chest to prevent her from hitting her head, and he pressed her soft body even closer to him.
The vibrations of their heartbeats spread in the flickering lamplight. Yuezhi listened to his breath on her ear, her ear tingling. She nervously gripped his waist and murmured, "Have the people outside left?"
He pressed his weight against her chest, making it hard to breathe, and her heart was pounding so fast that her body went limp and she could barely stand.
Pei Heng's breathing was heavy, and the arm around her waist was as stiff as iron. In the midst of the chaos, he turned his head to glance out the window. The wind and water were calm, and there were no suspicious figures left.
It's easy to coax her and prolong this sticky, ambiguous moment, turning it into an even hotter sweetness.
But he swallowed hard. "They're gone."
He forcefully propped himself up from beside her.
Having gone through that separation, how could he dare to lie to her again for his own selfish reasons? He reluctantly placed his hands on her waist and hips, looked down at the delicate beauty enveloped in his shadow, and his gaze unconsciously slid from her smooth and delicate face to below her collarbone.
He wanted to stay, to warm her with his body, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, and he was too ashamed to bring it up.
His gaze swept over those small, rosy ear tips, and his throat went dry without him realizing it. He bit his lip.
Yuezhi stood in front of him, and when she looked straight ahead, she saw his clothes stretched taut by his chest muscles. She lowered her head in embarrassment, and then she saw what seemed to be a darker shadow protruding from under the hem of his clothes in the shadow in front of him.
Just as I was wondering if I was seeing things, I heard him whisper in my ear, "It's getting late, you should go to sleep, I'm going to the woodshed."
He left in a hurry, and Yuezhi did not try to stop him.
The night was dark, and the oil lamp did not illuminate his figure. This was the first time she had been able to calmly observe him so closely, but all she could remember was the tingling sensation when he touched her body. Everything she saw seemed to be veiled by a thin gauze.
Pei Heng left and closed the door almost inaudibly. Only when she heard the faint sound of someone lying down on a pile of hay from the other side of the wall did she walk towards the bed.
Lying in bed, the heat on my lips and body lingered for a long time, and as soon as I closed my eyes, it was as if his breathing was still ringing in my ears.
Yuezhi couldn't sleep.
The sound, which had only existed in my memory, soon echoed in the woodshed next door. Separated by only one wall, the thin stone wall could not block out any sound at all.
The suppressed, heavy breathing and slight rustling sounds from the other side, belonging to a man, faintly drifted through the cracks in the wall, as if hooked and trying to burrow into one's ears.
"Sister... um... Yuezhi..."
At first, Yuezhi thought it was her old problem—she couldn't sleep and started overthinking, her mind going blank. After a moment of stunned silence, she realized what the sound was. Her face flushed red, and she shrank into the blankets, even curling up her toes in embarrassment.
How could he? They're just a wall apart...
Her heart was pounding in her throat. The voice was all-pervasive, like a warm current flowing through her body, making her feel both ashamed and surprised, as well as a trace of inexplicable panic.
During their four days on the island, aside from business, they rarely asked each other about the events of those two years.
She thought that Pei Heng was already twenty-one years old. Whether or not he had taken concubines, he should no longer be as impetuous about matters of men and women as he was at nineteen. Now, it seemed like adding fuel to the fire, making things worse rather than better.
Yuezhi felt an unbearable itch in her heart. She closed her eyes and endured this long torment. Her palms unconsciously covered her chest, feeling extremely ashamed.
Like a fallen flower drifting with the current, she was led by the nose by him until there was no sound at all, and then she drifted off to sleep.
When she woke up the next day, she had dark circles under her eyes and looked rather listless.
Pei Heng had already gone to train his private soldiers, and was keeping her food warm in the pot in the kitchen. Yuezhi ate a few bites, and seeing that the sun was shining brightly today, she moved a small stool out and sat in the courtyard to sew clothes.
Thinking about last night, I just can't calm down.
Several women, neighbors, walked past outside the fenced yard, carrying a basin of clothes, and greeted her with smiles.
"Hey girl, let's go wash our clothes together in the back hill. There's a stream there, and it's not crowded. It'll be much more convenient than washing them at home."
