Chapter 43 (1/2): Tap, do you want to continue?

The consummation was a lie, but the red marks on her skin were real.

She had drunk the Bi Zi medicine in vain—it wasn’t much to bear—but as long as these red marks didn’t fade, she wouldn’t dare show herself to anyone.

“Is Xiao Gugu coming tomorrow to give me lessons? How can I meet her like this?”

Shen Youran pointed at the red marks on her neck.

“Xiao Gugu won’t come tomorrow. She plans to rent a house in Wūyī Lane and teach there.”

Speaking of this, he still needed to visit Ci You Courtyard to discuss the matter with Seventh Brother and inform Shen Yunshu to prepare, since she would be going to Dali Si in a few days.

“Do you want to come with me to Ci You Courtyard later?”

“Why go there?”

“You’ll see when we get there.”

“No.”

Shen Youran was still worried about the marks.

“How can I face anyone like this?”

Pei Huaijin comforted her, “Don’t worry about it. We’re married, and with marks like these, others will only think we have a deep relationship…”

“You say that so lightly, but I’m the one embarrassed, not you…”

Shen Youran gave him a sidelong glance, then noticed his smooth neck without a single mark and an idea suddenly struck her.

She patted the bed and asked with a sly smile, “You’ve been out since early morning. Aren’t you tired? Why don’t you lie down for a bit first, then we can go to Ci You Courtyard later…”

Pei Huaijin clearly saw her eyes dart toward his neck, then invite him onto the bed.

He understood her plan perfectly.

“All right.”

Though he guessed what she was up to, Pei Huaijin cooperated, slipping off his shoes and lying down.

Sure enough, the moment he lay down, she pounced on him like a little kitten, lying atop him and nudging his chin up, pressing her face against his neck.

“You said just now that these marks would only make others think we’re deeply in love. So let me give you a few too, so everyone can see how strong our relationship really is, okay?”

With that, she bit down.

The girl clearly had no experience in ‘biting’ and didn’t realize these marks weren’t made by bites at all.

At first, Pei Huaijin didn’t understand either, because the Bi Zi medicine instructions hadn’t covered this.

On their wedding night, he only wanted to kiss her, but accidentally left marks on her neck.

He then realized that sucking too hard would leave a plum blossom-shaped mark on her skin.

Last night was the same—seeing those blossoming plum marks on her body made it seem as if she herself was blooming.

Her teeth were quite sharp.

Pei Huaijin tilted his head back, one hand on her waist, the other patting her back gently, “Be gentle…”

Shen Youran buried herself in his neck, biting diligently for a while before lifting her head to check her work.

“That’s strange,” she muttered, puzzled, lightly tracing the spot she had bitten.

“Why aren’t they the same as the ones you made?”

The marks on her neck were clustered like petals, like strawberries, but hers were just pairs of teeth marks.

She propped herself up and looked at him, asking, “How did you make those marks?”

Pei Huaijin was more than willing to teach her.

He took one of her hands, holding her delicate fingers and pressed the back of her hand against his lips.

“Look carefully. It’s not biting, it’s sucking…”

His lips left a mark on her hand, slightly parted. In the next moment, the warm wet sensation sent a tingling, slightly prickly feeling across her skin.

He kissed the back of her hand while watching her carefully.

Her eyes lowered, focused and serious, like a student learning a new lesson.

A small smile curved at the corners of his mouth before he withdrew his lips.

The skin on her hand wasn’t as delicate as on her neck, so after a while of sucking, only a faint, almost fading red mark remained.

“Got it?” he asked.

Shen Youran blinked in surprise, “So that’s how it’s done.”

Pei Huaijin stroked her head encouragingly.

“Try it yourself.”

She immediately buried her face back into his neck, eager to practice, avoiding the spots where she had bitten and searching for a fresh spot to suck on…

After a few moments, she looked up with delight, “It really made a little red mark!”

“It did!”

She beamed, as if she had accomplished something great.

Only his skin wasn’t as pale as hers, so the marks weren’t as obvious as on her neck.

Pei Huaijin couldn’t help but chuckle, “Want to keep going?”

“Of course!”

He had made so many marks on her; there was no way she would let him off so easily.

She pressed back into his neck and resumed her earnest sucking…

Sunlight streamed through the window lattice, incense smoke rose quietly from the censer on the lacquered table, and beneath the curtains, the occasional sound of water could be heard.

After only five marks, Shen Youran’s mouth grew sore.

