He wiped away her tears but didn't let go. His hand, which had been holding her chin, slowly moved away, then gently fell back down, finally tentatively taking her hand in his. The two stood still, Lan Wuxie taller than Hua Chongyang, his shadow completely obscuring the streetlights across the way. A gentle breeze rose, carrying a faint scent of herbs and a barely perceptible fragrance of orchids. After a long while, Lan Wuxie coughed lightly a few times, took Hua Chongyang's hand, and began to walk:
"Let's go back."
After taking a few steps, Hua Chongyang shook his wrist and awkwardly began to speak:
"You—forgot your medicine again."
"I came out as soon as I opened my eyes this morning, and haven't had a chance to do anything yet."
Knowing full well that he had come out to find him, Hua Chongyang stubbornly argued with him unreasonably:
"If you don't take the medicine, you'll keep vomiting blood sooner or later."
Lan Wuxie held her hand, his fox fur cloak billowing beneath his head, and walked slowly before chuckling softly:
"Having you here is better than taking medicine."
Hua Chongyang blushed suddenly and couldn't speak for a moment. Lan Wuxie, not waiting for her reply, glanced back at her and then smiled and whispered:
"I'm sensitive to the cold, and it's the Double Ninth Festival. You're always warm, so how about I hold you tonight to keep you warm?"
Hua Chongyang, who always considered himself quite eloquent, was so enraged that he couldn't utter a single word; after a long while, he finally retorted in a low, vicious voice:
"Who wants you to hug me!"
Lan Wuxie turned to look at her, smiling gently, "In this lifetime, I will only hold you."
Blushing crimson from the sweet words, Hua Chongyang was completely defenseless. She raised her hand to shake off his, but Lan Wuxie held it tightly. They turned a corner and walked a short distance to the back door of Banlianzui. Hua Chongyang, somewhat annoyed and embarrassed, walked ahead and raised her hand to push open the door, but Lan Wuxie pulled her hand back.
"...Double Ninth Festival."
A gentle, husky voice was so close, it sent a shiver down Hua Chongyang's spine, and she couldn't help but look up at him. Lan Wuxie's gaze was tender and unfathomable. His hand slowly moved up her arm to her cheek, then he pinched her chin, pinning her against the wall, and lowered his head to kiss her. Hua Chongyang was stuck against the wall with nowhere to retreat, letting Lan Wuxie bite her from the corner of her mouth all the way to her neck. His long, slender hands, filled with passion and confusion, tightly held her waist, slowly lifting her closer and closer to his body.
In the soft spring breeze and flickering candlelight, she slowly tilted her head back, involuntarily reaching out to embrace Lan Wuxie's slender waist. The myriad lights of Hangzhou, shimmering like a sky full of stars, shone through his thick black hair, appearing almost ethereal in her eyes. A rich fragrance of orchids filled the air. Lan Wuxie looked up again, cupping her face in his hands and kissing her deeply. His dark eyes shone with a seductive allure as he whispered in her ear:
"...Chongyang, I want you to belong to me alone for the rest of your life."
"……"
"Laugh only for me; cry only for me; in this lifetime, let only I hold you, until we grow old and die."
With that, he lifted his fox fur cloak, scooped her up in his arms, kicked open the door, and strode inside.
30. Half-drunk behind the curtain
A few lamps flickered in the corridor, casting rustling shadows of bamboo in the garden. Lan Wuxie carried Hua Chongyang back into the house, laid her down on the couch, and sat sideways on the edge. Candlelight shone brightly on the candlesticks in the distance, and a brazier still burned beneath the couch. Lan Wuxie unfastened his fox fur coat and tossed it to the ground, took Hua Chongyang's hand, smiled, and gazed at her for a moment before slowly leaning down. His long, black hair cascaded down his shoulders, gleaming like black jade in the candlelight. The flickering light through his hair fell on his face, his exquisite features almost suffocating Hua Chongyang. She struggled and struggled, finally managing to raise her hand to his chest, her voice weak and feeble:
"……don't want."
