Chapter 54 "Xie Zhuo, it hurts so much!"...
Xie Zhuo never expected Xue Mingyao to call him "husband".
Even in the most passionate and submissive moments of their intimacy, he never forced her to moan. He knew that would only invite her ridicule.
However, to his great surprise, at this moment, his heart felt as if it were soaking in a pool of honey water, and he even doubted whether it was an illusion.
"Husband—" that soft voice came again, her red lips gently touching his cheek.
Another splash of honey water came, so sweet it almost made his soul melt away. Xie Zhuo pinched himself hard.
Xue Mingyao called out and kissed him, but Xie Zhuo showed no reaction whatsoever, even though he wasn't asleep.
Was it because the sweet treats she offered weren't enough?
Xue Mingyao steeled her heart, and whispered in his ear with all her charm, "Husband, please pay attention to me."
Her voice was so sweet it seemed to take ninety-nine turns, surprising even herself.
Xie Zhuo took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "Don't call me that."
Good, finally stopped pretending to be dead.
"Why?" Xue Mingyao asked softly, "Don't you like it?"
"I don't like it, it's too fake."
“What’s fake about it?” Xue Mingyao pretended not to understand. “We are husband and wife, so it’s only natural for me to call you husband.”
Xie Zhuo scoffed.
Xue Mingyao didn't mind. She stretched out her arms and hugged Xie Zhuo's chest, her breasts rubbing against his strong shoulders. She breathed softly and said, "I know you like it."
Xie Zhuo's sensitive ear tips were teased by her soft yet hot breaths, and his body was held tightly in her arms. Everything felt like it had returned to the past, and the little princess's passion burned like a fire.
He clearly sensed that Xue Mingyao was toying with him again. She had laid a huge trap, with honey-coated daggers at the bottom. Once he fell in, he would be stabbed to pieces.
Then she mocked him mercilessly from her high and mighty position.
Of course, he should push her away, and ideally, take the initiative and bully her, making her panic and cry, thus asserting his dignity as a man and forbidding her from trampling on him again.
But Xie Zhuo felt as if his hand was made of a thousand pounds, and he couldn't push it away for a long time.
Heaven knows how alluring Xue Mingyao's trap was to him. She was so proactive, so passionate; even knowing it was a lie, he was willing to jump in without hesitation. Perhaps, he could avoid the knife's edge...
Xie Zhuo pinched himself again.
He struggled to pull Xue Mingyao's arm back from her grasp, saying, "Why do you have to do this?"
Xue Mingyao's voice was full of grievance, "Didn't you say that if I behaved better, you might treat me better? Aren't I being good enough now?"
Xie Zhuo was puzzled for a moment, "You don't want your princess qualities anymore?"
“We’re husband and wife now, why bother with all this? If you don’t want it, then don’t.” Xue Mingyao said tenderly, without the slightest hint of reluctance.
Xie Zhuo felt that the honey water surrounding him had turned into bitter water; this was not Xue Mingyao at all.
Her trap had gone too far. What was the point of Xue Mingyao now that she had lost her princess-like demeanor? Xie Zhuo felt utterly disheartened and didn't want to hear another word from Xue Mingyao.
Xue Mingyao was wondering if her gentle approach was working, and whether she should lower her stance even further, when Xie Zhuo suddenly turned to the side and kissed her lips.
His lips and tongue were full and moist, entwining with hers gently yet deeply, penetrating her depths. Xie Zhuo's arms encircled her back, bringing their bodies even closer together. Xue Mingyao nestled softly in his embrace, thinking to herself that she had successfully moved Xie Zhuo to this extent.
She confidently and boldly enjoyed his deep kiss, letting him explore every corner of her mouth. When Xie Zhuo wasn't so domineering, his kisses felt exactly the same as Xie Qinglang's—the familiar scent, the familiar gentle yet restrained strength. Unconsciously, Xue Mingyao's hand slid up his waist, letting out a sweet, nasal sound.
