Chapter 32 "I'm not happy that you're talking to him."...
"Hah...hah..." Pei Ji was being choked and couldn't breathe. His eyes were swollen and bloodshot. He had no doubt that the guard in front of him not only wanted to break his two legs, but also wanted to kill him.
Qin Lizheng tightened his grip, his face expressionless. Just as Pei Ji was about to suffocate, he loosened his grip slightly, and after Pei Ji took a couple of breaths, he tightened it again. He easily toyed with Pei Ji's life.
Pei Ji also developed a misconception—that it would be better to die.
Unfortunately, he has the ledger in his possession, so he cannot die yet.
Qin Lizheng suddenly released his grip, holding the sword horizontally to Pei Ji's throat, pressing out a bead of blood. "Lord Pei, you are a businessman, you know how to weigh the pros and cons. Today I am only breaking your two legs. If you value your life, stay far away from her."
Pei Ji lay sprawled on the ground, panting for a long time as if he had just escaped death. Ignoring the pain of his broken bones, he stared intently at Qin Lizheng, "Who... exactly are you?"
He was no ordinary guard, having failed to take the life of two assassination attempts.
Qin Lizheng stood up and glanced at him, sheathing his sword. A look of contempt flashed in his eyes as he said indifferently, "Just a guard, Master Pei. You should remember what I said. If you want to get close to her or the Qian family again, think about your life."
Qin Lizheng had already made things clear, but Pei Ji was still unwilling to give up.
Unfortunately, the pain from the fractured bone had left him pale and speechless, and he could only watch helplessly as the guard left.
A rainstorm suddenly started, the raindrops heavy, the wind swirling wildly, making the eaves crackle and pop.
Qian Yingyi had already washed herself and filled her stomach. Exhausted and with aching limbs, she turned off the light early and crawled into bed. Listening to the sound of rain under the eaves, the fear that had lingered in her heart earlier began to grow wildly like weeds.
Just as he was lying in the tent, lost in thought, the west window cover, which had been opened once before, was pushed open again.
The movement was very subtle.
Qian Yingyi, however, was like a frightened bird. As soon as she heard this, she sat up and got off the bed barefoot, not even bothering to put on her shoes.
It really was him.
Qin Lizheng had already washed away all the dirt, and the dark robe still fit him well. As he moved, he still carried that refreshing minty scent.
The assassination attempt at midday seemed like a terrifying dream.
The room was dimly lit by a corner lamp, and her shadow was projected onto the wall, giving her an indescribable fragility.
Their eyes met, the previous silent rivalry gone, replaced by a hint of worry. The candlelight flickered gently, and that worry gradually grew stronger.
They remained silent for a moment.
Seeing that she was barefoot, Qin Lizheng frowned slightly and stepped forward to hug her. Qian Yingyi was startled, glanced down, and quickly turned and hid in the tent.
Because of her love of cleanliness, she dangled her feet over the edge of the bed, hesitant to pull them in. If she pulled them in, she was afraid of soiling the bedding; if she left them outside the bed curtains, she feared he would see them.
Just as she was hesitating, she felt a warm sensation on her ankle. Qian Yingyi stiffened and looked through the hazy gauze curtain.
He approached without her noticing, placing one knee on the foot of the couch. Her feet rested on his knee, and he, seemingly out of nowhere, produced a handkerchief and began wiping the soles of her feet.
...She really wanted to escape.
Unlike the last time he barged into her room, this time he didn't cover his eyes. As for her, she couldn't quite describe her feelings. Perhaps her heart, having been repeatedly stimulated, was no longer afraid of such things, or perhaps she was gradually becoming addicted to this kind of "sneaky" secrecy.
Therefore, Qian Yingyi lowered her eyes and watched him carefully wipe her clean, only one sentence escaping her lips: "What are you doing here?"
"Look at you," Qin Lizheng said, pulling her ankle under the covers and looking up at her through the layers of gauze curtains. "Are you still afraid?"
Qian Yingyi looked into his dark eyes, and when he blinked, his slightly curled eyelashes seemed to gently brush against her heart.
She suddenly realized that he sometimes seemed to prefer looking up at her, that he often placed himself below her, and that his gaze upon her was as if he were yearning for her affection.
