Chapter 12
With Xuemi around, Yuli’s time passed much faster.
Sometimes, making a cat climbing frame for Xuemi could take a whole day.
Xuemi’s personality was a bit more aloof than the average cat. She was clean and not very affectionate, but after Yuli made her a few meals with fish, she finally warmed up to Yuli.
Sometimes, she would play with Yuli, letting her stroke her belly and pretending to bite her fingers.
Yuli had a great time playing with her. Only Jingyu, who was watching from the side, was a little terrified, afraid that she would be scratched or bitten.
But Xuemi didn’t like Xie Yao. Every time Xie Yao came, she wouldn’t even enter the main room. The moment she saw him step into the courtyard, she would disappear.
Later, one time, she was sleeping on Yuli’s lap, a rare moment of closeness. Yuli couldn’t bear to move her and let her sleep, so she didn’t go to meet Xie Yao. He walked into the courtyard himself.
Before Yuli could react, Xuemi woke up first. In the blink of an eye, she jumped off Yuli’s lap, scurried along the wall, and disappeared.
Yuli occasionally didn’t go to meet Xie Yao, and he didn’t say anything. Yuli, on the other hand, felt a little embarrassed.
Her current life was what she had dreamed of: a big house, a cat, sleeping until she woke up naturally, and delicious food every day.
Yuli was grateful to Xie Yao and wanted to do something for him. He said he didn’t want her to tire herself out by cooking for him, so she only did it for him occasionally.
She knew what he wanted. He had already given so much; she couldn’t be stingy forever.
Yuli thought, she had gotten used to being in contact with him. They could take another step, from holding hands to hugging.
She was still incredibly shy, but she thought that if she did it, Xie Yao would not have any aversion or discomfort. He would be very happy, and maybe he would smile with unprecedented gentleness.
Then she would have contributed to him and not just be enjoying this divine life for free.
Yuli thought of some subtle ways and finally decided to ask Xie Yao to teach her how to write.
She was a modern person. Although she had no problem reading sentences in traditional characters, she was not so familiar with individual characters, and many she could only recognize but not write.
She was the daughter of an umbrella maker; it was normal for her not to be literate. She proposed to Jingyu that she wanted to learn to write. Jingyu immediately arranged for the four treasures of the study, all of which were exquisite, high-quality items.
She also prepared many books for children’s enlightenment and said that she would invite two private tutors for young ladies to teach her tomorrow.
Yuli’s intentions were not in the wine. She told her not to bother, lying that she had some foundation and could learn on her own.
Jingyu did not insist. Yuli picked up a brush and wrote a few characters. She didn’t know until she wrote that there was a world of difference between a brush and a hard-tipped pen. Her writing was too ugly.
Yuli folded the paper with her name on it and put it away, deciding to start with the basic strokes of dot, horizontal, left-falling, and right-falling.
Xiyun came by unintentionally and watched for a while.
Yuli: “How is it?”
Xiyun: “You should let Jingyu invite a private tutor. It’s free, so why not?”
Yuli: …
Yuli stopped writing. It was finally evening, and Xie Yao arrived.
Because she had a purpose in mind, Yuli paid close attention to him today, observing him with extra care.
It was almost midsummer. He was dressed lightly in a thin, jade-colored scholar’s robe with light pink cloud patterns. It was a gentle and romantic color scheme, not quite matching his temperament, but it did soften some of his coldness.
His eyes were always deep, his nose bridge high, and his lips rosy. Yuli was still amazed that he had once been disfigured, yet his skin could recover so well.
It was delicate and smooth, like honey under the lamplight, with a translucent and lustrous texture. In the warmer summer, it seemed as if it would flow.
“What’s wrong?”
Yuli was staring at him, engrossed. She was startled when his red lips parted and he spoke to her.
Yuli’s face flushed. She took a bite of food to hide her embarrassment.
Pretending to be nonchalant, she said, “I’ve been learning to write recently, but I can’t seem to get the hang of it. Could Husband give me some pointers?”
Yuli rarely made requests of him. She knew he would agree to some of her requests, but she didn’t want to owe him too much. And some of her requests, he would absolutely not agree to. So whenever she asked for something, she was extremely careful, prepared to be rejected.
Xie Yao looked at her for a while. She had been looking at him just now, he knew. Her ears had turned red when he interrupted her.
Xie Yao knew what she was doing every day, so he naturally knew that she wanted to learn to write but had refused to have a private tutor.
He was unaware of Yuli’s secret and subtle thoughts, but he had no reason to refuse such a request.
Xie Yao agreed, and Yuli smiled.
After the meal, they went to the study.
