The man spoke his thoughts out loud without the slightest attempt to hide them.
Qinghe let out a soft “Mm.”
Before the lingering sound could be carried away by the mountain breeze, she was swept into a firm embrace.
The heat radiating from the man’s body rose sharply. Her palm, pressed against his chest, was numbed by the powerful rhythm of his heartbeat.
Qin Xiao wrapped one arm around her waist while the other supported the back of her head. His fingers slipped into her slightly damp hair, feeling the faint tremble in her stiff body.
Under the dim moonlight, he could not clearly see the shape of her lips, yet he found them unerringly and pressed his own against them.
His kiss was inexperienced and overbearing. At first, he merely held her soft, full lips gently, tracing them with tentative care.
Then, when her teeth parted ever so slightly, he slipped inside as if by accident, and from that moment onward, he attacked with unrestrained greed and dominance.
Their lips and tongues entwined. The mountain breeze rustled through the bamboo leaves, and together with the soft sounds of moisture, it echoed through the quiet courtyard nestled in the mountains.
When they finally separated, Qinghe gasped for fresh air and clenched her tiny fists, thumping his hard chest.
“You… why are you being so rough?”
Her lips and tongue felt numb, and even the base of her tongue throbbed faintly.
The punch she delivered was no more painful to Qin Xiao than a mosquito bite. Instead, it only made her own hand ache.
Rubbing her hand, she complained,
“You’re so hard. Were you made of stone?”
Qin Xiao could not answer.
His mind was still filled with the fragrance and softness that belonged solely to the young woman in his arms. All he could think about was that it still wasn’t enough.
He had never kissed anyone before. Everything just now had been guided entirely by instinct. Seeing that she had not cried out in pain, he had lost control and used too much force.
Now that he thought back, she had clearly made dissatisfied whimpers, and her legs had kicked around in protest.
Yet he had been so intoxicated that he hadn’t heard anything at all, as though his five senses had vanished.
Being gently scolded by the woman in his arms now, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t embarrassed.
Still, he was too ashamed to admit that he simply didn’t know how.
In a hoarse voice, he muttered,
“You’re too sweet. I… I couldn’t hold back. I’ll be gentler this time.”
Yes, it was because she was too sweet that he had lost control.
It was her fault.
But it was a kind of fault he liked.
When Qin Xiao leaned down again, Qinghe quickly covered her mouth.
Her muffled complaint, tinged with tears, emerged beneath her palm.
“It hurts. You… you don’t know how to cherish people.”
Was he born under the sign of the wolf? He treated people like prey and bit them apart.
“I do cherish you. I cherish you very much.”
Qin Xiao hurriedly defended himself.
“This time, I promise I’ll be gentle. Good Qinghe, good wife…”
“I swear I won’t hurt you again.”
His voice was utterly sincere. In such a romantic atmosphere, his earnestness only made him seem somewhat simple and adorable.
Qinghe couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
She truly couldn’t bear to refuse this version of Qin Xiao.
“Then you have to keep your word.”
“I will, I will. If it hurts, bite me, and I promise I’ll let go.”
Smart people learned quickly.
By the second attempt, Qin Xiao had already grasped the essentials.
Within that tiny world between her lips and teeth, he pursued her gently, savoring her sweetness.
Before long, Qinghe’s body softened under his tender assault.
Her eyes closed, and she allowed him to do as he pleased.
Their breaths intertwined, both completely lost in the moment.
Until that rough hand of his tried to slip beneath the hem of her inner garment.
Qinghe abruptly retreated and pressed down on his hand.
Her numb lips parted, and a cool thread of moisture slid down her chin.
“What are you doing? We’re outside.”
Qin Xiao froze.
He looked deeply into her eyes, then suddenly lifted her into his arms and headed toward the bedroom.
To him, her words meant that it wasn’t allowed outside.
But inside the room, it would be fine.
“Didn’t we agree to wait… until our wedding night?”
Qin Xiao stopped at the doorway and lowered his gaze toward her.
The night was too dark for him to see her clearly. He could only make out the outline of the woman nestled against him.
A smile curved his lips.
Leaning close, he whispered softly,
“I miss your… so much…”
Qinghe was both shy and annoyed.
Faced with his blunt request, she could not utter a single word.
Soon, laughter and playful noises drifted from the room, causing the owl perched upon the branch outside to tilt its round head and stare for quite some time.
“Stop… it tickles… it tickles… your beard is making my chest itch…”
…
Since they had not lit a lamp the previous night, Qinghe hadn’t even gotten a clear look at what Qin Xiao looked like after shaving.
Although they hadn’t gone all the way in the end, she was still so exhausted that her entire body had gone limp. She didn’t even know when Qin Xiao had left.
She only vaguely remembered that before leaving, the man had kissed her forehead over and over again.
