“Continue,” Jiang Ci’s voice, like a low rumble now laced with impatience, broke the silence. Su Yue, having paused abruptly, felt his chin lower, his gaze fixed on her. Their bodies were perilously close, an invisible current now passing between them. A strange sensation bloomed within her, a desperate urge to retreat, but Jiang Ci’s arm, firm around her waist, held her captive.
“Don’t move, this side hasn’t been shaved. Continue,” he instructed, his eyes sweeping over her. A delicate blush painted her snow-white cheeks, her eyes, dark and glistening, held a peculiar expression. Her lips, a vibrant hue, seemed to tremble with unspoken feelings. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his arms tightening, pulling her even closer.
They were pressed together now, every curve, every plane of their bodies aligned with each other . Su Yue was acutely aware of the hard planes of his physique, the crisp, clean scent of him filling her senses. The strange sensation in her body intensified, becoming unbearable. Instinctively, she shifted, a small, involuntary movement that caused her to brush against him. Instantly, her face flamed. Shame, hot and undeniable, washed over her. She couldn’t fathom the reason for this sudden, overwhelming feeling.
“Not feeling well?” Jiang Ci, noticing her flushed face, wondered if she too had caught a fever. He reached out, his hand cool against her forehead. Her temperature was normal.
At his concern, she shook her head vehemently. “No, I’m fine .” She fought against the insistent urge to move, to rub against him, to kiss him. Jiang Ci’s eyebrows lifted. “Then continue.” His dark eyes, unwavering, held hers. Under his intense gaze, the razor in her hand began to tremble, her face a canvas of escalating shyness, utterly unmasked.
Su Yue’s blush deepened, spreading from the base of her neck, up to her ears, even tinting the very tips a delicate red. Her dark eyes, usually so clear, were now brimming with unshed tears. Unable to control the bizarre urge that coursed through her, she moved again, pressing against Jiang Ci. Meeting his questioning gaze, she pursed her lips and whispered, “Aao, I want to kiss you.” her words were a confession of profound shame, a desperate plea for understanding of the inexplicable changes within her.
Jiang Ci froze, then a slow, knowing smile curved his lips. “You can kiss me.” With that, he gently turned her, placing her directly in front of the sink. He lowered his head, a playful glint in his eyes. “Kiss me.”
With her delicate chin tilted upwards, Su Yue abandoned all restraint. She leaned in and kissed Jiang Ci. It was warm and soft,like a revelation. Jiang Ci’s gaze dropped to Su Yue, who was now kissing him with an uncharacteristic boldness. Her eyelashes fluttered, a delicate dance against her blushing cheek. The veins on his arm, resting on the edge of the sink, began to stand out in stark relief.
In the past, he had always been the one to initiate, either through gentle coaxing or playful threats, and she would reluctantly yield. This was the first time she had taken the lead, kissed him with such unbridled desire. Even when her kisses were perfunctory, he’d found himself brimming with excitement. Now, with her lips pressed against his, her warm scent enveloping him, his nerves hummed with an almost unbearable tension.
After some time when they emerg from the bathroom, Su Yue’s face was an impossible shade of crimson, her delicate features now alight with a radiant glow. She collapsed onto the pillow, willing the heat to dissipate from her cheeks. The memory of her brazenness, her uninhibited actions, made her hum softly. Especially the thought of making Jiang Ci lose his composure filled her with a mixture of embarrassment and triumph. Still she wanted to hide.
Her body’s action today felt alien to her , completely beyond her control. This strange phenomenon hadn’t occurred last night when she was with Jiang Ci. Yet, just now, being so close to him had triggered it. A sudden realization dawned on her: that morning, looking in the mirror, she had already sensed something different about herself, but had dismissed it as a fleeting illusion.
Just then, Jiang Ci emerged from the bathroom, a faint chill clinging to him, his expression less than pleased. He cast a cool glance at Su Yue, the “life-threatening goblin.” To be so close, yet unable to indulge his desires, had nearly driven him mad.
