“After I went out on business last night, you didn’t leave the inn again, did you?”
“No, absolutely not.”
Su Mu shook her head vigorously. Her soft little feet, hidden under the quilt, trembled in fear.
What did Chen Qing mean by suddenly asking this? Was she testing her?
But if she knew Su Mu had sneaked out, she wouldn’t probe so leisurely. She would pin Su Mu straight down on the bed and punish her harshly.
“Really not?”
Chen Qing closed in on Su Mu, her scarlet eyes exuding pressure. The chill in those eyes made Su Mu’s heart thump wildly.
But Su Mu knew she absolutely couldn’t be intimidated now and admit it easily.
If she confessed, regardless of whether Chen Qing actually knew she’d sneaked out, she would still be severely punished.
If she stuck to her denial, maybe it was just a test, and she might have a slim chance of survival.
So Su Mu looked at Chen Qing firmly, her pretty eyes filled with sincerity as she said seriously, “I absolutely did not go out. If I’m lying, you can fuck me for three days and three nights, and I won’t cry and beg for mercy.”
Looking at Su Mu’s earnest gaze, Chen Qing nearly laughed in anger.
She was usually so timid and scared in front of her, yet now she was lying so boldly.
If Chen Qing hadn’t followed Su Mu the entire time last night while she sneaked out, she might have been fooled by that sincere expression and solemn oath.
It seemed her punishments still weren’t severe enough—Su Mu even dared to lie to her.
“I heard the inn’s waiter say he saw you go out last night.”
“N-No, he must have seen wrong.”
Chen Qing’s words instantly shattered Su Mu’s firm facade.
She had been so cautious; the waiter shouldn’t have seen her. Had she overlooked something?
The thought that Chen Qing might have learned from the waiter that she’d sneaked out made Su Mu’s little heart pound uncontrollably.
A hint of panic crept into her eyes as she looked at Chen Qing.
“Did he see wrong?”
Chen Qing had already reached the bedside, staring at Su Mu with a teasing look.
Under that gaze, Su Mu felt as if her innermost thoughts were laid bare, completely exposed and naked before her.
“D-Definitely, he saw wrong. After I fell asleep last night, I didn’t get up again.”
Faced with Chen Qing’s overwhelming pressure, Su Mu’s slender body instinctively shrank back toward the inside of the bed.
Her delicate little hands nervously clutched the bedsheet beneath her.
Though her heart was panicking like mad, she tried her best to appear calm on the surface.
“Slept very well, huh?”
Chen Qing leaned down, her teasing gaze now laced with a warning chill.
“B-Because I was pretty tired, hehe.”
Su Mu huddled into the farthest corner of the bed; she couldn’t shrink back any further.
Her safe space was steadily being compressed by Chen Qing, and the air grew thick with a sense of impending doom.
While scrambling for excuses to fend off Chen Qing, Su Mu flashed her an innocent, harmless smile, trying to quell her suspicions.
Watching the Traitorous Shizun in front of her put on such a dramatic performance, Chen Qing felt a surge of irritation.
“Shizun’s got quite the silver tongue.”
Chen Qing forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes at Su Mu. Seeing that ‘strained’ smile on Chen Qing’s face made Su Mu’s heart thump even harder.
That ominous feeling was growing thicker by the second.
“N-No, I just… Um~”
Su Mu was about to keep making excuses when Chen Qing suddenly grabbed one of her little feet locked under the quilt.
The nerves in the feet were more sensitive than most areas, especially since Su Mu’s body was already far more sensitive than a normal person’s.
Chen Qing’s cool palm suddenly gripped her warm little foot in the cozy quilt, sending a strange sensation surging through her body.
“W-What are you doing?!”
Su Mu struggled fiercely to pull her little foot free from Chen Qing’s grasp, but as soon as she curled her toes, Chen Qing shot her a glare that stopped her cold.
“Since Shizun slept for so long last night, you must be fully rested now.”
With that, Chen Qing yanked Su Mu’s slender, toned little foot out from under the quilt. The cool morning air made it tremble instinctively.
Gazing at the exquisite foot before her, like fine porcelain, Chen Qing felt as if she held a delicately carved piece of soft jade in her palm.
She gave it a pinch, and the soft, smooth sensation was somewhat addictive.
Chen Qing might have been enjoying herself, but Su Mu’s pretty face flushed crimson all the way to her ears.
Having her little foot scrutinized so closely by Chen Qing filled Su Mu with shame and tension.
Judging by Chen Qing’s demeanor, it wouldn’t be long before she was pinned down again.
But she’d only just woken up. Last night, Chen Qing had bullied her mercilessly without holding back, and now she was at it again? That was too intense.
Seeing Su Mu’s shy yet panicked expression stirred a desire in Chen Qing to tease her more.
This would be a little punishment for the Traitorous Shizun lying to her.
Chen Qing cradled Su Mu’s little foot in her palm.
Seeing that Chen Qing wasn’t gripping it anymore, Su Mu tried to pull it back.
But Chen Qing gave her a warning look and said, “If you dare pull it back, I’ll get on the bed.”
“I…!”
Under Chen Qing’s warning gaze, Su Mu could only abandon the idea.
It was mortifying to place her bare foot in Chen Qing’s palm like this—especially since Chen Qing wasn’t forcing her now.
Yet she didn’t dare retrieve it, which instead gave her the tantalizing feeling that she was actively seducing her.
Watching Su Mu’s face grow redder, Chen Qing gently blew a breath toward the pale sole of her foot.
A cool breeze brushed over it, causing Su Mu’s dainty, rounded toes to curl slightly, like a naturally carved piece of jade.
The perfect, plump curve added a touch of alluring fullness to her slender foot.
Seeing such a sensitive reaction from Su Mu, Chen Qing placed a finger on it.
She stroked it lightly, and the ticklish, tingling sensation made Su Mu’s little foot twitch uncontrollably.
“N-No more stroking, it tickles~”
Su Mu’s muffled whine of itchiness sparked something unusual in Chen Qing, who had only meant to give her a light lesson.
Looking at Su Mu—eyes glistening with teary frustration, body softly slumped against the bed, her pitiful yet tense gaze fixed on her discontentedly—Chen Qing set the little foot down.
Seeing Chen Qing’s action, Su Mu thought she’d had a change of heart and was going to let her off.
But instead, she turned to lock the door, then took off her outer robe and hung it up.
As Chen Qing’s beautiful face drew closer, Su Mu clutched the quilt tightly.
“M-My foot didn’t move, did it?”
Su Mu tried to reason with Chen Qing, who was already climbing onto the bed, but Chen Qing had already started undressing and had no intention of stopping.
“Your foot didn’t move, but that won’t stop our morning exercise.”
With that, Chen Qing’s hand slid onto Su Mu’s firm, slender waist.
“You… You shameless thing!”
Su Mu’s chest heaved with anger at Chen Qing’s shameless behavior.