The women on the island who had owners only came out during the day. Yuezhi assumed they were being bought and sold and were being taken advantage of, but they seemed perfectly natural, as if being with a man on the island was no different from being with a man in the village.
Most of them were sold to the island because they were destitute and alone. They were either sold by their madams, fathers, or brothers, or by their husbands after giving birth or being unable to have children. A few older women sold themselves to save money for their sons' weddings.
The island needed men to do the labor; women were merely a source of amusement and a reward for their obedience.
As they said, it's all about serving others, so it doesn't matter who you serve, as long as you can eat your fill and stay warm.
Seeing their enthusiasm, Yuezhi couldn't help but think of her neighbors in Wangshan Village. But the two were ultimately different. She didn't want to be a rootless duckweed, and she didn't forget Pei Heng's advice: Don't be alone, and don't go too far from home.
She hesitated for a moment, shook her head, and forced a smile, saying, "I still have work to do, so I won't go for now. You ladies go ahead."
The women didn't insist, and several pairs of eyes lingered on her, their expressions softening with amusement.
"You don't look very energetic. Did you have a tough time last night? Tsk tsk, young man."
Yuezhi blushed and was about to defend herself when another cheerful voice rang out.
"Hey, what's there to be embarrassed about! Young couples only get more affectionate after a fight. Judging from Coach Zhang's physique, his injury must be fully healed! I just didn't hear you two making any noise last night. Did you kick him out after you were done?"
"Girl, it's not that we're criticizing you, but you can't always leave a man hanging. It's nice to scold him a little, but if you ignore him for too long, he might go out and pick up some shady things."
“Exactly, his injuries are all healed, why are you still letting him sleep in the woodshed? This handsome and capable man has so many eyes watching him. Life on the island is tough, the only fun he gets at night is to have some fun. You need to get him inside quickly.”
The women chatted amongst themselves, their laughter mingling with their chatter. They had no sense of propriety, spoke bluntly and openly, and loved this kind of direct banter.
Yuezhi blushed and stammered, unable to explain herself, and could only vaguely reply, "No... sisters-in-law, don't talk nonsense..."
My mind was in complete turmoil.
She didn't need to treat Pei Heng with the kind of woman who tries to control her husband; she just wanted him to stay away from her.
But upon further reflection, she realized that the light kiss last night had left her hanging, which was truly infuriating. If sleeping in separate rooms was like this, who knows what kind of uncontrollable situation would arise if they slept in the same room?
After the women had finished teasing, they went off together to the back of the mountain, leaving Yuezhi alone, her face still flushed, unable to calm down for a long time.
She subconsciously looked at the tightly closed door of the woodshed, where her undergarment, which she had just washed that morning, was drying in the sun. The sounds from the other side of the wall last night seemed to echo in her ears again, making her heart race.
At noon, Yuezhi scooped a basin of water back into the house, wiped herself down with a handkerchief, and changed into a clean undergarment. Only then did she feel the sticky, hot feeling from the previous night subside a bit.
She slung her basket over her shoulder, delivered the finished clothes to people, and on her way back, she detoured to the market in the grove.
It was called a market, but it was really just an open space. It was a place where people would exchange seafood, vegetables they had grown, or grains they had saved for their daily needs. During the day, there were many women, but after dusk, it became a gathering place for laborers who had free time. With so many people coming here, all sorts of snippets of news circulated in the market.
Yuezhi saw the peasant woman she had spoken to on the boat at a vegetable stall. Seeing that she looked quite well, she chatted with her for a few minutes.
"Big sister, who knows when this life on the island will end... There are so many people watching over the dock, but we don't see any ships coming."
The peasant woman sighed and lowered her voice: "Who knows? But I heard the men who got drunk at night say that when they went to the dock to unload cargo, they saw that the ships coming and going sometimes went in different directions."
A thought flashed through Yuezhi's mind, but she remained outwardly calm: "Oh? Didn't they all come from Qingzhou?"