Without warning, she parted the gauze curtains, revealing a small gap, and nodded her chin under his feather-light gaze.
“A little,” the water clock dripped slowly, quickly drowned out by the torrential rain outside. Everything in the world was being washed by the rain, the shadows of the trees swaying and uncertain. A clap of thunder startled her, and her soft voice came from inside the gauze curtain, gripping Qin Lizheng’s heart tightly, “Could you not leave yet?”
Qian Yingyi looked at him through the gauze curtain. At this moment, it seemed that she had given up some things. For example, she no longer cared much about what would happen if Xia Ling and the others suddenly came in.
The soft beam of the lamp cast a warm glow on his face. He gazed at her, a hint of surprise in his eyes, and his gaze suddenly lifted slightly. Qian Yingyi's breathing followed his.
Their eyes met, and some secrets they both knew about were revealed in the half-lit room. A violent storm raged outside, and Qian Yingyi felt she could almost hear her own heartbeat, thump, thump.
After a while, Qin Lizheng raised his hand to close the curtains, turned around and sat down on the edge of her bed, reassuring her, "Sleep, I'll stay here and watch over you."
He knew she always preferred to only express half of her emotions. To put it simply, she was extremely afraid.
Qian Yingyi pursed her lips slightly, quietly slipped back into the quilt, turned to face him, revealing a pair of clear eyes, "Don't move around, don't let Xia Ling hear the noise, she has very sharp ears."
Strangely enough, she actually "indulged" him and "protected" him.
Qin Lizheng smiled and said, "Okay."
The wind rattled against the windowpane, signaling that the downpour would last all night. Even knowing he was there, Qian Yingyi felt uneasy through the layers of gauze curtains. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and finally reached her hand out from under the curtains to gently poke his back. "Can't sleep? Talk to me."
Qin Lizheng pursed his lips, not turning around, "Don't you have anything to ask me?"
Half a day after she returned, she didn't mention a word about why he had so many "enemies," nor about how she had almost lost her life because of him. His anxiety grew even stronger, and he even had an impulse to tell her everything if she asked.
But after a moment of silence, she seemed to bury her face, her voice muffled and soft, "What's there to ask? You're a living, breathing person. Everyone has friends and family, and enemies too. Like me, I often have Yu Minsen coming to my rescue. I've been thinking about it, and maybe all my good luck today was used up on Hua Xiuniang, which is why I was dragged into this mess by accident. But you saved me at the last crucial moment, so I don't blame you."
The last sentence, though spoken lightly, weighed heavily on Qin Lizheng's heart. He suddenly realized that he had once again come to know her from head to toe.
Qin Lizheng's gaze fell on the bright horn lamp. The lamp had several sides, each one shining with a shimmering light, much like her. Sometimes decisive, sometimes resilient, each side depicted her. Today, as he turned the lamp around, he rediscovered her pure nature—always considerate of others and never causing them distress.
He remained silent for too long, and the wick of the lamp popped, causing the flame to flicker. She poked him with her fingertip, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Qin Lizheng took a deep breath and changed the subject, "You were very impressive today."
She couldn't sleep simply because she was too scared. He knew she liked to hear people praise her, and that aside from those traits, she was also just an ordinary person.
Sure enough, Qian Yingyi turned her head to look at the top of the tent and finally managed a smug smile. "That's right, you have no idea what I was thinking at the time. Luckily, my older brother and sister taught me since I was little, and luckily I'm not someone who never leaves the house. My slingshot is pretty good, isn't it?"
Gradually, she relaxed a little and closed her bright, clear eyes with some regret. "They even dared to shoot me with a crossbow. Now that I think about it, I should have been more ruthless!"
Qin Lizheng smiled silently along with her, wanting only to turn around and hug her. To comfort her, and to comfort himself, he still dared not recall the perilous situation. After a long while, he finally restrained himself and suddenly told her to get up a little.
Qian Yingyi moved away suspiciously, and half of her arm dangled outside.
His palm held her hand tightly, his voice, no longer dry, gradually softened, "Can you sleep peacefully like this?"
