Unable to see through her, yet unable to resist being drawn to her.
He quickened his pace slightly. Siyan, accompanied by the maids, curtsied to greet Yan Chiyun.
Suppressing the flutter in his heart, he maintained his usual composure and asked in a calm tone, “Has the young mistress returned?”
“Yes,” Siyan nodded. “She has already retired for a while.”
“Hmm.”
He felt an inexplicable lightness in his heart because of her return home.
Yan Chiyun did not go to the study today. Instead, he bathed directly and went to bed.
She must have already fallen asleep. When he drew back the bed curtains, she was not waiting for him as usual, gazing directly at him.
Instead, she lay curled on her side facing inward. He could not see her face, only half an ear, the back of her head, and her smooth, cascading long hair.
Though the scene differed from what he had imagined, the man’s lips still curved into an almost imperceptible smile—perhaps even he himself did not notice.
After lying down, Yan Chiyun glanced to the side and saw only the lady’s back. Unbeknownst to him, she had already slowly opened her eyes, sensing his gaze.
Yan Chiyun watched for a moment before withdrawing his gaze and closing his eyes, preparing to sleep.
But not long after, he heard the sound of the person beside him turning over. Thinking she was merely shifting in her sleep—he had noticed these past days that she tended to sleep facing outward—he was surprised to find her moving closer toward him.
The faint fragrance from the lady’s body enveloped him, stirring something within Yan Chiyun.
Yet she did not immediately nestle into his embrace and hold him. Instead, she lingered by his side. Was she watching him? He could feel it.
Yan Chiyun opened his eyes and, in the dim yellow light, met the lady’s beautiful pupils.
Her eyes still held traces of drowsiness, but she stared directly at him, gradually dispelling his own sleepiness.
“…”
Their lips and tongues intertwined, emitting ambiguous, wet sounds.
The delicate lady leaned over the man, pressing against his chest and shoulders, kissing him bit by bit, responding to him.
The man’s veined arms wrapped around her slender waist, so slim it seemed he could almost encircle it with his hands.
Pu Jinyu’s long hair cascaded down, framing her petite face. The man’s other hand slid into her tresses, sweeping her hair back, cradling the back of her head, and drawing her closer to him.
Pu Jinyu’s lips pressed more firmly against his thin ones. Her tongue touched his teeth, feeling a slight pain, and she instinctively drew back. But his tongue pursued, entwining with hers, teasing and kissing.
After what felt like an eternity, Pu Jinyu was left breathless from the kiss.
She paused, not caring about much else, her nose brushing against his, her cheek pressed against his handsome face as she leaned close to his ear, panting softly to catch her breath.
Listening to her delicate gasps, Yan Chiyun felt his own breathing grow increasingly heated.
Did she not know that holding him like this and panting was utterly alluring? Memories of their intimate moments from days ago flooded his mind, making it hard for him to restrain himself.
His large hand tightened around her slender waist, pressing her closer to him, deepening their embrace.
Pu Jinyu’s eyelashes fluttered. Even without seeing the man’s actions, she physically felt what he was doing—he was holding her, entwining with her.
Recalling Yan Chiyun’s actions when he visited the Pu Family, Pu Jinyu’s eyelashes trembled slightly. For a moment, she extended her tongue and gently licked his cheek and ear.
The already tense man stiffened further, his eyes instantly darkening.
Pu Jinyu felt his breathing grow heavier and more fervent. A mocking smile curled at the corner of her moist lips, yet her movements were full of affection. She nuzzled her forehead against the side of the man’s neck, like a clingy cat.
Yan Chiyun slid his hand up the nape of her neck, cradling her head, while his other hand gripped her waist and shifted their positions.
He pinned her beneath him, her face now obscured by long strands of hair clinging to her skin. He reached out to brush them aside, but she turned her face away, refusing to look at him, a hint of shyness in her demeanor, though her words were bold.
Muffled and soft, she whispered, “I want to be on top.”
Yan Chiyun paused, the curve of his thin lips growing more pronounced. She wouldn’t even look at him, yet she wanted to be on top?
He couldn’t help but chuckle, indulging her. “…Alright.”
He switched their positions again. Pu Jinyu wrapped her arms around his neck, nestling against his collarbone, and stayed still.
Yan Chiyun waited uncomfortably, softly asking her what was wrong.
She didn’t answer.
After a while, she still hadn’t moved or spoken, but she clung to him, her soft, flowing hair spreading like seaweed, tangling across his chest.
The heat in Yan Chiyun’s body hadn’t subsided, yet she made no move to continue. He wasn’t sure what she wanted, but he didn’t take the initiative either.
Instead, he gently asked if she was tired or if he had accidentally hurt her when he gripped her waist and flipped her over earlier.
