New Year greetings on the third day of the Lunar New Year
A chill ran down Ah Chou's nose. He looked up at the sky and saw the snow, which had stopped for a while, begin to fall again, bringing a touch of cold air to the air.
Ah Chou rubbed his hands together to warm them and then tucked them into his sleeves. He rubbed his pointed chin against his white rabbit fur scarf, and his breath blurred his features.
A weight landed on his shoulder, and warmth enveloped him from behind. Ah Chou turned his head and felt his cool lips being gently touched, tasting the spiciness of the wine between his teeth.
"My elder sister seemed to realize something, and she insisted on making me drink two cups. She was in a hurry to see you, so she drank too quickly and her head is spinning."
Jiang Yanhui spoke in a sticky, incoherent way, which was quite different from her usual image. Perhaps she had opened up about her thoughts and become uninhibited.
Ah Chou touched Jiang Yan Hui's cheek with concern, noticing that her eyes were still relatively clear, so she probably wasn't too drunk.
It snowed again that night. Ah Chou was worried about Jiang Yan Hui's old ailment of being afraid of the cold. He pretended to return the cloak he was wearing to her, but Jiang Yan Hui took it back without giving him a chance to refuse.
"Leave the palace as soon as possible to avoid running into those ministers and getting the roads blocked again."
Jiang Yanhui tied the sash of A Chou's cloak, then ran her hand along his arm and held it tightly.
The carriage stopped outside Xuanzheng Gate, saving the travel distance compared to others. A charcoal brazier had been thoughtfully placed inside, making the carriage warm and comfortable.
Ah Chou walked quickly, afraid that the snow would fall on Jiang Yan Hui and make her cold. As soon as she entered the carriage, she quickly took off her cloak and covered her with it. She rubbed her warm hands against Jiang Yan Hui's cold palms and looked up at her disapprovingly.
"Then let's warm it up a bit more."
Jiang Yan hugged A Chou, slipping her hands under her lower back. The coolness caused A Chou's back to arch forward, and she furrowed her delicate brows.
The hand that had been on Jiang Yan's shoulder twitched slightly; in the end, she couldn't bring herself to push him away.
The carriage swayed twice, indicating that it had left the palace gates.
Ah Chou listened intently to the guards outside reminiscing about the falling snow, when she suddenly felt a cool sensation on her neck. Soft, warm lips covered her sensitive, thin skin, and even seemed to travel downwards.
Ah Chou was forced to tilt his head back and let the woman, who smelled of alcohol, pluck at him, indulging the hands that were groping around on his back, his eyes gradually becoming glazed.
Having already made the bold new attempt in the open air, the enclosed carriage was like a safe house to Ah Chou, and he never even thought of resisting.
She was only distracted for a moment, and when she came to her senses, her clothes had already been taken off to her shoulders, and her smooth, rounded shoulders looked quite attractive in the dim candlelight.
Kissing the skin on her shoulder and feeling the trembling of the person in her arms, Jiang Yanhui was in a great mood, as she had complete control over Ah Chou's reactions.
Until his lips touched a scar on her collarbone, the obedient Ah Chou in his arms seemed to have her lifeline strangled. She panicked and pushed Jiang Yan Hui away, quickly pulling up her clothes and pressing herself tightly against the carriage wall in a defensive posture.
Jiang Yanhui's face was full of astonishment as she stared at A Chou's tearful eyes. Suddenly, she understood why he had such a strong reaction, and a deep sense of regret and guilt filled her heart.
"I know what that place looks like, and I know I'm kissing it," Jiang Yanhui coaxed softly in a low, hoarse voice, slowly approaching the trembling A Chou.
“I used to dislike it because it was an eyesore, and I always tried to force you to remove the scar. I only thought about how I wanted to look comfortable.”
Jiang Yan hugged the person who had calmed down, and pulled down the clothes on her shoulders again. When the scars were exposed, A Chou closed her eyes and turned her head away.
"Now I realize that when you fall in love with someone, the first thing you feel is not joy, but heartache."
Her lips, light and gentle with boundless tenderness, landed on the hideous scar. Jiang Yanhui's long eyelashes swept across the surrounding skin, and A Chou trembled.
She used to despise the scar that pierced Ah Chou's collarbone and even considered having it removed so it could grow back.
Now, this spot has become the place that Jiang Yan Hui feels most sorry for, and she repeatedly soothes it with her lips and tongue, hoping to ease the pain behind the scar.
"I'm sorry." Jiang Yanhui pressed her forehead against A Chou's shoulder, her hands tightly interlocked between A Chou's ten fingers.
At this moment, Jiang Yanhui completely let down her guard, revealing her most vulnerable and authentic self beneath the armor to A Chou.
In the name of love, without reservation.
The intense kisses meticulously traced Ah Chou's facial features, so much so that Ah Chou had no time to marvel at Jiang Yan Hui's changes, let alone think about how horrifying the scar on her collarbone was.
The carriage stopped in front of the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion. Wang Bo was too old to stay up all night, so he left Hong Chun to stay up until Wang Zun returned, and then helped him wash up before resting.
