Chapter 29 “This Way, You’ll Never Leave…”

Si Jin’s words, which she believed to be highly inspiring, resulted in more frequent visits from the Estate Physician and even more Medicinal Concoctions than before.

The phrase “bitter beyond endurance” had become literal.

Si Jin felt she was being marinated in those bitter medicinal brews.

Only the man who always clung to her neck remained as greedily blatant as ever in his sniffing: “I don’t smell bitterness—it’s fragrant.”

Si Jin’s face nearly steamed with embarrassment. No matter how she pushed, she couldn’t free herself, her body so tense that her lower back began to ache. “Stop clinging to me. I… I need to bathe.”

“I’ll join you.”

“No, I don’t want to bathe with you.”

“We did yesterday.”

“That’s why I don’t want to today.”

The breathing at her neck softened slightly, as if sulking in dissatisfaction.

Si Jin remained unmoved, straightening her spine with determination to stand her ground.

After a moment, Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes slightly and withdrew from her side with a darkened expression, seemingly in a poor mood for not getting his way.

But soon, he spoke again: “Then you go first. Don’t take too long. I’ll go check how your medicine for tonight is brewing.”

Si Jin’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Are you bringing this up to annoy me just because you didn’t get your way?”

“How could that be?” Xiao Rong tilted his head, effortlessly found her lips, and gave them a light kiss, as if demonstrating through action that he couldn’t possibly be displeased.

“Don’t be upset. I bought candied fruit from a new shop. Try it later and see if you like it.”

The candied fruit did little to lift Si Jin’s spirits. She sighed softly. “When will this medicine ever end?”

Xiao Rong gazed at her deeply but didn’t respond to that, instead saying, “I’ve prepared another gift.”

“For me?” Si Jin’s attention was immediately captured.

Xiao Rong nodded.

Si Jin: “Why are you suddenly giving me a gift?”

“Then why did you suddenly buy me flowers that day?”

Si Jin’s peripheral glance caught an empty spot on the windowsill.

The basket of camellias she had bought earlier had long withered. After leaving them for a few more days, they were finally removed, along with the vase that had been taken away from its original place.

Si Jin opened her mouth but couldn’t think of a reason, so she cheerfully asked instead, “What gift did you prepare for me?”

“You’ll see after you take your medicine.”

“Is it some trinket to coax a child into being happy?” Just to make her take her medicine obediently.

But when had she ever been disobedient? Though she complained, she always drank it all in one go, never refusing.

Xiao Rong raised an eyebrow. “Do you prefer luxurious, extravagant things?”

Si Jin shook her head repeatedly. “I was just saying that offhand. I’m really happy you’re giving me a gift. I’ll like anything.”

Xiao Rong’s eyes flickered, the expression in them gradually darkening, swirling intensely.

He leaned in closer again. “Are you the one coaxing me now?”

“How could that be?” Si Jin paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something. Mimicking what Xiao Rong had just done, she tilted her head and gave a light kiss on his cheek.

The man’s stern face instantly softened. His pupils contracted briefly, and the corners of his lips unconsciously curved upward.

Indeed, if she wanted to make him happy, it was just as effortless.

Si Jin: “I mean it. Though I don’t know what it is yet, I believe whatever you give me will be something I like.”

Xiao Rong gently stroked her cheek, his gaze deepening. “Is that so? Then I’m quite looking forward to it.”

He didn’t often give Si Jin gifts, or rather, he wouldn’t mention giving her presents like he did now. He had bought her many things—food, clothing, daily necessities, jewelry, and entertainment—but he never considered those as gifts for her. So this was the first time.

Si Jin felt she should be the more expectant one. The gloom of having to drink bitter medicine had mostly dissipated. Pushing away the man who kept trying to draw closer, she curved her eyes and said, “Then I’ll go bathe first.”

When Si Jin returned to her room, Xiao Rong was nowhere to be seen. She searched the entire room, even peeking behind the screen door into the small chamber that had long been unused. Unable to find him, she summoned Lan Xin to inquire.

Lan Xin reported, “Madam, the master has gone to Songlan Courtyard to bathe.”

