Chapter 66

In the carriage returning to the chief’s mansion, Feng Bao sat huddled in a corner, afraid to even breathe.

He stole a few glances and saw Qin Yan’s gloomy expression, the slight tension in his jawline, and the coldness and anger in his eyes, making him extremely uncomfortable.

Just now at the Eastern Bureau, when Feng Bao looked at the two broken bamboo brush pieces, he didn’t dare to say anything further. He kept his head down and followed Qin Yan onto the carriage.

Feng Bao carefully recalled the situation and had a feeling that the master was probably dissatisfied, but Chun Mei didn’t explain it clearly. How could he dare to randomly explain on behalf of the madam?

When they arrived at the entrance of the chief’s mansion, Qin Yan swiftly stepped down from the carriage and walked directly to the guest courtyard, where Su Mi was. He walked so fast that Feng Bao had to jog to barely catch up.

As they pushed open the courtyard door for the first time, it seemed to be locked from the inside. However, with a loud noise, the wooden bolt was directly shattered.

When that tall figure with a touch of hostility appeared beside the two slightly loose wooden doors, Chun Mei was coming out of the kitchen carrying a copper basin.

She looked at the Lord in astonishment.

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Mseyu, Fw Yk’p cseu oyp y ckv nbkzzu, ps pbl elnkele vs vyjl y cyvb kd vbl yqvladssd vs oyax blaplzq wr. Fbl zsnjle vbl essa vs yhske ydusdl ynnkeldvyzzu ldvlakdt. Jwv pllkdt vbl xyddla kd obknb vbl xypvla casjl vbl essa, nswze kv cl vbyv bl oyp ydtau clnywpl kv oyp zsnjle?

“Mbkp plahydv tallvp vbl Nsae.”

“Eblal kp Fw Yk?”

Ckd Zyd’p lulp olal zkjl vsanblp, yde bkp hsknl oyp ellr yde zso. Ubwd Ylk bye dlhla plld bkx zkjl vbkp clqsal. Fbl oyvnble Wldt Jys xyjl kdnsxralbldpkczl tlpvwalp clbkde vbl Nsae yde wdnsdpnkswpzu pvyavle pvwvvlakdt.

“Yk-Ykpp Fw, pbl-pbl kp pvkzz cyvbkdt kd vbl cyvbbswpl.”

Ckd Zyd nszezu nbwnjzle. Gqvla pllkdt bla nswpkd yde alnlkhkdt vbl fyel rldeydv, pbl xwpv cl iwkvl nsdvldv.

Tl tzydnle pkeloyup yde prsjl nszezu vs Wldt Jys, “Qwyae vbl essa qsa xl. Ls sdl kp yzzsole vs ldvla.”

“Zlp… Yypvla.”

The clean room was located in the eastern corner of the entire guest courtyard, and because Chun Mei needed to come in to add hot soup, Su Mi didn’t lock the door.

Inside the bathhouse, it was a hazy white, like mist, with a faint scent of osmanthus soap intermingling in the air.

On the right side, there were several jade steps leading down to a bath paved with lightly patterned marble, which was used by Qin Yan on regular days. On the left side was the cypress wood tub that Su Mi was accustomed to using.

Su Mi sat in this half-person-high wooden tub, with the hot water submerging her delicate clavicle. A washcloth floated on the water’s surface, and her exquisite figure seemed to appear and disappear at the boundary between the cloth and the water.

Being alone, her playful nature arose. Occasionally, she scooped water and let it glide over her wrists, and occasionally she would dive down for a while, not caring if her black hair got wet.

Suddenly, Su Mi’s hand stopped as she heard a door sound but couldn’t hear Chun Mei’s voice.

From where she was, the folding screen blocked the doorway, and coupled with the steam filling the room, she couldn’t see clearly.

“Chun Mei, is that you?”

After a few moments, there was still no response.