Listening to the man’s deep, gentle concern, Pu Jinyu sat up, kissed his cheek, then lay back down, holding him close.
Yan Chiyun realized—she didn’t want to move. She wanted to take the lead but refused to guide the way.
He chuckled softly, recalling the path she had led him down before, slowly searching and exploring.
Even though he knew exactly what to do, Yan Chiyun was still nervous. He had taken the initiative before, but now he couldn’t control his emotions as he had in the past.
“Like this?” he asked, even after finding his way.
The woman in his arms nodded slightly, pressing against him.
He nuzzled her cheek and whispered to her, reminding her that he wasn’t going to surprise her.
Even so, Pu Jinyu couldn’t help but tighten her grip on his arm.
Hearing her gasp softly through clenched lips, Yan Chiyun slowed down, coaxing her gently, taking his time.
Little did he know, this was even more torturous.
Pu Jinyu felt she was beginning to suffer and wanted it to end sooner, so she started urging him on.
Yan Chiyun hadn’t expected that his careful consideration of her feelings would only earn him impatient prodding.
“Like that?” he asked, wondering if she could handle it.
Pu Jinyu was a bit annoyed. She didn’t understand why he was being so slow today and didn’t want to talk to him, so she simply bit his shoulder in response.
Sensing her “intense” displeasure, Yan Chiyun held back less.
He abandoned his slow, gentle pace, and Pu Jinyu couldn’t hold back a sound. Her entire body tensed like a drawn bowstring, unusually rigid.
Yan Chiyun inhaled sharply and asked if she could relax a little.
Pu Jinyu ignored him, unwilling to consider his feelings. She surrendered to her instinctive resistance, unable to adapt.
There was no other way. Yan Chiyun couldn’t stay like this for long…
Before long, the woman’s faint sobs echoed softly in the quiet night.
Actually, tonight was much gentler than before. She hadn’t exerted much effort, and he had always held back, yet she still cried so fiercely.
Tears fell like strings of pearls, wetting her face and long hair. Even his collarbone was damp with her tears, sticky and warm.
Yan Chiyun sensed something was off with her emotions but didn’t know where to begin asking. He comfortingly kissed the top of her head, smoothing her long hair with his large palm, silently soothing her.
Afterward, Pu Jinyu went to bathe. Yan Chiyun called Siyan over to inquire and learned that she had fallen and injured herself at home these past two days. His brows furrowed. “Why wasn’t I informed?”
Siyan quickly explained that Pu Jinyu had forbidden it, and she was almost fully recovered now.
Yan Chiyun’s furrowed brow did not relax. Siyan lowered her head, not daring to speak.
After a long while, he glanced toward the bathhouse where Pu Jinyu was, then went to bathe as well.
When Pu Jinyu finished applying rouge and emerged from the bathhouse, several candles in the Inner Chamber had been lit. The man was sitting by the Bed, waiting for her. Hearing her footsteps as she came out, he looked up.
She walked toward him. “What is it, husband?”
He looked at her face, meticulously adorned with Cosmetics. “Has the injury on your face healed completely?”
If she needed to apply medicine, why would she still wear rouge?
She had vaguely guessed what Yan Chiyun had asked Siyan after hearing the commotion outside earlier. Now, his questioning confirmed it.
He had asked Siyan about her recent situation in the Pu Family.
Pu Jinyu did not respond, merely staring at him, her gaze fixed and probing, trying to discern his true intentions in inquiring and caring about her, as Yan Chiyun had never bothered with such matters before.
Yan Chiyun was also watching her. As he looked at the face before him—this lady with her exquisite makeup and dignified, graceful demeanor—he inexplicably felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
This unfamiliar, eerie feeling was somewhat jarring.
Why did the Pu before him give him a sense of being torn and awkward, as if the woman during the day and the woman at night were not the same person?
This inexplicable sense of division and discomfort made her seem elusive to him.
Unable to see through her thoughts, he found himself drawn to her, already beginning to act in ways that crossed boundaries. For instance, he had gone to the Pu Family to see her before heading to his office, and now he felt somewhat angered that she had concealed her injury.
According to the little maid, she had fallen quite severely—her knee bruised, half her face swollen, and even the corner of her mouth cut.
And now, when asked, she remained silent. What exactly was she thinking?
After a long, mutual gaze, Pu Jinyu still did not speak. Yan Chiyun, however, was the first to sigh. He reached out a hand, gesturing for her to come closer.
Pu Jinyu lowered her eyes to look at the man’s outstretched, slender, pale hand.
She stared at his hand, her expression somewhat dazed, unmoving.
