Chapter 29
The scent on Xie Yao’s body was mixed. Yuli was extremely repulsed. She pushed him in a flurry, but Xie Yao didn’t budge. He could even free a hand to untie his own clothes.
He caressed Yuli with skill. Yuli’s strength gradually weakened, her legs went soft, and she slid down, only to sit on his raised leg.
Yuli was completely pressed against Xie Yao’s scorching body, as if she were being roasted. His kisses landed on her, with a force she had never felt before.
His actions were too strange. According to the original novel, he had never touched another woman. Now that she suspected him, he didn’t explain. She went along with him, letting him take a concubine, and he got angry. Now, she wouldn’t let him take a concubine, but he seemed even more furious.
Could it be that she was still in the angsty novel plot, and had to go through those physically and mentally tormenting bed scenes?
A flash of fear crossed Yuli’s mind.
Xie Yao’s kisses were a little painful, but he was not rough with her. He was still doing foreplay as usual, just a little more eager.
“Wait…” Yuli panted, pushing him hard.
Xie Yao’s fingers explored downwards, murmuring her name, “Yuli.”
The moment she thought that he might have touched another woman, Yuli was extremely repulsed. Just now, they had parted on bad terms. He had left without a word. She had bathed, gone to bed, and had already thought it through while waiting for a long time.
She was a modern person. Although she didn’t care about chastity, she cared about loyalty. As long as they were together, both body and mind had to be clean. If he felt that she was not good and had a change of heart, he had to end the relationship before finding someone else.
And Xie Yao had once said that they were husband and wife, so they were husband and wife.
As her husband, let alone being the regent, even if he were the emperor, no, even if he were the Jade Emperor, he could only have her!
Yuli curled her legs, not cooperating, struggling, twisting his back. When she couldn’t twist it, she turned to twist his waist.
She pinched a tiny bit of flesh with two fingers, squeezed it tight, and twisted it four or five times.
Xie Yao finally felt the pain and stopped, as if he had only just noticed Yuli’s resistance. The look in his eyes was a little dazed and innocent.
“Let me down first,” Yuli said, her voice soft, afraid of angering him.
Xie Yao stared at her. He saw a red mark under her collarbone. He had made it. It must have hurt a lot. Yuli’s eyes were moist, but her expression was calm, and she didn’t look angry.
Xie Yao put down his leg and placed Yuli on the ground.
Yuli stood properly, picked up the nightgown on the ground, and put it on. Xie Yao was close by, blocking the lantern in the room behind him. His expression was unclear. She could only see him purse his lips, wanting to touch her, but he pulled his hand back.
Xie Yao said nothing.
Yuli thought she had already made herself clear enough just now. Why didn’t he explain a single word?
Yuli was angry in her heart and wanted to question him or drive him out. But he was not normal tonight, with a bit of the madness from the original novel. If she was not careful, it would probably get out of hand.
Yuli forced herself to calm down. She couldn’t anger him, but she couldn’t just let this matter drop either.
Yuli thought while putting on her nightgown. Xie Yao watched her without moving, not putting on his own clothes, nor moving away a single step.
Under the shadow of his naked figure, Yuli took a deep breath and looked at him. “Where did you go just now?”
To kill people, kill cats, chop down trees.
He couldn’t say.
Xie Yao was silent.
Yuli was also silent for a moment, then took another breath and asked, “What’s with the smell of cosmetics on you?”
“I got it at a banquet.”
“How far did you go with those…?” Yuli felt ashamed to ask this, but she had to communicate to save the situation.
Xie Yao took a step towards her. “I haven’t touched them.”
Yuli was pressed against the door. “Don’t come over.”
A grim, cold aura emanated from Xie Yao.
Yuli found it difficult to breathe. She was both scared and couldn’t control her revulsion. She tried her best to calm down and maintain a normal tone. “It doesn’t smell good. You should go and wash first.”
Xie Yao put away his grim coldness, stood for a moment, and then walked towards Yuli.
Yuli had nowhere to retreat.
Xie Yao gently held her. Yuli still leaned back and turned her head away, resisting his intimacy.
Xie Yao lowered his head, pressed his face against hers, and whispered in her ear, “I would never touch anyone else. How can I make you believe me?”
“I believe you,” Yuli said.
Xie Yao stiffened for a moment.
Yuli’s head was turned away, her expression full of fatigue.
“Go and take a bath. It’s very late, and I’m tired.”
Xie Yao paused, then let her go.
The sound of water splashed in the bathroom. Yuli lay in bed, her side facing inwards.
She was indeed very tired, but she couldn’t sleep.
Whether Xie Yao had another woman or not was a separate matter. His abnormality these past two days made her uneasy and disappointed.
From the moment she smelled the scent on him, she had begun to feel a sense of gain and loss. And tonight, his sudden departure had made her feel abandoned.
She didn’t like this feeling. She had experienced many setbacks in her past life and thought she had cultivated a stable emotional state, not placing her hopes on others’ friendship or her own future.
