Chapter 50: After a fierce lovemaking session, she was utterly exhausted and unable to bear the weight of her clothes...
Xue Mingyao tried her best not to think about whether Xie Zhuo had had any stories with other women over the years.
Because if you just think about it, the answer is almost always yes.
He was handsome and capable, and had no shortage of women offering themselves to him. Moreover, there were plenty of military prostitutes in the camp. Xie Qinglang, who was virtuous in the past, might not have touched them, but Xie Zhuo, who had become a lustful fiend, could not possibly refuse.
The only consolation was that there were no women in his household, not even maids.
But now, seeing his casually uttered lewd remarks and his various tricks, Xue Mingyao could no longer deceive herself. There was no doubt that he was experienced and had been through countless battles.
She never taught him any of this!
Before him, she became a bewildered fledgling, battered by the storm, soaked to the bone, so vulnerable that a pinch would release a burst of water. Xue Mingyao bit her lip, glancing at Xie Zhuo's robe, now a shade darker, and a wave of shame washed over her.
"Why are you asking me this?" Xie Zhuo hugged her tighter, his voice hesitant.
If she cares, does it mean she also has feelings for him?
Xue Mingyao's heart sank even further; he didn't even bother to answer directly.
"Because I find you disgusting! Don't use those poses you use on me, they make me sick."
"Lowly?" Xie Zhuo was stung by the word once again. "You're still the same, always thinking you're the most noble."
It's laughable that he still harbored expectations.
Was he defending some woman? Xue Mingyao thought bitterly. She turned her head away so he wouldn't see the sadness on her face.
Xie Zhuo was in a terrible mood and wanted to leave, but Xue Mingyao was curled up in his arms, looking weak and frail after their intense lovemaking, her snow-white neck covered with red marks from his sucking. He couldn't harden his heart again.
Kneading her delicate skin with his fingertips, he whispered, "Do you think I've had an easy time these past few years? I haven't had time to look for women. If you don't want me to use those positions, then be more polite to me."
Xue Mingyao turned around, her expression softening though she didn't quite believe it.
"I want some water," she said slowly, her voice still sweet and coquettish. "Will you pour it for me, or should I ask Green Branch to come in and pour it for me?"
The room was a complete mess. The cushion in front of the painting table was askew and Xue Mingyao's clothes were scattered everywhere, with obvious stains and watermarks in some places.
Even the servants, Xie Zhuo did not want them to see the traces left after their sexual encounter.
In this respect, he is completely opposite to Xue Mingyao.
Xue Mingyao didn't care whether she avoided her privacy in front of the servants. In the past, when Qi Zhaoren was standing in the corridor, she dared to kiss him with the doors and windows wide open. When he was shirtless and hadn't had time to put on his shirt, she brazenly called for Lüzhi to come in and help her change.
So Xie Zhuo fastened his belt, got up from the bed, and went to get water for Xue Mingyao.
As soon as he let go of her, Xue Mingyao, with her long black hair hanging down, leaned weakly against the edge of the couch. Xie Zhuo quickly caught her and made her lean against the couch.
"Why are you so delicate?" He pinched her chest.
She glared at him, "How dare you ask!"
That glance, both angry and alluring, instantly made Xie Zhuo's heart flutter. He pinched her gently, and a faint urge to do it again arose within him.
Even though Xue Mingyao was quite impetuous in her teens, she was still a naive young girl, and her flirtatious behavior seemed more like playful teasing. As she grew older, she changed completely; without her doing anything, her alluring charm naturally shone through.
Her body was so soft, so sensitive, and her moans were so arousing...
Xie Zhuo had met her countless times in his dreams, but none of them could compare to the vivid and enchanting scene just now.
How many men had seen her alluring in bed? Xie Zhuo couldn't help but wonder, but dared not ask as boldly as she did.
That would inevitably lead to self-humiliation.
"What are you standing there for? Water!" Xue Mingyao complained.
Xie Zhuo poured water for her, and Xue Mingyao held the teacup, sipping it lazily.
