Gu Jianli’s fingers trembled as she turned to the next page. The picture depicted a man and a woman switching positions. The man sat in a chair, while the woman knelt in front of him, leaning in…
Heavens! Not only did the man take the initiative, but the woman did too...
Suddenly, the ugly image of the big insect appeared in Gu Jianli’s mind. She turned pale with fright, her heart pounding. Despair overwhelmed her.
“What are you looking at?” Ji Wujing asked.
“Ah—” Gu Jianli exclaimed in surprise, dropping the booklet in her hand.
Ji Wujing walked around to stand in front of Gu Jianli and picked up the old erotic booklet. He sat down cross-legged on the ground in front of her, lazily flipping through the pages with great interest. As he turned the pages, he asked, “Gu Jianli, are you interested in this?”
Gu Jianli tried to calm herself and clumsily changed the topic. “When did you come back?”
Ji Wujing didn’t answer. He shook the booklet in his hand and asked, “Have you seen it all? Which position do you like?”
He then said disdainfully, “This one is too old, and the drawings are unclear. If you like it, I’ll get you some clearer and more lifelike ones another day.”
“Give it back to me!” Gu Jianli reached out to grab it.
Ji Wujing didn’t return it. He asked, “Do you understand it? Do you want Uncle to explain it to you?”
Gu Jianli looked directly at Ji Wujing, her face showing displeasure. She said very seriously, “I want to learn. What’s so funny about that?”
Ji Wujing stared into her eyes and fell silent. After a while, he asked, “Have you learned it then?”
Gu Jianli remained silent.
Ji Wujing’s face suddenly lit up with a playful smile, and he said, “Uncle’s teaching is faster than self-study.”
“Fifth Master, let’s get a divorce. Or you can just dismiss me.”
Ji Wujing’s expression stiffened slightly.
Gu Jianli’s hand, hidden in her sleeve, clenched slightly. All the recent distress and embarrassment quietly dissipated, and her mind suddenly became calm. She gathered her courage and decided to speak the truth: “I don’t want to live in constant fear every day. If it has to be that…”
She wanted to say “disgusting,” but felt that word was too harsh. She paused and changed her wording, “If it has to be that frightening, I’d rather you dismiss me.”
Ji Wujing looked at her for a long, long time, until Gu Jianli, feeling guilty, averted her gaze and lowered her head, her eyes reddening.
Ji Wujing casually set the erotic booklet aside. He stood up and walked to the dressing table, took a piece of crispy candy from a small box on the table, and chewed on it. Then he returned, lifted Gu Jianli from her wheelchair, and carried her.
“What are you doing?” The sudden lift made the now acrophobic Gu Jianli cling tightly to Ji Wujing’s neck.
Ji Wujing carried her to the bed. He sat down on the edge of the bed, placing Gu Jianli on his lap. He gently supported her left leg with his hand to prevent it from hitting the bed edge.
Gu Jianli looked at him up close, frowning slightly in resistance. Her hand, which had been resting on his shoulder, slowly dropped but was caught by Ji Wujing. He squeezed her slender, soft white fingers, lifted her hand to his lips, and planted a kiss on the back of her hand.
Gu Jianli’s fingertips trembled slightly.
Ji Wujing placed his palm on the back of her head and slowly leaned in closer.
Gu Jianli wanted to escape, but she held back, closing her eyes tightly and recalling their contact in the wardrobe, waiting with some resistance.
She heard Ji Wujing chuckle faintly.
He used his fingertip to rub Gu Jianli’s small earlobe, and the tickling sensation made half of her body go numb. The next moment, Ji Wujing gently kissed the corner of her lips, a fleeting touch. He did the same on the other corner of her mouth, lightly touching it like a dragonfly skimming the water.
Ji Wujing leaned back a little, lifted her chin, and gazed at her with half-lidded eyes for a while before moving closer again. He continued with the light, fluttering kisses, densely covering her lips. Then, their lips met, intertwining and grinding against each other.
Gu Jianli’s long eyelashes fluttered lightly, her eyes narrowed to a slit, and she saw the captivating red tear mole under Ji Wujing’s eye. She slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze, gradually looking into the depths of his dark eyes.
Ji Wujing lightly nibbled on her earlobe, his lips pressed against her ear, his voice low and soothing, “Don’t be afraid, my Lili.”
The ticklish sensation around her ear made Gu Jianli’s body soften as she listened to his words, and she completely relaxed into his embrace.
Ji Wujing kissed her eyes, his soft, tender kisses trailing downwards, finally landing on her sweet, soft lips again. He gently sucked on her lips, sometimes grinding them softly. When his tongue entered her mouth, everything seemed so natural and unobstructed.
Sweet. Gu Jianli was slightly stunned.
Ji Wujing was in no hurry, patiently exploring and teasing the tip of her hidden tongue. He touched, retreated, lightly licked, withdrew, and then kissed her lips again with delicate precision.
Patient and tender, detailed and repetitive.
Gu Jianli’s hand on Ji Wujing’s shoulder involuntarily grasped his clothing more firmly.
Overwhelming gentleness, pervasive sweetness.
Suddenly, Ji Wujing stopped and leaned back slightly. Gu Jianli opened her eyes in confusion, her gaze dreamy, her cheeks flushed as if she had drunk wine.
Ji Wujing’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.
He bent down again, and the next kiss was like a sudden storm, intense and domineering.
Gu Jianli’s chest heaved, almost unable to catch her breath. Ji Wujing then slowed down, kissing gently to soothe her. As her breathing steadied, he resumed his aggressive, forceful kisses.