Qian Yingyi's hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, her calm heart churning with turmoil. Looking across the entire city of Jinling, which young lady dared to have a guard enter her boudoir in the middle of the night to stand by her bedside? And who would dare to hold her hand despite their secret emotions?
But this time she didn't even pretend to pull her hand away, because she found a sense of security in those tightly pressed palms.
Therefore, she let him hold her hand without answering.
She stared at his broad back for a moment, then closed her eyes.
The rain continued for several days, washing the stone piers along the Huai River until they shone even brighter and smoother, and the shadows of the flowers growing along the river swayed and dappled. Fortunately, the weather in Nanjing is unpredictable, and the sun, which had been hiding for several days, suddenly peeked out from behind the clouds.
Inside the music hall, Chu Zhiyan's smile gradually faded, and he glanced disapprovingly at Qin Lizheng, "Commander, this will disrupt our previous plans."
Qin Lizheng remained indifferent, holding his cup without speaking.
Outside, musicians from a hidden music hall smiled sweetly, their singing and drinking displaying an air of extravagance. After a while, Qin Lizheng said, "I don't want to wait any longer. Let's close the net ahead of time. As long as we can bring these people to justice, it will be an explanation to the Emperor, and I can also give an explanation to Yingyi."
"I can only feel at ease if I deal with them as soon as possible."
Chu Zhiyan still disagreed, sighed softly, and said, "Commander, after the summer tax comes the autumn harvest, and then it's time to send supplies to the capital via the Grand Canal at the end of the year. They will definitely make a big move then. Wouldn't it be better to wipe them out in one fell swoop and solve the problem once and for all?"
“I know that Pei Ji is ruthless and has implicated Miss Qian this time, but considering our plan,” he said, “wouldn’t it be too risky to close the net prematurely and alert him?”
Qin Lizheng got up and opened the window. Exquisite painted boats floated on the Huai River, and crowds thronged in front of taverns and teahouses. In the distance, the sounds of laughter and singing filled the air from the brothels. He took in the splendor, pondered for a moment, and sighed softly, "Then let them lose their composure and expose themselves prematurely."
He closed the window tightly and said calmly, "Send a few people back to the capital to break their protective umbrella there. Chang Rong is far away in the capital, but he exchanges more letters with Lin Bianhong. Their relationship is definitely better than that with Yan Yu. Because of this, Yan Yu has always been polite to Lin Bianhong. The two are like grasshoppers in the same boat, tripping each other up and not distinguishing between each other."
“They are related by marriage, so doesn’t Lin Yuhu often bully Yan Wenying?” He forced a cold smile. “I want to see if Yan Yu’s attitude towards Lin Bianhong will still be so amiable without Chang Rong.”
"Without this protective umbrella, and with their interests intertwined, I don't believe they can still shake hands and ride in the same boat."
Chu Zhiyan's heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned slightly serious. "Chang Rong is from the Directorate of Ceremonial, so she's not someone to mess with."
“Opportunities are created by oneself,” Qin Lizheng said, taking a sip of warm tea. “Working alongside the Emperor, doesn’t Chang Rong often feel that she is overshadowed by the Grand Eunuch?”
"Then..." He looked at Chu Zhiyan, a meaningful glint appearing in his dark, deep eyes, "His desire for supreme power is to be expected, isn't it?"
At this point, Chu Zhiyan twitched his lips and commented, "You want our people to set up a scheme in the dark, making the people in the capital think that Chang Rong has rebellious intentions."
Qin Lizheng didn't take it seriously. "Imperial power is supreme. Throughout history, countless people have fought tooth and nail for that position. What's wrong with a eunuch wanting to become emperor?"
Chu Zhiyan stared at Qin Lizheng for a long time, then suddenly laughed, "That's why I say, you can climb to the top by stepping on others, you can be quite cunning sometimes."
Qin Lizheng lowered his eyelids, staring at the teacup in his hand. The tea surface, rippling slightly, reflected his face. It looked familiar to him, but then seemed strange to him.
If given the chance, he wouldn't want to scheme against others. But in this world of fleeting fame and fortune, it's either you scheme against me or I scheme against you. Many times, he has no other choice.
