“Zhuge Yue!” Chu Qiao pushed him angrily, “You are bullying me!”
He suddenly hugged her, so unexpectedly and with such force that the quilt on her body and the cotton cloth on her head were all knocked away.
He turned her face over and kissed her hard, holding her tightly, so tightly that he seemed to want to rub her into his body. He breathed deeply, his hands tightened around her waist, their bodies pressed tightly together, they could even feel each other's heartbeat.
One, two, three times...
"Chu Qiao." He looked at her and suddenly called her name. It was as if a fire was burning in his eyes. He did not blink and just said steadily, "Marry me."
Chu Qiao was stunned for a moment. The light shone on Zhuge Yue's face. Half of his face was bright, while the other half was hidden in the shadows. It looked a little unreal. She felt as if she was hallucinating and was at a loss. She wanted to say something, but when she opened her mouth she didn't know how to answer.
"Xing'er." He looked at her quietly and called her again.
She was a little dizzy and responded, "Hmm?"
"I love you."
It was like a bomb exploded above her head. Chu Qiao felt her face burning, her body rapidly heating up, and her thoughts solidified in an instant like cement with water added to it. She looked at him stupidly, with something happy yet panicking beating vigorously in her chest. Chu Qiao hurriedly covered it with her hands, as if it would jump out if she didn't hold it down.
"We've been in love for a long time, do you know that?" He asked her so calmly, as if they were discussing someone else's business, without any sense of embarrassment or panic.
Chu Qiao nodded, "I know."
"What about you?" His eyes were so bright that Chu Qiao felt like she was about to suffocate.
She mustered up her courage and whispered, "Me too."
But he refused to let her go, and asked with a smile: "What are you too?"
The boat is really small, Chu Qiao thought at this time, why is the room so small and so hot, she can't breathe!
"Tell me." He approached her domineeringly, gently pinched her pointed chin, and said, "What are you too?"
"Me too..." Chu Qiao clenched her fists tightly, and many images flew in from thousands of miles away, "I love you, too."
I love you too……
The voice was very soft, but it immediately penetrated the darkness of the night and illuminated the smile on his face. He kissed her on the forehead and asked, "When did it start?"
when? I don’t know, maybe it was the reunion at the foot of Sunset Mountain, maybe it was the glance back in the dim lights at the Xianyang Lantern Festival, maybe it was the voices of “keep living” under the Thousand-foot Lake.
Or maybe, it was the hug in the Meishan Imperial Mausoleum long, long ago, it was the accidental ambiguity in Wu Pengcheng, it was the tacit understanding and companionship of supporting each other and fighting side by side along the way, it was the tears he shed when he rescued her from Zhao Chun'er in Tangjing City.
Or it could be traced back to more than ten years ago, when in the room filled with the fragrance of orchids, the stubborn boy wiped away her tears and snot with a white handkerchief, and just like that, time and time again, he capriciously, stubbornly and savagely entered her heart.
No greeting, no asking if she was willing.
"I don't know." She reached out to touch his slightly wrinkled brows due to dissatisfaction, "Maybe it was a long, long time ago, so long ago that I don't even know, and I can't tell which time it was." She leaned in his arms and said softly, "Maybe it was many times, accumulated little by little, I can't remember."
"What a fool." He hugged her and suddenly said with a smile, "Actually, I don't know either."
Yes, maybe that's it. No one knows which time it is, love always comes quietly, and by the time you discover it, it has already been deeply rooted.
He lowered his head and kissed her lips, cheeks, earlobes, and neck, moving little by little until he kissed her slender collarbone.
Chu Qiao's body became softer and softer, and she gradually leaned against him.
Zhuge Yue's body became scorching hot, and the hand on his waist gradually moved upwards, like a blazing fire, slowly burning away Chu Qiao's remaining sanity.
“Ah!” Chu Qiao screamed suddenly, and felt dizzy. Then she was picked up and pressed across the bed.
Most of the clothes were already wet, and it didn't matter whether he was wearing them or not.
He just looked at her, his brows slightly furrowed, as if he was thinking about something, but his eyes were burning.
Heavy breathing sounded beside her ear, and moist lips held her small earlobe. A tingling sensation like an electric shock suddenly came over her. The strap on the side of her clothes was deftly pulled open, revealing a small beige undergarment with a goose yellow bird embroidered on it.
The round shoulders were exposed to the air, feeling slightly cool. His slender fingers lightly swept across them, stirring up a trembling softness. He moved sideways all the way, and with a flick of his little finger, the belt around the neck unfolded, and the clothes immediately slipped down. Chu Qiao was startled and instinctively pulled him back, but all she got in return was a short chuckle from above her head.
"shy?"
Chu Qiao tried hard to get out of his arms. She pointed at the candle at the foot of the bed stupidly. Her voice was hoarse and she said pitifully, "Blow out the candle."
Zhuge Yue suddenly laughed happily, still his usual self, and turned his head away without making a sound, but one could see the corner of his mouth curling up.
It was silent all around, except for the occasional sound of water birds flying over the river, flapping their wings.
He put his arm around her waist and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid."
The silk was smooth, and the moment his kiss fell on her, she felt dazed and suffocated for a moment. Her body gradually became hot, and her clothes were removed layer by layer, leaving behind her shy body.
Smooth and snow-white, it looks like colored glaze jade, and is carved with incredible skill.
This is a territory that no one has ever set foot on, swaying with youthful vitality and tenderness. He covered her gently, and when their skin touched, it was like a scorching fire burning slowly.
