Chapter 116 Elopement (about romance)
The spot where she had kissed him felt numb. Li Xunhuan's mind went blank for a moment. He stared at her blankly, his lips slightly parted, unable to utter a word.
Niannian didn't rush him, but wrapped her arms around his lean waist, gently rubbing the fine lines at the corners of his eyes, as if touching the patterns carved on warm jade.
"...What did you say?" His cold hand was suddenly gripped tightly, his entire arm trembling. His voice was strained, and the green waves that had gathered in his eyes lingered for a long time.
Niannian leaned down and pressed herself close to him, her cool breath landing on the tip of his nose. She lingered there for a long time before kissing his eyes, and then, as if that wasn't enough, she pecked them several more times.
She laughed, her voice sweet and cloying: "Do you want me to say it again?"
Li Xunhuan blinked slowly, took a deep breath, and tilted his head back to kiss her.
The red silk binding her wrists suddenly ripped apart. He tightened his arms, her slender waist slammed against her hips, and he pinned her to the bed with one hand.
Her lips were sealed by his, his tongue forcing its way in through her teeth, licking and biting her more deeply.
She let out a short, soft moan.
Her breathing grew heavier, her eyes red, and she was forced to swallow saliva that wasn't her own, mumbling, "First... cough, cough cough..."
Seeing her cough, Li Xunhuan finally released her.
He was panting heavily, his lips pressed together as he gripped her wrist and pulled it down to her waist. He then pulled the red silk ribbon from his side and wrapped it around her three times, tying a knot in it.
Forced by a loosely knotted knot, Niannian stood with her hands behind her back, rubbing against the quilt and drawing out her words: "Uncle—"
Before she could say what she wanted to say, he sealed her with a kiss.
She turned her head slightly, parting her lips a little, "You haven't answered yet..."
Her lips were sealed again; would she even get a chance to speak?
Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, her eyes widened, and she bit his lips, protesting, "Let me speak!"
With slightly calloused fingertips, I pressed them against the moist lips before my eyes, my hand trembling as I gently pressed them.
He swallowed hard, his eyes reddening again, his voice hoarse: "You're important. You're the most important, nothing is more important than you."
As expected, this older man is made of water; you can't bully him.
Niannian blinked subconsciously, afraid that a tear would fall.
Li Xunhuan suddenly hugged her tightly, burying his face in the crook of her neck, like a withered tree drawing water from a dry tree.
Niannian nuzzled his damp temples with her head, lightly licked the corner of her lips, and whispered, "Uncle, then elope with me. Right now."
"Leave everything behind and take me away, okay?" Her voice was sweet and sticky, and her stray hairs brushed against his collarbone, making half of his body go numb.
Seeing that he was still panting heavily and hadn't caught his breath, she looked at him pitifully with red eyes and said, "Uncle, you know, I've been with you since I was so young."
Okay, of course it's good, how could it not be good?
My heart had never pounded so hard in my chest, and my breathing became increasingly rapid.
He suppressed the pounding in his heart and hoarsely agreed, propped himself up, and reached under the quilt to take out his usual clothes to change into, his heart softening terribly.
The clear liquid rolled down her smooth waistline and onto the ground. Nian Nian subconsciously swayed her waist, turned her fair face to the side, and breathlessly bit the vermilion robe. "I want Uncle to wear this."
Li Xunhuan paused. He was past the age of being ashamed of sexual intimacy, as long as she was happy.
The soaking red gauze was ripped with a 'rip', he crumpled it into a ball, wiped it haphazardly a couple of times, and then turned his back to put on his clothes.
The plain robe was a little too small for him, making his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more pronounced. When he turned his head, apart from a few fine lines at the corners of his eyes, he looked almost exactly the same as when he was young and wearing a wedding robe. Yet, the loneliness between his brows revealed a depth of sorrow. These were the marks of time, not something that could be sculpted overnight.
In her dream, he wore a similar round-necked robe when they got married. Niannian smiled, her eyes crinkling, and a faint heat rose in her lower abdomen as she thought about how out of control he had been.
She collapsed onto the bed, her body limp, and drawled, "If Uncle is wearing Senior Brother's wedding attire, then I want to wear it too."
Li Xunhuan curled his fingers slightly, picked up the wedding dress embroidered with twin lotus flowers and tied it around his wrist. He knelt on one knee on the bed and bent down to untie her—even though he knew that the loose knot could not bind her.
Her crossed wrists tucked to the side, and Nian Nian straightened up, her chest, damp with wine, bulging. Biting her lip, she said timidly, "Uncle, you've tied me up so I can't move. Can you help me put it on?"
She hunched her shoulders as if she were freezing, her cheeks flushing red. "I'm... completely soaked."