Suddenly, a gentle breeze slipped in through the window crack, and Qin Lizheng snapped back to reality, getting up and walking outside. As for the scheming man Chu Zhiyan had mentioned, he was blown away by the wind and gradually disappeared into the banks of the Huai River, vanishing without a trace.
Time flies, lotus blossoms scent the air with dew, willows sway in the gentle breeze. Cicadas and frogs chirp and croak, and June arrives in the blink of an eye.
Xia Ling returned from outside, her face glowing with pride. Why was she like this? It was because Chen Chao, the owner of Yinbaoge, had once again shared a month's profits with Qian Yingyi.
Qian Yingyi was engrossed in making the portrait for the book cover when she heard the sound. She looked up, took the brocade box from Xia Ling, glanced at the heavy silver, and a smile appeared in her eyes.
In high spirits, she was about to head out when she said, "The paintbrushes I bought in Jiangning are quite good. Xia Ling, is A-Zheng outside? It's still early, I'm going to Jiangning."
She had gotten used to calling him "A-Zheng". Xia Ling glanced at her secretly and thought that the young lady had become inseparable from him over the years. She immediately began to secretly plan the matter of "marrying into the family".
Xia Ling thought that when the master and madam returned to Jinling, if they found out that the young lady had secretly given her heart to a guard in the house, or even a guard she had picked up from outside, they would inevitably scold the young lady and forcibly separate the two.
As a servant, she would likely be at the forefront, speaking up for the two of them.
While Qian Yingyi was having a good time, she had already gone behind the screen to change her clothes. Before long, she emerged as a fresh and lovely pretty woman.
Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "It's the same as always. If you ask, just say I went out on an errand!"
These days, Qian Yingyi and Qin Lizheng went out alone several times, which aroused Qian Yuxing's suspicion. One day, he came to Yunteng Pavilion to ask what kind of business she had that required her to go out without a maid every time.
While making excuses for herself, Qian Yingyi couldn't help but let herself fall into the secret trap of "sneaking out" to be alone with him.
She could only say that her years in Jinling hadn't been wasted; she had her own things to do. Besides, her grandfather knew she was Jinling's Little Red Bean, and he also advised Qian Yuxing to mind her own business and not interfere with her younger sister. So, she managed to get away with it.
After tidying her hair and adorning it with two soft orchid hairpins, Qian Yingyi spun around, stood up, and left Yunteng Pavilion.
Qin Lizheng leaned against a tree to cool off. When he saw that she was dressed up, he knew that she was going out again, so he immediately stood up straight to greet her.
The two silently left the gatehouse, with Qin Lizheng still driving the horse and Qian Yingyi sitting upright in the carriage.
After traveling for about half an hour, Qian Yingyi arrived at the paintbrush shop in Jiangning. She went in and picked through the brushes for a while, and soon she had a dozen or so paintbrushes in her arms.
Qin Lizheng followed behind her at a distance, neither too close nor too far.
The shop was doing good business. Qian Yingyi was about to turn around when she bumped into a scholar. When the scholar saw that she was a woman, he quickly shrank back and dodged. In the process, he accidentally dropped the things he was holding on the ground.
Qian Yingyi, with her sharp eyes, spotted a copy of "The Ghost Story of the Beach" lying on the ground. It was the story she had written at the end of the year. She picked up the book and handed it to her, smiling as she asked, "You also read the supernatural tales written by Jinling Little Red Bean?"
The scholar took the storybook and bowed to her. He hadn't intended to speak to her, but upon hearing her voice, he glanced at her as if he'd found a kindred spirit. "Does this young lady also read this?"
Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "Of course I'll watch. I love watching men inside with their intestines ruptured."
She looked like a well-behaved and clever young lady, yet she kept talking about bloody things, which made the scholar shudder and chuckle awkwardly, "Me too."
Since the two sides were complete strangers, they exchanged a few words and then stopped.
As they were leaving, Qian Yingyi suddenly had a wicked idea. Her eyes gradually became cunning as she tilted her head to look at Qin Lizheng and asked, "Do you read storybooks?"
A group of children ran past laughing and making noise. Qin Lizheng gently pulled her to his side, lowered his eyes to gaze at her, and took her paintbrushes. "You want to ask me if I've read any of the stories written by Jinling Xiaohongdou?"
