Qi Yubai stared at her for a long moment without speaking. Then, as his gaze fell on the red longevity thread around her wrist, he suddenly grasped her hand and brought it to his lips.
The moment his warm breath brushed against her wrist, Lanyin’s entire body shuddered. Before she could even react, his scalding lips pressed against her skin.
No one knew that her wrist was her sensitive spot. It was as if countless tiny currents ran through her spine, making her tremble involuntarily. She lowered her eyes to look at him, only to see Qi Yubai gazing at her as he kissed her wrist as though he were cherishing something precious.
It was a kiss filled with tenderness and reverence.
Compared to his earlier passionate, almost devouring hunger, this soft, fleeting kiss felt unbearably gentle. Yet, it made even her heart tremble.
She stared at Qi Yubai, dazed.
After a long moment, she suddenly heard his husky voice say, “Yinyin, I’m very happy.”
“…What?”
She hadn’t fully processed his words when he rubbed his thumb over her wrist, and following his gaze, she saw his fingers hooked around the longevity thread.
Only then did she realize why he had been so emotional earlier.
Her face turned red, but she was at a loss for words.
She had only wanted to make him happy. She hadn’t thought much about it, nor had she expected him to react like this. Not knowing what to say, she could only try to pull her hand back. But when she couldn’t break free, she lowered her long lashes and murmured in a shy voice, “…Let’s go. You’re going to be late.”
She had no idea how incredibly soft she appeared at this moment.
Qi Yubai hadn’t expected her to say such a thing either. Even though he had always known that beneath her cool exterior lay a tenderness few had ever seen, he hadn’t expected her to accept him so completely.
Even though she wasn’t used to being kissed like this in broad daylight, she still allowed him to do as he pleased. And all she cared about was whether he would be late—not once did she think about herself, whether she was comfortable, whether she liked it or not.
Qi Yubai didn’t know how to describe what he was feeling. His heart was both soft and a little sore.
Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms again, and with his free hand, he reached up and gently rubbed her head.
The tenderness in the gesture startled Lanyin. She looked up at him, only to hear his husky voice say, “I won’t be late.”
A moment later, he added in a low voice, “Yinyin, if you ever don’t like something, you can tell me. You can refuse me.”
He looked at Lanyin, unsure how to put his feelings into words. His tongue felt useless, as if it had lost its ability to articulate what he truly wanted to say. All he could do was gaze at her and, in his faltering voice, say, “I have no resistance to you. Sometimes, I don’t even know if what I do will upset you, if it will hurt you…”
The self-control he had always prided himself on was completely ineffective when it came to her.
Yet, in this world, she was the one person he feared hurting the most.
He was afraid that his own desires might cause her pain. Afraid that she would dislike it, that she would be afraid. Qi Yubai suppressed the tremor in his heart and lowered his head to look at Lanyin, his voice hoarse as he reiterated, “Never force yourself for my sake.”
“If you don’t like it, I will stop.”
“I won’t be angry.”
Lanyin listened to his raspy voice in silence. Even if she hadn’t fully understood his meaning at first, by now, she did.
She knew that, when it came to those she held dear, she tended to instinctively accommodate them. Perhaps it was because she had never received too much affection or kindness, so she always wished to repay whatever warmth she was given tenfold. But this time was different.
Her closeness to Qi Yubai had never been out of fear that he would be angry.
“I don’t dislike it.”
“…What?”
Her voice was too soft, so even Qi Yubai didn’t catch it right away. He lowered his eyes and looked at her.
Lanyin met his gaze. After a moment of silence, she finally gathered her courage and said, “I don’t dislike it… I… I like it.”
As she spoke, her face once again turned uncontrollably red.
Even if her natural temperament made her shy about such public displays of intimacy, his love made her unable to resist sinking into it.
She couldn’t lie to herself.
She liked it.
She liked his unreserved affection, liked the way his eyes held only her, liked how he showed a passion and intensity before her that no one else ever saw.
She liked it when he called her “Yinyin.”
This kind of love made her clearly feel that she was deeply cherished by him.
And it made her want to get even closer to him.
As she watched the deepening color in his eyes, as if a storm were brewing within them, Lanyin coughed lightly, her face turning red again.
“…You really are going to be late.”
She took a step back as she spoke.
Her gaze fell on the black gauze hat lying on the ground. She thought of how, earlier, when the hat’s wing had brushed her cheek, Qi Yubai had tossed it aside without hesitation. If the people outside knew that the ever-composed, highly respected Lord Qi had done something so reckless, they would probably be completely dumbfounded.
Thankfully, no one had seen it.
Otherwise, she might end up being labeled a “calamity to the nation.”
The thought made Lanyin chuckle to herself. She bent down, picked up the black gauze hat, and gently dusted off the specks of dirt. She had originally planned to hand it back to Qi Yubai, but fearing he might not wear it properly, she said, “Lower your head, I’ll put it on for you.”
