Chapter 71 From the moment Revlon handed him the wine, he…
Cui Yiluo's fingertips trembled, but he had already pressed his hand against her neck. She knew that he could see the pages of the book she was holding clearly.
Her warm breath brushed against her skin, gently tracing the spot where he had bitten her during his last outburst, leaving deep teeth marks that she had to carefully cover up even days after returning to the Jiang residence when applying makeup.
Cui Yiluo had no idea where he got such strength.
As his breath brushed against her, Cui Yiluo involuntarily trembled.
Jiang Yunjin seemed unaware of her reaction, his thin lips gently pressing against her neck. The teeth marks there had disappeared, but he was able to kiss the same spot with remarkable precision.
"What's wrong?"
He asked in a low voice.
It seemed like he genuinely cared about her.
Cui Yiluo bit her lip, suppressing the dampness rising in her body, and looked at the pages of the book in front of her.
The vertical inscription he wrote by hand made her fingertips tremble.
"Isn't my husband studying the way of the gentleman? Why do you think of these things?"
This book, filled with insidious and secret medicines, was kept in the study of a virtuous and upright gentleman, placed alongside books detailing the ways of propriety and righteousness.
He hugged her from behind. Cui Yiluo couldn't see the expression on his face, but his lean body was unusually relaxed when he hugged her, and there was nothing unusual about it.
He chuckled softly, "In your eyes, I'm still as old-fashioned as ever."
Cui Yiluo suppressed the tingling sensation in her neck and the panic in her heart, and continued to ask, "Have you touched any of the medicines on this?"
She didn't turn the pages; the pages, with the three large characters "Bewitching Fairy Guide" written in bold ink, were laid bare before them, ready to pierce the veil that had led them to marriage in an instant.
The fragrance was subtle and delicate. How could someone describe it so clearly and accurately if they hadn't actually tasted it? Cui Yiluo frantically recalled, repeatedly pondering his reaction when he accepted the glass of wine she offered him.
"No."
When his low voice rang out in response, Cui Yiluo suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. She didn't even realize it herself, but her shoulders relaxed slightly.
He explained, "My father had previously instructed me that there are many occasions for banquets and drinking, so I have to be careful."
When scions of prominent families are out in the world, countless people are eyeing their opportunities to strike, whether to take their lives or to seize power. Jiang Yunjin is the only son of the eldest branch of the family, and high hopes have been placed on him since childhood. It is not surprising that his father sought out tutors for him.
Although he did not recognize the Bewitching Charm.
But he couldn't possibly know.
If he had known that the wine was laced with a bewitching drug, he would never have drunk it. At that moment, he wished he could stay far away from her and never have anything to do with her again. He only drank it because someone offered him a toast, and he was simply being polite and not wanting to offend them.
Perhaps seeing that Cui Yiluo did not answer, he tightened his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "Remembering what happened before?"
His tone revealed a hint of gentle concern.
Cui Yiluo lowered her eyes, concealing the guilt in them. She smiled and teased, "I was just thinking that learning how to distinguish things solely from books is too theoretical. It would be better to use a different method in the future."
after.
The man holding her from behind breathed more heavily.
After Cui Yiluo finished speaking, she closed the book and put it back in its original place, her tension completely dissipating.
As soon as she turned around, her chin was lifted slightly by his slender fingers. His fingertips gently caressed her soft red lips, causing a shiver to run through her. The next moment, his handsome face pressed down.
His lips were captured, and he skillfully thrust in, forcefully entangling her.
Cui Yiluo was out of breath, her lips and tongue still carrying his breath. Suffocating, she instinctively leaned back, but he relentlessly followed, pulling her close and pressing her against the heavy bookshelf, teasing her into responding.
Behind Cui Yiluo lay the principles of propriety and gentlemanly conduct he had learned, while in front of her she was enduring his passionate kisses. She could hardly believe that Jiang Yunjin would take the initiative to kiss her in the study.
On previous occasions, she had only sat on his lap and he had already scolded her.
As the storm subsided, he gently touched her lips, both of them glistening with the same moisture.
His eyes were dark and intense, brimming with lust. "Back to the room?"
Since their passionate and absurd encounter in Qingchi Lane, nothing more had happened between them. But Cui Yiluo had set a two-week deadline; if she were to give in now, wouldn't it seem as if she also missed him?
Cui Yilu hooked her arm around his neck and teased him in a flirtatious tone: "Half a month has not yet passed. Isn't my husband the most trustworthy person? Are you going to break your promise?"
He stared intently at her, and Cui Yiluo met his oppressive gaze directly, still feeling it wasn't enough, she continued to provoke him.
"And I don't want to go back to my room; I just want to stay in my husband's study."
No matter how crazy or unruly he was, he could never have done it with her in the study where he had been taught to be a gentleman since childhood. Even when he was seduced by her before, he did not go all the way.
He indeed stopped, gave her a dark look in his eyes, and then turned and strode away.
Seeing that he was speechless because of her, Cui Yiluo felt that she had avenged the five days when he had silenced her. The corners of her lips turned up. She had rested enough, so she walked to the desk to continue looking at the account books.
