Chapter 19 Sinking into the Jade Sea
Meng Qingci stopped knocking on the door. She turned around, her teeth clenched in the cold, and her eyes, now adjusted to the dimness of the room, were shocked by the furnishings.
Two years ago, when the eldest branch of the family moved into the Marquis of Anyi's residence, she visited Jiang, who was bedridden, on behalf of Fu Jingyu, bringing her tonics. The room she remembered was the low-key, simple, and dignified style of the mistress of the house. The sandalwood furniture was calm and warm, the plain-colored curtains hung silently, and the air was filled with the austere scent of medicine and books. Everywhere was understated, and every place was simple and elegant.
Looking at it now, it's completely different, unrecognizable. The master bedroom is filled with intense, almost suffocating crimson, layers of sheer curtains, flickering with candlelight, like a flirtatious invitation. The paintings hanging on the walls, with their explicit brushstrokes, boldly depict the alluring colors of spring, drawing one into enchanting reverie.
The room was no longer filled with the bitter scent of medicine; instead, the incense burner emitted a sweet, cloying fragrance that seemed to penetrate every crevice and forcefully try to seep into Meng Qingci's entire body.
Every corner of Jiang's house was filled with decadent atmosphere and subtle hints, like a silent temptation to fall into depravity.
This is hardly the residence of the mistress of a noble household! It's as if I've stumbled into the boudoir of the most beautiful courtesan in some brothel!
The more repressed, the more strictly bound by etiquette and self-restraint a person is, the more astonishing they become once they break free from the shackles of etiquette.
For a moment, Meng Qingci inexplicably thought of the subtle tension between Jiang Shi and the father and son at those banquets. She instinctively dared not think too deeply about what Jiang Shi had gone through in the past two years.
Prince Fu Hongxuan leaned back in his armchair, enjoying Qing'er's panicked expression. He tilted his head back, drank a cup of wine, and waved his long arm: "Do you like it?"
Meng Qingci then fixed her gaze on Fu Hongxuan, secretly shocked by the methods of the eldest master, Fu Chenghuai. Fu Hongxuan was only a year younger than Fu Yan'an. His bone structure was originally quite handsome, but now his cheeks were sunken and his eyes were dark. It seemed that wine and women had completely eroded his body. His clothes were empty, making him look more like a decaying shell forcibly held up in fine clothes, about to collapse.
Fu Hongxuan was not as impatient, violent, and unpredictable as the rumors among the servants suggested. His gaze lingered on Meng Qingci, as if he were carefully examining a precious vase, his expression sickly yet playful. Suddenly, he asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Fu Yan'an didn't protect you today?"
Meng Qingci pressed her back tightly against the cold, hard door behind her, her heart sinking endlessly.
Fu Hongxuan's words were like a sharp blade piercing her heart. She had never held onto hope, so she wouldn't feel despair. For Fu Yan'an, this was perhaps another way to tame her. She had always known that whether it was Fu Jingyu or Fu Yan'an, it was always about weighing benefits; feelings were merely a facade beneath a gentle veil.
Fu Hongxuan found it amusing to watch her surprised and uncertain expression. Compared to the brutality of tearing apart prey, teasing her at this moment was much more interesting. He smiled and said, "You're not surprised at all? You're indeed clever. I really like you very much. Your eldest brother and sister have taken such good care of you. With such a beautiful woman carefully nurtured, how could I bear to let you leave?"
Meng Qingci gradually calmed down. She was never one to admit defeat, so she leaned against the door and remained unmoved in the face of any change. She even smiled and replied to him, "Only after seeing you today do I realize how many misunderstandings I had in the past. If Your Highness wants to see me, you can simply send someone to summon me. Why go to such lengths?"
Fu Hongxuan chuckled, seemingly convinced: "You're quite pragmatic. Don't be afraid. You're not that kind of vulgar person. If you follow me, I'll treat you well and give you endless riches and honors."
"Since I am favored by the young master, it is naturally a blessing I have earned." Meng Qingci saw him drink another cup of wine and sit there as steady as Mount Tai. For a moment, she did not know what he was up to, so she could only try to smooth things over: "But this is, after all, the second madam's bedroom, which is quite inconvenient. Even though I am lowly, I know my place of honor. How about the young master shows me some kindness and we go somewhere else?"
Just a door away, Xiuyu had already been gagged and dragged away by Mo Jian. Fu Heng stood by the door, and his coquettish voice was captivating. Few men in the world could resist such temptation.
Fu Heng clenched his fist behind his back, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and his narrow eyes were filled with icy coldness, as if they could pierce through the door in front of him. He knew that she was unconventional and that it was just an act, a pretense, but he never expected her to be so bold.
Fu Hongxuan opened his outer robe, revealing a loosely tied inner garment, and drank the remaining wine from the narrow spout of the wine pot in one gulp. With his eyes slightly glazed, he asked, "Does this smell good?"
Meng Qingci initially disliked the overpowering sweetness of the fragrance, but now she was somewhat captivated by it. It tickled her heart, and her tense nerves unconsciously relaxed. Only then did she realize something was wrong, and her delicate brows furrowed: "What kind of fragrance is this?"
Fu Hongxuan smiled smugly: "This one is called 'Inseparable Love,' which I specially found for you. How about it? Feeling good?"
Meng Qingci had a gut feeling that it was something bad. With quick reflexes, she grabbed the teapot from the coffee table, rushed to the incense burner, and poured the tea over it all at once. The smoke billowed and rose straight up into the cauldron, making it impossible to avoid even with one's breath held.
