The Prisoner of Beauty

The Wei family had an underground ice cellar specifically for storing ice to provide relief during the summer heat.

Now that winter had just passed, the cellar was filled with ice. The maids were ordered to immediately seek out Zhang, the housekeeper of the Wei family, to fetch the ice. Upon hearing that the west chamber urgently needed ice, and a large quantity at that, Zhang, though puzzled, quickly took the keys, opened the cellar, and fetched two large buckets of ice. She personally had them carried to the west chamber, where Xiao Qiao directed them to be placed at the entrance of the bathroom. After the maids withdrew, Xiao Qiao followed to close the door and heard footsteps behind her. Knowing it was Wei Shao fetching the ice, and recalling his state of undress, she dared not look back.

Moments later, she heard two splashes of hard objects hitting the water in the bathroom, indicating that the ice had been poured into the water. Then, it became quiet inside.

While waiting for the ice, Xiao Qiao had been speculating about his purpose for needing it.

At first, she thought he might be taking a cold bath to exercise. But then it didn’t seem likely, and it was too abrupt—why would he suddenly decide to take a cold bath for exercise after just having a meal in the east chamber? As she pondered, she suddenly remembered that although he had entered in a hurry, she had vaguely noticed something unusual protruding below him. At the time, she had been pushed aside and was too flustered to think much of it.

Now, upon careful consideration and recalling his unusual behavior, Xiao Qiao suddenly had an epiphany and felt extremely awkward...

But a new question arose: why had he suddenly become like this?

Without needing much knowledge, she knew this was definitely not a normal state for a man.

Realizing this, Xiao Qiao thought about leaving to avoid him, planning to return only after he had calmed down.

This wasn’t just for her own safety; she guessed that he probably wouldn’t want her to stay and witness his embarrassing state.

However, he had been inside for quite some time, and apart from the initial sounds of pouring ice, there had been no other noises. She began to feel uneasy. Holding her breath, she listened carefully. There was no sound at all.

Eventually, Xiao Qiao approached and asked through the curtain, "Are you... alright?"

There was still no response from inside.

Xiao Qiao grew anxious. After a moment of hesitation, she lifted the curtain and looked inside.

He was completely submerged in the water, with only his head and neck exposed. The thick layer of ice floating on the surface had slowly melted and diminished. His head was slightly tilted back, his brows furrowed, his eyes closed, and his expression still tense and pained.

Hearing her movement, he slowly opened his eyes.

Seeing that he was still alive, Xiao Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. Not daring to look at him further, she lowered her gaze, focusing on the pile of clothes he had previously torn off and thrown on the ground. In a voice that sounded as normal as possible, she said, "Then I’ll go out first. I’ll be right outside the door. If you’re done, or if you need anything, just call out." After speaking, she quickly turned to leave. After taking two steps, she heard his voice from behind, "I’m thirsty... get me some water..."

His voice sounded broken and hoarse.

Xiao Qiao was startled, then quickly responded, "Oh," and hurried to fetch water.

"Here’s the water," she said softly, handing it to him.

Wei Shao’s eyelashes trembled slightly, like thin butterfly wings, giving Xiao Qiao a sense of fragile beauty amidst his torment.He slowly lifted his eyelids to glance at her, straightened up slightly, and raised an arm from the water to take the teacup from her hand.

Her hand accidentally brushed against his.

Though it was just a fleeting touch, Xiao Qiao distinctly felt the scorching heat radiating from his skin. The ice-cold water seemed to have done little to lower his body temperature.

Wei Shao tilted his head back to drink, and Xiao Qiao heard the clear gulping sounds as he swallowed. His Adam's apple bobbed violently with each gulp, and a few floating ice cubes bumped against his chest before drifting away, spinning aimlessly on the water's surface.

He finished the water in a few gulps. Xiao Qiao took the teacup back and hesitated, "If you're really not feeling well... maybe I should go to the north room and let Grandmother know..."

"Don't tell Grandmother!"

He immediately cut her off.

Xiao Qiao was taken aback but nodded, "Understood. Is there anything else I can do for you? If not, I'll leave now."

Wei Shao's gaze lingered on her for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing again.

"Pour another cup, with more ice..."

He murmured finally, his voice hoarse like a whisper. After speaking, he closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the tub wall.

Xiao Qiao responded with an "Oh," and said, "Wait a moment." She chided herself for not bringing the entire teapot in earlier and quickly turned to leave. Just as she reached the bathhouse door and was about to lift the curtain, she suddenly heard the sound of water splashing onto the ground behind her, mixed with the light clinking of ice cubes hitting the floor.

Wei Shao had abruptly opened his eyes, stepped out of the water, and was now barefoot, striding towards her. The water clinging to his shoulders and back quickly coalesced into thin streams, rolling down the contours of his muscles and leaving a wet trail on the floor behind him.

Xiao Qiao was startled and hadn't even had time to turn around when she felt a warmth on her back. She was enveloped by the tall, solid figure of the man who had pressed himself against her from behind.

Wei Shao wrapped his arms around her from behind, his arms slipping under her armpits, pulling her tightly against his skin.

She was clad in a light silk spring robe, and as soon as she was pressed against his chest, Wei Shao felt a coolness that was starkly different from the icy water, yet incredibly soft. It was as if with just a little more pressure, her coolness and softness would meld completely into his skin.

His tormented body finally felt some relief. The numbness that had been unbearable suddenly seemed to come alive again, and his blood began to flow once more.

