Mon premier mari après ma transmigration

Chapitre 18

Danmei suddenly felt a bit stuffy. She nudged her elbow slightly backward, and the window behind her opened, letting in a gust of cold wind that immediately made her feel much better.

"So early in the morning..."

Danmei stopped his hand from reaching inside her clothes.

Xu Jinrong smiled slightly, did not force her, and released her.

"I haven't spent several days with you, no wonder I miss you... Whatever you say, let's do it tonight..."

She heard him whisper in her ear.

Author's Note: I originally planned to update more today, but I only managed to squeeze out this little bit...~~~~(>_)

Chapter Forty-Four

As evening fell, the boat stopped at Xiabu Town on the Bian River to wait for the other boats that would arrive later. Because these two boats had deliberately lowered their sails to travel slowly today, while the boats behind them were sailing with the wind at full speed, Xu Jinrong said that Sister Hui and her group should be able to arrive here tomorrow.

The ship docked at the pier, and Xu Jinrong left two guards at the pier to watch over Danmei's ship before going ashore himself.

There weren't any books or anything to keep her entertained on the boat, so Danmei spent the entire afternoon curled up on the couch, sleeping soundly. Between waking and dozing, her mind kept replaying Xu Jinrong's confession to her that morning. He could truly be called frank. But for some reason, this "frankness" didn't bring her complete peace of mind. Instead, after the resentment that had accumulated in her heart due to the accident a few days ago dissipated with his words, another indescribable feeling of melancholy, one she couldn't even pinpoint herself, slowly crept into her heart. The thought of the evening made her even more listless and unwilling to move.

Duty, a wife's duty to her husband.

In the end, that was all she could tell herself.

Xiabu Town was fairly densely populated. Merchant ships traveling from the Grand Canal to the Bian River to the capital would stop here in the evening and then go aboard for a meal and a place to stay. However, most of the inns and guesthouses were old and had a strong odor, so the two of them would stay on the boat tonight.

As night fell, few people ventured out of the town. Occasionally, a few dim candlelight flickered from the windows and doors of houses in the distance. A faded lantern hung high on the vast dock, swaying slightly in the chilly wind, its light casting a wavering shadow on the ground, adding to the sense of loneliness. Along the dock, dozens of boats of varying sizes were moored, some with lanterns at their prows, others completely dark.

"Are you done yet? If you don't come out soon, I'll come and help you."

Danmei sat in the bathtub and heard Xu Jinrong's slightly amused voice coming from outside the door. She quickly responded and stood up from the water.

I had been soaking in the hot water for a while, and when I stood up, my legs felt a little shaky. Although there was a brazier nearby, I still felt a chill, and goosebumps immediately rose on my damp skin.

Danmei held onto the edge of the tub and carefully stepped out of the tub, which was about half her height. As soon as she stood firm, she felt a warmth on her body and realized she was wrapped in a large velvet towel. Turning her head, she saw Xu Jinrong behind her, using the towel to help wipe the water droplets off her body.

He had showered earlier than her and was now only wearing a pair of soft satin trousers, his upper body bare. Danmei was completely naked, and the two were so close that she could almost feel his heat through the thin velvet scarf. She felt a sudden panic and quickly grabbed the corner of the scarf tightly, whispering, "You can go out now, I can do it myself."

Xu Jinrong chuckled and said, "I asked you to come in to wash with me earlier, but you refused. I've been waiting for you for so long. If I let you come by yourself now, I'm afraid you won't be able to leave this room until tomorrow morning."

Danmei was a little embarrassed. She loosened her grip slightly, and he picked her up, still wrapped in a velvet scarf, and carried her out to the bed.

The moment her back touched the soft satin bedding, Danmei immediately reached out to pull the quilt over herself to cover herself, but he stopped her with his hand.

He didn't say anything, but just knelt down in front of her, staring intently at her.

Danmei had exposed herself to him before, but tonight was different. Before, under his gaze, she felt nothing but embarrassment and a faint sense of humiliation. But now, the way this man looked at her gave her a new feeling; she sensed that besides the growing lust in his eyes, there seemed to be a fondness for her body.

