Chapter 112 Spring Tide Rises at Midnight
Early the next morning,
Zhu Mingyue woke up in bed with a start, her eyes glazed over. The scene from her dream the day before flashed through her mind, and she felt her face turn red with embarrassment.
The Xie Pei in my dream was very different from the one in reality; he seemed to have become more domineering, and he wasn't... as nice to me anymore.
Xie Pei's hands should have been warm, but in his dream they were icy cold, and they firmly gripped the back of his neck, preventing him from moving.
That handsome face with its sharp features drew closer and closer, so close that its cool breath touched Zhu Mingyue's skin, so close that Zhu Mingyue closed her eyes in fear.
Xie Pei's thin lips gently pressed against Zhu Mingyue's lips. Zhu Mingyue opened her eyes in horror and tried to push against his firm chest with both hands, but Xie Pei did not budge.
"Xie Pei, what are you doing?" Zhu Mingyue asked in a low voice, her face flushed red.
A soft chuckle sounded in his ear, and after a long pause, Xie Pei slowly spoke: "What do I want to do?"
He lowered his head and whispered in Zhu Mingyue's ear, like a devil: "Sister-in-law, you don't know?"
Zhu Mingyue stared at him in astonishment, wanting to burst into a tirade, but upon meeting his handsome face, which was identical to Xie Pei's in real life, she instantly fell silent, a sense of guilt rising within her. "I... how would I know?"
"Sister-in-law is joking," the cool fingertips slowly slid across Zhu Mingyue's burning earlobe, stopping only when they reached her bright red breast.
Zhu Mingyue was tormented by this agonizing process, his jaw trembling, but he couldn't escape. Just when the other person finally stopped and he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, his cheek was pinched. The force was neither too light nor too heavy, just enough to vaguely reveal a bit of his pearly teeth.
Xie Pei's actions did not stop there. His jaw was pried open, and his tender red tongue could no longer be hidden, exposed to Xie Pei's aggressive gaze.
Zhu Mingyue was frightened by his gaze and began to struggle slightly, but no matter what she did, she seemed unable to escape Xie Pei's grasp. Her slender, fair neck was rubbed raw by Xie Pei's rough palms during the struggle.
Xie Pei's eyes grew increasingly dark, his pupils becoming as black as ink, and his face darkened. "You're really that unwilling?"
Zhu Mingyue was driven crazy. Saliva soaked the corners of his mouth. He mumbled, "Unwilling to what?" Xie Pei in his dream left him powerless. He just wanted this absurd dream to end quickly.
Xie Pei's face was frosty: "Sister-in-law, you know perfectly well."
I clearly don't know!
What's wrong with Xie Pei? Why can't he speak properly? Why does he have to play this pointless guessing game with me?
A soft sigh was swallowed by the dim and silent night. The next second, Zhu Mingyue's whole body stiffened, her lips were forcefully pressed against hers, and her warm mouth was penetrated, sucked, and licked... Xie Pei's strength was like that of an ox, and no matter how Zhu Mingyue tried to push him away, she couldn't.
Yes, Xie Pei has always been very strong, and after his experience on the battlefield, he is even more irresistible. Zhu Mingyue closed his eyes in despair and resigned himself to being devoured by Xie Pei.
Xie Pei was too greedy and not satisfied with such contact. His large hand, which was holding Zhu Mingyue's neck, slowly fell down and landed on Zhu Mingyue's waist. He first rubbed it hard, causing Zhu Mingyue to tremble all over.
Zhu Mingyue turned her head away and gasped for air, while Xie Pei looked down but was dodged again: "Xie Pei, no."
"Don't want what?" Xie Pei pulled him closer to his chest. "Do you not want me to kiss you, or do you not want—"
A gentle press on her lower back sent a shiver through her body. Zhu Mingyue's vision blurred, and she shook her head frantically, pleading with a sob in her voice, "Don't press there."
His lower back dimples have always been a relatively sensitive area on his body. Unlike his ticklish spots, his lower back dimples are not very noticeable, since no one would pinch them unless they were bored out of their mind.
Xie Pei was clearly the one with the most problems; the two were pressed tightly together, and that thing was digging into his stomach like an iron rod.
Zhu Mingyue was caught in a dilemma, having to guard against both the front and the rear, and could only repeatedly beg for mercy.
Xie Pei seemed to have taken his advice, and stopped what he was doing, then—
"Holy crap! Xie Pei, stop pinching my butt!!"
Xie Pei lowered his head and took his bright red earlobe into his mouth, grinding it gently with his teeth. "Sister-in-law, do you know what I want to do now?"
Zhu Mingyue continued to stubbornly deny it: "I don't know, I don't know!"
Xie Pei chuckled softly: "Now you know."
I want to...do you.
Zhu Mingyue felt as if he had been struck by lightning. He knew exactly what Xie Pei wanted to do, but saying it aloud was different from not saying it at all. Zhu Mingyue was completely stunned.
Is this a dream? Why isn't she awake yet? Taking advantage of the other person's inattention, Zhu Mingyue closed her eyes and secretly pinched her thigh. When she opened her eyes again, Xie Pei's handsome face was right in front of her.