Xie Zhuo walked around the room a few times, gathering up Xue Mingyao's scattered items on the floor: earrings, hairpins, skirt ornaments, silk stockings, and so on, piling them all into his palm.
Then he got back onto the bed and pulled Xue Mingyao into his arms.
Xue Mingyao touched his crotch and was startled. "If you dare to do it again, I'll—"
Unable to come up with a powerful threat, he was stuck.
Xie Zhuo waited for her leisurely.
Finally, Xue Mingyao held up her teacup and said, "I'll splash water on your face."
Xie Zhuo smiled and said, "Come again tomorrow."
"Not even tomorrow!"
Xie Zhuo ignored her and began to straighten her disheveled clothes. Her dress was wrinkled, wet, and ruined. He stared at the large wet patches on her dress for a while.
"What filthy thoughts have you entertained this time?" Xue Mingyao asked, seemingly in a desperate act.
"No wonder you kept asking for water," Xie Zhuo said.
Xue Mingyao gritted her teeth, "That's because my throat is dry!"
"Hmm, that makes sense."
After Xie Zhuo managed to get her clothes sorted out, he used his fingers as a comb to style her smooth, black hair, twirling it nimbly in his palm to create a simple bun for her.
A gentle tugging sensation ran through her scalp, a pleasant one. Xue Mingyao stood stiffly, wondering blankly if Xie Zhuo was treating her this way because he had just bullied her and taken advantage of her beauty.
He has no principles at all.
The hairpin was inserted horizontally into her bun, loosely securing her hair. The pointed end brushed against her right ear, and then his warm hand covered it, touching it as if a feather had brushed against her heart, making it itch.
Xue Mingyao was at a loss.
Suddenly, I heard the man behind me mutter to himself in a very low voice, "Splash water on my face..."
Xue Mingyao was stunned for a moment, then her face burned bright red.
......
Xue Mingyao returned to the main courtyard wearing Xie Zhuo's robe. After dinner, she took a long bath, which made her feel less tired and more refreshed. A few hours after 7 PM, she went to bed, closed her eyes, and fell asleep instantly.
Xie Zhuo didn't have such good fortune.
Since their marriage, he has always fallen asleep slowly while lying next to Xue Mingyao, and today it was especially slow.
Closing his eyes, he inhaled the faint fragrance of osmanthus bath powder on Xue Mingyao's body. The afternoon's events, mixed with old memories, kept flashing before his eyes, bringing a touch of joy and a lot of bitterness.
First came the title, then the body; the more he possessed her, the less he felt it was enough.
He was so close to her, yet the thing he wanted most was so far, far away from him.
In the darkness, Xue Mingyao stirred her arm, turned slightly toward him, and then fell into a deep sleep again. Xie Zhuo tucked her in, gave her a light kiss on the lips, and felt a little more at ease.
At least, they are now husband and wife sharing a bed.
......
The next day, Xie Zhuo woke up much later than usual. Xue Mingyao had already finished breakfast and was sitting in front of the dressing table while Lüzhi did her hair and makeup.
Hearing footsteps, Xue Mingyao, who had been half-asleep, opened her eyes, looked at Xie Zhuo's reflection in the mirror, and then closed her eyes again.
Xie Zhuo stared at Xue Mingyao's unusually elaborate hairstyle for a while.
"General, you got up a little late today," Green Branch said with a smile, breaking the silence.
"Yes, today is a day off," Xie Zhuo said.
He looked at Xue Mingyao in the mirror. "Are you going out today?"
“Yes, I’ll go find Yingniang,” Xue Mingyao said decisively.
Xie Zhuo lowered his eyes. Xue Mingyao didn't go out often, so he habitually assumed that she would stay at the mansion today. He didn't expect... that she deliberately chose to go out when he was on his day off.
His gaze fell on Xue Mingyao's slender neck, where a few red plum blossoms were faintly visible. "This is like this—" he pointed with his long, thin finger, "It's not presentable to people, is it?"
