Chapter 35 Is my husband so anxious tonight?
Cui Yiluo instinctively stepped back, but his long arm, as solid as black iron, held her back. Her retreating movement only made her abdomen press even closer together, burning and swirling like fire, their intense heat intertwining.
Cui Yiluo's eyelashes trembled slightly, suddenly meeting the dark depths of the man's eyes, which held intense desire, possessiveness, and even deeper, more complex emotions that she couldn't decipher.
A moment later, she came to her senses, restrained her instinct to back away, and pressed her body against his strong chest.
Her soft, boneless hand traced upwards along the arm bound to her side, her fingertips bringing a taut tension, and one could vaguely sense the powerful strength beneath her inner garment.
Cui Yilu wrapped her arms around the man's neck and smiled, "Is my husband in such a hurry tonight?"
The complex emotions in Jiang Yunjin's eyes subsided slightly, replaced by an even stronger fervor.
He would not answer; he would never say a word while doing this.
Amidst the heavy wind and rain, he slightly lowered his eyes, then lowered his face and took her pure half in his mouth.
Her breath was instantly stolen. The moment he came, Cui Yiluo suddenly realized that his emotions were not right tonight. Like a giant wave that had been suppressed and was now surging out after a hole was opened.
Cui Yiluo, gripping his arm, involuntarily leaned back slightly. She couldn't stop herself; she was being teased by Run and became even more aroused, and under his influence, she became even more alluring.
He was inexplicably assertive today, and his demeanor had become more aggressive, giving off a sense of impending storm. The restraint and gentleness he once possessed had completely vanished, replaced by a more domineering and possessive air.
She felt pain in her head, and Chun also lost consciousness.
Suddenly, the long arm tied around Xia's waist reached out and lifted her up with one arm with ease.
Startled by being suddenly lifted up, Cui Yiluo cried out and instinctively hugged his neck tightly.
The long arms supporting the pig were so strong that she couldn't break free at all. She was pulled into the bedding, and as soon as she sank in, his strong knuckles lifted her small chin and he steadied himself. She was then forced to accept his fierce steadiness.
He remained silent as always, but his somber expression and more forceful movements indicated that something was wrong with his emotions.
Before long, Cui Yiluo could no longer withstand the night's heat, and a new scratch appeared on her back, which was already covered in red marks.
He seemed to be possessing, and all of this was Shen. Then Cui Yiluo realized that he had restrained himself before.
Tonight is the final, complete.
This discussion dragged on into the night. Jiang Yunjin was even more controlled than before. Cui Yiluo even desperately grabbed his shoulder, but it didn't soften his heart. Her struggles only made his eyes darker, and the possessive emotion intensified.
In the end, both of her wrists were marked with the same ink, and they were fixed in the same position.
Jiang Yunjin pulled her into his arms, and at the moment the intensity came, he suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and lifted her up, then gently brought her down to steady her.
Cui Yiluo was constantly being sent to Dingfeng, and she could no longer stop exclaiming. At this moment, even the unconscious sounds she made were completely swallowed up.
The bedroom, where the commotion had been going on for an unknown period of time, suddenly fell silent, leaving only the still faint, heavy, and disordered breathing sounds.
Jiang Yunjin still held the back of her neck, but his grip gradually softened, gently stroking her soft skin as if to comfort her with remorse.
Cui Yiluo suddenly clenched her teeth and forcefully scooped up his shin.
Perhaps due to his heightened awareness after being listed, he couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
Cui Yiluo's voice still carried the lingering echo of before, but her tone had turned cold as she looked at the man still above her who hadn't left: "What are you doing tonight, my husband?"
Jiang Yunjin propped himself up slightly with one arm, lowered his eyelids to hide the emotions still churning in his eyes, and said, "I'm sorry."
Cui Yilu stared at him: "Husband, why are you so restless today?"
The two were so close together that he couldn't avoid them as he had before. He pursed his lips and squeezed out two words from his throat: "No."
Having said that, he was about to leave her room, saying, "I'll go get some water."
Cui Yiluo pressed him down directly, and suddenly she pressed down even harder, and the man let out another short groan.
Cui Yiluo bit her lip, suppressing her reaction as she pressed on, "Is my husband trying to hide this from me?"
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes and did not answer, it was unclear whether he was calming down or hesitating.
A moment later, his hoarse voice rang out from inside the tent: "It was my fault tonight. I apologize. I will apply medicine for you after you bathe."
He remained stubbornly unwilling to speak, which only deepened Cui Yiluo's suspicions. She recalled that when she first saw him at the poetry gathering earlier that day, his demeanor had seemed off. Could something have happened before the gathering?
Cui Yilu couldn't understand it. After the intense passion subsided, she temporarily lost the will to investigate further. Moreover, he had never truly opened up to her. What did it matter how intimate they were at times? In reality, they were not even as close as an ordinary couple.