It was much fuller than when she had first arrived. Besides the desk and its supplies, there was also a bookshelf filled with many books.
Xie Yao glanced at them casually but didn’t pick one up to read.
Yuli laid out the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, picked up the brush, and wrote a few strokes, asking Xie Yao to take a look.
Xie Yao walked to her side. On the paper were a few scattered strokes. It was clear she was a beginner, not even as good as a five-year-old child.
Xie Yao’s expression was calm. He didn’t say anything, but took the brush from her, lifted his wrist, and wrote a few strokes.
“Just trace over this.”
Yuli looked at the strokes he had written. As expected of a native, even his casual writing was beautiful. In comparison, hers was just chicken scratch.
In this situation, it seemed she was extremely unqualified to ask him to teach her further.
That was true. He was busy with a myriad of state affairs; where would he find the time to teach her stroke by stroke?
Yuli was annoyed at her clumsy excuse. Seeing the huge difference in their writing, it would be good enough if Xie Yao didn’t look down on her. Where was the space to create an ambiguous atmosphere?
Yuli was silent for a moment. Xie Yao noticed, put down the brush, and held her wrist.
“You want me to teach you?”
Yuli paused and looked up at him. “Is that okay?”
Xie Yao: “I couldn’t ask for more.”
Yuli’s heart leaped.
There was finally him in her eyes. The corners of Xie Yao’s lips curled up slightly. He could hold her hand and teach her, getting very close to her.
Xie Yao thought so, and he did so. It was her request, so she naturally wouldn’t resist.
What she wrote was not important. What was important was this moment. Even if she couldn’t learn it in her lifetime, it didn’t matter. He didn’t need her to learn it for any purpose.
Xie Yao’s chest gently pressed against Yuli’s back. It was actually no different from a hug, but Yuli still wanted to hug him on her own initiative.
When Xie Yao let go of her hand to change to another piece of paper and turned slightly to the side, Yuli mustered all her courage, quickly opened her arms, and hugged his waist.
He looked tall, but his waist was very thin. Yuli’s arms just fit around it, able to hook her wrists.
To show that it was not an accident, that she was hugging him on her own initiative, she paused for a moment before letting go.
She wanted to thank him again. The word “thank” had just left her lips when Xie Yao turned back. Her arms loosened, but the person in front of her pressed closer. He pressed her back forcefully, and she was in his arms.
Yuli was a little unnatural but didn’t push him.
Xie Yao’s chest heaved greatly. He seemed a little excited. Yuli wanted to retreat, but the strength in his arms only increased.
Yuli looked up. Her vision darkened. Xie Yao’s face pressed down, and her lips grew warm, enveloped by soft, warm lips and tongue.
Yuli’s mind exploded.
The scent she was used to smelling was now so strong it filled her lungs. Her upper body felt as if it were tightly bound, unable to move. The sensation on her lips gradually deepened. The sound of breathing by her ear was like a drum, and she couldn’t tell if it was hers or Xie Yao’s.
Yuli wanted to push him away, but her body was stiff and unable to move.
Xie Yao became more aggressive, from gently kissing her lips to occupying her lips and tongue. It was as if he were possessed, nibbling and sucking deeply, as if to eat her.
Yuli finally felt a little scared and pushed him hard.
It didn’t budge his embrace at all, only stopping his plundering kiss.
Xie Yao separated their lips and tongues. He saw Yuli’s lips were bright red, her eyes brimming with tears, and her body was trembling.
Xie Yao frowned.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, his eyes already a little cold and deep.
Yuli was scared. She wanted him to let go of her, but she didn’t dare to say it.
In the end, it was Xie Yao who compromised and let her go.
Yuli retreated two steps, pressing her hand to her chest, panting heavily.
Seeing her like this, Xie Yao’s frown never relaxed.
Yuli rarely saw him frown. She had only occasionally seen his brow twitch slightly. Now, like this, he was probably furious.
She didn’t know what to do to appease him. She was still shaken and panicked, unable to compose herself.
Xie Yao calmed down before she did. He didn’t approach her again, but his expression did not warm up.
He said to rest well, turned, and left.
Yuli felt it was wrong to let him leave like this, but on the other hand, she was glad he hadn’t done anything more excessive. Her head was spinning, her lips and tongue still numb. In the end, she didn’t chase after him.
Xiyun met Xie Yao outside and could see that his expression was very gloomy.
She quickly pretended to be nonchalant and walked into the study. Seeing Yuli in a daze, she wanted to say something, but didn’t know where to start.
