She was sitting among the flowers. Blooming like lotus flowers in summer, at their most beautiful stage, pale pink in color with a faint fragrance that subtly yet clearly invited plucking. Dewdrops clung to the petals and her beautiful collarbones. She lowered her head to wipe them away, revealing her fair and delicate neck, making one want to leave marks there.
Later the flowers beside her gradually disappeared, and she appeared on his bed, her clothes half-removed, looking at him with alluring eyes, enticing him to rendezvous with her, just like in that small room on the third floor of Yilou back then, and also like in that crude military tent during that cold winter months years ago.
Everything before his eyes was strange and surreal – sometimes he saw the familiar Huaijin Courtyard and Woyu Courtyard, sometimes unfamiliar and dilapidated houses. The only thing certain was her, and the increasingly rich fragrance beneath her clothes.
He kissed and drew close to her without any restraint, thus smelling an even richer floral scent, fragrant and intoxicating, penetrating to the depths of his heart. She seemed to try to push him away, but he knew that no matter what happened now, he would not allow any of this to stop. Therefore, not only did he not let go of her, but he kissed her more deeply and gripped her wrists more tightly.
She must become his right now.
He wanted to secretly treasure this pink lotus, making her bloom only by his side.
It was a despicable thought, yet at that moment it had taken root in his heart.
Later she seemed to cry, but the arms around his shoulders and neck held him even tighter. She murmured in his ear, vaguely saying something he could no longer hear clearly. Even his consciousness inevitably became blurred, only able to feel the joy of finally being complete with her.
For a moment he became dazed again, with many past shadows floating before his eyes, as beautiful as spring rivers and moonlit flowers. She seemed to be calling him – sometimes “Young Master,” sometimes “Second Brother” – her voice soul-stirring, driving him nearly mad.
He clearly knew he was sinking, sinking into a transgressive, absurd, yet absolutely wonderful dream. It was as fragile as dewdrops, destined to turn into bubbles the moment it met the morning sun.
Yet at this moment it brought me such joy.
Wenwen, don’t you ever know.
How much I truly love you.
Shen Xiling could no longer remember how everything that day finally ended.
She had never seen Qi Ying like that, completely controlled by desire, appearing domineering and imperious. Perhaps it was due to the Five Stone Powder – his mind was somewhat unclear, and thus he was completely different from usual. He was… somewhat rough with her, and having never been intimate before, she simply couldn’t withstand such torment, yet he still…
Shen Xiling gently pulled the quilt tighter, covering the marks all over her body.
She looked at the man sleeping beside her now.
He was asleep. In the darkness she could still see the outline of his beautiful eyes, and even in his dreams he still held her in a completely possessive manner, just like before.
She couldn’t quite describe her feelings then – perhaps somewhat bitter, but more so sweet.
She actually hadn’t expected all this to happen at such a time. They still had many things left unsaid between them, and both their circumstances were most uncertain. He probably hadn’t expected it either – someone who observed propriety so strictly. She wondered what he would be like tomorrow when he woke up and discovered everything.
Shen Xiling suddenly developed a mischievous thought, even with a hint of watching the excitement, eager to see his expression when he discovered everything.
She couldn’t help but secretly smile.
But soon her smile faded, because she remembered his addiction to Five Stone Powder.
Yesterday he thought she had left, but actually she hadn’t. After he said those words, she was indeed hurt, but she didn’t harbor any thoughts of leaving him at all. Rather, ever since their separation five years ago, she had never harbored hopes of being complete with him again in her heart. She stayed here not to rekindle their old romance, but simply because she wanted to protect him – she wanted to stop him from touching Five Stone Powder again.
Today she hid away, partly to calm her hurt feelings, and partly because she feared he would get angry again. When it got dark, she estimated everything should have calmed down, so she returned. Upon entering the courtyard, she saw Qing Zhu pacing anxiously outside his door. Seeing her return, he was both surprised and delighted, as if he hadn’t expected to see her again.
She had an ominous premonition and asked Qing Zhu what had happened. He was evasive at first, and only after a long while did he say that the young master had touched Five Stone Powder again.
Shen Xiling was shocked and furious at the time. She had always been quite polite to Qing Zhu, but then she couldn’t help but lose her temper with him, saying: “You’ve been by his side for so many years, and when he wants to touch that deadly thing, you just watch helplessly?”
After saying this, she didn’t even wait for Qing Zhu’s reaction before hurriedly pushing the door open and entering the room.
Before going in, she had it all planned out – this time she definitely couldn’t give in. She would have a proper big fight with him, and she would even threaten him, telling him that if he touched that stuff again, she would also indulge, and she was even prepared to take the powder right in front of him. But then he… reached out and embraced her.
No matter how many years passed, no matter what happened between them, she would always be so devoted to him. When he embraced her, she could clearly feel herself crumbling. This person always had ways to make her lose her composure.
He was kissing her, caressing her, carrying her horizontally to the bed. His body was burning hot, those phoenix eyes still beautiful, but not as calm and profound as usual – they held a hint of madness that made her feel strangely unfamiliar and afraid.
