…and still stripped off his inner garment.
“I don’t want to… Let me down!”
Mei Yao pushed him with all her might, and when that didn’t work, she began swinging her fists, striking his chest, shoulders, and back one blow after another.
“Still so much strength left!”
He buried his head and bit her in retaliation, and she immediately melted into a puddle of softness again, but in her heart, she felt this shouldn’t be happening.
Last time, it was because she was under the influence of an aphrodisiac incense and couldn’t control herself. Could it be that this time she was just going to give herself away for nothing?
She could tolerate him taking advantage of her again and again because she thought of him as Xiao Yu’s brother, but was he?
“Stop… This isn’t fair…” she struggled to speak coherently.
Hearing the word “fair,” he finally stopped, leisurely raising his eyes amidst her flustered panic. “What fairness do you want?”
She caught her breath for a few moments, straightened her body, and tried to get off him. He held still for a moment before letting her go.
As she retreated from his lap, she still felt an unusual softness in her body. Turning slightly to gather her clothes, she noticed patches of red marks on her snow-white skin, left by him. A wave of shame and anger washed over her, blaming him for not knowing restraint.
With the enticing sight before him gone and his arms now empty, Yan Yu felt a momentary reluctance, but he didn’t move, only quietly calming the restlessness in his lower abdomen.
After tidying her clothes, Mei Yao turned back and caught sight of the damp stain on his leg. Her face flushed even redder, and her heart grew even more annoyed. She was already disheveled, while he remained impeccably dressed. Even if there were some stains on his leg, they would be hidden beneath his outer robe, invisible to anyone.
This was the unfairness.
She took a deep breath, then reached out, her fingers hooking onto his belt. She noticed something beneath his robe seemed to twitch. Remembering how he had pressed her so tightly against him earlier, she couldn’t help but picture its shape in her mind, her face flushing as red as a boiled shrimp.
She tugged at him forcefully, but the man didn’t budge an inch, looking at her with a smug expression and a suggestive smile.
“Stand up.”
Her peach-blossom eyes, misty with emotion, spoke softly, yet it sounded like a command.
He stood up boldly and even took a few steps closer to her.
His tall figure stood before her, his jade-like face finely chiseled, with arms like an ape’s and a waist as slender as a wasp’s. Just looking at him was enough to make it hard to look away. Mei Yao naturally liked it—she didn’t want to hide it, her eyes filled with longing.
With one hand hooked on his belt, she gently caressed his cheek with the other. Surprisingly, he cooperated, tilting his head and even nuzzling her soft palm, his gaze utterly captivating.
Suppressing her pounding heart, she let her gaze follow her fingers downward, stopping at his Adam’s apple. Her index finger rubbed it lightly, and she saw him slightly lift his chin, a barely audible hum escaping his throat.
He was already aroused, but she felt much clearer-headed now. She pressed her palm against his chest, feeling the firm, full muscles and the strong, powerful heartbeat thudding against her palm.
She glanced up at him again. He arched his back slightly, the corner of his lips curling, his expression seeming to say, “Good, keep going.”
That wandering little hand finally landed on his belt.
She had once undone Xiao Yu’s belt—it was just a cotton rope tied around his waist, easy to untie. But she had clearly underestimated this man’s belt. Layer upon layer, overlapping and tucked in, with jade hooks connecting them. He didn’t make it easier for her either, and after struggling for a while without success, she was already feeling somewhat flustered.
Yan Yu watched as she went from feigning composure to becoming flustered, even poking the hook in frustration a few times as if venting her annoyance. He found it quite amusing. Gazing at her slender, fair neck, where fine, soft hairs scattered at the roots, he inexplicably reached out, wanting to smooth them down.
“What are you doing?”
The sudden touch on her neck startled her. She was already deeply irritated, yet he had the leisure to tease her!
The next moment, his handsome face descended toward her upturned one.
He cupped the back of her neck, wrapped an arm around her waist, and leaned down to kiss her moist, cherry-like lips, sucking and nibbling. Only after he had kissed his fill did he slide down to her delicate chin and slender neck, forcing her to tilt her head back and gasp deeply. Soon, she was disarmed, her body going limp.
Feeling his large hand growing restless again, she endured her discomfort and said with a hint of grievance, “Don’t touch me. You… you haven’t even taken off…”
“Do you know what you’re saying?”
He nibbled on her reddened earlobe, murmuring, “If I take it off too, there will be no turning back for you.”
Panting, she uttered two words: “Take it off.”
His eyes darkened. “Don’t regret it.”
