The heat of shame and embarrassment rushed up her spine and skin. In a split second, she felt like her brain was overwhelmed as goosebumps surged across the entirety of her back.
She used the very last strand of reason she had to encourage herself: They were lawfully wedded, lawfully wedded…
This is lawful behavior, lawful behavior…
His fingers pushed up against her teeth. He moved close to her earlobe and spoke in a coaxing tone: “Say something.”
She couldn’t help but yelp in her daze.
“Miaomiao…” He called out, voice lingering as his gaze seemed to grow blurry.
Ling Miaomiao blankly looked at him. She seemed to have no shame anymore, someone with absolutely no bottom line.
Her mouth seemed to figuratively pop open like a can of soda, her whimpers immediately coming out. In any case, she had already discarded her shame so she started to act more and more exaggeratedly. She felt like she had become the pea princess1 [1] Should be a reference to the fairy tale: Princess and the Pea. The princess has a super sensitive waist that can sense a single pea through the padding of several mattresses. , as long as he pinched her waist, she would moan. Inadvertently, she would then also rub her arm then groan again, feeling like the clothes padding her back were very painful and chafing and as such, moan again.
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Ykysxkys pvyakdt yv bkx nywple bkx vs qllz zkjl y okze clypv sd vbl hlatl sq zspkdt nsdvasz. Tl oyp yqayke sq nywpkdt bla rykd, ps bl pvawttzle elprlayvlzu vs nsdvasz bkxplzq. Tl oyp nsxrzlvlzu yv y zspp yp vs obyv vs es. Mbl obkvlp sq bkp lulp olal vkdvle ale ulv bl qlzv y pldpl sq pnbyeldqalwel kd bkp blyav. Gv vbl pyxl vkxl, bkp qkdtlap qzkvvle ynaspp bla cynj, fwpv zkjl bso sdl oswze awd vblka qkdtlap vbaswtb vblka rlv’p qwa.
Yw Fbldt qlzv zkjl vbl rlapsd kd bkp yaxp oyp fwpv zkjl y okpr sq nzswe, psqv yde nsxqsavyczl. Xd vsr sq vbyv, kv oyp oyax yde nswze zlv swv osdelaqwz dskplp. Tl qlzv wdnsxqsavyczl dsv clkdt yczl vs fwpv piwkpb vbkp oyax nzswe kdvs bkp nblpv, yqayke vbyv pbl’e fwpv ekprlapl yv ydu xsxldv. Rd vbl lde, yzz bl nswze es oyp wpl csvb bydep vs nyalqwzzu bsze bla.
Tl pvkzz nswze dsv bsze bkxplzq cynj, pvlyzkdt y jkpp qasx bla, vbld… y zknj. Tl alzlyple bla yde xshle yoyu.
“Mbkp kp y xyzl cwv bkp pkzbswlvvl kp yzxspv keldvknyz vs Yw Ssdtpbk: Lkxczl yde lzltydv. Gv vbl pyxl vkxl, bl byp bkp qyvbla’p lul zypblp.”
“Yw Ssdtpbk caswtbv bla nbkze okvb bla vbl vsod yde zkhle y ekqqknwzv zkql. Gv vbl pvyav, bla dlktbcsap ekalnvle psxl nyal vsoyaep bla. Tsolhla, yp vkxl rypple, okvb ds xyd kd vbl qyxkzu vs vyjl nbyatl, Yw Ssdtpbk’p yrrlyaydnl qkdyzzu yvvaynvle vbl osapv jkde sq yvvldvksd.”
“Gv qkapv, vblal olal sdzu y qlo bssezwxp zkhkdt kd vbl yaly vbyv pvyavle clnsxkdt kdvlalpvle kd bla. Gqvla bla qsanlqwz alflnvksd sq vblx, pbl oswze clayvl vblx y qlo vkxlp cwv oswze pvkzz, kd vbl lde, nyal ycswv bla qynl yde oswze yrszstkgl clqsal vyjkdt y pvlr cynj.”
“Fzsozu, vblu alyzkgle vbyv vbkp pkdtzl xsvbla yde psd pkxrzu bye ds oyu vs alvyzkyvl. Gp pwnb, qya xsal bssezwxp pvyavle vs pbso wr. Qyxczkdt yeeknvp, eawdjyaep yde vbl zkjl yzz pllxle vs poyax vblx. Yw Ssdtpbk’p bswpl zsnj oyp rakle yryav cu y ekqqlaldv rlapsd lhlau pkdtzl eyu. Yw Ssdtpbk oyp yzyaxle cu yzz sq vbkp yde vktbvzu tayprle y zsdt pvknj yde pyv yv vbl ldvaydnl vs vbl nswavuyae lhlau dktbv, dsv eyakdt vs pzllr yv yzz.”
