Fu Jiuxin kicked open the door and put Dou Akou on the bed. Dou Akou was still very excited and squirmed, saying, "Sir, sir! I'm not seriously injured, I don't want to lie in bed. Sir, you flew so high just now, so this is what the Dance Elephant Terrace looks like from the sky."
She tried to struggle, but when she saw Fu Jiuxin's dark eyes, she immediately fell silent.
Fu Jiuxin brought water and wiped away the bloodstains for Dou Akou. Dou Akou was in pain but dared not cry out. She could only pitifully tug at his clothes.
As he wiped down, the blood snaked like tiny snakes, flowing down her neck to her shoulders. Fu Jiuxin loosened Dou Akou's clothes slightly, revealing a patch of white skin on her round, delicate shoulders, and beyond that, her soft breasts were completely exposed...
The gentleman stood up abruptly, turned his back, and tossed the handkerchief to Dou Akou: "Wipe yourself." — His voice was hoarse.
Dou Akou wiped herself haphazardly a few times, turned over a few times, and finally couldn't help but tug at Fu Jiuxin's clothes: "Sir, it hurts."
Fu Jiuxin turned around and gently touched Dou Akou's earlobe. The person who had raised her with such care since she was a child couldn't bear to see her suffer even the slightest bit: "Bear with it. I'll go call Mingkong Sanren."
Mingkong Sanren came over, wrote a few prescriptions, but then left, complaining that Fu Jiuxin was making a mountain out of a molehill.
Dou Akou was happy that she didn't need to practice calligraphy tonight because of her injury, and that her husband was staying by her side waiting for her to fall asleep. She wrapped herself in the blanket, took her medicine, and went to sleep.
Fu Jiuxin stood by her bedside, propping his forehead up with his hand. His gaze slowly shifted from Dou Akou's sleeping face to her red and swollen earlobes. Her once small and cute ears were now red and swollen.
He closed his eyes. So be it, his life was destined to be ruined by this girl, never to rise again.
When Dou Akou woke up, her husband was asleep beside her bed. Dou Akou silently gazed at him, thinking that his sleeping face was very beautiful. The lamplight was bright and the red candles were dim. Suddenly, a thought arose that startled even herself: she only wished that her husband would stay with her for the rest of his life.
She circled around her husband a few times, scratched her head, and recalled Xu Liren's frivolous behavior last night. It was as if his scent was still clinging to her, and Dou Akou suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.
She secretly glanced at Fu Jiuxin, hesitated for a while, and finally mustered up her courage to lean gently against him.
This chest and embrace were the haven that protected her since childhood. She was used to his scent and warmth, and when she leaned against him, it was like a weary bird that had been wandering for a long time finally returning to its nest.
The man remained motionless. Dou Akou grew a little bolder and stared intently at the man's lips.
She was corrupted by Xu Li. Although she hated what Xu Li did to her last night, it seemed to enlighten her mind in an instant, or perhaps it was her nature, but she naturally understood.
She wanted to kiss her husband.
Even as she thought this, she had already done it. Lips touched lips, unlike Xu Liren's, which was cold and frightening to her; her husband's lips were soft and warm, like the osmanthus cake she had eaten.
My heart was pounding as if it were about to explode, I felt a deep sense of guilt about my depravity, and a longing to be close to my husband... Never mind!
Dou Akou stuck out a little of her tongue and licked it; it was sweet. So she licked it again, starting from the corner of her husband's lips, like eating a piece of candy she was reluctant to part with, slowly, delicately, and cautiously. She still felt it wasn't enough, yet she couldn't get it in, like being tickled by a cat's tail, her heart itching intensely.
The man seemed to be disturbed in his sleep, and he moved slightly and parted his lips slightly.
Dou Akou was stunned. Some things didn't need to be taught; she suddenly understood. She stole another glance at her master, who seemed to have fallen asleep again. His beautifully shaped lips were slightly parted, unconsciously glistening with moisture, tempting who knows who.
Dou Akou moved closer, until she couldn't get any closer, and kissed him again. Their lips and teeth touched, soft and moist. As if possessed, she quietly slipped into her husband's lips and entwined with his soft tongue.
She had no skill, only instinct, like sucking and tasting a piece of osmanthus candy, occasionally pulling away slightly, then quickly pressing back, rubbing and biting, their breaths mingling together.
A large autumn chrysanthemum fell to the ground outside the window with a soft thud.
Dou Akou was startled and suddenly woke up from her daze. She jumped up and was a full ten feet away from her master.
She couldn't believe she had done such a thing to her husband. Dou Akou was filled with guilt and remorse, and dared not look at Fu Jiuxin again. She buried her head in the covers, wanting to stay there forever.
She was completely unaware that the person she had just been wantonly harassing had slowly opened his eyes.
That night, the world awoke, and Dou Akou's primordial era finally came to an end.
Give it a shot
Dou Akou's sty had miraculously healed, and the wound on her earlobe had also healed remarkably well. Tang Xunzhen exclaimed in surprise, "Have you been 'nourished' by some wild man?"
