Unable to Stop

The natural disaster revealed the Su Family's wealth.

Before then, everyone in the land had known the Su Family was wealthy, but none had known just how wealthy it was.

The emperor grew suspicious and wanted to bring the Su Family into his service.

At the time, Lu Jingsi had investigated the Su Family.

Naturally, he knew what Su Luoqian looked like, and he also knew that both Duan Bowen, Earl Wenchang, and Yin Qiyao, heir to the Marquis of Rongning, had been eyeing her like tigers eyeing their prey.

Whether it was she herself or the Su Family's wealth behind her, both drew the covetous gazes of others.

When Lu Jingsi requested an imperial decree from His Majesty, he had already been certain that Su Luoqian had no room to choose or refuse.

In the end, just as he had expected, Su Luoqian agreed to the marriage.

There was His Majesty's personal decree, a date selected by the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, the three letters and six betrothal rites, and a proper wedding with a matchmaker...

Everything was there. The only thing missing between the two of them was affection.

Lu Jingsi did not care about any of that, but lately, he seemed to be growing more and more addicted to her...

He had never considered himself a lustful man.

In Great Jin, there was no shortage of men who frequented brothels and pleasure houses.

But Lu Jingsi had hardly ever set foot in such places. It was not that he was particularly noble and virtuous; he was fastidious by nature and disdained being like other men.

Before meeting Su Luoqian, he had even thought he could take or leave such things.

But now, he found himself somewhat unable to stop wanting her.

At the thought, Lu Jingsi fixed his gaze on her without the slightest concealment, its heat almost enough to burn.

His stare made Su Luoqian's heart tremble. She could only find something to say. "I'd like to go back to the Su residence tomorrow."

At her words, Lu Jingsi's eyes shifted slightly.

She hurried to explain, "Don't worry. My going back has nothing to do with Su Youqing. I just thought I'd go home and see my parents for the festival."

None of Great Jin's customs for the Qiqiao Festival had anything to do with a married daughter returning to her parents' home.

But Su Luoqian wanted to return to the Su residence, so she did not concern herself with all that. It was a festival, anyway, and she used it as an excuse.

In truth, she did not need to explain herself so thoroughly to Lu Jingsi if she wanted to return to the Su residence. It was just that the matter with Su Youqing had happened recently, and she did not want him to misunderstand anything.

Lu Jingsi looked away. "I'll accompany you tomorrow."

"There's no need for that."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she realized she had refused too quickly and directly. She cleared her throat. "You're busy with official duties at the Prison Administration, so I won't trouble you, Your Highness."

Since she had put it that way, Lu Jingsi did not insist.

There was, however, something he suddenly wanted to know Su Luoqian's thoughts on.

So he asked her directly, "What do you think of Su Youqing, Princess?"

Su Luoqian's delicate brows drew together slightly. "I thought I made myself very clear that day."

Seeing how cautious she was, Lu Jingsi curved his lips, flecks of amusement hidden in his dark eyes. "I meant nothing else by it. Speak freely, Princess."

"Really?"

"Of course."

Su Luoqian held her cup and took a sip of green plum wine before answering, "He's timid as a mouse and unfit to be an official."

"If he were just an ordinary commoner, it would be understandable for him to be a little fearful and hesitant. But his ambition is to take the examinations and enter officialdom."

"Though I, Su Luoqian, am a woman, even I understand that an official must be honest and upright, courageous and resourceful."

"But Su Youqing is afraid of his own shadow, timid and fearful of trouble."

In Su Luoqian's seventeen years of life, Lu Jingsi was the court official she had spent the most time with. With such an outstanding example before her, her standards were naturally higher.

She knew in her heart that Lu Jingsi was among the finest in Great Jin's court, but even if she cut the standard he set in half, the measure she arrived at in her heart was still not one a person like Su Youqing could ever meet.

When she finished speaking, Su Luoqian turned her clear, limpid almond eyes toward him. Even after drinking wine, her gaze remained pure and bright.

Lu Jingsi had always known Su Luoqian was clever, but he had never imagined her understanding was so clear.

She was quick-witted, perceptive, and bright in both eye and heart.

He stared at her for a long time. At last, his lips suddenly curved into a smile, and he tipped his head back and drank two cups of green plum wine in succession.

The speed at which he drank made Su Luoqian frown slightly. "Are you drowning your sorrows in wine, Your Highness? Why are you drinking so fast?"

Lu Jingsi's brows relaxed slightly. "It's because you brewed such good fruit wine, Princess."

It was rare for him to offer such sincere praise, and Su Luoqian could not help laughing softly, as if in mild mockery and yet also in jest. "It's truly not easy to earn a word of praise from Prince Cheng'an."

Lu Jingsi replied without missing a beat, "Didn't I praise you just a few days ago?"

"When?"

Puzzled, Su Luoqian pursed her lips and thought for a while, but still could not remember.

Lu Jingsi took the pitcher by its handle and poured her some wine, his tone perfectly casual.

"In bed. You said you couldn't take it, and I praised you..."

For taking it so well.

"Shut up!"

Before he could finish, Su Luoqian's face was already flushed crimson. Her almond eyes widened as she glared at him, both embarrassed and angry.

"How can you be so shameless?"

Su Luoqian's hand covered Lu Jingsi's mouth, and his dark eyes beneath his swordlike brows gazed straight at her, their depths unfathomable.

He pulled her hand down and held it in his palm.

"Between husband and wife, this is flirtation."

Hearing that, Su Luoqian clicked her tongue inwardly, pulled her hand back, and stopped arguing with him about it.

No matter what she said, she could never win an argument with him.

She finally understood: when it came to such things, Lu Jingsi was especially... shameless.

In both deed and word.

A moment of silence fell between them, so quiet that they could hear the splash and churn of water as the boat passed over the lake.

The windows were wide open, and the evening breeze over the lake was especially cool on the summer night. Su Luoqian looked away from him and was about to move toward the window, but just as she rose, the man caught her around the waist with his long arm and pulled her back.

In the blink of an eye, she landed on his lap.

The fabric of her dress was thin, and even through both their clothes, she could distinctly feel the warmth of his body.

Su Luoqian's cheeks turned completely red. She struggled, but could not break free.

Lu Jingsi's slightly heated breath fell against her neck, and she did not dare turn to face him.

What she did not know, however, was that this movement left her small, lustrous earlobe exposed to his gaze.

A small red jade lantern earring hung from it, swaying gently as she moved, as though sending ripples through his cold, somber heart.

Lu Jingsi's eyes darkened abruptly. He lowered his head, took that smooth, jade-like earlobe between his lips, and curled his tongue around it.

Su Luoqian felt a softness at the base of her ear, and a tingling sensation spread from there through her entire body.

"Lu Jingsi..."

The hand she had been pressing against his chest could not help clutching the crossed collar at his breast, her voice coming out in fragments.

Lu Jingsi tightened his large hand around her slender waist and pressed her into his embrace.

The boat cabin was so quiet that their intimate sounds could be heard, mingling with laughter from the other pleasure boats outside on the lake, making it all the more embarrassing.

Su Luoqian lay against his shoulder and whispered, "We're on a boat..."

Lu Jingsi's voice was low and husky. "Don't worry. No one would dare come."

But he had barely finished speaking when footsteps sounded outside, followed immediately by Chengying's voice.

"Your Highness."

If Chengying had come to report, it had to be something important.

Lu Jingsi was breathing terribly hard, yet he forced himself to stop. After a moment to regain his composure, he set her on the chaise beside him, then turned and strode quickly outside.