Yan Chiyun stood up. His figure was too tall and imposing, and as he moved closer, he enveloped her like a small mountain. The faint fragrance from his recent bath washed over her.
Pu Jinyu looked up at him. The hand he had extended to pull her now gently touched her face. He gazed at her and asked why she had applied makeup despite her injury.
She was his wife. By the end of this year, they would have been married for four years, yet she still refused to show him her true face. That previous night, her face had been smeared with sweat and tears, ruining her makeup. Even in such a disheveled state, she had still placed her face in his palm, allowing him to touch, caress, and gaze upon it.
Even with an injured face, she still insisted on applying cosmetics. Did she not realize this would delay the healing process?
Previously, he had suspected it was because of the personal maid sent by her mother, but now that he had replaced that maid, why did she persist? Was it her own preference?
Siyan mentioned that she had done the same in the Pu Family—applying makeup even when applying medicine. That was her own home, yet she refused to show her true face.
For a moment, he did not know how to broach the subject. Perhaps years of immersion in the officialdom and Zhaoyu Prison had sharpened his instincts—something felt off, though he could not pinpoint exactly what it was or untangle the reasoning.
“Does it still hurt?” he asked her.
The skin beneath his fingertips was fair, tender, and soft to the touch, but traces of cosmetics stained his fingers. He studied her face closely, yet found no visible injury.
There were no wounds around her lips either, only a slight swelling—a result of their earlier intimacy, caused by his kisses. He was the culprit.
At this thought, the motion of his fingers caressing her face softened considerably.
At such close proximity, how could Pu Jinyu not sense the subtle shift in him? After years of living on edge, her ability to read people had been honed to perfection.
So, the reason he inquired about her injury was because he was stirred by desire. His sudden visit to the Pu Family must have been for the same reason.
She sneered inwardly, but her gaze toward the man revealed no flaw. Tilting her head slightly, she closed her eyes to conceal her disgust and nuzzled her cheek against his palm.
“It doesn’t hurt,” she finally spoke.
Her dependent, intimate gesture stirred something in Yan Chiyun’s heart. He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her fully into his embrace.
“…”
The next day, Yan Chiyun made a rare appearance at the Yan Family’s breakfast table.
Having heard that the couple had called for water the previous night and were now seated together, Madam Yan was overjoyed to see Yan Chiyun even serving dishes to Pu Jinyu. It seemed she would soon be holding a grandson.
The daughter of the Pu Family truly was a flawless daughter-in-law, impeccable in every way. Madam Yan looked at her with a satisfied smile.
As a guest, Cheng Wenque was naturally included in the meal. He too noticed Yan Chiyun serving Pu Jinyu and saw her smiling at him in return.
How had she managed to earn more of Yan Chiyun’s concern after just one trip back home? Could it be that her sudden return to the Pu Family was due to some disagreement between them?
According to the Yan Family’s servants, the day after the young mistress returned to the Pu Family, the head of the Yan Family had also gone there, bringing many gifts with him.
Officially, it was said that he went to visit the ailing Madam Pu, but who knew the real reason?
If her heart had turned away from him, what would become of his escape plan? Yan Huaixiao’s noble bride had already been chosen by Madam Yan. His days in the Yan Family were numbered—he had to seize the opportunity quickly.
At the table, Cheng Wenque did not act rashly, especially with Yan Mingxi watching closely.
After the meal, Yan Chiyun left for his official duties. Madam Yan instructed Pu Jinyu to see him off at the gate, sparing her from further attendance. Pu Jinyu obediently complied.
At the main entrance of the Yan residence, the man took the horsewhip from his subordinate. Before mounting his horse, he turned to her and said gently, “Go back inside.”
Pu Jinyu nodded obediently. “I’ll wait at home for my husband’s return.”
From atop his horse, he looked down at the graceful young woman gazing up at him. A subtle emotion flickered in his eyes. “Mm.”
Then he added, “I’ll return early today.”
Pu Jinyu smiled at him.
After the man departed, she returned to her room.
She had been away from home for several days, and the steward wives below needed to report the accounts to her.
In addition, Madam Yan had already finalized Yan Huaixiao’s marriage, choosing the granddaughter of the Hanlin Academy’s chief academician. She was asked to draft the betrothal gift list and then bring it for her review.
After a busy stretch, Siyan took the older maids to the storeroom to select items, while she sat drinking tea, closing her eyes for a brief rest.
A young maid below came to inform her that someone had been sent from Young Master Cheng’s side, saying there was something to discuss with her.
Pu Jinyu slightly raised her eyes, a glimmer of interest gradually surfacing in her watery gaze.
[Author’s Note]
Here it is! This chapter randomly drops a Luck-piecing red envelope! [Rainbow praise]