Don't Ruin Teacher's Painting

The main room of the main courtyard.

Su Luoqian had slept her fill, but her body was still tired. She sat listlessly before the dressing mirror, leaning back against Zelan.

"Don't put my hair up."

She wasn't going out today anyway, and at this hour, there probably wouldn't be any visitors.

If she put it up, she'd have to take it down again before long. What a bother.

Zelan answered softly, "Yes, Princess Consort."

She stopped arranging Su Luoqian's hair and took up a wooden comb to brush it instead.

Lowering her eyes slightly, she saw the red marks scattered across the princess consort's slender, delicate neck.

Zelan's ears immediately turned red. Distracted, she tugged Su Luoqian's hair hard enough to hurt.

"Ow..."

"Zelan, you're hurting me."

Su Luoqian's delicate brows knitted slightly. She kept her eyes closed and remained leaning against Zelan, protesting softly in a petulant voice.

Zelan caught her breath. "I'll be more careful."

The princess consort's body was growing ever more delicate and soft. Even Zelan, a woman herself, couldn't help blushing at the sight.

And that sound just now had been so sweet and soft, mingled with who knew how much tenderness and allure.

Su Luoqian's thighs ached unbearably, and her wrists were still sore and weak after being bound for so long, even after a full sleep.

She pouted and said softly, "I won't have dinner."

Even lifting silver chopsticks seemed like too much effort.

No sooner had she spoken than steady footsteps sounded outside, before Zelan could answer.

Then came a voice. "Why aren't you having dinner?"

Su Luoqian opened her eyes and looked toward the door, where Lu Jingsi's tall, slender figure stood.

A little maid behind him was trembling. Clearly, she had tried to announce him but had been stopped.

Su Luoqian raised a hand and delicately covered her lips as she gave a little yawn. She rose and sat down at the round table before answering, "I have no strength."

Lu Jingsi dismissed Zelan and the little maid from the room.

Fulin brought the other servants into the main room and served dinner on the table in the inner hall.

Lu Jingsi came around the screen and stopped before her. His voice was neither warm nor cold. "All the more reason to eat."

Su Luoqian raised her eyes and glared at him.

Wasn't he the reason she had no strength?

She was glaring, but the fleeting glance held no threat for Lu Jingsi.

It was more like she was casting him a tender glance.

Only then did he notice the change in her.

She was still the same person, with the same features and figure.

Yet to him, she was like a lovely flower bud drenched by rain in the dead of night, now blooming in all its graceful beauty.

There was a seductive charm to her that paid no heed to whether others lived or died.

Lu Jingsi's eyes darkened slightly. He put a large hand behind his back and clenched it into a fist.

Outside the screen, Fulin was softly inviting the prince and princess consort to dine.

Inside the screen, one of them stood and the other sat, neither moving.

Su Luoqian felt helpless.

She knew she would have to eat tonight whether she wanted to or not.

She could only rise and walk slowly, bearing the discomfort below.

But she had little appetite. After drinking a small bowl of soup that had been served for her and eating a few bites of the dishes Zelan had placed on her plate, she stopped.

Lu Jingsi glanced sideways at her.

He didn't like to eat much at dinner, but unlike her, he didn't have an appetite as small as a young animal's, eating so little.

A moment later, he too set down his silver chopsticks.

He said, "Grand Tutor Yan visited today and mentioned the Painting of a Walking Horse..."

At that, Su Luoqian perked up a little.

Her bright almond-shaped eyes fixed on him as she waited for him to continue.

But Lu Jingsi said no more. Instead, he met her gaze, his dark eyes deep and seemingly devoid of emotion.

"Don't you have anything to say, Princess Consort? About the banquet that day."

Hearing this, Su Luoqian finally understood.

She answered matter-of-factly, "You wouldn't be interested in the petty scheming and squabbling among women, Your Highness."

Xu Yin had rushed to make a fool of herself at the banquet only because she had no brains, and because Kong Cuilian had egged her on.

Even Su Luoqian had scarcely given the matter any thought, much less told him about it.

Besides, the relationship between husband and wife wasn't close enough for that.

Still, having said that much, Su Luoqian added, "Besides, I didn't disgrace you, the illustrious Prince Cheng'an."

But Lu Jingsi didn't care about that.

He was silent for a moment before saying, "Teacher wants you to inscribe the poem from that day on the painting. The Painting of a Walking Horse is in the study now."

Su Luoqian's eyes brightened slightly. "Shall I go now, then?"

This was Su Luoqian's first visit to his study.

The furnishings and decorations in the room were just like his bearing.

Everything in it was precious and exquisite, but the arrangement was clean and orderly.

The ink on the desk was half dry, and a faint scent of it drifted through the study.

Lu Jingsi went farther inside, took out the Painting of a Walking Horse that he had put away that afternoon, and unrolled it on the desk.

The Painting of a Walking Horse was grand and imposing, yet held an underlying desolation. The poem Su Luoqian had recited that day suited it perfectly.

There was a blank space in the upper right corner of the paper, just right for adding the poem.

Su Luoqian had no intention of asking the esteemed Prince Cheng'an to do it. Bearing the soreness in her wrists, she ground the ink herself.

Lu Jingsi stood beside her, his body turned slightly as he watched her every movement.

Her outer robe was loosely tied, and her long hair hung down her back, a few strands falling over her chest.

Her lovely, subtly alluring face was free of powder and rouge, yet her lips were still rosy.

She looked a little tired and languid.

Her hands were uncomfortable, and grinding the ink had already cost Su Luoqian quite a bit of strength.

Now, as she picked up the brush, her fair wrist couldn't help trembling.

She took a deep breath and dipped the wolf-hair brush in ink. Just as she was about to put it to paper—

The man beside her suddenly leaned in, and a large hand covered the one holding her brush.

He cupped it and gripped it tight.

The warmth and roughness against the back of her hand made Su Luoqian's heart tremble, and she instinctively turned to look at him.

He was so close that there was scarcely any space between them. As she turned her head slightly, her forehead brushed lightly against his sharp, hard jaw.

Lu Jingsi's own crisp, pleasant scent washed over her.

Su Luoqian abruptly remembered what the two of them had done in bed at dawn, and her ears reddened without warning.

The color spread all the way down her neck.

She lowered her eyes and asked, "What are you doing?"

Lu Jingsi's low, deep voice came from above her. She could even feel the vibration of the slight prominence in his throat as he spoke.

"Don't ruin Teacher's painting."

A poem inscribed on a painting had to be written in one uninterrupted flow. If ink accidentally dripped onto it, the painting would be ruined.

Su Luoqian managed to collect herself.

The man behind her held her hand like that, leaning slightly over her as he guided her brush across the paper. Their strokes moved like dragons and snakes, their hand never stopping.

Before long, the inscription was finished.

The strokes were vigorous and powerful, with a slightly sharp edge.

Su Luoqian stared at the poem with clear eyes. No matter how she looked at it, it didn't seem much like her own handwriting.

Lu Jingsi put the wolf-hair brush down, then took her hand and drew it in front of him.

He pushed back her wide sleeve, revealing a ring of red around her delicate wrist.

It stood out starkly against her slender, pale skin.

It had been left by the strap that had bound her wrist.