After getting out of bed, she checked the skin between her legs.
As expected, it had turned red.
Yet instead of feeling angry, she pressed her lips together and smiled.
Even after things had come to this point, with temptation so close at hand, he had still kept his promise.
…
Walking along the mountain path, Zhou Ye cast a complicated look at the man beside him.
Qin Xiao seemed especially foolish today.
From time to time, he would stroke his smooth, freshly shaved chin and let out silly chuckles.
Anyone could tell what he’d been up to the previous night.
“Hey, wipe that drool away. Have some dignity!”
Qin Xiao glared at him.
“You’re the one without dignity. What would a bachelor like you know?”
Zhou Ye was speechless.
That was a personal attack.
And the worst part was, he couldn’t even refute it.
“Was that little thing really enough to make you this happy?”
Qin Xiao snorted.
“What the hell do you know? She’s different. She’s wonderful. She’s truly wonderful.”
Afraid Zhou Ye would misunderstand, he emphasized,
“I’m happy because Qinghe herself is wonderful. Not just because she’s pretty.”
Though, of course, being pretty was even better.
Zhou Ye clicked his tongue dismissively.
Qin Xiao immediately became dissatisfied.
“Then don’t eat the preserved vegetable meat pancakes she made. She stayed up and cooked them under the lamp last night.”
Zhou Ye’s eyes widened.
“That’s unacceptable. She made so many, there’s definitely a portion for me. Fine, she’s wonderful, the most wonderful woman in the world.”
Qin Xiao nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s more like it. I’ll reward you with a bite later.”
…
Not long after Qinghe got up, Zhou Sui arrived.
The moment she entered, she circled around Qinghe while repeatedly clicking her tongue.
“Sister-in-law, Brother Qin kissed your lips swollen.”
Qinghe froze.
Covering her mouth, she stared at Zhou Sui with round eyes.
Truthfully, such things were not uncommon within the noble residences and grand mansions.
But she had never heard anyone speak about them so directly.
At most, people would tease indirectly or gossip behind one’s back.
Qin Xiao had been like that the previous night, saying whatever came to mind.
And now Zhou Sui was doing the same.
It made Qinghe wonder if the difference between her old life and her current one wasn’t simply the capital and the countryside, but two entirely different worlds.
Could country folk really all be like this?
Surely not.
“Sister Sui, you… you’re still a young lady. Don’t speak so openly.”
Seeing her blushing from ears to neck, Zhou Sui laughed so hard she nearly doubled over.
“What’s the big deal? I’ve even seen newlywed wives returning to their parents’ home who couldn’t even walk properly!”
Though Qinghe had already grown somewhat accustomed to Zhou Sui’s bluntness, those words still startled her.
“You see and hear all these things, doesn’t your brother stop you?”
Zhou Sui’s expression dimmed.
Pouring herself a cup of water, she sat down and drank.
“My brother joined the army when I was ten. During those years, I was raised by other families. Nobody cared about me.”
“Sister-in-law, am I really that crude?”
She asked so seriously that Qinghe immediately realized many people must have said those words to her before.
Perhaps Zhou Sui herself had also struggled over her straightforward personality.
Sitting beside her, Qinghe smiled gently.
“No. People are shaped by their environment. Your personality is wonderful. You’re simply young and curious about things you haven’t experienced yet.”
“But, Sister Sui, don’t say such things to outsiders. Some people may joke with you to your face and flatter you with sweet words, but behind your back, things may be very different.”
“It’s difficult enough for women to survive in this world. You should treasure your reputation.”
Thinking back, Zhou Sui realized it really was true.
She had spoken like this to the young wives in the village before. None of them criticized her openly, and some even joined in.
Yet behind her back, they would call her shameless.
She had been young then and didn’t care, growing used to saying whatever crossed her mind.
In fact, she had already restrained herself a lot when speaking to outsiders.
It was only because Qinghe was Qin Xiao’s wife, one of her own people, that she hadn’t held back.
“I understand now. Thank you, Sister-in-law. I’m going to practice archery and boxing.”
She had come today carrying her bow and an archery target.
Her brother had told her that if she wanted to venture deep into the mountains and hunt worthy prey, she needed real skills.
Outside the courtyard, she secured the straw target to the trunk of a wild date tree and began practicing with her bow.
Meanwhile, Qinghe remained inside the main room, carefully stitching her wedding dress, one needle and one thread at a time.
Suddenly, voices drifted in from outside.
One of them sounded strangely familiar.
“Oh? Zhou Sui is here too.”
“What are you doing here?” Zhou Sui asked.
Qinghe put down her sewing and went outside to see who had arrived.
Before she even stepped out of the courtyard, she saw Qin Yue approaching with a large bundle hanging from his arm.