She hadn't meant it by it, but Dou Akou blushed instantly. When she woke up that morning, her husband was already gone. But she clearly remembered what she had done to him the night before, and a sense of guilt washed over her.
She stayed indoors, not wanting to go out. Just as she didn't want to see Xu Liren, she didn't want to see her husband either.
Tang Xunzhen pulled her up: "What's wrong with you now? What's gotten into you these past few days? You're usually always pestering Xu Liren, but I haven't seen you looking for him at all. You were supposed to go and ask if the master was alright this morning, but you're not going?"
Dou Akou dawdled.
Tang Xunzhen said, "Miss, even if you don't want to see those two men, you still have to go out. Today, Mingkong Sanren will announce the participants for the martial arts tournament, and we all have to go."
A list was posted on the Elephant Dance Platform, listing the rankings of the Qingyong City disciples in this trial. Dou Akou's ranking was in the middle to upper range, but not top-tier. Fortunately, she didn't belong to any other sect and was considered a direct descendant of Qingyong City. Therefore, she and Fu Jiuxin were both included in the Qingyong City list for this martial arts tournament, fulfilling their wishes.
Tang Xunzhen was the first to excitedly shout, "Aha, Akou, then this time, you, Mr. Gu, and I will all go to participate in that damn martial arts tournament. The younger generation surpasses the older generation; it's time for us young people to show our talents!"
"Ha, you're too arrogant. The martial arts world is full of hidden talents. We're just a few greenhorns, so we should be more respectful in our words."
Gu Huaibi and Fu Jiuxin walked over together, and he smiled and tapped Tang Xunzhen's forehead.
“Mr. Xianxian.” Dou Akou stammered, her face flushed red, too ashamed to look Fu Jiuxin in the eye.
"Hmm." Fu Jiuxin seemed to know nothing. "Miss, I won't be practicing calligraphy today. I'll take a few days to recover and then head to Xilie Fort in a few days."
"Mr. Xian, yes, yes, yes." Dou Akou stammered completely.
Tang Xunzhen didn't notice the unusual atmosphere between Dou Akou and Fu Jiuxin. She was calculating the itinerary and said with a click of her tongue, "Wait a minute. There's still more than half a month until the 25th of next month. Are we going to Xilie Fort to sprout beans so early? Akou, why don't you accompany me to the Ding family in Baicaojing?"
Before Dou Akou could answer, Fu Jiuxin asked, "What is it? The wedding procession?"
Tang Xunzhen asked in surprise, "How come Mr. Fu knows about this too?"
She took out a wedding invitation: "Here. This is my brother's invitation. He's marrying Miss Ding Baizhi, the second daughter of the Ding family, on the sixteenth of next month. I'm going to the Ding family to pick up the bride."
Dou Akou was confused: "The second young lady of the Ding family? I remember, their eldest young lady is not married yet."
Tang Xunzhen curled her lip in utter disdain: "Miss? A man who marries Ding Zisu will lose at least ten years of his lifespan!"
Gu Huaibi coughed a few times awkwardly.
Tang Xunzhen's eyes darted around: "Hey, I remember your father proposed to the Ding family back then, right? Why didn't you marry Ding Zisu?"
Gu Huaibi smiled bitterly: "If I really had to marry her, I would rather jump off the thousand-step stone staircase of Qingyong City."
Tang Xunzhen snorted and fell silent.
Fu Jiuxin pondered for a moment and said, "The Dou family and the Ding family have business dealings, and Master Dou also has a gift to send to the Ding family. Miss, would you like to come home with me to prepare the gift, or go directly to the Ding family with Miss Tang?"
His tone was calm, but Dou Akou instinctively felt that she had no choice but to choose the former.
Going home with her husband... She secretly glanced at Fu Jiuxin's lips, wondering what if she had defiled him again.
She lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "I'll go with my senior sister."
The man seemed not to have heard him clearly: "What?"
Dou Akou's voice rose slightly: "I, I went with my senior sister—"
"I understand." Before she could finish speaking, her husband coldly interrupted her, "In that case, let's split up and each go our own way."
Dou Akou felt very sad. When she heard Tang Xunzhen say, "Alright. It's settled then. Akou and I will go to the Ding family to pick up the bride first. Mr. Fu will return to Ziwei Qingdu to prepare the gifts. Gu Huaibi, you..."
Gu Huaibi waved his hand: "Of course I won't go to the Ding family, I'm too busy avoiding suspicion. I'll go back to Xilie Fort and make preparations for you, I guarantee that everything will be fine when you move in."
"Alright. Then after my brother's wedding, we'll meet up in Xiliebao and then embark on a grand undertaking!"
"Can I come with you?" a voice interrupted arrogantly.
"Xu Liren?" Tang Xunzhen turned around, frowned after recognizing the person, and asked, "What are you doing at the Ding family?"
“I didn’t ask for your opinion.” Xu Li sneered. “I was bought by Master Dou Yacai, so naturally Dou Yacai makes the decisions.”
