Chapter 84

When Sang Yao finally realized what was happening, she was already submerged in the water by Xie Yun.

The warm water instantly enveloped her, splashing all around, even causing the clothes she hadn’t completely taken off to float.

She clung to the edge of the tub to steady herself, her face redder than ever.

She exclaimed urgently, “I don’t want this!”

After speaking, she intended to cover herself, not wanting this stinky man to get his way so easily. However, she noticed that he was still fully dressed in dark clothes, with his leather belt neatly fastened.

After setting her down, he reached out to test the water temperature, seeming to have no immediate intention of undressing.

Actually, when Xie Yun had embraced Sang Yao earlier, although she was angry, she also pondered in her mind.

Did Xie Yun mean to change places, from the bed to the tub?

The tub was so small, and it was filled with water.

How could they do anything there? It seemed impossible; otherwise, the water would be splashing everywhere, making too much noise.

Unless the position was very difficult, who could bear that?

After thinking for a while, she had already figured out how to scold him if he really wanted to do it in this narrow wooden tub.

But he unexpectedly didn’t undress!

Sang Yao deliberately waited for a while, thinking to speak up when this stinky man was really eager like a hungry dog.

After testing the water temperature, Xie Yun frowned and then picked up a bottle of perfume nearby, sniffed it, and disdainfully put it aside.

Then he asked her, “Do you want to use this?”

Sang Yao: “…Really? Is this guy going to drop perfume into the water?”

She shook her head, “No, don’t use it!”

Xie Yun nodded, “Indeed, it doesn’t smell good.”

Ignoring him, Sang Yao wanted to stand up and leave, but she didn’t have many clothes on her body to move comfortably, so she could only stay submerged in the water.

She stared at him and asked, “What are you trying to do?”

Under Sang Yao’s vigilant gaze, Xie Yun calmly wiped away the water droplets on her cheek and said, “Didn’t I make it clear just now?”

After wiping, he still didn’t retract his hand but instead brushed over the marks left on her chest from last night.

Sang Yao moved away slightly, then said impatiently, “That’s not what I meant!”

Top of Form

Xie Yun hmmed and withdrew his hand, the casualness fading from his face. He straightened his posture and looked at her seriously, quietly asking, “So, Miss Sang, what exactly do you mean?”

Meeting Xie Yun’s direct gaze, Sang Yao fell silent again.

What did she mean? She didn’t even know what she meant herself.

She was always guessing, feeling unsure. Sometimes she thought Xie Yun must like her, but other times she felt that his concern might not necessarily mean affection.

She really wanted to talk to Xie Yun about it, but she didn’t know how to bring it up.

If it were before they got married, she would have asked directly without hesitation. But now she couldn’t, because she knew, whether out of marital duty or physical desire, he would say he liked her.

But that’s not what she wanted.

Whether it was a precious jewel, a piece of clothing, or a kiss, she could ask and coax him for it, but she couldn’t ask for his affection.

Even if she got a definite answer, how could she determine if Xie Yun was just placating her?

He was so clever; if he wanted to, he could make his affection sound so grand.

She felt like she was in some kind of confusion, no matter how she said it, it seemed to lack meaning. With only communication between her and Xie Yun, it felt like they couldn’t solve the problem.

Liking someone was truly troublesome.

She lowered her head and said, “It’s nothing.”

Xie Yun pursed his lips.

His hand slowly slid from the water to Sang Yao’s cheek, looking at the slightly unhappy face of the girl.

After pondering for a moment, he seemed to remember something, and then he tentatively changed his address from the formal “Miss Sang” to “Yao Yao.”

Sang Yao’s ears reddened, whether from the steam or something else.

In that moment, Xie Yun felt a sudden inspiration.

He looked at her, then skillfully called out to her again, “Yao Yao.”

Sang Yao whispered, “Do you have something…”

“What are you concerned about?”

He replied earnestly, “Yao Yao, about that little booklet, I really can’t prove that I didn’t make fun of you.”

Being called “Yao Yao” repeatedly by him, she felt a bit deflated.

It wasn’t entirely her fault; being called by Xie Yun like that always made her feel more embarrassed than when others did. She shrunk down a bit and then said, “…Why aren’t you calling me Miss Sang anymore?”

Xie Yun leaned his arm on the edge of the tub and said frankly, “Because it seems you prefer it when I call you more intimately.”

“Is that so, Yao Yao.”

Now Sang Yao’s ears were filled with the words “Yao Yao.”

Her ears began to tingle again, and the water was almost at her lips.

Not calling her made her dissatisfied, but calling her made her feel embarrassed.

She silently thought, she wasn’t usually so difficult to deal with. Could this be the power of love?

“I don’t care about you. Call me whatever you want.”

Not calling her made her dissatisfied, but calling her made her feel embarrassed.

Just like how she wanted Xie Yun to tell her he liked her, but she didn’t want to ask or hint at it.