The chill she felt when she emerged from the water had vanished, and her body gradually warmed under his gaze. This unfamiliar sensation made her uneasy, and she reached for the blankets again. This time, he didn't stop her but instead lay down beside her, pulling her into his arms.

Danmei felt herself being held tightly in his arms. He was slowly kissing her eyebrows and eyes, then stopping at her lips, just like several times before. She instinctively wanted to pull away, but this time, his fingers dug into her hair, holding her head firmly in place. Then, he slowly and deliberately licked and kissed her cherry-red lips, until her body began to tremble slightly after a long stalemate under the teasing of his tongue, and her lips finally parted slightly due to shortness of breath. He then invaded her mouth, sucking on her soft little tongue that tried to escape, until she had nowhere to retreat, and they were entangled together in a tumultuous embrace.

The cabin door was tightly closed, and the lights in front of the screen were dim. From inside the cabin came a few broken sobs from a woman and a man's restrained, low, satisfied sighs, which were exceptionally alluring.

Danmei struggled out of the kiss, turned her head to his ear, and breathed slightly.

Xu Jinrong held her head tightly, listening to her soft breaths, filled with an unprecedented sense of accomplishment. He continued to kiss her skin inch by inch on her jade-like neck and shoulders, leaving faint red marks, until he reached her bare chest. There, not yet fully blooming, just a handful, yet perky and round, the two small pink nipples now erect, hesitant to speak.

Xu Jinrong's thick eyebrows furrowed, and his dark eyes were faintly bloodshot, as if he were restraining himself, or perhaps admiring her. Only when she tried to cover his view with the quilt again did he lower down and take her in his mouth. At first, he only teased her clitoris, but soon Danmei felt that almost half of it was being sucked into his large mouth, causing a slight stinging sensation, yet also a strange pleasure. She was tormented by this feeling and let out a few soft moans, grabbing his hair and trying to push him away to stop the torment. He finally released one of her breasts, seeing that the clitoris had turned crimson and was glistening with a large amount of moisture, and couldn't help but lower his head and take the other one in his mouth, continuing to use his tongue as a weapon, attacking her repeatedly, making her restless under his lips and tongue.

Danmei finally pushed his head off her chest, collapsing to her side on the pillow and panting heavily once more.

Xu Jinrong's breathing became heavier. The sight of her flushed face and half-open lips, within reach of him, made him unable to restrain himself. He wanted to immediately press down on her and possess this beautiful body that belonged to him, but he restrained himself. He simply reached down and parted her legs, slowly caressing her flower with his fingers until he felt a heat on his fingertips. He gently pinched it and found it was already moist and sticky.

Danmei heard the man chuckle softly. She felt both ashamed and angry. She closed her eyes and reached out to hit him a few times randomly. But when she reached out again, her hand hit empty air. When she opened her eyes, her whole body was stiff.

He actually lowered his head and lay down on her lower abdomen.

Xu Jinrong didn't know why he was acting this way. He had always been the one being pleased. But now, he only wanted to make her happy, to make her overflow with sweetness for him, and to make her remember that it was he who did this for her.

He pressed his tongue against her tender, moist lips, teasing them between her slightly damp vulva, gently kissing her delicate lips until they trembled and swelled open under his caresses.

Danmei tried to resist, but her legs were held firmly in his large hands, rendering her completely immobile. The cabin was poorly soundproofed, so she dared not make a sound. Helplessly, she could only twist her body slightly. Soon, she was aroused by him, becoming incredibly wet and empty. She finally couldn't help but moan softly, her trembling voice seemingly exuding a sweet and alluring fragrance.

Her sweet fragrance permeated the air, and her alluring invitations wafted everywhere.

He finally couldn't resist amidst her scattered, trembling voice. He shook off her hand that was grabbing his hair, pressed her firmly down beneath him, knelt between her legs, and squeezed in with one thrust. He let out a low, extremely pleasurable sigh and pressed her down beneath him.

He knew her body was too delicate for him, and he should cherish her. But just like before, she always made him feel like there were little hands scratching at his heart, and he couldn't help but want to attack, pushing her back until she had nowhere to escape.

The winter night after the snow was completely still, without even a breath of wind. Yet the boat seemed to sway slightly, creating shallow ripples that spread out and slowly disappeared on the surface of the river.