A groan escaped his throat, and he couldn't help but lower his head, capturing her cool earlobe with his mouth, his hot tongue swirling and nibbling.

Xiao Qiao, caught off guard by Wei Shao's sudden assault, felt as if her earlobe was about to be bitten off. The pain made her cry out in alarm, and the teacup slipped from her hand, shattering into two pieces on the floor. She struggled desperately to free herself from his grasp.

But Wei Shao could no longer hold back. With one hand, he effortlessly lifted Xiao Qiao, ignoring her struggles and punches, and carried her straight to the bed, where he pounced on her.Wei Shao had no idea what kind of aphrodisiac his mother had forced him to drink, but it was incredibly potent. After forcibly suppressing the initial overwhelming effects, he found that the drug's influence couldn't be completely eradicated. Although it no longer surged violently as it had at first, it transformed into a persistent, numbing sensation that was excruciatingly tormenting, and he couldn't find release.

Just moments ago, he felt as though he had already died once. But now, he had come back to life, consumed by the desire to find complete relief through her. Ignoring her struggles and resistance, he swiftly tore off her clothes, stripping her bare just like himself. The sight of her smooth, porcelain-like skin only further inflamed his eyes. As he gritted his teeth, determined to possess her, a sharp pain suddenly shot through his shoulder—Xiao Qiao had bitten him hard, her sharp teeth sinking into his flesh like a fishhook, drawing blood.

Then, she began to cry, tears rolling down from the corners of her eyes in large drops. Her sobs were muffled, filled with both sorrow and pain.

Wei Shao abruptly stopped, breathing heavily. He lay on top of her for a moment before suddenly rolling off and lying on his back on the outer side of the bed, motionless.

On his left shoulder, a row of deep bite marks remained, with faint traces of blood slowly seeping out from the skin. The marks resembled a crescent moon, carrying an eerie beauty.

...

He had only just begun, but Xiao Qiao was already in unbearable pain. She couldn't imagine how much worse it would be if he forced himself deeper. Overwhelmed by both pain and panic, and pinned down by him, she had bitten his shoulder with all her might. Now that she was finally free, it felt like a reprieve. She grabbed her clothes, scrambling over his legs, and without even putting on her shoes, she ran barefoot.

"Where are you going?" Wei Shao's voice came from behind, tinged with a sense of defeat.

Xiao Qiao ignored him, rushing to the screen by the door, hastily wrapping her clothes back around herself.

Wei Shao pulled a nearby blanket over his lower abdomen and slowly sat up.

Xiao Qiao watched him warily.

"Earlier, at my mother's place, I accidentally consumed an aphrodisiac," he said slowly, looking at her. His expression was dejected, even dispirited.

Xiao Qiao was stunned.

"You saw it earlier. I thought I could handle it myself. But..." He trailed off, his gaze falling on her.

Xiao Qiao snapped out of her daze, hurriedly clutching the front of her clothes and taking a step back. She stammered, "Do you want me to call someone? I'll call them right away! One isn't enough? I'll call two!"

As she spoke, she noticed his eyes still fixed on her, his gaze flickering, which only made her more frantic.

"Or wait! Just hold on a little longer! I'll get dressed and go tell Grandmother to call a doctor for you..."

She turned to leave, but Wei Shao got out of bed and quickly caught up to her, pulling her back onto the bed and yanking the curtains shut.

The light in the bed immediately dimmed, becoming hazy.

She hadn't dared to look closely earlier, but Xiao Qiao had caught a glimpse of him. Even before he had entered her, the pain had been unbearable. And now, he had taken that kind of drug. If he were to truly go through with it under these circumstances, it would undoubtedly leave her with lifelong trauma.

Xiao Qiao struggled again, but he pressed her down onto the pillow. She opened her eyes wide, terrified as he reached out toward her. Tears immediately welled up and began to fall, one after another.He grasped one of her hands.

"I'm feeling terrible. Help me."

He lay down, turning his face to look into her eyes, and spoke in a low voice.

Xiao Qiao was stunned. Suddenly, she understood what he meant.

"Can't you do it yourself?" she sobbed, tears still hanging at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm numb, I can't. If you help me, I won't do anything else to you. I mean what I say."

He spoke slowly.

Xiao Qiao stopped crying and looked at him.

Their foreheads were almost touching.

His forehead was burning hot, as if he had a fever, and his face was flushed like he had been drinking, his expression heavy and frustrated.

He gazed into Xiao Qiao's beautiful, tear-filled eyes and slowly guided her hand, finally placing it under the blanket and pressing down.

Xiao Qiao's face immediately turned crimson, and she tightly closed her eyes, her eyelashes trembling incessantly.

Wei Shao also closed his eyes and let out a long, comfortable sigh.

……

Wei Shao's mother was practically asking for trouble, not only harming her own son but also causing Xiao Qiao to suffer as collateral damage. If she weren't her mother-in-law, Xiao Qiao would have wanted to rush over and dump a bucket of excrement on her head. She had no idea what kind of stuff the woman had fed her son, but the potency of the drug was so strong that one round wasn't enough. They had to go through it several more times, until almost dawn, when Wei Shao, completely spent, finally fell into a deep sleep.

Xiao Qiao slept until the afternoon of the next day. When she woke up, she was alone in bed.

Her poor hand had not only lost its innocence but was also so sore that she could barely lift her arm.