She just wanted Xie Yun to have a realization one day and naturally express his feelings for her.

It was all too awkward.

Sang Yao found herself annoying in this situation.

She didn’t know if everyone felt like this when they liked someone, caring about this and that but not saying it outright, it was so boring.

She decided to stop thinking about it. She leaned a bit closer to Xie Yun and sighed, pressing her cheek against his fingers, saying, “I just feel a bit uncomfortable.”

“I’m not mad at you.”

Xie Yun casually removed Sang Yao’s clothes, leaving the girl completely naked, with a shimmer of water on her skin.

He took the initiative to wipe her with a towel, getting his cuffs wet in the tub water.

“Really?”

“Really!”

She urged again, “Xie Yun, the water is getting cold.”

Xie Yun wiped Sang Yao for a while, then turned to get her clothes.

As the man walked over, Sang Yao noticed from this angle that there was quite a noticeable bulge under his pants.

She wondered how long it had been like this.

“…,”

She quickly averted her gaze and said, “We’re having a serious conversation here, what are you thinking about?”

Xie Yun approached, and Sang Yao could see more clearly.

She instinctively moved back, not wanting direct contact.

He had fooled Sang Yao with his poker face many times before.

Who could remain so composed and talk to her about these things?

Xie Yun didn’t pay much attention to this.

He reached out and pulled Sang Yao out of the water, covering her with a large blanket.

Shamelessly, he said, “Didn’t I just tell you earlier?”

He carried Sang Yao back to the bed, casually loosening his belt as he looked down at her.

Unable to resist, he leaned down to kiss her.

As Sang Yao raised her arms to embrace him, the blanket slipped off her body.

She was completely exposed again, and she still hadn’t put on the clothes Xie Yun had brought.

After the previous experience, Sang Yao had a rough idea of what would happen next. She thought to herself that she needed to discuss the timing with Xie Yun today; it couldn’t take too long.

Soon, the kiss became more intense.

But suddenly, Xie Yun let go of her, turning away and saying, “I’m going to bathe.”

When Xie Yun returned, Sang Yao had already dressed herself, and she voluntarily nestled into his arms.

Xie Yun extinguished the lights, his voice slightly husky as he said, “Let’s sleep.”

Sang Yao was puzzled for a moment before asking, “We’re going to sleep now?”

Xie Yun held her and said, “Rest for a while, tomorrow night.”

He paused, showing some hesitation. “But if you really want to, I can go along with it.”

Sang Yao’s lips brushed against his neck as she whispered, “I don’t want to.”

In the darkness, their breaths mingled.

She knew Xie Yun enjoyed that kind of activity.

He even mentioned yesterday that ordinary couples should do it every day. Given his demeanor just now, she had thought they would do the same today.

She had even worried for a while about her waist and throat.

But he did care about her, in his own way.

Sang Yao felt it wasn’t right to think like this because Xie Yun had never really forced her, and he always took care of her when he was around.

Did that mean he liked her?

It probably did.

Sang Yao stopped dwelling on it. She listened to his heartbeat and felt content.

So, at least for now, she believed that, compared to finding answers, holding him was more important.

She didn’t speak again and closed her eyes, leaning against Xie Yun.

Sleepiness engulfed her.

But Xie Yun was still very awake.

He was still thinking about why Sang Yao was upset.

He thought for a long time, then became certain that it all stemmed from that booklet.

But now, he couldn’t admit that he had written it.

Xie Yun hadn’t comforted anyone before, and his vocabulary for soothing was scarce.

It would have been easier if he knew the reason, but trying to comfort without knowing the cause seemed even more challenging.

It had been a long time since he encountered such a tricky problem.

Normally, he rarely engaged in private conversations about personal life, and he only heard bits and pieces about how to comfort a wife when she’s angry.

He had heard that in such situations, regardless of whether it was his fault, he should apologize first.

He thought this approach was really silly.

But after some time passed, he still pursed his lips and said softly, “I was wrong.”

Sang Yao didn’t respond.

Even though he said those words, Xie Yun still felt he hadn’t done anything wrong.

He thought of the booklet again and felt a bit displeased. “The booklet wasn’t written by me, but if you like, I can write another one for you.”

Sang Yao was too tired to hear him clearly. She only knew that Xie Yun was talking to her.

She nodded absentmindedly.

After a moment of silence, Xie Yun asked, “What style do you like?”

The contents of the booklet came to his mind again, and he guessed Sang Yao wouldn’t like something subtle and reserved, so he said, “Is it this kind of style?”

Sang Yao murmured in a daze again.

The next morning, Xie Yun woke up early.

When Sang Yao opened her eyes, he was already dressed.

Seeing her awake, he said, “You go back to sleep.”

Sang Yao blinked and suddenly remembered that Xie Yun would start attending court sessions today.