Her voice grew softer and softer, as if she was ashamed to speak, and by the last three words it was barely audible.
Li Xunhuan could tell she was deliberately being provocative again; he wondered where she'd learned it from, every single day...
His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, a large red patch appeared on his chest beneath his clothes, and his gaze involuntarily drifted downwards.
Niannian kicked him in the lower abdomen, then suddenly clenched her knees together, her eyes red as if she had been teased by a playboy, and scolded him, "What are you thinking about?"
It was clearly her...
Li Xunhuan pursed his lips, and under her hook-like gaze, he trembled as he reached out to unbutton her clothes.
As the wine-scented blue robe was completely removed, Li Xunhuan lowered his eyes and unfolded the wedding dress. She then rubbed her wrists together, struggling and rubbing against the quilt, pleading, "Father, please don't do it on my wedding bed, okay? My husband will find out..."
Her voice trembled, making her sound like a kitten shivering after being caught in the rain.
The thought of the word 'husband' made his chest tighten. Li Xunhuan immediately held his breath and covered her mouth, saying breathlessly, "Don't talk nonsense."
He would never again utter such high-sounding words as "do not speak of what is improper."
He was a little angry, and tightened his grip slightly, staring at the area where her chest was trembling, gritting his teeth: "Do you really have to be so wanton? Do you really think I wouldn't..."
Niannian opened her legs, glanced down, and said aggrievedly, "If Uncle wants to punish me... that's fine too. Although I'm still very young, it's all because Uncle always puts me in his belly. Maybe I already have Uncle's child in my belly."
She spoke incoherently, without making any sense, because she wasn't trying to reason at all.
"I know the uncle dislikes that I can't read, but I can go to school even though I'm heavily pregnant. If he asks, I won't say it's my father..."
Seeing Li Xunhuan's face gradually turn pale with fright, she finally curled up her knees and laughed until her eyes disappeared, saying, "You dare to talk back, I'll teach you a lesson."
She huddled on the dark green quilt, her dazzlingly white skin trembling like tender tofu. Li Xunhuan stood frozen in place, and after several breaths, he draped the bright red wedding dress over her shoulders and wrapped her tightly in the quilt, looking as if he had lost his soul.
Niannian's original intention was just to scare him, but she didn't expect him to be so scared, and she became unhappy again instantly.
Her face turned cold. She suddenly sat up, tore off the loose red silk ribbon from her wrist, and threw it at his chest in a fit of anger. "What do you mean?"
Not only does he have a bad temper, but he's also unpredictable.
Li Xunhuan was taken aback. Seeing that she was angry, he turned pale and was about to explain, "I was afraid..."
She interrupted him: "What's so scary? I'm already married to you. Is it that shameful?"
Li Xunhuan's lips parted, and after a long while he lowered his head, saying weakly, "Niannian, you shouldn't have a child. Your pelvis is so narrow, and you're still a child yourself. What if something happens? It will hurt a lot. Don't go through that."
Niannian blinked, then slowly lay down. "Don't worry about it. How could anything happen to me?"
Her eyes darted around, "Don't you want a child of your own?"
Li Xunhuan shook his head.
After a long silence, she raised her head, her gaze calm and gentle: "...I already have my own child."
Strangely enough, upon hearing those words, Nian Nian seemed to understand their implied meaning. She immediately stopped acting up, unable to vent her anger. She turned her head away, twirling a strand of hair around her neck, and touched the bridge of her nose with her other hand, lost in thought.
Li Xunhuan knew, of course, what those words meant—that she could leave at any time, go far away, and abandon him without a second thought, until he grew old.
She's still too young. In ten or twenty years, when he's withered and old, she'll be in the prime of her life. What will he have left to hold her back then?
He couldn't hold her back, nor should he. After their passionate love affair, she still had most of her life to love others, while he...
His eyes dimmed; he didn't want to think anymore, only lamenting the cruel twist of fate that had led him to give everything away in his most youthful, exuberant, and spirited years, fleeing like a stray dog. And yet...
He swallowed the bitter taste in his throat, gazing intently into those moist cat-like eyes. Ironically, at the age when he was most exhausted and powerless, he fell in love with you when you were at your most youthful and vibrant.
"Be good, Niannian." He clenched his convulsing fingers and carefully helped her put on the slightly wrinkled wedding dress.
She pouted, picked up the red ribbon that had come off, and suddenly said seriously, "Uncle, remember to tie it on top of your head next time. Tying it behind your back hurts your hands."
Li Xunhuan was speechless.
Niannian chuckled to herself, opening her arms wide: "Why haven't you taken me away yet? Don't you know I'm a kite, capable of flying away quietly?"