But after seeing him these past two days, her joys and sorrows were all tied to him, which gave her a sense of panic of losing control of her own emotions.
Tonight, he had sworn that he had no other woman, but Yuli felt that it was not that important anymore.
She was always in a weak position, at his mercy. Even if he wanted to have it all, what could she do?
On second thought, if Xie Yao had someone else, he might get tired of her. If she were to leave, would he not chase after her?
At this thought, she was extremely glad that she had not completely accepted Xie Yao’s keeping, and had not been raised to be lazy. If Xie Yao really had someone else, she could leave. She had the ability to support herself. She didn’t have to live with such a disgusting shame.
Xie Yao took a long bath. Yuli had already thought of where to go and what business to do after leaving.
Although Yuli had left a lamp on for Xie Yao, she had lowered the bed curtains, her face turned inwards, her body curled up.
Hearing Xie Yao’s slow steps approaching, she tried her best to keep her breathing steady, so that he would think she was already asleep.
She didn’t want to face him.
She felt Xie Yao sit down by the bed, but he didn’t extinguish the light. Yuli’s heart rose.
Yuli’s breathing hitched. Although it was only for a moment, Xie Yao knew she was not asleep and was trying to pretend to be.
Xie Yao lay down, looked at her back for a while, and slowly moved over, pressing against her.
“I’ve washed clean,” he said, pressing his lips against Yuli’s earlobe. “Smell me.”
Yuli stiffened for a moment, her breathing heavy. “I’m tired.”
Xie Yao paused for a moment. Yuli’s elbow moved back, pressing against his chest.
“Go to sleep,” she said vaguely, as if she were really extremely tired.
After Yuli finished speaking, she felt that his body was no longer pressing against her, and the temperature also gradually cooled down. He finally moved away.
Yuli was relieved. She tried her best to calm her mind and counted her breaths to prepare for sleep.
Suddenly, she heard Xie Yao get up, get out of bed, the light was extinguished, and he did not get back into bed for a long time.
That’s good. If he got tired of her, bored of her, she would be one step closer to freedom.
It would definitely be difficult to get used to at first, but she had the ability to earn money and was not afraid of hardship. Sooner or later, she could buy her own house…
Yuli’s mind was in a mess. She clutched the corner of the quilt and turned over.
It was almost the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the moonlight outside was very bright. The empty bed could be seen.
Yuli lay flat, telling herself not to care.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, the bed curtains trembled, and a dark figure blocked the faint light.
Yuli instinctively felt danger, opened her eyes wide, and saw a familiar figure. Just as she was about to breathe a sigh of relief, her wrist outside the quilt was suddenly held by him.
Then, a cold object was stuffed into her hand.
Yuli subconsciously wanted to throw it away, but Xie Yao held her hand and the thing in her hand without letting go.
Yuli couldn’t throw it away, nor could she pull her hand out.
The thing in her hand was long and flashed with a bright light.
“What is this?” Yuli struggled with her fingers but couldn’t break free at all.
Xie Yao pulled her up. Yuli sat up, and he knelt in front of her.
“A knife,” he panted.
Yuli was terrified. She looked up and saw a tall figure looming over her, like an unlit darkness. She could only see the outline illuminated by the slanting moonlight, pale and dejected. But in his eyes, there was a sharp light that was a mixture of fanaticism and coldness.
Yuli felt a chill all over and trembled with fear.
“If you still doubt me. Stab here,” Xie Yao said.
His tone could be said to be calm and gentle, but in the dark night, it was like the whisper of a mad demon.
The cold light of the short knife was aimed at Xie Yao’s heart. Yuli desperately retreated. Xie Yao held her palm and arm with both hands and pulled her forward inch by inch.
“I believe you, stop!” Yuli cried out urgently.
“Is that so?” Xie Yao’s force did not decrease, and he continued to move forward.
“Yes, let go!”
The tip of the knife did not stop and touched Xie Yao’s clothes. Yuli was so scared she was about to cry.
“Stop, killing is against the law!” Yuli shouted.
The tip of the knife pressed against his skin, but he finally stopped.
Yuli pulled back with all her might, afraid that he would suddenly use force and the knife would plunge into his chest.
“I won’t die,” she heard him slowly say three words, and his palms tightened again.
“Help!” Yuli’s hair stood on end, and she cried out in terror.
It was as if the tip of the knife were aimed at her, not Xie Yao.
Xie Yao didn’t move again. But he had no intention of letting her go.
Yuli cried out excitedly, “Even if you don’t die, it’s intentional injury! You’ll go to jail!”
Xie Yao said calmly, “The matter between you and me, I will not report to the authorities.”
“No, no! I don’t want to hurt anyone, I don’t want to kill anyone, let me go, I beg you, I don’t doubt you anymore, I believe you, I don’t want domestic violence, don’t make me commit a crime!” Yuli cried and shouted.