Su Mi swallowed nervously. If it wasn’t Chun Mei, then who could it be?

The Lord never returned to the mansion so early. Su Mi’s heart tightened, and her hand unconsciously grabbed the washcloth, quickly wrapping it around her chest and lower body.

She held the cloth, trembling slightly. Normally, no one would dare intrude in the Lord’s mansion, but now, without a thread on her, she felt even more sensitive.

“Chun Mei!” Su Mi urgently called again, but there was still no answer.

She could only tighten the cloth around her body and try to hide in the wooden tub, but the tub was only so big, and the clear water surface revealed everything. There was no place for her to hide.

As she watched the dark figure approaching, Su Mi felt scared and mustered the courage to say, “Don’t come any closer! When the Lord comes back, he will kill you! Don’t come closer!”

Just as she was about to cry from fear, Qin Yan slowly walked out from behind the folding screen.

He was still wearing his indigo official robe, and his handsome face was frosty. When he looked at her, his thin lips tightened, and a cold aura surrounded him.

Seeing that it was Qin Yan, Su Mi’s heart suddenly relaxed, and she instinctively stood up. “Lord, why have you returned so early?”

Qin Yan looked at the woman who had angered him. When he entered the room, he had already detected the fear in her voice. He had initially intended to scare her a bit more, but for some reason, when he heard the hint of crying in her voice, he stepped across the folding screen.

With just one glance, Qin Yan’s throat visibly trembled.

Her black hair, damp with droplets of water, hung over her fair and glistening shoulders, setting off her skin as translucent as jade.

The plain washcloth, wet and dripping, couldn’t conceal the fullness of her youthful radiance. The two clusters of red jade in front of her chest were tightly bound, creating a deep cleavage that made one’s mouth dry.

Su Mi’s eyes were slightly red from the steaming vapor, and the blush spread to the corners of her eyes. When she looked at him with dampness in her eyes, she appeared even more charming than a delicate flower, as if inviting him.

Unconsciously, Qin Yan walked towards the wooden tub.

Seeing Qin Yan approach directly, Su Mi felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that she didn’t have much covering on her body. Although she had been proactive that night in the southern mansion, it was in the darkness under the covers, unlike now, in broad daylight without any concealment.

As Qin Yan approached step by step, dispersing the steam, Su Mi noticed the difference in his expression. Why did he seem angry? But she hadn’t left the house recently, so was he angry that she occupied this clean room?

“Lord, do you also want to bathe? I’ll be done soon.”

After Su Mi finished speaking, she looked at Qin Yan, but he just looked down, remaining silent.

Qin Yan walked up to Su Mi and looked at the wooden tub separating them, and with a slight force, the tub shattered into pieces, scattering like a door. The hot water rushed out all at once, seeping into the green stone pavement.

Su Mi’s cherry lips slightly parted, surprised as she looked at the scattered remnants of the tub around her. She belatedly realized that Qin Yan was genuinely angry with her.

“Lord, what’s wrong? Did I do something to make you angry?”

With the absence of the tub between them, Qin Yan approached Su Mi, and his tall figure cast a shadow over her. He finally spoke in a low voice.

“How many words did you exchange with him?”

Su Mi pondered in her heart, wondering who the Lord was referring to.

In fact, Su Mi hadn’t seen Yu Zhiqiu at all this morning, so she couldn’t have guessed that Qin Yan was asking about him.

She didn’t know how to answer, so she could only bite her lip and contemplate.

Qin Yan watched Su Mi’s adorable appearance as she bit her lip, and the thought that the man she had seen today was someone who almost married her, someone who could have seen her in her current state, made the anger he had managed to suppress resurface unreasonably.

His voice turned cold. “Tell me, how many words did you exchange with him?”

Su Mi was startled by Qin Yan’s question but managed to come up with someone to speak of: the young servant boy who delivered the message. They exchanged a few words, but she couldn’t remember them clearly.

