The room was so quiet... Xin Mei felt she could hear the sound of her blood rushing to her head.
This must be what they call "too ashamed to face anyone," right? Covering her face with her hands, she groped around and crouched down, attempting to lift the bed board and crawl underneath.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded behind her, and the little heart in Xin Mei's chest began pounding wildly again—should she open her eyes and look? Or not? This was a dilemma.
The scattered drawing papers on the floor were picked up one by one, gathered, and smoothed out.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally parted her fingers slightly to peek through the gaps. She saw Lu Qianqiao silently tidying up the papers and books strewn across the floor, placing them on the table as if nothing had happened, his voice calm as ever: "...It's late. I should go."
...H-how could he be so composed?! It made her attempt to crawl under the bed seem utterly foolish!
Xin Mei quickly stood up from the floor, pretending she had just retrieved the drawings from under the bed, and walked over sheepishly, clearing her throat awkwardly: "W-well, take care then... I won't see you out..."
True to his word, he turned to leave, but his steps were oddly hurried—he bumped straight into the door. The usually sturdy wooden door crashed to the ground with a loud "bang," its echoes reverberating through the Sinister Clan in the dead of night.
The senior brothers in the back courtyard, repeatedly awakened by the noise, finally couldn't take it anymore and yelled at the top of their lungs: "It's almost midnight! Can you two stop making a ruckus?! Can't you just enjoy your reunion in bed like normal newlyweds?!"
Lu Qianqiao didn't turn back. In an instant, he yanked the door back up but froze, unsure what to do next.
Xin Mei's sharp eyes caught the way his ears gradually turned red, and his shoulders seemed to tremble slightly.
Poor thing... Was he so embarrassed he might cry?
Huh, if he had stayed composed, she would have been the embarrassed one. But now that he was flustered, she suddenly felt much calmer.
What a mercilessly cruel habit...
Xin Mei cleared her throat: "Just leave it there. Don't worry about it."
Trembling, he propped the door to the side, his back stiff as if he were about to cover his face and flee. She quickly spoke up: "Um... Lu Qianqiao, actually... it's really no big deal. It's perfectly normal... No need to be nervous."
He remained frozen in place, refusing to turn around.
After a moment's thought, she added: "How about... coming back in for a bit? We could discuss marriage plans and... child-rearing strategies or something..."
He let out a long, resigned sigh, slowly turned around, and fixed her with an inscrutable gaze.
"Xin Mei," he forced out, "you... we can't... not yet... anyway..."
Huh, even his neck was red now... Was it because he knocked over the door, or was it because of that Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens ? Come to think of it, he kept avoiding their wedding night, even resorting to using the Demon Binding Rope to restrain her—could it be... could it be that he simply didn't know anything about it and was too embarrassed to admit it?!
Xin Mei had an epiphany, her gaze instantly softening with pity.
Poor child. Even though he had a birth mother, it was practically like not having one at all. No one must have taught him these things, right? No wonder... no wonder...
She picked up the Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens , walked over gently, and placed it tenderly into his stiff palm, speaking in the softest tone: "Lu Qianqiao, don't be afraid. Take this... and read it slowly when you're alone. You'll understand soon. Remember—only when you're alone, okay?"
...Good grief.Lu Qianqiao barely restrained the urge to fling that illustrated book out and tear it to shreds, stiffly tossing it back to her: "No need."
"It's necessary." She gently pushed it back again. "You... uh, you need to learn a bit..."
The fingers forced to grip the book instantly tightened. The poor Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens let out a pained groan as its hardcover split into fragments.
Lu Qianqiao fixed his gaze on her, his voice low and hoarse: "Learn what? Say it again."
Xin Mei smiled kindly at him. "You don’t know how, do you? This book teaches the way of husband and wife."
The Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens was instantly thrown to the ground. He stared at her for a long while before suddenly revealing a strange smile—one that seemed filled with murderous intent, yet also... something else she couldn’t quite name, but it felt dangerous. She instinctively took a step back.
"True, I don’t know," he murmured. "Will you teach me?"
What? Teach him?!
Xin Mei frantically waved her hands. "I—I don’t either..."
"Come here."
A hand yanked her forward.
This time, it wasn’t lifting or carrying—it was a genuine, solid embrace... or rather, restraint would be more accurate. His strength was unrestrained, and Xin Mei felt as if her ribs were about to crack. She cried out in pain, only for her lips to be sealed by a pair of warm, dry ones.
The bright glow of the full moon seemed to spill entirely before her eyes, waves of dazzling white. Though Xin Mei suspected it was just the suffocating effect of being squeezed too tightly. She whimpered in pain, pushing against his chest with all her might.