She moved slightly, and the man immediately tensed up.
She smiled and said, "Then why aren't you going out, my husband? Or do you want to break the rules?"
Jiang Yunjin's dark eyes were deep as he restrained himself from looking at her and withdrew, his shoulders and back taut with sharp lines.
The ointment was something he had prepared beforehand, but he had never used it except for the first time.
Actually, Cui Yiluo felt that it was unnecessary tonight, but his performance just now had really driven her to the brink of collapse. How could she not give him a hard time?
Before applying the medicine, Cui Yiluo looked innocent and seemed to be asking considerately, "Husband, would you like to be blindfolded?"
Jiang Yunjin paused for a moment.
Clearly, he did not intend to be blindfolded.
When they last applied the medicine, they weren't husband and wife, but now they're not only married, but they've also been entwined in bed day and night lately, and the blindfold only makes it more obvious.
Cui Yilu suppressed a laugh and looked at him intently. After a moment, he pursed his lips and gave a soft "hmm".
This time, it was Cui Yiluo's turn to pause, and he actually agreed.
Her voice carried a barely perceptible hint of displeasure: "Then I'll trouble you, my husband."
Jiang Yunjin simply replied in a low, concise voice, "Hmm."
The more he adhered to the rules and practiced abstinence, the more Cui Yiluo wanted to see him in a disheveled state.
Above the man's straight nose, a snow-white brocade cloth was once again tied, completely covering his dark eyebrows and eyes. Underneath the cloth, he still kept his eyes closed, once again becoming a gentleman who observed propriety.
When applying the medicine, his movements were gentle, but for a few moments she could also sense the restraint in his actions. If they hadn't touched each other, just looking at his expressionless and resolute face, she would never have guessed what his well-defined hands were doing.
Once she was withdrawn, Cui Yiluo intentionally or unintentionally brushed against his waist and abdomen, just as he had expected.
Jiang Yunjin dodged away as quickly as if he had touched fire.
Cui Yiluo's voice came from beside his ear, both unexpected and innocent: "Oh, my husband, I didn't mean to."
Jiang Yunjin turned his back and wiped the water stains from his slender fingers with a handkerchief. His straight back was as tall and slender as a taut bamboo in the candlelight, upright and aloof.
He said calmly, "It's nothing."
Cui Yiluo rested her chin on her hand while lying in the tent, and smiled silently.
If she hadn't experienced it herself, she might have actually believed him.
She suddenly became curious: would he really have no reaction at all to her several "unintentional" actions before their marriage?
Meanwhile, he had already turned off the lights, and the bedroom suddenly became dark, as if burying all the previous intense and passionate moments into darkness.
-
But on the other side, someone tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. The next morning, in the old lady's courtyard, when the fourth wife, Madam Shen, greeted the old lady Jiang, her expression betrayed her guilty conscience.
After taking her medicine, Madam Jiang's gaze fell on Madam Shen, who was sitting awkwardly in the hall, and she asked indifferently, "What's wrong?"
Having been seen through, Shen said guiltily, "Yesterday's poetry gathering..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old lady interrupted, "Shenzhi has always been like this."
"Then what about him and the Cui family..."
After the poetry gathering, Cui Yiluo gained the favor of Princess Qingting. Despite her humble origins, her reputation for being well-read and knowledgeable spread among the high-ranking families in the capital. Suddenly, those who had previously looked down on Cui Yiluo, thinking that she was only able to marry into the Jiang family because her aunt had taken her in temporarily, began to look at her with new respect.
Previously, Madam Shen and the old lady invited Madam Sun from the Duke of England's mansion to hold a poetry gathering, hoping to make Madam Cui pale in comparison to the noble ladies of the capital, so that Jiang Yunjin would be sobered up and abandon the idea of handing over the family business to Madam Cui.
This result was beyond Shen's expectations. She had not expected that Cui Yiluo was literate and could win Qingting's favor.
Madam Shen felt increasingly guilty, realizing that she had actually done more harm than good to her mother-in-law. She had originally thought that if Jiang Yunjin disliked Madam Cui, she could recommend her brother's daughter to Old Madam Jiang.
Who would have thought that... he would really be hoist by his own petard.
Shen lowered her head, feeling increasingly resentful. Unexpectedly, her mother-in-law, who was sitting at the head of the table, spoke up. Her tone was not only calm but even somewhat relieved.
"That's alright. At yesterday's poetry gathering, Shenzhi and Cui only exchanged a few words and weren't intimate. If the couple is so distant in public, it suggests that Shenzhi still has some sense and wouldn't unreasonably favor his wife. Moreover, Cui's improved reputation is entirely beneficial to our Jiang family. The Jiang family has always been known for its integrity and good name, and it was inevitably affected by Cui before. But this is not bad at all; Cui does have some brains."