The peasant woman looked around and lowered her voice even further: "It's not just that. We see few men during the day. Judging from the accents of the men over there in the shack, some are from Lizhou, some from Huzhou, and some from the southwest... I can't tell. Anyway, it's very chaotic."
At this moment, a woman with a listless expression picked up two bunches of green vegetables and timidly interjected, "When I got up last night, I saw the lantern hanging on the mast of the merchant ship that delivered supplies and money the night before last. It had the character '余' (Yu) on it."
Yuezhi's heart sank suddenly, and she almost dropped the vegetables she was picking back into the basket.
The Yu family is a well-known merchant family in Qingzhou, and she has had several conflicts with Zhao Meier. Could it be that the Yu family deliberately retaliated by knocking her unconscious and sending her to this godforsaken place?!
She suppressed her surprise, waited until the sickly woman was far away, chatted with the peasant woman for a while, and when there were fewer people around, she paid and left the market.
Along the way, she could clearly sense the difference.
The previously unrestrained stares and even flirtatious glances at her have subsided considerably. Occasionally, someone would steal a second look, and someone nearby would whisper a reminder: "What are you looking at? That's Zhang Instructor's room!"
As Yuezhi listened, she felt a mix of emotions. On this lawless island, a woman could only obtain basic security by "belonging" to a man of status.
She felt a wave of sadness and helplessness, and quickened her pace toward home.
Just as I stepped out of the market area and into the forest path, I saw several men behind the bushes joking around a woman—the sickly woman I had just encountered.
The woman was in tears, pleading, "I've caught a cold and I'm too weak to serve customers anymore. Please, have mercy on me this time."
The men ignored all that, uttering filthy words, and began to tear at her clothes.
As Yuezhi listened to the woman's cries on the road, she clenched her fists, struggling internally.
She herself needed protection, and making a commotion might cause trouble for Pei Heng, so she really shouldn't meddle in other people's business. However, the woman's desperate cries pierced her heart.
Terrified, she gritted her teeth and walked over, forcing herself to remain calm as she shouted, "What are you doing!"
The four men turned around; they were all familiar faces who had watched the commotion at their doorstep that night. When they saw her, they were taken aback for a moment, then showed some apprehension.
One of them grinned and said, "Mrs. Zhang, this has nothing to do with you. Mind your own business."
Yue Zhi steeled her resolve and invoked Pei Heng's name: "Several grown men bullying a young woman in broad daylight! When my husband returns, I'll tell him to see if his troops include such scoundrels!"
Upon hearing Pei Heng's name, the four men's expressions immediately changed. They exchanged glances, silently cursed a few times, released the woman, and slunk away.
The woman immediately collapsed to the ground, repeatedly kowtowing to Yuezhi in gratitude, "Thank you so much for saving my life, my lady."
Yuezhi felt a pang of sadness. She helped her up, took two large pancakes from the basket and handed them to her, offered a few words of comfort, and then hurriedly left.
Surrounded by wolves on the island, there was little she could do but seek to have a clear conscience.
*
As night fell, a dim oil lamp burned in the thatched hut, and the two men sat facing each other at the table eating dinner.
Today, Yuezhi bought fresh green vegetables, some oysters, and hot flatbread. Pei Heng used these ingredients, along with the half chicken that they hadn't finished eating, to cook three dishes and a soup.
At the dinner table, Yuezhi recounted the information she had gathered on her daily calendar at the market regarding the origins and destinations of the ships and the location of the Yu family's merchant ships docking at the port.
Pei Heng listened quietly, his eyes sharp.
After Yuezhi finished speaking, he put down his chopsticks and said in a deep voice, "I also made a discovery today. The back mountain near the cliff on the island is heavily guarded. I took advantage of the training troops to get close and take a look. It's not an ordinary cave. I could hear the sound of forging and smell the metallic odor. It's a fairly large weapons workshop."
Yuezhi exclaimed in surprise, "No wonder they selected people skilled in blacksmithing, secretly raised troops, and even privately manufactured weapons. Are they really... planning a rebellion?"
Pei Heng remained noncommittal. "I'm trying to find out when they'll receive the iron ore and send out weapons next. As soon as I find out who's involved in this line of work, I'll send troops immediately."