Xu Jinrong's heart was also stirred by the spring breeze. Seeing her face flushed like a peony beneath him, tears welling up, her face brimming with the weariness of spring, he couldn't help but lean down and gently kiss her lips again, slowing his pace, feeling her unparalleled passion and warmth in the gentle rhythm, until she finally sobbed and reached out to hug his back tightly, her nails digging deep into his muscles.

Having spent so much time together, this was probably her first response to him in bed, which excited him even more, and he was almost about to ejaculate while she held him tightly.

"Little goblin..."

He cursed under his breath, then suddenly quickened his pace, watching her writhe beneath him, forced to move with his thrusts, until her eyes were hazy, her face flushed, and she felt as if she were about to fall apart from his impact. Only then did he finally release her, releasing his pent-up desire into her warm body after a few powerful thrusts. He felt an indescribable pleasure, then nestled against her neck and kissed her lips.

Danmei lay there almost motionless, yet he had exhausted her completely. The strange, unfamiliar pleasure that had seemed to emanate from deep within her body moments before made her limbs weak, and her forehead was covered in sweat. She was still too tired to breathe, yet he continued to pursue her with his kisses, making her even more pitiful.

Xu Jinrong took a long, deep breath. He had never felt so unrestrained and excited. Everything that had just happened was even more exhilarating than when he first heard that he was to be appointed as the prefect and pacification commissioner. He felt extremely happy and satisfied at this moment.

Holding the person who had just embraced and carried him, now limp and weak, and stroking her long, black hair, he felt for the first time how much he cherished this soft touch, and how much he loved this tenderness after passion.

The next day, around noon, the other boats finally caught up. Sister Hui and the wet nurse came in one boat, Miaoxia and Xiqing came in another, even the cook came along with two other maids, and the person with the luggage basket took up another boat by themselves. Including the original two boats, there were a total of five or six boats.

Hui-jie was peeking out from the half-open cabin door when she saw Dan-mei. Her eyes lit up, and as soon as the boat came to a stop, she ignored her nanny's attempts to stop her and jumped out of the cabin, ready to jump onto the other boat. Suddenly, she saw her father coming out from the opposite deck and hesitated. Xu Jin-rong bent down and picked her up, patting her head and saying, "Go ahead. She seems a little bored. Go and keep her company." As he spoke, he smiled and glanced at Dan-mei.

Chapter 45

Since waking up this morning, Danmei has avoided eye contact with him, always looking away when he glances at her. It's not for any particular reason, but she's become somewhat accustomed to their previous way of interacting, and the sudden tenderness and affection he displayed in bed, like last night, leaves her unsure how to react afterwards. She inwardly mocks herself, realizing she's destined to be the one receiving the cold shoulder.

Hui-jie had no idea about all this. After following Dan-mei into the cabin, she kept chattering away. Having experienced the initial high hopes followed by their disappointment, and then being suddenly told to board the ship and catch up, the child could no longer hide her excitement. Even though a night had passed, she was still full of joy.

“When I woke up yesterday morning, you were gone. I thought you hadn’t woken up properly, but then I saw the wet nurse and Miaoxia busy packing. They said the steward had relayed Father’s message that everyone should get on the ship and go to their new posts. The wet nurse seemed very happy, and so did I. I thought we wouldn’t be able to go after all…”

After talking for a while, Sister Hui felt the boat start moving, so she leaned over the porthole and looked at the endless stream of boats coming and going on the river. Seeing that she had leaned out, Danmei was afraid that something might happen, so she quickly sat down next to her and pulled her back, pointing out the various boats and scenery on the shore with her.

As soon as Sister Hui arrived, Danmei felt much more relaxed; at least the atmosphere in the cabin immediately became more lively. While talking to Sister Hui, she glanced sideways at Xu Jinrong and saw him sitting steadily in a chair opposite her, holding a book he had brought from his luggage. He seemed to be reading, or perhaps listening to their conversation, with a faint smile on his lips and a very relaxed expression.

In winter, the sun sets early. By mid-afternoon, it was already dark. Six boats were moored together at the ferry crossing in Daju County.

Daju County still belongs to the Jingji Circuit, but it has already left the territory of Kaifeng Prefecture. Today, with the sails fully unfurled and taking advantage of the wind and water, we have traveled no less than a hundred li by water in half a day.