"You know that too!" Xue Mingyao turned her head to avoid his hand. "I can only wear a stand-up collar shirt and cover it up with makeup."
"...Why don't you go another day?"
"No, I sent Yingniang a letter a few days ago, how can I change it?"
Xie Zhuo didn't say anything more and left the house with his hands behind his back.
"Princess, I think Lord Xie seems to want to spend more time with you," Green Branch whispered.
"Didn't I tell you not to call him Master Xie anymore?"
"Uh, I thought it meant not to call him 'Young Master Xie' in front of him anymore, but it's okay to call him that in private..."
"Never call him that, what kind of Mr. Xie is he?" Xue Mingyao pointed to the marks on her neck. "Would Mr. Xie do something like this?"
Green Branch dared not look. Last night, when she was serving her master a bath, she was startled. Fortunately, there were no other marks on her body.
The master said it was because he hadn't taken off his clothes.
"Is it because he likes you?" Green Branch guessed. "Besides, didn't you used to like to flirt with Xie Langjun like that?"
Xue Mingyao sullenly said, "Lvzhi, you'd better shut up."
After Xue Mingyao finished washing up, she boarded the carriage with a bag of candied walnuts, only to find that there was already someone in the carriage.
Xie Zhuo sat leisurely, holding a book in his hand, and calmly met her questioning gaze. "There's nothing going on at home. I'm going to Weili. I'll go with you."
"...a lingering ghost."
The coachman started the carriage, and Xue Mingyao ate the walnuts one bite at a time. After a while, a hand reached into the paper bag. Xue Mingyao slapped it away without ceremony, but the hand stubbornly refused to leave until it had taken a few more walnuts before finally leaving.
The second time that hand came, it snatched the kernel she had already retrieved.
The third time he came, he touched her fingertip. Xue Mingyao shoved him, but he grabbed her finger and rubbed it for a while before letting go.
A packet of walnut kernels was only enough for Xue Mingyao to eat on the way, and it was quickly emptied because there was an extra person.
She slammed the empty paper bag onto the seat between them angrily, saying, "You even try to steal my food."
"Eating so much sweet food is bad for your teeth," Xie Zhuo said.
"None of your business?"
Xie Zhuo had already finished his business and didn't care about arguing with her, so he lowered his head and started reading.
Upon arriving at Zhao Ying's residence, Xue Mingyao was about to disembark from the carriage when she suddenly heard the person behind her, who had been silent the entire way, ask, "When are you returning?"
"After finishing dinner," she said, getting out of the car without looking back.
Xie Zhuo stared at Xue Mingyao's graceful figure as she walked away for a moment, then sighed and told the driver to continue on his way.
There was nothing in the Jade Guard's presence that warranted his special trip. After making a round of inspections, he simply turned back and went home.
The sun is in the east, the sunlight is bright, and the day has only just begun, yet it already feels long and unbearable.
Xie Zhuoyi, unwilling to deal with the accumulated chores, quietly went to Tingzhu Pavilion, where Xue Mingyao often stayed. The place, which they had messed up yesterday, had been cleaned up by the servants, and the fabrics had all been replaced with new ones, completely restoring it to the appearance of a scholar's elegant room—in a style reminiscent of Xue Mingyao.
He found pastries on the table and saw the small painting that Xue Mingyao had hidden.
The robust, verdant bamboo is strikingly green, with a bright hue. Even Xue Mingyao's paintings of the "gentleman's bamboo" are charmingly vulgar.
Unfortunately, he couldn't find any of Xue Mingyao's other paintings and returned to the main courtyard with regret.
After noon, Xie Zhuo was shelling walnuts when he suddenly heard a commotion outside the courtyard. Looking out the window, he saw Xue Mingyao rushing about.
Did she come back early?
Xie Zhuo stood up, and then heard the sound of Xue Mingyao kicking the door open. She rushed to him, her eyebrows raised high.
"Xie Zhuo, tell me honestly, did you hide the painting Chen Liangqing gave me?"
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