The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 90

Chapter 90

Chunniang led the host family's women as they carried in the hot water.

The young mistress loved cleanliness. Although she would not maintain the same grand entourage abroad as she did at home, traveling in such freezing, bone-chilling weather meant that every night before retiring to sleep, Chunniang would always bring hot water for her to wash her body and soak her feet. Only then could she sleep soundly.

Tonight, having unexpectedly met the young master here, Chunniang had naturally prepared more. Fortunately, the host’s house was originally a post-station inn, making it convenient to boil water. Once everything was ready, she waited quietly outside. Finally hearing the call for water from inside the room, she hurriedly prepared to bring it in.

The master of the house knew well that this couple held an exalted status, and they had given him more than enough money. Naturally, he did his utmost to serve them. Under Chunniang’s direction, the woman called her daughter-in-law to join her, and they quickly carried the large tub of hot water into the room. Upon entering, they saw a young woman, appearing like a youthful housewife, standing on the floor. Her inner garments were faintly discernible, appearing disheveled, and her shoulders were only carelessly covered by a small pink-patterned brocade silk shawl for concealment. On her feet, she wore a pair of purple, thick-soled embroidered slippers. She was peerlessly beautiful, her hair loosely pinned, her cheeks flushed bright red as if intoxicated, and her eyes were glistening, seemingly brimming with a pool of spring passion.

Let alone a man, even the woman herself was struck with amazement upon seeing her, temporarily unable to look away. Catching a glimpse through the half-draped bed curtains, the male master seemed to be lying on the bed with his back turned inward. On the floor, two black boots lay strewn about haphazardly, and clothes were a tangled mess at the foot of the bed. She dared not look any closer, hurriedly lowering her head and retreating.

Chunniang, however, had long been accustomed to this. Looking straight ahead, she put away all of Little Qiao’s personal effects, then closed the door and withdrew.

Little Qiao bolted the door and said to Wei Shao on the bed, "Get up! The water has been brought in!"

Ever since Wei Shao set out on the campaign to Shangdang, his yearning for her had piled up layer upon layer. After experiencing numerous twists and turns, they were finally able to meet tonight, allowing him to truly hold her within his palms. To say he was mad with thirst would not be an exaggeration. Just now, when their passion was at its peak, she had forcibly stopped him, leaving him greatly disappointed. Hearing her voice, he rolled over and lay flat on his back, starfished across the bed with his hands clasped behind his head. He looked at her lazily and said, "Come help me."

Little Qiao said, "You can just stay smelly then. Don't even think about touching me." Turning around, she walked away on her own, pulling shut that particular curtain. She began scooping out the hot water to clean her body. Caught completely off guard, the curtain was suddenly yanked open by Wei Shao. She saw that he had stripped completely naked at some unknown point, not concealing himself in the slightest. Standing before her with his formidable, masculine weapon proudly displayed, he said with grand bravado, "I was wounded because I went looking for you, and it was even inflicted by your elder sister’s husband. Are you still refusing to serve me?"

Little Qiao had already looked at it; the wound on his arm was merely a flesh wound a few inches long. Considering the severity of the wounds he had suffered on the battlefield in the past, this was practically a drizzle of rain. Yet he was actually shameless enough to use it as blackmail. She originally wanted to spit in his face, but then she thought of how he had indeed traveled through wind and dust just to fetch her. In the end, a trace of warmth still stirred in her heart. Ultimately, she merely pinched a bit of his flesh with her fingernail before wiping down his body for him.

Receiving such service from the beauty, Wei Shao felt comfortable all over, and all the frustration from his journey vanished entirely. Starting from the top, he held her, kissing and caressing her up and down, making Little Qiao hop up and down in anger, scolding him incessantly in a sweet, tender voice. Amidst their playful banter and teasing, both of them finally finished wiping their bodies, and Wei Shao impatiently carried her back to the bed.

The pine wood bed frame in the room shook slightly. At first, the sound was as thin as a thread, tightening and loosening at intervals. Gradually, the sound became like night rain, pattering continuously without cease. A moment later, it was already shaking with loud creaks, a earth-shattering din that almost made one worry whether it would fail to bear the heavy weight and collapse in the next instant. Fortunately, it finally endured. In a final burst of violent, heart-stopping creaks, accompanied by Little Qiao's intermittent, breathless cries as she lost herself to his thrusts, the first wave of cloud and rain finally dispersed.

