Chapter Twenty-Seven: Pampering
A week passed after Yun Yao fell ill. Once his fever subsided and his condition stabilized, the rainy season in Nanhang finally came to an end.
Yun Yao, having just recovered from her illness, was somewhat disheartened and stopped going out, spending her days in the camphor garden.
To Yun Yao's surprise, his wife came to keep him company every day, even when she was busy. This made Yun Yao feel embarrassed and touched. Especially when he felt betrayed and abandoned by his closest relatives, his wife's companionship was particularly precious.
But at the same time, he also became worried. He still remembered how haggard his wife looked when she was sick, and Cuiwei Villa was originally a place for his wife to recuperate. He was worried that he, as a patient, would be a burden on his wife.
“Madam, I’m really worried that I might pass on my illness to you if you come here every day like this,” Yun Yao couldn’t help but advise his wife.
The lady was taking the medicine bowl from the servant and blowing on it to cool it down. She heard Yunyao's worry but said indifferently, "Yun'er, don't worry."
She pretended to feed Yun Yao medicine, and Yun Yao quickly sat up, took the bowl of medicine, and obediently drank the bitter medicine in one gulp.
After watching him finish drinking, the lady touched his cheek tenderly and said, "You'll feel better tomorrow. Come with me to see someone."
Although Yun Yao didn't know who the lady wanted him to see, he still nodded obediently.
The lady smiled, "Yun'er, you seem to be more obedient than before, look at your pitiful appearance."
Yun Yao felt the warmth of his wife's touch on his face, and a wave of bitterness welled up in his heart. His own father had used and deceived him, and the complete world he had built before had collapsed in an instant. He was now like a helpless little bird in the dark, desperately needing to get close to a warm light, and he would cherish even the slightest bit of it.
The lady picked up a candied fruit from the silver plate and slowly fed it to him. Watching the young man chew slowly, she couldn't help but lower her head and kiss him. Yun Yao gasped and hurriedly stopped her, saying, "Madam, I just drank medicine, my mouth tastes bitter."
The lady smiled regretfully, but she still gently kissed the boy's lips and then reached out to hug him affectionately.
Her warm breath brushed against his temple as she sighed softly, "Yun'er, when will you get better..."
...
The next day, as if heaven had heard his wife's wish, Yun Yao's health had indeed improved significantly. He felt his vitality return, and he seemed to have the strength to face the complexities of the world again.
As soon as Yun Yao recovered from her illness, she felt restless and went to help the other assistants pack their things. At this moment, Butler Cheng came over with a friendly expression and called to Yun Yao. Butler Cheng said that two special guests were visiting Cuiwei Villa today, and the madam was receiving them in the study. He asked Butler Cheng to take Yun Yao to meet the guests.
Yun Yao remembered that his wife had said yesterday that she would take him to meet someone, so he went with Butler Cheng.
Upon entering the study, Yun Yao sensed that the atmosphere was unusual. Several well-trained plainclothes security guards stood at the door, their posture upright. He turned into the inner reception room and heard a deep male voice say earnestly, "Madam, your recovery is a blessing for the nation..."
Butler Cheng waited until the sounds inside stopped before knocking on the door. The lady's smiling voice came from inside: "Come in." Butler Cheng gestured for Yun Yao to go in, but he himself did not follow her in and instead turned to wait at the entrance of the hall.
The moment Yun Yao pushed open the door, he felt several imposing gazes sweep over him. Upon seeing him, those gazes shifted to a mixture of astonishment and confusion. It was as if such a young and beautiful person as Yun Yao was not supposed to be present at this occasion.
Yun Yao raised her eyes without showing any emotion, not looking at anyone else, but looking directly at the lady sitting in the central seat, and softly called out, "Madam."
The lady looked at him with a smile and beckoned to him: "Yun'er, come here."
Yun Yao walked to the lady's side and quietly sized up the two guests.
The two men were around forty years old, vigorous, and had an extraordinary air about them; they were clearly not ordinary people.
When Yun Yao walked to her side, the lady suddenly raised her hand and gently half-hug the boy's waist. Facing the two surprised guests who were trying their best to hide their expressions, she naturally introduced him: "This is my little boy, his name is Yun Yao."
The lady's tone carried an undeniable intimacy, and her slight half-embracing gesture revealed an extraordinary level of affection.
The two visiting men were both shrewd and astute; how could they not understand the madam's unusual introduction? They quickly greeted Yun Yao, and one of the men, with a square face, even smiled and politely complimented her a few times.
Yun Yao felt rather uncomfortable. These two men didn't seem like ordinary people at all; they were most likely rich and powerful. Their somewhat clumsy attempts at flattery sounded condescending, suggesting they were used to being flattered and rarely had the chance to flatter others like this.
At this moment, Yun Yao was unaware that these two guests were actually the new leaders who were about to be parachuted into Nanhang.
...