Her breath was completely swallowed up, her face pressed against his shoulder blade, and she suddenly saw the hideous wound. Her body turned cold and she shivered.
He felt it, and quickly covered her eyes with his hands, whispering, "Don't look."
But she pulled his hand away, stretched out her trembling hands to hug his shoulders, and pressed the soft skin of her cheek against his wound. Tears flowed down her face, winding along the dark red scar.
Zhuge Yue silently embraced her in his arms, and said nothing, just quietly watching her cry.
On the day Li Ce was buried, she swore never to shed tears again. But at this moment, looking at the scars on his body, looking at the places where she had stabbed him many times, she still felt extremely sad. She held him tightly, afraid that he would disappear if she let go. Just like on that icy lake so long ago, she let go of his hand and could no longer see him.
“Zhuge Yue, I’m sorry.” She cried.
“Fool.” Zhuge Yue kissed her cloud-like hair and chuckled, “You have disfigured me, you must be responsible for me.”
Chu Qiao knew he was joking, so she sobbed and retorted, "It's just on the shoulder, it doesn't count...it doesn't count as a disfigurement."
Zhuge Yue laughed quietly, his pupils were as dark as a deep pool, bottomless, and he could only see her lotus-like shadow. His soft lips gently kissed away the tears on her cheeks, and whispered softly: "No matter what, you have to take responsibility."
His arms were so strong that they almost hurt her, but in the pain, she was so happy, as if immersed in a huge joy like the ocean.
How wonderful it was that there was still today. Once upon a time, she thought that everything had come to an abrupt end, buried in the cold lake water, and there was no turning back.
The lingering became deeper and deeper, with fine beads of sweat sliding down their foreheads. The green waves of the river were all around them, and no human voices could be heard. Time seemed to have stopped at this moment, and the wind had stopped blowing. Only they were left, in a ball of splendour...
Chu Qiao couldn't help but moan, and arched her body in pain. A warm, fishy smell flowed down between her legs, with spots of bright red, like cinnabar.
His movements suddenly froze, and a trace of disbelief flashed across his brows. Then, he looked at her deeply, as if looking through layers of fog, looking at the lights in the distance to confirm the path forward.
Her face was so red and her lips were swollen. She reached out to pull at her nightgown, nervously covering her chest. When she saw him looking at her, she just stood there in a daze without saying a word.
He suddenly laughed. Chu Qiao had never seen him laugh like that before. At first, he just grinned slightly, but gradually he started laughing out loud, and then the sound became louder and louder, which scared Chu Qiao so much that she quickly stretched out her little hand to try to cover his mouth.
But he suddenly buried his head in her neck and whispered, "Xing'er, I'm so happy."
Her arms were so slender, wrapped around his waist; he had such a good figure, like the Calvin Klein jeans model on TV. She grinned happily in the darkness, the pair of red candles had gradually gone out, with candle tears flowing out. She smiled and thought, this is my wedding night candle.
After so many people, so many things, and so much time, national hatred and family feuds, separation of life and death, time and space, this life and past life, step by step, we have finally reached this day.
She buried her head in his shoulder and cried freely. It started to rain late at night, and the sound of drops of rain hit the planks of the boat. The boat danced, shuttling through the waterways surrounded by towering mountains. Faintly, one could hear the sound of the wind, mixed with the late autumn rain, hitting the silent river.
Chu Qiao woke up late at night, her long black hair scattered around her neck, her cheeks flushed, her eyes half asleep, her skin as white as satin, hidden among the layers of brocade. She stretched out her slender arm and touched it, but it was ice-cold. She was startled and all her sleepiness disappeared. She sat up immediately and saw that the room was empty except for her. It was still pitch black outside the window, and rain had started to fall without my noticing.
She suddenly felt a little flustered and got out of bed. However, as soon as her toes touched the ground, her knees suddenly softened and the dull pain in her lower body spread throughout her body, as if reminding her that everything today had changed.
Chu Qiao put on a light blue dress embroidered with light white flowers and lush leaves, paired with a cloud-like shawl with sleeves, picked up a bamboo umbrella, opened the cabin door, and walked out.
It was a bit cold outside, and the rain was fine, like the drizzle in early spring, blown sideways by the wind. Even with an umbrella, raindrops still playfully hit the hem of my skirt from time to time, swirling lightly in the night wind. She ran hurriedly across the empty deck, her skirt already wet. The dark sky and earth were rushing towards her from all directions. The mountains on both sides were towering and majestic, and occasionally the clear and long cries of monkeys could be heard.
He just stood at the bow facing the wind, and it seemed like he had been standing there for a long time. He was dressed in a moon-white gown, tall and handsome. In the dark shadows of the twilight, there was a hint of depression and gloom in his eyes. He turned around when he heard footsteps. Seeing that it was her, he was not surprised. He just stretched out his hand and called calmly, "Come here."
Chu Qiao ran over quickly and held the umbrella over his head. Although the rain was light, he would get wet if he stood there for a long time. His clothes were damp and cold with water vapor. She frowned and said, "Can't you see it's raining?"
The mountain breeze whimpered as it passed between them, and the wide sleeves of their robes were slightly bulged by the wind. The fingers he held her finger against were distinct, slender and strong. He suddenly held her in his arms without saying a word, and just held her quietly. He didn't use any strength, but it was as if a force like steel was restraining her, making her dare not move at all.