Chapter 105

Chapter 105: He Could Not Feel Gan Qiongying's Desire for Him. The hand on her shoulder was merely warm, yet Gan Qiongying felt it as scorching as fire. Every muscle in her body tensed, and her heartbeat gradually quickened. But soon, Gan Qiongying’s panic subsided, because she had realized that after spending so many days together, it was indeed possible that Lihua had developed feelings for her in that way. Back when they attended Princess Hui'an’s birthday banquet, Lihua had asked to hold her, and Gan Qiongying had already harbored such suspicions. But aside from that embrace, Lihua had not brought up anything else, so Gan Qiongying had put the thought aside. Yet now, it seemed… Gan Qiongying tilted her head slightly, looking at the hand on her shoulder, because she could feel its trembling and the force behind it. Clearly, Lihua was also nervous. Gan Qiongying closed her eyes briefly before opening them again, then slowly turned around and reached out to hold Lihua’s trembling hand. Since getting off the carriage, their eyes had not met even once. So when Lihua’s hand trembled at this moment, his first instinct was to pull away, but in the next second, he tightened his grip on Gan Qiongying’s hand. Hand in hand, they gazed at each other, the heat between them rising silently, as if it could incinerate them both. Gan Qiongying looked at Lihua with gentle eyes, inwardly making excuses for the God of Wealth. She thought that if Lihua truly had such feelings, it wouldn’t be strange at all. On the contrary, the fact that they had been married for several months without consummating their marriage was the odd thing. Gan Qiongying carefully considered and calculated: if the two of them had a substantial relationship, whatever they did next would be more justified. It would also be easier for her to ask for money. Given the current situation, to carry out her escape plan, she needed to lay out two paths—one overt and one covert. The overt path would be used to deceive everyone, while the covert path would be the lifeline for her and Gan Lin. However, she lacked enough people around her, and the cost of gathering loyal followers would certainly not be small. Two hundred thousand taels a month was already somewhat tight. If they became husband and wife in the truest sense, and Gan Qiongying indulged in a bit of “extravagance,” wouldn’t Lihua, being so gentle, indulge her? In Gan Qiongying’s view, matters between men and women were not some kind of monstrous taboo. They were both adults, and mutual relief was perfectly normal. Moreover, Gan Qiongying could understand—no matter what, the God of Wealth was still a man. With the two of them eating and sleeping together, it was only natural for the God of Wealth to be stirred by mortal desires. After analyzing it this way, the benefits far outweighed any drawbacks. Just as Gan Qiongying was about to go with the flow, Lihua suddenly reached out and tapped her forehead. Lihua had intended to restrain himself, but he greedily raised his hand and touched the spot he had kissed during the day. He traced the contour of her brow, and when he reached her eye socket, her fluttering eyelashes brushed against his finger. He flinched slightly but did not pull away. Instead, he gently tapped her thick lashes before moving to stroke Gan Qiongying’s elegant, straight nose. Lihua’s fingertips were also damp with sweat. They glided over Gan Qiongying’s fair, delicate cheek and came to rest on the corner of her lips. Gan Qiongying dared not move a muscle. She felt as if a feather were lightly brushing her face, causing a delicate, ticklish sensation, or as if warm water were flowing over her skin, bringing immense comfort. Lihua’s finger pressed gently against the corner of Gan Qiongying’s lips. The warm, soft touch sent shivers down his spine, and as if startled, he quickly withdrew his hand. Lihua lowered his head, closed his eyes, and tucked his hand under the blanket, pressing it against his chest in an attempt to calm his wildly beating heart. He closed his eyes to steady his breathing, taking a long moment before he dared to open them again, meeting Gan Qiongying’s gaze once more. Gan Qiongying suddenly opened her mouth and said something to Lihua. Lihua immediately shuddered all over, suspecting he had misheard. After confirming it several times, he finally understood Gan Qiongying’s words clearly. She asked him, “Do you want… to do that… consummate the marriage with me?” Lihua’s hand clutched tightly at his chest, crumpling the inner garment. His ears and neck flushed a blood-like red. He couldn’t believe his ears, yet the evidence proved he had indeed heard it. Gan Qiongying watched as Lihua’s breathing grew heavier, sensing his nervousness. Having experienced the information explosion of the modern era, she could tell from Lihua’s demeanor that he was completely inexperienced. Thus, she felt she should take on the responsibility of initiating the flirtation. A corner of the quilt was lifted as Gan Qiongying propped herself up on her elbows, raising her upper body. She didn’t think she was nervous, yet she unconsciously swallowed twice, her back damp with sweat. She slowly leaned closer, her gaze unwavering, fixed on Lihua’s eyes. Lihua’s eyes gradually widened as he watched Gan Qiongying draw nearer and nearer, her hand already resting on his shoulder, her warm breath brushing against his face. The two were so close they were almost touching. Gan Qiongying paused, then cleared her throat softly, reaching up to untie the sash of her inner garment. As the garment slowly loosened, Lihua suddenly reached out and pressed his hand against the collar slipping from Gan Qiongying’s shoulder. He pushed her back onto the bed, his slender fingers swiftly retying her sash. Then he immediately lay back in his original position, forgetting to breathe the entire time, suffocating himself until his chest ached and his vision blurred. Gan Qiongying fell back onto the bed, looking at Lihua in disbelief. But Lihua had already turned to face the inner side of the bed at some point, leaving only his back to her, his hand still clutching the quilt tightly. Gan Qiongying blinked. Instead of offering herself, she had been pushed down. She felt a sense of guilt, as if she had offended a celestial being. Lihua’s reaction left her somewhat helpless, as though she were some wild beast or mountain bandit forcing herself upon him. However, as Gan Qiongying shifted a few times and settled back into her original position, her body firmly against the bed, she actually felt a sense of relief, followed by a slight urge to laugh. So she had misunderstood after all… But after being so proactive tonight, would the God of Wealth think she was lustful? She swore she wasn’t lustful at all! Lihua, facing the wall, couldn’t think at all, his mind blank. There was no doubt he was stirred by Gan Qiongying’s initiative. But he saw not a trace of lingering affection in Gan Qiongying’s eyes. She had undone her garments as if making an offering, seemingly only to satisfy his poorly concealed thoughts and desires. Such intimacy was something Lihua could not accept. This wasn’t right. It was completely different from what Lihua had imagined. Moreover, they had only kissed on the forehead during the day, and now they were to consummate the marriage at night—it was all too fast… At the very least, they should take it step by step. And most importantly, he couldn’t sense any desire from Gan Qiongying for him.