Sui Sui froze, stunned and bewildered. Such blatant humiliation filled her with anger, yet she could only swallow it, daring not to speak. She stiffened her neck, swallowed hard, then lifted her eyes slowly, smiling softly:
“Your Highness jests. You are young, strong in bone and sinew—how could those old men ever compare? In all these years, I have never seen anyone as clean and handsome as you.”
He was a man obsessed with cleanliness—so she deliberately tried to disgust him. This dog of a man—let him be furious!
But as soon as the words left her lips, she regretted them. Survival mattered more than sarcasm; even a hint of mockery was dangerous now.
Li Chongjun was indeed provoked, but he did not let her go. His face remained dark, veins bulging at his neck, silent.
Sui Sui frowned, muffled two cries—one high, one low—not from pain this time. She clutched a towel against her chin, careful below, biting her lips tight above. She avoided his gaze, but he forced her face back to him.
He was handsome, but his sinister expression masked his fine features, making him look like a stranger.
Li Chongjun clenched his teeth, like a reckless traveler lost in a winding path, sweating as he pushed deeper, unaware he had already reached the end.
At first, Sui Sui resisted, but soon he struck her deepest point. He gasped, then grew more violent, venting his anger.
To him, it was revenge.
To her, it was pure lust.
Her knees felt pierced, numb and aching. She bit the towel to keep from crying out.
On stage, she had played the wanton courtesan willingly. But now, treated as one, she felt a sudden pride—she would not utter a sound. She trembled like a crabapple in a storm. Yet, trained as a martial actress, she was resilient, unlike sheltered noblewomen. Soon she recovered from the pain, adapted to the surging waves, and even began to taste something of it.
Her arms clung to the pillow, hairpins clattering, the pounding behind her echoing with the sound of water. Her makeup was ruined, her hair damp and clinging to her face, her eyes bright, her cheeks flushed with moisture.
The rain subsided, crimson crabapple blossoms fell into mud, splattering across her face.
Li Chongjun’s inner fire raged like a storm, yet it felt like striking cotton. He stared at Sui Sui’s face.
Was this any different? Any different from what those other men had given her? Perhaps not.
He lashed out with force. Sui Sui, overwhelmed, threw back her head with a sharp cry, reaching to push him away. Her fingers trembled, but he caught them, tightening his grip, driving harder.
“…Pain, pain.”
“Endure it.” His tone was cold, though his voice was hoarse.
She no longer remembered when it ended. Only that suddenly he released her, and she collapsed forward, limp, sprawled across the couch. The bedding grew damp beneath her.
Li Chongjun sat silently at the bedside. After some time, a servant peeked in to see if he needed anything. Approaching, he was kicked to the ground by Li Chongjun.
He threw on his robe and left.
Sui Sui drifted in and out of consciousness. When she woke again, it was still deep night. She had been roused by the cold. The banquet hall was empty, the brazier extinguished, the lamps gone dark. Li Chongjun’s cloak lay draped over the couch, soft and warm.
But she would not touch it.
Dragging her aching body, she rinsed herself with half a bowl of cold tea, then picked up her fallen clothes and dressed. By moonlight, she searched the couch—water stains chilled her fingers, but there was no trace of blood.
Actresses trained from childhood in acrobatics rarely kept their “whole body.” She knew this and had dared to deceive him.
Li Chongjun had left still furious. So be it. Let him.
In the bleak night, it felt as though the world had ended. She was despondent.
If he wished to kill her, let him. She had already smuggled away enough small jewels; selling them would keep her alive. Yet she still felt guilty—her body was weak, and money alone could not guarantee survival.
Her thoughts wandered aimlessly. She lay back down on the couch, and in that desolate ruin, slept through the night.