Chapter 54: They Still Have to…

The road they traveled that day was unsurprisingly sparse of human traces.

Whether it was truly such a coincidence or someone had deliberately arranged it remained unclear.

But Xiao Rong’s wish had not been fulfilled.

The carriage swayed as Si Jin nestled in Xiao Rong’s embrace, holding a hot water bottle.

Xiao Rong kept his lips pressed tightly together, remaining silent for a long stretch of the journey, his expression appearing gloomy due to his unmet objective.

But Si Jin knew what he was thinking.

She lifted her head slightly from his chest, noticing his tense jawline, and spoke softly: “Really, there’s no need. We’ve just set out and haven’t even traveled a few miles before stopping again. At this rate, who knows when we’ll ever reach Xiqiu.”

“Xiqiu isn’t as important as you.”

Si Jin was momentarily stunned, then chuckled at his expressionless delivery of such sentimental words.

Though Xiao Rong probably didn’t think he was being sentimental – his expression remained completely serious, his arms unusually stiff, as if uncertain whether to hold her tighter or relax to make her more comfortable.

Si Jin felt both helpless and amused: “It’s not like this is the first time. Why are you acting like an inexperienced youth? You never behaved this way at home before.”

Though teasing, her voice clearly carried a weak tone.

Hearing this, Xiao Rong’s face darkened further: “That was at home.”

Si Jin’s menstrual cycles had always been regular and relatively manageable, though she inevitably experienced abdominal pain, back soreness, and lethargy.

Previously in the capital, Si Jin mostly stayed within the Mansion. When unwell, she would rest in bed; when in low spirits, she would vent freely. With clothes handed to her and meals served, Xiao Rong always attended to her meticulously.

But now was different.

Traveling on the road naturally presented numerous inconveniences.

Earlier, just as they were about to engage in intimate relations, Si Jin discovered her period had arrived.

The intimate moment ceased, yet Xiao Rong showed no annoyance, instead quickly caring for her as usual.

He arranged soft cushions, prepared the hot water bottle, and offered his sturdy frame as a backrest.

But the carriage continued rocking and jolting incessantly.

Si Jin felt quite uncomfortable but endured in silence.

Until Xiao Rong, thinking Si Jin had fallen asleep in his arms, looked down and saw her pale face with lips completely drained of color.

Thus the situation had developed into its current state.

They had only been traveling for about an hour today when Xiao Rong decided to direct the carriage toward the nearest post station for rest.

Who stops to rest so early in the morning?

“I’m really fine. I’ll be okay resting against you. You know I never make a fuss about these things. Don’t make such a big deal out of it.”

After speaking, Si Jin gently nuzzled against his chest, as if seeking a comfortable position or displaying a hint of coquettishness.

Xiao Rong’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he looked down, his hand reaching to stroke her soft lips.

Si Jin’s lips had gradually regained some color, though they appeared slightly swollen from his initially overeager kisses earlier.

Yet she still seemed listless overall, her breathing faint.

Xiao Rong pressed his thumb firmly against her lips, the pressure carrying no sensual intent but rather his clumsy form of tenderness.

Si Jin blinked, her upward gaze fully taking in Xiao Rong’s face, though he stared at her lips without meeting her eyes.

His expression seemed to say “This is no small matter.”

If Xiao Rong had actually spoken, he might have added with complete seriousness: “Everything concerning you is important.”

Always unwittingly saccharine.

Si Jin unconsciously parted her rosy lips, only to realize Xiao Rong was withdrawing his fingers as calmly as still water.

Her tongue darted out, winding around his fingertip.

Xiao Rong’s pupils abruptly constricted, and he instantly gripped her chin.

Si Jin let out a soft murmur, making him frown and release her.

Si Jin felt she was beginning to understand the pleasure of being clingy.

Freed from the grip on her chin, her tongue licked out again.

Her lips enveloped a segment of his finger, producing a soft, smacking sound.

Xiao Rong suddenly gasped heavily, pinching her cheek again, his voice already hoarse: “You’re doing this on purpose.”

Si Jin blinked again, loosening her lips slightly, her words slurred as her tongue occasionally pressed against his finger: “I just wanted to ease your worries, to show you I’m fine.”

Xiao Rong narrowed his eyes dangerously, his breath silent but his chest rising and falling rapidly.

“If you keep licking, I won’t be fine.”

Si Jin held his finger in her mouth and lowered her gaze for a moment.

He was already affected.

Seizing the moment of his frustration, Xiao Rong pulled his finger back and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her into his embrace.

His breathing was still unsteady, his heartbeat rapid, yet he only murmured in a low voice: “Stop moving around. Just lean against me and rest for a while.”

Si Jin kept her body still, but her fingers mischievously crept slowly from his waist and abdomen.

Bit by bit, following the lines of his muscles, caressing and poking, as if heading downward.

With a smack—

Her hand was enveloped by his large palm, both arms pinned against her chest.

Now she truly couldn’t move.

Si Jin resembled a tied-up doll, but a smile lingered at the corners of her lips. Buried against Xiao Rong’s chest, she chuckled quietly for a while before finally settling down.

That day, although they didn’t stop at a post station after just a few miles, they also didn’t reach the next city as originally planned.

Shortly after noon, they arrived at a tranquil waterside town.

Si Jin rested in the guest room for several hours, and her physical discomfort had completely subsided.

However, she lazed around a bit longer, inadvertently falling asleep. When she opened her eyes, the room was pitch dark.

The air was still, and no one was beside her.

Si Jin instinctively reached out to feel the space next to her—whether it was warmed by a hot water bottle or by Xiao Rong, who might have just gotten up briefly.