Jiang Yanhui and A Chou tacitly washed up, saying that A Chou would stay to keep watch and serve them. As soon as the Red Camellia Gate was closed, the two couldn't wait to kiss. The strings of restraint instantly collapsed, and they only thought about possessing each other.
Snowflakes were falling outside, while the temperature inside the house was rising steadily.
Sweat-drenched Ah Chou lay limp on the bed, feeling utterly numb and lazy, unwilling to move. Only her clear, bright eyes watched Jiang Yan Hui get up to turn off the light.
The candle was extinguished, and the room became dark.
Ah Chou closed his eyes to ease the discomfort of the sudden darkness. Sensing someone approaching, he naturally and trustingly raised his chin, and a kiss landed on his neck as he expected, then on the scar.
Even after being thoroughly soothed by lips and tongue during lovemaking, Ah Chou would still be unusually sensitive when touched, and she would let out a small humming sound from her nose.
——
During the New Year holidays, handsome young men would dress up nicely to visit relatives and friends. Jiang Yan Hui didn't have anyone she needed to visit, and A Chou had no relatives or friends in the capital. But Jiang Yan Hui still dressed A Chou up brightly and festively.
The list of gifts sent and received by the Prince of Jiangbei's residence was handled by Uncle Wang, so there was no need to bother Jiang Yan Hui with such troublesome matters.
We had two peaceful days on the first and second days of the Lunar New Year. On the morning of the third day, someone came to announce that Young Master Dou had come to pay his respects.
Dou Yu rushed in like a cloud, followed by a servant carrying a lot of things.
"Cousin, cousin! Happy New Year!"
Dou Yu had specially applied rouge to her face today, and her rosy cheeks were particularly pleasing to the eye. As a result, the whole mansion became lively. No wonder Uncle Wang was so happy to see Dou Yu come to the mansion that he squinted his eyes.
Jiang Yan glanced behind her, raising an eyebrow, as if curious to see what Dou Yu was up to.
Logically speaking, Jiang Yanhui and Dou Yu are of the same generation. However, since Dou Yu finally found an opportunity to spend the New Year in the capital, how could she let go of this wealthy cousin? She was determined to squeeze a good sum of money out of her.
"Did you bring all these things as gifts for me?"
Jiang Yanhui had excellent eyesight and could clearly see that the gift box was labeled with the name of a rouge shop, and the other gift box looked more like a jade item prepared for her.
Dou Yu chuckled, shifted her weight onto the soft couch, propped her chin on her hands, and playfully swung her legs. "Cousin, don't you have any good stuff? Why do you need me to give you gifts?"
Dou Yuchong sat on the round stool and winked at A Chou. "These are all gifts I bought for A Chou. Cousin, you wouldn't be angry with A Chou, would you?"
No wonder Dou Yu is so likable. Knowing that Jiang Yanhui didn't like the gift she gave him, she instead bought some men's face cream and face powder for A Chou. Jiang Yanhui usually didn't pay attention to whether A Chou liked face cream or not, something that only men knew.
If Jiang Yanhui were to receive a gift, she wouldn't care. She's received countless gifts over the years, and she's seen all sorts of rare and precious items.
But if the object of affection were Ah Chou, Jiang Yan Hui would remember everything she bought for him.
Dou Yu simply placed the gifts on the table and pulled Ah Chou, who looked incredulous, to start unwrapping them.
"Use it if you like it, or give it to someone else if you don't." Dou Yu nudged A Chou's shoulder and winked teasingly, "There are also a lot of good skin-nourishing and skin-protecting products inside."
Dou Yu didn't move, letting A Chou open the gift herself.
Ah Chou looked at Jiang Yan Hui, and after receiving confirmation, she nervously pursed her lips and carefully unwrapped the gift she had given him.
Regardless of whether he likes the gifts or whether they are suitable for him, Ah Chou will be happy because someone has thoughtfully prepared a New Year's gift for him.
Indeed, men understand what men need better. Nothing Dou Yu bought was useless. Looking at A Chou's bright, curious eyes as she played with the things, the two in the room smiled with satisfaction.
Jiang Yanhui lowered her eyes and blew on the hot tea. "Before you leave, have Hongchun take you to the storeroom to pick out a couple of things you like."
Dou Yu chuckled again. He had never been to his cousin's storeroom before, but even without seeing it with his own eyes, he knew there must be a lot of good stuff inside.
Ah Chou wasn't curious about the face cream; Hong Chun had prepared a lot of fragrant and delicate face creams for him.
But the colorful rouge and face powder really intrigued Ah Chou. She held it in her hand, dipped her fingertip in it, and then smelled it.
The two young men huddled around the table, fiddling with a pile of face powder. The sweet scent of the powder filled the air, and Ah Chou couldn't help but sniff it, then sneezed.
Rubbing the tip of his nose, he looked resentfully at Jiang Yanhui, who had been laughing at him.
Little did they know that their kitten-like behavior was incredibly cute.
"This box is said to whiten the skin when applied to the body. I've been using it for about half a month and I feel that my skin has really become whiter."
Dou Yu was quite knowledgeable about face powder. In the capital, the most important thing for young men, besides having fun, was to take good care of their skin so that they wouldn't be criticized when it came to marriage.