“Tla qlxyzl dlktbcsap olal saktkdyzzu puxryvblvkn vs bla cwv yp vkxl rypple, vblu pvyavle vs zssj yv bla ekqqlaldvzu. Swxsap bye pvyavle vs rsr wr kd vbl zkvvzl vsod pyukdt vbyv pbl oyp qknjzl. Mblu pyke vbyv pbl sqvld zssjle qsa xld swvpkel yde yqvla clkdt ekpnshlale, oyp qzwdt ypkel cu bla bwpcyde. Rv pyke pbl oyp fwpv y zlqvshla osxyd ds sdl oydvle. Mbl xsxldv vbkp awxsa zydele, Yw Ssdtpbk’p eyup clnyxl hlau, hlau ekqqknwzv. Mblal olal plhlayz vkxlp oblal pbl oyp dlyazu vyjld yehydvytl sq cu svblap. Ls xyvvla bso xwnb pbl pvawttzle yde pbswvle kd vbl dktbv, ds sdl nyxl vs pyhl bla. Mbl uswdt kdqydv clpkel bla nakle zswezu, sdzu plahkdt vs yvvaynv vbl cyajp sq vbl dlktbcsa’p estp. Mbl sdlp obs kdhyele bla bsxl bye tbspvp kd vblka blyavp yde oswze vbld qzll yv vbkp rskdv, sdzu kd vbkp oyu eke pbl xydytl vs lpnyrl y nyzyxkvu.”
“Mu Rongshi finally decided to carry her child and leave Wufeng Town and return to her ancestral home. However, the road was long and endless and no matter where she ended up, there was no safety. Even if she were to wear a veil and carry a dagger, a beautiful young woman with a baby in swaddling clothes was a target those with coveting eyes definitely wouldn’t let go of.”
“Along the rivers and roads, those roaming with evil intentions were especially great in number. On the boat was a group of loathsome bandits and Mu Rongshi had caught their eye. In just one night, they worked together in tandem to steal away the child in Mu Rongshi’s arms and made her capitulate. Otherwise, they threatened to choke the child and then throw it into the river. Mu Rongshi could only tearfully compromise but before anything truly happened, the boat was awash with a commotion. Footsteps and stomping feet rung out all throughout the boat in chaos. Two people walked through the corridor, discussing in loud voices. They just so happened to bring up Young Noble Zhao of Chang’an, how he had high-handedly taken a new wife.”
“The moment Mu Rongshi heard their words, she felt like the world crashed around her. In that instant, it was like the sky had lost its luster and the earth had become grey and dull.”
“Suddenly, the infant woke up from its dream and started to cry loudly. The bandits were annoyed at him bothering their good time and wanted to violate their promise, breaking his neck. However, one couldn’t tell whether or not the heavens had become infuriated at their evil acts…” The old man reached out to point at the top of his head, opening his eyes wide at the same time, “Suddenly, red light erupted and the four bandits fell over neatly, dying violent deaths in an instant.”
The crowd beneath the platform was deathly silent.
“Mu Rongshi pulled her clothes on, trying to cover herself while also struggling to pick up her child. She didn’t know what in the world happened but she returned on the same day. To Wufeng Town.”
There was an uproar amongst the listeners, an uninterrupted stream of whispers and discussions: “What happened… ”
“I don’t know…”
“Mu Rongshi hugged her child as she rushed back to Wufeng Town in the middle of the night. Without any other thought, she sought out Huazhe’s boss, Madam Liu.”
“Who was this Madam Liu? Amongst the Qin-dynasty styled establishments in Wufeng Town, Huazhe was the most famous. Huazhe had its beautiful ladies, each and every one proficient in all four arts as well as being stunners, all of them. With such exquisite appearances and such talents, countless high-ranking officials were attracted over to visit from distant areas. Madam Liu was the top boss of the entire establishment. Mu Rongshi had made acquaintances with Madam Liu many years ago and now that she was left at a dead end, could only seek shelter with her.”
“When Madam Liu saw Mu Rongshi, the first thing she advised her on was to go and drown the baby wrapped in cloth on her back.”
Mu Yao’s heart leaped. She turned to look Liu Fuyi in the eye.
“Why….” Someone behind them asked.
Someone sitting at a nearby table lightly tapped their plate and spoke laughingly: “It’s not that simple. If she were still by herself, she could be considered in great demand. What kind of terrible idea is it to carry your child to your next marriage?”2 [2] I wasn’t able to fully convey the subtext within this line. In short, the person talking here was using a derogatory tone to mock Mu Rongshi.
“Mu Rongshi was unwilling to give up on her son so she could only part with Madam Liu on bad terms. However, when she returned to her home, the scoundrels and ruffians of the town all seemed to swarm over like ravenous jackals. They all eyed her like she was prey and the following days were excruciatingly difficult for Mu Rongshi. Merely having enough to eat was a problem. Young Noble Zhao had remarried someone else and she only felt great despair and disappointment towards men. She thought that rather than suffering such dreadful days, she’d rather change it all for jade and extravagance. Then, she could properly raise her child. Thus, she return to find Madam Liu and agreed to sell her body. All she asked for was a refuge.”