She quickly rose, slipped on her embroidered shoes without even throwing on an outer garment, and headed toward the door.

Just as she opened the door, the faint sound of water she thought she’d heard ceased, and a dark figure moved in the small courtyard ahead.

Then Xiao Rong strode over: “Why are you out here?”

“What were you doing?”

Without waiting for a response, Si Jin glanced in the direction he had come from.

Unlike Qiu Shui Courtyard, this courtyard was small, so she immediately spotted what was placed in the garden.

Si Jin: “…”

Why was he… washing her drawers in the middle of the night again.

And it seemed her maiden’s undergarment was there too.

“I didn’t do anything.”

Xiao Rong frowned.

Si Jin averted her gaze and looked down.

Xiao Rong cupped her chin, lifting her head to prevent her from looking.

“Really, I didn’t. I couldn’t sleep, so I took the chance to wash them clean, so it’d be easier to take them tomorrow.”

If they weren’t dry by tomorrow, damp clothes would hardly be easy to carry.

But it was quite possible that Xiao Rong truly couldn’t sleep.

Si Jin didn’t press further, reaching out to hook her fingers with his—hurriedly dried but still cold.

Instinctively, he enclosed her hand in his, but then frowned and looked down.

Afraid of chilling her, yet reluctant to let go.

Si Jin smiled and led him toward the stone table in the courtyard. “My hands are warm. You’ll feel better in a moment.”

Having just woken from sleep, her hand was indeed warm and toasty. Pressed against Xiao Rong’s cool skin, it sent a tingling sensation straight to the heart.

Unusually, Xiao Rong wasn’t staring directly at her but was instead looking up at the moon tonight.

She remembered there was another time when they had sat like this in the courtyard.

Xiao Rong had been washing her drawers when she caught him, and she had pretended she couldn’t sleep to test him, hoping to find a chance to escape.

That night was moonless, and in the end, they hadn’t been able to properly share the night together.

It felt like it had happened just yesterday, stirring an inexplicable worry in her now, afraid that the past would repeat itself.

But of course, that was impossible.

“What are you thinking about?” Si Jin asked him.

“I don’t know.”

Si Jin was taken aback by the vague answer.

Clearly, he was preoccupied with something. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to tell her—he genuinely didn’t know.

Xiao Rong’s fingers scratched lightly in Si Jin’s palm, as if unconsciously.

“I still feel uneasy, but somehow… I really like this feeling of unease.”

Xiao Rong had always believed his emotions were barren—no one loved him, and he didn’t know how to love anyone.

After grasping this thread of emotion for Si Jin, he had charged forward recklessly, without direction.

At first, he didn’t even know what it was. He only knew to watch her, follow her, get close to her.

A young man’s affections spread silently, at a speed he couldn’t control and didn’t even realize.

Only when his entire chest felt full did he realize that what had long been an emotional void was now overflowing.

Whether she was there or not.

Whether she despised him or liked him.

Those emotions only grew, until they became too much to contain. He wanted to pour them out to her, yet feared drowning her.

That was why he felt uneasy.

But even this unease that came with being with her—he couldn’t bear to let go of even a shred of it.

Si Jin watched him quietly, feeling as though she had once again read his thoughts through his eyes.

Thoughts so complex, so peculiar.

Thoughts that were often so different from what most ordinary people would think.

Yet why could she understand them at a glance?

She seemed acutely aware of the fondness she had developed for him.

She didn’t remember their shared past, but she clearly remembered that, at first, she hadn’t understood him.

Hadn’t understood what he was thinking, hadn’t comprehended why he acted the way he did.

It seemed that once she started liking him, she began to understand him.

But her fondness was still far from matching the depth of what he offered.

Yet even his unease now seemed to shimmer with light in his eyes.

The night grew deeper, and a tranquil atmosphere stretched endlessly across the courtyard.

Xiao Rong’s gaze eventually drifted back to Si Jin’s face, unable to resist.

As if by looking at her, that inexplicable unease could dissipate, even if just a little.

And so, his eyes grew even brighter.

Reflecting the moonlight, and reflecting his beloved.

His gaze landed a kiss before his lips ever could.

Si Jin tilted her head back slightly, her slender neck elongating, her slightly parted lips already a silent consent.

The kiss that followed was gentle, soft, as if Xiao Rong had transformed, wanting to preserve this tenderness, to make it last longer, forever.

But it was only for a moment.

The warmth of their lips, the softness of their touch, and the delicate fragrance that swiftly filled his senses drove Xiao Rong to act on instinct. He pressed his hand against the back of Si Jin’s head, tilted his face, and plunged his tongue deep inside.

Claiming her, invading her with wild possessiveness.

In the heat of their heavy breaths, they shared a fierce and deep kiss.

The moonlight illuminated this scene, with heaven and earth bearing witness.

As soon as Si Jin’s lips were released, she gasped unevenly, struggling to catch her breath.

Suddenly, Xiao Rong moved, scooping her up by the waist into a horizontal carry and striding forward.

Si Jin flustered, wrapping her arms around his neck.

“On our wedding day, I carried you just like this into our bridal chamber.”

Since Si Jin didn’t remember, he recounted it earnestly.

“But back then, I had to pretend to be restrained and proper, and you had to feign shyness and nervousness.”

“None of it was real.”

With a loud thud, Xiao Rong kicked the door open and carried Si Jin into the room.

The moonlight was left behind them, and the door sealed off the space.

Si Jin tightened her arms, lifting herself higher in his embrace.

Drawing close to him, she whispered, “It’s a good thing that from now on, everything will be real.”

Through the long journey of life, they would recall their past and continue forging their future.

They would be together for a very, very long time.