Wei Shao was young and vigorous, and the beloved woman he had yearned for so deeply was now lying in his arms once more. How could a single round satisfy him? After holding her with their necks intertwined for a mere moment, his desires surged robustly again. He kissed and toyed with her mutton-fat jade-like body, and taking her slender, delicate hand, he placed it upon himself, wanting her to play with him.

This was not the first time Little Qiao had done this kind of thing with him. Having long known his beastly nature, she had not expected him to let her off after just one round. Half-shy and half-coquettish, she allowed him to fool around, merely keeping her eyes tightly shut, refusing to open them.

Wei Shao thought back to when they had first met tonight—how she had turned her head, opening her round, dark eyes wide as she stared at him in astonishment. It had been incredibly endearing and lovely. In his heart, he only wished that she would open her eyes right now, to see exactly how he cherished and adored her. Yet her double rows of eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she turned her pink, beautiful little face away, simply refusing to open her eyes. Although her appearance was enticingly seductive, he ultimately felt unsatisfied. Gradually, his breathing became as heavy as a bull's. He kept kissing her eyelids, then caught her earlobe, sucking and biting it without stop. Hearing the faint, weak whimpers escaping her, he asked hoarsely, "What does Manman want me to do before you'll open your eyes and look at me?"

With her jade-like arms wrapped around his thick, solid back, Little Qiao merely shook her head continuously, absolutely refusing to open her eyes to look at him no matter what.

Wei Shao said coldly, "If you still don't open your eyes, I shall become angry."

Little Qiao whimpered, "Even if you get angry, what can you do?"

Wei Shao paused for a moment, then spoke into her ear, word by word, "You said it yourself! I don't need you to open your eyes anymore either!"

...

Later, she lost track of how many times it had been. When Little Qiao was being held by her waist from behind and tormented by him to the point where even shedding tears and begging for mercy was useless, she finally understood a agonizingly profound truth.

Wei Shao was a beast.

And he was a petty, vengeful beast who wouldn't even allow her to close her eyes while doing that kind of thing!

...

Outside the house, it was pitch black, with wind and snow raging together. Boats were moored along both banks, and the great river was frozen solid.

Inside this humble room of the post-station inn at the ancient ferry of Wuchao, however, it was overflowing with warmth, filled with boundless spring radiance.

...

Little Qiao was utterly exhausted. By the time Wei Shao finally finished, she fell fast asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

She had no idea that she actually snored lightly as she slept, just like the little cat they kept in the northern courtyard.

The next morning, Wei Shao woke up early out of habit. It was precisely amidst her soft snoring that he awoke.

At this hour on a winter morning, the sky outside the window was still pitch black.

Inside this low, mud-built house, the light was also very dim.

Yet Wei Shao felt as though he were lying within a magnificent mansion beneath brocade quilts, not wishing to get up in the slightest.

It was warm and cozy inside the blanket. The woman he adored was curled up against his chest, sleeping deeply, still letting out light, rhythmic mini-snores like a cat.

She was incredibly adorable.

Wei Shao could not resist shifting closer. Stretching out his arm to hold her, he pressed his chin against her forehead and closed his eyes once more.

...

When Little Qiao woke up fully rested, it was already noon the next day. Wei Shao was no longer in bed. From the main hall out front, the faint sounds of footsteps and human voices drifted over.

She rose with Chunniang’s assistance. Just then, Wei Shao returned from outside.

The host family also brought in clean food specifically prepared on a small stove.

A plate of ferns, a plate of rape blossoms, and a plate of beans. There was also a carp. The sorghum rice was served in a pottery basin shaped like a xu-pot. Together with a dining table, everything was carried inside in an orderly fashion.

For ordinary folk like the host family, such a meal was already the best provision they could offer.

The hard work of last night had not been in vain after all. Today, Little Qiao’s status had finally been elevated; she was now qualified to sit opposite Wei Shao and eat together.

While eating, Little Qiao would glance at the man opposite her from time to time.

As they spent more time together, Little Qiao gradually discovered another trait of this fellow, Wei Shao: he was a beast in bed, but once he got off the bed and dressed properly, he became proper and strictly observant of etiquette.

