Chapter 110 What is the duty of commanding puppets and servants?
Li Xunhuan's knuckles pressed against the courtyard door, tracing its texture repeatedly with a gentle touch, as if he were tracing the features of his beloved. And indeed, just beyond the door, lay his beloved woman—or perhaps "young girl" would be a more apt description.
This was a door that couldn't be pushed open, and he had stood there frozen for who knows how long. His eyes were still gentle, but his cheeks were already flushed with a sickly red.
The night dew hurt his lungs, and the cool wind pierced his throat, causing him to cough incessantly; his mouth was already filled with the taste of rust.
But even if he were to die here on the spot, he would be willing.
Thinking of something, Li Xunhuan sighed inwardly and silently retorted: Even if I'm unwilling, I should at least look at her one more time.
No one knew which deity had manifested their power, but the thought had barely formed when footsteps sounded behind the door, accompanied by the faint tinkling of a copper bell. Who else could it be but Nian Nian?
Li Xunhuan was taken aback, standing there somewhat awkwardly, suddenly losing his composure.
Why did she actually come out? If she sees me, will she find me bothersome?
Before he could recover and figure out a way to avoid upsetting her, the scent of plum blossoms from her hair wafted through the crack in the door.
The frosty white inner garment was gradually revealed. The fabric was thin and see-through, and it would be too inappropriate to wear even in the height of summer. It was not something a proper young lady would wear.
She wasn't even wearing a bellyband; the crimson hue was faintly visible, making her even more alluring without it.
Li Xunhuan lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the young fruit he had nurtured.
Where is she going in the middle of the night?
Even though he already had a bad feeling, he could only look pale and pant wearily, "It's late and the dew is heavy, why are you dressed like this? What if you catch a cold?"
Niannian gave him a cold glance, neither dodging nor hiding, "Stop pretending and move aside. If you dare look again, I'll gouge your eyes out."
Li Xunhuan pursed his lips, awkwardly averted his gaze, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where are you going?"
Niannian tossed out a "You know perfectly well what I'm asking," and walked on ahead, raising an eyebrow as she went, "Where do you think I could go dressed like that?"
Li Xunhuan could certainly guess the answer, and it was precisely because he guessed it that his heart clenched and ached.
Under the moonlight, the sheer white undergarment clearly outlined her slender waist, and her dimples swayed as she walked away.
Its vibrant colors, when filled with dew and roses, were so dazzling that no one could bear to look at it.
A dark, melancholic light welled up in his eyes. Suppressing the sharp feeling in his heart, he clenched his fists and chased after her, blurting out, "Unmarried marriage is an act of promiscuity without a matchmaker. How can you act recklessly? Besides, you are still young, and it could harm your health. He is not a good man; how can you entrust yourself to him so easily?"
Niannian frowned and said impatiently, "What's it to you? Who are you to me? I just want to entrust you with something. If you dare to say another bad word about my senior brother, I'll cut your tongue out."
Li Xunhuan took a deep breath, used his lightness skill to block her way, and, suppressing the itch in his throat, asked in a hoarse voice, "You really want to marry him?"
He then recalled the sycophantic faces of those people at the Seven Treasures Banquet, their flattering words sinking into his heart like black water. He stared intently at Nian Nian's lips, as if her answer would determine whether the final straw would break the camel's back.
Unaware of anything, Niannian smiled lightly, her tone laced with malice: "If I don't marry him, am I supposed to marry you? My senior brother is younger than you, more handsome than you, more... um."
She suddenly lost her voice, and even more nasty words were swallowed up by her lips and tongue.
His slender fingers pinched the hollows of her waist, tightening suddenly. His kisses grew more intense, capturing her pink tongue in his mouth, sucking and licking it repeatedly, not allowing her to utter another word.
Jealousy mixed with a desire for control surged into his chest, shattering his proud self-control, and his body heaved violently.
Noticing the strength of Niannian's resistance, he released her, parted his lips slightly, and said breathlessly, "I'm sorry."
Before she could finish speaking, a slap landed on her face. Nian Nian, panting, said coldly, "You dare."
Li Xunhuan looked at her quietly, without flinching, and then said in a hoarse voice without warning, "Marry me."
Niannian heard the exact words clearly and even smiled incredulously: "You dare compare yourself to my senior brother? You and him..."
Li Xunhuan tensed his spine, desperately suppressing the urge to bite her lips. His teeth broke through the flesh of her tongue, and the sweet, metallic taste filled his mouth.
The lingering, subtle pain finally forced him to speak: "But you not only married me and loved me, you also consummated our marriage long ago..."
Niannian's eyes flashed with anger as she said resentfully, "Shut up! You're old enough to be my father, how could I possibly...?"
Li Xunhuan swallowed the muffled cough in his chest, and raised his hand without regard for anything else. His moon-white wide sleeves fell down, revealing a red rope tied around his wrist. "I was indeed your father, and I was your teacher for a few days, but it is true that we had a wedding ceremony and got married... You've forgotten."
His voice was hoarse and dry, and the four words, "You forgot," were filled with unspeakable bitterness and some unspeakable grievances.
However, no matter how refined or mature a man is, once he has an uncontrollable desire, he can no longer control his emotions. Li Xunhuan stepped forward, his eyes pleading as he whispered, "We are not divorced, so you are still my bride. If you want it, I will give it to you."
Niannian laughed out loud, seemingly finding it absurd. Suddenly, she reached out, ripped off the red thread, and threw it straight into the river.
