Shang Yunruo threw away all her dignity and reserve, just to keep her husband and consummate their marriage.
She was somewhat glad that her eyes were injured and covered with a cloth, which, to some extent, alleviated her shyness and embarrassment.
She could feel that the man beneath her was not completely unmoved by her. Everywhere her lips caressed caused a slight tremor. Even though it was very faint, she caught it acutely.
Moreover, he didn't push her away forcefully. That meant he acquiesced.
When she kissed his earlobe, she found the right direction. Then her lips kissed all the way along his cheek until they found his lips.
But the moment their lips touched, she was suddenly stunned. The faint fragrance of ambergris on the man was exactly the same as that on Chu Yan in her dream! And the familiar touch on his lips brought back the memory of biting and tasting blood, making her feel breathless as if drowning.
"What's wrong?"
The soft and slightly deep voice was like a floating log, pulling her out of the deep pool and allowing her to breathe fresh air. The voice was very low, but it was obvious that it wasn't Chu Yan's.
Shang Yunruo was a bit worried. She withdrew her hands from his palms and slowly placed them on his face, gently feeling his features bit by bit.
His skin was smooth and taut. His cheeks were too thin, his jaw was well-defined without a trace of stubble, his vermilion tubercle protruded slightly, his lips were well-shaped, his nose bridge was straight, his eye sockets were a bit deep with the corners of his eyes turning up, and his brow bone was like a mountain.
Just by feeling with her hands, she could tell that this was a remarkably handsome face. Thinking of Chu Jinli's good looks, it seemed to match this face very well.
However, Chu Yan and Chu Jinli looked about five or six percent alike. But Chu Yan inherited more of his birth mother's feminine charm. With a little decoration, he could be extremely charming. Otherwise, the princess who was infatuated with handsome men wouldn't have wanted to get him at all costs.
She remembered that the accident in the western suburbs not only injured her eyes but also scratched Chu Jinli's neck.
Before her eyes were injured, she saw with her own eyes a one-inch-long wound on the left side of his neck. There was a lot of blood, so the wound must have been quite deep. There should be a scar of about the same length now.
The answer was about to be revealed. She held her breath nervously and felt towards the left side.
The winding scar under her fingertips was exactly one inch long. Maybe she pressed a bit too hard, because he let out a soft hiss of pain.
She quickly withdrew her fingers and let out a sigh of relief. Suddenly, she remembered that in her dream, Chu Yan had a tear mole under his right eye, which felt slightly raised. She quickly felt his face again.
His skin was smooth, and there were no blemishes or moles under his eyes.
Finally, she completely relaxed and then laughed at herself for being overly suspicious.
Maybe the memory of being humiliated in the dream was too profound. A kiss and a bit of fragrance had made her feel uncomfortable.
His voice sounded again, still low and deep: "What are you checking?"
Shang Yunruo covered up: "No, nothing. I just wanted to see if the wound on your neck had healed."
He didn't answer, but his hands grabbed her waist. His broad and long hands grasped her whole waist and lifted her up. With one hand around her waist and the other supporting the back of her head, he gently laid her on the bed as if she were a baby.
His hands moved away from her waist and gently touched the top of her head a few times. The phoenix crown fell onto the bed, and her head instantly felt much lighter.
His fingers slid down from her collarbone, opened her heavy outer robe with wide sleeves, loosened the middle layer of her clothes, and then leaned over.
She could feel the heat of his body. His lips fell on her nose tip, her cheek, and finally pecked her lips.
The gentle and lingering kiss gradually replaced the terrifying memory in her dream. She slowly relaxed and was no longer afraid of kissing. She could faintly feel that there was a bit of affection in his kiss, which made her a bit dazed.
"Jinli..."
She couldn't help but call his name during the panting. The passionate kiss suddenly stopped. Their lips separated, and his hot body withdrew from hers.
A moment later, there was the sound of footsteps. With the loud sound of the door being pushed open, she was left alone in the room.
Shang Yunruo was a bit stunned. She tightened her clothes and sighed dejectedly.
She still failed to consummate the marriage.
—
Early the next morning, Chu Yao helped Shang Yunruo wash up and dress. She replaced the cloth covering her eyes with a pink gauze, which matched her water-pink flowing fairy dress perfectly.
Shang Yunruo couldn't see her new clothes, but Chu Yao had good taste. On the second day of her wedding, she should dress more delicately and festively.
After getting ready, Chu Yao accompanied Shang Yunruo to offer tea to the grandmother.
The old marquis had passed away three years ago. The mourning period of the Marquis Mansion had just ended. Now there was only the old grandmother in the family, and she was still ill.
Chu Yao whispered discontentedly: "You should have gone to offer tea with the marquis. But the marquis left your room last night and went out of the mansion. He still hasn't come back yet."
Shang Yunruo didn't complain. She knew that this marriage was arranged by her father. With the prestige of the prime minister, he half-threatened and half-lured Chu Jinli into agreeing. It was normal for him to be dissatisfied with her.
Moreover, after the experience in the dream, she actually felt that the current situation was much better.
At least Chu Jinli was willing to touch her and was so gentle. He must not be completely heartless towards her. As long as she behaved herself, he would surely change his attitude towards her, and they could live a loving and long life together.
The only uncertain danger now was Chu Yan.
The grandmother was not in good health. Shang Yunruo symbolically offered a cup of tea and then withdrew.
She led almost all the maids and servants in the mansion. Each of them carried food, charcoal, and warming stoves. They went to Zhuoxi Garden in a grand manner. She wanted to eliminate any possibility of Chu Yan turning evil from the root.
Just as she arrived at Zhuoxi Garden, she saw a tall and slender figure standing in the middle of the yard through the thin gauze.
She subconsciously tightened her grip on Chu Yao's hand, and her heart began to beat faster.
The experience in the dream had become an unforgettable memory. Her fear of Chu Yan had gone deep into her bones.
Before she could ask Chu Yao if the figure in front was Chu Yan, the figure had slowly walked towards her. Through the thin gauze, he seemed to be surrounded by a golden light, which was dazzling.
He spoke, his voice as clear as spring water falling on jade: "Sister-in-law, are you here to see me?"
It was the voice of Chu Yan in her memory!
She resisted the urge to run away and pretended to be calm: "Yes, yes. I just entered the mansion and don't know what you need. So I brought everything for you."
As she was speaking, he had already walked in front of her, completely covering her in his shadow.
She lowered her eyes. She wanted to close her eyes but didn't dare. Although she couldn't see clearly, keeping her eyes open gave her a bit of a sense of security.
Chu Yan took a step towards her and asked curiously: "Thank you, sister-in-law, for your concern. Sister-in-law actually knows about my situation. Did you inquire about me beforehand?"
His words startled her. She took a step back as if she had a guilty conscience and covered up: "I've heard about it."
Chu Yan took another step forward: "From whom did you hear it?"
She stepped back step by step, but he pressed forward relentlessly. Since she couldn't see, suddenly, she was tripped by something. Chu Yao couldn't protect her in time, and she was about to lose her balance.
A hand timely wrapped around her waist. The cold jade on his hand emitted a bit of turbid air, and his voice was close to her ear: "Be careful."
The low and soft voice suddenly reminded her of the amorousness last night. She subconsciously reached forward and unexpectedly hugged his neck.
Chu Yan's voice was soft: "Why is sister-in-law afraid of me?"