Suddenly, a man's low command came from outside the door. Then, the door slammed shut with a heavy thud, making Cui Yiluo's heart skip a beat.
She paused just as she was about to reach the desk, and instinctively turned around, but before she could turn around, she suddenly felt a lightness all over her body.
Jiang Yunjin lifted her up from behind.
The empty courtyard was deserted. The candlelight from the stone lanterns flickered and danced on the bluestone slabs. The thick doors of the study were tightly shut, blocking out all sounds from within, except for a muffled, suppressed sob.
It was as if a raging flood had suddenly burst its banks. After a long time, Cui Yiluo felt as if she was about to be drowned and suffocated by him, yet she could not escape at all. Her ankle, which he held in his hand, trembled, but he showed no pity and remained fierce.
After an unknown amount of time, Cui Yilu buried her face in the soft pillows on the small couch, her waist bound. This was the sixth time she had tried to escape but had been caught again.
The more she tries to escape, the more she will be punished.
As if afraid she might actually suffocate, he gently cupped her pale, flushed face in his slender, well-defined hands and laid them down on her cheeks.
One side is fierce, the other gentle; Cui Yiluo doesn't see this as comfort, but only as torment.
He's gone mad, he's really gone mad.
His study was the most solemn place in his heart, yet he didn't care about it at all. What taboos would he have then?
Official documents were scattered haphazardly on the floor. Behind Cui Yiluo was the desk of the former executive director. Her beautiful, bright eyes were unfocused. Thinking of this, she was shocked and flustered.
She began to regret her deliberate provocation. If she hadn't brought up the study, things wouldn't have turned out this way. But how could she have known he had already gone so far?
He was an extremely perceptive man and immediately noticed her distraction, causing a pebble to fall heavily into the lake.
Cui Yiluo suddenly couldn't bite her lip.
"concentrate."
He bit her earlobe, his voice slightly muffled.
It felt like a punishment, yet also like a way to make her focus.
In the end, Cui Yiluo begged him in defeat, "Husband, please let me go, okay?"
Jiang Yunjin did not respond.
As the night deepened, the study door, which had been tightly shut all night, finally opened, and a tall, imposing man stepped out. He held a petite woman firmly in his arms, the woman draped in a frosty-white cloak, the hood of which concealed her fair, rosy face. She leaned weakly against him, motionless, seemingly fast asleep.
Long, slender fingers gently traced the soft, sweaty side of her face, causing the sleeping woman to flinch and turn her face away instinctively.
"No, I don't want it anymore..."
Her lips were kissed, silencing her unspoken resistance with a mixture of tenderness and ruthlessness.
Complex emotions welled up in the man's eyes, heavy yet unrestrained.
Let her go?
From the moment she handed him the wine, he knew he would never let her go.
-
When Cui Yiluo woke up, the sun was already high in the sky. In her hazy sleep last night, she felt Jiang Yunjin massaging her waist and legs, and now that she was up, her body was indeed not as sore as before.
Madam Jiang probably didn't want to see her anymore, but she also respected the rules of a prestigious family and allowed her to pay her respects every few days.
As Cui Yiluo was being helped by Lilan to change and wash, she remembered what Old Madam Jiang had said the day before.
Last night, in her confused and passionate state, Cui Yiluo was in a vulnerable state and felt that this was when Jiang Yunjin was least on guard. So she asked him, in a broken voice, the question that had been bothering her during the day: "Husband, have you been to Ningzhou before?"
Jiang Yunjin paused, his eyes darkening. "Why do you ask that?"
Cui Yiluo explained honestly, "My grandmother said we had a childhood friendship."
The desire that had been covering his handsome face faded slightly, replaced by a barely perceptible strange emotion. He paused for a few breaths, and just as Cui Yiluo was about to ask again, he finally spoke.
"No."
He explained to Old Madam Jiang's words, "Perhaps Grandmother misheard."
Upon hearing this, Cui Yilu frowned subconsciously. Just as she was about to ponder what was amiss, another wave of emotion surged up, and she quickly lost the will to think about it.
But now that I think about it, his reaction seems a bit strange.
Could it be that they really had met before? But if so, why would he deny it? Cui Yilu couldn't figure it out, so she simply asked Lilan.
But Lilan also said she had never seen Jiang Yunjin, and tentatively asked, "Could it be that you're just overthinking things, Miss?"
Cui Yilu lowered her eyes in thought and absentmindedly responded.
But is it really just that she's overthinking things?
However, in the days that followed, Cui Yiluo deliberately tested him with things related to Ningzhou, but he knew nothing about them and did not seem to be faking it. Although Cui Yiluo was still suspicious, she was somewhat relieved.
As the year draws to a close, to celebrate the new dynasty, every household in Shengjing has put up peach wood charms and auspicious characters. The piles of white snow reflect the red decorations, creating a festive scene.
On the eve of New Year's Eve, everyone in the mansion was busy. In the Jade Bamboo Courtyard, servants were busy tidying up and airing out old items to dispel the lingering effects of the old year and welcome the new.