Qian Yingyi raised an eyebrow slightly, "Oh, you're quite good at guessing. Have you seen it?"
"I've seen it."
For some reason, Qian Yingyi suddenly wanted to know how he would evaluate her, and asked, "There are a lot of bloody descriptions in there. I think that Jinling Little Red Bean must be a big, bearded man with a knife. Don't you think so?"
Qin Lizheng didn't expose her, but pretended to turn his face back, smiling with his eyes closed in the sunlight, "I don't know anything else, but I guess this Jinling Little Red Bean should be a woman."
Qian Yingyi glanced at him discreetly, "Why?"
"In her stories, it's always the men who suffer tragic ends," Qin Lizheng replied succinctly.
Opening his eyes to her round, bright eyes, his heart softened instantly, and he tried to praise her in different ways, "Moreover, I think this little red bean from Jinling... must be a lovely and charming person in private. You can guess a thing or two just by looking at the little portraits on her book covers."
Qian Yingyi felt secretly pleased by what he said and couldn't help but laugh. But when she realized she had laughed out loud in front of him, she quickly covered her mouth and ran towards the carriage.
Qin Lizheng smiled and quickly followed her.
Qian Yingyi ran happily, and when she reached the alley where the carriage was parked, she was about to turn in, but seeing that the sun was shining brightly, she thought she would wander around Jiangning a bit more, so she turned her foot and ran away again.
She casually bought a bundle from the owner of the clothing shop, and along the way, she bought any unusual and pretty things she saw. Before long, the bundle on her shoulder was bulging, and she stopped, panting.
She finally handed the bundle to him, then took the folding fan from her waist to cool her flushed face.
Just as I was catching my breath, my sharp eyes caught sight of a figure, and I couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice, "Lord Yan?"
After a series of rains at the end of May, farmers in the Jiangning area planted more cotton. Finally, the sun came out again, so residents along the riverbank dried cotton in front of their doors.
It was midday, the sun was at its strongest, and direct sunlight was bad for the cotton. Therefore, the cotton that had been painstakingly dried outside in the morning needed to be brought in again.
Yan Ruheng, as the county magistrate, was leading Yuan Bantou and several yamen runners to help him. He was wearing a green official robe and his waist was gradually bent. Although his movements were clumsy, his handsome face attracted a group of aunts who couldn't help but offer him handkerchiefs and fruits.
Qian Yingyi called out softly, and as if sensing her call, he suddenly straightened up from the pile of cotton and looked at Qian Yingyi from afar.
Upon seeing that it was indeed her, Yan Ruheng was overjoyed and hurriedly waved to Yuan, the squad leader. Yuan listened carefully, then patted the cotton wool off his body and ran towards Qian Yingyi.
As they drew closer, Yuan, the squad leader, said breathlessly, "Miss Qian, my master sent me to tell you that he wants you to wait a moment. He hasn't seen you in a long time and has something to say to you."
Qian Yingyi was surprised for a moment, then gently nodded her chin.
Yuan Bantou then plunged back into the cotton pile.
Qian Yingyi was usually only in Yingtian Prefecture, so how could the officials there help the people with this? When she suddenly saw Yan Ruheng helping the people, she found it strange and looked in that direction more closely.
Just as she was looking intently, a hard, fleshy wall suddenly appeared in front of her. Looking up, she saw Qin Lizheng's expressionless face.
Qian Yingyi recalled his heartfelt confession about jealousy. She was only stunned for a moment before standing up and poking his arm menacingly, "What? We made a pact, but there was no agreement that I couldn't talk to him!"
“Don’t be so stingy,” she said. “I promised to go out with you alone every time, haven’t I kept my promise?”
In just a short while, Yan Ruheng had finished up his work. He brushed the cotton off his clothes and soon came over.
Seeing that she only had a guard by her side and no maids, Yan Ruheng had a general idea in his mind. However, his state of mind was different now, so he hid the bitterness in his heart and gave Qian Yingyi a gentle smile, "Yingyi".
