After two grand performances, not only had Shen Yuezhuang’s anger mostly dissipated, but Liu Yun’s half-truthful grievances and jealousy had also become impossible to sustain.
That night, Liu Yun lay on the bed with an expressionless face. Beside her, Shen Yuezhuang, sleepy, yawned and rolled over.
Her swollen, painful right leg naturally draped itself over Liu Yun’s waist. Her forehead pressed against Liu Yun’s shoulder as she hugged Liu Yun’s arm tightly, her voice already slurring with drowsiness.
“You’re not mad anymore, are you?” Shen Yuezhuang gave a small, proud laugh, a “hmmph” sound that seemed to say, “Who says storybooks are useless? At least they can calm you down, right?”
Liu Yun lifted her eyelids at the sound, her gaze falling on her. After a moment of silence, she said, “…So I should thank you?”
“Don’t mention it!” Shen Yuezhuang laughed, coy and sweet. The tips of her fingers, holding Liu Yun’s arm, moved slightly, as if patting her.
“It’s the least you could do to thank me.”
Liu Yun: “…”
Liu Yun’s throat tightened. It took her a while to swallow, but her expression looked like she had suffered some serious internal injury, as if she had just choked down a huge mouthful of congealed blood.
The original plan hadn’t gone as scheduled. Once the Autumn Hunt ended and they were back in the capital, separated by the palace walls, who knew when there would be another opportunity like this for Shen Yuezhuang to “feel the same way”!
Liu Yun was unwilling to give up. She tried to steer the conversation back to its original course.
She let out a heavy sigh, pushed aside Shen Yuezhuang’s arm, and turned her back to her.
“Of course, I should thank you!” Liu Yun’s voice couldn’t hide its loneliness, carrying the forced bravado of someone who had been hurt but was still trying to be tough. “After all, it wasn’t prepared especially for me. I heard you searched out several chests full of storybooks for the Princess. I’m just benefiting from her leftovers now. How could I not be grateful!”
Shen Yuezhuang’s arms suddenly felt empty. Groggily, upon hearing the mention of storybooks, she scooted closer, pressing against Liu Yun’s back.
The bitter, herbal scent from Liu Yun’s medicinal baths was very pleasant—cool and refreshing. Every time Shen Yuezhuang smelled it, she felt soothed. It was as if Liu Yun, having soaked so long in medicinal baths, had become a medicine herself, one that calms the mind, soothes the liver, strengthens the stomach, and nourishes the kidneys!
In short, it was a panacea for all internal organs, even capable of prolonging life! This unique property made Shen Yuezhuang feel like a spirit beast guarding a divine herb, always wanting to rub against the person.
She quickly rubbed against Liu Yun’s arm. Smelling the medicinal scent so close, her lips and tongue began to stir, and only one thought filled her mind—If she bit Liu Yun, would she become immortal like Tang Seng?
Restlessly, Shen Yuezhuang took the thin inner garment between her teeth, gently gnawing on it as if she were a child sneaking food. Liu Yun didn’t notice this little habit and continued, “But since it was prepared for someone else, you don’t need to use it to coax me. How could I possibly deserve to benefit from her leftovers?”
Liu Yun glanced sideways at Shen Yuezhuang, raising an eyebrow slightly with a hint of mocking sarcasm. “After all, she’s the one who shares secrets with you. You’re more forthcoming with her too, right?”
Liu Yun pulled her arm away again, leaving a barely perceptible trace of dampness. The disappointment in Shen Yuezhuang’s eyes was hard to hide. Upon hearing Liu Yun’s last question, she subconsciously nodded. Then, a moment later, she belatedly remembered her words about “several chests of storybooks” and “you don’t need to use it to coax me.”
Shen Yuezhuang looked dejectedly at Liu Yun’s arm hanging in front of her. She rested her chin on Liu Yun’s shoulder and offered a comforting thought. “It’s okay. The Princess has plenty more of those storybooks. These two aren’t a big loss.”
Besides, the ones she had were all about gifted scholars and beautiful ladies, romantic rendezvous under the moonlight. These two tales of faithless husbands were useless for the Princess.
Not only useless, but they also couldn’t be seen by Liu Lusheng!
Speaking of Liu Lusheng, the thought sobered Shen Yuezhuang up a little.
The Princess had tried every trick in the book these past few days—flowers, home-cooked meals. But her little brother… was truly impervious to all efforts!
Shen Yuezhuang was worrying about Liu Lusheng’s lifelong happiness, while Liu Yun, upon hearing her reply, felt the three parts of feigned jealousy and resentment turn into ten parts of genuine anger.
She actually agreed!
Liu Yun gave a cold smile. “Then why are you blaming me for keeping things from you? Your Sister Pei doesn’t hide anything from A Sang because A Sang doesn’t hide anything from her! And what about you and me?”
