Müßige Blumen und Schatten

Kapitel 43

Chapter 52

After her initial surprise, Xu Shirong couldn't help but find it amusing. She knew that this was what men were most afraid of. Just a few days ago, Yang Huan had confidently promised her this and that, but now, faced with the real situation, he was utterly defeated. Fearing he would lose face, she suppressed her laughter. She was about to get up and comfort him when she saw his eyes widen, and despite the cold winter, his forehead seemed damp with sweat. His face was filled with panic and disbelief, making him look utterly comical. Unable to hold back any longer, she grabbed a pillow and covered her face, chuckling to herself.

At first, she tried to restrain herself, but the more she tried, the funnier it became. She couldn't stop laughing anymore, and eventually, her shoulders shook from laughing so hard. Just then, he snatched the pillow from her hand, which was pressing against her face, and threw it at her feet. Opening her eyes, she saw Yang Huan's face right in front of her, already as red as a boiled shrimp.

Yang Huan had just pressed her down when he saw a face beneath him, half-joyful and half-angry, like a peach blossom, with full, alabaster-white breasts and a slender waist, exuding a tender spring. He felt his blood surging, and he parted her legs to immediately thrust into her. But instead of pleasure, he suffered a tragedy. He barely penetrated her when he felt a tingling sensation. He hurriedly tried to stop and wait for the right moment, but then she pressed against him, squirming her soft, tender body. He could no longer hold back and ejaculated profusely. It was exhilarating, but as soon as he came to his senses, he was filled with disbelief, his face flushed, and he felt extremely embarrassed.

He stumbled and made a complete fool of himself before her, wishing he could disappear into a hole in the ground. But then, the person beneath him initially opened her eyes in surprise, which was bad enough, but then she grabbed a pillow and covered her face, chuckling uncontrollably. If he hadn't been pressing her down, she probably would have laughed herself to death. Filled with shame and anger, he yanked the pillow off her head and threw it at his feet.

Seeing that his eyes were wide open and staring at her, Xu Shirong knew that he must have been hurt by her laughter just now, which was why he managed to stop, but his eyes still couldn't help but let out a laugh.

If she were to smile at him like that on ordinary days, he would feel sweeter than if he had eaten honey. But now, that smile seemed different to him, and he felt a tightness in his chest. Without a word, he lowered his head and kissed her lips.

Caught off guard, Xu Shirong was kissed fiercely by him. Knowing he wanted to regain his virility and avenge his previous humiliation, she simply cowered and let him kiss her. When he released her mouth, he continued kissing her downwards, taking a small, delicate pink nipple into his mouth. As he gently licked and nibbled at it, she felt a slight pain, yet also an unbearable tingling sensation, and couldn't help but let out two soft moans. Looking up slightly, she saw him about to move further down, and quickly reached out to grab his shoulders, pulling him back.

When Yang Huan saw that she had stopped him, he thought she was disgusted by his uselessness. He secretly groaned in his heart and hurriedly said, "I was just caught off guard and only just started. This hasn't even begun yet. I'm really good."

Seeing his anxious attempt to argue, Xu Shirong smiled and said, "You're certainly capable. Don't I know you? It's just that I'm hungry, and my limbs are a little weak."

Reminded by her, Yang Huan realized he was also starving. Hearing her words, far from being disdainful, but rather seeming to be coaxing him, his spirits lifted, and his morale returned somewhat. He thought that once he was full, the long night would pass before their next encounter, and he would use every trick in the book to make her ecstatic and utterly devoted to him. Just as he was feeling smug, he noticed something on her clothes and hastily grabbed the cloth he had been using to wipe it off. But she slapped his hand away, snatched the cloth from him, and sat up with her back to him.

As Yang Huan put on his clothes, he noticed her still bare back with some loose hair, and how graceful and charming she looked with every movement. He couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing that she had turned around and must have dried herself, he quickly said, "Where are your clothes? Let me help you put them on."

Xu Shirong rolled her eyes at him and said irritably, "You just dragged me into the water, and I was all lying on the ground, wasn't I?" She got up from the bed and went to the chest to get more clothes. Yang Huan, with his sharp eyes, spotted the embroidered bib with a qilin bringing a child from a few days ago and quickly grabbed it, saying, "Wear this. This is good." He then lifted her arm and helped her put it on, carefully tying the straps at the back. Even as he dressed her, his hands were restless, fidgeting. By the time she had finally put on her inner and outer garments, a quarter of an hour had passed.