Lan Wuxie paused, a flicker of sadness crossing his eyes. Hua Chongyang then realized he couldn't bear to see him so upset; he gathered Lan Wuxie's long hair in his hand, his face full of awkwardness.
"...Your injury hasn't fully healed yet."
Lan Wuxie suddenly smiled, her fingers slowly tracing Hua Chongyang's features:
"Seeing you makes me feel completely better."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Hua Chongyang, his face flushed, propped himself up, glancing uncomfortably this way and that, avoiding Lan Wuxie's affectionate eyes. He muttered in a low voice, "...What if you suddenly can't handle it in the middle? I'll be the one who suffers!"
As soon as she said it, she suddenly felt something was wrong and quickly looked up at Lan Wuxie.
...As expected, Lan Wuxie's expression changed completely.
Hua Chongyang inwardly cried out "Oh no!" and tried to run towards the bed, but Lan Wuxie grabbed him by the waist and threw him back onto it. The wide wooden bed was covered with layers of fox fur, and the brocade quilt that Anping had hastily brought over the night before was piled haphazardly on top. Before Hua Chongyang could struggle to get up from the soft quilt, Lan Wuxie, dressed in a snow-white undergarment, had already leaned down on him, his eyes dark and menacing.
"Chongyang, what did you just say?"
"...Get up, you're so heavy."
What if I can't do it?
"...I, I, I didn't say anything."
"Whether I can do it or not, don't you know?"
Suddenly recalling their first night together, how he had tormented her all night, leaving her looking like a tattered rag in the garden the next morning, Hua Chongyang couldn't help but tremble.
"...Lan Wuxie, you, you, you, you, you--"
Lan Wuxie simply stopped speaking, and with a flick of his snow-white sleeve, all the candlelight opposite him was extinguished; only the flickering embers remained, their delicate luster falling into his pupils, translucent like red jade, alluring and captivating.
...And so when Hua Chongyang opened his eyes, he felt as if he had been ravaged into a tattered rag once again.
Beside the rag lay a stunningly beautiful woman, half-sitting up and gazing at her with eyes full of smiles:
"woke up."
The morning sunlight fell on his face, illuminating a fair and delicate complexion, long, arched eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and a half-smiling red lip. His black hair cascaded down his snow-white neck and chest like jade; even his snow-white undergarment shimmered in the sunlight, making him appear as handsome as an immortal. Hua Chongyang squinted, scrutinizing him for a long time, then gently touched the small, light mole on his cheek.
"nice."
Lan Wuxie bit her finger and chuckled:
Don't seduce me.
Hua Chongyang was startled, then pulled his finger away and buried his face in Lan Wuxie's arms, nuzzling against her.
"So what if it's smudged? The dishcloth isn't afraid of boiling water."
Lan Wuxie smiled and pulled her into his arms, then pulled the brocade quilt over them and wrapped them tightly together.
"What did you say?"
"...didn't say anything."
"There's no boiling water, but there is hot water. Anping and Lancao made some hot soup; they'll get up and help me bathe after I've had enough sleep."
"A hot shower?"
Hua Chongyang peeked out from under the quilt and looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, a large wooden tub had appeared in the room sometime earlier, filled with steam. Lan Wuxie gently stroked her hair, every word dripping with affection:
"We'll have to make do for now. There'll be a hot spring pool when we get back to Lanying Palace, which will be much more convenient."
"...A rag soaking in a hot spring—oh, my clothes!"
Lan Wuxie carefully picked up the tattered rag and threw it into the huge wooden tub.
She was supposed to be washing the rag with him, but it turned into him washing the rag. Hua Chongyang lay in Lan Wuxie's arms, letting him carefully wash her, comfortably half-closing her eyes and humming a little tune: "Wash, wash, wash the rag..."
Lan Wuxie rested his chin on the top of her head, a faint smile playing on his lips. After a long while, he stood up and wrapped the dripping wet Hua Chongyang in his hands with a piece of snow-white silk.
"Quickly wrap yourself in the blanket, be careful not to catch a cold."
