Chapter 30: The Wind Destroys the Lotus Leaves
Meng Qingci's eyes reddened with anger, and her face showed disgust: "You are just as despicable and insidious as Fu Hongxuan. You are both disgusting."
Fu Heng lowered his slender eyes, avoiding her expression. His expression was inscrutable. After a moment of silence, he suddenly grasped the back of her neck, forcing her forehead against his. His unfathomable eyes stared at her, as if trying to pierce her soul: "Naturally, it's different. What despicable things did he use on you? You are a flower I have carefully nurtured with my heart's blood."
His knuckles tightened slightly: "The incense is not a real medicine; it won't harm you in the slightest. It will only make you truly fall for me."
With her limited understanding, Meng Qingci tried her best to comprehend the meaning behind his words. She swallowed hard and asked with a pounding heart, "You actually used a curse on me?"
Seeing her cowering in his arms, her beautiful eyes trembling with fear, Fu Heng found her utterly pitiful and adorable, a far cry from her usual flamboyant and unrestrained self. He stroked her delicate face with his index finger and chuckled softly, "How could I bear to hurt you? To let you suffer the torment of the Gu poison?" His voice held an almost eerie tenderness: "I've already told you, it's nothing but my heart's blood. From now on, you are in me, I am your closest person, and you will never want to be close to anyone else again." Meng Qingci felt a buzzing in her ears, unable to hear a single word Fu Heng spoke. His obsessive and manic words terrified her, their chill penetrating to her very bones.
She was on the verge of madness, her body trembling like a feather in the wind. Her lower back pressed tightly against the edge of the ebony desk, she frantically raised her slender wrists and legs, pushing and kicking Fu Heng wildly. Her hair was disheveled, her hairpins falling askew, and she cried out in a sob, "You're sick! You're sick! You've lost your mind! How could you do this to me? The antidote? Where's the antidote?...Give me the antidote now..."
Fu Heng's jaw was accidentally scratched by her, leaving a red mark, but he remained unfazed, not even raising an eyebrow. He simply grabbed her slender ankle with his other hand.
In the struggle, the girl kicked off her embroidered shoes, and her silk stockings were half-fallen, hanging precariously from her toes. His warm palm slid down and steadily supported her jade-like feet, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against the soles of her feet.
Meng Qingci was taken aback by his sudden action and abruptly stopped struggling. She raised her tear-streaked face, her eyes misty with moisture, and looked at him with a bewildered expression, wondering where this guy had learned such frivolous and flirtatious tricks to tease her.
Fu Heng chuckled softly, his fingertips gently caressing her delicate toes. In the flickering candlelight, his voice was deep and warm as jade: "I was wrong in the past. I always thought you were still young and restrained myself, thinking I would give you some time to slowly understand my feelings. But you misunderstood and thought I was incapable."
At first, Meng Qingci was simply drawn to him, without any lustful desire. But he was unhurried and tender, his affection flowing gently like a soothing stream. Gradually, it was as if new branches were sprouting in her heart, quietly breaking through her chambers, spreading and entwining, gently binding her entire heart, warming her chest and making her body feel hot.
A mix of fear and unease welled up within her, yet something uncontrollable was quietly growing within her. This feeling was familiar; she had felt the same way with that person before. An irresistible urge to draw closer, an irresistible joy, an irresistible descent into a tender abyss, a willingness to succumb.
Fu Heng was extremely patient, proceeding unhurriedly, unlike his previous impetuous and reckless actions. His slender eyes, like deep pools of ink, remained fixed on her face, never missing a single change in her expression.
Trapped between Fu Heng and the black sandalwood desk, with no way forward or backward, fear and longing intertwined, gripping her very soul.
Only when her breathing became erratic and her cheeks flushed did Fu Heng speak softly, his voice deep and warm, with a seductive quality: "Do you like me?" His fingertips lightly brushed her burning earlobe, and he asked again, "Do you like me?"
Meng Qingci stubbornly turned her head away, biting her lower lip, but did not brush away his mischievous hand.
Fu Heng didn't miss this slight change in her, but he didn't point it out. He was incredibly patient at this moment, much like a loving lover who tolerates her little temper. He took meticulous care of her, offering comfort in every way, seemingly just wanting her to feel at ease.
As she leaned back uncontrollably, tilting her head back and letting out a soft hum, Fu Heng asked her again, "Do you like me?"
Meng Qingci had lost track of how much time had passed, and she didn't know how much longer she could hold on. Finally, with a slight tremor, she gave in, her voice trembling: "I like it."
The last syllable of her voice seemed to have a hook, making Fu Heng unable to control himself. He gripped her chin, refusing to let her go: "Who do you like?"
A single tear slid down her cheek, and Meng Qingci uttered with difficulty, "Fu Heng."
Fu Heng gave a strangely gentle smile: "Do you want me?"
Meng Qingci felt that he had gone too far and was extremely wronged. She pursed her lips and refused to say another word.
Fu Heng then let her go and pulled her into his arms.
"You cried." He whispered in her ear, "I'm afraid you can't wear this outfit anymore."
Hearing his shameless and reckless words, Meng Qingci's expression changed drastically. She opened her mouth and bit his shoulder hard, wishing she could tear off a piece of flesh.
Rain pattered on banana leaves, wind ravaged lotus leaves; Meng Qingci felt utterly ashamed. She didn't know what Fu Heng had learned, only that the ebony desk felt incredibly hard, like it was crushing her kneecaps. His mouth was also incessant, spewing unspeakable lewd and obscene words.
Is it that comfortable?
"You clearly like it too."
"How could I not be able to?"
Meng Qingci, unable to bear it any longer, glared at him angrily: "Shut up."
