The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Enduring the sensation that made her want to shrink her neck, Xiao Qiao hastily twisted her face to the side to dodge.

Wei Shao raised his other hand, his thumb forcing her face straight, compelling her to look at him.

His expression seemed a bit displeased now.

"I did..."

Xiao Qiao rolled her eyes at him in her heart, her voice muffled and hesitant.

Wei Shao let out a smile and immediately released her. He bent his head, and in a few quick motions, he unfastened his battle armor and stripped it off onto the floor.

The weather had grown warm, and the battle armor was thick and heavy without any ventilation. The moment he took it off, a scent like overnight spoiled rice assailed Xiao Qiao's nose. The inner tunic he wore underneath was completely drenched with sweat, front and back, clinging tightly to his body.

Xiao Qiao did not dare reveal any expression of disgust. Quietly holding her breath, she turned her face: "The water has been fully prepared. Husband, go..."

Wei Shao reached out and yanked her directly into his embrace. His two thick arms encircled her, and he lowered his head to forcefully press his mouth against hers.

The smell of sweat and dust, mingled with another scent of his that Xiao Qiao could not quite describe, instantly rushed into her nose.

Xiao Qiao struggled a couple of times before giving up, closing her eyes to let him gnaw and bite to his heart's content.

He gnawed for a short while, then suddenly released her mouth. Seizing her waist with both hands, he lifted her up in one swift motion, seating her upon the desk behind them.

"Husband—"

Xiao Qiao caught a fright and hastily tried to climb down, but he laid her back, forcefully pinning her flat against the surface of the desk.

The furniture of the current era tended to be low-slung. The desk was not high, and when Xiao Qiao sat upon it, her two legs could just reach the ground, resembling sitting upon a footstool. Once Wei Shao laid her back, he said nothing at all; he simply took the opportunity to kneel on one knee before the desk, lowering his head to continue gnawing at her neck. He dragged her collar down from her shoulder, exposing her delicate collarbone on one side and half her breast.

Wei Shao's attention shifted. Pity Xiao Qiao's patch of tender flesh; rubbed and scraped by the stubble upon his cheeks, it felt both painful and itchy, turning red in no time.

It was broad daylight and he had just returned. Who knew how many people were waiting outside for him to go out, and Madame Xu was likely waiting as well.

Facing a man who had suddenly let himself go and was covered in the scent of spoiled rice, Xiao Qiao truly found it difficult to stomach. Furthermore, with his style of intimacy, far from being stirred in the slightest by his advances, it was simply a form of torture. After enduring it with difficulty for a moment, she felt him bite her, causing her to cry out "ah" in pain. Truly unable to bear it any longer, she raised her hands and forcefully pushed away the face pressed against her breast. She finally managed to push him away, but before she could catch her breath, one of his hands slid beneath her skirt, feeling its way inward.

"Don't—"

Xiao Qiao sat up, but his other hand pressed down upon her shoulder, forcing her back down.

"Husband!"

Xiao Qiao braced herself to sit up once more, but was pinned back down yet again.

Xiao Qiao was just like a fish pinned to a chopping board, twisting until the hair at her temples fell loose, her cheeks flushed, and she panted heavily.

"Someone will come!"

Wei Shao stared straight at her, his breathing growing heavier and rougher by the moment. Suddenly scooping her up, he strode quickly to the bed, tossing her onto it in one motion, and lowered his head to unfasten his waistband.

Xiao Qiao wore a woeful expression: "Then go wash yourself first!"

Wei Shao finally lifted his head and cast a glance at her. Raising his arm to sniff himself, he presumably caught that stifling odor at last. He turned and strode quickly into the bathhouse. Xiao Qiao heard several splashes of water from within. Before she could even catch her breath, she saw him emerge, already stripped naked, with water continuously dripping down his shoulders and chest.

Just then, a voice drifted in from the doorway: "Lord, someone is seeking you in the front hall."

"Tell them to wait!"

Wei Shao roared without even turning his head. Kneeling on the edge of the bed, he climbed up, reaching out like he was catching a chick to drag Xiao Qiao from the corner of the bed, pinning her beneath him.