After just one kiss, Xue Mingyao was practically glued to him.
"Xie Zhuo, you just like me..." she murmured.
Xie Zhuo patiently pulled her off the pillow and laid her back flat on it, saying calmly, "You're wrong, I don't like you."
"......ah?"
"sleep."
Xue Mingyao felt as if she had been fed a bowl of sweet and refreshing pastry, and then suddenly hit with a stick. She was stunned for a long time, and then became angry and embarrassed, "Who cares whether you like it or not, get out of here!"
Xie Zhuo didn't roll away. He straightened the blanket and closed his eyes.
Xue Mingyao had no desire to test him anymore. She didn't even want the pillow anymore, rolled the blanket up to the innermost side, and slept on the bare sheets. Fortunately, the blanket was wide enough that Xie Zhuo still had some to cover himself with. He opened his eyelids and glanced at Xue Mingyao, his turbulent emotions finally calming down.
After a while, a harsh voice came from inside, "I need a pillow."
"It's in the closet," Xie Zhuo replied with the same answer.
There was a rustling sound coming from inside, followed by Xie Zhuo being kicked in the groin, and Xue Mingyao's domineering voice came, "Go get it for me."
Xie Zhuo pretended not to hear.
He was quickly kicked a second time. "Go now!"
Xie Zhuo smiled slightly, silently lifted the covers and got out of bed, opened the closet, took out a soft pillow, and tossed it to Xue Mingyao.
One night passed.
At dawn, Xie Zhuo got up to go to court. Xue Mingyao, who was beside him, was still fast asleep as always. Her face, without makeup, looked serene in the dim morning light. Xie Zhuo looked at her for a while as usual, then leaned down and kissed her forehead before leaving.
Hearing the door close, Xue Mingyao opened her eyes groggily and touched her forehead.
When Lüzhi came to comb Xue Mingyao's hair, she smiled ambiguously and asked, "Master, how are things between you and General Xie?"
“He’s just a—” Xue Mingyao started angrily, then stopped and sighed, “Never mind, let’s not talk about it.”
Even after so long, the spot on her forehead where Xie Zhuo had kissed her was still warm, and Xue Mingyao felt inexplicably agitated.
How can there be such an annoying guy as Xie Zhuo in the world!
"Green Branch, tie my hair up, I'm going to practice martial arts later," she instructed.
Green Branch sensed that her master was in a bad mood again, and after thinking for a moment, she advised, "Isn't your back still a little sore? Why don't you practice again in a couple of days?"
"No, today." Xue Mingyao was adamant about her word.
Green Branch had no choice but to tie her mistress's hair up high, creating a neat and tidy male bun, and dress her in a Hu-style robe and light flat shoes, making it easier for her to wield a spear and stick.
Xue Mingyao called Qi Zhao to keep her company.
She took her red-tasseled spear and, stumbling, performed a set of spear techniques. Xue Mingyao loosened up her muscles and became more interested, raising her voice and saying, "I'm tired of the set Father taught me. A-Zhao, teach me a few new moves!"
Qi Zhao lowered his head slightly, avoiding looking directly at his master's bright face, which was covered with a thin layer of sweat. "Princess, the spear techniques I know are of the forceful and vigorous style, which are not suitable for you to practice."
Qi Zhao put it euphemistically, but the truth was that Xue Mingyao's basic skills were lacking, and she couldn't learn it. The spear techniques she learned from her father had been modified by Xue Chongyi to make them easier for a woman like her to use.
"How do you know it's not suitable before you've even taught it?" Xue Mingyao said dismissively.
"Princess, why don't you try something else—"
Xue Mingyao interrupted him, "Stop talking nonsense, teach me quickly!"
Qi Zhao had no choice but to come up with a move that didn't require as much strength. He first demonstrated it to Xue Mingyao, and then broke down the movements step by step to guide her.