Qian Yingyi glanced at Qin Lizheng, then stood aside and spoke to Yan Ruheng, “Lord Yan, what a coincidence! Every time I come to Jiangning, I run into you. Your squad leader said you have something to say to me. What do you want to say?”
Yan Ruheng led her to the riverbank. After a while, the two stopped under a willow tree. He said, "It's nothing, I just haven't seen you in a long time and wanted to talk to you. What have you been doing lately?"
Qian Yingyi smiled and said, "I usually stay at home. You saw it that night, didn't you? My sister-in-law also came to Jinling. Apart from occasionally going out, I just stay at home with my sister-in-law and sister and chat."
She noticed some cotton wool on his shoulder and pointed to it, saying, "There's more here."
He added, "You also help the people harvest their crops; I think the people of Jiangning like you quite a bit."
These words made Yan Ruheng pause in his patting motion on the shoulder, and when he looked at her again, he felt uneasy.
Since his falling out with his family last month, he has been determined to return to his former upright self and has not been home for several days.
As the summer tax approached, he couldn't help but think that if he could use this tax to monitor his nominal father, and if he could compile the accounts to use as leverage, could he then extricate himself from the situation?
This praise made him feel ashamed. After a moment of silence, he asked, "I have something I want to ask you, Yingyi, in your heart... what kind of person am I?"
Qian Yingyi was taken aback, unable to make a judgment, and only said, "He's a pretty good person."
Yan Ruheng lowered her eyes slightly, a smile playing on her lips, and tentatively asked, "We're friends, but what if I'm not as bad as you think?"
Qian Yingyi didn't understand what he meant by "bad," but as an official, he was nothing more than corrupt and oppressive to the people. She didn't want to think too much about it, so she replied half-jokingly, "Then perhaps we are on different paths and can no longer be friends."
The cicadas chirped loudly, and Yan Ruheng's heart skipped a beat. He turned his head to look at her.
It was obvious she loathed that kind of person. How could he let himself fall to that level again? He thought, "Let's take it slow."
As for the guard, Yan Ruheng looked over her shoulder at the figure behind her, his eyes flashing slightly. He figured the Qian family wouldn't let her marry a guard, so he didn't take it to heart.
After a long pause, her expression remained unchanged, still bearing that gentle smile. "I was just asking casually. It's getting late, and I have things to do. Please go home early."
After speaking, he nodded slightly to Qian Yingyi, and then turned back along the path he had come from.
Qian Yingyi was somewhat puzzled.
Fortunately, she wasn't the type to overthink things. She shrugged and twirled back to Qin Lizheng's side.
Seeing his stern face again, Qian Yingyi pouted, snatched the bundle, hugged it to her arms, and scoffed, "Stingy!"
He didn't say a word as they walked to the carriage. Qian Yingyi secretly rolled her eyes behind his back, then immediately grabbed her skirt and climbed onto the carriage.
No sooner had she settled in than he crawled in after her, and in a dizzying moment, she found herself straddling his lap, his hand around her waist.
“I want to kiss you now, I can’t wait, I’ll give you three breaths,” he said. “If you don’t speak after three breaths, I’ll take that as your consent.”
Qian Yingyi was somewhat stunned. Seeing the paintbrush and bundle scattered in the carriage, she realized what he was talking about. Just as she was about to speak, he grabbed her chin and kissed her, his tone carrying a hint of fierceness.
Qian Yingyi's lips were blocked, and seeing that he was determined not to let her go, she inexplicably got angry and tightly pressed her lips together to prevent him from rushing in.
Seeing her stubbornness, Qin Lizheng's eyes darkened, and he used his leg to bounce her up. She gasped in surprise, and he followed her inside.
His wet lips and tongue, hot with his breath, clung to Qian Yingyi. She felt his kisses were urgent and forceful, and if she didn't break free, she would really die here!
She bit his tongue, and as he relaxed slightly, she seized the opportunity to tilt her head back and escape, only to have his lips pressed against her neck.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Don't try to make me the scapegoat when you're jealous!"
Qin Lizheng ignored her and simply leaned in for a kiss, his words muffled, "I'm not happy that you're talking to him."
Qian Yingyi seemed to be going limp off him, clinging to him and moving up a little, but still wouldn't let go, "You get upset after just a few words? You're so petty, does that mean I can't talk to other men... Ah!"