As soon as the boat docked at the ferry, a line of local officials stood neatly on the shore. It turned out that Magistrate Zhang of Daju County had heard that a high-ranking official from the capital, the newly appointed Pacification Commissioner of Huainan Circuit, was passing through the county with his family and might stop at the ferry that evening. He had specially led his clerks to wait here early, hoping to curry favor with them and open up more opportunities for himself in the future. Seeing several large boats coming to dock, he went up to ask the boatman, and sure enough, it was Lord Xu. He hurriedly and respectfully went to greet him and invited him ashore.

Daju County had an inn, where officials like Xu Jinrong and their families could naturally stay overnight. It was common practice for local officials to go to great lengths to inquire about the travel itineraries of newly appointed officials in order to make connections. Xu Jinrong pondered for a moment, then returned to his cabin to ask Danmei's opinion. Danmei, having been on the boat for two days, was indeed feeling a bit dizzy and agreed. The group packed some things, leaving two attendants on the boat, while the rest of the women boarded the carriage prepared by Magistrate Zhang and headed towards the inn. Upon arrival, they found a courtyard with a covered walkway. The front courtyard handled reception, communication, and transportation matters, while the back courtyard was where they would stay. Rooms upstairs were specially reserved for them, two separate rooms on either side of a staircase. Although not as refined as their former home, it was quiet and, to their liking, tidy and pleasant. The brazier was already warm, so they settled in. Hui-jie and the wet nurse shared a room next to Dan-mei's, while Xi-qing and Miao-xia lived in the servants' quarters, which were a courtyard away.

The post station official had already heard that this group was a distinguished guest from the capital. Upon their arrival, seeing even the accompanying maids and wet nurse dressed in bright attire, not to mention the generous gifts and lavish spending of the magistrate, the official naturally went to great lengths to curry favor. Danmei, Huijie, and the wet nurse happily dined at the post station. Xu Jinrong, unable to refuse the magistrate's hospitality, went out to the banquet.

After eating, Hui-jie noticed that her father had not yet returned and it was still early, so she went to Dan-mei's room to play and digest her food.

Daju County is not like the capital. Although it is also a county town, it is already quiet by the time night falls. Danmei played with Sister Hui for a while, then opened the window and looked out. She saw that the lights in the rooms of the other officials' families staying downstairs in the same courtyard were almost all off. It seemed that they had all gone to bed early because the winter night was too cold to entertain them.

Danmei returned to Huijie's side, about to tell her to go back to sleep early, when suddenly she heard a panicked shout from outside: "It's terrible, there's a fire!" Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw faint flames flickering outside the window. She rushed to the window and opened it, and was shocked to see that a room in the northwest corner of the outer corridor was on fire. The fire was fueled by the wind and quickly turned into a raging inferno. She could faintly smell a strange burning odor, like the smell of tung oil.

The once quiet post station was immediately thrown into chaos. The women and children living in the rooms below screamed and cried out in fear. The post station official, disheveled, rushed over and, together with the postmen and others, poured water to fight the fire. However, the fire was too great to be contained in a short time, and the scene was extremely chaotic.

Danmei glanced around and saw that the fire was raging. Her row of houses was downwind, so although she was safe for the moment, she was afraid of being caught in the fire. She grabbed Huijie's hand and was about to go downstairs to take shelter when she bumped into the wet nurse who was running over in a panic. The wet nurse said in a trembling voice, "Madam, something bad has happened! There's a fire!"

Danmei hummed in agreement and said, "Go down and go around to the side door to hide in the front hall. It's upwind there, so it should be fine. Go check on Xiqing and the others and tell them to come along too. Don't let them panic and run around with the others..."

After Danmei finished speaking, she saw the wet nurse standing there blankly, her eyes fixed on what was behind her, her face as white as if she had seen a ghost. Then she heard a strange sound like a heavy object falling to the ground. She turned around and was shocked to see that there was now a person dressed in black in the room. His mouth and nose were covered with a black cloth, only his eyes were visible. He was holding a knife in his hand. The back window was wide open, so he must have jumped in from there.

"Oh my goodness..."

The wet nurse let out a strange cry and tried to escape as if her hair had been pricked up. She had just opened the door a crack when she saw another man in black guarding the stairwell. She froze on the spot, unable to move.

