Chapter 65: He Slowly Walked Toward the One He Loved…

He slowly walked toward the one he loved, letting the quiet room become steeped in infinite ambiguity.

Qiu Yurou’s heart thumped wildly. She cursed herself inwardly for being so useless, forcing herself to act as though she hadn’t seen him, and continued applying face cream.

Su Yunting came to his beloved’s side and, as always, picked up the comb to smooth her hair.

If one ignored the heat of his fingertips, everything seemed the same as before.

The same gentleness, the same meticulous care, the same way of combing her hair and then pulling her into his arms.

By candlelight, his beloved’s face, flushed crimson, made even his breathing scalding hot.

Su Yunting softly called, “Yurou.”

Qiu Yurou knew what was about to happen. In this embrace that once gave her the utmost sense of security, she now felt nervous.

Su Yunting kissed her forehead. “Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.”

His voice eased the tension in her heart. Qiu Yurou responded with a light “mm.”

Looking at the one in his arms, their gazes met.

Suddenly, Qiu Yurou felt calm. As legal husband and wife, as two people who loved each other, this was something that naturally should happen and it should be faced openly.

Qiu Yurou smiled at him, and instantly, the fire in Su Yunting’s heart flared up. He leaned down, kissing his beloved’s lips for the first time.

That soft sensation made both their hearts tremble.

He lightly held her lips, sucking and tasting. The strange sensation made her whole body tingle as if shocked by electricity. He let out a satisfied murmur.

Her lips, kissed until they were tender and glistening, carried a constant numbing pleasure that stimulated her nerves. She couldn’t help but let out soft moans. Dissatisfied with only such kisses, he used his tongue to pry open her teeth.

With a foreign invader in her mouth, Qiu Yurou instinctively pulled back.

But Su Yunting’s tongue pursued her, gently coaxing, guiding her to dance with him.

Led by him, she experienced sensations she had never known before. Only when she felt a chill on her shoulder did Qiu Yurou awaken from her daze, instinctively clutching at the clothing about to slip.

The breath against her shoulder was burning hot. Su Yunting picked her up, carried her a few steps to the bed, gently set her down, and leaned over her.

Qiu Yurou reminded him, “Put down the bed curtains.”

Su Yunting wanted to see clearly, but since his wife wished for the curtains lowered, he had no choice but to rise and pull down the hangings on both sides.

With the curtains drawn, the light on the bed dimmed. When he bent down to kiss her again, she no longer resisted.

As their clothes fell away piece by piece, this couple who had been married over two years saw each other bare for the first time.

Everything went smoothly at first, but at the final step, two completely inexperienced people met with obstacles.

He worried she would hurt, unwilling to use force. But each failed attempt caused pain as well.

After many struggles, both of them drenched in sweat, the matter was finally consummated.

Having only just begun her experience of intimacy, after only a few thrusts he quickly withdrew, spilling outside the bed.

Qiu Yurou, as if she had just fought a battle, pulled the quilt up to cover herself.

Su Yunting cleaned up, then turned back to explain to his beloved, “We can’t have a child now. The next couple of years we’ll be moving often. Once we settle down in the capital, then we can have children.”

Qiu Yurou, who had just truly stepped out of singlehood, also wasn’t ready to be a mother.

Since he had already thought it through, she agreed.

Looking at his delicate, exhausted beloved, the fire that had just subsided in Su Yunting’s body flared up again.

He returned to the bed, kissing her once more.

This time, with experience, he was no longer done in a few moments. In one round, he let Qiu Yurou experience twice that wondrous feeling described in books as “teetering between life and death, bliss and ecstasy.”

When this ended, Su Yunting brought warm water. He wanted to help his wife wash, but she didn’t agree.

He had to turn away as she requested, only turning back when she was finished.

Once they were clean and the sheets changed, they lay back down. When he pulled Qiu Yurou into his arms, she had just opened her mouth to say she was hot when she felt him stirring again.

Qiu Yurou silently edged back. The last time had been too long, she feared if they continued until midnight, she wouldn’t be able to rise tomorrow.

Though desire stirred in his heart again, seeing that his wife clearly didn’t want to continue, he restrained himself.

For the sake of her body, he only kissed her forehead and said, “Sleep. I won’t touch you again.”

Qiu Yurou fell into a deep sleep. Likely after such exercise, it was easier to reach deep slumber. Yet even the deepest sleep couldn’t shield her from the furnace at her side.

She was kissed awake just as dawn light touched the horizon.

Qiu Yurou was speechless. Normally, this man was the last to wake. Why so early today?

Qiu Yurou asked him, “Aren’t you tired?”

Su Yunting leaned close, whispering in her ear, “Not tired. I have the strength of two lifetimes.”

His words made her ear itch, and she tried to dodge aside. He didn’t let her, chasing after her to kiss again.

Drawn in by him, Qiu Yurou herself became aroused. The two moved together once more.

When Qiu Yurou was sent soaring into the clouds a second time, movement sounded in the courtyard, frightening her into covering her mouth.

Afterward, he soothed her, gently stroking her back, “Let’s change to a three-courtyard residence.”

“No. Moving is too troublesome, and we won’t live here long anyway. Once in the capital, it’ll be even harder to adapt.”

In any era, property and living costs in the capital were far higher than in the provinces. Once they reached the capital, let alone a three-courtyard residence, even a two-courtyard one like their current house might be out of reach!