Qin Lizheng gently bit half of her tender flesh, his hands still holding her waist. "You were praising him, I heard you."
“...That’s because your ears are too sensitive,” Qian Yingyi said, her face flushing as she bit her lip, her body trembling as she tried to sit down. “Just cover your ears.”
Finally, unable to break free, she suddenly slumped down, feeling even more strongly the presence of Zhai Yiren.
Qian Yingyi was both embarrassed and anxious, and hurriedly tried to back away, but Qin Lizheng still held her tightly, though his kisses became lighter.
He turned back up and kissed her tenderly, giving her gentle pecks.
Qian Yingyi's body remained tense, her scalp tingling from the kiss. Finally, taking advantage of the brief moment his lips left hers, she blurted out, "I didn't praise him. He's the worst person in the world, okay?"
Qin Lizheng then stopped, pressing his forehead against hers and rubbing his nose against hers. He was probably quite angry, but after a slight calm, he pressed his forehead against hers again.
Qian Yingyi placed her hands on his shoulders, as if she was about to cry, "I've already told him he's no good, can't you just let me get down?"
"No." Qin Lizheng tightened his grip, holding her tightly as if he wanted to stick to her.
Qian Yingyi resisted and tried to escape, but every time she moved, her skirt moved too. Her mind went blank, and she closed her eyes to receive his kisses one after another, feeling her skirt getting wet.
After a long while, Qin Lizheng finally released her, but only her lips. His possessive gaze remained fixed on her mouth as he asked, "Who was kissing you?"
Qian Yingyi experienced another kiss that made her dizzy, and her mind went blank for a moment, leaving her speechless.
Qin Lizheng tightened his grip on her waist and moved his face closer to hers.
"...It's you." She snapped back to reality, unable to move, her hands pinned to her hardest spot, leaving her with no choice but to give in.
"who I am?"
Qian Yingyi pursed her numb lips, knowing what he wanted to hear, but she didn't want to give him what he wanted. Staring at his exposed neck, she bit down hard!
Qin Lizheng hissed softly in pain, and after a moment, he suddenly pulled her closer to his arms, their bodies growing even hotter.
Finally, Qian Yingyi let go, and looking at the ring of teeth marks, her voice escaped from between her teeth, "You're the kind of person who can't do anything to me even if I bite you and it hurts."
Seeing her getting more and more competitive, Qin Lizheng couldn't help but smile, and then brought the other side of his neck to her lips as well, "Why don't you bite symmetrically?"
Qian Yingyi clenched her fist and punched him, "You did it again! You did it again!"
Fortunately, this suppressed their rising desires, and Qin Lizheng finally let her go. Qian Yingyi, now free, quickly sat up straight, her face growing increasingly red as she thought about what had just happened.
Good heavens, it wasn't just him; she was getting bolder and bolder too.
Qin Lizheng picked up the scattered bundle and paintbrushes, noticing that she seemed to be savoring the memory, so he lightly touched her chin with the paintbrush and kissed her cheek. "I don't like you talking to him."
Qian Yingyi dodged and snorted, "My legs are my own, I can go and talk to whoever I want, it's none of your business."
Qin Lizheng looked down at her and suddenly smiled, "I can't control your legs, but I can control other things."
Having said that, he lifted the curtain and went out, leaving Qian Yingyi in the carriage with her face gradually turning red. She wanted to chase after him and hit him, but she didn't want anyone to see her like this.
Qian Yingyi reached out and touched her lips, then lowered her eyes and lightly brushed her fingertips. Not a trace of the lipstick she had applied before leaving the house remained! She couldn't help but think again, he really is an extremely stingy and especially jealous person!
As she thought about it, she buried her head in the pillow and became shy again.
The turning of the axle suppressed the dampness surging between them. The sun was still shining, and in its bright light, it seemed to illuminate two rapidly beating hearts.
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Author's note: The guy surnamed Pei is temporarily offline!
Qian Yingyi: I'll bite you to death!
Qin Lizheng: Okay, let's bite this side too.
Two hearts slowly, slowly, slowly drew closer~
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