Ah Chou nodded and noted down whatever Dou Yu said.
To say something I can't bring myself to say, after leaving the palace on New Year's Eve, I spent almost two days in bed.
Ah Chou felt she couldn't indulge her body like that, and was ashamed that the servants in the courtyard would notice. But unfortunately, when facing Jiang Yan Hui, Ah Chou's willpower was extremely easy to break down.
Without even needing a few words of coaxing, just seeing Jiang Yan's disappointed look, Ah Chou softened and couldn't bring herself to refuse.
Naturally, Ah Chou enjoyed being close to Jiang Yan Hui and liked her caressing his body. Therefore, when Dou Yu Yi said that the perfume could nourish and protect the skin, Ah Chou was immediately tempted.
Who wouldn't want their loved one to have a more wonderful experience in bed?
When Hongchun, who had come in to deliver pastries, heard Achou and Douyu chatting enthusiastically about the fragrance powder, she laughed and said, "Pastries made with plum blossoms in the kitchen are perfect with milk tea. Try them while they're still hot."
"Besides having a lot of treasures hidden here, my cousin's pastry chef is also incredibly skilled."
Dou Yu put down the powder box and pulled Ah Chou to sit down and enjoy the pastries.
After saying this, Dou Yu realized that A Chou lived in the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion and could eat whatever delicious food she wanted. Then she saw A Chou holding pastries in her hands, her eyes sparkling as she carefully savored them, and she felt indescribably happy.
Although Ah Chou couldn't speak, Dou Yu felt very comfortable being with him, so she came to pay her respects early on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
While refilling Jiang Yanhui's tea, Hongchun said, "Your Majesty, the young master of the Song family has arrived. I didn't let him into the backyard; he's waiting in the front right now."
Jiang Yanhui didn't say anything, but Dou Yu was like a cat on fire when he heard the words "Song family". He rolled up his sleeves and shouted, "That bastard who caused Ah Chou to fall into the water still dares to come. If I don't beat him black and blue, I'll write my name backwards!"
Turning his head, he raised his chin reassuringly at Ah Chou, who was so surprised that he forgot to chew his food, "This time it's a one-on-one duel between him and me. Stay away from us, or we'll hurt you again."
Dou Yu held his breath for a long time after Ah Chou fell into the pool. He was ready to settle both old and new scores at once, and he was so fierce that he looked like he was about to fight to the death.
Jiang Yan glanced at him indifferently, "If you fight outside the gates of the Jiangbei Prince's Mansion, I won't clean up your mess."
Like a deflated balloon, Dou Yu sat back down, pouting and complaining, "Song Wenxuan caused A Chou to fall into the water, cousin, don't you know how to be angry?"
Jiang Yan looked at the indignant Dou Yu with amusement, "What do you think I should do?"
Dou Yu clenched her fist and gritted her teeth, saying, "Even if we don't make the Song family unable to survive in the capital, we should at least make them afraid, so that Song Wenxuan won't look down on everyone all the time."
"Putting aside the contributions the Song family has made to the court, are you doing this to vent your anger for Ah Chou, or are you using Ah Chou's name to settle personal scores?"
Dou Yu choked up; his mind hadn't quite grasped the situation. Jiang Yanhui's words left him somewhat unsure of what to do.
She lowered her head, fiddling with her fingers, and stubbornly said, "Your face looked terrible when Ah Chou fell into the water. Doing nothing is not like your personality, cousin."
Others may not know Jiang Yanhui's vindictive nature, but Dou Yu, who has been undermining Jiang Yanhui since childhood, knows it all too well. Doing nothing is not Jiang Yanhui's style.
Jiang Yanhui chuckled softly, "It's time to mature a bit."
With just a smile, Dou Yu keenly sensed the mockery in it, which made her even more depressed.
Ah Chou, who had been listening to the two's conversation, glanced at Jiang Yan Hui, who seemed completely unashamed, and decided it was best not to expose them.
When Song Wenxuan and Dou Yu started arguing, A Chou didn't think there was anything to be angry about; at most, it was just that the two of them were incompatible.
His being pushed into the pool was not intentional, and he also regained his memory as a result of the misfortune. While Ah Chou was happy, he was also a little guilty and did not want to dwell on the matter too much.
Ah Chou thought so, but Jiang Yan Hui was unwilling. Heaven knows how much effort and how much shame he sacrificed to appease Jiang Yan Hui and prevent him from making a move.
However, Jiang Yanhui still gave a private warning, which was considered to have preserved the Song family's reputation in the capital.
Ah Chou sighed silently, turned her head to look at Dou Yu who was still depressed and doubting herself, and felt a little guilty.
Dou Yu was reluctant to see her mortal enemy Song Wenxuan, fearing that she would be unable to resist starting another fight and causing an unsightly scene at someone else's residence on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
After being ridiculed and looked down upon by Jiang Yanhui, his rebellious nature flared up, and he insisted on going to see Song Wenxuan, wanting to maintain a calm and composed demeanor just like Jiang Yanhui.
Dou Yu chuckled to himself, thinking that this might actually infuriate Song Wenxuan.
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