No, no, let's try again! He closed his eyes, then opened them again, only to be met not by reality, but by an even fiercer storm from Xie Pei.
Zhu Mingyue was so overwhelmed by the kiss that she collapsed into Xie Pei's arms.
She watched as Xie Pei lifted her up and carried her to the bed, then leaned over him.
The fire inside flickered, its flames reflected on the walls like leaves battered by a storm.
The quiet night was eventually broken by occasional sobs and groans. Zhu Mingyue was drenched in sweat, like a small fish out of water on the shore. At first, she could still struggle weakly, but afterward, she could only twitch twice as a conditioned reflex.
As the oil lamp burned out, Zhu Mingyue watched the flames reflected on the wall slowly shrink and disappear, then closed her eyes and gradually lost consciousness.
In the moments before he lost consciousness, he vaguely heard Xie Pei's voice.
"Disgusting? I was clearly enjoying it."
"You like me too, don't you?"
...
When I opened my eyes again, it was already bright outside.
Zhu Mingyue lay motionless on the bed, utterly bewildered.
After an unknown amount of time, he placed his hand on his chest. His heart was beating very fast, one beat after another, as if indicating that the owner of his heart had just experienced an extremely strenuous exercise.
Zhu Mingyue took a deep breath, the cool air entering her nasal cavity, and her mind became much clearer.
Did you enjoy it? He clearly remembered the pleasure that swept through his body like an electric current, and even after he woke up, the afterglow still lingered in his body.
Putting aside the protagonist of this erotic dream, it seems quite comfortable?
The words Xie Pei said at the last moment in my dream kept echoing in my mind:
"You like me too, don't you?"
A crack appeared on Zhu Mingyue's face as she murmured, "Do I like him?"
He quickly pulled the blanket over his face, wishing he could suffocate himself.
He's such a beast! He's a hypocrite, two-faced, two-timing, and contradictory guy—a complete jerk!
She worried for months about her brother-in-law's fleeting kiss, and even prepared her words of refusal when they met.
As a result, before he even met Xie Pei, he had such a pathetic dream. In the dream, he and Xie Pei were making love, and in the end, they did everything they should and shouldn't have done.
In his dream, Xie Pei appeared domineering and brooked no refusal, but all of this existed only in his imagination, a fantasy that projected his deepest desires. Was his desire simply Xie Pei's advances towards him?
What's even more outrageous is that he actually found it quite comfortable.
How could he feel comfortable! He's guilty! He's not human!
Several months later, he dreamed of the person who coveted him.
Zhu Mingyue closed her eyes in despair and let out a muffled sob in her bed.
Tears soaked his clothes, leaving his chest wet. It was a cold winter day, and he shivered from the chill in no time.
Zhu Mingyue sniffed her red nose and thought of getting up to light the stove to dry her undergarments. As soon as she sat up, she felt a chill in her lower body.
Um?
Zhu Mingyue frowned slightly, reached her hand under the covers, and then slowly opened her eyes wide.
He actually became so pathetic because of a dream.
Because he grew up apart from his peers, or perhaps because he had no other thoughts besides making money and studying, and because he didn't understand the vague concept of love, he never had any physical desires, and consequently, he rarely had any physical reactions.
Even on the rare occasions when this happened, he would simply lie in bed and quietly wait for it to end.
This time, however, this situation arose because of a dream.
He clutched his pants, but felt no nausea whatsoever; on the contrary, he felt incredibly comfortable.
I feel... utterly hopeless.
That's it, he's really done for.
Zhu Mingyue got up, threw her pants into the wash tub, and resignedly scrubbed the clothes in the yard, braving the howling cold wind.
Cold water kept splashing onto her face. Zhu Mingyue tilted her head and subconsciously wiped it with her hand. Her fingers, which were red from the cold, touched her face and she shivered again. Zhu Mingyue wanted to cry but had no tears.
He couldn't help but think that it would be great to have a washing machine. Washing clothes in winter is such a pain, especially with hot water. If only Xie Pei were here, he would always wash his clothes from the previous day before he woke up in winter. Zhu Mingyue was so lucky that he didn't appreciate it at all. Now that Xie Pei was gone, he didn't want to make breakfast or wash his clothes.
Xie Pei, Xie Pei, it's Xie Pei again! He shook his head and cursed himself for being so useless. It was just washing clothes, why was Xie Pei on his mind all the time?
"The shopkeeper?" He An waved his hand in front of Zhu Mingyue's eyes, his voice rising slightly, "The shopkeeper!"
"Mmm, you go ahead, I'm listening." Zhu Mingyue rested her chin on her hands, barely managing to snap out of her daze.
"What the hell are you listening to?" He An couldn't help but complain, "Shopkeeper, your thoughts have wandered far, far away."
To everyone's surprise, Zhu Mingri paused for a moment, then said seriously, "It's not that far." He silently added in his mind, "It's only about a thousand miles."
He An: ...
