“I’ve come at an inopportune time, disturbing you, sister…”
Back when their affection was deep and sweet, he called her ‘wife.’ Now, clearly jealous, he called her ‘sister’ as he pressed closer.
“What nonsense are you talking?” Shen Yunshu pressed against his advancing body. “I have nothing going on with Lord Xiao.”
“I heard it all—he’s proposing to you.”
“He’s proposing, not forcing. If I refuse, that’s it. But you—you’re the one crying ‘thief’ when you’re the real thief…”
Earlier, when she and Xiao Ci heard someone shout ‘thief,’ they followed the sound to investigate, but he suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dragged her off.
Seeing it was him, she didn’t dare make a scene, letting him pull her into a hidden cave in the artificial rockery to hide temporarily.
They hadn’t been inside long before Xiao Ci’s shouting came from outside—they had discovered she was missing and hurriedly gathered men to search.
But the artificial rockery was small, and the cave shallow. Since they were inside, they’d be found quickly.
Still, to escape now would be to walk right into a trap. Shen Yunshu could never let anyone know that His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince had secretly come to the Shen Residence to see her.
“I miss you so much,” he lowered his head, rubbing tenderly against her ear. “Do you miss me?”
“This isn’t the time to say that…”
“But I want to hear it now…”
“Xie Heng,” after a while of nuzzling, his lips started to grow restless, making her feel both wet and ticklish. She whispered sharply, “Stop it.”
He hadn’t seen her for a whole month and barely managed to sneak out this once, like a thief climbing over a wall just to find her. Only to hear another man confessing his feelings to her.
And that man was so much better than him in every way.
Jealous, bitter, and insecure, he refused to listen and kept asking, “Do you miss me? Do you still like me? Xiao Ci is better than me in every way—have you fallen for him?”
“I haven’t…”
Outside, the servants and guards searching for them were approaching the rockery, and Xiao Ci’s voice was mixed in.
“Madam, Madam, where are you?” Soon, someone noticed their hiding place. “You two, go check inside the rockery…”
Shen Yunshu’s heart tensed instantly.
Yet Xie Heng didn’t care at all. He continued to kindle her neck and ear as if he wasn’t afraid of being discovered.
“Stop!” Shen Yunshu had no choice but to call out to those approaching the cave. “I just met a ruffian and lost my shoe. I’m not properly dressed—don’t come in!”
Sure enough, the servants immediately retreated.
But Xiao Ci didn’t step back.
He’d been at the Dali Temple a long time, skilled at judging cases. He strongly suspected she wasn’t alone in the cave but was held captive, so he refused to order the servants away.
“Madam Shen, are you alright?” Xiao Ci probed gently. “Since you lost your shoe, I’ll have a maid bring you a new pair.”
“Okay,” the person inside quickly agreed. “Send Tinglan in.”
Xiao Ci sent someone to fetch Tinglan. A few guards stayed behind to watch the cave while the others continued searching for the intruder.
He spoke to Shen Yunshu from outside from time to time, clearly still suspicious.
“Madam Shen, did you get a look at the ruffian’s appearance just now?”
Forced to tilt her head back, Shen Yunshu tried to steady her voice. “It was dark, and I was frightened—I couldn’t see clearly.”
Xie Heng buried himself in her neck, making soft, suggestive sucking sounds.
“Madam Shen, did you see how tall he was?”
“About your height…”
“What was he wearing?”
“Clothes… um…”
Xie Heng was unhappy that she kept talking to Xiao Ci outside. In the darkness, he looked up at her and slowly traced his lips toward hers.
Sensing he was about to cover her mouth, Shen Yunshu hurriedly fended off Xiao Ci with a brief apology. “Sorry, Lord Xiao, I can’t speak right now…”
The next moment, his breath enveloped her as he pried her teeth apart and forcefully sucked on her tongue.
“Then take your time,” Xiao Ci’s voice came again after a while. “Madam Shen, can you speak now? What was the ruffian wearing?”
Held firmly by Xie Heng’s chin, Shen Yunshu was only allowed to speak after a long kiss. “Lord Xiao, I’m still shaken. Please let me… calm down.”
“Okay,” Xiao Ci didn’t relax his vigilance. “Then calm down first—I’m outside. Don’t be afraid.”
He clearly knew she wasn’t alone in the cave and suspected she was being coerced, which was why he stubbornly refused to leave.
Meanwhile, she was truly being “held captive,” pressed against the rock wall by a rogue who kissed her while teasing.
The intense shame made Shen Yunshu’s heart race wildly. She was afraid she would make a noise, so she grabbed his hand holding her chin and bit down on it.
A muffled groan came from behind her. She didn’t bite hard—if she hurt him, he could pull away.
But he didn’t retreat. Instead, he stretched his fingers, slid two of them into her mouth, pressing and twisting.
Shen Yunshu was both angry and flustered—what was he doing?