Madam Jiang's expression was much calmer than in the past few days, but these words made Madam Shen pause slightly before she smiled and said, "Mother-in-law is right. Shenzhi is only doing his duty to Cui Shi. He only cares about the Jiang family. How could he let others ruin the Jiang family's prosperity?"
These words struck a chord with Old Madam Jiang, and a slight smile appeared on her face as she nodded.
-
The poems inscribed by Xiuping at the poetry gathering, as well as those added by others, would be compiled into a book by a special person and given to the noble ladies and gentlemen attending the gathering. As a result, the literary talents put in their best efforts at the poetry gathering, hoping that their talents would be noticed by high-ranking officials and nobles.
Therefore, the poetry book that Cui Yiluo received from the British Duke's Mansion was about half an inch high.
The room was packed with items. Cui Yiluo wasn't interested in the poetry gathering anyway, so after receiving the items, she instructed Lilan to simply find a cabinet to store them.
But just before Lilan took it away, she inexplicably spoke up again: "Wait, let me put it down and take a look."
Lilan smiled helplessly, "I was just saying, aren't you curious about how they continued the poem? Back in Ningzhou, they were all spoiled brats, so it was fine if you didn't care. But now you're in Shengjing, and didn't the eldest young master go yesterday? Could he have continued the poem for you too?"
Cui Yiluo flipped through the poetry book and said calmly, "He even rejected the Princess of Qingting County, so why would he continue my poem?"
Lilan was not surprised: "The eldest young master is indeed as cold and unapproachable as ever."
Cui Yilu smiled, her fingertips turning the pages of the book. The poems written on the embroidered screen had their own signatures, some by the original poets and some by those who continued the poetic tradition. The book of poems would also record their names.
When Cui Yiluo saw Yuan Ling's name listed below hers, she was slightly taken aback.
She frowned. Was Yuan Ling trying to warn her with the poem, or was he trying to convey some message? However, Yuan Ling's behavior had always been eccentric and unpredictable.
Yesterday he said he wanted her to make conditions in exchange for his help in investigating, but she didn't know if it was true or not. Cui Yiluo was indeed curious about the truth and the inside story, but Yuan Ling was a person she was quite worried about, and given Yuan Ling's meticulous nature, the conditions he asked for were definitely not simple.
Cui Yiluo held the booklet, lost in thought for a moment, and when she came to her senses, her gaze fell on the bottom of the book's pages.
Her heart skipped a beat. The person who continued the poem truly understood the meaning in her original poem. In fact, among those who continued her poem, there were many talented people with considerable ability, but the only one that she felt was truly fitting was this half of the poem.
She instinctively looked for the signature, but found nothing.
Cui Yilu flipped through the page several times before confirming that the person truly had not left a name.
I don't know if they forgot or intentionally omitted it.
Although Cui Yiluo was somewhat disappointed, since the person had not left a signature, she did not bother to look for it. After looking at it, she put it aside and had Lilan put it away, and then focused her attention on the accounts.
Before she knew it, it was dusk. Just as she was discussing with Steward Liu about going to the shop to check out the estate, a maid rushed into the courtyard, looking flustered.
Cui Yiluo recognized her as someone from Old Madam Jiang's courtyard. Seeing her flustered state, a sense of foreboding rose in her heart, and she frowned slightly, asking, "What is it?"
The maid, panting, said, "Young Madam, the Old Madam requests your presence."
"Did you explain why?"
"It is said that when the Third Madam was meeting with friends at Fan Garden, she heard a noise behind the rockery. She sent someone to check and found a guard and a maid behind her... If only the people in the manor knew about this, it would be fine, but several of the Third Madam's friends were present. The Old Madam is already very angry. Madam, please go over there quickly."
Cui Yilu frowned after hearing this. "But the old lady and my aunts can handle this matter themselves. Why did they call me over?"
Old Madam Jiang disliked her the most, so it was impossible for her to interfere in decision-making.
Sure enough, the maid said, "Young mistress, the maid who was caught is from your courtyard..."
Cui Yiluo hurriedly led her people to the old lady's courtyard. As soon as she entered, she saw a man and a woman tightly bound and kneeling on the ground. The hall was full of people, and the old lady, who was sitting at the head of the table, looked extremely displeased.
Cui Yiluo was momentarily stunned when she met the gaze of the man who sat prominently among the crowd.
Jiang Yunjin was also summoned. Judging from his purple official robe, he must have been called back by the old lady as soon as he finished his shift.
It's unclear whether she will be the only one reprimanded, or whether he will also be scolded.