Fu Heng pinched her slender waist and said obsessively, "Say you like being entangled with me?"
Meng Qingci was unwilling to comply with him, but he was in no hurry. Unlike his previous domineering and aggressive manner, he became persistent and gentle, which eventually made her lose her composure and give in.
Then he started rambling incoherently: "Remember, you can only like me, only I can give you pleasure."
When the passion faded, Meng Qingci stared blankly at the rooftop and whispered as softly as a mosquito's buzz, "Fu Heng, I hate you."
Fu Heng paused, but then, not intending to let her go, he sighed softly, "Hate is fine too." He placed his index finger on her heart, "It's better than me not being here."
Years ago in the army, he had overheard soldiers spouting nonsense, saying that if a woman was with a man and still wouldn't submit, she would need to be tamed through sexual intercourse. Over time, his heart had also turned to this man, and now he felt there was some truth to it.
He carried her back to the bed, gently brushing away her sweaty hair, and comforted her from behind, saying, "I know what you're afraid of, so I won't tell you you're pregnant for now."
In an extremely difficult situation, hearing a reassuring reply can greatly alleviate a collapsing mood.
At this moment, Meng Qingci did not see Fu Heng's dark and inscrutable eyes.
The next day, Fu Heng unusually did not get up early. Meng Qingci woke up in his arms and hugged his strong, thin waist intimately. Compared to the spineless pleasure of a moment, what she found most unacceptable was the betrayal of her body against her will.
Fu Heng gently kissed her forehead, as if the two were truly a loving couple.
Having experienced his unpredictable and capricious nature firsthand last night, Meng Qingci decided to stop testing him to avoid angering him and suffering unnecessary pain. She resigned herself to her fate and stubbornly clung to Fu Heng in his arms.
Upon seeing this, Fu Heng's lips unconsciously curved into a smile, his voice low and slightly hoarse as he asked, "Would you like me to apply the medicine for you?"
Meng Qingci's back stiffened slightly as certain beautiful yet unspeakable memories suddenly surged up. She was truly afraid of Fu Heng's beautiful yet hateful hands. Her ears burned, and she buried her face in Fu Heng's chest as if trying to escape. She didn't respond, but she didn't push him away either. He simply couldn't tolerate anyone disobeying him.
From then on, a delicate balance seemed to have been found between the two.
Meng Qingci did not want to be like a caged bird, confined to the small space of the governor's mansion all day long. Whenever Fu Heng was busy with official duties, she would go to the shops in the market to relax.
Fu Heng knew he was in the wrong and had angered her again. Seeing her like this, he was afraid of pushing her too far and doing the opposite of what she wanted, so he didn't forcefully stop her. He only instructed Mo Song to follow her around and protect her.
Every time Meng Qingci left the manor, she would go on a shopping spree. She couldn't do anything about Fu Heng and had to submit to his tyranny, so she could only vent her anger on his money.
She had no idea that Minzhou City was now even more prosperous than she had seen in the carriage that day. The long street was teeming with people, bustling with activity, and among them were many smartly dressed women strolling about freely.
The people were dressed neatly, with few patches on their clothes, and everyone's face was peaceful, showing that they lived a stable life. The whole street was bustling with activity, exuding a prosperous and peaceful scene.
Taking the opportunity, Mo Song introduced to Meng Qingci: "Since the master was transferred to the capital two years ago, he has concurrently served as the governor of Minzhou. In the past two years, he has opened the Yuegang foreign market, turned bandits into merchants, and vigorously promoted agriculture and sericulture. Now, the tea, sugar, dyes, and silk products produced in Minzhou are all hot commodities that foreign merchants are vying for. In just two short years, such a prosperous new scene has emerged, all thanks to the master's hard work."
He was quick-witted, worldly-wise, and adept at reading people. After several interactions, he observed with a cold eye and soon realized that Meng Qingci disapproved of the Marquis's family style and the behavior of his masters, and that she also harbored deep prejudice against her own master.
Therefore, taking advantage of the opportunity to go out, they would seize the chance to say a few good words for their master in front of the girl, and speak up for him in hopes of winning his favor.
Meng Qingci glanced indifferently at Mo Song, pretending not to hear, and stepped into a clothing shop next door.
Seeing her distinguished attire and imposing presence, with servants flanking her, the shopkeeper hurriedly emerged from behind the counter, bowing and smiling to greet her: "Miss, what would you like to see? We have the most fashionable dresses in Minzhou, all unique and in high demand."
Meng Qingci lightly tapped her slender fingers across a row of gorgeous robes: "This one, this one... and these, wrap them all up."
The shopkeeper was initially delighted, but seeing her point to almost every style in the shop, he hesitated: "Miss... do you want all of these?"
"Remember this, send it all to the governor's residence." Meng Qingci stopped lingering and turned to leave. Her voice was calm but unquestionable: "Tell your master that the man surnamed Meng has returned. In three days, I will send someone to collect the money he owes and tell him to prepare it."
Although the shopkeeper was filled with doubt and apprehension, upon hearing the words "Governor's Mansion," he immediately held his breath and hurriedly agreed.
Later that evening, in the governor's study, Fu Heng listened to Mo Song's report, looked up from his official documents, and asked, "Did she really say that?"
“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Mo Song bowed and said, “This servant has confirmed that the owner of the clothing shop is Song Bojian, who has been corresponding with the young lady. This servant also questioned the old servants of the Marquis’s mansion and learned that the two had no special dealings before. It seems that he does indeed owe the young lady money.”
Fu Heng suddenly recalled the conversation between Meng Qingci and Song Wenjing in the private room of the Ganlu Tea House in the capital region, and couldn't help but hum softly: "It would be best if she could understand."
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Author's Note: Sorry for the late update, I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
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