PMM - 42

Lian Sheng stared at him unblinkingly, adorably dumbfounded, yet with a slight lift at the corner of her eyes, exuding a touch of allure. He coughed: “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You look good,” she answered truthfully. Yi Qian Cheng couldn’t help but curve his lips. She had complimented him before, and he thought she was just saying it to please him, but now it seemed she truly meant it.

“Who looks better, me or Lian Qi?” he asked unexpectedly.

Lian Sheng frowned, seemingly thinking hard. He pinched her cheek: “Do you really need to think about this question?” Anyway, he was the best in everything. Lian Sheng pouted and swatted his mischievous hand away: “My brother looks good.”

His face darkened, his eyes burning as he looked at her. Lian Sheng blinked and burst into laughter: “I’m teasing you, my husband looks good.”

Oh, even like this, she still remembered to tease him. It seemed she wasn’t drunk, at least not entirely. He continued to ask: “Then who treats you the best?”

She hesitated again. Yi Qian Cheng lifted her chin, making her look at him: “No hesitation. I treat you the best, now and forever.” Lian Sheng understood his words and beamed with joy, nodding at him.

“You must treat me well too.”

Lian Sheng nodded solemnly: “Yes, my husband.”

He curved his lips: “A-Sheng, you owe me a wedding night.” Her head spun, and after a while, she retorted: “Clearly, it’s you who owes me.” She remembered clearly that he had left without looking back.

“Hmm, my mistake. Shall I make it up to you?” he immediately corrected himself.

“Okay.” Paying respects, drinking the ceremonial wine—only the wedding night was missing. She pondered, hmm, this would complete everything.

He couldn’t help but laugh. Three cups of wine turned someone usually quick-witted into a little fool, but it shouldn’t hurt... probably? He reached out to take off her outer garment, but suddenly Lian Sheng pressed his hand: “Let me do it.”

“…!” Yi Qian Cheng was surprised for a moment, curious about how she would proceed. He couldn’t think too much; the more he thought, the more his desires stirred. A hint of spring appeared in his eyes, and he decided to let her have her way: “Alright, you do it.”

Soon, he regretted this decision bitterly. Lian Sheng undressed him, fumbling around in his arms for a long time, making that part of him stand tall. When he looked down, she hadn’t undone anything but instead tied a dead knot!

Yi Qian Cheng gritted his teeth. If not for her innocent eyes, he would have thought she did it on purpose! He simply tore his clothes off, but Lian Sheng was unhappy. Her mind was clear, but the wine made her very willful, and willful people don’t need to make sense: “You said I could do it.”

He placated her with a couple of hums, quickly stripping both of them bare, his hoarse voice coaxing her: “Alright, now you do it.”

Finally, she was happy. Not long after, Yi Qian Cheng wished he could strangle himself earlier! She nibbled on his lips, igniting fires all over his body, occasionally half-closing her eyes to look at him. He clenched his teeth, telling himself to endure a little longer.

She was still slow, touching curiously here and there.

His tailbone tingled. If he endured any longer, today he would be played out by her! Yi Qian Cheng flipped her over and pinned her beneath him, kissing her rosy lips. She whimpered twice, wanting to play some more. Yi Qian Cheng held her wrists and parted her legs with his knee.

His fingers lingered on the sides of her waistline. She became limp and powerless, gazing at him with watery eyes. Seeing her relax, he slowly inserted his fingers inside her.

Lian Sheng furrowed her delicate brows; this feeling was strange. She bit her lip, on the verge of tears, trying to push him away. But her hands had no strength, her whole body was limp, her eyes holding pools of autumn water, resting on him.

He was ready, sweat breaking out on his forehead: “Good girl, spread your legs wider.”

She shook her head. The vague memory from last time made her fearful. If she gave in, she wouldn’t be able to stop.

But Yi Qian Cheng wasn’t asking for her opinion. He forcefully parted her legs and thrust in. Only a little bit entered, and she cried with tears streaming down, scratching red marks on his back with her nails.

“It hurts, it hurts, get out.”

“Relax a bit.” He was in pain too; she was too tense, and every contraction almost made him surrender. He half-coaxed, half-deceived: “Relax and it won’t hurt.” He kissed her lightly, kissing and soothing her as he went.

His hoarse voice carried an indescribable charm. As she listened, she felt less pain.

He sensed her fear subsiding; the wine indeed had some effect. He smiled faintly and began to move freely. Once inside, he wouldn’t allow her to call a stop. She cried and begged, but he became more intense.

Xi Yu slept in the adjoining room keeping watch, blushing at the sounds. Naturally, she knew what the general was doing to the young lady. The young lady’s voice, soft and low, made even her blush. Clearly, the person inside was enjoying it, tossing and turning until who knows what hour, the sounds still hadn’t stopped.

