Shut Up and Sleep

Su Luoqian's face flushed crimson with embarrassment. Biting her lip to hold back her body's trembling, she stumbled over her words.

"Lu... Jingsi, let go!"

She was completely restrained, her outer robe and inner garment pushed up over her chest and belly, blocking her view.

Unable to see, her other senses grew all the sharper.

Lu Jingsi's scorching breath washed over her. Unable to bear it, Su Luoqian gave in, her voice pitiful.

"Don't do this..."

"Don't do this..."

He still didn't answer her, but he finally withdrew his hand.

The strange sensation disappeared, and Su Luoqian felt a little relief.

But before she could catch her breath, Lu Jingsi raised his head. His dark eyes seemed to burn with fire as he stared intently at her.

A moment later, the man pressed a scorching kiss on her, his lips and tongue pushing in to entwine with hers.

Overbearing and forceful, it left her head spinning and her eyes misted with tears that threatened to fall.

Su Luoqian's clothes were still in disarray. Before long, she felt one of Lu Jingsi's large hands settle on her waist.

His palm was so hot that she couldn't help shrinking away. With her lips sealed by his, she let out a soft, broken protest. "No, we can't..."

Lu Jingsi's kisses gradually moved lower. He caught her earlobe between his teeth and said hoarsely, "I know."

Her eyes rimmed red, Su Luoqian stared blankly at the tiebacks on the bed frame, pressing her slightly tingling lips together.

If you know we can't, then what is your hand doing?

Lu Jingsi buried his face against her neck and tugged the brocade quilt over her with one large hand.

After that, he didn't move again, simply breathing in her faint fragrance.

He let most of his weight fall on her, his whole body covering hers. Su Luoqian could barely breathe under him and pushed at his shoulder.

"You're too heavy. Get up..."

The man breathed heavily without answering. A moment later, he finally rolled over and got out of bed.

Night had deepened outside. When the two of them came in, he had ordered all the servants away, and the inner room was now so quiet a pin could be heard dropping.

The window beside the dressing table was open only a crack. He walked over and raised a hand to open it, stood by the window in the night breeze for a while, then paced back to the table and drank a few mouthfuls of tea.

Su Luoqian hid beneath the brocade quilt and rustled as she straightened her clothes. She turned onto her side, tucked a hand beneath her cheek, and faced outward to watch him through the screen.

He soon finished the whole pot of lukewarm tea.

The man sat with his long legs spread, his presence still commanding even while seated.

His shoulders and back were straight, and his profile was stern and handsome.

He wore an ink-black satin robe today, with a fine jade pendant hanging beneath his sash.

The pendant's tassel hung down naturally as he sat.

Su Luoqian's roving gaze seemed to settle around the tassel of its own accord.

Lu Jingsi was some distance away now, and with the screen between them, she grew a little bolder.

She made no attempt to hide her curious gaze.

That morning in bed, she had been so dazed, like a lone boat adrift amid the waves, that she hadn't dared look at him at all.

But now...

The tips of Su Luoqian's ears instantly turned red.

As she watched, the man by the table seemed to find that neither the night breeze nor the cool water could suppress the urge. He rose, pushed open the door, and went straight out.

Su Luoqian faintly heard him tell Fulin to prepare water.

After Lu Jingsi left, the room fell quiet again.

She thought for a moment, then carefully got out of bed, pulled open the dressing table drawer, and took out a wooden box.

Ever since returning from Cui Anlan's birthday banquet, she had kept the box in the drawer without opening it.

What Cui Anlan had said that day echoed in her ears.

Su Luoqian placed her slender fingers on the clasp and flicked it lightly. It sprang open with a click.

Inside was a small blue-covered booklet. Nothing could be discerned from its cover.

She picked it up and flipped through it casually.

Within a few breaths, Su Luoqian's fair cheeks were burning crimson, and the tip of her pert nose had turned pink.

This...

How could there be this and that, so many different ways?

Was Mother really right? Could this really spare me some suffering?

So a man and a woman could do it like this too...

Both embarrassed and curious, Su Luoqian held the booklet and turned several more pages, until the sound of the door opening came from outside.

Creak—

Her heart gave a violent leap, and her face went pale with fright. In a panic, she hurriedly put the booklet back in the wooden box and stuffed the box back into the drawer.

There was a "clack," neither loud nor soft.

It was the sound of the drawer closing.

Su Luoqian turned around, guiltily smoothing the stray hair by her ear as she looked demurely toward the door.

That was the sight that greeted Lu Jingsi when he entered.

His brows lifted slightly, and after his bath, his cool gaze fell on the drawer she had hastily shut, but he said nothing.

He crossed the room in a few steps and held out his hand. A small white porcelain bottle lay in his broad palm.

Su Luoqian looked up in puzzlement. "What's this?"

"Ointment."

Her expression was a little awkward, but also curious. "Where did it come from?"

How did he come back from a bath with a bottle of ointment?

Lu Jingsi answered matter-of-factly, "The residence physician had some."

Su Luoqian said, "..."

"Oh."

She gripped the bottle tightly, forced down the embarrassment in her heart, and rose to go to the small bathing room behind the screen in the inner room.

Judging by Lu Jingsi's manner, he was sure to stay in the main room again tonight. She had just received the ointment from him, so she was too embarrassed to send him away.

She could only go to the small bathing room to apply the ointment away from him.

But the place she had to apply it was truly embarrassing.

Su Luoqian bit her lip and endured it until her pretty face flushed crimson and a fine sweat appeared on her forehead and the tip of her nose. Only then did she manage to apply it roughly.

A moment later, she steadied herself, then walked around the screen and returned to the bed.

Most of the candles in the room had been extinguished. Lu Jingsi, dressed only in his inner garments, sat on the edge of the bed. When he saw her come out, he turned and climbed into bed.

Su Luoqian took off her embroidered shoes and lay down on the inner side.

The bed curtains were lowered, leaving the space within dim.

The man gathered her into his arms and lowered his head to kiss her lips. The gesture was natural, even somewhat gentle.

In the stillness, only his breath surrounded her.

Su Luoqian's heart suddenly began to race.

The fabric of their inner garments was light and soft, doing nothing to lessen his body heat as it pressed against her skin without a barrier.

She was silent for a moment, but in the end she spoke. "How about you sleep in the side room of the study for the next few days?"

His presence was too hard to ignore, and it was pressing uncomfortably against her. Presumably, he wasn't much better off.

At her words, the air around Lu Jingsi grew a little heavier.

Only after a long while did he coldly spit out four words. "Shut up and sleep."