Luckily, before he could do anything worse, Tinglan arrived and called softly outside, “Madam, do you need me?”
A silver thread was pulled from her mouth in the darkness.
Shen Yunshu’s throat itched and she coughed twice.
Tinglan was her most capable and devoted maid. Years of service had forged a tacit understanding between them—just one glance from Shen Yunshu was enough for Tinglan to know what to do.
Outside the cave, Xiao Ci took a lamp from a guard and handed it to Tinglan, telling her to look carefully inside for any hidden ruffians.
Tinglan, unaware of the situation inside, entered anxiously, carrying the lamp.
The cave was shallow. After only a few steps, she saw their young lady. Her clothes were slightly disheveled, her hair loose, and her eyes moist. She silently put up a finger and gestured “shh.”
As Shen Yunshu moved aside slightly, Tinglan saw the Crown Prince standing over a head taller than the young lady.
In an instant, Tinglan understood everything—the so-called intruder was actually His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince.
Tinglan nodded at her mistress, signaling that she knew how to handle this, then pretended to help change her shoes. “Madam, let me help you with your shoes…”
A moment later, Tinglan emerged from the cave with the lamp and told Xiao Ci, “Lord Xiao, there is truly only one person inside—my lady. Her hair is undone, and she isn’t in a state to meet anyone now…”
Following Tinglan’s words, Shen Yunshu added, “Lord Xiao, please forgive me for not seeing you out properly. Tinglan will escort you.”
“I’ll stay to help search for the thief,” Xiao Ci said.
“It’s just a petty thief. Lord Xiao, you’re injured. There’s no need to trouble you with something so small.”
Tinglan said, “Lord Xiao, let me escort you.”
After Xiao Ci left, the guards outside dispersed to continue searching for the “thief.”
With the outside finally quiet, Shen Yunshu turned to scold the scoundrel, only to have him grab her wrist and press her hand above her head.
“Xie Heng!” Though the others had left, she still dared not shout and could only whisper, “Don’t mess around anymore!”
“But I came looking to mess around with you,” Xie Heng held her wrist tightly and leaned close to her ear, exhaling softly. “Sister, have you forgotten? You promised me that after our divorce, you would secretly meet me…”
Shen Yunshu had agreed to that once out of helplessness, giving him a vague answer to put him off for now.
She hadn’t expected him to take it seriously and really come looking for her to ‘secretly meet.’
Raised reading women’s instructions since childhood, there was no way she could truly do such a thing. “Stop it. I’m happy you came to see me, but that’s really impossible. If I did, it would disgrace my family.”
“So you were lying before?” In the dim cave, Xie Heng’s eyes darkened with jealousy and anger. “Sister, breaking your word must be punished…”
His lips and tongue trailed down her ear, slipping into her loosened collar, biting her collarbone.
Shen Yunshu flinched in pain.
“Xie Heng, we’re not husband and wife now,” she spoke earnestly. “I truly can’t accept that.”
He paused. “What if I told you I haven’t signed that divorce paper you left behind?”
Shen Yunshu froze.
“The divorce paper—my grandfather only glanced at it. He didn’t notice I hadn’t signed it. He told me to keep it myself. Sister—no, wife—we’re still married.”
“Is that true?”
“If I lie, let me never marry you again.”
Since he swore such an oath, Shen Yunshu believed him.
If they were still married, his coming to see her wasn’t an act of secret adultery.
Then, such a thing wouldn’t be entirely impossible.
Just not right now.
“I’m cold in the cave,” Shen Yunshu bit her lip, her voice as light as a mosquito’s wings fluttering.
Not only cold—she was a lady of a noble family. How could she do that sort of thing in a place like this?
Once Tinglan returned to cover for them, they could leave the cave.
“All right.” Hearing her say she was cold, Xie Heng quickly took her hand, covering it with his, rubbing it and warming it with his breath.
He wasn’t wearing much today and couldn’t warm her hands, so he loosened his robe and tucked her hand inside.
Her icy hand pressed against his skin, making him shiver.
Shen Yunshu worried she might chill him and tried to pull back her hand, but he held it firmly.
He wasn’t warm himself, but smelled faintly of soap and camphor—he must have bathed not long ago.
Thinking back to what he said before about washing up before coming to her, it seemed he had prepared carefully for this meeting.
There was one more thing Shen Yunshu wanted to ask him. “Last time, you broke that contraceptive medicine. Did you bring the medicine this time?”
“Why would I let you take that again?” Xie Heng led her hand toward the warmth of his body. “Wife, I had acupuncture instead. The doctor said this method works better than taking medicine.”
“Acupuncture?” She had never heard of this method before.
“Yes, my older brother had it done too. It really does work well.”
“Is that so?” Being pulled along, Shen Yunshu glanced at him. “I told you—I’m still in the cave.”
“Wife, where else would you go?” Xie Heng pressed her hand down. “I’m cold, and I can’t warm your hands. Try inside here—it’s warm…”