Xiao Qiao heard a long exhalation from his throat.

"Mister Gongsun is seeking the Lord. He says there is an important matter to report."

"Husband, go quickly!"

Xiao Qiao hastily urged him.

Wei Shao's face turned somewhat unsightly. He stared at her for a brief moment, then finally rolled off Xiao Qiao and climbed off the bed.

"Come over and help me change!"

Xiao Qiao hurriedly adjusted the garments he had just thrown into disarray. Slipping out of bed, she carried over a set of clean clothes prepared in advance. While dodging his hands that strayed over her body, she finally helped him arrange his outer robe and waistband.

Once dressed in neat attire, he became handsome, crisp, and clean once more.

"When I return, you are not allowed to make excuses again!"

Before turning to leave, Wei Shao pinched her cheek once more in a punitive manner. His grip was somewhat firm, yet his voice was quite tender.

...

Wei Shao hurried to the front hall, flipping his robe as he took his seat. He asked, "Does the Mister urgently need to see me?"

Gongsun Yang had already been waiting for him for a short while, and he handed over a scroll of yellow silk.

Wei Shao: "A letter from Luoyang? What matter?"

"The Young Emperor has died of a sudden, violent illness. Xing Xun has elevated the seven-year-old child of the King of Wenxi as the new Emperor, issuing an edict to change the reign title from Dingkang to Taian. Xing Xun has been granted provisional imperial authority, and letters have now been dispatched commanding all regional lords throughout the realm to proceed to Luoyang to pay homage to the new Emperor."

Wei Shao raised his eyebrows, unrolling the yellow silk to cast a glance.

...

Half a month ago, the Imperial Attendant Guo Xing and Grandee Cui Jin, both dissatisfied with Xing Xun's tyrannical behavior at court, had conspired in secret with Zhou Zhui, the Commander of the Southern Palace Guards. Utilizing the name of the Young Emperor, they summoned Xing Xun into the palace, secretly embedding ax-men behind the curtains to hack Xing Xun to death once the signal was given. The Young Emperor was growing older, now fifteen, and was restricted at every turn by Xing Xun, harboring resentment he dared not voice; he was persuaded and gave his consent. According to the agreement, they lured Xing Xun into the palace under the pretext of deliberating on a title to honor him as the Father of the State. The strategy was well-planned, but having grown up under Xing Xun's intimidation since childhood, when the moment arrived, the Young Emperor was ultimately terrified by Xing Xun's customary aura. His face revealed panic, which Xing Xun detected. Turning on his heel, Xing Xun fled, shouting loudly as he ran. The ax-men behind the curtains pursued him upon hearing the noise, but were slaughtered by Xing Xun’s guards who rushed inside. Xing Xun escaped the disaster, so how could he let the matter slide? That very day, he captured Guo Xing, Cui Jin, and the others, executing them along with their families in the public market. Within two days, the Young Emperor also died of a sudden, violent illness. Xing Xun then elevated Liu Quan, the seven-year-old son of the King of Wenxi, to be the new emperor.

...

"What views does the Mister have?"

"The Lord naturally will not go. You can decline by feigning illness. Although our military personnel have surged after capturing Jinyang, the quality remains mixed, requiring time to tame and train them. Furthermore, after a major battle, we ought to rest and recuperate for a period. I have heard that Yuan Zhe of Qingzhou and Liu Kai of Guangping have already assembled a joint coalition army, raising the banner of rescuing the sovereign as they dispatch forces toward Luoyang to chastise Xing Xun. The Lord can seize this opportunity to sit back and watch the eagle and the hound fight."

Wei Shao had struck down Jinyang and unified the North, so Xing Xun naturally would not sit idly by. Originally, he would have found it necessary to intervene, but now he was busy dealing with Yuan Zhe and Liu Kai, which precisely left an opening for Wei Shao to reorganize military affairs and take over local administration.

"What the Mister says is reasonable. I shall nurse this illness slowly for a time, and once the illness is cured, we shall deliberate further."

Wei Shao tossed the yellow silk in his hand onto the desk, smiling.