Even though he knew she was talking nonsense, Li Xunhuan still felt a little breathless, bent down and hugged her tightly around the waist.
He didn't want to wait any longer. With a light touch of his toes, he carried her and leaped onto the roof. His clothes fluttered as he chased the moon all the way.
The lights of the villa gradually dimmed, and their figures disappeared into the night, vanishing in an instant.
It's unclear how many times the dragonfly skimmed the water, but the bright moon in the sky seemed to draw ever closer. Li Xunhuan helped her sit down on the roof ridge, while he himself sat in the vent.
Their crimson robes intertwined, and Li Xunhuan instinctively pulled her into his arms, suddenly asking, "Are you happy now?"
Niannian grabbed his hand and bit his tiger's mouth, saying fiercely, "Of course I'm not happy. You taught me to elope with you, and now you've brought me here to be exposed to the cold wind, you bad thing."
Li Xunhuan remained motionless and smiled, "I thought this was your favorite place."
She instinctively retorted, "Of course not, what I want to see most is the sea. I've never seen the sea before."
He took a deep breath, gently stroked her spine twice, and said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Then, I want to take you to see the sea."
He lowered his voice, "Is that alright?"
Her pearly teeth, embedded in her flesh, loosened, and she listlessly propped up her chin, asking, "When did you find out?"
Li Xunhuan looked at her chubby cheeks and subconsciously rubbed his fingertips together. "Maybe it was just now, maybe it was longer."
He suddenly asked, "Was it after I fell into a coma?"
Niannian lifted her eyelashes, mimicking his sentence structure in a somewhat ambiguous way: "Maybe earlier, maybe..."
Her voice softened, her pupils widened, and she whispered threateningly, "Perhaps it's all been a dream all along, and you've never woken up."
She smiled, her eyes crinkling, and said earnestly, "I've always been a bad thing."
Before he could answer, she leaned close to him, blinking as she observed him: "Who told you to let me fall for you? Aren't you scared?"
Li Xunhuan lowered his head, his forehead touching hers, and said softly, "Then remember, don't make me age too quickly in your dreams."
Something seemed to flicker with moisture in his eyes.
Niannian's eyes flickered slightly, she looked away, and said awkwardly, "It's all your fault for ruining my plans."
'Good thing'.
Even though he knew she was definitely not referring to the happy event three days later, Li Xunhuan still bit his lower lip tightly and glanced at her subtly: "Your senior brother won't be angry, will he?"
Niannian glared at him. "What do you think he is? He dared to use a love potion on me and erase my memories. If it weren't for our years of friendship, I would have skinned him alive."
Li Xunhuan nodded, "After all, it's a friendship that's lasted for many years."
That sounds really weird, and it's so sarcastic.
Niannian playfully pinched his cheek, "How can it compare to my feelings for you? For you, I even poisoned everyone."
Li Xunhuan's pupils contracted slightly, and he exclaimed in surprise, "What?"
He thought this sword appreciation event was set up for him.
She was angry, and no matter what she did to vent her anger on him, he would do it willingly. Why did she turn the knife on someone else?
Why...?
Niannian loosened her grip and gently touched the bridge of her nose. The blows that had hit her face not only shattered her nose but also crushed her skull.
Her lips curled up in a seemingly innocent smile as she said, "Who taught me...? I am the person who understands you best in the world."
"Who taught me to say that I would protect you as I would protect myself? I will never let you be disciplined and oppressed again."
Her delicate white hand landed on his shoulder and back, then suddenly pressed down on his spine, saying sweetly, "I want to protect your spine."
Her tone suddenly changed, and the sweetness in her eyes turned into ferocity: "If these hypocrites dare to insult you, I will make them die from the poisonous insects that devour their hearts."
She added lightly, "Once everyone in the world is under my spell, let's see who dares to say you're shameless and treacherous."
Li Xunhuan could only hear his own labored breathing, each breath feeling like coarse pebbles grinding against his heart, the resulting rust stains rising in his throat, yet tasting sweet.
If he hadn't met her, he would have frowned upon hearing about anyone else's behavior in this manner.
Yet, despite saying the most narrow-minded things, she gave him the tenderest love.
His eyes reddened, and a sorrowful look appeared in them: "Li Xunhuan is no good person, he doesn't deserve..."
He didn't continue, but simply held her tightly, like a lost person clutching their most cherished lamb: "Just let me be your roots, your stepping stone. I'm no longer young, no longer..."
Niannian interrupted him softly: "But I like people, I like you."
She pushed him away, staring intently at him with her bright, cat-like eyes. "I love the cracks in the jade disc, I love the withered flowers in full bloom, I love the shadows beneath your feet. I love your brokenness and baseness more than all your admirable perfection; this is the difference between a living person and a puppet. I like people."