Thinking about it made her feel uneasy. She sluggishly sat up and said, “So early.”

Xie Yun hmmed and then kissed her forehead, saying, “Can’t help it.”

Sang Yao’s mind was still a bit foggy.

She hugged him, pressing her warm and soft cheek against his neck, gently rubbing against him like a little cat, and whispered, “I don’t want you to leave.”

A hint of a smile appeared on Xie Yun’s stern face.

He paused for a moment, then naturally embraced Sang Yao and sat on the bed.

“Then I won’t go.”

Sang Yao’s legs wrapped around him, and after being awake for a moment, she sat up slightly straighter and said, “Don’t talk nonsense.”

She still lay on him without moving and said, “You can go.”

Xie Yun held her hand tightly and, for the first time, felt annoyed about attending court.

After pondering for a moment, he said, “Then come with me.”

Sang Yao looked at him strangely. She propped herself up on him and said with a hint of disdain, “Xie Yun, can you please stop talking nonsense…”

“You can go see your sister.”

“I’ll come to pick you up when I leave the palace, and we’ll come back together.”

Sang Yao’s voice trailed off, and she hugged him again. “Is that okay?”

•  

Of course it was okay.

Before Sang Yao got married, she could visit Sang Shu in the palace by herself, and now that she was married to Xie Yun, the Lady of the Xie family, it was even more acceptable for her to visit her sister in the palace.

When Sang Yao arrived, it was still early in the morning, and she hadn’t seen her sister for a long time.

Sang Zhu was the same as before.

She pulled her married sister close and said, “Yao Yao, why did you suddenly come today?”

Sang Yao leaned against her sister and said, “Xie Yun brought me.”

Usually, if Sang Yao wanted to see Sang Zhu, she had to send a message in advance and obtain permission to enter the palace.

But if Xie Yun brought her, it wouldn’t be so troublesome.

However, considering Xie Yun’s current status, it wasn’t quite appropriate for him to bring his wife in and out of the palace gates like this.

Sang Zhu chuckled. “He must really adore you if he’s not afraid of others criticizing him for indulging in women.”

Sang Yao didn’t plan to think about this matter anymore, but when Sang Zhu mentioned it, she felt a sense of loss again.

Sang Shu keenly noticed the change in Sang Yao’s expression.

She smiled faintly and asked, “What’s wrong?”

Sang Yao hesitated for a while, but couldn’t help but tell Sang Shu about the situation.

She always found it easier to let her guard down in front of her sister, so she told Sang Zhu all about the misunderstanding caused by this little notebook.

Sang Shu’s beautiful eyebrows furrowed tighter and tighter.

After Sang Yao finished speaking, her throat felt dry.

She looked at Sang Shu’s expression and said anxiously, “Sister, what do you think I should do?”

Sang Zhu pondered for a moment and then asked, “Do you really like him that much, Yao Yao?”

Sang Yao wanted to deny it, but reluctantly nodded and admitted, “Well… I quite like him.”

“I feel really upset when I think he might not like me.”

Sang Shu asked, “Have you told him how you feel?”

Sang Yao shook her head.

“So neither of you has said anything, but things just developed naturally like this?”

Sang Yao hesitated.

Sang Shu said directly, “Yao Yao, don’t worry about such things. If you want something, just go for it.”

And Sang Zhu thought it was impossible for Xie Yun not to like her.

It’s just that her sister was too caught up in the situation, experiencing the anxieties of first love.

Xie Yun was always reserved.

Perhaps her sister, being young, always thought love needed to be expressed verbally, which wasn’t necessarily the case.

But as her sister, Sang Zhu couldn’t be certain since she didn’t understand them directly.

After some thought, Sang Yao suddenly felt that what Sang Zhu said made sense. It’s simple – if you like someone, go for it, and if you don’t, don’t.

Yet, despite this, she still felt a bit awkward and said, “Well… then I’ll go and express my feelings to him and try to pursue him.”

Sang Zhu quickly intervened, “Absolutely not!”

She didn’t want her sister to be in such a passive position. Moreover, in her eyes, Xie Yun, being crafty, might take advantage of her sister if he found out.

“Pursuing him shouldn’t be done this way. You can’t be passive, you have to be proactive.”

Sang Yao looked puzzled, not quite understanding.

“With his personality, you can’t be too obedient in front of him.”

“And maybe he doesn’t not like you, he just thinks it’s unnecessary to tell you. But that’s not right either.”

“You’re being too passive.”

Sang Yao asked, “So should I not pursue him then…?”

Sang Zhu held her hand and said, “Yao Yao, you just need to change your approach.”

She looked at Sang Yao’s bewildered face and said softly, “To catch something, sometimes you have to let it go, my silly little sister.”

“Seduce him, then distance yourself, and then step back. He’ll start to worry on his own.”

“Make him come to you, that’s the strategy.”