Chapter 38

Li Mu was too nervous. She had thought that, as a modern person who grew up in the internet age, she had seen all kinds of explicit content and visited all sorts of strange websites. Even if she hadn’t experienced it herself, she had seen it.

Especially after Lin Que admitted he had no practical experience, she felt a secret joy, aside from being aroused by his sudden change in address. She believed she shouldn’t lose to Lin Que, an ancient person, in this aspect. At least in terms of self-control, she was confident she had enough. But she underestimated the psychological impact of intimate contact. Whether it was baring her body in front of someone she liked or having every inch of her skin kneaded by warm palms without any barriers, it left her feeling helpless and panicked.

Fortunately, the one she liked and was willing to share the night’s pleasures with was Lin Que. He would wickedly show Li Mu his slippery hands, making her flustered, and grab clothes to wipe them for him. He would also whisper sweet nothings in her ear, constantly praising her, making her heart, which initially wanted to flee, betray her, and repeatedly leap on the edge of swelling.

In the first half, Li Mu felt she was too flustered compared to Lin Que. The more she worried about her performance, the harder it was to stay calm, and her eyes even became a bit teary out of frustration with herself for not being more composed.

In the latter half, Li Mu realized that Lin Que wasn’t much better off. Hidden under his gentle demeanor, his domineering and assertive nature gradually surfaced as things heated up. Yet, his words remained as enticing as ever, making Li Mu so angry that she left several bite and scratch marks on him.

Later, Li Mu tightly held onto Lin Que’s hand, forgetting to remove the finger guard. The collision of the finger guard with the ring on Lin Que’s ring finger created an indescribable sensation.

Following the doctor’s advice, they only entangled twice, yet it took up most of the night.

Li Mu, wrapped in a blanket, had just drunk the water Lin Que had poured for her. Her uneven breaths carried a warm, humid feeling, and her disheveled hair, soaked with sweat, stuck to her cheeks and back. Wearing only pants, Lin Que finished the pot of water and opened the window a bit more for ventilation. His arms and back bore scratch marks, and there were a few shallow bite marks on his chest and collarbone.

Li Mu also had many marks on her body, as her tender skin showed more traces than Lin Que’s.

Li Mu realized a misconception: when it came to intimate matters, the sense of shame among ancient people might have been weaker in some aspects compared to modern people. At least Li Mu planned to endure and sleep before bathing the next day, while Lin Que had no such concerns. He directly called for hot water, which had already been prepared outside, so they didn’t have to wait long.

After bathing, the soiled bed linens and curtains were also replaced.

Li Mu didn’t dare to think too much about it. She collapsed onto the pillow, closed her eyes, and let fatigue and exhaustion pull her into a deep sleep.

The next day, Li Mu woke up later than usual, feeling sore and weak. She had barely sat up when Lin Que pulled her back down.

Lin Que was even clingier than usual. He kissed and hugged her, asking her to stay with him for a while longer.

Li Mu hugged him back and stayed in bed with him until the afternoon.

When Wudu arrived, Li Mu found an excuse to hide, crouching behind a room divider. The small cabinet under the divider concealed her figure.

It turned out she was right to hide. Wudu took her pulse and immediately noticed something, speaking vaguely to avoid being thrown out. He essentially said that health was more important than face and to be careful not to overdo it.

Lin Que remained calm, while Li Mu nearly scratched the cabinet in embarrassment.

After Wudu left, Lin Que walked to the back of the room divider and helped Li Mu, whose legs had gone numb, to stand up. He playfully pinched her red ear and asked, “Are we still going to Yixian Tower tonight?”

They had planned before the New Year to book Yixian Tower for the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, just for the two of them to watch the lanterns, without taking Qiwu and Yan’an.

Li Mu, afraid of crowds but wanting to see the lively Lantern Festival, thought that watching from the tower would be more comfortable than being in the crowd. So she was particularly looking forward to it and wouldn’t change her mind just because she felt sore.

To avoid the crowds and traffic at night, they took a carriage to Yixian Tower in the evening, discreetly entering through the back door and ascending to the top floor.

The accompanying guards, nannies, and maids were also provided with several tables of non-alcoholic delicacies to enjoy downstairs. Only a few people remained on the floor where Lin Que and Li Mu were, waiting by the stairs and in the opposite room. Li Mu heard that they had arranged shifts, allowing them to take turns going down and strolling on the street.

