Lu Jingsi, Would You Like a Taste?

But Su Luoqian wasn't afraid of him when she was sober, much less now that she was more than half-drunk.

She grabbed him and lifted her head from his embrace.

Her almond-shaped eyes, hazy with wine, seemed to have hooks in them, carrying the allure of a gentle buzz.

Lu Jingsi lowered his gaze and looked into her eyes.

A moment later, his Adam's apple bobbed.

He heard her speak in a soft, dreamy murmur. "...Lu Jingsi?"

Su Luoqian let out a low, lilting laugh. "It really is Lu Jingsi..."

Unsteady on her feet, she clutched his robe with one hand and reached for the wine pot on the stone table with the other, pouring a cup with a wavering hand.

Then she drained it in one gulp, turned the cup upside down, and smiled at him again.

"Green plum wine... would you like a taste?"

Lu Jingsi's eyes darkened as he watched her.

Her picturesque face was flushed with wine, and her soft body leaned halfway against him, pressing close as though she had no bones.

The rippling smile in her eyes held the color of peach blossoms, so alluring that his heart trembled.

Lu Jingsi let her hold him, letting the girl's familiar yet unfamiliar scent envelop him.

When he didn't answer, Su Luoqian asked again.

"Lu Jingsi, would you like a taste?"

Her rosy, moist lips parted and closed right before his eyes.

Lu Jingsi's Adam's apple bobbed, and at last he could no longer hold back.

He bent down and captured her lips in a fierce kiss.

His kiss was as overbearing as ever, his breath scorching as he swept mercilessly into her mouth.

He tasted the mellow fragrance of green plum wine on her tongue.

Su Luoqian was stunned for a moment, then let out a whimper.

But his lips sealed hers tightly, swallowing every broken sound she made.

Su Luoqian was already dizzy, and under his suffocating assault, she grew so short of breath that she couldn't help patting his chest.

Lu Jingsi paid her no mind. Cupping the back of her neck, he pressed closer.

"Mm... mmm..."

She felt as if she were about to pass out, and clutched his collar, pushing hard.

But she still couldn't budge him in the slightest.

Fortunately, the man finally found his conscience. Noticing how fiercely she was struggling, he slowly released her.

Supported by his hand on the back of her neck, Su Luoqian slumped in his arms, gasping for breath.

Her eyes shimmered with moisture, and her lips were slightly red and swollen.

Lu Jingsi still held her in that position, like a beast lurking in the jungle, ready to pounce and bite her again at any moment.

A few breaths later.

Su Luoqian's breathing had steadied a little, but her head was still muddled with drink.

She pouted and said in protest, "That's not how you're supposed to taste it..."

Lu Jingsi watched her steadily, seemingly a little surprised that those were her first words after catching her breath.

He asked in a husky voice, "Then how should I taste it?"

Su Luoqian didn't answer. Instead, she poured herself a cup of wine and drained it.

Her delicate fingers pulled his collar down, forcing him to lower his head.

She tipped her head back and pressed her red lips to his of her own accord.

It took only an instant for Lu Jingsi to react.

The man turned the tables, lowering himself and wrapping a long arm around her slender, willowy waist to press her into his embrace.

The wine's distinctive green plum fragrance burst between their mouths.

With him above and her below, Su Luoqian remained seated. Even though she wanted him to taste the green plum wine,

most of it still spilled out, flowing down her exquisitely alluring chin and over her graceful, slender neck. It ran into the collar of her apricot-white robe, disappearing beneath Lu Jingsi's frighteningly dark gaze.

Su Luoqian tugged on his collar and gave him a gentle push. Lifting her coquettish, hazy eyes to him, she asked, "Does the green plum wine taste good?"

Lu Jingsi's breathing suddenly grew heavy. Without a word, he bent down and scooped her into his arms.

The man strode forward with long, somewhat hurried steps, his lips pressed tightly together as though he were struggling to hold something back.

Zelan and Fulin, keeping watch outside the main room, caught sight of the prince carrying the princess consort back. They hurriedly lowered their heads, not daring to look again.

Bang.

Lu Jingsi kicked the door open and carried her inside.

Outside, Zelan and Fulin still didn't dare raise their heads. They groped for the door and pulled it shut, then moved farther away of their own accord.

Inside the room.

Lu Jingsi laid Su Luoqian on the bed.

She was dressed in simple, elegant clothes today, with only a delicate pearl hairpin in her hair. It had fallen out now, leaving her dark tresses spread across the brocade pillow.

They made her already striking face look even more ravishing.

Lu Jingsi couldn't stop his gaze from drifting downward.

The faint traces of wine that had spilled earlier still clung to her fair skin, stoking the fire inside him a little higher.

His voice was unbearably hoarse. "Will you remember anything when you're drunk?"

The man's hot breath washed over her, leaving Su Luoqian's head even more muddled, but she spoke haltingly. "Lu... Lu Jingsi..."

Hearing her softly call his name, Lu Jingsi's lips curved slightly.

Just as he was about to go further, he felt the head of the person beneath him tilt to one side—

She had turned her head and fallen fast asleep.

Lu Jingsi: "..."

He raised himself slightly in disbelief, his dark eyes, already surging with desire, turning cold as frost in the bitterest winter.

His long fingers pinched her cheek hard, confirming that she really was too drunk to know what was happening.

His lips curved ever so slightly as he gave a cold laugh.

Fine.

Very fine.

Su Luoqian, I'll make you pay this back a hundred, a thousand times over someday.

It wasn't long before Zelan and Fulin, keeping watch outside, heard the main room's door pulled open forcefully from within.

Lu Jingsi strode out, radiating a murderous chill. As he headed for the bathing room, he said coldly,

"Prepare water. I'm bathing."

Fulin froze briefly, then understood and hurried after him, keeping close to Lu Jingsi's side.

Zelan, meanwhile, rushed into the room.

There she saw her princess consort lying fully dressed on the bed, sleeping soundly with the quilt in her arms.

At a loss, Zelan could only hurry over to wipe Su Luoqian down and undress her so she could sleep more comfortably.

After his bath, Lu Jingsi raised a hand to rub the spot between his brows. In the end, he returned to the main room.

After all that, it was nearly nine at night.

He stood before the bed, staring at the woman sleeping soundly on it. At last, he put out the light and climbed into bed.

A little past one in the morning, the main room was silent.

Only the slow, gentle sounds of two people breathing, one deep and one light, came from the bed.

Su Luoqian turned over, and the discomfort of a parched throat stirred her awake.

The first thing she saw in the dimness was the slightly open collar of Lu Jingsi's inner robe.

They had been sharing a bed for some time now, and she was used to waking up with him beside her.

She gingerly moved the long arm draped across her waist, intending to get out of bed for some water.

But the moment she moved, the ever-vigilant man snapped his eyes open and pulled her back with his arm.

Su Luoqian said, "I want some water."

Only then did Lu Jingsi loosen his hold and let her get out of bed.

A candle was still burning in the inner room. Su Luoqian went to the table and drank two small cups of water before her thirst was quenched.

She slept on the inside, so she inevitably brushed against Lu Jingsi as she climbed back into bed.

As soon as she lay down, his arm reached over and slipped around her waist with perfect ease, drawing her into his embrace.

Caught off guard, Su Luoqian bumped her freshly moistened red lips straight against his chest.