“We have things I keep from you, and you get this angry! But what about me? When you keep things from me, do you ever think of me?”
“Ha! You have no secrets from the Princess. You discuss things with your Sister Pei. You joke around with A Sang. Shen Yuezhuang, you have so many people around you. But what about me?”
“What am I to you?”
“Am I just a place for you to get a free meal after your duties? Or somewhere to go when you’re bored?”
“You have others around you to play with, so you forget about me. And when you have nothing to do, you pick me up again, like a toy or a puppet?”
Liu Yun’s tone grew more and more urgent. Her eye sockets were red, whether from anger or grievance, or simply from the candlelight by the bed. She was holding back tears with all her might.
But even redder than her eyes was Liu Yun’s tightly bitten lip.
The blankness in Shen Yuezhuang’s eyes upon hearing Liu Yun’s accusations all melted away the moment her gaze focused on her lips, turning into a pounding heartbeat.
Liu Yun’s voice continued, but it sounded like it came through a layer of mist. Shen Yuezhuang only watched Liu Yun’s lips move, a single thought occupying her mind—Right, if she wanted to bite her, she didn’t have to bite through her clothes. This was right in front of her…
No! She had to ask Liu Yun first! She had to agree. Otherwise, she’d get angry. But…
Shen Yuezhuang’s attention split itself slightly. She saw the faint veins on Liu Yun’s neck as she tried desperately to control her voice—she was already angry.
The house was already flooded up to the roof. What was the point of worrying about a leaky ceiling? Wasn’t this the perfect time for a sneak attack?
Shen Yuezhuang’s actions were faster than her thoughts. Before Liu Yun could even finish her sentence, Shen Yuezhuang pounced like a tiger descending a mountain, silencing her.
And as expected, Liu Yun got even angrier!
Could this person, even just a little bit, adopt a proper attitude for an argument?!
This gesture, which normally signified intimacy, now seemed like nothing more than a transparent attempt to distract her.
Liu Yun only felt that Shen Yuezhuang was using this method to try and please her. But she didn’t get the explanation she wanted, nor the words she longed to hear. Shen Yuezhuang’s “evasion” only fanned the flames of her frustration over her failed plan.
Liu Yun pinched the soft flesh of Shen Yuezhuang’s cheeks, pushing her away.
The candlelight reflected in Liu Yun’s eyes, making it seem as if a strange, dark fire was burning at the bottom of them. But Shen Yuezhuang didn’t notice.
She had only gotten a taste of the sweetness of her sneak attack before being stopped by Liu Yun. Now, her spirits were fully roused. It felt like a game of attack and defense. She tried every trick—feinting east and attacking west, pretending to surrender—joyfully searching for gaps in Liu Yun’s defense, seizing every opportunity to lean in.
Liu Yun was already feeling anxious. Her words came out in broken fragments, and several times, she was caught off guard by Shen Yuezhuang’s advances, leaving her breathless and red-faced, the storm in her eyes growing more pronounced.
“Shen Yuezhuang!”
Liu Yun turned her head away sharply. “I’m trying to talk to you about something serious! Will you behave yourself, do you hear me?!”
“Alright!” Shen Yuezhuang let go. She had intended to take advantage of a moment’s lapse from Liu Yun, but Liu Yun was ready for her and stopped her. Shen Yuezhuang pouted in disappointment, then suddenly let all the tension drain from her body, flopping down onto Liu Yun.
Liu Yun couldn’t support the weight for long. Shen Yuezhuang successfully nestled into the hollow of Liu Yun’s neck, her voice carrying a feigned drowsiness and false weariness.
“Forget the serious stuff. I’m tired. Let’s talk about it tomorrow.”
Liu Yun couldn’t push her away. She had to take a deep breath, then pressed on her throbbing temples, trying to reorganize her thoughts, which had been repeatedly knocked off course.
First things first. Shen Yuezhuang’s behavior—not listening to reason and only using shallow pleas to try and calm her down—was like adding fuel to the fire for Liu Yun, who wanted to solve the root of the problem.
She wanted to make sure Shen Yuezhuang never did this again. But thinking about it again, with the way Shen Yuezhuang’s mind worked, if she didn’t fully understand the situation, completely blocking this path would likely do more harm than good in the long run.
Liu Yun’s gaze shifted. She decided to drop this point for now and focus on what was most urgent to her: the nature of their relationship.
“Let me ask you,” Liu Yun said, keeping her tone as calm as possible. “What is your Sister Pei to you?”
Shen Yuezhuang was lying on Liu Yun’s shoulder. Hearing this, she laughed. “Sister Pei and I grew up together. Her grandfather is the cousin of my maternal grandmother. Don’t you already know that?”
As she spoke, her lips brushed against the skin of Liu Yun’s neck. Liu Yun clenched her fingers. She also felt Shen Yuezhuang’s hand, which had been on her shoulder, move down to her collarbone. The side of Shen Yuezhuang’s thumb was rubbing against it, making Liu Yun’s thoughts start to wander.