...

Once Wei Shao went out, matters rolled in one after another, leaving him entirely unable to pull himself away. By evening, the Wei estate and the four military camps outside the city held grand victory banquets. Wei Shao could not avoid a round of socializing and drinking. When he finally broke away from the crowd and returned to the western chambers, the sky had already turned completely dark. Xiao Qiao had just finished bathing not long ago. Dressed in a casual robe of misty-red soft silk, she sat before the dressing table, gathering all her beautiful hair to one side of her shoulder as she tilted her head slightly, wiping her damp, freshly washed hair. The robe was very loose and covered her securely, but because her hair was gathered to one side, it exposed only a crescent-like section of her nape. Yet upon her body, under the illumination of the candle flame beside her, it made her entire person appear increasingly fresh, delicate, and slender, inevitably inciting improper thoughts.

Wei Shao pushed open the door and entered. Catching sight of such a scene, his footsteps halted within the threshold, gazing at her newly bathed silhouette from behind without moving a muscle.

Nanny Chun turned her head and saw that Wei Shao had returned. Knowing in her heart that he must have been interrupted during the day, and seeing him fixing his gaze upon Xiao Qiao's silhouette like this, she immediately arose from behind Xiao Qiao, leading the two maids out of the room.

Wei Shao walked up behind Xiao Qiao and lowered his body. Sliding both arms beneath her armpits from behind, he buried his face into her nape, taking a deep breath of the post-bath fragrance emanating from her skin and hair. Suddenly experiencing a bout of utter impatience, he scooped her up in one motion, placing her onto the bed just as he had during the day.

Xiao Qiao knew in her heart that this time there was absolutely no avoiding it. Lying beneath his gaze, she saw his two eyes staring straight at her. Reaching out, he swiftly removed his waistband and tore open his collar. She could not help but grow tense, lying upon the pillow as she stared back at him with wide eyes.

Just as Wei Shao tore open his collar, he suddenly seemed to remember something. Turning back to the doorway, he opened the door and barked to the maidservants outside, "Unless it is a command from Grandmother, see no one." Having spoken, he slammed the door shut and bolted it, walking quickly toward Xiao Qiao.

Xiao Qiao was pinned beneath his body, held tightly in his embrace.

...

During these past months away, Wei Shao would occasionally think of the Qiao girl at home during the night. The last time the two of them had shared a bed, though brief, the flavor of it had truly left him reminiscing. His only dissatisfaction was losing control for a moment, which actually resulted in her ridicule. Whenever he recalled it, his heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat. Having finally returned today, the fire that had been suppressed during the day had not subsided; accumulating to this point, his desires surged violently. Although he did not wish to cause her too much pain, it was truly difficult to restrain himself, wishing to proceed quickly to the substance. Xiao Qiao, however, was terrified of pain, pinching his shoulders as she continuously begged him in his ear to go slower. He also could not bear to cause her excessive pain; the first time, merely entering took quite a long time, leaving both of them covered in sweat.

He had truly been suppressed for too long, like a great flood suddenly releasing its gates. Immersed in a tender realm, listening to Xiao Qiao’s continuous, gentle, and delicate sighs whispering like a breeze in his ear, and with Xiao Qiao beneath him twisting only a few times, a sudden ache struck Wei Shao's lower back. Shivering, he unexpectedly lost control once more, letting everything pour out over a thousand li.

Having learned her lesson from the previous time, Xiao Qiao did not dare laugh this time around. Furthermore, she was in no mood to laugh.

Because Wei Shao’s expression truly looked as though he wanted to kill someone.

He simply remained prone upon her body, burying his face within her still-damp hair, refusing to come down.

Xiao Qiao waited for a short while. It was definitely not that she wanted to provoke him, but Wei Shao was too heavy. Having his entire body pressing down upon her like this for a long time was truly too much to bear.

She finally let out a soft cough, extending a finger to poke his shoulder, offering comfort: "Manman knows Husband is a grand and mighty man, and just now I also enjoyed it very much. Husband had a hard journey on the road today, so you must be tired. Let us rest early."