They had returned late, and the stamina of a man who hadn’t tasted flesh for over twenty years was immeasurable. The young lady’s voice gradually grew hoarse, then quieter and quieter. By the time the sky began to lighten, things inside finally quieted down.

Lian Sheng had drunk alcohol the previous night and been thoroughly exhausted throughout the night, so she didn’t wake until almost noon. When she opened her eyes, her vision was hazy, but it eventually settled on the face of the man beside her. His smile was gentle as he propped himself up to look at her.

Her entire body ached, as if her bones had been crushed. She remembered everything clearly from last night—repeatedly being taken by him. This man had even forced her to answer the question of whether she loved him for most of the night, and she didn’t know how many times she’d said “I love you.”

But this only seemed to fuel his excitement further, making him more relentless without any sign of stopping. Lian Sheng cried until she had no strength left, and she didn’t even remember when he finally stopped. But now, every part of her body hurt, so much so that she didn’t even have the energy to feel embarrassed.

Seeing that she was awake, Yi Qian Cheng reached out to brush away a few strands of hair from her forehead: “Are you hungry?”

Hungry? Of course, she was starving, almost mad with hunger. Compared to his energetic appearance, she felt utterly lifeless. He was the one exerting effort, yet she was the one suffering. More than hunger, she wanted to wash herself properly.

Yi Qian Cheng’s eyes gleamed: “I’ll carry you there.”

“No, I’ll go myself.” She wasn’t wearing anything, and if he suddenly got excited again, she might not survive.

He smiled faintly, looking extremely pleased: “Alright.”

“Turn around.”

Yi Qian Cheng did as she asked and turned around. Lian Sheng tried to push herself up using her elbows, but the moment she applied a little force, the pain nearly made her cry out. Yi Qian Cheng knew she couldn’t get up because last night… he had pressed her legs flat… cough, cough.

Realizing he had gone too far, but seeing no movement behind him after a while, he turned back to find Lian Sheng grimacing, cold sweat beading on her forehead. He felt a pang of guilt: “Does it really hurt that much?”

Too sore to care about embarrassment, she nodded. Yi Qian Cheng wrapped her in a brocade quilt and carried her to wash.

His movements were gentle and careful. Lian Sheng, feeling shy, closed her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering like two butterflies. Yi Qian Cheng’s throat tightened as he looked at her flawless skin, now covered in various marks he had left behind. It was truly an alluring sight. A man who had just tasted pleasure quickly became aroused again.

But knowing how uncomfortable Lian Sheng was, he restrained himself and carefully helped her wash. Afterward, he carried her back to bed. Lian Sheng leaned against his strong chest, her heart sweet with emotion. No matter what, they had finally become true husband and wife.

After a while, Yi Qian Cheng brought in a bowl of porridge and helped her sit up to feed her. Lian Sheng felt awkward; she hadn’t been fed like this since she was very young. She wanted to refuse, but Yi Qian Cheng had already scooped up a spoonful, blown on it to cool it, and brought it to her lips, his gaze filled with joy and satisfaction.

With no other choice, Lian Sheng lowered her head and drank. He continued feeding her, his movements clumsy but earnest, until she finished. Then, in his hand, he held a small porcelain bottle.

“I’ll help you apply some medicine. Don’t worry, I won’t touch you.”

The place that hurt the most was… well, she absolutely didn’t want him to see it. Knowing her thoughts, Yi Qian Cheng raised an eyebrow and asked: “Can you reach it yourself?”

She used to be able to, but now her waist hurt so much that even the slightest movement caused pain. And her back hurt too—there was no way she could reach her back. Biting her lip, she murmured: “Let Lü’er apply the medicine for me.”

His expression hardened: “No, they’re not allowed to see.”

She glared at him, but Yi Qian Cheng didn’t budge. After a brief standoff, he feared prolonging the situation would only cause her more pain. Yet he refused to let anyone else see her body. Finally, he threatened her: “Will you cooperate, or should I tie you up first?”

Lian Sheng was both angry and flustered, but seeing his serious expression, she knew that if she didn’t respond, he might actually force her.

Shamefully, she muttered: “I... I’ll cooperate.”

He smiled and ruffled her hair, thinking how obedient she was. He lifted the quilt and carefully helped her apply the medicine. Seeing the redness and swelling, he felt a deep pang of regret, never imagining he had done this much damage. His movements were painstakingly gentle, carefully applying the ointment both inside and out.

Lian Sheng clutched the quilt tightly, her face flushed with embarrassment. Unable to ignore the sensations in her body, she pulled the quilt over her face, hiding herself completely.