Xie Yao stiffened for a moment and finally loosened his grip.
Yuli struggled to free her hand, found a gap, straightened up, passed over Xie Yao, and threw the knife out with all her might.
Then she quickly got out of bed, went to light a lamp, and walked over with the candlestick.
The candlelight was not yet steady. She stood in front of Xie Yao, took a deep breath, lifted his collar, pulled it down, and saw a spot of red.
Xie Yao’s chest heaved, and the blood gradually spread. It was just that the tip of the knife had pierced a little of his skin, but Yuli felt faint at the sight of blood.
Is he crazy! Is he crazy!
Yuli looked at Xie Yao with an angry face, but she saw him looking at her, staring at her without blinking. His Adam’s apple moved, and he opened his mouth, but said nothing.
He looked calm and innocent, as if he didn’t know what a crazy thing he had just done.
It made Yuli feel that she was the crazy one for shouting, crying, and making a fuss.
Yuli swallowed the words she was about to scold him with and turned to concern. “You’re bleeding. Should I call a doctor?”
“It’s nothing,” Xie Yao said, and his eyes immediately became deep again, showing no emotion.
Yuli also calmed down. The wound was indeed not serious, just a scratch on the skin. It was no longer bleeding and should heal in a few days.
He wanted to reach out and pull Yuli.
“Don’t move!” Yuli shouted at him.
Xie Yao’s chest heaved, but he didn’t move again.
Before he could react, Yuli, holding the candlestick, searched on the ground, found the short knife, and then asked Xie Yao for the scabbard, fastened it, and placed it far away from the bed.
After Yuli had done everything, she heard a knock on the door from outside. Yuli went to the door.
It was Xiyun, who had heard the commotion inside and had come to check.
“Mistress, are you alright?” Xiyun’s voice trembled.
Yuli opened the door and smiled at her. “It’s alright. Go to sleep.”
Xiyun left, looking back every three steps. Yuli returned to the bedchamber. Xie Yao was still sitting. She subconsciously glanced at the short knife.
It hadn’t moved.
Her heart gradually calmed down. She took a few deep breaths and belatedly felt a coldness on her forehead. Only then did she realize that she was almost drenched in sweat. Just now, she had been terrified and panicked. Now that she was relieved, she had no strength left.
Xie Yao had been sitting on the edge of the bed, watching her, his expression unreadable, but it seemed he would not go crazy again.
Only then did Yuli walk towards Xie Yao. She walked to the bed and said to him softly, “It’s very late. I believe you. We won’t mention this matter again. Go to sleep.”
Xie Yao didn’t move. Yuli sighed in her heart, hugged him, and exaggeratedly sniffed his neck. “The smell of soap, so fragrant.”
Xie Yao raised his hand to hold her and moved his lips as if to say something, but in the end, he only hummed in agreement.
Yuli’s energy was completely exhausted, and she threw all her complex thoughts to the back of her mind. However, once her mind was empty, she couldn’t sleep even more.
A scene from the original novel that had flashed through her mind just now became clear.
After the original heroine, Song Yi, had escaped three times and everyone around her was dead, she seemed to have lost her spirit and no longer opposed Xie Yao. She submitted to him and accepted his good and bad.
So Xie Yao thought she had resigned herself to her fate and also softened. In order to make their relationship closer, he deliberately got injured in an assassination attempt, wanting to arouse Song Yi’s compassion.
But when Song Yi saw him injured, she had the hope of escaping again. She pretended to be worried about him and took care of him. She poisoned Xie Yao’s medicine and then took the opportunity to escape.
Xie Yao was poisoned and once again survived. He dragged his weak body to track down Song Yi.
When he found Song Yi, he looked at her weak face, and she laughed through her tears and asked him, “Why aren’t you dead yet?”
So Xie Yao gave her the knife and held her hand to stab himself. “I killed your old lover, and you have killed me three times. We’re even.”
Song Yi cried and laughed, cursing him as a madman.
When Yuli read the novel, she thought the mutual torment of the psycho couple was so thrilling. But now she felt that they were both so terrifying and pitiful.
She wanted to ask the author if she had a heart, why she had created such a crazy and miserable male lead, why she had let the female lead meet a psycho, and forced her, who was kind by nature, to commit murder.
Of course, Yuli was more concerned about her own fate. Xie Yao’s sudden madness was certainly related to her, but who would let their wife stab them just because of a quarrel!
Did he really not have a mental disorder?
Yuli opened her eyes in the darkness and secretly looked at Xie Yao. He had his eyes closed and had no physical contact with her. His face was as pale as snow, his lips tightly pursed. His nose bridge and lip line were perfect. His eyelashes were thick, and his jaw was neither narrow nor wide. Just looking at his profile, one would never have thought he was a madman.
Yuli couldn’t help but be in a daze.
Was the husband she shared a bed with a real person, or a puppet controlled by the plot?