If he didn’t let go soon... if he didn’t, she was going to suffocate and foam at the mouth!
The lips parted just in time. She gasped for air, complaining between breaths, "I... almost died..."
Her waist was seized, and she was lifted entirely off the ground. Xin Mei hastily clung to his neck, but her still-damp lips were captured again. This time, his lips were no longer dry but scaldingly wet, meticulously tangling and rubbing against hers.
That dazzling white reappeared before her eyes. She instinctively held her breath, wanting to pull away yet reluctant to do so, unable to tell whether it was pleasure or pain.
When their lips parted slightly, his slightly breathless voice rasped, "Don’t you know how to breathe through your nose?"
Oh... so that was allowed?!
Not one to back down, Xin Mei lowered her head and kissed him again—now she knew! Who was afraid of whom?
As the kiss deepened and intensified, their breathing no longer steadied but grew increasingly ragged. Their lips were damp, yet their exhales burned like desert winds, dry and scorching. Dissatisfied with mere lip-to-lip friction, he parted his lips, tentatively capturing her soft upper lip, licking and sucking.
That strange, elusive sensation coiled around her like ropes, tightening in loops. Unable to resist, Xin Mei bit back—lightly nipping his nose.
The next moment, her lips were bitten in retaliation, a clear punishment.
"...Open your mouth. No biting."
"You bit too...!"
Her weak protest was swallowed as his tongue invaded alongside an even fiercer kiss.
She completely forgot about biting or anything else. Her entire body felt like a piece of candy, melting in warm water.
So this was what a real kiss was like. Lips weren’t just for eating and speaking—they could also tenderly caress the one you loved.Xin Mei learned quickly—she was never one to remain passive. Soon, she was mirroring his movements, her tongue dancing with his, entwined in a way that refused to part.
It wasn’t enough. She wanted more. Unconsciously, she tightened her arms around his head, deepening the kiss.
A low groan rumbled in Lu Qianqiao’s throat before his damp lips suddenly withdrew, only to press against her again—this time on the delicate curve of her ear. His kisses trailed downward, following the elegant lines of her neck, until they landed heavily on the small hollow above her collarbone, his tongue flicking out in teasing, featherlight strokes.
It tickled! But not in an unbearable way.
Xin Mei melted weakly against him, her voice thick with desire as she murmured, “…Aren’t we going to bed?”
The words doused his burning passion like a bucket of ice water.
What was he doing? It wasn’t time yet. He couldn’t!
Burying his face against her chest, he panted, unable to speak, only shaking his head.
“Then… then can you bring that illustrated book? We can learn as we go… Oh, that Guanyin Sitting on a Lotus pose just now looked pretty good…”
He let out a bitter laugh. “ You’re teaching me now?”
Her chin rested on his forehead as she struggled to reach for his collar. “Then let’s take it step by step… First, let me take off one of your outer robes…”
Her fingers were as nimble as a snake, slipping between the folds of his robe to brush against his bare chest.
The man in her arms stiffened as if pricked by thorns. With a forceful push, he shoved her away. Xin Mei only saw a flash of golden light—ah, the Demon Binding Rope , her old friend. We meet again.
This time, he tied her up extra tight, even binding her arms inside. Then, with one swift motion, he tossed her onto the bed and smothered her beneath the blankets.
“ Lu Qianqiao! ” Xin Mei’s muffled shout came from under the covers. “You—you actually have the nerve to tie me up twice in one night!”
He exhaled deeply, feeling the heat of desire still flooding his chest, his heart pounding as if trying to escape.
With a wry smile, he reached out, wanting to pat the blanket-wrapped “caterpillar” that was Xin Mei in some semblance of comfort, but hesitated. After a long pause, he finally murmured, “Xin Mei… I’m the one who can’t hold back. I’m sorry… Just wait a little longer…”
She didn’t understand what he was struggling with at all!
Lu Qianqiao walked to the door and picked up the Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens . After a moment’s thought, he tucked it into his robes.
“…I’m taking the book. We’ll save the rest for next time.”
He propped the fallen door panel back into the empty frame, then with a wave of his hand, the Demon Binding Rope instantly retracted.
Xin Mei scrambled off the bed, rolling and stumbling as she rushed to the door—only to find he had already vanished.
Fury and frustration surged from the depths of her heart. With one punch, she reduced the poor door panel to splinters.
“ Lu Qianqiao! You coward! ”
A man who starts a fire but doesn’t put it out is the most detestable thing in the world!
OpenNovel