Everyone looked at Dou Akou, who was a little flustered. This was the first time she had seen Xu Liren since she had escaped that night.
Her mind was now filled with thoughts of the man she had taken liberties with; the guilt and remorse were overwhelming. Hearing Xu Liren's words, she asked blankly, "Huh? Oh. Senior Sister, I promised Xu Liren that I would take him to the Ding family for treatment."
Everyone fell silent. Fu Jiuxin turned and left first, and Gu Huaibi chased after him, asking, "Hey, what's going on between you and Akou?"
"When heaven and earth first awoke, there was only chaos. After the primordial era, there came the sun, moon, stars, birds, beasts, insects, and fish. Gradually, love, hate, anger, and resentment arose, and finally, human beings came into being."
"What do you mean?" Gu Huaibi was completely confused.
"It's not time yet," Fu Jiuxin said succinctly.
Three days later.
The five men gathered at the gate of Qingyong City, preparing to go their separate ways.
Perhaps because Xu Liren was present, Tang Xunzhen was unusually quiet. She didn't speak, and Gu Huaibi didn't say a word either. The master was a man of few words, and Dou Akou was still immersed in her guilt towards the master. So, only the footsteps of five people could be heard on the thousand-step stone staircase, walking out in an unusually quiet manner.
Finally reaching the fork in the road at the foot of the mountain, Tang Xunzhen let out a deep breath. Ugh, I've had enough of that atmosphere!
The Ding family of Baicao Jing is to the south, while Xiliebao and Ziwei Qing are to the west. The five of them will part ways here.
Still no one spoke. Seeing this, Gu Huaibi forced himself to speak: "Ahem, Xunzhen, Jiuxin and I went this way." Xu Liren
"You and Akou don't know martial arts, so be careful on the road."
"I know! I'll keep a close eye on Akou. She's innocent and doesn't know the ways of the world or the wickedness of people. Those so-and-so people, just because they have a decent-looking face, they pretend to be pitiful and try to gain sympathy. Do they really think everyone else can be fooled? Anyway, I can see clearly that even if Akou is innocent, she's not a pushover!" Tang Xunzhen glanced at Xu Liren intentionally or unintentionally a few times.
Xu Liren wore a mocking smile, as if he hadn't heard.
Dou Akou's mind wasn't on anyone; she didn't understand the unspoken meaning in Tang Xunzhen's words.
Fu Jiuxin looked at her and said calmly, "Miss, take care."
"Huh? Oh." Dou Akou hurriedly looked up, but upon seeing Fu Jiuxin's face, she quickly looked away.
Fu Jiuxin and Gu Huaibi chose two fast horses at the Qingyong City post station at the foot of the mountain. They mounted their horses and, without looking at Dou Akou, the two horses galloped away with a "giggle".
Dou Akou felt a pang of sadness as she watched the petals swirling in the air beneath the horse's hooves. Tang Xunzhen, noticing her reluctant expression, teased her, "It's only been a quarter of an hour, and you can still see his back. Are you already missing him?"
Dou Akou was startled. Tang Xunzhen's words touched on the issue she had been avoiding for the past few days: she actually missed her teacher.
She had missed her husband before. When she was little, he was sent out to collect debts, and she would count down the days until his return. It wasn't for anything else, just anticipation of the novelties he would bring back from all over the world, the things to eat and play with. As for him himself, her longing for him wasn't particularly intense.
But just now, as she watched her husband's retreating figure, what was on her mind? Was she worried about whether Ah Xin would catch a cold, whether Ah Xin would have a safe journey, Ah Xin...
Such deep affection! Even before turning away, I was already thinking of you.
Dou Akou was about to cry. How could she harbor such feelings for her husband! Axin was her husband, her brother, and her father's adopted son. Her father had said that when Axin was two years older, he would find him a good girl; her father had said that when she was two years older, he would find her a good husband; he would marry and she would marry, each with her own family, and in two or three years, they would all gather together with three or four children... That would be how her life would be.
But if her father knew about her feelings for her husband, and if her husband also found out, wouldn't he leave her to avoid suspicion...?
Dou Akou crouched on the ground, clutching her head. She felt as if several dark clouds of sin were looming over her heart, completely obscuring it.
Tang Xunzhen lifted her up: "Let's go. The master will be back in a few days, what's the rush?"
She then turned to Xu Liren and said, "Here, pick a horse and follow behind us."
Xu Liren stared intently at Dou Akou's expression, recalling Tang Xunzhen's earlier teasing, and felt both shocked and angry. He thought winning the heart of this fool Dou Akou would be easy, but he hadn't realized that what seemed so readily available was actually far beyond his reach.
He frowned and pondered. In the terms he had discussed with Dou Jincai, he had included Dou Akou as part of the wager. Now it seemed that he had made a mistake in this step... But it didn't matter. He quietly unfolded the note in his hand. It was a message from the secret guards that morning: Emperor Huang Taizu was seriously ill.