Qi Yubai, naturally, did not refuse.
He bent down slightly, allowing her to fix his hat.
“All done.”
After straightening his attire, Lanyin looked at the man before her. Now that he had his black gauze hat back on, he had once again returned to his usual composed, distant self—the esteemed and unapproachable Lord Qi. Only his gaze, when looking at her, still held traces of something deeper.
Meeting his eyes again, Lanyin felt a fresh wave of shyness. But this time, she did not panic like before.
Instead, she noticed something different about his lips.
She was momentarily dazed.
Then, as realization struck, her face instantly turned scarlet.
Qi Yubai, however, didn’t notice. He simply assumed she was still shy. Though reluctant to part from her, he knew they couldn’t delay any longer.
“Let’s go.”
He reached out, intending to take her hand and leave.
But just as he was about to touch her, he suddenly heard her say, “…W-Wait, wait!”
“Hmm?”
Qi Yubai looked at her, his expression gentle. “What’s wrong?”
“Your lips…”
Lanyin’s face was flushed as she spoke.
Her words were vague, and even Qi Yubai had to think for a moment before realizing what she meant. Seeing her staring at his lips, her face full of shyness, he was about to raise his hand to wipe them. But after a moment’s thought, he curled his fingers and pretended not to understand. “What about them?”
He played the part so convincingly that Lanyin didn’t suspect anything.
She was only thinking about how to tell him—should she say that their earlier kiss had been too intense and that he had accidentally ended up with her lip rouge on his mouth? That was far too embarrassing.
Her expression shifted a few times before she finally decided to take matters into her own hands.
Supporting herself by placing a hand on Qi Yubai’s arm, she rose onto her toes and gently swiped her fingers across his lips. Then, she quickly hid her hand in her palm, making sure that no trace of the color remained. Letting out a small breath of relief, she was just about to step back when an arm tightened around her slender waist again.
“What good thing are you hiding?”
A deep voice murmured by her ear.
Meeting the playful glint in his phoenix eyes, Lanyin immediately knew—he had seen everything.
Her face turned an even deeper shade of red.
Her heart pounded wildly.
She was still on tiptoe, and now, with his arm securely wrapped around her waist, she could do nothing but watch as he leaned in. Thinking he was about to kiss her again, she hurriedly placed her hands against his chest, her voice carrying a hint of panic. “Qi Yubai, stop—really, we’re going to be late!”
“Hmm, I won’t kiss you,” Qi Yubai chuckled softly.
True to his word, he didn’t kiss her.
But his actions were even more intimate than a kiss.
Like a lover reluctant to part, he rubbed his nose lightly against hers, then brushed the tip of his nose along the bridge of hers in an intimate gesture. Even as he did so, his dark phoenix eyes remained locked on her, filled with unwavering devotion, as if he wanted to pull her soul into his own.
Lanyin felt her heart tremble uncontrollably.
She didn’t know how long it was before he finally let her go.
Before stepping back, he first adjusted her slightly disheveled attire and tidied her hair. Then, with a few swift motions, he straightened his own appearance. After that, he stretched out his hand toward her. “Let’s go.”
Lanyin knew if she hesitated any longer, who knew how much more time they would waste? Not thinking further, she quickly placed her hand in his, letting him lead her outside.
Outside, Ting Yun had already been waiting for nearly a quarter of an hour.
At first, she thought her mistress and Lord Qi were simply having an important conversation. But as time passed with no sign of them, she couldn’t help but glance back.
To her surprise, the two of them had completely disappeared.
Initially, she hadn’t noticed them standing under the flowers, but as she approached, she had caught… sounds.
Now, hearing footsteps, she finally breathed a sigh of relief. But as she turned around, she was immediately stunned—her mistress and Lord Qi were walking out hand in hand.
Her mistress’s face was full of soft, blooming warmth, a radiant shyness she had never seen before.
Ting Yun was at once surprised and embarrassed, quickly lowering her head to the side as she greeted them in a hushed voice, “Mistress, My Lord.”
The moment Lanyin saw her personal maid, the warmth on her face, which had just begun to subside, surged back with full force. Only then did she belatedly realize that her hand was still in Qi Yubai’s.
She quickly tried to pull away.
Qi Yubai, however, remained as composed as ever.
Even when she withdrew from his grasp, he only glanced at her without stopping her. Then, with a quiet hum, he acknowledged Ting Yun before turning back to Lanyin. “If I come back late tonight, have someone send word—I’ll pick you up from the shop.”
Lanyin wanted to refuse.
But with his phoenix eyes gazing at her with such unwavering attention, she felt too flustered to argue and simply nodded, her voice soft. “Alright.”
After that, neither of them said much more.
Qi Yubai didn’t tease her again either.
Once they stepped outside, they each boarded their respective carriages.