Chapter 77 Stifling the idea of "Continuing to be a shameful singer, serving..."
The man's eyes were as black as obsidian, and the feeling of being seen through intensified the discomfort that made her hair stand on end. The shackles on her ankles felt incredibly heavy. Shi Wan had only driven herself outwards on impulse and the instinct for survival.
Now, the pain is felt only after a long time; even taking a few steps feels like stepping on a knife's edge.
Her lungs felt like they were on fire, and a sharp, throbbing pain surged up within her. Her breathing gradually became rapid. The platform was large and the empty space meant that Shi Wan could barely hear her own voice.
Jiang Xu seemed to be in no hurry, standing directly below her, wearing one of the clothes that Shi Wan had bought for him when she passed through Linzhou, just to make excuses.
The elegant ink-blue, mixed with a few strands of white, stands tall and straight like a mountain, while in the distance, the gray dawn breaks.
She had always known that Jiang Xu was extremely tall and had a very strong presence.
Even though the other person is so far away from her right now, Shi Wan still has the illusion that she can't avoid them.
Until, she seemed to see the corner of Jiang Xu's lips twitch slightly.
All around was silent.
Only the morning breeze, as the sky brightened, ruffled her dress.
Shi Wan stared intently, her heart pounding, and in a flash, she seemed to understand what Jiang Xu had just said.
He seemed to be calling her name.
It seems to be...
Tell her to "come down".
Shi Wan couldn't help but murmur, "I...I won't."
Don't go down there, stay away from him, you have to stay away from him!
In an instant, she became paranoid, completely oblivious to the small bloodstains on her hands as she ran frantically. As time passed, she remained focused on Jiang Xu's figure.
He showed no intention of coming up to find her.
Jiang Xu remained standing, patiently waiting for her, just as before, even with a hint of mockery.
Shi Wan's vision began to blur again, with indistinct outlines, faint sounds of wind all around, and even conversations and birdsong from a very, very far away place.
She unconsciously wanted to squat down, but was afraid that doing so would put her at a disadvantage.
Falling into a disadvantageous position means utter ruin.
Suddenly, Jiang Xu moved.
He must have gotten tired of waiting, because he took a step forward.
However, Shi Wan was already highly tense, her mind was on edge, and she subconsciously thought that Jiang Xu was going to come up, and even his step forward seemed like some kind of signal.
Desire...
The signal to capture her.
Shi Wan made a snap decision, instinctively went to the railing, and then leaped over the high platform.
Suddenly, the sound of wind filled my ears, a strong sense of weightlessness came over me, everything spun around me, the ground seemed to expand infinitely before my eyes, and I suddenly hit a resistance beneath me.
"Ugh..." Shi Wan was so dizzy from the impact that her vision became extremely blurry, but subconsciously she could sense that Jiang Xu was looking at her at that moment, so she swallowed back the sound of pain.
Almost simultaneously, she was suddenly pulled into a cold embrace.
The familiar scent of grass and trees, mixed with the smell of blood on her body, wafted over her. Under the double pressure on her body and mind, Shi Wan instantly lost her strength and collapsed into Jiang Xu's arms.
The already pessimistic wound became even more bloody and mangled after this incident. Bloodstains soaked the skirt and dripped down like a light rain, eventually disappearing into the ground.
Shi Wan felt the taste of blood rising in her throat. After she forced herself to swallow it again, Jiang Xu suddenly lifted her chin, and their eyes met, closing the distance between them infinitely.
This time, the scene I had just imagined quickly and clearly appeared in my mind.
Jiang Xu's eyes showed no surprise, only a deep, unfathomable coldness, as he had done many times before, quietly lying in wait.
He knew all along...!
he......
I had anticipated this long ago!
As if possessed, Shi Wan thought of this, and instantly, the breath she had been holding in dissipated. She felt a pain in her heart that was even greater than the wounds on her body. She choked and spat out a pool of blood.
Then, she could no longer hold on and fainted.
......
*
After an unknown amount of time, Shi Wan finally woke up slowly.
The familiar bed came into view, and above the canopy was a lifelike picture of mandarin ducks with their necks intertwined. Seeing this ironic scene, she subconsciously moved.
Instantly, a tearing sensation came from her ankle. The air was filled with the scent of medicine. Shi Wan sniffed it and felt even more nauseous.
"Awake?" Jiang Xu asked calmly from a short distance away.
As soon as Shi Wan turned her head, she saw him sitting in the armchair by the bed. The man's fingertips rested casually on the armrest, and his elegant light blue robe blended into the dim light around him. His eyes were fixed on her without blinking.
Shi Wan paused, hesitated for a moment, and said, "I... I won't take the medicine." As she spoke, she could no longer suppress the discomfort in her throat, pressed her lips tightly together, and her face stiffened.
Bian unconsciously curled up, the shackles on her ankles making a slight "clattering" sound, making it hard for her to breathe.
Seeing that Shi Wan refused to cooperate, Jiang Xu was not surprised. He stepped forward, stared at her bloodless face, and said calmly, "How can you get better if you don't take your medicine?"
He wouldn't tell Shi Wan that this time the medicine was new, not just for conditioning her body, but also a medicine formulated by combining the wisdom of many military doctors to help women conceive.