“Why Songlan Courtyard?”

“Because you are at Qiu Shui Courtyard, so…”

Noticing Lan Xin’s flushed cheeks, Si Jin understood the implication. So while she bathed in Qiu Shui Courtyard, Xiao Rong wasn’t allowed to join her, forcing him to go all the way to Songlan Courtyard. But why couldn’t he wait until after she finished bathing? What was the hurry?

“Madam, your medicine is ready. The master has already instructed me to serve you the dose.” Si Jin caught the scent of medicine and saw Qiu Ya approaching with a tray bearing both the medicinal concoction and candied fruit.

This struck Si Jin as even stranger. She still couldn’t comprehend why Xiao Rong was in such a rush that he had to bathe immediately.

After a moment of silence, she said nothing more. Reaching for the medicine bowl, she threw her head back and drank it down in large gulps as usual. The bitter taste assaulted her taste buds, scalding her throat and leaving her whole body uncomfortable.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. She swallowed heavily, nearly choking on the bitterness. Qiu Ya promptly offered the candied fruit. After eating one piece, Si Jin felt slightly better, her face flushed—whether from choking or something else.

Just then, footsteps sounded at the door. Si Jin’s small face scrunched up as she turned to see Xiao Rong returning. With a wave of his hand, all the servants withdrew from the room.

Pursing her lips, Si Jin remained silent, her round eyes fixed on him.

“I thought my timing would be perfect, but you’ve already finished your medicine.” He was referring to her drinking the medicine alone.

With the candied fruit still in her mouth, Si Jin’s words were slightly muffled. “Don’t make it sound like drinking medicine is so difficult I can’t manage it alone.”

“Not at all. It’s just that watching you drink it puts my mind at ease.”

Si Jin tilted her head. “Do you think this medicine is very effective? But I’ve been drinking it for so long and haven’t remembered anything.”

“This blood-activating and stasis-resolving medicine isn’t some miracle cure for memory. The gradual healing of your head injury shows it’s working. As for not recovering your memories…” Xiao Rong paused, the light in his eyes dimming.

Si Jin knew this reasoning well—she had heard it multiple times during this period—but she quietly waited for him to continue. Instead, Xiao Rong changed the subject and walked to the bed. Sitting on the edge, he crooked his finger at her. “Come here.”

Obediently, Si Jin moved toward him.

Before she could fully reach the bedside, her wrist was seized, the forceful pull causing her to stumble and nearly fall forward.

But Xiao Rong caught her steadily, his arm encircling her, his large palm resting against the small of her back, sending a wave of warmth coursing up her entire spine.

Once steady, Si Jin lifted her head from his embrace.

Her eyes held the glimmer of candlelight from the room, sparkling and luminous.

Xiao Rong’s breath hitched, his Adam’s apple bobbing under her gaze as he retrieved an object he had kept tucked in his sleeve.

“My gift?” Si Jin’s eyes brightened further as she reached out to take it.

It was a carved wooden box, substantial in weight, making it hard to guess what lay inside.

“Open it.”

After only a brief glance, Si Jin eagerly fumbled with the box’s clasp.

A soft click, and the box opened, a flash of gold dazzling her eyes.

Si Jin’s eyes widened in surprise—inside was a gold bracelet.

“Why is it…”

She murmured unconsciously, the golden light reflected in her eyes making the box feel heavier in her hands.

Xiao Rong’s earlier tone had genuinely led her to believe he might have prepared some small trinket to cheer her up, yet before her lay this luxurious and extravagant gold bracelet.

Si Jin couldn’t help but look up: “Is it my birthday today?”

“No.”

“Then is it yours…”

Of course not.

Why, on such an ordinary day, would he give her such a gift?

“Do you like it?”

“Of course.” Si Jin blinked, then looked back at the gold bracelet in the box.

Smooth, radiant, rounded, and elegant.

The charm of gold likely lies in its ability to captivate without needing intricate designs.

But soon, Si Jin noticed something unusual about this gold bracelet.