She lifted her eyelashes, waved her empty palm in front of him, and looked at him provocatively, as if to say: Without my lifeline, how can you still be related to me?
Li Xunhuan remained silent.
In the dead of winter, with ice shards filling the river, he didn't hesitate for a moment before jumping in with a splash.
The ice shards on the river surface shoved and collided, making a faint 'tap-tap' sound. Just one glance was enough to make the chill seep into your bones.
Li Xunhuan's face turned pale instantly from the cold, and a series of rapid and hoarse coughs rang out, so violent that it seemed he was about to vomit his heart and lungs.
Niannian subconsciously bit her lip, whether out of a desire for revenge or something else, and suddenly said, "You are not allowed to get up. This is the master's order."
After saying that, she turned and left, leaving him behind, her steps heavy and hurried, as if she couldn't wait to do something.
Li Xunhuan's breath hitched, and his expression finally changed. He leaped up, his toes barely touching the surface of the river, and in an instant, he was behind Nian Nian again.
The icy water dripped down the hem of my clothes and onto the ground, like a sudden downpour.
He rushed forward in a panic and hugged her tightly from behind.
The cold river water soaked the white gauze, and the bone-chilling cold seeped into her flesh, making Nian Nian shiver all over.
His hot chest became the only remaining warmth in the world, and he breathed softly, instinctively not pushing her away immediately.
His arms, wrapped tightly around her chest, held her close, and a trembling voice whispered in her ear, laced with an inescapable plea: "Don't go, don't let him touch you."
Niannian said in a muffled voice, "What right do you have to interfere in my affairs? I'm going."
Li Xunhuan's eyes blazed with a dark intensity, and his hands suddenly hardened. He bent down and took her round earlobe into his thin lips, gently enveloping and licking it, as if he were eating a ripe pomegranate and about to devour its flesh.
A tingling sensation spread from her ears and neck to her tailbone. In an instant, Nian Nian collapsed against his chest. Her drunken red eyes welled up with tears, and a tremor ran through her shoulders and neck as she uncontrollably let out a few soft moans.
Li Xunhuan tightened his grip on her arm and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't go, I'll give it to you."
Niannian's body went limp, and she struggled weakly, saying, "You're old, you can't do it anymore, get out of here..."
Before he could finish speaking, he unceremoniously grabbed her waist and pressed her against his body.
He didn't answer such a childish question, but Nian Nian suddenly clenched her teeth.
Li Xunhuan hugged her tighter and tighter, and she could only slump her waist and try her best to shrink back.
Noticing her shrinking back, he wasn't annoyed. He simply breathed heavily, cupped her waist, and lifted her abdomen upwards.
The veins on the back of his hand, which was clenched at his waist, were bulging.
Li Xunhuan's nostrils twitched slightly as he looked at her hazy, drunken eyes and unconsciously swaying waist. He gently bent down and breathed hot air into her ear: "Are you wet?"
That's asking a question you already know the answer to.
She was dressed too lightly; there was no way to hide it. How could he not notice?
Having her thoughts exposed, Nian Nian opened her eyes wide with shame and anger, struggling to get down, kicking and hitting him.
Li Xunhuan chuckled softly and finally let go of her hand.
She landed on her toes first, her legs were weak and she hadn't even stood up properly when she turned around and slapped him across the face.
Li Xunhuan didn't even turn his head, but simply turned his body to block her nearly naked body, his voice low and hoarse: "You can hit me however you want, let me give it to you."
He lowered his eyes, gazing at the crimson stains soaked by the river, and gently gritted his teeth.
They still dare to watch.
Niannian laughed in anger, then her face darkened and she said coldly, "Why should I give it to you...?"
Li Xunhuan paused, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty, and said with pursed lips, "Then you... I'll do anything for you."
As he spoke, he lowered his head and, through his soaked undergarment, took the trembling crimson lips into his mouth.
He tried to push her away, but the force of his push gradually changed. Her fair, pinkish-white hands slipped into his damp temples, tightening little by little until they held his head tightly in their arms.
The cold clothes clung nakedly to her skin, yet the temperature was rising rapidly. Nian Nian gasped for breath, saying intermittently, "No... I can't."
He caught a glimpse of her swaying waist out of the corner of his eye and suddenly smiled, “Okay.”
He paused, a hint of unspeakable shame in his voice, and whispered in her ear, "Pleasing the master is the duty of puppets and servants."
The temperature on her face rose sharply, and the spring water in her heart suddenly surged. Nian Nian stared into his pair of emerald green eyes, gritting her teeth in secret.
As if struck by a thought, she looked at the ice-covered lake and gasped, "If you... if you can find the red thread, I'll listen to you."
Searching for a thread on an icy lake is like finding a needle in a haystack, yet Li Xunhuan's expression remained unchanged.
His eyes were gentle as he looked at her trembling eyelashes. His burning hands traced along her arm to her wrist, picked up the gold bracelet inlaid with rubies, and gently lifted a corner of the thin red thread inside. With a smile that left no room for refusal, he said, "Found you. You are mine."
Niannian's eyes widened, her voice turning cold: "You noticed I hadn't thrown it away? Then why did you..."
Li Xunhuan looked down at her intently and said, "I've said it before, you can do whatever you want with me."
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Author's Note: I originally wanted to use that "mouth" instead of... but it turned out even worse. Anyone know why? TT
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