She had hoped to leave one on his collarbone, but after pulling open his robe, the skin there was much firmer.

With her weakening mouth muscles, she tried for quite a while but left no trace except some stray saliva.

“Enough for today,” she said, her mouth aching.

She rolled over, about to get off him.

Suddenly, her waist was held firmly by his large hand, preventing her from leaving.

“Is that all?”

His other hand gently wiped the wetness from her lips, his eyes dark and deep like a quiet sea.

“Don’t you want to leave a few more?”

“My mouth’s too tired. I can’t suck anymore…”

“Rest a bit, then continue?”

His voice trembled slightly, laced with temptation.

Only then did Shen Youran realize something was wrong.

She glanced at his face: his eyes were swirling with desire, clearly far from satisfied.

He had enjoyed himself thoroughly just now.

Last night, he kissed her and left marks all over her body—it was he who enjoyed it.

Now she was kissing him, her mouth sore and tired, but he was still the one enjoying it.

Looks like all the benefits went to him alone.

Shen Youran sat up and tried to climb down from the bed, “Aren’t we supposed to go to Ci You Courtyard? Let’s hurry…”

“No rush.”

Pei Huaijin reached out and pulled her back, flipping her over and pinning her beneath him.

“Since you’ve already taken the Bi Zi medicine, how about we make up for it now?”

His usually calm, pure tone now felt laced with hooks and danger, hooking into her soul.

Shen Youran sensed the change and widened her eyes in fright, “Y-you…”

He brushed his nose against her ear, then pressed his lips there, gently biting her earlobe—not too hard, not too soft.

This was broad daylight!

“No!”

She panicked and pushed him away.

“You’re a scholar; you can’t be so shameless in the daytime!”

Seeing she still resisted, Pei Huaijin sighed and held her close, not pushing further.

Ci You Courtyard.

It was already lunch time.

Shen Yunshu had someone invite the scholar to eat and rest in the side room.

After a morning of studying, Pei Huaian stretched in the courtyard and planned to visit Shen Yunshu to eat lunch together.

Unexpectedly, his elder brother and sister-in-law arrived, with Qingjian carrying a food box behind them.

His elder brother wore a dark blue round-collared robe with wide sleeves, tall and slender.

Shen Youran wore the Hechang, the collar wrapped tightly around her neck, making her look like a snowball shaped like an egg as she followed close behind.

Pei Huaian felt the temperature carefully—was it really that cold?

Why did she wrap herself up so tightly?

“Brother, sister-in-law, why are you here?”

He raised his hand to greet them but couldn’t help glancing at his brother’s neck.

Seeing the marks clearly, he widened his eyes in shock.

“There’s something to discuss with you. We might as well have lunch together.”

Pei Huaijin asked Qingjian to take the food box to the side room, then prepared to speak with Seventh Brother about renting a house in Wūyī Lane, but noticed Seventh Brother’s eyes practically drilling into his neck.

Pei Huaijin intentionally let him see the marks and nonchalantly tugged at his collar, speaking seriously, “Xiao Gugu plans to rent a house in Wūyī Lane to teach the noble ladies. I remembered that Third Uncle bought you a house there. Would you be willing to rent it out?”

“Really? I thought it was something big.”

Pei Huaian stared at the marks for a while, then noticed how his brother and sister-in-law looked at each other differently.

He teased, “Such a small matter, you could have just sent Qingjian to tell me. Why come yourself? Is there something else…”

“Hmm, there is one more thing…”

“I knew it!”

Before he could finish, Pei Huaian smirked knowingly.

“You’re showing off those marks…”

He pointed at his brother’s neck.

Pei Huaijin snorted but didn’t deny it.

The three entered the side room.

Tinglan and Qiongzhi had already laid out the dishes.

Shen Yunshu came over from the main hall, and the four sat down to eat.

Shen Youran kept her Hechang on.

Tinglan asked twice if she should remove it, but seeing everyone about to eat, Shen Youran slowly untied the cords.

Back at Yunzhi Courtyard, she hadn’t wanted to come—she was too embarrassed—but Pei Huaijin insisted that since she had already left marks on his neck, it wasn’t shameful, and she had to see it for herself.

After untying the Hechang, Shen Youran took a deep breath, removed the cloak, and handed it to Tinglan.

Pei Huaian, sitting across from her, had just taken a bite of rice when he caught sight of the many red marks covering her neck…

“Pfft!”

He spat rice out half a meter away.

Luckily, he turned his head just in time, sparing the table from a mess.