Just as she tilted her head to examine it, Xiao Rong reached out and took the bracelet from the box.

“It wasn’t a whim. I’ve wanted to give you a gift like this for a long time, but I never did.”

Si Jin’s attention remained on the bracelet, but she detected something odd in Xiao Rong’s words.

What did he mean by “wanted to give but never did”?

As she pondered, Xiao Rong had already taken the bracelet and held it before her eyes.

Only then did Si Jin see clearly: “The size seems off. Isn’t it too big? I might…”

As she spoke, she gestured with her hand.

Before she could finish, her ankle suddenly grew warm, a startled cry escaping her as she was pulled off-balance, tumbling out of Xiao Rong’s embrace and falling onto the bed.

The supine position lifted her legs, and a cool touch brushed against her captured ankle.

Si Jin’s gaze froze, and she looked down to see what had touched her—it was the gold bracelet.

“Not for your wrist.” With a crisp click, Si Jin watched as Xiao Rong opened the clasp of the bracelet with one hand.

The opened bracelet was gently fastened around her ankle, the cool metal encircling her skin completely.

If it weren’t a gleaming, pure gold circle, the act of clasping it would have felt more like a shackle.

Another snap.

The clasp closed against her ankle with a crisp sound, fitting perfectly.

Before her eyes was still the gleaming gold bracelet, but the sound only reinforced the impression of a lock snapping shut.

“Wear it here.” Xiao Rong’s voice was slow, his gaze fixed intently on the pale ankle encircled by the bracelet.

His lowered, thick lashes concealed the obsession in his eyes.

As if admiring a beautiful work of art, yet also as if some greedy inner desire was being satisfied in a way unnoticed by others.

Xiao Rong’s grip unconsciously tightened slightly, encircling and securing her along with that gold bracelet.

He repeatedly swallowed down the rising thirst in his throat, causing his prominent Adam’s apple to bob several times.

Si Jin felt surprised inwardly, her gaze frozen in astonishment.

The gold bracelet fit her ankle perfectly, even smaller than ordinary accessories by one size, almost pressing against her skin. Except for the clasp, it couldn’t be directly removed from her limb.

Naturally, she couldn’t understand why Xiao Rong would want to give her something worn on the foot… an ankle bracelet?

Besides newborn children wearing such things for blessings and decoration, only prisoners in jail had their feet shackled to restrict movement and prevent escape.

Even though it was made of precious, gleaming gold, Si Jin couldn’t help feeling somewhat resistant.

She slightly moved her ankle, wanting to withdraw her leg from Xiao Rong’s palm.

Xiao Rong’s large hand shifted, sliding from her ankle down to her entire jade-like foot.

Enveloping it with one hand, he held tight without loosening his grip.

He looked up, unable to conceal the abnormal excitement in his eyes, his voice even growing hoarse: “So beautiful.”

Si Jin’s heart gave a heavy thump. The bright candlelight illuminated Xiao Rong’s expression with exceptional clarity.

He smiled.

Yet it held none of the radiant brightness that could put one at ease, instead making it impossible to relax.

His beautiful thin lips curved upward in a pleased arc.

The moving tongue behind his lips seemed ready to devour something whole.

The sensation of the bracelet around her ankle had gradually warmed to Si Jin’s body temperature, as if trying to conceal its presence, no longer cold.

But she already felt strange sensations spreading throughout her body – how could she see any beauty in it now?

“I feel like this might not be appropriate.”

“Don’t like it?”

Si Jin bit her lip, unable to say whether she liked it or not. After all, it was a gift Xiao Rong had prepared for her – saying directly would seem hurtful.

“Not exactly, it’s just… let’s take it off for now.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Xiao Rong’s smile deepened, but his gaze darkened frighteningly: “It can’t be removed anymore.”

“W-what?”

Si Jin widened her eyes, struggling with her right leg as she tried to lean closer to examine it.

But Xiao Rong wouldn’t let go.

His grip didn’t cause her pain, but created an overwhelming sense of confinement that she couldn’t break free from no matter what.

Panicked, Si Jin lost control of her strength, struggling desperately yet still unable to break free.