"But we don't know what kind of island this is. Even if we send troops from Qingzhou or Lizhou, can we pinpoint its location?"
"Don't worry, we'll find a way when the time comes."
Seeing the young man's fearless and resolute expression, Yuezhi felt her anxiety lessen considerably.
He was a man who fought his way up from the battlefield and secured his throne amidst the intrigues of the imperial court; he was both brave and resourceful—with him around, she had nothing to fear.
After dinner, Pei Heng cleared the dishes and went to the kitchen to wash them. Yue Zhi sat in the room, listening to the sound of running water outside, somewhat lost in thought.
After it was completely dark, Pei Heng carried the wooden basin to the water vat, preparing to wash off the sweat stains on his body, just like the day before.
Perhaps it was seeing the lonely and helpless woman being bullied, or perhaps it was his words at the dinner table that made her feel particularly at ease, but for a moment, Yuezhi couldn't see or hear him, and she missed him a little.
Sitting alone in the room with nothing to do, she finished sewing the clothes and brought back the dried bib. Her arms felt empty, making her miss the feeling of holding a child in her arms... the fullness of having him press against her chest.
After leaving him, she had no intimate contact with anyone. Usually, with her children around, she wouldn't think about this, but when she was alone for a long time, she became more aware of her body's reactions. If the thought even slightly crossed her mind, she would feel restless and uneasy.
Yuezhi rubbed her face to calm her breathing and heartbeat, and for no reason recalled the women's jokes during the day.
Since she's under his protection because of their marriage, she has to put on a good show, right?
His injuries have already healed, and it's really unfair to make him sleep alone in a drafty woodshed. Even if he doesn't say anything, the neighbors will become suspicious if they find out.
Yuezhi made up her mind, got up and quietly walked out the door, stopping at the corner of the woodshed.
Using the corner of the wall as a cover, she glimpsed Pei Heng with his back to her, deftly removing his sweat-soaked coarse cloth outer shirt, revealing his strong upper body wrapped in bandages. Although the wounds had scabbed over, the crisscrossing old and new scars were still shocking to behold.
He unwrapped the bandages and wiped his body with a damp cotton cloth.
The moonlight was dim tonight, shining on him like a hazy veil, slowly flowing over the smooth, firm muscle lines of the young man's shoulders and back, his broad back, his narrow waist... every inch contained a vibrant sense of power.
Yuezhi glanced at him, then quickly turned around and leaned against the wall, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes helplessly. She had wanted to come out and tell him, "You don't need to sleep in the woodshed tonight," and then go back to the house, but now her feet and mouth felt like they were glued together, and she couldn't speak or take a step.
Listening to the babbling water, a blush crept onto her cheeks, and her gaze involuntarily drifted to the back of the wall, only to quickly look away as if she had been burned.
She stood quietly behind the wall, her gaze fixed on the moonlight that bathed her embroidered shoes, her face flushed, and quietly moved back outside the thatched hut.
Pei Heng quickly cleaned himself up, changed into clean undergarments, and prepared to return to the woodshed.
He heard footsteps approaching and then heard her quietly leave. He figured she was probably out washing her underwear, so he didn't ask any further questions.
Just as he was about to push open the woodshed door, a figure hurriedly walked up beside him and pulled out his sleeve.
Pei Heng paused, turning to look at her in confusion.
Yuezhi lowered her head, her cheeks burning red, and her voice was barely audible, "You...don't sleep in the woodshed anymore."
Pei Heng was stunned.
Yuezhi took a deep breath and tried to remain calm, saying, "Your injury has healed, but if you keep sleeping in the woodshed... the neighbors will inevitably become suspicious. Since we're husband and wife, it's better if we sleep in the same room." Her voice grew softer and softer, almost inaudible.
Pei Heng's breath caught in his throat for a moment, and a surge of heat instantly coursed through his body.
Looking down at Yuezhi's flushed earlobes and the hand tightly gripping his sleeve, he swallowed hard and asked in a hoarse voice, "...Are you sure?"
"Mmm." Yuezhi didn't dare to look up at him.