Timidly leaning backward and slightly creating distance, Su Mi raised her head and said, “Lord, it wasn’t a long conversation, probably just three sentences.”

After Su Mi finished speaking, she also felt a bit wronged. When the servant came to report, how could she not speak? In the past, the Lord hadn’t said much about it, so why was he suddenly unhappy today?

“Three sentences…”

Qin Yan silently repeated it once. When he looked up again, the dark shade in his eyes made Su Mi’s heart race involuntarily.

Suddenly, a strong hand covered her waist, lifting her up and pulling her forward until she was pressed against the corner of the wall.

Qin Yan had a slender and well-proportioned figure, broad shoulders, and a narrow waist. He had trapped Su Mi in a corner, rendering her unable to move, while he himself was gradually removing layers of clothing.

His right hand loosened the jade belt around his waist, and his slender fingers flipped, causing one outer garment to be discarded.

“I said, no seeing for the fifth time.”

“I also said, don’t provoke my anger.”

“You think I can’t punish you?”

Qin Yan’s words were spoken slowly, with a seemingly calm tone, but Su Mi could detect the underlying anger in them.

The fifth time mentioned by the lord should be Yu Zhiqiu, but she hadn’t seen him.

…

As the last outer garment was discarded, leaving only a light apricot-colored undergarment and the final button remaining on the collar, Qin Yan picked it up with his index finger.

With a flick of his finger, the two sides of the collar suddenly opened.

Su Mi’s breath involuntarily hitched. They were so close, and she could see much clearer than that day. Qin Yan’s body, the jade-like texture, the pleasing curve of his chest, the slender waist… and why did he seem to look different again?

Since Qin Yan entered the room until now, Su Mi’s mind has been filled with confusion. What she said and what Qin Yan said seemed to be completely different. But every time she thought about something, he would attract her attention, leaving her no time to think carefully.

Su Mi’s mind was in a jumble, and she didn’t even realize that her gaze had been fixated on the area below him.

“Have you seen enough?”

Su Mi suddenly snapped back to reality, retracting her gaze. Her face turned crimson in an instant. She nodded, then shook her head, her ears so red they seemed about to drip blood.

Qin Yan’s palm rested against the wall, and he lowered his head, covering Su Mi’s ear. “When I punish you later, your tears won’t help.”

As he spoke, he tugged at the long cloth on Su Mi’s body, pulling it to the left and spreading it on the yellow cypress  wooden bench not far from the bathtub.

With a swift turn, Qin Yan had already brought Su Mi onto the wooden bench, pressing her down.

The sensation of her hands being restrained, as well as the scorching touch on her inner thighs, made Su Mi inexplicably afraid. Especially when Qin Yan looked at her at this moment, despite his still handsome appearance, the fire deep in his eyes seemed capable of consuming her completely.

“Lord, I know I was wrong. Can you let me go?”

Qin Yan didn’t loosen his grip, supporting himself above Su Mi. His voice was hoarse. “It’s too late.”

He lowered his head and covered Su Mi’s cherry lips. Compared to the last time, his kiss was even more dominant and invasive. It seemed as though he didn’t need Su Mi’s response at all; he was only focused on taking and demanding. His tongue brushed against her teeth, leaving no room for resistance and entwining with her.

Su Mi couldn’t help but let out a soft moan. She enjoyed this closeness with Qin Yan, and it didn’t hurt at all. It felt ticklish and pleasant, reaching deep into her bones and heart.

She tried to respond, but her hesitant and inexperienced movements only elicited a light laugh from the man above her. In the next moment, everything was back under his control. She was like the weaker party, having to discard her armor and yield to him.

Inside the room, it was filled with infinite spring light and endless beauty. Just at this moment, a knocking sound suddenly came from outside the door.

Feng Bao helplessly looked at the eunuch who delivered the imperial decree and called out to the door, his face filled with bitterness, “Master, the emperor has sent someone to deliver a decree, summoning you to the palace.”