He was silent for a moment, then said, "You definitely have to take the medicine." As he spoke, seeing Shi Wan close her eyes again, he chuckled, "How are you feeling now...?"
Jiang Xu's gaze was like needles piercing her. Shi Wan hesitated for a moment, afraid that he would do something neurotic again. Just as she was about to answer, she saw Jiang Xu gradually approaching, and that shadow that terrified her once again completely covered her.
His fingertips gently caressed her cheek as he called her name, "Shiwan." His warm body temperature made for a truly tender gesture.
Shi Wan felt her hair stand on end. "I..."
"Did you have fun running?" Jiang Xu suddenly spoke before she could finish, his deep voice like a venomous snake, "Jumping down from such a height, huh?"
Shi Wan bit her lower lip tightly, "...It's none of your business." Seeing Jiang Xu's fingertips becoming increasingly excessive, she turned her head away, but her body trembled slightly uncontrollably due to his actions.
Seeing this, Jiang Xu increased the pressure on his hand.
His fingertips traced her cheek gently, then moved downwards, brushing across her slender neck. Several hours earlier, he had also tended to the wound on the back of Shi Wan's neck.
Jiang Xu stared intently at the purplish-blue mark and suddenly increased the pressure.
"Hiss..." Shi Wan shuddered violently in pain and gasped for breath.
Jiang Xu leaned down and pressed his warm lips against the purplish-blue mark. Although his kiss was quite gentle and meticulous, Shi Wan felt even more horrified.
The man's lips and tongue touched her skin, the wetness of his tongue licking inch by inch, giving her the illusion that Jiang Xu was doing this to clean her.
She was his possession, and any stain had to be removed.
"How many times have you run away?" Jiang Xu's voice was close to my ear, cold and suffocating, "How many times have you refused to cooperate..."
It slowly seeped into her bones, "and I remember how many times."
Shi Wan had been on edge ever since Jiang Xu brought up the topic of "running". After several exchanges, she was exhausted and even thought about whether she should try to be more cunning and smile.
But the next moment, she quickly rejected it.
Right now, facing Jiang Xu, she could only manage a smile, unable to manage a genuine one, and thus, she remained silent.
Humiliation, fear, worry and many other emotions wove together into a huge net, entangling and capturing her layer by layer, until her wings were completely sawed off and she could not move.
Jiang Xu didn't seem to mind, and continued to ask, "Are you trembling? Why?"
Shi Wan couldn't see his expression, but she could hear the man's utter bewilderment in his words, "Are you afraid of me?" He seemed completely unaware of what he had done, and as he had done many times before, he humbly sought his advice.
Looking at his neurotic demeanor, Shi Wan whispered, "What do you mean?"
She calmly stated, "You did these things to me, I'm afraid of you, I even hate you..."
"Isn't this perfectly normal?"
Hate him?
“Yes.” Jiang Xu gazed at her calm eyes and brows, as if sighing, “It’s perfectly normal.”
After a pause, he suddenly asked her, "Would you like to go outside and have a look around?"
Shi Wan didn't know what he meant by suddenly saying this, or if it was just a trap to test her again, but she did need to familiarize herself with the surrounding environment. After weighing the options, she nodded and said, "If you're willing to take me, I'm naturally happy to."
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Xu suddenly picked her up. Although the shackles on her ankles were extremely heavy and she had a certain weight, in his hands she felt as light as a feather.
The man's chest was hard, and even through the thin fabric of early autumn clothing, one could feel the power contained within his body. With nothing to lean on, Shi Wan could only passively lean against him.
It was evening, and outside, the sunset was a deep red, a quiet yet extremely soothing sight.
"In three years at most, once the situation stabilizes, I will set up a courtyard with even more beautiful scenery than this place. If you want freedom, the two of us can go boating in the summer, enjoy the snow in the winter, and travel around."
His fingertips unconsciously caressed Shi Wan's wrist, his eyes filled with a chilling contemplation, but his tone became increasingly relaxed, "At that time, there will be no extra people, you can do as you please."
Every word and phrase is like... telling a beautiful dream, within reach, a dream come true.
Seeing that Shi Wan seemed not to hear him, Jiang Xu continued, "If you don't want to be a concubine, then you won't be." After saying this, he felt the body in his arms stiffen for a moment, and the corners of his lips rose almost imperceptibly. He repeated, "If you don't want to be, then you won't be."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan's thoughts were momentarily jumbled, and she almost thought she was hallucinating. Her heart skipped a beat, and she pressed for an answer: "Really?"
"...You would be so kind?" she asked, her tone questioning, but Jiang Xu's words still gave rise to a faint, absurd hope.
Jiang Xu took in all the changes in her expression, his heart growing colder. On the surface, he deliberately whispered close to her sensitive spot near her ear, "Of course."
"Since you've already chosen this path, then continue being a shameful singer and serving me." Just like when they first met, things were ambiguous and there was no official status between them.
His tone was full of undisguised malice and mockery: "In exchange, I will give you... 'freedom'."
"how?"
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Author's Note: Actually, the scene in these two chapters where the female protagonist passively jumps off the high platform was inspired by fragments of inspiration that flashed through my mind when I first conceived this story. It's also the origin of the title's metaphor. Finally, I've reached this point! [Sprinkling flowers]
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