"Shopkeeper, why don't you go back and rest?" He stared at Zhu Mingyue and said bluntly, "I've noticed you haven't been in the right state of mind since this morning. Are you too tired?"
Without hesitation, Zhu Mingyue replied, "Yeah, it's quite tiring." Dreaming of being tossed and turned over and over again in one's dreams is indeed exhausting. He would never dare to reveal such a shameful thing to anyone.
He An: ...
You have such a thick skin!
Fortunately, Zhu Mingyue wasn't idle. With the hot pot restaurant about to open, and the owner counting on it to make money for him last night, he naturally had to put in some effort.
He picked up the hot tea and drank it all in one gulp, then wiped his mouth and said, "Go on."
He An then began from the beginning: "The hot pot restaurant in Guangyang County is opening tomorrow. I went to check it out this morning and there were no problems. Should the manager also go and take a look?"
With He An handling things, Zhu Mingyue felt at ease; at least for now, He An seemed much more reliable than Zhu Mingyue.
"No—" He was about to say it when he caught a glimpse of He An's slightly expectant expression out of the corner of his eye, and quickly changed his mind. "Why don't we go take a look? We're just killing time anyway."
The hot pot restaurant in Guangyang County is located in the bustling city center. Downstairs, there is a lively crowd with constant shouts and noise. Looking down from the top floor window, you can see children with pigtails running around, adults chasing after them, constables busy with their duties, and vendors hawking their wares in the streets and alleys. The atmosphere is very lively.
Across from the hot pot restaurant, there was a cosmetics shop and a jewelry shop. Young women with maids were coming and going, their faces beaming with smiles.
Further along, there were porcelain shops, clothing shops, and pastry shops. In short, if this street existed in later generations, it would be known as the most prosperous commercial street in the entire city, where the most powerful shops were gathered.
From this perspective, Zhu Mingyue's hot pot restaurant seems quite ordinary, with no special features from the outside.
But it doesn't matter, as long as there are people on this street, he won't be afraid of not having customers.
He An stood to the side, looking down at the crowd, quite satisfied. He shared the same thought as Zhu Mingyue: as long as people passed by, there was no fear of a lack of customers.
Unlike Mingyuelou, which was located in a remote area and had to put in a lot of effort to promote itself, Mingyuelou was situated in a bustling area, making it hard for passersby not to see it.
There was one thing he wasn't quite satisfied with. He An pointed to the signboard and said, "Shopkeeper, is this really how you call someone?" It was far too perfunctory.
Zhu Mingyue nodded: "We won't change it. Let's just call it Hot Pot Shop. It's clear, easy to understand, and quite good."
He An glanced across at the opposite side, where all the shops were named Cuiyuzhai, Shuyuege, and Nishangfang. He trembled his lips and thought, "Zhu Mingtian's name sounds so fresh and refined."
Zhu Mingyue didn't even have a name. It was a bit unpleasant to hear, but it was easy to understand and piqued the interest of passersby at first glance.
Another reason was that he couldn't come up with a satisfactory name no matter how hard he tried; those names always sounded stale and out of touch with reality.
He couldn't possibly name it Mingyuelou like a restaurant, could he? He rejected the idea as soon as it came up. If someone said they were going to eat at Mingyuelou today, the other person would have to ask which Mingyuelou it was, which would be too much trouble.
The name doesn't matter; we can always change it later if a more suitable one comes along. The most important thing is that the taste is good.
The hot pot restaurant has three floors and retains the original Fengxianju decor. The third floor has private rooms, while the first and second floors have some square tables.
There are tables for two people and tables for four people. On each table is a large pot, and a wooden box is installed under the table to cover the bottom of the pot. The wooden box looks unremarkable, but it has a secret.
To perfect the design, Zhu Mingyue worked tirelessly, even going to the county's blacksmith shop to find the blacksmith who had made darts for Xie Pei.
It took many days to make it like this, which can retain heat to the maximum extent and also allow smoke to escape through the partition in the ceiling downstairs.
Although it has many shortcomings and is somewhat rudimentary from a modern perspective, it at least has the basic form of a hot pot table for later generations, and Zhu Mingyue is already very satisfied.
He An accompanied Zhu Mingyue around the shop, but couldn't find anything wrong. He happily said, "The shop's staff have all been trained, and we're just waiting to open tomorrow."
"Okay." Zhu Mingyue smiled and said, "Tomorrow, bring a few people from Shangyang County. After 9:00 AM, start cooking two pots at the shop, no matter if there are people there or not."
"Why?" He An asked, puzzled.
Zhu Mingyue explained, "Just to show my support and make it more lively." To put it simply, she was a shill.
He An hesitated for a moment and said, "Why not use Mingyue Tower's reputation to create some buzz?" Mingyue Tower is so famous that as long as people say that the shop is owned by Zhu Mingyue, people will come to visit.
Zhu Mingyue shook her head: "There's no need. The target audience isn't necessarily the same."
"Hot pot doesn't need any advertising; it will naturally attract people who love it."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Mingyue Baby: This is how I conquered myself [proud face]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