If Young Master Xie were to show his violent and murderous side to Yuli, any comfort would seem pale. If she broke the surface calm, Yuli would be scared, and Xiyun would be even more scared. The two of them would probably just hug and cry. It was better to just pretend not to know anything, to give each other some strength.
But Xiyun couldn’t help but worry about Yuli. She poured her some tea and brought Xuemi over, but Yuli only gave her a forced smile.
Yuli was not even in the mood to play with Xuemi. She was unsettled all night. When she went to bed, she was still replaying Xie Yao’s sudden, forceful kiss.
She had only hugged him. How could it make him lose control like that? Could it be that he had been suppressing his true nature all along, and had actually wanted to devour her long ago?
It was no wonder Yuli was so scared. The description of the bed scenes between the male lead and Song Yi in the original book was too brutal and bloody.
Yuli tried her best to prevent her and Xie Yao from following the original plot, but at that moment, she was shocked to realize that the plot might be unavoidable, because a person’s nature is hard to change.
Xie Yao’s personality was extraordinary. He only looked like a normal person, but he had a control desire that surpassed ordinary people. If he wanted something, even a person, he would not consider that person’s feelings. He just had to take it.
So although he said he was repaying a kindness, he had never asked if she was willing to marry him. He just gave her what he thought was the best, and she should rightfully be his wife.
There was no moon tonight, and the room was pitch black. Darkness amplifies people’s emotions and fears.
Yuli tossed and turned, only falling into a drowsy sleep in the middle of the night. In her dream, she seemed to have become the original heroine, Song Yi.
She learned that Mei Ziyu’s death was Xie Yao’s doing. Disheartened, she had the thought of dying together with Xie Yao.
Pretending not to know the truth, she secretly sharpened a silver hairpin into a sharp point, wanting to stab him in the heart when he was not prepared.
In the dream, Xie Yao’s expression overlapped with reality. He had no defense against her and was eating with her as usual. But she was Song Yi, and she wanted him dead.
She succeeded, but the silver hairpin was not a dagger after all. Xie Yao was only seriously injured, not dead.
And she was imprisoned until Xie Yao woke up, and then she was released.
She was starved for two days. The maid guarding her brought a sumptuous meal. Thinking she was about to be executed by Xie Yao, she ate without suspicion.
She was taken to Xie Yao’s residence. Xie Yao had just woken up from his serious injuries. His body was still wrapped in gauze, with faint bloodstains seeping through. His face was pale, his lips colorless, but the corners of his eyes were red, and his eyes were devoid of warmth.
She only wanted to die and was indifferent to his miserable state.
“You want to kill me?” Xie Yao asked.
The voice in the dream was muffled. Yuli knew it was a dream, but she couldn’t wake up, nor could she influence the direction of the dream.
She answered yes.
Xie Yao’s lips curled into a smile. It was a terrifying smile, a cold smile filled with gloom and cruelty. In reality, Yuli had never seen him with such an expression.
“For Mei Ziyu?” he asked again.
She answered yes again.
Xie Yao did not smile again, just stared at her until the poison took effect.
The food she had just eaten had been drugged with a potent aphrodisiac.
By the time she realized it, her legs were already weak, and sweat was pouring down her forehead.
She fell to the ground, still conscious, but her body was out of her control.
Xie Yao appeared before her. He looked extremely weak, but he was more than capable of restraining her.
She was picked up and thrown onto the bed. All her clothes were torn off. Pinpricks of pain were constantly branded on her body, but when he leaned over her, she actually felt a sense of pleasure. It was because of the poison.
It was a dream, but Yuli clearly felt disgust and shame.
She still wanted to resist, but he held her wrists with one hand and turned her face to face him. His eyes were full of violence, without a trace of lust, as if he were not being intimate with her, but torturing her.
Yuli instinctively felt fear. Then he leaned down and kissed her lips.
It was much more terrifying than in reality. He was rough, biting her lips and the tip of her tongue until they bled.
The smell of blood filled her mouth, but he didn’t stop, sucking on her wounds forcefully, as if to drink her blood.
Driven by the poison, her body felt both pain and pleasure. She even arched her back and rubbed against him.
But her mind was in extreme pain, and tears flowed endlessly. Xie Yao watched her coldly and finally possessed her. The wound on his chest broke open, soaking the gauze red. Blood flowed from his waist and abdomen, staining her body.
He looked down at her, spreading his blood on her body in swirls.
Again and again, her body was almost broken, her consciousness on the verge of fainting. Her skin was sticky and pulled; it was because his blood had dried.
Before she fainted, a sharp pain shot through her chest. He had leaned down and bitten her.
Yuli trembled all over and finally woke up from the dream.