Chapter 36
The single warm-yellow candle left burning in the room had its sharpness softened by two layers of bed curtains, leaving only a gentle, hazy mist of light.
Fang Yu lowered his gaze to look at Qiao Hezhi, whose fair face was patterned with the shadows cast by the curtains. This person, whose eyes were usually clear and bright, now appeared alluring and tender under the interplay of shadows and the indistinct candlelight.
Fang Yu's breath hitched slightly. His little fulang... had truly been hinting, both overtly and subtly, quite a few times already.
He couldn't keep disappointing him, could he...
"So eager?"
Fang Yu withdrew his arm from around Qiao Hezhi and laid him flat on the bed, then gently turned to his side. "Then don't be scared."
Seeing Fang Yu actually agree, Qiao Hezhi's mind went blank for a moment... R-really? He agreed?
He instinctively clutched the edge of the quilt, quickly averting his gaze from Fang Yu. His heartbeat was a chaotic mess. He had grown accustomed to being refused by Fang Yu, then being coaxed and tricked until the moment passed. But this time, he actually... His eyes widened slightly, lips pressed together in an expression of disbelief.
Fang Yu pinched Qiao Hezhi's chin, turning his face back. He wanted to teach him how to kiss. Although the young master had stolen a few kisses in the dark, they were merely bashful brushes of lips.
This wouldn't do in the long run~
However, he had merely lowered his head, his nose just brushing the side of the other's face, when Qiao Hezhi suddenly buried his face against Fang Yu's shoulder. "I... I'm still a little scared. How about... how about next time?"
Fang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. All talk and no action—truly skilled with words, but when it came to the real thing, he couldn't handle it.
"And yet you were the one provoking me. Now you say you're scared. Are you deliberately teasing me?"
With that, he pressed Qiao Hezhi beneath him, lightly nibbling a couple of times on his fair, slender neck. He had only intended to scare him a bit. Qiao Hezhi, having truly never encountered such a situation, was frightened into struggling and flailing, hurriedly pressing on Fang Yu's shoulders to beg for mercy. "Don't... don't be like this..."
If he hadn't begged for mercy, it might have been fine. But his pleas only added fuel to the fire.
It was just a pity that Fang Yu, initially full of enthusiasm, had only kissed a few places he usually didn't before Qiao Hezhi started sniffling and wanting to flee. Although it was even more stimulating, he also knew that Qiao Hezhi wasn't playing hard to get. He was genuinely young and truly frightened.
He sighed. At least, by fate and circumstance, this person was his now. He would naturally protect and cherish him well. If things had been as before, or if he had fallen into someone else's hands... how pitiful Qiao Hezhi would have been.
He also wasn't the type of person to let base instincts override all else. He could only hold back for now and soothe the young master's emotions.
Before transmigrating into this book, he had never encountered a ger. This category hadn't been covered in biology classes either. Thinking tonight's opportunity was perfect, he wanted to make up for that physiology lesson, to understand the situation a bit better—it would surely come in handy in the future.
If the timing, conditions, and circumstances were all suitable, harboring a man's mischievous intentions and following local customs wouldn't be out of the question. But now, obviously, the most crucial element—mutual willingness—had turned into unwillingness. So, they could only settle for the next best thing and use other methods to satisfy the craving.
___
At the beginning of the maoshi (5 AM), the sky was still not bright. Qiao Hezhi, with matters weighing on his heart, had woken up early.
He was buried under the quilt, only his eyes and nose exposed, his mind a complete muddle. His arms were crossed, holding himself, and naturally, outside his own arms, there was another arm encircling him.
Yesterday, the two of them had been engaged in intimate activities for quite some time. He had been truly exhausted and had fallen asleep. But upon waking today, his head was filled with one thought: Had they actually consummated the marriage or not?
It seemed like they had, but also like they hadn't completely.
He thought of the little instructional booklet shown to him before the wedding. Some steps from it were present, but others were missing. Even stranger, there were some extra steps! He considered himself, since childhood, quite adept at reading, writing, and managing accounts—if not a prodigy, at least quite clever and quick to learn. Yet in this matter, he had turned out to be a failing student.
Feeling terribly vexed, he turned over with a rustle, which ended up disturbing the person pressed close to him.
Fang Yu, with some grumpiness upon waking, his voice not as gentle and refined as usual but carrying the muffled, nasal tone of early morning, frowned and glanced outside the window. It was still pitch black, with no light penetrating the window paper. "Awake so early?"
Qiao Hezhi didn't speak. Fang Yu, because of this, became considerably more awake. He pulled the person who had turned his back to him around to face him. Seeing his furrowed brows, Fang Yu's tone became cautious. "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?"
"No." Qiao Hezhi shook his head, then asked with a serious expression, "Last night... were you not fully satisfied?"
Fang Yu chuckled. "Didn't you say your hand was sore? I couldn't very well tire you out completely."
Qiao Hezhi's face flushed for an instant.
"Alright, everything's fine now, right? Go back to sleep for a while. It's still early."
Fang Yu tucked the quilt around him and gently patted his back, wanting him to sleep. But Qiao Hezhi's eyes remained open. Fang Yu flicked his forehead. "Is there something else?"
After struggling with himself for a good while, Qiao Hezhi finally asked in a small voice, "What we did last night... could it lead to a little baby?"
Fang Yu smiled helplessly. "So you woke up before dawn thinking about this?"
"How about I hire another instructor (for marital matters) for you?"
It seemed the instructor hired before the wedding hadn't taught very well.
"No." Qiao Hezhi muttered gloomily. He was already married and had a husband. What would hiring another instructor accomplish? It would just invite ridicule. "Y-you... you teach me."
Fang Yu said patiently, "Just set your mind at ease. It won't happen. We didn't really do anything."
Hearing this, Qiao Hezhi's mind became even less at ease. How could he say 'it won't happen' so calmly? But indeed, his suspicions were confirmed, he hadn't been mistaken. He uttered an "Oh," then said, "Then let's rest."
Around noon, Fang Yu went to take a look at the Book and Tea House. The craftsmen worked quickly; they had already renovated the tea house according to his requirements. What was once a plain and unremarkable tea shop was now taking on an entirely new look. The shopkeeper followed behind him like an obsequious lackey, only letting out a sigh of relief when he saw the Master was satisfied.
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