The icy sensation beneath her made her shudder.
Qi Sen stood in front of Qiu Xiaoyue, his eyes pitch-black. With both arms braced on either side of her, he had her completely enclosed in his embrace.
“Uncle…” she called softly.
Qi Sen said nothing. His gaze fell on her.
The milk she had spilled moments ago was trickling down her neck, flowing over her collarbone and into the opening of her shirt.
Her white V-neck cardigan was already cut rather low. Now, one section had been soaked with milk, and the thin fabric clung to her body, revealing the outline of the undergarment beneath.
The milky-white trail continued downward, disappearing into the depths of her neckline.
Qi Sen’s eyes darkened.
“You got dirty.”
His voice was slightly hoarse.
Qiu Xiaoyue lowered her head to look and reached out to wipe it away. “It’s fine. I’ll just wash it…”
Before her hand could touch her neck, he caught her by the wrist.
“I’ll help you.”
Qiu Xiaoyue froze.
Help her? How?
The next second, Qi Sen lifted his hand and hooked a finger beneath the edge of her neckline.
The fabric had plenty of stretch. With a gentle tug, he pulled it open, and it sagged loosely above her chest.
The trail of milk ran from her neck to her collarbone, then lower, slipping into the valley between two soft mounds.
Qiu Xiaoyue’s entire body went rigid.
Her voice trembled faintly at the end. “Uncle…”
She wanted to retreat, but there was a mirror behind her and him in front of her. There was nowhere to go.
Qi Sen lowered his head.
His warm lips pressed against her neck.
He licked away the milk, little by little.
Something brushed across her skin—wet and soft, numbingly ticklish.
Qiu Xiaoyue could not help shrinking her neck. Her fingers clenched around the edge of the marble counter.
He did not stop.
From her neck, down to her collarbone, and then to the small pool of milk gathered in the hollow there—
He cleaned every trace of it away.
Qiu Xiaoyue’s body began to soften. She bit her lip, not daring to make a sound.
The household servants were still outside.
But he continued downward.
He pulled her neckline even farther open, and his lips followed the valley, moving lower and lower.
The most milk had collected there, forming a thin line.
He followed that line from top to bottom, slowly taking in every drop.
Qiu Xiaoyue went completely numb.
A wave of tingling shot up from her spine, surging straight to the crown of her head.
Her fingers clenched until they turned white, and even her toes curled.
“Uncle…” Her voice shook uncontrollably, edged with tears. “D-don’t…”
Qi Sen lifted his head and looked at her.
Amid her ragged breathing, her face was flushed crimson. Tears glimmered at the corners of her eyes, and a trace of moisture clung to her lashes. Biting her lip, she looked both embarrassed and overwhelmed.
There was a delicate allure to her, one that made people want to bully her.
Qi Sen’s gaze grew deep and obscure.
“I haven’t gotten it all clean,” he said.
Then he lowered his head again.
“Don’t…”
Before the words had even left her mouth, her voice changed pitch.
Her heart seemed about to leap from her throat. White light flashed in front of her eyes in waves, and she could no longer see anything clearly.
Several new, deep crescent-shaped marks appeared on Qi Sen’s shoulder.
As if he had anticipated it, he raised his hand and covered her mouth just before she cried out.
His palm was broad, his fingers long, easily covering her entire small face.
The veins on the back of his hand stood out. He was not using much force, but he covered her mouth so thoroughly that her scream was forcibly swallowed.
“Shh.” He looked down at her, the corners of his mouth curving slightly. He asked, despite knowing perfectly well, “What are you calling me?”
Qiu Xiaoyue tilted her head back as tears flowed from the corners of her eyes in two wet, burning trails.
Her eyes were full of grievance.
It was all because he had lost control regardless of the setting and started teasing her in the bathroom…
And now look what had happened.
She would have to change both her underclothes and outer clothes.
Qiu Xiaoyue pushed at his shoulder. Her voice was muffled against his palm. “Move.”
