Chapter Twenty-Five: The Second Kiss
"Who are you looking for? We are merchants from a neighboring county and we are in a hurry to deliver goods. Please move aside and don't make us late." The two men were indeed experienced, making excuses without batting an eye.
"..."
Seeing that the person blocking their way was suddenly staring at them without saying a word, one of them smacked his lips, picked up his whip, and was about to spur his horse aside, saying angrily, "Forget it, we won't argue with you, we'll make way ourselves."
However, the moment he cracked the whip, Shen Mo, whose wrists had been tied and mouth gagged, suddenly lifted the carriage curtain and climbed out. To their astonishment, he rolled off the carriage without hesitation.
It all happened so fast that even Rong Yue didn't have time to catch her. When he helped her up and saw her scraped hands, his eyes flashed with even more ruthlessness. "Do you want to die?!"
"You didn't say anything when they were talking, so I thought you were leaving. What would I do if you left?" Shen Mo pulled her hand back and retorted.
These words startled Rong Yue. Seeing Shen Mo's fearful and uneasy expression, he was somewhat moved. He sighed, wiped a few drops of sweat from her face, and his voice softened considerably. "Don't worry, I won't leave."
"Giddy up! Giddy up!" Seeing that the situation was not good, the two men tried to run away.
The loud shouts for the horses immediately interrupted Rong Yue's thoughts. His eyes narrowed, and he casually picked up a stone from the side and hurled it forcefully. Instantly, the two men who were preparing to gallop away tumbled off to either side, landing in a daze! After getting up, they dared not linger for a moment and simply abandoned the carriage, fleeing on foot in a panic.
Seeing the two thieves stumbling and fleeing in a disheveled state, Rong Yue chased after them for a few steps, then suddenly stopped. He turned back to look at Shen Mo, who was huddled up in a ball, shivering from the shock, and stopped the chase. Instead, he walked to the carriage beside him, pulled Shen Mo closer, and said, "Come here!"
Shen Mo glanced up at him, then turned her face away, ignoring him. After a moment, seeing him walk over on his own, she picked up pebbles from the ground and threw them at him one by one. Her technique was certainly not as accurate as Rong Yue's, but because of the close distance, they all landed on him, even his face. Rong Yue approached amidst this "bombardment," squatted down, and forced her to look directly at him. Surprisingly, he was not angry, but rather looked solemn.
"I want Shen Mo, not just a woman."
Shen Mo was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly looked away from his deep eyes, struggling and saying, "You smell too much of perfume, let me go." But Rong Yue held her firmly and wouldn't let go.
Shen Mo struggled for a moment but was powerless, so she simply fell silent with him. After a long while, she heard the voice above her head explain faintly: "Their perfume is indeed too strong, unlike your refreshing scent."
"……"silence
Rong Yue smoothed her long hair for her. "I can't change what happened before, so I don't want to bring it up again. But from now on, I won't let you suffer any more grievances."
Hearing these words, Shen Mo looked up at him with a hint of surprise. Her gaze shifted, and just as Rong Yue thought she was about to be moved to tears, Shen Mo blinked and said, "Young Master, it's cold."
The cold sound was both a sign of dependence and affirmation, but to Rong Yue it felt slightly off. He had never been so affectionate with anyone before, and after finally managing to say these awkward words, he received a completely irrelevant answer.
"Ahem..." Rong Yue stood up to cover his embarrassment. "Get up, we should go too."
"..."
Rong Yue turned around and saw that she was still sitting in the same spot. She rubbed her temples and looked at him, "If you don't get up, I don't care if you're Shen Mo or anyone else, I don't want you anymore. You're so annoying!"
Shen Mo puffed out his cheeks and said apologetically, "My legs are weak, I can't stand up."
Ignoring her outstretched hand, Rong Yue supported her waist with one hand and slipped the other under her legs, but frowned the moment he lifted her up. "Why are your clothes wet?"
Shen Mo instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him close, and pressed herself against him, letting out a sigh of relief. "That's why you're cold!"
What happened to the bloodstains in the room?
"I specially saved this for you to see."
Rong Yue put her back in the carriage, then suddenly realized something and his expression turned serious. "The money we made up a few days ago is gone again!"
Shen Mo let go and climbed in. "Anyway, you're the one who replenished it. I've already wasted it all for you, so it's fine to replenish it again." After saying that, she turned to look at him. "Just don't give me any more raw blood. You have no idea how awful your blood tastes."
Rong Yue suddenly followed her into the car, grabbed her without a word, and ripped off her belt in a few quick movements. Shen Mo froze, momentarily forgetting to stop him. Only when his hand reached for her collar did she grab him sharply, her eyes wide, "You... what are you doing?"
“Your clothes are wet. Wearing them in this season makes it easy to catch a cold. I don’t want to take care of a sick person every day…” Rong Yue suddenly stopped, only then realizing something from her eyes. His hand was still holding the collar of her clothes. He looked at the direction of his palm. The wet outer clothes made the bra underneath clearly visible. The woman in front of him was almost fully developed. For a moment, he didn’t know whether to let go or not.
