Phi-Fic A kiss in Chapter 19 should be fine, right...?
A kiss in Chapter 19 should be fine, right...?
My mother's family was originally wealthy merchants, but due to their decline and the low social status of merchants, she became a concubine in the Qin family.
But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. When my mother married into the Qin family, she received a dowry of 20,000 taels of silver.
The money has now been spent by Qin's father and Li's wife.
Her goal now is to make them cough up all that money!
She no longer cared about the so-called fatherly love.
Everything else is fake; only real money matters.
Qin's father was stunned at first upon hearing this, but he quickly remembered the 20,000 taels of silver.
He's spent all of that money!
He opened his mouth, as if to speak.
Xie Yanli's emotionless voice rang out from the side, "Is it not even allowed for a daughter to take away what her mother left behind?"
What is that?! There's nothing there at all!
But how could he dare speak to Xie Yanli like that...
Qin's father gritted his teeth and said, "Of course, I can. Before you leave tomorrow, Jiuwei, I will give you the things your mother left behind."
Qin Jiu smiled slightly, "Then thank you very much, Father."
In the end, Qin's father cleaned up the courtyard that was originally reserved for Qin's old lady and let the three of them stay there for the night.
"This orchid garden was originally intended for my mother, but she passed away early and was never able to live there."
"The courtyard is simple; I hope Young Master Xie will not mind."
Orchid Garden is the best courtyard in the Qin family mansion besides the main courtyard.
The room is spacious and high-ceilinged, with the roof supported by carved wooden beams painted with auspicious patterns.
In the very center stood a huge rosewood bed, its frame carved with auspicious dragon and phoenix patterns, and covered with a soft brocade quilt embroidered with intricate designs.
This was worlds apart from Qin Jiuwei's simple room just now.
This stark contrast made Xie Yanli feel even more bitter.
He turned his gaze and saw Qin Jiuwei standing quietly by the window, her eyebrows like distant mountains shrouded in mist, her eyes like clear autumn water, serene and composed like a tranquil lake.
She was always like that, as if nothing could disturb her peace of mind.
Noticing his gaze, Qin Jiuwei tilted her head slightly, "What's wrong?"
Xie Yanli pursed his thin lips. "It's nothing."
Qin Jiuwei suddenly remembered.
Xie Jingchun will sleep in the side room tonight, while the two of them will sleep in the main room.
But Qin Jiuwei knew that Xie Yanli actually didn't want to sleep with her.
After all, Xie Yanli had been sleeping in the study ever since their wedding night.
"Don't worry, my husband, I will sleep on the soft couch tonight."
Xie Yanli frowned. "The weather is damp and gloomy. How can one sleep on a soft couch?"
He said coldly, "Tonight we'll sleep together on the bed, just like on our wedding night."
Qin Jiuwei immediately understood.
Like on our wedding night?
He still meant that... he wouldn't touch her.
Qin Jiuwei snorted coldly; she hadn't intended for him to touch her either.
But she still managed a perfectly appropriate smile, saying, "I'll listen to my husband."
late at night.
Xie Yanli and Qin Jiuwei were lying on the bed, with two hand spans between them.
Just then, the rain outside suddenly intensified, a rumble of thunder rolled across the sky, and a bolt of lightning, like a silver snake, tore through the dark night, instantly illuminating the entire house.
Qin Jiuwei had been asleep, but was suddenly awakened by the thunder.
The thunder seemed to explode right next to her ears, each sound making her heart tremble.
Her mother, Aunt Qing... died of illness on such a stormy night.
That night, blood kept seeping from the corner of her mother's mouth, and amidst her cries, her mother's body gradually turned pale and cold...
From then on, she would be uncontrollably afraid whenever she heard thunder.
Qin Jiuwei hurriedly pulled the blanket over herself and hugged it tightly to her chest, her body trembling slightly like a leaf falling in the autumn wind.
Her slender fingers gripped the corner of the blanket tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
She was already sleeping on the inside of the bed, but now she was curled up in the corner, biting her lower lip and trembling uncontrollably.
Even when Xie Yanli is asleep, he is very sensitive to his surroundings. Hearing the noise beside him, he immediately woke up.
He turned his gaze and saw Qin Jiuwei curled up in a ball, like a frightened fawn.
Xie Yanli served as a military advisor in the army from a young age. The cruelty of the battlefield treated everyone equally, and he endured all kinds of hardships.
Seeing Qin Jiuwei so frightened by the thunder outside, he couldn't help but frown.
She's so delicate...
Seeing that she was trembling so badly, he pursed his thin lips and asked, "Are you alright?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Jiuwei raised her pale face.
In the flickering light of the lightning, Xie Yanli saw the tears glistening in her peach blossom eyes, eyes filled with fear and helplessness.
Her long eyelashes trembled, like the wings of a startled butterfly.
She bit her lower lip lightly, trying to hold back her tears, but the tears in her eyes seemed to gather more and more uncontrollably.
Xie Yanli's heart clenched suddenly, as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.
After a slight pause, he couldn't help but slowly lean forward and pull Qin Jiuwei into his arms.
Qin Jiuwei was taken aback by the sudden warmth surrounding her.
Then, like a drowning person grasping at a straw, she disregarded everything else and nestled tightly in his arms.
Her face was pressed against Xie Yanli's chest, and she could clearly hear his strong and powerful heartbeat.
The sound gave her a strange sense of peace.
Xie Yanli gently stroked Qin Jiuwei's hair and whispered in her ear.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here."
His voice was steady and powerful, and Qin Jiuwei's fear gradually dissipated, her eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
After an unknown amount of time, when Xie Yanli lowered his eyes again, he found that Qin Jiuwei had fallen asleep in his arms.
Her long eyelashes were tightly closed, casting a shadow under her eyes.
Her fair face gradually regained some color, and her pink lips were tightly pursed, like flower petals.
Her breathing was even and steady, and her lips moved slightly in rhythm with her breath...
Xie Yanli couldn't help but swallow hard.
She is his wife.
It was just a kiss, it should be okay, right...?
Xie Yanli leaned down, his thin lips getting closer and closer to that fair and pink face.
But at the last moment, Xie Yanli regained his senses.
What is he doing?
Meanwhile, on the other side, at the Marquis's residence.
Xie Jue, clutching a small pillow, knocked on Xie Jing's bedroom door.
She called out in a childish voice, "Second brother, are you asleep?"
Xie Jing, lying on the bed, reluctantly opened his eyes.
He got out of bed and opened the door, and saw Xie Jue standing at the door, looking up at him with her little face.
"It's thundering outside, I'm scared. Second brother, will you sleep with me?"