She couldn’t help but remember her ordeal at the Southeast Villa years ago.
That Yang Dong had also been a user of the powder. That stormy night when she went to find him in anger, he had inhaled Five Stone Powder. The drug made him nearly insane, even trapping her on the bed to assault her. If Qi Ying hadn’t arrived in time to save her, it would have become a lifelong nightmare.
And now Qi Ying was just like Yang Dong from back then. She knew his abnormal behavior was all due to the drug’s effects, and even his scent had changed somewhat, no longer completely the familiar and intoxicating sweet pine fragrance she was obsessed with, but faintly mixed with the aroma of Five Stone Powder.
This also frightened her.
Even though his touch then stirred her desire, she still resisted in her heart, because she couldn’t even be certain whether he knew who the person before him was. If he mistook her for someone else, then she…
She pushed him away, resisting his kisses and caresses, but a man’s strength was not something she could resist. He gripped her wrists tightly, just like when they were intimate years ago – a completely unconscious action. And the more she resisted, the more angered he seemed to become, later even tearing open her clothes.
She was almost desperate, but then she heard him call her name “Wenwen” in a muffled voice by her ear.
His voice was hoarse from being tormented by desire, but precisely because of this it could more easily bewitch her, making her feel as if she had drunk a full cup of aged wine, intoxicated in endless waves of passion.
…Did he know who she was?
Or was it that even though his mind was already blurred, the person in his thoughts was still her?
Shen Xiling didn’t know, but that single “Wenwen” made her completely lose herself. She could no longer resist his touch and demands at all, and even… longed for him even more.
She responded to him passionately, extending her bare arms to tightly embrace his shoulders and neck, giving everything of herself to him, and likewise possessing everything of his.
Let it be this way.
No matter what happens afterward.
No matter whether they can ultimately be together.
No matter whether they will regret everything about tonight after sobering up.
Don’t care about anything.
…Let it be this way.
Tumultuous passion.
A night of spring romance.
Now the heat of passion had long faded, and dawn was faintly approaching. Shen Xiling was actually extremely tired then, but somehow she couldn’t fall asleep.
She looked at this man so close at hand, feeling his breath and warmth, momentarily becoming so entranced she couldn’t help herself.
She couldn’t help but extend her finger to lightly touch him – his jaw, his profile, the corner of his eye. They were very close because he had completely encircled her in his arms, so much so that even their breathing intertwined.
Shen Xiling slightly lifted her face, slowly approached him, and lightly kissed beside his lips. Immediately many old memories flooded into her mind. For instance, she remembered that after the spring examinations that year, he had been beaten and injured by his father, and had stayed at Fenghe Courtyard for a period to recover. Once when they slept in the same bed, when she woke up early the next morning she had also secretly kissed him like this, later waking him up, so she fled in panic. Thinking of it now still made one smile.
She just hadn’t expected history to repeat itself. This time when she secretly kissed him, she again showed signs of waking him up. He was probably naturally a light sleeper – the slightest sound would wake him.
This person, why was he always so tired?
And just as his eyelashes trembled and he was about to wake up, Shen Xiling couldn’t help but instinctively ponder what attitude she should take toward him.
She could pretend to sleep, thus avoiding some potentially awkward situations; she could pretend to be angry, which would not only allow her to gain the upper hand in momentum, but more importantly could give her an excuse to blame him for touching Five Stone Powder again; she could also pretend not to care at all, which would appear very magnanimous, thus making things more natural and dignified between them.
All very reasonable choices.
She thought it through well, but when Qi Ying actually opened his eyes, she cried instead.
Looking at him, she cried with great, great grievance.
Shen Xiling didn’t actually know why she cried then. Clearly she didn’t feel wronged in her heart, and was even secretly delighted to discover his devotion to her, but when he woke up she suddenly felt her nose sting, and tears silently fell, looking truly extremely aggrieved.
Only later did she understand why she cried then.
…It turned out she was acting coquettishly toward him.
At that time she already understood in her heart that he could no longer drive her away. The outcome between them was already decided – she could stay by his side for life, and he would always dote on and love her. So she secretly became delicate, and also knew that the privileges she once had with him years ago had now returned to her hands, and those powers were even more useful than before.
She was eager to start enjoying them.
And while Shen Xiling was so composed then, Qi Ying was equally disadvantaged.
Young Master Qi had always been prudent and serious throughout his life, always taking every step steadily and properly, so he truly hadn’t expected that one day he would face such an absurd situation.
…His little girl was dropping tears one by one on his bed, and beneath the bedding she was obviously not wearing a stitch. They had…
At that moment, never mind being the runner-up scholar of Jiangzuo – even a young child just beginning elementary education would be a hundred times more eloquent than Young Master Qi.
He truly couldn’t say a single word.
Author’s Note: Next update: Shen Wenwen unlocks a new skill – fighting with her boyfriend, establishing future family hierarchy in one battle [This is the revised version… well, sigh]