He carried her to the wooden couch, carefully wrapped her in a soft quilt, and meticulously dried her feet with a handkerchief. Then he asked Anping to drape a thick robe over him and wrap his long hair in satin. Just as his hair was dried, Lancao stood at the doorway holding a stack of new clothes.
"Master, these are the new clothes you sent."
Lan Wuxie nodded silently, stood up, picked up a pale purple robe embroidered with silver patterns, gently unfolded it, and turned to Hua Chongyang:
"Is the Double Ninth Festival beautiful?"
Hua Chongyang glanced at it and curled the corners of his mouth:
"Hmm--It's alright."
Ye Qinghua once scolded her, saying that her eyes were useless, only able to distinguish colors but not whether something was pretty or not. Seeing Lan Wuxie's hesitant look, she couldn't help but add:
"If you say it looks good, then it looks good."
Lan Wuxie's lips curled slightly as he walked over, lifting his long robe.
"Your complexion is snow-white; this color suits you best."
He laid the robe on the couch and bent down to put her socks and shoes on.
The orchid standing at the doorway was stunned, looking completely bewildered. Hua Chongyang, somewhat embarrassed, tugged at Lan Wuxie's clothes:
"...I'm not disabled, I can do it myself."
Lan Wuxie didn't answer, but helped her put on her shoes and then got up to put a snow-white robe on her. Lifting the light purple robe, he gently commanded:
"Raise your hand."
Lancao stood at the doorway, completely petrified.
Hua Chongyang obediently raised his hands and put on the long robe. He then took the belt and jade pendant to tie it for her, but after a long time, he still couldn't manage it. Anyone with eyes could see that he was definitely not skilled at serving others. Hua Chongyang couldn't bear to watch any longer and reached out to snatch the jade pendant and belt:
"I can do it myself."
Lan Wuxie, however, did not let go, and turned back to call over Lan Cao:
"Orchid grass, how do I tie this?"
Lancao shook her head, snapping out of her daze, and quickly walked over to take the belt and jade pendant:
"Master, this jade pendant and belt are tied like this... like this, like this, like this, like this."
Lan Wuxie quickly tied it up, her eyes glued to it. She looked at it once, then untied it again, and finally tied it up for Hua Chongyang herself before finally stopping. A deep purple crystal, its luster dazzling, hung down one side of the robe. Two strands of silk of the same color were tied into a bow beneath the crystal and then cascaded down to the hem of the robe, seemingly about to flutter in the wind. Lan Wuxie straightened up, her fair fingers smoothing Hua Chongyang's collar. She sat on the wooden couch, casually pulling Hua Chongyang onto her lap, her hand stroking Hua Chongyang's shoulder and the tips of her hair as she smiled gently.
"There is no one else in the world more handsome than my Chongyang Festival."
As soon as he finished speaking, Anping walked in carrying a tray:
"Master, please change your clothes."
On the tray, also lined with silk, lay a magnificent robe woven with black silk and gold thread, adorned with gold hairbands, bracelets, turquoise earrings, and a phoenix feather ring. Anping unfolded the robe, and Lan Wuxie removed Hua Chongyang from his lap, rose, and donned his outer robe. He then sat at the table, waiting for Anping to comb his hair, tie it with gold rings, bow, and leave before returning to the couch and embracing Hua Chongyang.
"In the past, I only found it troublesome when Anping combed my hair and dressed me. But now I realize that dressing and tying up the hair of the person you love can also be a pleasure."
Hua Chongyang was clearly delighted, but he pretended to look away and snorted disdainfully:
"Tch. You'll never get me to do something so cheesy in this lifetime!"
Lan Wuxie smiled and smoothed the silk threads around her waist with his fingers, then gently breathed into her ear and whispered:
"You don't need to do anything, I'll do it all."
"……"
This statement...is ambiguous...or is she overthinking it?
Hua Chongyang's face flushed crimson. He looked at Lan Wuxie, whose expression was both serious and innocent, and used his long, slender fingers to lift her chin.
"Why is Chongyang blushing again? What are you thinking about this time?"
"……"
Hua Chongyang couldn't help but sigh inwardly.