Li Xunhuan stood frozen in place, his reddened eyes seemingly lifeless, his pupils not trembling at all. He felt as if a heavy, dull, old cleaver was laboriously cutting into his heart, causing a dull and painful sensation.
He lowered his head and touched his hand, which was cold with tears. Strangely, they tasted sweet.
Seeing him remain silent, Nian Nian puffed out her cheeks, looked away, and said, "Now you know, I really am a person who holds grudges. Whoever offends me..."
Li Xunhuan chuckled softly through his tears, listening to her muttered, vindictive grumbling, as the dull, rusty cleaver chopped away at his rotten, withered branches again and again.
He pried open his empty shell and was surprised to find that new buds had sprouted inside the dead wood.
A profound sense of happiness mixed with pure and overflowing love surged through Li Xunhuan's chest, making him feel as if he wanted to embed her into his very bones.
He lowered his voice and didn't correct her, but said gently, "If it were you, it wouldn't matter even if you called a deer a horse."
Niannian wrinkled her nose. "What deer and horse stuff? You have to use idioms that I don't understand. Try bullying me again."
Knowing she's vengeful, how could anyone dare to bully her?
Li Xunhuan sighed softly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I just wanted to say..."
"Thank you for coming."
Thank you for all the chaos you brought me, for stirring up the stagnant waters of the island's heart, so that the isolated island is no longer an isolated island.
He rested his chin on her head, trying to gently embrace her fangs. "Let's ignore them. The world is full of chaos. I just want to look into your eyes."
Niannian muttered, "What's so special about my eyes?"
As she said this, she squinted her eyes and snuggled into his arms, wanting to roll around.
She tilted her head back and kissed his thin eyelids: "I love your eyes the most. The you of the past can't compare to the you of the present in my heart."
His arms tightened uncontrollably, and a gaping hole suddenly appeared in his heart. "Niannian, don't be too good to me."
Niannian's eyes widened; she clearly loved teasing him the most.
Has he lost his memory?
Feeling guilty, she could only say righteously, "Don't think I'm so great. Maybe I have many secrets that I've never told you."
Li Xunhuan pursed his lips: "About that 'Gu City'? If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to."
He certainly wanted to know about her past, but based on Xi Rao's few words, he knew it must have been filled with blood and bitterness.
He didn't want to teach her to recall the bad past, not even for a moment.
She didn't answer, lowered her voice, and half-jokingly threatened him, "Uncle, if you hear this, you'll be so scared you won't be able to sleep."
Seeing him frown and his bright green eyes shimmer, she suddenly laughed out loud: "Trying to fool an old man, how can you be so easily fooled?"
Li Xunhuan wasn't angry; he simply hugged her tightly and indulgently, asking, "Are you happy now?"
This time, there was no need for them to nod or murmur; the fire that set the mountain ablaze ignited, burning everything within sight. In the scorching flames, their dream suddenly collapsed, and they fell together into the canopy bed filled with the fragrance of sandalwood.
Niannian propped herself up on her knees, touched the bridge of her nose, and her eyes rolled slightly.
Li Xunhuan withdrew his gaze and smiled, "Have you been plotting something again?"
She readily admitted it, laughing like a cat that had stolen cream, and said matter-of-factly, "Who taught you to bully me like that before? I'm so much younger than you, what's wrong with letting me bully you a little?"
Li Xunhuan is certainly not bad.
Niannian's eyes lit up, and she took out a red silk and a pot of wine from her sleeve and put them into his palm.
She lay down, lifted her clothes to her collarbone, curled her legs up, and pitifully coaxed, "But Father can punish me first."
Li Xunhuan took a deep breath, gripped the object in his hand tightly, his eyes reddened, and gritted his teeth, saying, "So young and already so reckless, who taught you that?"
"You can't attract men like that, you know that?"
She blinked, her gaze lowered, and she said innocently, "Father, it's because you've already..."
The ill-intentioned inquiry turned into a short, low murmur.
"It's so cool."
Li Xunhuan's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and he tightened the red silk, saying in a hoarse voice, "Don't speak, it's my turn to interrogate you."
The red silk tightly bound to the snow-white fabric was soaked with wine.
Niannian opened her eyes in a hazy bliss, her breath trembling as she thought: How could she be so easily fooled?
She smiled again, her eyes crinkling, wondering when the older man would discover—the secret that she would never grow up.
Who taught her to be so soft-hearted, allowing the old man to sleep soundly for so many days and nights?
"Uncle, hurry up, I still want to see the sea."
Li Xunhuan, of course, wouldn't engage in a verbal argument with her; he would only—
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