But it was only for a moment. He quickly shook off his awkwardness, his eyes gradually burning with desire. He released her clothes and touched her shoulder with his fingers. "I didn't want to do anything, but now I do!" After saying that, he pressed his lips against her still bloodless lips.
This was their second kiss. This time, Rong Yue had learned how to caress and explore. Because he had given his feelings, because of the many fragrances, he indulged himself, holding the back of her head and pressing it against him, constantly drawing in the scent. He closed his eyes, his trembling eyelashes revealing a hint of passion.
"Ugh..." Shen Mo, who was already feeling short of breath and dizzy due to excessive blood loss, couldn't take it anymore and started to struggle.
The more she struggled, the more excited Rong Yue became. Finally, with a loud bang, he forced her back against the car wall, leaving her nowhere to escape! He savored the fragrance of her teeth.
His hands unconsciously caressed her waist, and after a passionate kiss, he hesitated before moving upwards, loosening his grip on her lips, savoring the kiss, and then opening his eyes, his trembling eyelashes supporting his gaze.
But upon seeing the scene before him, Rong Yue couldn't help but furrow his brows, let out a heavy sigh, and then, as if still not satisfied, pinched her cheek.
The woman before him, her lips swollen and red, had already been kissed unconscious...
Shen Mo didn't wake up until the afternoon. He regained consciousness, but he was still limp and refused to open his eyes. He moved and felt as if his hair had been pulled, which hurt a little. He reached out and touched a large, broad hand, and he immediately became fully awake.
What came into view was Rong Yue's extremely serious gaze, his hands busy doing something with her hair. Shen Mo's eyes darted around, and she lowered her head slightly, saying, "I didn't mean to."
Rong Yue glanced at her, knowing she was referring to fainting during the kiss, and softly responded, "Mm." After a moment, somewhat annoyed, he tossed aside her hair, "What the hell!"
Shen Mo picked up the strand of hair he had thrown away with a puzzled look and realized that it was where she had originally tied her hair into a small braid, but now it was full of wrinkles and twists. She couldn't help but take a second look at him.
"Young Master, do you want to learn how to braid your hair like a woman?"
"Nonsense!" Rong Yue pulled out a bundle from somewhere, and after she finished tidying it up, he threw it into her arms and said, "The doctor said last time that you can't stay cooped up in the house for a long time during your convalescence. Change into these clothes and come with me to get the medicine."
How long will it take?
Shen Mo's hand, which was reaching for the new clothes, stopped involuntarily. She stared at him intently and asked, "What did you just say?"
"What are you grinning about? I'm asking you how long it will take to change."
Shen Mo touched the corner of his mouth and indeed smiled. From "I'll give you half an hour" to "I'll give you an hour" and then to "How long do you need?", he couldn't help but smile in the end.
"Hmm..." Shen Mo thought for a moment, then weakly held up two fingers, "Two hours."
"It would only take two hours to tour the entire Ningcheng," Rong Yue tried to remind her that the time limit was a bit long.
Shen Mo stubbornly held up two fingers, "Two hours is enough." She just wanted to try.
"You're so confused, you should go for a walk." Even though he said that, he still walked towards the door without any objection, giving her some time.
"Wait!" Shen Mo called out to him as soon as he took one step out.
"What's wrong?" Rong Yue looked at her suspiciously, her face showing hesitation, and even some color had returned to her.
"My...my clothes?" Shen Mo pointed to the unfamiliar underwear that had been replaced with on her body at some point.
"I had someone change my clothes, don't worry. I won't do anything I can't control before I give you a proper title." Rong Yue said, then closed the door, leaving Shen Mo looking bewildered, perhaps lost in thought, or perhaps filled with fear.
The outer garment inside the bundle was a light green long dress, adorned with a few snow plum blossoms on the hem and sides. Green plum blossoms are inherently elegant, and when paired with this garment, they somewhat concealed Shen Mo's sickly appearance, adding a touch of grace. Then, the waist was cinched, revealing the woman's graceful figure. Even Shen Mo herself, standing in front of the mirror, couldn't help but admire Rong Yue's taste. However, this also made her appear as thin as if she couldn't withstand a strong wind.
"So thin, does she even look like a human being?" Rong Yue shook his head as he looked at her, seemingly unable to find any redeeming qualities, let alone offer any praise.
"It'll be fine once it's been repaired." Shen Mo paused, then sighed and followed behind him as usual.
To outsiders, he was a refined gentleman and she was a beautiful woman. But given their current arrangement, one in front of the other, anyone would assume they were a young master and his maid. As a result, women would stare at Rong Yue with boldness and men would stare at Shen Mo without restraint. Shen Mo was somewhat annoyed to find that there seemed to be an unusually large number of people today.
"Neigh!"
The moment Shen Mo heard the horse neigh, his wrist tightened, and he was forcibly pulled aside. Turning around, he saw a carriage speeding past where he had just been standing, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Do you even have a brain?!" Rong Yue's curse came crashing down on her, then he released her and left on his own.