Her right leg kicked out, landing squarely on Xiao Rong’s lower abdomen.

A muffled groan made Si Jin hold her breath.

Frozen in place, she had no time to process anything else, worried she might have injured him.

But Xiao Rong hung his head, looking downward, emitting sounds of both pain and pleasure: “Is this your return gift?”

Si Jin stared at him in disbelief, belatedly becoming acutely aware of the sensation under her foot.

When had he become like this?

Feeling both embarrassed and angry, and even more unsettled, Si Jin no longer cared about hurting his feelings, her voice trembling slightly: “I don’t like this, please take it off?”

“But I like it so much.” Xiao Rong gripped her foot, moving it along with him.

“This excites me so much.”

His excitement became tangible, every inch eagerly proving itself to her.

Xiao Rong’s other hand slid up her smooth calf until he held her firmly, making retreat impossible.

The thin nightgown offered no complicated barriers.

Only needing a gentle lift.

Si Jin’s breathing intensified, her entire body suddenly tensing.

Xiao Rong wielded a sword, and also held a brush.

His broad palms bore thin calluses on each finger, left by the passage of time.

His fingers were slender, with prominent knuckles.

Si Jin was no stranger to their dexterity, though she never knew the reason behind it.

But today felt different.

Her pupils constricted, breath catching.

Uncontrollable trembling seemed to press him down harder.

Xiao Rong responded by curling his fingers, his rough, uneven breaths punctuated by a low chuckle.

“So soon, and you still deny liking it?”

Si Jin lay limp on the bed, her gaze briefly unfocused.

Her back seemed damp with fine sweat, yet the moisture did not originate there.

Xiao Rong’s hair brushed past her knees, tickling the exposed skin where her nightgown had ridden up.

His hot breath near her lips felt scorching, as if threatening to melt her.

“Or is it because… you like me?”

Si Jin, who thought her senses nearly numb, could still perceive everything the moment his words fell.

Her senses weren’t numb—they were heightened.

A fleeting thought, then another turbulent surge.

It was as if he had convinced himself through his own words, drawing satisfaction from the possibility they implied.

Si Jin instantly clutched the bedsheets beside her, knuckles whitening from the force, unable to suppress the sounds escaping her throat—whether breaths or soft moans.

Her body felt broken, tormented by agonizing contradictions.

She wanted to pull away, yet didn’t want it to stop.

Or perhaps she no longer knew what she wanted.

Only instinct remained, her ability to think utterly lost.

Si Jin still tried to escape.

After stepping on Xiao Rong, seizing the moment he was dazed, she abruptly drew up her legs and twisted away from his grasp.

Her vision blurred—a dark, spreading stain made her instantly avert her eyes, too ashamed to look longer.

A series of chaotic, crisp sounds followed, impossible to identify at first.

The next moment, Xiao Rong caught her again, his grip tight around her ankle—or perhaps she had never truly escaped.

She heard his low, magnetic voice slowly utter, “Xiao Jin, I’ve caught you.”

Her right foot, adorned with the gold ring, returned to Xiao Rong’s palm, the already snug ring pressed firmly by his fingertips.

After another sound, before Si Jin could instinctively struggle, he released her right foot again.

She froze, the glimmer of tears in her eyes blurring Xiao Rong’s expression.

Her body remained soft, the lingering sensations not yet faded.

Only a shrinking instinct made her draw back her legs once more.

Clang—

As if seized by an invisible force, her leg was yanked back into place.

Si Jin stared in shock.

The foot wearing the gold ring was now connected to a slender gold chain.

The other end of the chain was fixed to the wall beside the bed, pulled taut by her struggles, stretched to its limit—restraining her from moving any farther.

This was…

Trembling with fear, tears welled up instantly in Si Jin’s eyes.

Xiao Rong’s face reappeared before her, drawing near once more.

Marked by obvious desire, his gaze dark, the corners of his lips slightly upturned.

As if blind to her panic, he grasped her ankle again with burning fingers.

The gold chain clinked with every shift of her leg.

Clear and sharp, each sound resonating in her ears.