Liu Yun grabbed the mischievous hand firmly. “And A Sang, what is she to you?”
“A friend.” Shen Yuezhuang was no longer satisfied with mere fleeting touches. She stopped with soft kisses and began to nibble with a fine, sharp, pleasurable bite.
The captured hand escaped, its index and middle fingers hooking the collar and sliding down to the center of her collarbone.
Liu Yun finally got to the core of tonight’s discussion. She had no energy left to deal with Shen Yuezhuang’s little hand movements. Her heartbeat quickened. “Then what am I to you… Shen Yuezhuang!”
Before she could finish, anger flushed Liu Yun’s face once more. The bed curtains swayed. Liu Yun, having reached her limit, pinned Shen Yuezhuang beneath her, her left hand holding down the right hand that had been causing all the trouble.
Shen Yuezhuang looked completely innocent. Her gaze drifted down from Liu Yun’s flushed face to her open collar, where her own hand had just undone the frog buttons.
As she had thought earlier, when the house is flooding, who cares about a leaking roof?
Shen Yuezhuang’s fingers curled slightly, her thumb rubbing together as if savoring the memory. She looked at Liu Yun, her eyes bright as stars, and smiled.
“So soft!”
The skin on Liu Yun’s neck flushed a visible red. She looked at Shen Yuezhuang, opened her mouth several times, but each time gave up.
The words “consummation of marriage” got tangled on Liu Yun’s tongue before she swallowed them back down.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t thought of securing the physical truth first, before telling Shen Yuezhuang what the name for it was.
But… she was always afraid. If they had the physical truth, what if Shen Yuezhuang regretted it later?
What if she felt she had been tricked?
What if she was scared?
Liu Yun wasn’t particularly virtuous. But when it came to Shen Yuezhuang, she had a kind of perfectionism. She wanted it to be mutual willingness. She wanted it to arise from a moment of deep passion. She wanted this relationship to be free of any shadows or baseness. She wanted it to be free of any coercion!
What Liu Yun wanted most was for Shen Yuezhuang to realize on her own that this relationship was different. Not for Liu Yun to have to tell her—she was a master at playing it safe and maneuvering among various forces. It was a talent she had shown since childhood, being able to please the Old Marquis, the previous Old Marquis, the Grand Preceptor, and Shen Yuezhuang herself, all while meeting their demands and achieving her own goals.
She didn’t want to be the bad guy in front of Shen Yuezhuang. The worst-case scenario of her being the one to spell it out was, firstly, to scare Shen Yuezhuang, and secondly, for Yuezhuang not to be scared at first, but to regret it later, and perhaps feel that she had been led astray.
But if Shen Yuezhuang discovered it herself, she might be afraid. But if she was afraid, she would come to Liu Yun for help, because they were two birds of a feather, and they understood each other’s feelings…
Liu Yun was meticulous and calculating. She didn’t want to leave Shen Yuezhuang any reason to blame her. So she carefully kept the window paper only a single layer thick. Then, with red-rimmed eyes, she asked Shen Yuezhuang, “You’ve kissed me, you’ve touched me. Do you know what that’s called?”
“I know.” Seeing Liu Yun’s red eyes and hearing the deep bitterness in her voice, Shen Yuezhuang finally stopped playing around. A look of guilt and shame appeared on her face as she nodded. “I was being a pervert.”
“…” A faint, almost imperceptible tremor ran through Liu Yun’s jaw. “You could put it more nicely.”
“No need to save face for me!” Shen Yuezhuang’s face was flushed with embarrassment. “I deserve this!”
Liu Yun’s headache got worse.
She stared at Shen Yuezhuang for a long moment, wanting to speak but holding back, her expression a mix of frustration and disappointment. Finally, she lowered her head as if all hope was lost. After a long while, she turned onto her side again, her back to Shen Yuezhuang.
Things had come to this. It seemed that, aside from the last resort, she had no other way to make Shen Yuezhuang “see the light”!
But that last resort was too drastic. Liu Yun would have to endure all the turbulence that came with it.
She was hesitating, weighing the pros and cons.
Shen Yuezhuang had no idea what she was thinking. She quietly moved closer again, but this time she was very polite and shy. She poked Liu Yun’s shoulder and asked a question.
“Um… Can I still be a pervert now?”
Liu Yun: “…”
Liu Yun roughly pushed away the hand that had snaked its way to her front, then tightly fastened her frog buttons.
Shen Yuezhuang sighed, adopting a tone of settling for second best. “Fine. You can’t sleep now, can you?”
Shen Yuezhuang propped herself up on her injured leg, climbed over Liu Yun, and nestled in front of her. “I’ve heard that rhythmic patting can help you fall asleep.”
She grabbed Liu Yun’s arm. “Come on, I’m ready!”