"Lift your right leg, yes, higher, higher still... Move it to the right, then twist your waist and jump..."
Xue Mingyao was learning with great difficulty. Qi Zhao stood beside her, supporting her waist with one hand and lifting her legs up with the other.
Xue Mingyao winced in pain, abruptly put her leg down, and jumped a few steps away. "Alright, Qi Zhao, no need to be so strict. Just get the general idea right. You can demonstrate for me; there's no need to physically correct the movements."
Qi Zhao silently withdrew his hand and stepped aside. "Yes."
Fortunately, although Xue Mingyao's physique was not strong, her comprehension was still acceptable, and she managed to perform the movement with difficulty. This was a spinning flying kick followed by a thrust, with a graceful and decisive posture. However, Xue Mingyao's style was more for show; her slender waist twisted, making it look more like a dance than kung fu. The spear in her hand should have been replaced with a silk ribbon.
She quite liked this move and kept practicing it in Tingxin.
The young woman smiled broadly, swinging her red-tasseled spear back and forth. The fluttering hem of her Hu-style dress distracted Qi Zhao's vision, so much so that he didn't notice that when Xue Mingyao fell from mid-air again, her right foot accidentally stepped on a small pebble that appeared out of nowhere, her ankle twisted, and she lost her balance.
With a scream, Xue Mingyao's red-tasseled spear slipped from her hand and crashed heavily to the ground.
......
Having been teased by Xue Mingyao for two consecutive days, Xie Zhuo deliberately stayed a little longer in the guardhouse that day, only riding back to the mansion leisurely when the evening glow filled the sky.
As soon as he entered the mansion, A-Lian came running over, looking anxious. "General, you're finally back! Madam, Madam is injured!"
Xie Zhuo's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?"
Ah Lian quickly recounted the incident of the princess falling while practicing martial arts: "A doctor has been called to examine her, and it turns out she has injured a bone in her right ankle and won't be able to walk for several months."
Xie Zhuo frowned, his face grim, and strode quickly to the main courtyard.
The room was in a mess, with the maids busy with their own things. Xue Mingyao, who had been lively and playful last night, was wearing a crimson-purple Hu-style robe and lying listlessly on the small couch, with a splint and strips of cloth wrapped around her right ankle.
Upon seeing him arrive, Xue Mingyao glared angrily, grabbed a wooden hammer used for massaging shoulders from the couch, and threw it at him.
Xie Zhuo caught it steadily, put down the wooden hammer, walked to the bedside, and looked at Xue Mingyao's right foot, which was wrapped up like a pancake.
"What are you trying to prove?" he said through gritted teeth.
"You're lecturing me now." Xue Mingyao's expression was very unpleasant. "Your Xie family's training ground is filthy, with harmful pebbles. I'm going to settle accounts with you for this."
"A small pebble tripped you up?" Xie Zhuo was suspicious. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "What shoes were you wearing at the time?"
Xue Mingyao remained silent.
Green Branch knelt down with a thud. "General Xie, it was I who suggested that Master wear these shoes, thinking they would be lightweight. I didn't expect the soles to be so thin, causing Master harm..."
Xie Zhuo followed the green branches' gaze and saw a pair of small, exquisite flat-toed shoes on the ground, with soles only slightly thicker than ordinary embroidered shoes.
Generally speaking, martial artists, if not wearing boots, should at least wear shoes with thick soles. Xue Mingyao is probably used to practicing in her own courtyard and doesn't have this awareness.
"Alright, Green Branch, why are you kneeling? It's my choice to wear this, it's not your fault." Xue Mingyao sat up irritably, meeting Xie Zhuo's disapproving gaze head-on. "Don't try to lecture me!"
Xie Zhuo rubbed his temples and said helplessly, "Don't move around like that, it's easy to strain the injury and it's not good for recovery."
"I didn't want to move around either," Xue Mingyao's charming face scrunched up. "It hurts so much, Xie Zhuo, you have no idea how much it hurts!"
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