As the sky grew darker, Li Mu initially didn’t dare to approach the window. She hadn’t anticipated that Yixian Tower would light up all the lanterns before their arrival. The beautifully decorated tower, adorned with lanterns, naturally attracted the attention of passersby. Especially since the opposite building was also a restaurant, with no walls or windows on the second floor, only railings and a roof. Several tables of people gathered there, and whenever something exciting happened, the railings would be crowded with onlookers. Just the thought of being seen made Li Mu’s scalp tingle.

“How about we turn off the lights?” Li Mu suggested.

Lin Que complied and turned off the lights, allowing Li Mu to finally feel brave enough to peek out the window under the cover of darkness.

When the lights were turned off, the guards outside inquired if everything was alright. Lin Que assured them it was fine and instructed them to turn off a few more lights in the other rooms on their floor and the floor below before continuing their watch outside.

The Lantern Festival lifted the curfew from the thirteenth day of the first lunar month until the seventeenth. Today, the sixteenth, was just as lively as the previous days. The streets were bustling with people, and the dragon lantern parade was accompanied by drums and gongs. Besides the busy shops, the streets were lined with racks adorned with various exquisite lanterns.

From time to time, they could see a few children running by with rolling lanterns and a peddler pushing a cart full of lanterns for sale. Further down the street, they could see the brightly lit Ao Mountain, surrounded by crowds enjoying the lanterns.

Besides the lanterns, many food and entertainment stalls were on the street.

After asking someone to help buy some, Li Mu soon had a warm bag of chestnuts and a sugar-coated hawthorn in her hand. She also put a fierce-looking mask on Lin Que’s face.

Perhaps the alcohol or the festive atmosphere made everyone feel cheerful and lively. Li Mu looked at Lin Que’s mask and laughed joyfully.

Lin Que pulled Li Mu into his arms, took off the mask, and ate the sugar-coated hawthorn in her hand. The broken sugar crumbs stuck to his chin, and Li Mu absentmindedly picked them off and put them in her mouth. Only after eating them did she realize they were still by the window and quickly moved away from Lin Que.

This time, it was Lin Que’s turn to laugh. He deliberately asked her, “Is it sweet?”

Li Mu replied seriously, “Of course, sugar is sweet.”

They watched for a while longer before leaving, still using the back door. When getting into the carriage, Lin Que helped her, and the new finger guard she wore bumped into the ring on Lin Que’s ring finger, reminding Li Mu of some inappropriate scenes.

Li Mu instinctively looked at Lin Que and met his gaze. Without speaking, she knew they were thinking the same thing.

This kind of tacit understanding was really unnecessary, Li Mu thought, but she couldn’t deny that she was somewhat… addicted.

Lin Que was also a bit addicted. He had joined the army at thirteen, pouring his passion into the battlefield. At seventeen, he was poisoned and became indifferent to desires. It was only now that he realized how irresistible the matters between men and women could be, or perhaps it was just Li Mu who made it so. He still remembered the way Li Mu cried in front of him when he was poisoned the year before. Although tears streamed down her face, she always suppressed her voice, as if she was used to crying silently and keeping her voice inside.

So when he found that Li Mu was trying to suppress even her own gasps of pleasure, he couldn’t resist the urge to make her voice out.

Back home, Lin Que, who was a bit of a clean freak, almost had his intentions written on his face. He dragged Li Mu to bathe together, spilling most of the water in the tub and making the tipsy Li Mu curse out loud.

The more Lin Que heard, the more he liked it.

When someone came in to clean up, Li Mu buried her face in the pillow while Lin Que sat by the bed, moving the blanket, and Li Mu pressed his hand down.

Li Mu turned her head and gave him a warning look. Don’t overindulge! Did you eat Wudu’s medical advice?

Lin Que innocently shook the medicine bottle in his hand. “I just want to see if you got any bruises.”

The tub wasn’t like the bed, and Lin Que vaguely remembered Li Mu bumping her knee.

Li Mu finally let go but didn’t let Lin Que lift the blanket. She exposed her knee herself, revealing a bruise on her left knee.

Li Mu only exposed her knee, but the bend of her leg covered by the blanket still showed the finger marks from the previous night’s pressure.

Li Mu thought of something and touched her neck.

Lin Que applied medicine to Li Mu while saying, “I know you’re shy, so I didn’t leave any marks on your neck.”

Li Mu replied seriously, “It’s not about being shy; it’s about staying alive.”

Understand that hickeys on the neck can lead to carotid artery thrombosis.

Lin Que: “…?”