She staggered two steps, dropped her bundle, and slumped into the armchair. Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes were brimming with affection. It was as if someone had taken her bones out in an instant, leaving her weak and limp in the armchair.
Fu Hongxuan flicked his wide sleeves, stood up, and looked at Qing'er's weak and vulnerable appearance, which was bullied by everyone. He was already aroused and his eyes were full of madness: "How is it? How does it feel to be seduced? Today I will let you know how powerful I am and completely tame you, this wild horse, so that you will know who your master is."
Meng Qingci dug her nails into her palms. When she looked up again, her misty eyes were hazy and seemed to have a bewitching magic. She raised the corners of her lips and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Considering that I am still a young horse that no one has ridden before, Your Highness, please cherish me."
Fu Hongxuan was already itching with desire, and her teasing made him feel excited and indescribably happy. He clapped his hands and laughed: "Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! You really are a beauty. I like you so much that I will definitely cherish you and let you know the benefits. Let you know that I am a hundred times better than Fu Yan'an."
"Why mention him? He's just a heartless man, a real downer." Meng Qingci feigned anger, raising her soft, delicate hand and, suppressing her disgust, subtly beckoning to Fu Hongxuan.
Seeing that Qing'er was completely controlled by Li Buqing, Fu Hongxuan could no longer hold back and stepped forward. If Qing'er were not from the main branch, he might have been gentler with such a stunning beauty.
Meng Qingci took the initiative to wrap her arms around Fu Hongxuan's waist and said coquettishly, "Now that I'm with the young master, you mustn't let me down in the future."
Fu Hongxuan's breathing quickened, and his tone became indistinct: "Don't worry, even if my old father comes back in the future, he won't let you suffer any grievances."
Meng Qingci giggled as Fu Hongxuan picked her up and placed her on the Second Madam's bed. He had drunk wine, which amplified the effects of the spices, and he sank into the boundless sea of jade. He took off his outer clothes and crashed down like a mountain.
Fu Heng couldn't hear anymore. He couldn't even see Qing'er's thoughts clearly. Just as he was about to rush in, he heard Fu Hongxuan let out a shrill scream from inside the house, followed by an even louder scream.
Meng Qingci's voice remained weak and powerless, yet as cold as ice: "Now it's my turn to ask, do you like it?"
Fu Hongxuan's voice trembled and shrill: "Stop...stop!"
"Don't you like me? Don't you want to cherish me?" Meng Qingci chuckled: "Will it hurt?"
Fu Hongxuan's face turned pale, his blood staining the bedding beneath him. He wanted to resist, but his body was weak and injured, so he could only lie on the bed in pain, powerless to fight back.
Without hesitation, Meng Qingci thoroughly investigated his private parts, then plunged the dagger into Fu Hongxuan's inner thigh. Blood smeared on her face, her smile was ghostly, carrying a hint of madness: "Do you know how to train a disobedient stallion? Oh, you no longer belong to the stallion category."
Fu Hongxuan howled, looking at Meng Qingci in terror. He had sent all the servants of Shaoguang Courtyard away early in the morning, and now even if he shouted himself hoarse, no one would come in. He begged for mercy in a trembling voice: "I'll let you leave, don't kill me, don't kill me."
Meng Qingci moved the dagger from his heart to the blue artery in his neck, her beautiful eyes filled with a cold, bloodthirsty gaze.
Fu Hongxuan dared not move. The effects of the drug and the alcohol had all worn off. His lips trembled with fear: "Didn't you want to leave? I'll send you away so that Fu Yan'an can't find you. If you kill me, you will never be able to leave the Marquis's mansion."
"Where were you before? Do you think I'm that easy to fool?" Meng Qingci looked at him with a half-smile, slapping his cheek with a dagger: "If I cripple you, do you think you can leave?"
"Yes, yes, it was my fault, it was my fault." Fu Hongxuan nodded repeatedly: "I shouldn't have forced you, but I really like you so much, please forgive me."
Fu Hongxuan now understands why Fu Yan'an has hesitated to make a move against Qing'er. He is now filled with regret. On one hand, he is deeply attracted by Qing'er's ruthlessness and madness, and on the other hand, he hates her to the bone. He actually let a lowly servant girl hurt him so badly.
Meng Qingci didn't know what 'inseparable affection' was. If she hadn't bled herself first, she probably wouldn't have been able to maintain her clear mind. That bone-deep feeling was surging through her blood. She tugged at her collar with one hand, and the unfamiliar and unknown feeling filled her with fear.
Seeing that she had frightened Fu Hongxuan enough, she pressed the dagger against his neck: "Call someone to prepare a carriage to take me away. Don't try anything funny. If I can't leave, you can't live either. Even if you're no longer a man, it's still better than death, isn't it?"
Fu Hongxuan, after all, was the heir of the Marquis of Anyi's mansion, and not a complete fool. On the one hand, he felt it would be undignified for his servants to see him in his current disheveled state, and on the other hand, he did not want to be defeated by Qing'er. He inexplicably tasted a bit of unfulfilled desire and began to understand Fu Yan'an.
He thought that if he delayed for just a little longer, Qing'er would definitely not be able to resist the domineering nature of "Unable to Leave Love," and then she would be at his mercy.
Just then, the door was violently broken open, and in the flickering candlelight, Fu Heng appeared before Meng Qingci like a god.
A note from the author:
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I updated 70,000 words ago along with the rankings. Please be patient for another week; I can update more frequently then. Let me know if you like it!
Aside from writing, I'm not very good with words, but I'm really happy to see everyone's comments. Thank you all for your support, I'll keep trying. [Hugs][Orange Candy][Heart]
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