After finishing with the medicine, Yi Qian Cheng saw her burying her face entirely under the quilt. Knowing how embarrassed she was, he didn’t press her further.

“I’ll go out for a bit. Rest well.”

After Yi Qian Cheng left, Lian Sheng sat in a daze. His medicine was indeed effective, and soon she felt much better. With nothing else to do, she reflected on the past. She had been married to Yi Qian Cheng for nearly a year now. From their initial mutual dislike to becoming true husband and wife, the journey had been anything but easy.

Not only between them, but the balance of power in the world was also slowly shifting. A new emperor had ascended the throne in the imperial city, and her husband had conquered Feng Mu. She was utterly disappointed in her father, and even her brother had become a mystery to her. In the blink of an eye, nearly a year had passed. She had lost many things but gained many others.

Life was long, so very long, and she hoped to live it well with him.

~

Previously, Yi Qian Cheng had impulsively chased after Ying Dong, and now that he was back, many matters awaited his attention. Fang Mu’s ashes had been brought back and buried beneath the phoenix tree. When the flowers bloomed next year, he would be the first to see them.

Song Yuan had paid his respects to his fallen brother and then returned to receive his punishment of whipping. Fang Mu had finally returned home, and Song Yuan’s heart had found peace. It seemed as though his grievances had been buried along with Fang Mu.

If Fang Mu were still alive, his greatest wish in life would have been for the general to be happy. Both he and Song Yuan were orphans brought back by the general—one honest and straightforward, the other rash but clever. Once he untangled his heart’s knots, he resolved to protect Ying Dong on behalf of Fang Mu as well.

Yi Huan had only learned in the morning that her brother and sister-in-law had returned. She had been stopped by Nanny Liu, who informed her that they were still sleeping, so she returned to her own courtyard.

In her courtyard stood a pomegranate tree. No one knew that it had been planted by Fu Cheng Yu. Last year, it had bloomed sparsely but hadn’t borne fruit. This winter had been too harsh, and the tree showed signs of withering. Yi Huan called for a gardener to try and save it.

The gardener pruned the branches and protected the parts that were susceptible to frost. But he still told her that whether it would survive depended on fate.

She watered the pomegranate tree, her eyelids twitching uneasily. Yi Huan’s slender hands caressed the branches: “You must survive.”

As soon as Yi Qian Cheng returned, the mansion became lively again. The New Year was approaching, and although many unfortunate events had occurred, there was also much good news to report. The trade route between Shaji and Fengmu was about to open, and the merchants of Fengmu were transporting gold, silver, jade, and silk in large quantities to the Yi residence.

Yi Qian Cheng didn’t covet these things nor did he lack them. He instructed his men to take them back and ordered: “Tell the merchants of Fengmu to behave themselves and conduct business honestly.” As long as they didn’t cause trouble, he naturally wouldn’t make things difficult for them.

The bodyguard received the order and was about to move these priceless items when Yi Qian Cheng called them back: “Wait, open the boxes.”

The bodyguard thought anxiously: Could there be something wrong with these things? The general frowned, scrutinizing the pile of jewels with a critical eye. Finally, he picked up a small jade-carved box, opened it, and found a blood-red jade bracelet inside.

Bright and dazzling red, it seemed alive, exuding an enchanting beauty through its translucent jade color. Yi Qian Cheng put away the jade bracelet and smiled slightly: “Alright, you can take the rest of the things away.”

The bodyguard: “Oh... Yes!”

The army from Fengmu would return with Fu Yi in no time. Yingdong had previously experienced turmoil but, in Yi Qian Cheng’s eyes, it wasn’t a significant threat. The only remaining challenges were Huanshui and Yuanhuai, but now with Fengmu’s financial resources, there was no rush to deal with these two cities. He could spend a peaceful New Year with A-Sheng and his sister.

Yi Qian Cheng had been busy all afternoon and missed Lian Sheng, so he returned to his courtyard early.

Lian Sheng had changed into a plain velvet embroidered coat in a deep red color, holding a hand warmer. Her eyes were bright, her cherry lips red, and her brows carried a trace of charm from being well-loved. The servants were setting the dishes, and she had just said: “Go ask the general...”

Her voice trailed off; the rest didn’t need to be said. Yi Qian Cheng leaned against the doorframe watching her, a smile on his face.

He sat down to have dinner with Lian Sheng, waved his hand to dismiss the servants, then asked her: “Still hurting?”

Lian Sheng knew what he was referring to. It still hurt, but much less than before. Fearing he might continue tonight, she solemnly nodded: “Yes, it hurts.”

Upon hearing this, disappointment and regret were evident on his face. Seeing Lian Sheng breathe a sigh of relief, he concealed his smile even deeper.