Chapter 29: Blame You

“You don’t even have the strength to bite.”

Li Youqing flushed with shame and indignation. She was about to push his arm away and return to her own bed.

But a large hand had already slipped inside, skillfully undoing the ties of her garment’s front lapel.

A scorching breath warmed her cheek. Compared to her slender frame, Xuan Rui’s tall stature felt like an impenetrable wall.

Realizing his intention to approach from behind, Li Youqing said nothing. Avoiding face-to-face contact spared her the awkwardness from what had just happened.

Yet when his body pressed against hers, she stiffened, unsure how to respond.

The Ancestral Temple was still lit—who knew if hidden eyes were watching from the shadows? How dare he—

The man’s rough thumb gently pinched her earlobe as he whispered, “May I borrow your earring? I’ll buy you the finest pair another day.”

Overwhelmed by his commanding presence, Li Youqing nodded blankly.

Her ear felt lighter as he removed the pearl drop.

Somehow, in an instant, all the candles in the Ancestral Temple were extinguished, plunging them into complete darkness.

And he, like a lurking beast, gradually enveloped her in the night.

~

He pried open her fingers one by one, stroking each in turn.

In the darkness, this act felt intensely intimate. Li Youqing’s heart raced as if it might leap from her throat.

She had no idea what he intended, but when his fingers brushed against her bare nail where one had broken, a low chuckle escaped his throat.

Li Youqing quickly covered his mouth, whispering, “What are you laughing at? Don’t wake them.”

Xuan Rui glanced around at the others sleeping haphazardly, their snores reverberating loudly. He moved her hand away and said, “Compared to marching and battling, having shelter from the wind and rain is a luxury. Don’t worry, they’re all fast asleep.”

Li Youqing blinked, trying to withdraw her captured hand, but he held it tighter.

“Does it hurt?” Xuan Rui’s thumb gently traced the broken nail, recalling her earlier embarrassment with amusement.

Her cheeks burned as she mumbled, “I’d grown this nail for so long. Now that one’s broken, I’ll have to trim all the others.”

Already frustrated, she couldn’t believe he remembered to tease her about it.

Xuan Rui fell silent for a long moment. Considering her response, he deduced it didn’t hurt and let the matter drop.

Watching her lie beside him—fussing over her nails one moment and her bare earlobe the next, like a restless little hamster—he wondered what exactly went through young girls’ minds.

“Still not sleeping?” he frowned, irritated by her constant stirring beside him.

Li Youqing paused, uncertain whether he meant for her to stay or was sending her back to her own bed.

Sleeping alone over there would be cold—her hot water bottle must have cooled by now.

Hesitantly, she asked, “General, why aren’t you asleep yet?”

“I was asleep, until someone woke me,” he replied offhandedly, turning to rest his head on his arm.

Clearly, she had no awareness of who’d been stirring beside him all along.

Noticing the loosened tie of her inner garment again, Xuan Rui pressed his lips together and leaned over to retie it for her.

“I didn’t mean to wake you earlier, it’s just—” Li Youqing felt indignant after being rebuked by him, tilting her head up to argue.

But she failed to notice he was simultaneously leaning down, his lips accidentally brushing against his chin.

Hard, with some stubble.

“Just what?” He seemed completely unaware as he tied the ribbon at her chest, asking casually.

Li Youqing’s defiance instantly deflated. Blushing, she muttered quietly, “I was just cold, is that not allowed?”

Xuan Rui pressed his thin lips together and pulled the quilt over her.

Coincidentally, she turned her head to the side at that moment, their lips barely grazing each other again—

Both froze momentarily, yet neither made the first move.

Xuan Rui’s grip on the quilt tightened, his head suddenly lowering.

Li Youqing’s eyes widened, her pupils flashing with struggle before being overwhelmed by an aggressive, willful intensity.

In an instant, he seemed like a different person.

The previous indifference, even annoyance toward her, completely vanished, replaced by an intense passion that made her blush and her heart race.

He hovered above her, diligently kissing the corners of her mouth, her Cupid’s bow, then using his tongue to part her lips.

“General—” The muffled protest was swallowed as warmth enveloped her, making her entire body burn.

Li Youqing couldn’t bear it, feeling her waist might break, but he quickly placed a pillow beneath her lower back, holding her as he continued kissing her deeply.

The man’s powerful hand cradled her head, fingers digging into her hair, the overwhelming pressure making her secretly alarmed.

Her lips and tongue were ravaged simultaneously, her whole world turning upside down.

“Mmph—” She could only emit kitten-like whimpers, her hands clutching his clothes, her gaze gradually becoming watery and dazed.

He remained half-suspended above her, his lips and tongue mercilessly plundering hers, like the big bad wolf from her dreams, ready to devour her.

But unlike in her dreams, she didn’t feel disgusted now. Instead, stirred by his intensity, she even actively responded slightly.

Strangely, this intimacy felt natural, as if flowing inevitably, making her willingly offer her tongue to entwine with his.

A nerve snapped in Xuan Rui’s mind. His hand slid from her head down her hair, cupping her face as he kissed her even more deeply.

