Intimacy.
These past days, busy with the case of the stolen nine-linked rings from the merchant leader Lu family, which implicated the court, he had hardly set foot on solid ground. He had not returned home and was unaware of all that had happened there.
Mainly because over the years, Lady Pu had always handled matters with great propriety. Whether big or small, she had never made any mistakes. Even his picky mother and father, who rarely praised anyone, had spoken highly of her.
Therefore, when he heard about this matter, he was somewhat surprised and couldn’t help but recall that day at the return banquet, when she had stared at Cheng Wenque, slightly lost in thought.
Lady Pu came from a prominent family and had always been well-versed in etiquette and propriety. She was now a married woman, and rashly accepting something sent by an unrelated man was rather inappropriate.
“What did he send to the young mistress?” Yan Chiyun asked.
The attendant, having already understood the whole story, said it was cosmetics.
Yan Chiyun slightly furrowed his brows. He slowed his pace, paused after a few steps, and asked, “How did you come to know of this?”
Seeing his master press for details, he immediately recounted the entire matter from beginning to end.
After listening, the furrow in Yan Chiyun’s brow did not ease. He hummed in acknowledgment and then said, “Do not let this matter spread.”
He understood the principle that three people spreading rumors could turn a lie into truth, and public opinion could melt metal. Lady Pu had always acted with discretion; there must have been some misunderstanding.
After all, it was just some cosmetics. In the past, she had always seemed fond of such things. Perhaps she genuinely liked them, so accepting them wasn’t entirely surprising.
After these busy days, the court case had been mostly investigated. The officials implicated had confessed everything, and what remained was the emperor’s judgment.
Yan Chiyun was in the study reviewing the dossiers presented by his subordinate officials, checking for any flaws in the interrogation statements. This work kept him occupied for a long time.
Having lived through two lifetimes, Pu Jinyu was well aware that her husband was a complete workaholic. In his eyes, there was probably nothing more important than official duties.
She was fully aware of the petty tricks and schemes Jing Chun had been playing. Yan Chiyun had likely heard the news as well, but when he entered the room, he showed no reaction and did not inquire.
It seemed he didn’t care. Of course, he didn’t love her, so why would he bother asking about such things?
But…
While Pu Jinyu was lost in thought, there was movement outside the bed curtains. Yan Chiyun had emerged from the study. Listening to his footsteps, he went to the bathing chamber. Not long after, the footsteps reached outside the curtains.
Pulling aside the curtains, Yan Chiyun once again met the young lady’s gaze, fixed directly on him.
Today, Lady Pu, lying on her side on the bed, was just like before. Her face was adorned with exquisite cosmetics, outlining a flawless makeup look. It truly looked good, but he felt nothing. Perhaps he had seen it too often?
But her eyes—deep, serene, and moist, black like obsidian—rested on him, staring directly at him, inexplicably stirring a warmth in his heart. He couldn’t help but recall her passionate entanglements with him these past days.
He thought her eyes were beautiful, far more beautiful than her meticulously made-up face. They could even be described as “the beauty that brings life to the whole.”
Though he thought this, Yan Chiyun said nothing.
Not long after, Jing Chun, who was on night duty, once again heard the intimate and ambiguous sounds coming from inside.
They had started again.
The month had just passed, and it wasn’t even the end of the month yet. They were already sharing the bed again? Wasn’t this too frequent? Compared to before, it really was too frequent.
They say affection grows over time, and with frequent consummation, could some feelings develop between the two?
What Jing Chun feared most was that Pu Jinyu was not consummating the marriage with Yan Chiyun just to have a child, but rather to usurp the nest, bewitching Yan Chiyun and winning his affection, thereby allowing herself to continue living in the Yan Family not as Pu Wange. If that were truly the case, then even if the eldest young lady regretted it in the future and wanted to return, it would be impossible.
Thinking of Pu Jinyu’s recent refusal to follow the rules and use makeup to conceal her appearance, Jing Chun grew increasingly convinced this was possible.
Today’s events had indirectly informed the master, but he showed no reaction. He entered the room without asking questions, likely because he didn’t care.
Apart from her face, Third Miss was no match for the eldest young lady in any way. It was only natural that the master didn’t like her.
But now that she had realized this, she had to take precautions. Regardless of whether Third Miss intended it or not, she must nip any potential threat to the eldest young lady in the bud.
Jing Chun even considered whether she should inform Madam Pu that the eldest young lady was still alive. But upon second thought, she felt it was inappropriate.
Back then, the eldest young lady had refused to marry into the Yan Family for the sake of her lover. She had finally escaped to be with him. If she did not return willingly or show any regret, then revealing the news to Madam Pu would be a betrayal of the trust the eldest young lady had always placed in her. She couldn’t do that.
If she couldn’t do that, there was another path: inform the eldest young lady herself, telling her that Third Miss was stirring, seeking to rise to the top. This could also test whether the eldest young lady had any intention of changing her mind.
“…”
Tonight, Pu Jinyu’s passion surpassed that of the previous two nights.
Yan Chiyun gripped her waist, following her lead as he kissed the fragrant softness above her heart.
Her dark hair cascaded over his cheek, his tall nose buried in the snowy softness, filled with fragrance. Even before they began, he could feel her stirring endless desire within him.
The memories of their consummation in recent days surged like a tide. Within the dimly lit bed curtains, the intimate atmosphere quickly intensified and heated up.
Pu Jinyu’s expression grew dazed. She held onto the man’s arms, looking down as he kissed her, watching his handsome face sink into the snowy softness.
Her Legal Mother often said she was unworthy, that she was born of a lowly woman and unfit to yearn for Yan Chiyun. Yet now, this man was under her control, allowing her to look down upon him and revel in his indulgence.