The two finally left the room. The drizzle outside had stopped, but the sky was already pitch black. Xiao Que had knocked on the door early that morning, but received no response. Learning from her previous experience, she instructed the cook to keep the food warm in the pot, thinking she would come out later. After busying herself for a while, she returned to her room close to dusk, usually going to bed then. Just then, she heard the door to the main room creak open, and two figures, one tall and one short, emerged, walking very close together towards the kitchen. Listening carefully, she realized it was her young master whispering sweet nothings, with his wife only occasionally humming in agreement. Her face flushed, and not daring to disturb them, she quickly and quietly closed her door and went to sleep.

The cook was long gone from the kitchen; only the embers of charcoal still glowed a dim red. Yang Huan lit a candle inside, told Xu Shirong to sit down, and lifted the pot lid himself. He saw a bowl of steamed dumplings, fragrant rice, a stir-fried vegetable dish, and a dish of braised pork still warm on the steamer rack. He brought them to the table, not going to the dining hall, but instead quickly finishing several bowls of rice in the kitchen before sitting down to wait. Seeing her slow and deliberate pace, he wanted to urge her to hurry, but he restrained himself, only staring intently at her. Finally, seeing her put down her bowl, he asked, "Would you like another bowl of rice?"

Seeing that he was already eager to go back to his room, Xu Shirong stood up and said, "Looking at you like that, even if I wanted to eat two bowls, I wouldn't dare to ask for more."

Yang Huan knew she was making fun of him, but he didn't take it to heart. He chuckled and put his arm around her waist as they went back inside.

The two entered the house and bolted the door. Before Xu Shirong could even take off his outer clothes, Yang Huan had already pressed him onto the bed again. He was young, and although he had lost his way once before, only a short while had passed, and now, aroused again, he naturally became aroused once more.

Seeing that she was also smiling shyly, Yang Huan suddenly felt invigorated. He pulled down the bed curtains and was about to show off his prowess when he suddenly heard an urgent knocking sound outside the door. He could vaguely hear it coming from Er Bao, who lived in the outer courtyard.

Although the Qingmen County government office wasn't as strict as the former Tokyo Grand Commandant's mansion, and the servants were more lenient than before, male staff were still not allowed to enter the inner office. Yang Huan was displeased to hear that Erbao had broken in late at night and banged on the door, disturbing his good time. He pulled the quilt over Xu Shirong, then put on his outer robe and walked towards the door.

Xu Shirong sat up from the bed and listened carefully to the noise outside the door. She vaguely heard something like "collapse" or "people buried." Her heart tightened, and she was about to get dressed when Yang Huan strode in and hurriedly put on his clothes.

Xu Shirong hung up the tent and, seeing his somewhat grave expression, cautiously asked, "Did something happen at the beach?"

Yang Huan grunted in acknowledgment, dressed himself, and then went to the bedside. He pressed her down to lie down and said, "Someone just reported that the newly constructed dike was flooded with rain for several days because the outer layer of clay hadn't fully hardened, and then the tide came in and soaked it. Perhaps the mud foundation wasn't built evenly when the adjacent pond was being enclosed, causing some cracks in the dike and the slope to come loose, burying several people underneath. Even if I don't go, I won't be able to sleep. I'd better go and check it out. You go to sleep first."

Xu Shirong noticed that his brows were slightly furrowed, but his tone was relaxed when he spoke to her, so she guessed that he was afraid she would worry too much. She nodded.

Be careful!

Xu Shirong saw that he was about to leave and blurted out.

Yang Huan glanced back at her, then ran back, hugged her, kissed her hard on the cheek, and then let go before hurrying out.

Chapter 53

The sudden commotion had startled Xiao Que, Qing Yu, and the others, even Xiao Die got up and came over to ask what was going on. Xu Shirong, already dressed, said a few words and then sent them all back to sleep before returning to her room. Sitting at the table, she picked up a book, lit the lamp, and stared at it for a long time, unable to concentrate on a single word. She tossed the book aside, got up, and went out onto the veranda. Looking up at the night sky, she saw it was completely dark, without a single star. Despite being dressed warmly, a gust of wind sent a chill down her spine, making her shiver.