In the darkness, they could hear each other swallowing and the wet sounds of their lips and tongues mingling.

Suddenly, a young man’s furious voice echoed through the Ancestral Temple: “What are you doing?!”

Li Youqing jumped, beginning to struggle violently, trying to kick him off with all her limbs.

Finally hitting something, Xuan Rui’s body stiffened abruptly. One hand gripped her calf, his forehead pressed against hers as he remained silent for a long moment.

As Li Youqing continued to struggle, his deep, ragged panting sounded by her ear, his voice so hoarse it startled her: “Stop moving.”

“But someone’s here!” Li Youqing’s voice was already tearful.

As a princess raised with orthodox upbringing, though privately rebellious, she had never given anyone cause for public criticism.

Yet now she was sleeping under the same roof with so many men, kissing a man she barely knew for no reason.

If this matter were to spread in the future, not only would it disgrace Father Emperor entirely, but even the Empress in the afterlife would curse her to death.

Yet that voice continued shouting: “Come hit me! Believe it or not, I’ll beat you to death, you wild wench!”

The man’s sleep-talking was frantic and fierce, like thunder. Li Youqing trembled and fearfully buried herself deeper into his embrace.

As long as they could return to the capital smoothly, she probably wouldn’t have to see these people again.

But she would still be here tomorrow. If someone had truly witnessed what happened earlier—

Li Youqing choked back a sob: “It’s all your fault.”

Xuan Rui didn’t respond. After calming down, he comforted her with a kiss on her forehead.

The sleep-talking soldier caused a commotion for a while before finally quieting down after being shoved by those he had awakened around him.

Xuan Rui released her calf, his lips moving downward from her forehead, kissing the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, before finally landing on her lips in gentle pecks.

Li Youqing felt her heart itching with desire. She gently grazed his lips with her teeth before delivering a punitive bite.

Xuan Rui grasped her waist with both hands, lifting her slightly as he asked: “Haven’t you eaten? You don’t even have strength to bite.”

Li Youqing stared into his profound eyes and, guided by their faint glow, climbed up to deliver another firm bite on his jaw.

Xuan Rui rubbed his chin, immediately feeling his mouth go dry again.

Li Youqing lay softly beside him, her gaze naturally revealing a hint of willfulness as she said: “I’m thirsty. I want water.”

Xuan Rui didn’t hesitate, rising to fetch water for her.

Soon he returned with a warm waterskin.

After drinking several large gulps, Li Youqing generously offered it back: “Do you want some?”

He accepted the waterskin but didn’t drink. Instead, he silently kissed her again.

The moisture that had just dampened her lips was instantly stripped away completely.

Not only that, but he seemed determined to suck all moisture from her mouth and throat, his tongue probing deeper and deeper…

Though concealed by darkness and the rising and falling snores, the mingling sounds of their breathing and the wet kisses still made her blush fiercely.

It was merely a kiss, yet she couldn’t endure it—all strength drained from her body.

Her body turned soft and pliant, supported entirely by the strength of his arms.

Finally, she tugged at his sleeve in surrender, signaling she’d had enough.

The moment Xuan Rui released his hands, Li Youqing slipped into his embrace like a fish.

Seeing her eyes slightly closed, long lashes still glistening with tears, clearly exhausted beyond measure, Xuan Rui lingered with soft kisses at the corner of her mouth before asking hoarsely: “Are you alright?”

Li Youqing’s mind was filled with their recent kiss. Suddenly she recalled how The Eldest Princess usually treated her male concubines. Unwilling to lose face in such matters, she contemplated before replying: “Quite good.”

A trace of amusement flickered in Xuan Rui’s eyes as he supported her back with one hand, feeding her more water.

Too exhausted to move, Li Youqing drank a few sips from his hand. Remembering she would soon depart, she added: “General, rest assured. This humble girl will forget everything that happened by tomorrow.”

Silence suddenly fell between them, lasting so long she nearly fell asleep curled in his embrace.

After a long while, Xuan Rui spoke through gritted teeth by her ear: “Thirteenth Miss, what do you mean by that?”

Li Youqing was so drowsy that she found a comfortable position in his embrace, yet her coaxing words came effortlessly: “General Xuan, I am of humble status and know I am unworthy of a great hero like you. Henceforth, we should not continue like this—”

The fury that had surged in Xuan Rui’s heart moments earlier was abruptly extinguished by her cold words.

So it was their difference in status that concerned her, not his reputation as a merciless killer with bloodstained hands.

“That won’t be the case,” he replied softly, his voice carrying an unconscious tenderness as he gently patted her back to soothe her. “I will personally escort you home and formally ask for your hand in marriage from your parents.”

Having said this, he received no response. Lowering his gaze, he saw that she had already fallen asleep against him.

He couldn’t help but let out a self-mocking laugh, carefully laid her down, then lay beside her, pulling the quilt over them and drawing her into his embrace.

She was his, and no one could take her away.

[Author’s Note]

One moment: I’m going to marry you.

The next: Lock this woman in the dark chamber and interrogate her under torture.