As night falls, the night at Cuiwei Villa is exceptionally tranquil.
However, in a secluded yet luxurious room somewhere in the camphor garden, a passionate and intense affair was unfolding.
Amidst the lingering scent of sandalwood, the bed curtains rose and fell like surging waves under the dim palace lamplight.
Yun Yao was panting heavily, as if he were about to be annihilated in this intense moment. The lady held him tightly, unwilling to let him go for even a moment.
Like a python that has endured for a long time, she finally caught the prey she had been coveting and vowed to devour him madly and greedily.
In such a scorching intimacy that made even the air feel thick and sticky, Yun Yao felt as if he had been dragged into a bottomless, dark abyss. He often felt suffocated and was often afraid of losing himself. He didn't want to completely succumb, but he couldn't control himself.
The extreme moment was also the extreme loss of control. The feeling of being completely controlled and swallowed up by others with nowhere to hide made him unable to hold back his tears.
But even tears will vanish in this fiery, decadent sea of desire...
The sun finally rose, and it was another sunny day.
Morning has arrived at Cuiwei Villa. The rich and abundant fragrance of plants permeates the lush and elegant estate, carrying a slight chill.
The servants who routinely attended to the lady were quietly waiting somewhere in the camphor garden. But on this day, the lady was slow to give any orders.
As the sun shone brightly, the oldest maidservant who served the lady cautiously approached a secluded and luxurious bedroom at the prompting of her companion.
As she approached the door, she heard some sounds that made her blush and lower her head instantly.
The sound seemed to come right next to the door, the top-quality wooden door now acting as a vehicle for revelry, like the sound of waves crashing against one's ears, sometimes fast, sometimes slow.
Before the servants could flee in panic, a broken, desperate sob could be heard from inside the room: "Madam, no... please..."
The disturbances didn't disappear; instead, they intensified. Amidst the sobs, the maid heard a soft laugh from the lady. The laugh was like the ultimate sigh after unbridled pleasure, or the most intimate teasing after satiation.
The servant dared not listen any longer, and hurriedly retreated with a flushed face.
Time, like a child lost in play, vanishes in the blink of an eye.
Yun Yao had no idea how the past few days had passed. He finally couldn't take it anymore and, after repeatedly refusing the madam's advances, managed to escape from that decadent and frivolous golden house-like room.
At that moment, Butler Cheng smiled and said he had brought him some good news.
Yun Yao's father's case was decided in a closed session a couple of days ago. The newly appointed person in charge, under the instructions of the new leadership, reorganized the evidence for the next round of prosecution. Yun Yao's father, one of the suspects in the case, was ultimately sentenced as a borderline accomplice and given a lighter sentence, with his term reduced to five years. Combined with the year he had already served, Yun Yao's father only needs to serve four more years before being released.
If Yun Yao had known Qin Rao before, he would have been overjoyed and wept upon hearing this news. But now, Yun Yao's face suddenly turned pale. He didn't react with the jubilation that Butler Cheng had expected. Instead, he calmly, even somewhat coldly, asked Butler Cheng for the relevant news documents.
Seeing that the case that had troubled him for two or three years and led to his current predicament had finally been settled, Yun Yao felt no relief or joy. He put down the documents, gave a silent laugh, a laugh that contained a sorrow more profound than any cry.
Contrary to his usual behavior, Butler Cheng eagerly inquired whether a prison visit should be arranged for Yun Yao, but Yun Yao remained silent. His dark pupils revealed no emotion, only a stagnant stillness. He knew in his heart that after that day, he had lost faith in his father, and he didn't even want to see him again, at least not now. Therefore, he coldly rejected Butler Cheng's suggestion.
Butler Cheng left in surprise. Yun Yao suddenly felt all his strength drain away. He slumped onto the table, suppressing the turmoil of emotions surging within him, and processing the pain and confusion that came with the news alone.
Perhaps his father's matter has come to an end, but what about himself? Where is his path, and what should he do?
Just then, another butler brought in today's newspaper. Yun Yao absentmindedly flipped through it and inadvertently saw a familiar face in the headline article—a square-faced, solemn-looking middle-aged man.
Yun Yao recognized him as one of the two who had recently visited Madam at Cuiwei Manor. And today's newspaper article is about the newly appointed leader of Nanhang…
Yun Yao belatedly felt a chill run down his spine. He thought of his father's case, his own tragedy, and his life that had gone astray with no end in sight. He couldn't help but feel disgusted and afraid of these things that everyone was so eager to pursue.
These things that everyone fights for and desperately wants to reach only bring him endless shadows and broken family relationships. He truly hates and fears them.
Perhaps, in Yun Yao's heart, he is still that simple child who grew up under the gentle care of his maternal grandparents and mother.
He couldn't contain so many grand and terrifying things in his heart. He just wanted to quietly and purely do what he loved, and have genuine love by his side. That was his perfect vision.
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