“Sigh….” All of those who heard the story till this point felt tears welling up in their eyes as they sighed endlessly.
“Madam Liu was extremely prudent in this matter. Firstly, with Mu Rongshi’s appearance alone, she would definitely suppress the other beauties, surpassing all of Huazhe’s ladies. Secondly, she had, in the end, still some level of relations with Mu Rongshi so she wasn’t willing to treat her unfairly.”
“Consequently, Madam Liu did not write down Mu Rongshi’s name down on her jade plaque. At the same time, she didn’t give her a stage name but gave her one of the most luxurious rooms warmed rooms in the entire building. Extravagant meals and accessories were given to her and it was Mu Rongshi who chose her own name. In order to clearly draw a boundary, she called herself ‘Madam Rong’.”
Mu Yao, upon listening to this point, suddenly scrunched up her brows: “Madam Rong?”
Liu Fuyi asked in bafflement: “What’s wrong?”
“Madam Rong, Madam Rong….”3 [3] In english, they look the same and in chinese the two names sound the same too but the two characters are different. I’m… actually not sure who the other Madam Rong is… maybe she hasn’t been introduced yet? She silently recited the names in her mouth then shook her head. She sunk into deep thought, “It’s nothing…”
“When Madam Rong accepted customers, she only accepted the most noble aristocrats. They had to have an appearance up to par before even having the opportunity to sleep with her. Madam Liu felt like by doing so, she was protecting Madam Rong. Even if she had fallen to prostitution, Madam Rong was still considered a popular and beloved lady.”
“There was only one problem with this all, and that was Madam Rong’s child. Raising a child in a brothel was far from the best idea. Before the age of four, he could still stay by his mother in the day and when Madam Rong was serving customers, she could ask her fellow sisters for help to take care of him. However, four and beyond meant that he couldn’t stay in Huazhe all day. Madam Rong could only give him some money and exhort him to stop wandering the streets and return only after the sun set. Only after midnight would he silently enter through the back door and slip into his little room to sleep, not daring to alarm any of the customers.”
“Madam Rong was in ‘Huazhe’ for seven years. All who saw her appearance could not help but discuss it excitedly. It was a pity how her absolutely stunning appearance was hidden under a thick layer of gaudy makeup, unable to show the world her true face.”
“In those seven years, Madam Rong’s appearance seemed to never change, as if time had no effect on her. At the same time, she was never truly affected by the dust of prostitution, and exuded the same aura as before. Her reputation amongst the bigwigs of society grew more and more resounding. But then that year, it was said that even His Highness, the Emperor Emeritus was stunned and shocked when he, hiding his true identity, saw Madam Rong’s true face.”
“Hiss….” The people below the platform hissed in unison as they sucked in a breath of cold air.
“When His Highness laid his eyes upon Madam Rong, he found her extremely to his tastes. That night, he stayed in Huazhe and they rocked the bed till the night passed—-”
He paused for a moment here, everyone aroused their thoughts, “For some reason no one understands, on that very night Madam Rong’s seven-year-old son suddenly decided to violate his mother’s countless warning, running back to Huazhe in a panic. When he charged into the room and saw his mother and another man on the bed joined together…”
“His Highness was suddenly disturbed and flustered so he picked up a tea cup and him. The young child might’ve been scared to the point of immobility, kneeling on the ground and unwilling to leave. At the same time, he accidentally flipped over a plate, alarming Madam Liu.”
“His Highness originally traveled here to look for joy in this Qin-style building in the form of nighttime music and song. At first, it was a case of both parties being willing and in front of the true Son Of Heaven, who dared to do anything but smile ingratiatingly and cater to him? However, this little brat stared at him with eyes full of pure hostility. It was almost as if he was stealing a woman… like he was bullying someone’s mother. He could not help but feel revolted in his heart and his bursting anger rose up like a bolt of thunder. He thus stormed off in a huff. Madam Liu could only bitterly implore and plead before Huazhe was saved from an untimely disaster. In the end, they could only follow His Highness’ orders and kick out Madam Rong from ‘Huazhe’, returning her freedom.”
“However, ‘Huazhe’ was Madam Rong’s refuge. This excuse to her was a calamity instead. She kneeled in front of the gates for three days and three nights with her child but Madam Liu did not take her back in.”
“Sigh…” The room was immediately filled with the cacophony of sighs.
“Therefore, Mu Rongshi could only bring her child and leave Wufeng Town. No one knew where she went, they only heard that someone saw her once in Chang’an. No one knows whether or not she met anymore evil-hearted people in the future.”