Each one telling her:

There was no escape.

This time, two fingers.

Then, three.

“No… no more… it’s too much…”

Si Jin had lost all capacity for thought, unaware of what she was even saying.

She was about to crest again.

About to reach the peak. A sob escaped her throat when Xiao Rong suddenly released her.

In that moment of respite, like surviving a catastrophe, her expression unconsciously revealed bewilderment.

Xiao Rong spoke then, his expression extremely dark, his voice hoarse and strained.

“I want to taste you, Xiao Jin.”

“Feed me.”

Si Jin gasped sharply, her body trembling instinctively, unsure whether from fear or anticipation.

Xiao Rong knelt on the bed, breaking all contact with her.

But the gold chain remained fastened to the ring, pulling at her leg, restricting her movement, preventing her from going anywhere.

Xiao Rong straightened up, looking down at her from above: “Open yourself to me.”

Si Jin closed her eyes in utter shame, yet her body seemed to move beyond her control.

Tasting, swallowing, his tongue sweeping everything away.

The humid heat, his breath, every slight movement made her head spin.

Xiao Rong’s voice mingled with saliva, indistinct: “Do you like it now?”

Si Jin’s lips parted slightly, but she couldn’t form a single word in response.

Her hands clutching the bedding alternately loosened and tightened, already having crumpled it into complete disarray.

Her throat felt so dry and thirsty, as if hearing those trickling sounds had instinctively made her crave sweet spring water to quench her thirst.

It was coming again.

But Xiao Rong suddenly stopped once more.

Si Jin cried out, uncertain whether from discomfort or frustration.

Yet Xiao Rong’s voice soon followed: “Don’t cry, I want us to come together.”

Her ankle was grasped, the gold chain rattling.

The presence of the gold chain was too overwhelming, remaining distinctly felt even in this mind-numbing state.

And precisely because of this unprecedented gold chain, everything happening now felt even more unbearably intense.

Guided by Xiao Rong, Si Jin stepped onto him as if stepping on solid ground, fitting tightly together.

Fingers, lips and tongue.

Everything about him distracted her, yet he still demanded: “Xiao Jin, hold me tighter.”

Coming together like this lasted barely a blink.

Si Jin’s mind went blank, her ears ringing.

Yet the man’s deep, magnetic voice forcibly pierced through.

“So much, it seems you really enjoy this.”

Si Jin no longer understood the meaning of “enjoy,” her pupils unfocused, her entire body limp.

But the moment to catch her breath was fleeting.

She was pulled up again.

What was once closed had long been completely opened, meeting no resistance, even eagerly.

Easily accommodating Xiao Rong entirely.

Xiao Rong’s water-wrinkled fingers moved beneath her cheek, gripping her neck, tightening at the base of his thumb.

He let out a satisfied groan from his throat, leaning close to her ear to tell her: “I’ve drunk it all.”

Hearing this, emotions flooded Si Jin’s mind—whether shame or anger, she couldn’t tell—and she swung her hand to slap him.

Intending to push him away, yet her palm struck his face with a sharp smack.

It should have carried no real force, couldn’t possibly cause any pain.

But Xiao Rong’s lower body trembled violently several times.

His body temperature suddenly spiked, his breathing growing increasingly heavy.

Xiao Rong panted softly: “Almost came.”

He remained still for a long moment before recovering.

As if punishing her, he bit her earlobe, then switched to a sticky, greedy lick with his tongue.

“Almost couldn’t satisfy you, Xiao Jin is so impressive today.”

His seemingly praising words even carried a hint of grievance.

Yet his grievances were not at all reflected in his actions.

Beads of sweat dripped down, quickly disappearing amidst the other damp stains on the bed.

His body nearly lifted into the air, only to be yanked back into place by the gold chain.

“Shall we keep you bound like this from now on?”

“Bound forever, never to be removed again.”

Si Jin could not respond, or perhaps he hadn’t even heard his words.

Xiao Rong leaned down to kiss her, capturing her lips as his emotions surged even more intensely.

“This way, you can never leave me.”