“Breakfast,”? Su Yue asked, sitting up, her face still flushed. She offered him the duck breast sweet porridge, now almost cool.
Jiang Ci’s lips twitched into a smile. “Why are you so far away? Do you think I’m a turtle? That my neck can retract at will?”
“Don’t talk nonsense, tortoises are very cute,” Su Yue retorted, moving her chair a little closer. He had been like a fierce, ruthless wolf moments ago, a stark contrast to the docile nature of a tortoise.
“Come closer,” he insisted. They had been practically glued together in the bathroom, and now she was acting as if he were a beast unleashed from a forest .
Su Yue complied, dragging her chair even closer until it was almost touching the hospital bed. Jiang Ci leaned in, his tone laced with dissatisfaction. “It’s really troublesome to hurt your hand.”
“Be good, don’t move around, take good care of your injuries, and you’ll be fine in a month or two.” With Jiang Ci so near, Su Yue felt the familiar, strange sensation stir within her again. A thought blossomed in her mind: could it be that being close to Jiang Ci was the cause of this transformation?
Yesterday, Jiang Ci’s “anger value” had reached 100. She had wondered what the consequences would be. She certainly hadn’t anticipated such a profound change in her body. It was impossible not to feel ashamed. And if this happened every time they were intimate, if Jiang Ci found out, what would he think?
Jiang Ci snorted, reaching out as if to gently squeeze her rosy cheek. But his bandaged hand, a stark white against his skin, dropped back down, his expression sullen. “When’s your birthday?” he asked lazily.
“Soon, it’s after New Year’s Day,” Su Yue replied, feeding him a spoonful of porridge. She pressed her feet together, trying to ignore the strange stirrings within her.
Jiang Ci took a mouthful of porridge. “Oh.” Of course he knew. He knew exactly how many days were left.
Su Yue, assuming his keen interest stemmed from a desire to plan a surprise, couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s coming soon. As the birthday girl, I’m not in a hurry. Why are you?”
Jiang Ci’s lips twitched. He was in a hurry because he wants to sleep with her.
After a few days of recuperation in the hospital, the relentless rainstorm finally ceased, and the weather began to clear. Jiang Ci’s high fever had long since broken, and the inflammation in his waist wound had also subsided. Director Guan, aware of the few remaining scenes, decided to prioritize Su Yue’s filming. As for the second female lead, they would have to wait for a re-cast before reshooting Chu Mengyun’s previous scenes.
The landslide site had been cleared of debris, and fences and warning signs now marked the dangerous areas on the mountain. Su Yue brought Jiang Ci to Granny Ping’s house. The recent rains had left everything damp and muddy, but Granny Ping’s relief at seeing Su Yue safe and sound was palpable.
“Aunty Ping, this is my husband, Jiang Ci. He’ll be staying with me for the next two days,” Su Yue introduced.
“This young man is truly handsome and a perfect match for you,” Granny Ping exclaimed, nodding her approval. The old woman, with her keen eyesight, seemed unfazed by the scars on Jiang Ci’s face. She simply saw a tall, dependable, handsome young man—a fitting partner for Su Yue.
“Hello,” Jiang Ci greeted, his voice surprisingly polite.
Su Yue was struck by this. Jiang Ci was usually so cold and detached, yet with her grandparents and now Granny Ping, he exhibited a remarkable respect for the elderly.
“Good , Good ,” Granny Ping responded, noting Jiang Ci’s bandaged hands. She didn’t linger on small talk, instead announcing her intention to cook.
“Aunty Ping, I’ll help you cook.”
Mao Yuanyuan, who had been quietly standing by, too intimidated to speak, quickly offered her assistance to the old woman. The man before her exuded an intimidating aura, his stern face terrifying her to the bone . Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest. She hadn’t realized her new goddess, Su Yue, was married, let alone to a disfigured man. Before she could dwell on it, she practically fled to the kitchen with Granny Ping.