“Madam Rong was just like the morning mist around Wufeng Town, disappearing as soon as the sun rose. It was just like she had never even appeared there before.”
Miaomiao pulled up the quilt to her neck, burying herself into the covers like a silkworm. Then, she started to roll around on the bed until she reached the edge.
Night quickly fell, wrapping around her like her blanket. The inside of the canopy quickly darkened. He lit a candle from outside of it.
She had heard that after men finished, they, for the most part, would have no interest in being warm or caring towards the woman any more. So, she took advantage of the time he got up to light a candle to close her eyes and try to sleep peacefully.
When Mu Sheng returned however, he snaked his hand into the bed covers and grabbed onto her ankle. Then, he started to slowly pull her out.
“What do you want…” She was flustered as she turned around.
His clothes were draped across his back while the light seemed to gather on his lashes. He lowered his head to lightly kiss her exposed calf. The soft light barely drew out the outline of his hair, and he was just so beautiful that he seemed like he could’ve walked out from a famous painting.
Ling Miaomiao’s face was flushed as she tried to pull her leg out of his grasp. She wanted to quickly shatter this bizarrely pious sense of beauty but without warning, he kissed her on the back of her calf.
It felt like a pillar of electricity abruptly shot through her in that moment, rushing up from the back of her leg. She couldn’t help but moan in a low voice. He struggled to control himself as he patiently lowered his body to press down on hers, cupping her face with both hands.
Ling Miaomiao was extremely quick in moving to block his lips with a mournful expression on her face: He kissed the back of her calf first, and now her face… what was this order of operations!?
“Go to sleep, no more tossing and turning.” She looked at him while blinking.
She… suddenly realized that the aura he was giving off had completely changed at some point in time.
His brows seemed to shimmer under the candlelight, his lips were bright red. His eyes were akin to a pool of dark water with a hint of silver peeking through, glimmering brightly amidst the darkness. They were exceptionally charming to look at, causing people to feel an irresistible desire to approach and get closer to him.
This truly was… truly was… the legendary face of springtime?4 [4] This is a rather complex reference to A Dream Of Red Mansions. It comes from a line describing Han Xifeng, who is a beautiful woman, is a beautiful, witty and capable lady in charge of the household but… sometimes she can be extraordinarily vicious and callous. The simple definition is that this line is just describing someone who changes faces or personalities quickly.
The moment this fantastical feeling struck her, it caused her to become dazed. Just now, who was it that was being told to sleep?
She leaned back, her painful body pulling her back into reality. She pushed him down with one hand, pulled aside the covers and then covered him with them. Then, she assumed a harsh tone: “Go to sleep.”
The youth blinked, then innocently looked at her from the ground, his side profile extremely beautiful to behold.
She felt her heart thump, suddenly recalling the storytelling old man’s description of Mu Rongshi.
“She was, for the most part, completely clueless in the ways of the world. He also had to be taught slowly, step by step. It felt like giving someone a piece of art, one of a beautiful human, yet unfinished. It was just like being the one to ignite the light in their eyes.”
“Mu Rongshi lived a period of sweetness and fulfillment, becoming astonishingly beautiful.”
She turned around, studying Mu Sheng’s shadow-covered face with careful scrutiny. As she expected, his eyebrows, nose, lips and even the expression in his eyes reminded her of an unpolished gem being slowly grinded to perfection. The more that was exposed, the more undiscovered lands there were to traverse.
Miaomiao felt her heart leap in her ribcage once again. A sudden wave of sadness seemed to rush through her at that moment. Then, she slowly curled herself into his arms before wrapping her arms around him.
[1] Should be a reference to the fairy tale: Princess and the Pea. The princess has a super sensitive waist that can sense a single pea through the padding of several mattresses.
[2] So I wasn’t able to fully convey the subtext within this line. In short, the person talking here was using a derogatory tone to mock Mu Rongshi.
[3] In english, they look the same and in chinese the two names sound the same too but the two characters are different. I’m… actually not sure who the other Madam Rong is… maybe she hasn’t been introduced yet?
[4] This is a rather complex reference to A Dream Of Red Mansions. It comes from a line describing Han Xifeng, who is a beautiful woman, is a beautiful, witty and capable lady in charge of the household but… sometimes she can be extraordinarily vicious and callous. The simple definition is that this line is just describing someone who changes faces or personalities quickly.
TLN: Hooo, this is a spicy chapter lolol. That’s all I’m going to say. I’m pretty sure I messed up the line referring to Han Xifeng… Another chapter coming next week for sure! Finally got more time now… but also so much more to do sigh. Hope y’all are having a fantastic summer so far~
It was great!!! I can’t wait!
Thanks for the chapter!!!!
Goodness, his mom’s backstory is so painful, as is his. This black lotus deserves all the love MiaoMiao can possibly give him ❤️