The man in black inside was extremely agile. He darted over and kicked the door latch shut, cursing "old hag," and turned to chop down the steel knife in his hand.

Hui-jie was so frightened that she huddled tightly next to Dan-mei. Dan-mei was also terrified. She saw that her wet nurse was standing there motionless, clearly scared out of her wits. She didn't even know how to dodge. Without thinking, she shouted, "Who are you? How dare you break in here and commit violence? My guards are in the outer hall and will be here soon. If you want to die, leave now!"

The man in black, initially dismissing her youthful appearance, paused upon hearing her chilling tone. His movements slowed, and the wet nurse, who had just regained her senses, was jerked aside as the blade grazed her forehead. A scream rang out, and the wet nurse collapsed to the ground, her face covered in blood, motionless. It was unclear whether she was killed or simply unconscious. Sister Hui was immediately terrified, tears welling in her eyes, but Danmei pulled her behind her, preventing her from uttering a sound.

Danmei was horrified to see that this person was so vicious, not even sparing a servant. In a flash, several thoughts raced through her mind.

The fire outside started suddenly, most likely the work of this man in black's accomplices, probably to attract attention and take advantage of the chaos. It was clear they were targeting him, or rather, Xu Jinrong. Although Xu Jinrong had left guards at the inn, they were all in the outer hall and were probably helping the officials fight the fire; even if they arrived, it wouldn't be quick. Xiqing and Miaoxia were in the next courtyard, and being women, they would likely be killed if they came. All he could do now was stall for time until the guards arrived. Having thought this through, he took a few steps back and looked at the man in black, saying, "You broke in during the chaos; you must have something to gain. If it's money, just bring it; I'll give it all to you. Why take lives?"

The man in black picked up the knife, still stained with the wet nurse's blood, and snorted, "That Xu fellow has injured countless of my brothers and blocked the way for people in the underworld to make money. There are plenty of eyes watching him. What's killing one of his family members? Everyone involved deserves to die. If you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for not showing any mercy!" As he spoke, he quickly walked to the chest and cabinet and rummaged through them, seemingly looking for something.

The man in black spoke with an accent quite different from those in the capital region, suggesting he was from out of town. The doors and windows were just a few steps away, but Danmei dared not make a move, much less shout. Even if she did shout, the commotion downstairs would drown out her voice, and if she angered the man in black, she feared she and Sister Hui would both end up in pools of blood.

"Where is Xu Jinrong's official seal? You better tell me now! Otherwise, I'll kill you with one blow!"

The man in black searched for a while but couldn't find what he wanted. Perhaps fearing someone would come, he became somewhat anxious and turned to Danmei, pressing her for an answer.

The fact that the other party made such a commotion, actually aiming for Xu Jinrong's official seal, is truly unexpected.

The official seal was extremely important; losing it could result in anything from being flogged and losing one's position to causing trouble, potentially leading to execution. Therefore, Xu Jinrong had carried it with him the entire way, wrapped in a handkerchief and placed in the lower compartment of the Plum Blossom Dressing Case. The man in black was in a fluster, preoccupied with rummaging through the chests and boxes, scattering things all over the floor. Although the dressing case was right under his nose, he had no idea about this compartment.

To give or not to give?

Danmei hesitated for only a moment before the man in black grabbed Huijie and sneered, "Dressed like this, she must be Xu Jinrong's daughter. If you don't speak, I'll chop her down first..."

"Take it yourself from the box in front of the dressing table."

Sister Hui was already sobbing. Danmei hated that person for being shameless, but she was helpless and immediately said...

Upon hearing this, the man in black slammed Hui Jie onto the floorboards at his feet. With a crash, he turned around and emptied the entire box, finding the two seals wrapped in official silk. He unwrapped them, his face lighting up with ecstasy. He quickly untied his satchel, stuffing it with his silk bag and jewelry, tying it up, and slung it back over his shoulder. Only then did he pick up his steel knife and grin maliciously.