Wei Shao slowly lifted his face, staring at Xiao Qiao for a moment.

Xiao Qiao was startled.

"Rest? It's still early!"

Wei Shao bared his teeth at her, carrying a hint of vindictiveness as he lowered his head to plunge into her breast once more.

...

The candle flame upon the desk burned continuously, the candle body gradually shortening. From a new candle of seven inches, it burned down until the very end, leaving only a stub less than the length of a thumb joint.

It was already the latter half of the night.

Only now did Xiao Qiao finally learn that calling this man a beast was being polite; Wei Shao was practically no different from livestock. He would sleep for a short while then take her once, and after finishing, he would hold her to doze for a moment, only to want her again the moment he opened his eyes. Successively, he had already taken Xiao Qiao three times, not counting the first time.

This was the fourth time now. He manipulated her to lie prone over the edge of the bed; this new position he had devised seemed to excite him to a new peak. No matter how Xiao Qiao cried, he simply refused to let her off.

Xiao Qiao’s voice had already turned hoarse, crying until she was nearly hyperventilating.

Only during the second time did she feel somewhat comfortable.

By the third time, it began to sting and ache again.

By this point, it was simply undergoing a form of torture.

"Are you finished yet?"

Her hands tightly gripped the blanket ahead, turning her head once more to ask him, teary beads from moments ago still hanging upon her cheeks.

Wei Shao bent over, raising his hand to cup her face as he licked away the tears upon her skin.

Mmm, a beauty's tears tasted quite good upon sampling them.

"Speak, am I truly a grand and mighty man?" His expression was somewhat sinister.

"Yes—Husband is—" Xiao Qiao let out a sob.

"Do you still dare laugh at me?"

"I don't dare—I beg you to be quick—"

He thrust once, and Xiao Qiao's tears fell once more.

Wei Shao finally revealed an expression of complete satisfaction. Clamping her waist, he exerted himself a few times, releasing an immensely comfortable, long sigh.

Xiao Qiao felt as though her bones had been removed. The moment he released her, she went limp upon the floor, unable to even crawl up.

Wei Shao scooped up the sweat-drenched Xiao Qiao from behind, and the two of them entered the bathhouse together.

...

Xiao Qiao slept so deeply that she lost all track of time. Early the next morning, she was still incredibly drowsy, indistinctly feeling a strange sensation at her foot, as though someone was touching it. In her sleep, she curled her toes, shrinking them upward.

After a moment, that sensation came again.

She was truly exhausted, yet she was finally woken up. She opened her eyes blearily.

It was still very dark within the canopy. It should still be early.

The moment she woke up, Xiao Qiao felt as though her entire body had been run over by carriage wheels, and her thighs ached at the slightest movement.

Wei Shao was still in bed, an inner tunic of white silk draped loosely over his body without its belt fastened. Bracing himself on one arm, he was half-sitting and half-reclining beside her.

That was nothing. The terrifying part was that he was actually touching her foot.

She had been touched awake by him like this.

What did this count as? Not only worse than a beast, but also possessing perverted bedroom pleasures?

Every hair on Xiao Qiao's body stood on end as though pricked by needles. She swiftly retracted her foot from his hand, hiding it within the blanket.

Wei Shao seemed taken aback. Lifting his eyes, he saw her staring at him. After locking eyes with her for a brief moment, his gaze gradually shifted downward.

Xiao Qiao lowered her head, immediately pulling the edge of the blanket higher.

Wei Shao gave a dry cough and retracted his gaze. Leaping down from the bed, he faced away from Xiao Qiao as he put on his clothes, saying, "If you are tired, go back to sleep. There is no need to go to Grandmother or my mother. I have matters to attend to today, so I am leaving first."

This person, it seemed, would usually become relatively more normal once he got out of bed.

Xiao Qiao let out a soft sigh of relief.

After finishing his dressing, Wei Shao cast a glance back at Xiao Qiao, then suddenly leaned in close once more.

"Over the next period of time, I likely will not be going out. I will try my best to make more time to accompany you."

His voice sounded quite tender, and after speaking, he offered Xiao Qiao a slight smile.