She hadn’t even put in much effort—just kissed his thin lips, his jaw, sucked on his throat, and slowly traced her fingers over his abdominal muscles.
Then she turned and straddled him, leaning close to his lips. As she looked at him, he began to kiss her.
Yan Chiyun’s kisses alternated between heavy and light. Pu Jinyu’s hands, gripping his solid shoulders, involuntarily dug into his flesh.
Her expression grew even more dazed. She tilted her small face upward, her eyes hazy and distant as they gathered moisture.
When Yan Chiyun moved to kiss the other side, he looked up at her.
Due to their position, he couldn’t see her face, only her delicate, slightly raised chin, her fair neck, and her beautiful collarbone.
Pu Jinyu appeared slender, but in truth, her figure was exquisite—so much so that he couldn’t fully grasp it with one hand.
Yan Chiyun kissed the other side, and he himself heard the sound of the kiss, along with the lady’s soft, gentle panting as she caught her breath.
When his kisses grew heavier, her hands would clutch his shoulders more tightly. Her pinching did not hurt; instead, it brought him a strange sense of pleasure and satisfaction. The intensity of his emotions grew stronger and stronger.
He reached out to tuck her fallen long hair behind her ear, his large hand moving downward to grasp and hold her waist. Her waist was also very slender, so delicate it seemed as if it could barely be held.
At times, he even wondered whether being too unrestrained might break her waist.
Yan Chiyun kissed her intermittently for a long time. When he finally stopped, his breathing was unsteady. Pu Jinyu lowered her gaze and saw nothing but the marks and traces of his kisses left behind.
The man’s large hand shifted its grip and lingered, as if toying with fine jade—and indeed, it truly felt as smooth and precious as jade.
Pu Jinyu felt the roughness of his fingertips and couldn’t help but recall the previous night.
Memories of the roughness of his fingertips flooded back, and for a moment, she unconsciously pursed her lips, trembling slightly…
She was sitting on Yan Chiyun’s lap, their inner garments and robes mostly loosened. Naturally, he could sense her arousal.
Having been guided by her before, he paused slightly this time, then recalled the memory of their last encounter and followed along, indeed sensing her desire.
Pu Jinyu had already noticed the man’s hand. She leaned forward, no longer clutching his shoulders but instead wrapping her arms around them.
With a soft, gentle breath like orchids by his ear, she whispered, “Husband, do you remember?”
Remember what?
Yan Chiyun was not a dull or clueless man. It didn’t take long for him to realize what she was asking. Just as he was about to continue, she mistakenly thought he had forgotten and took matters into her own hands.
The lady slightly lifted her hips, and he thought she was about to leave. Just as he was about to hold her back, she returned unexpectedly.
She accurately found his long, jade-like hand and lingered there, drawing them into an inseparable closeness.
Yan Chiyun was still somewhat stunned, for she was growing bolder and bolder, with new tricks almost every night that left him overwhelmed and even struggling to keep up.
Soon, he caught on, following her lead, yielding bit by bit, and then pulling away.
Her panting grew heavier, right by his ear.
How could she pant so delicately? Was she doing it on purpose? And if so, how far did she intend to tempt him?
Before long, Yan Chiyun’s hand was no longer as it had been at the start, now imbued with her scent.
He paused slightly, waiting for her to catch her breath. He thought she would rest for a while, but she barely took any time to recover before she rose, pressing her hands against his chest to lift herself up.
Was she leaving? But he was still in discomfort.
Instinctively, he reached out to grasp her waist, but before he could do anything, her hand had already found him.
Yan Chiyun tensed instantly. Pu Jinyu felt the tightening of his waist and abdomen, his muscles taut and rigid.
In a place the man couldn’t see, she curled her lips into a mocking and dangerous smile.
With her other hand, her fingertips traced the lines of his muscles bit by bit.
And then…
Yan Chiyun held her waist, his expression shifting unpredictably as she drew closer.
He never expected the lady, who appeared so refined and proper, to play like this—and even take the lead.
Knowing she did all this because she wanted a child, but her enthusiasm was a bit overwhelming. Of course, he wasn’t rejecting it—just surprised, even somewhat pleased. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have tensed up like that.
“…”
The scorching night lasted for a long time. Afterward, she lay on his chest, catching her breath, and Yan Chiyun was doing the same.
The soft, fragrant warmth of the woman in his arms, her hair loose, made him lower his gaze. After a moment of hesitation, he reached out to brush aside her long hair, but she instantly turned her face away. His fingers froze mid-air.
He hadn’t expected her to still mind so much. Thinking about it, it made sense… The Pu family had always presented themselves with impeccable makeup. Now, her face was smudged and messy. Though the night was dark and her features were hard to make out, the smeared rouge was undignified, so her avoidance was understandable.
Yan Chiyun was about to withdraw his hand and apologize when, unexpectedly, the woman in his arms turned her face back, even nuzzling her cheek into his palm.
Her sudden post-intimacy closeness stirred something in Yan Chiyun’s heart.
Pu Jinyu’s earlier reaction wasn’t a deliberate choice but an instinctive response ingrained in her bones after years of “conditioning.”
So, she offered her face again.
Yan Chiyun saw her face—the delicate makeup, just as before, dampened and smudged by sweat.
Her lashes were lowered, hiding her beautiful eyes.
His thumb moved slightly, brushing against the smeared rouge. Recalling what he’d heard upon returning home today, he spoke almost involuntarily,
“I heard from the servants that Huaixiao’s friend sent you a gift?”
[Author’s Note]
I’m here! I was too tired this afternoon and took a nap. This chapter randomly drops a Luck-piecing red envelope [rainbow emoji].