"Look at your age, could you be his concubine? That Xu fellow is quite the ladies' man, always bringing such a fresh-faced beauty with him when he goes out. Since we can't touch that Xu fellow right now, I'll kill his daughter and concubine first. It's a pity we had to hurry today, otherwise I would have made him taste the pleasure of having his woman raped and then killed!" With that, he walked towards Sister Hui, who was still sitting on the ground trembling and crying, with a fierce look on his face and a knife in hand.

Danmei was terrified. Now that she had nowhere to retreat, she grabbed a blue and white porcelain vase and smashed it against the half-open window. She screamed "Help!" and pounced on Huijie, pinning her down.

The two barely managed to fall to the ground when they suddenly heard a strange howl like a cow behind them, followed by a muffled thud. Before Danmei could even turn her head to see what it was, she felt a gust of wind past her ear. She didn't even have time to dodge to the side before her right shoulder began to burn with excruciating pain, and she almost fainted. In the struggle, she seemed to hear rapid footsteps on the stairs. Almost at the same moment, the door behind her, which had been bolted shut by the man in black, was kicked open forcefully. She managed to turn around and vaguely saw a group of people rushing in. The one in front looked like Xu Jinrong. With a sigh of relief, she could no longer hold on, and her neck went limp.

Just as the man in black was about to strike, he was suddenly struck hard on the back of the head, his skull cleaving open in excruciating pain. His grip faltered, the force of his blow weakened, and the blade landed on the shoulder of the woman beneath him. Turning sharply, he saw that the burly woman he had just slashed was now standing, her face covered in blood, looking like a vengeful ghost, holding a round mahogany stool. He realized this was the one who had struck him. Enraged, he disregarded Xu Jinrong's concubine and daughter on the ground, turning viciously to strike with his sword.

The wet nurse, whose forehead had been sliced clean, felt a burning sensation on her face, her vision blurred, and she thought she was going to die. She collapsed to the ground, unable to move. Slowly regaining her senses, she saw her mistress protecting Hui-jie and dealing with the villain. She wanted to help, but fearing the blade would not discriminate, she simply lay there pretending to be dead, hoping the man in black would take the goods and leave quickly. Unexpectedly, when she saw that he harbored evil intentions and intended to kill her mistress and young lady, her heart shattered. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she suddenly jumped up, grabbed the mahogany stool beside her, screamed, and viciously smashed it against the back of the man in black's head.

The wet nurse, usually strong, was now using all her strength, and her blows were naturally heavy-handed. She thought she was going to knock him down. Unexpectedly, the man in black was incredibly ruthless. After only a few shakes, even though blood was streaming from the back of his head, he still managed to swing his knife at her. Terrified, she lost all her courage. She dropped the stool, hitting her own foot, and ignoring the pain, desperately leaned out the window, shouting, "Murder!" Before she could finish, the door was kicked open. Looking closely, she saw her master had brought people in. Her legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

Seeing the situation was dire, the man in black, disregarding his companions at the door, immediately darted towards the back window he had just entered through. Light as a feather, he slipped out in a flash, leaving a long trail of blood on the ground. Xu Jinrong's followers, without waiting for his orders, immediately jumped down after him.

Author's Note: This story had to be renamed due to some unfortunate reason. I'm still scratching my head in endless agony, having always been terrible at naming things… I'm letting everyone know first, so you don't suddenly find your hen has turned into a drake in a few days…

o(╯□╰)o

Chapter Forty-Six

The scene that had just unfolded seemed to last a long time to Danmei and the other two in the room, but in reality, it was only a short while. Xiqing, Miaoxia, and the others were in the side room in the back corridor. When they noticed the fire ahead and rushed over, they saw a blue-and-white porcelain vase being thrown out of an upstairs window and shattering on the ground. Then they heard their mistress shouting "Help!" and hurriedly went up the stairs. Halfway up, they vaguely saw what looked like a dark figure above by the firelight. They were terrified and turned back to shout for help. Just then, Xu Jinrong returned and rushed up with his men.

The men in black guarding the door were caught off guard by the speed of the arrival. They didn't even bother to report inside. They turned around and jumped down from the back corridor to escape, but someone had already given chase.

Hui-jie was terrified. She could only cry, but couldn't make a sound. When she saw a familiar person burst into the room, she realized what was happening. She turned her head and saw Dan-mei still lying softly on top of her, her lips pale and blood flowing from half of her arm. She burst into tears.