Her maid and the guards were caught having an affair behind the artificial hill. Not only were they caught, but several of the Third Madam's friends also witnessed it. It's easy to imagine that Old Madam Jiang must be furious and won't let it go easily.
However, she had only been in charge for a few days and the accounts were not yet sorted out. Moreover, the maids in the courtyard were only assigned after she and Jiang Yunjin got married. If it were really investigated, wouldn't the old lady also bear some responsibility?
Cui Yiluo stepped forward, bowed, and then sat down next to Jiang Yunjin.
The matriarch of the family, Madam Jiang, spoke up: "Now that everyone is here, let's begin."
The old lady called out the name of the third wife, Zhu, and said, "You go first."
Madam Zhu recounted what had happened, then said respectfully, "Mother-in-law, rest assured, I have already spoken with the ladies and they will keep quiet and not let this matter get out, lest it damage the Jiang family's reputation."
Madam Jiang's expression remained unchanged as she responded in a deep voice, "The guards in the manor were under the command of Guard Peng, but he has been dismissed and replaced by Guard Qu. However, this maid comes from the Jade Bamboo Courtyard. Yi Luo, the Jade Bamboo Courtyard is under your jurisdiction. What are your thoughts on this?"
Just as Cui Yiluo was about to speak, Jiang Yunjin, who was standing beside her, spoke up first: "Grandmother, this matter is due to my failure to properly discipline the servants. Please punish me, Grandmother."
From the moment he opened his mouth, he took full responsibility for the matter.
Cui Yilu couldn't help but glance at him again, but he spoke with a humble demeanor, as if he genuinely felt that the incident was due to his poor discipline and that he should bear the responsibility.
He has always been responsible, so it didn't surprise anyone that he took responsibility at this moment.
Madam Jiang was not surprised. She said with a stern face, "This matter is indeed due to your and your husband's lax discipline. In that case, each of you will copy the family rules ten times in the next few days. As for the household allowance, the eldest son's family will not receive it for the next six months."
"yes."
Cui Yiluo nodded and agreed, feeling slightly relieved.
Out of consideration for Jiang Yunjin, Old Madam Jiang wouldn't punish her too harshly. After all, in front of everyone, she couldn't show too much favoritism and didn't want to punish Jiang Yunjin, so she had no choice but to let her off the hook as well.
"However, Yiluo," Madam Jiang changed the subject, "this maid is from your room. In your opinion, how should she be dealt with?"
Instantly, several pairs of eyes turned towards them.
Cui Yiluo said, "This matter has indeed broken the rules of the household. In my opinion, these two should not stay in the Jiang family."
Madam Jiang frowned slightly, clearly not satisfied with her answer.
Sitting on the other side, Third Madam Zhu said, "Niece-in-law, do you mean that we can just kick them out of the Jiang residence? If they go to work for other people's families and cause trouble like this, and others find out that they came from the Jiang residence, wouldn't that ruin the Jiang residence's reputation for no reason?"
After saying that, he looked at Old Madam Jiang.
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang's expression softened slightly: "These two disregard the rules of the household, so they need not remain in the Jiang family. Minggu, tie them up in the woodshed and hand them over to slave traders tomorrow to be sold to the Northwest Lingnan. Don't let them set foot in Shengjing again."
"yes."
Shengjing was far from the northwest and Lingnan. Not to mention the harsh environment there, even if one were to travel there, there was a high chance of falling ill and dying on the way.
The punishment was obviously too severe, but since the slave contract was in the hands of Old Madam Jiang, and in order to protect the Jiang family's reputation, everyone understood and said nothing.
The two men bound in the hall immediately panicked and desperately kowtowed and begged for mercy, but their mouths were stuffed with cloth and they could only make muffled sounds. Their hands and feet were also bound, and they were quickly taken away by the other guards.
This matter is considered temporarily settled.
Before leaving, Madam Jiang gave Cui Yilu a warning look, and Cui Yilu bowed and took her leave with her eyes lowered.
After this incident, the two remained silent on their way back to their room. When they arrived, the sun had not yet completely set, and sunlight still illuminated the bedroom. A few rays of twilight shone through the carved window onto the people in the room, as if they were gilded.
Cui Yiluo looked at the man beside her. His face darkened slightly. Clearly, what happened today involved Yuzhu Academy and was another "major" matter that broke the rules. He was also somewhat displeased.
"What are you thinking, my husband?"
Jiang Yunjin lowered his eyes, his voice somewhat low: "No, it's just that we still need to be more strict in disciplining the servants in the academy in the future."
Upon hearing this, Cui Yiluo chuckled and said, "Does my husband think that I'm not strict enough in disciplining my children?"
Author's note: If you're criticizing others today, don't forget to talk about yourself when you're out and about later... [doge emoji]
[Heart] Thank you for the nutrient solution, my darlings!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