Su Yue led Jiang Ci to her temporary room. “I’ve lived in this room for the past month, and you’ll also live here for the next two days.”
Jiang Ci glanced around, a subconscious frown creasing his brow. The room was small, narrow, and rudimentary. Even the bed was a single one , smaller than the hospital bed.
“Don’t dislike it. After Sheng Yan and Sheng Tian’s arrangement, the room looks much better. The bed also has two layers of quilts, it’s very soft, and I sleep comfortably on it .” Su Yue, anticipating his skepticism, led him to the bed and urged him to sit, to feel its comfort for himself.
Jiang Ci surveyed the room again. It was filled with Su Yue’s belongings, her clothes. The small table was draped with a pink floral cloth, and a tiny white porcelain vase held a few green plants, infusing the air with an elegant, faintly milky scent. In just over a month, this place had become her boudoir. And he, tall and imposing, sat on the soft bed with an expressionless face, like an intruder, a bully intent on plundering the little princess.
Gee.
With that thought, he looked at Su Yue, her face smooth, snow-white, more delicate than a young girl’s. Jiang Ci licked the corner of his mouth and pulled her into his arms.
“What’s wrong?” Su Yue was momentarily stunned. She tried to pull away. Now, being so close to Jiang Ci, that strange sensation would surely surface.
“This rouge wants to bully the little princess,” Jiang Ci drawled, a smirk playing on his lips, his tone impossibly wicked.
“Don’t say such strange things,” Su Yue retorted, her eyes brimming with shyness, embarrassed and ashamed.
Jiang Ci lowered his head, his voice clear and laced with amusement. “Oh, Su Yue, I want to bully you so bad .” As the words left his lips, he bit her soft lips.
After lunch, Su Yue went to finish her remaining scenes. Given his current health, she had intended for Jiang Ci to stay inside and recover, but he offered no opportunity for refusal, accompanying her directly to the set. All the crew members were present, except for the injured actors, even the male lead, Xu Shen.
After the makeup artist completed Su Yue’s styling, she brought out the costume for the scene. Due to Jiang Ci’s presence, the makeup artist withdrew, leaving only Su Yue and Jiang Ci in the tent.
“You go out and wait for me for a while, I’m going to change,” Su Yue said, picking up her clothes.
“You used to be so open, changing right in front of me,” Jiang Ci countered, lounging lazily in the chair, his long legs stretched out, showing no inclination to move.
“That’s because you lied to me; I didn’t know your eyes could see,” Su Yue retorted, glaring at him angrily, the memory of her past embarrassment still vivid.
“Oh,” Jiang Ci said, closing his eyes. “You change, I won’t look.”
Su Yue wasn’t one for excessive modesty. After all, they were husband and wife. If Jiang Ci truly wanted to look, she would be embarrassed, but she wouldn’t resist. Now that his eyes were closed, she didn’t bother arguing further. She turned her back and began to change.
In this particular scene, the heroine, Ji Yao, wore a beautiful dress. It was the hero Fang Licheng’s birthday, and Ji Yao, wanting to celebrate, had deliberately retrieved the dress her grandmother had sewn for her from the bottom of her trunk. Unexpectedly, she overheard villagers saying that Fang Licheng was leaving with Li Xiao that very day. Wearing her beautiful dress, she stumbled all the way, desperate to bid farewell to Fang Licheng.
Su Yue removed her long-sleeved clothes and trousers, then picked up the intricate costume, preparing to put it on. Behind her, Jiang Ci’s eyelids had already lifted, his dark eyes fixed intently on her. Her snow-white back, slender waist, and long legs were all exquisitely beautiful. Suddenly, Jiang Ci felt a wild leap in his chest. That vigorous, insistent pounding, a declaration of his fervent love.
Sigh.
He felt like a fool at this moment.