Pei Heng remained silent for a moment, a struggle seemingly in his eyes. In the end, the secret desire in his heart prevailed, and he answered in a hoarse voice, "Okay."
The two entered the house one after the other. As the door closed, they could almost hear a few suppressed laughs coming from next door, which made Yuezhi's cheeks burn even hotter.
There was only one bed in the room.
Yuezhi walked to the bedside, picked up a thin blanket and a pillow, which were gifts from Hu Yong for Pei Heng's good work, and stuffed them into his arms, saying, "You can sleep on the floor."
Pei Heng took the bedding, said nothing, silently spread it on the ground, blew out the oil lamp, and the room fell into darkness, with only the hazy moonlight shining through the window paper, casting a faint halo.
The two lay down, less than an arm's length apart. The silence was amplified in the darkness, and their breathing was clearly audible.
They used to sleep together and love to gossip, talking for a long time about everything, big or small, good or bad. Now they are speechless, and Yuezhi feels a lump in her throat, unable to sleep at all.
Half an incense stick later, she heard a rustling sound on the ground, and Pei Heng seemed to sit up.
My heart leaped into my throat: Why did he get up? What is he going to do? Could it be...?
Yuezhi lay on her side with her eyes tightly closed. The hand beneath her nervously covered her throbbing chest. But there was not only panic in her heart, but also a secret expectation. She couldn't help but shrink her legs.
However, the young man got up and walked to the table, where he poured a glass of water.
The cool water couldn't relieve the heat in the room. The sound of him swallowing was particularly clear in the darkness. Yuezhi felt her mouth was dry and her throat was tight. After hesitating for a moment, she also sat up.
She whispered, "I want to drink water too."
Pei Heng paused for a moment after putting down his water glass, then poured another glass and brought it to her bedside. His tall figure stood in front of the bed like an impenetrable wall.
Yuezhi took the water, lowered her head and sipped it slowly, trying to suppress the thirst in her throat and the inexplicable turmoil in her heart.
Pei Heng stood by the bed, looking down at her.
The moonlight outlined her slender neck, the slight movement of her throat as she drank, and her lips, glistening with an alluring sheen after being moistened with water. Her cheeks were flushed, her long eyelashes drooped, exuding an air of defenseless vulnerability and seduction.
His breathing suddenly became heavy, his chest heaved violently, his body screamed to get closer, and the impulse surged like a tidal wave, almost pushing him to his limit.
After Yuezhi finished drinking the water, she handed the cup back to him. When she looked up, she met his deep, dark eyes, which burned with undisguised desire and struggle, so hot that they almost devoured her.
Her heart skipped a beat, her eyes instinctively darted away, and after lowering her head, she felt an intense itch in her heart and couldn't help but secretly look up at him again.
Just one glance.
The stalemate between them suddenly collapsed.
Pei Heng suddenly leaned down, his burning lips precisely capturing hers, and kissed her deeply.
Yuezhi's eyes widened in astonishment, and she almost dropped the cup in her hand, but Pei Heng caught it and threw it aside.
His kiss carried a savage, predatory air, forcefully intruding and instantly robbing her of all reason, yet it was also mixed with an unspeakable tenderness and longing, pulling her into a long and sticky confrontation.
Yuezhi gave a token refusal, placing her hands on his firm chest, feeling weak and powerless.
His scent enveloped her, mingling with the coolness of the well water and the sweet memories of their past love, completely overwhelming her.
All the weighing of pros and cons, the distance and rejection, crumbled in this sudden kiss.
She could no longer deceive herself; she so desperately craved his strong, burning arms, wanted to touch his mature body, to forget all her fears and anxieties in her infatuation, and wanted her empty embrace to be filled once more.
Her eyelashes trembled, she slowly closed her eyes, her hand that had been resting on his chest slid down and instead climbed up his neck, hugging him tightly, her lips responding awkwardly yet eagerly.
Dry wood and a raging fire, ready to ignite at the slightest touch.
In the darkness, only their rapid breathing and the intimate sounds of their lips entwined could be heard. Two figures leaned against each other, the room filled with a heat that made it impossible to distinguish one another.
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