Even the secluded courtyard that had never been opened since Cui Yiluo entered the mansion was opened on this day.
When Cui Yiluo first came to Yuzhu Courtyard to look for Jiang Yunjin, she noticed the closed-off courtyard filled with a repressive atmosphere. At first, she didn't know where this place was, nor why Jiang Yunjin had kept it closed for so long.
Later, she gradually realized that it was where his parents had lived.
From Jiang Zhaoyue's attitude, Cui Yiluo keenly sensed that Jiang Yunjin's parents were a taboo subject in the Jiang family that could not be openly mentioned, and everyone kept quiet about it.
That heavy rosewood door is only opened at the end of the year, and after cleaning and tidying it up, it is closed again, year after year.
Jiang Yunjin showed respect to his parents, yet deliberately avoided them.
As Cui Yiluo passed by the small courtyard, the gate was wide open, revealing a spacious and secluded courtyard. The simple yet elegant houses were covered with a thick layer of dust. Although the servants inside were busy, creating a bustling scene, the shouts and rustling sounds could not mask the musty smell emanating from the courtyard.
Looking into the dark and gloomy courtyard from the outer gate, Cui Yiluo's heart sank.
Wen Feng was leading his men to move several heavy boxes out, constantly instructing the servants moving the boxes to be careful.
But this little courtyard was only able to see the light of day again today. The roads inside were covered with several layers of thick snow, and the servants carried heavy trunks and baskets, their feet sinking deep into the snow.
Beneath the snow lay unmelted ice. As they approached the courtyard gate, suddenly, one of them stumbled, lost his balance, and fell straight down into the snow.
The chest he was carrying was heavy, and he suddenly fell to the ground, causing the chest to sway as well. The other servant carrying the chest also lost his balance and was pulled down to the ground as well.
The heavy box landed heavily on the ground, splashing up fine snow. Half of the items inside scattered, landing sporadically in the snow.
Startled by the news, they quickly ordered people to gather up the scattered items.
Cui Yiluo glanced at it and recognized that the box contained all of Jiang Yunjin's belongings from his youth, mostly clothes, with one item even lying not far in front of her.
It was a dark brocade robe with a round collar embroidered with pine and bamboo in silver thread, which stood out conspicuously against the snow.
This was the first time Cui Yiluo had seen Jiang Yunjin in dark clothing. They lived together, and she knew exactly how many robes he owned, even the materials and styles of each one. His robes were either snow-white, moon-white, or silver-gray, perfectly matching his aloof and cold personality.
Although he's not like that in front of her right now.
Cui Yiluo subconsciously stepped forward, picked up the robe, and ran her fingers along the bamboo leaf pattern on the sleeves. The silk threads and brocade felt extremely smooth and comfortable, a texture that only the finest silk fabrics could provide. Before coming to Shengjing, Cui Yiluo had only experienced this once.
She paused for a moment, then saw Wen Feng quickly come to greet her.
"Greetings, young mistress."
Wen Feng's somewhat nervous expression caught Cui Yiluo's eye, and a strange feeling rose in her heart.
Wen Feng reached out somewhat anxiously to take the robe from Cui Yiluo's hands, saying, "Thank you, young mistress."
Cui Yiluo handed it over.
Wen Feng quickly took over, his movements revealing a hint of tension. He then ordered the two servants, who had almost finished tidying up the scattered items, to carry the trunk away again.
Before leaving, Wen Feng glanced at Cui Yiluo tentatively, but his eyes met Cui Yiluo's directly. A look of panic flashed across his face, and he quickly bowed and took his leave, leading his men away into the distance.
Even after Wen Feng and the others had walked a distance, Cui Yiluo remained standing in the same spot, her brows furrowed.
"Aren't you leaving, young lady?"
Lilan's voice brought Cui Yiluo back to her senses, and Cui Yiluo gathered her thoughts, "Let's go."
"Huh, what is this?"
Lilan suddenly squatted down and picked up a piece of red paper that had faded to a pale red from the fine snow. She opened it, glanced at it, and handed it to Cui Yiluo with a puzzled look: "The fortune slip from Changjing Temple, did you leave this behind, young lady?"
Changjing Temple?
Cui Yilu frowned as she took the slip of paper. Sure enough, the name of Changjing Temple was written on it. The handwriting on the red paper was neat: "The dark clouds have not cleared for many days, and the cold wind and rain are biting. When you reach a place of hardship and danger, you will cross the dangerous peak in the spring."
Changjing Temple is a temple in Ningzhou, but she doesn't believe in gods or Buddhas, let alone go there to draw lots.
The inscription on the fortune slip was ominous, almost revealing the utter despair in the seeker's heart. Cui Yiluo stared blankly at the red paper, then realized in a daze that it had fallen out of Jiang Yunjin's old clothes that had just landed in front of her.
He lied to her.
He has been to Ningzhou.
Author's Note: Thanks to Wen Feng for the help! [doge emoji]
Thank you to all the little ones for the nutrient solution and the landmines! [heart emoji]
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