Knowing she was wrong, Shen Mo hurriedly caught up. There were already quite a few people watching the scene, especially the two "beautiful" people. After taking two steps, Shen Mo quickened her pace to keep up with Rong Yue. Everyone gasped. This maid has gone too far!
However, when the maid mustered up the courage to grab the man's hand, everyone scattered like birds and beasts. After all that, it turned out that they were not master and servant. Now it seemed that they were indeed a good match, and the man and woman who had just had some fantasies immediately looked away.
Rong Yue stopped and glanced at their clasped hands before staring intently at her.
Shen Mo immediately lowered her head, her voice trembling slightly, "I wanted to tell you to slow down."
Just then, an elderly couple walked by hand in hand. Rong Yue's eyes flickered, and in an instant, his hand flipped over, enveloping her small hand in his large one. Rong Yue took the initiative and pulled her closer with a forceful pull.
"Yes, we should definitely slow down." His words were filled with sunshine and a smile.
Chapter Twenty-Six: Lantern Romance
“She’s lost a lot of money.” Arriving at a relatively large pharmacy in the town, Rong Yue pushed Shen Mo to the pharmacist and uttered those three words.
The old pharmacist stroked his white beard and pondered, "Hmm, pale complexion and dull lips, truly a sign of deficiency in both qi and blood. Bring me the prescription."
Shen Mo stepped forward. "Senior, we didn't bring any prescriptions. Please write some for us, as long as it's for treating blood deficiency."
“Young lady may not know that there are many kinds of blood deficiency. If it is caused by congenital factors or diet, I will prescribe some common medicines. If it is caused by a long-term illness or…” The old man glanced at Rong Yue beside her and paused, “or if it is caused by a miscarriage, I will add a few more tonics. I wonder what the cause is for you, young lady, so that I can prescribe the right medicine.”
"It's because..."
Miscarriage!
Like a thunderclap, Shen Mo's back stiffened, and then she looked at Rong Yue in astonishment, only to see him completely disregard his own expression and calmly say to the old man, "Her body is too weak, so add as much tonic as possible."
The old man looked at Rong Yue with a comforting expression. "Don't worry too much. With proper care, you'll have a chance in the future. I'll go get the medicine for you now." Before leaving, he patted Rong Yue's hand and even looked at Shen Mo encouragingly, treating her as a shy young lady who was too embarrassed to speak. In fact, if he looked at her now, he probably wouldn't have concluded that she had suffered a great loss.
As they left the pharmacy, Shen Mo shoved the medicine packet into Rong Yue's hand. "Can't we say it's for some other reason?" After all, this was ancient times when women valued their reputation as much as their lives.
“Your symptoms seem more like a miscarriage. If it were something else, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to treat it properly,” Rong Yue explained logically.
"But you ruined my reputation." Shen Mo still felt something was wrong.
"What need is there for reputation in front of me?" Rong Yue switched the medicine in his other hand, grabbed her, and left in one smooth, natural motion.
As the sun set, Rong Yue's shadow stretched long and long, covering hers. Turning her head slightly to look at his tall figure and well-defined profile, Shen Mo suddenly felt that this statement seemed to have some truth to it.
"What are you looking at?"
Captured by Rong Yue's gaze, Shen Mo paused for a moment, then quickly looked away, her expression shifting without speaking. Suddenly noticing a large group of people heading in the opposite direction, she, who had been bedridden for days, found herself drawn to places with people and excitement. She turned with the flow of people and asked, "Where are they going?"
“The town has been holding an autumn festival for the past few days. Now that night is falling, it must be something like a lantern festival.” Rong Yue told her what he knew, and after thinking for a moment, he added, “The autumn night is frosty, I’m afraid your body can’t take it.”
The implication was that she shouldn't go and join in the fun. Shen Mo, who had been somewhat excited the previous sentence, immediately stopped looking around and silently turned around to walk forward.
"If you pay attention, it's not necessarily a bad thing."
Her steps came to an abrupt halt, and as Shen Mo's gaze returned to Rong Yue's face, a smile had already spread across her lips. A wisp of hair drifted past the corner of her eye, creating two crescent moons, and the dimples on her cheeks were faintly visible. The flush from before had not yet faded. This scene was as sweet as the stars and the moon, attracting everyone's attention.
Rong Yue couldn't help but cross his arms and look at her with great curiosity, unable to take his eyes off her.
"What are you looking at?" This time it was Shen Mo's turn to speak.
They followed the crowd to their destination, a meandering stream. It was already night, and just as Rong Yue had said, it was a lantern festival. People were already lighting lanterns and releasing them into the stream. Vendors on both banks were selling all sorts of things, and people were playing drums and gongs to add to the festive atmosphere. It was a lively scene.
Seeing Shen Mo holding out one hand in front of him, Rong Yue remained unmoved. "What are you doing?"
"Now that we're here, we must do as the Romans do. I need money to buy lanterns." Shen Mo thought he really didn't understand what she meant.
"No." Rong Yue casually grabbed a strand of her hair and fiddled with it.
Shen Mo was stunned for a moment, then looked carefully at his expression and reached out to touch his waist.
"What are you doing touching me like that!" Rong Yue snapped and grabbed her hand back.