He untied his own belt, letting it slip to the floor. With a deep gaze, his chest rising and falling slightly, he watched her, as if waiting for her next move.
Mei Yao glanced at his expression and gently removed his outer robe, revealing the white inner garment beneath.
Taking a slow breath, she untied the sash at his waist. The overlapping collar of the inner garment fell open, exposing a stretch of honey-toned chest and abdominal muscles. The lines of his muscles were distinct and beautiful, yet entirely different from her own body, making her feel a flush of heat and her breathing grow heavier.
He challenged her in a low, husky voice, “Shall we continue?”
She saw something stirring in his eyes, as if he were holding back. Steadying her breath, she said, “Yes.”
She moved behind him, rising slightly on her toes to grasp the open lapels of his inner garment at his shoulders. Just as she was about to pull, he said, “Don’t be disappointed.”
She paused for a moment but still pulled his inner garment down.
The broad, muscular expanse of the man’s back came into view. Firm, well-defined muscles rippled with a wild, vigorous strength. His spine sank into the center of his broad back, extending in a long line from the nape of his neck, curving over the dip of his lower back, and disappearing into the waistband of his trousers.
There was a scar on his back, slanting down from his right shoulder, over a foot long. It looked recently healed, the new flesh still slightly pinkish-white.
In contrast, the left side was perfectly intact, with no marks at all, the muscles beautifully formed.
She stared blankly, unable to articulate the feelings swirling in her heart.
“Is it the same as your Xiao Yu gege?”
As he spoke, he shook his arms, slipping the inner garment back on and leisurely tying the sash before turning to face her.
She still stood there dazed, her eyes seemingly unfocused, as if on the verge of tears, all the fiery passion he had stirred in her moments ago now gone.
She had even resorted to seduction to make him undress. He had intended to mock her, but seeing her eyes redden and tears roll down like beads, he swallowed the biting words on the tip of his tongue. After a moment of silence, he bent to pick up his outer robe and belt from the floor, along with the handkerchief that had fallen. After putting them on, tying them, and tucking them away, he walked back to stand before her.
She looked at him with tear-filled eyes, her gaze still brimming with deep, unyielding affection and reluctance.
But all these emotions were for Xiao Yu.
She lowered her eyes. When looking at him, there were some words she couldn’t bring herself to say.
“Though I provoked the general first, I gained no advantage from it either. Let’s consider it even, alright? Please return my handkerchief, and I promise… I won’t disturb you again.”
She intended to fulfill her promise and sever ties with him.
He asked her, “What about the lantern you gave me?”
He had noticed the shallow cuts on her fingertips when he held and kissed them earlier, and his heart had indeed ached for a moment.
Mei Yao’s voice was soft and faint: “That wasn’t for you… The general can just discard it.”
“Using such an ugly lantern to mock me?”
She shook her head: “I didn’t mean to offend you, it was just a lingering obsession…”
“What about this then?”
He untied the two gourds from his waist and held them in his palm.
“Surely the general isn’t taking this seriously? You know I did all this just to get your attention, hoping you wouldn’t forget me. But since you’re not Xiao Yu’s brother, none of it matters anymore.”
She took the waist ornament from his hand, fetched a pair of scissors, and with one cut, separated the two gourds.
“I lied earlier when I said I couldn’t tell the imitation apart. Now yours is returned to you, and I’ll keep mine. We’re even. Whether you discard or destroy it, it’s no longer my concern.”
As she spoke, she placed the gourd with the tassel back into his hand, only to notice that his hand remained open and motionless.
Yan Yu had been holding back, but when he saw her cut without hesitation, his heart tightened sharply, as if the scissors had sliced through it.
In his daze, a small hand reached into his chest and retrieved the handkerchief embroidered with pavilions and palace pink blossoms.
“This handkerchief…”
“Whether it’s discarded or destroyed, it’s no longer the general’s concern.” She gracefully stepped to the door and looked at the person standing by the bed. “The general should leave now.”
Yan Yu’s eyes turned cold and dark. Had he come all this way in the dead of night just to be humiliated?
How could there be such a vexing and heartless woman?
But his pride mattered too! He strode to the doorway and said coldly, “You’d better remember your words tonight. Don’t provoke me again!”
He had barely taken a step outside when he heard a voice call from behind: “Shuangqi! Tell Ye Ying to strengthen the patrols. If anyone is let in again, he’ll answer with his head!”
A crisp female voice responded from the shadows: “Yes!”
Yan Yu gritted his teeth in frustration. It was all a trap!
This troublesome little mistress—once he uncovered the truth, he would make sure to tame her properly!