Under Ji Wujing’s alternating gentle and forceful onslaughts, Gu Jianli melted into a puddle, losing track of time and place.
After a stick of incense, Ji Wujing cupped her face, placing a final kiss on her forehead, ending the long, lingering kiss.
Gu Jianli stared at him, her chest rising and falling with her heartbeat.
Ji Wujing half-closed his eyes, his narrow fox-like eyes devoid of lust, showing an expression Gu Jianli couldn’t understand. She heard his hoarse, low voice ask, “Disgusted?”
Gu Jianli looked at him, unable to respond. She feared that if she opened her mouth, her pounding heart would leap out of her chest.
Ji Wujing barely lifted one side of his mouth, the corner of his fox-like eyes slightly raised, gently tugging at the tear mole. He said nonchalantly, “If you still find it disgusting, it means you’re actually disgusted by me as a person.”
Ji Wujing’s hand slipped under Gu Jianli’s knees, and he placed her, who was sitting in his arms, onto the bed. He stood up, casually adjusted his collar without any expression on his face, and started to walk out. Just as he took a step, Gu Jianli timidly grabbed his sleeve.
Ji Wujing turned around and looked at the heartbroken yet alluring Gu Jianli sitting on the bed.
“I…” Gu Jianli uttered a sound, surprised to find her voice trembling.
She took a couple of light breaths, her moist eyes pitifully gazing at Ji Wujing, her voice soft and tender, “I want to ask…”
Ji Wujing leaned down, bringing his face close to her ear, and asked, “What do you want to ask?”
“I… I want to ask… Are other couples… are they all like this?” Gu Jianli asked, her voice so low it was almost a whisper.
Ji Wujing turned his face slightly, quietly gazing at her creamy jade-like cheek.
Gu Jianli bit her lip, unable to ask further. She slowly turned her head, hesitantly lifted her chin, and lightly kissed the corner of Ji Wujing’s lips. Her voice was low and soft, “If all couples in the world are like this, then I’m willing. Willing for Fifth Master to teach me…”
Ji Wujing’s gaze moved up, falling on her slightly curled eyelashes. He spoke, “Your voice is too low, I couldn’t hear you.”
“You heard it.” Gu Jianli’s voice was small but very certain.
After Ji Wujing left, Gu Jianli lay on the bed, staring blankly at the canopy above, lost in thought. After a long time, she finally touched her face.
It was hot.
She picked up the thin, gossamer-like silk handkerchief beside the bed and covered her face, as if driven by a ghostly force to hide her embarrassed expression.
But she quickly realized in frustration that all her various embarrassing and shameful looks had already been seen by Ji Wujing…
Ji Lan had used almost brutal means to ascend the throne in a very short time, becoming the guardian emperor. Naturally, when he was eliminating dissidents among the civil and military officials, he did not forget to mobilize the combined forces of the Western Depot, Eastern Depot, and Xuanjing Sect to hunt down the exiled Second Prince Ji Yan, who had been sent to the northern border.
Although he had altered the edict, the name on the original edict was Ji Yan, which was enough to keep him sleepless.
Ji Yan, along with Sun Yinlan, fled all the way to the snowy mountains. Seeing the number of their followers dwindling, he couldn’t help but feel anxious. Sun Yinlan, having married Ji Yan for such reasons, naturally could not become a loving couple with him. They traveled together almost in silence.
“Your Highness, as soon as you left the capital, the palace turned into this. Clearly, someone designed all of this!” his confidant said anxiously.
Ji Yan, looking exhausted, replied in a deep voice, “Whether we can survive is still unknown. Let’s not think about these things now.”
The seven or eight followers looked somber.
Ji Yan’s gaze fell on Sun Yinlan. On their journey, the few maidservants accompanying Sun Yinlan had all tragically perished, leaving her truly alone.
Sun Yinlan’s heart skipped a beat, but she had already mentally prepared herself.
“Yinlan, when we pass through the next village, you should stop and hide there for now.”
“Yes,” Sun Yinlan replied, lowering her eyes.
Ji Yan hesitated for a moment, then added, “If I, Ji Yan, am fortunate enough to survive, I will surely come back for you when I rise again.”
Sun Yinlan looked up at him in surprise, clearly taken aback.
“The Eastern Depot’s men have caught up!”
Ji Yan’s heart sank. He grabbed Sun Yinlan and fled swiftly.
Sun Yinlan quickly became unable to keep up. Gasping for breath, she shouted, “Your Highness, leave me behind. I’ll only drag you down!”
Ji Yan glanced back. Two more of their seven or eight remaining guards had fallen. His gaze fell on Sun Yinlan’s face, and he hesitated for a moment.
After a brief pause, he suddenly laughed and said, “I, Ji Yan, will not abandon my wife halfway! If I die here today, I will die as a man with a wife!”
Sun Yinlan’s heart trembled slightly.
Suddenly, a dense barrage of arrows shot down from the snowy mountain peak in the distance. Ji Yan instinctively pulled Sun Yinlan into his arms, bending over to protect her.
The arrows were not aimed at Ji Yan but at the pursuing men from the Eastern Depot.
Ji Xuanke came riding swiftly.
Leading several squads of guards, Ji Xuanke drove back the Eastern Depot’s men. He wielded a long sword with a fierce and deadly aura, completely different from his former scholarly demeanor. His swordsmanship was dazzling and lethal. As he turned his horse around, a jade buckle at his waist suddenly fell off. He bent down to pick it up, but a black-clad assailant thrust a sword at him. Though he dodged in time, his little finger was severed.
He retrieved the jade buckle, his cold eyes determined as he rejoined the battle.