The emperor? Su Mi, still in a daze from Qin Yan’s kiss, regained some clarity upon hearing those two words. She instinctively tried to push Qin Yan away.

It was this slight movement that slightly improved Qin Yan’s mood, but he also became somewhat gloomy. At a time like this, did she dare to think of someone else?

“Master, the emperor is summoning you to the palace.” Su Mi half-opened her beautiful eyes. She intended to ask Qin Yan to attend to official matters, but she didn’t realize that her tone and manner seemed more like a combination of invitation and rejection. Her voice was moist and hot, infused with steam, causing Qin Yan’s blood to rush in one direction.

“Tell him to wait for me.”

Qin Yan lowered his voice to Su Mi’s ear, and in his breathless voice, there was an overwhelming desire that couldn’t be restrained. He lightly nibbled on her earlobe, his tongue tracing the contours of her ear, arousing a shiver in her.

“Now, do you understand the matters between men and women?”

Su Mi, already stirred up by Qin Yan, didn’t know what he was saying. She obediently nodded.

“I see, you still don’t quite understand.”

After Qin Yan finished speaking, his eyes darkened. Without any hesitation, he made a move, breaking through the defenses.

…

Feng Bao stood outside the room, waiting for a response. Originally, he wanted to say something more, but he suddenly heard Su Mi’s cry of alarm, causing him to immediately fall silent.

Chun Mei’s eyes were bloodshot, and the door was locked by the Lord. She couldn’t see anything and didn’t know what kind of torture her mistress was enduring.

As she waited, it was already the next morning.

Inside the clean room, the woman lying on the long bench had a sweaty forehead. Her eyelashes were like feather fans, and there were glistening tears hanging from them. Her seductive body was covered in red marks and bite marks, and the white cloth beneath her had traces of blood, indicating what she had experienced.

Hiss—

Su Mi struggled to open her eyes, and in their clear depths, there was still a glistening, watery glow. Her body felt as if it had been crushed, and a tearing pain emanated from her legs and core. Yesterday, even though she cried and pleaded, Qin Yan still had his way with her three times until she fell unconscious.

The things Qin Yan did to her last night, as well as the words spoken by Mrs. Yu, made her realize that he was not an ordinary eunuch. But now her head was foggy, her limbs ached unbearably, and she didn’t have time to ponder over Qin Yan’s identity. There was only one thing she wanted to know the most: whether the Lord was still angry with her.

Su Mi lay there and turned her head slightly to the right, looking towards Qin Yan. “Lord, are you still angry with me now?”

Qin Yan hadn’t slept all night and was currently fastening the belt of his outer garment. Upon hearing her words, he looked at Su Mi, who was covered in the marks he left on her. His traces were both inside and outside her body. Despite having taken her for so long, he still felt it wasn’t enough.

He lifted his vermilion official robe and covered Su Mi’s body, saying, “I’m not angry with you anymore.”

He started to feel angry at himself. He had an almost extreme possessiveness toward Su Mi, so he couldn’t bear to see her think about any other man.

But now, seeing her in such a pitiful state, Qin Yan felt a strange sense of tenderness welling up in his heart. He actually regretted the excessive demands he made yesterday.

“I’ll be back.”

As Qin Yan walked out the door, Chun Mei and Feng Bao’s legs were already numb. He looked at Chun Mei.

“You go in and take care of her.”

Upon hearing this, Chun Mei finally rushed into the bathhouse.

“Miss.”

Su Mi was drowsy, and her head felt heavy. “Hmm, Chun Mei, I… I’m fine. Please prepare the bathwater for me again.”

“But, Miss, your face is so red.” Chun Mei, who was accustomed to taking care of Su Mi, was not as careless as men. As she placed her hand on Su Mi’s face, she felt the scorching heat transfer to her palm.

She exclaimed, “Miss, you’ve caught a cold!”