It was exactly the same at this moment.

She did not know what he had been up to while she was still asleep in the morning. At any rate, after being gone the whole morning, he had now returned, sitting upright and eating his meal methodically.

Little Qiao had been tossed and turned severely by him last night, and her legs and feet were still a bit sore even now. Seeing him acting as though nothing had happened made her glance at him repeatedly.

Wei Shao gave her a look and placed a piece of fish meat into her bowl with his chopsticks.

Little Qiao smiled at him, "Thank you, Husband."

Wei Shao gave an "en" in response. "Eat more. You are too thin. It would be better if you grew a bit more flesh."

Little Qiao stared at him.

"Why aren't you eating yet?" Wei Shao raised his eyebrows slightly to look at her.

The image of him burying his head in her chest last night, biting and gnawing without a shred of shame, flashed through Little Qiao’s mind. She decided to forgive his unintentional offense, lowering her head to eat every single grain of rice in her bowl, bite by bite.

After the two finished their meal and rinsed their mouths, the dining table was cleared away. The host family then presented a plate of golden-colored tangerines.

Wei Shao sat side-by-side with her on a thick floor cushion laid out opposite the window. Looking out the window, the frozen river surface stretched out as a vast expanse of white at the far end.

Having eaten her fill, Little Qiao leaned lazily against Wei Shao’s shoulder, taking a tangerine and playing with it in her hands.

Wei Shao wrapped his arm around her waist, saying that he had already sent men early in the morning to Liuhe Ferry, which was a hundred li away from here, to investigate, and they were still waiting for a report back.

Little Qiao gave a casual "en" in response, slowly peeling the tangerine. A crisp, sharp aroma of tangerine peel gradually diffused between the two of them.

"What are you thinking about? I noticed you've been dazed for quite a while."

Wei Shao caressed her smooth, long hair, asking softly.

Because it was certain they could not leave today, Little Qiao had not styled her long hair up, merely binding it into a hanging braid behind her head.

Little Qiao hesitated for a moment, then lifted her eyes to look at him, saying, "Since crossing the river is inconvenient, why don't we just wait a few more days? To tell the truth, I am somewhat worried about my brother-in-law and the others at Lingbi. This place is closer, so any news will be transmitted faster..."

"You mean that green-eyed refugee leader?" Wei Shao’s tone instantly turned cold.

"If he cannot even deal with Xue Tai, on what basis can he establish himself independently? Your worry is superfluous."

Little Qiao was slightly startled, falling silent.

Wei Shao pulled her closer, his voice softening again, "Before I left that day, I also asked him if he required assistance. He refused it himself. From this, it can be seen that everything should be fine. You do not need to worry."

Little Qiao gave a soft "en" in response, "I understand."

Wei Shao watched her for a moment. Seeing her eyes lowered, cast upon the tangerine in her palm, he hesitated repeatedly in his heart. Finally, he spoke up once more, "How about this: I possess a slight acquaintance with Yang Xin. I shall send a message to him right away. If the refugee leader is no match for the enemy, I shall have Yang Xin go to reinforce him. This way, you should be at ease, right?"

Little Qiao had no time to dispute his repetitive calling of Bizhi as "refugee leader." Hearing him suddenly speak this way, she abruptly lifted her head, her eyes wide with pleasant surprise as she looked at him. Nodding vigorously, she immediately shifted into a kneeling position and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Husband is so good."

Wei Shao made a show of leaning his head backward to avoid her embrace, pulling a stern face as he snorted twice, "You still haven't told me what exactly you intend to achieve by taking such a great detour to journey south this time. Are you truly visiting your paternal aunt's illness?"

Little Qiao's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained smiling radiantly, "Naturally, it is to visit my paternal aunt's illness. Along the way, I also want to visit my pregnant elder sister."

After speaking, seeing him raise his eyebrows slightly as if still somewhat skeptical, she peeled a segment of the tangerine and fed it into his mouth. Then, she leaned in herself, kissing his lips.

Within his breath, the fragrance of the tangerine and the softness and sweetness of the lips and tongue she had proactively offered were completely diffused.

Wei Shao felt deeply intoxicated.