Qi Sen took a step back.
Qiu Xiaoyue slid down from the counter. The moment her feet touched the floor, her legs gave out, and she pitched sideways.
Qi Sen was quick enough to catch her, hooking an arm around her waist and steadying her.
When Qiu Xiaoyue looked up, she happened to meet her own eyes in the mirror.
Her hair was disheveled, her clothes barely covered her, her cheeks were flushed, and her tears had not yet dried.
She looked utterly disheveled.
It was so humiliating.
Qiu Xiaoyue burst into tears.
“How are we supposed to get out?”
As if soothing a child, Qi Sen pulled her into his arms and stroked her lightly trembling back.
“Uncle Steward.”
His voice was not loud, but there was an immediate response from outside.
“Yes!”
The Steward’s reply came swiftly. His ears seemed to be working especially well at the moment.
“Go upstairs and bring down a set of clothes.”
“For Madam,” Qi Sen added calmly.
Buried in his embrace, Qiu Xiaoyue heard this and angrily bumped her head against his chest.
The clothes were passed through the crack beneath the door.
Qiu Xiaoyue took them and looked up at Qi Sen. “You go out.”
Qi Sen leaned against the counter, completely unmoving.
Qiu Xiaoyue glared at him.
He did not move.
She glared harder.
Still nothing.
Fine.
Qiu Xiaoyue raised a hand and untied the green ribbon from her hair.
It was a long, slender strip that swayed from her fingertips.
“Give me your hands.”
Qi Sen raised an eyebrow, but he extended his hands anyway.
Qiu Xiaoyue walked around behind him and, in just a few quick motions, tied both his hands behind his back.
She had used the kind of knot mountain villagers used to bind firewood—the more one struggled, the tighter it became. It could not be undone.
Qi Sen tried moving his wrists and found that he really could not.
He lowered his head to look at her, amusement entering his eyes.
Qiu Xiaoyue ignored him, turned her back, and began changing clothes.
She undid the first button.
Then she paused.
Afterward, she turned around.
She faced him.
Her fingers tangled in the front of the garment as she slowly, deliberately undid the buttons one by one.
The first was just below her collarbone.
The second was at the beginning of that valley.
At the third, the edge of her white undergarment peeked through the opening in her clothes.
She looked straight at him.
There was a hook in her eyes.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile played at the corners of her lips.
Qi Sen’s prominent Adam’s apple bobbed, and his jaw tightened into a sharp line.
He took a step forward.
Qiu Xiaoyue raised her bare foot and placed it against his chest—not hard, but not lightly, either.
They were just close enough for him to smell the faint milky fragrance on her body and see the traces of moisture that had not yet completely dried.
But he could not touch her.
Qi Sen lowered his eyes to the foot against his chest, then looked back up at her.
His gaze grew darker and darker.
“Untie me.”
Qiu Xiaoyue shook her head, smiling mischievously. “No. Who told you to bully me just now?”
The moment she finished speaking, Qi Sen twisted his wrist.
Qiu Xiaoyue had no idea how he did it, but the firewood knot simply came undone.
Before she could react, he had already taken a step forward. With one hand, he lifted one of her legs, and his body pressed directly against hers.
Her chest was squeezed out of shape, and a snowy-white swell spilled through the opening in her clothes.
He leaned down, the tip of his nose almost touching hers.
Just then, the Steward’s voice came from outside the door—
“Young Master, Miss Qi has called to hurry you along. She said that if you don’t leave now, she’ll come over and collect you herself.”
Qi Sen’s movements stopped.
He stared at Qiu Xiaoyue for two seconds, then lowered his head and fiercely captured her lips.
It was not a lingering kiss. It carried a hint of pent-up frustration—rough and fierce.
After kissing her, he rested his forehead against hers and took a breath.
“We’ll continue tonight.”
If it had not been for his cousin’s birthday banquet, he truly would not have wanted to leave today.