A sudden feeling of concern arose in Xu Shirong's heart, and she briefly considered going to the seaside. But then she thought that even if she went, it would be futile and might even distract him, so she forced herself to suppress the thought. With a slight sigh, she turned to go back inside when she heard a knocking sound again on the door connecting to the outer courtyard. Without calling for Xiao Que, she went to open it herself and saw the gatekeeper standing outside.

The gatekeeper was initially surprised to see Xu Shirong, but quickly said, "Madam, someone outside is looking for Xiang'er. They say her neighbor seems to have had an accident on the seawall and wants her to go and check on her quickly."

Xu Shirong was taken aback. She had heard about Xiang'er's family before; she and her father were the only ones living together. Xiang'er had been hired to do odd jobs, returning home a few times a month, and usually sharing a room with Xiaodie. She hurriedly went to knock on the door.

Xiang'er and the others had just come out upon hearing the noise, but Xu Shirong had sent them back to sleep. They lay down for a while but hadn't fallen asleep yet. Hearing his wife calling him from outside, they hurriedly got up to open the door. When they heard that their father was in trouble, they immediately turned pale with fright. Without even putting on their shoes properly, they ran outside, only to be caught by Xu Shirong.

"Madam, I need to go to the beach. It's just me and my father left in my family!" Xiang'er turned around, tears already streaming down her face.

Xu Shirong said, "It's cold outside, wear more clothes. I'll have a carriage take you there quickly."

Xiao Die had already handed over the padded jacket, which Xiang'er hurriedly put on. She then followed Xu Shirong out in a hurry, woke up the coachman, hitched up the carriage, and sped off eastward.

Xu Shirong also got into the carriage. Seeing Xiang'er huddled there, crying her eyes out, she sighed, put her arm around her, and gently comforted her, "Your father will be alright. Lord Yang has rushed over to save him. Don't cry anymore."

Xiang'er buried her face in her sleeve, wiped it haphazardly, and then nestled in her arms, calming down a little, though she still couldn't stop sobbing.

Xu Shirong patted her head; she was just a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. She silently hoped that her father was truly alright.

The road was extremely muddy due to days of rain, and the sky was dark; even with eyes wide open, one could only vaguely make out a few steps ahead. Fortunately, the driver, a frequent traveler, knew the road very well, and they weren't delayed for long. Once they left the city, they gradually approached the sea, and could vaguely see flickering lights ahead. As they drew closer, they realized they were torches.

The carriage approached the seawall and stopped at its usual spot when the road ended. Xiang'er jumped off the carriage and ran towards the crowd, her steps uneven. Xu Shirong hurriedly followed, and as she got closer, she saw that the dam was surrounded by people, with people carrying torches running past her from time to time, presumably having just arrived after receiving the news. It was a chaotic scene. Sure enough, a large section of the slope on the leeward side of the dam had collapsed, creating a depression more than ten feet wide. People were gathered around it, digging through the rubble and debris, presumably searching for those trapped. Several laborers who had been pulled out lay on the ground, groaning, but they appeared to be unharmed.

Xiang'er rushed forward, but seeing it wasn't her father, she tried to squeeze inside again, only to be stopped by Xu Shirong. Xiang'er struggled, crying, "Madam, let me go! I need to save my father!"

Xu Shirong shouted, "They're already rescuing them! You can't help much if you go over there, I'll stay here with you!"

Xiang'er glanced at the collapsed area and burst into tears.

Just as Xu Shirong was about to comfort her again, she suddenly heard someone shout behind her, "What are you doing here? Didn't I tell you to stay home and sleep?" Turning around, she saw Yang Huan. However, he was angry, with a fierce look on his face, something she hadn't seen before.

Xu Shirong was taken aback, and suddenly seemed a little guilty. It was also the first time that Xiang'er had seen her master so angry, and she was so frightened that she stopped crying and just stared at him blankly.

Xu Shirong snapped out of her daze and hurriedly explained, "Xiang'er's father said she was buried underground. The little girl was anxious to come, and I was worried, so I called the family's carriage and came along."

Yang Huan's expression softened slightly, but he still frowned and said, "It's windy and cold here, and it's very dark. There's no use for you two to stay here. Go back quickly." As he spoke, he called out the coachman's name loudly.

Xu Shirong tugged at his sleeve and asked, "What's the situation? How many people are still being held down?"

Yang Huan glanced at the collapsed area and quickly said, "A total of five were trapped. Four have already been found, and there's one left."