But Su Yunting smiled with confidence, “Don’t worry. Even in the capital, I won’t let you be wronged.”

Living a second life, Su Yunting thought, if he couldn’t even secure a three-courtyard residence in the capital, then he truly was as stupid as Yurou sometimes said, and should just go bash his head against tofu.

Qiu Yurou, however, believed in his past life experience, after all, he had only lived until he became the zhuangyuan (top scorer in the imperial exam). She worried that once he entered officialdom, he would discover that life was far different from the glory of being first in the exams. So she gave him a “preventive shot” in advance that is “Even passing as zhuangyuan doesn’t mean they’ll grant you a three-courtyard residence!”

Su Yunting kissed his wife’s forehead. “This isn’t something you need to worry about. Sleep a bit longer.”

Qiu Yurou wanted to say there was still work to do, but he pressed a finger gently against her lips. “I’m at home. Nothing will happen.”

Qiu Yurou thought about it and agreed. The future could be dealt with later; for now, since he was at home, there really wasn’t much that needed her attention. Even if something came up in the workshop, he could handle it.

After fully releasing her body, as soon as she set aside her worries and let herself rest, she truly fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

Just before drifting off, however, Qiu Yurou thought of the difference in their stamina. By right, he had exerted more force than her, yet he still seemed so full of energy!

But that thought only flashed through her mind briefly before, under his soothing, she fell asleep.

Qiu Yurou slept straight through until 9 a.m.. When she opened her eyes, she felt refreshed and clear-headed.

In the outer room, Su Yunting was reading. Hearing movement inside, he lifted the curtain and came in, startling Qiu Yurou, who hadn’t yet put on clothes into pulling the quilt up to her chest at once.

Once she saw who it was, she still didn’t lower the quilt, only scolding, “You scared me to death!”

Su Yunting came over to sit at the bedside, smiling. “I told you I was home. Did you forget?”

Qiu Yurou really wasn’t used to being unclothed while he was neatly dressed. She said, “Go out first, I need to change.”

Knowing his wife was still unaccustomed to the closeness between them after intimacy, Su Yunting kissed her cheek before answering, “Alright then.”

When he left the inner room, Qiu Yurou sat up. Her body felt different, not uncomfortable, but not quite the same as before.

After she got up, Su Yunting was no longer in the outer room. At the door came the voice of the newly hired cook: “Madam, where would you like the breakfast served?”

Qiu Yurou said, “Just set it in the dining hall.”

The room hadn’t been tidied yet, so it wasn’t suitable for outsiders to enter.

The outer room already had freshly drawn water, and the copper kettle held hot water. Though it was summer, she still mixed warm water to wash.

Just as she finished, Su Yunting came in again.

As soon as he entered, he swept Qiu Yurou into his arms.

“Its broad daylight, what if someone sees?”

Su Yunting laughed at her, “Coward. There’s a curtain hanging, what’s there to fear?”

But Qiu Yurou was indeed timid. “What if someone comes in?”

Su Yunting chuckled aloud, “Who in this house would dare be so ill-mannered? Even when Jingxuan comes into our room, doesn’t she always call first?”

Laughing, Su Yunting finally let her go. “Come on, go eat. I’ll tidy up the room.”

Qiu Yurou’s face flushed red. “Let’s clean it up together. I’ll wash later.”

Su Yunting bent his finger and gently rubbed his wife’s cheek. “Our things have always been washed by Auntie Song. Even if you don’t let her do it, you think she won’t know why? This is her job. If you don’t let her wash, that’ll only stir up trouble instead.”

Qiu Yurou: “……”

Su Yunting urged her with a smile, “Enough, don’t overthink it. Go on, eat.”

Prodded by him, Qiu Yurou went to the dining hall. After a simple breakfast, Jingxuan came over, “Sister-in-law, are you feeling better?”

Qiu Yurou: ……

She didn’t know what Su Yunting had told his sisters about her, so she only replied, “Don’t worry, I’m fine.”

Jingxuan said, “Elder Brother said your health is weak, and you’ve been forcing yourself all these years. Now that he’s recovered, and Third Brother is grown, he asked us to persuade you to rest more.”

Qiu Yurou draped an arm over her Jingxuan’s shoulder and said, “Alright, I’ll rest more from now on, no more chores. At most I’ll go around the workshop as exercise. Will that do?”

Jingxuan nodded at first, and then added, “Can I go with you to the workshop?”

Qiu Yurou: (So she’s worried I’ll do work there.)

Nowadays Qiu Yurou only occasionally cooked at home. At the workshop, apart from new products or seasonal changes, she mostly inspected cleanliness and taste, rarely doing things herself.

Today she originally hadn’t planned on going to the workshop, but thinking of Auntie Song needing to wash those things from the room, Qiu Yurou felt unbearably awkward.

Since Jingxuan worried she’d work too hard, she decided to take her along.

Before leaving, with Su Yunting at home, of course she told him.

Su Yunting smiled at her and instructed, “Just walk around the workshop. Don’t do anything.”

Qiu Yurou’s cheeks turned red. And just at that moment, a child piped up, “Don’t worry, Elder Brother. I’ll follow Sister-in-law to the workshop and won’t let her do any work!”

Su Yunting turned to the little one, “Good. Very obedient.”

Taking Jingxuan out, Qiu Yurou naturally wouldn’t forget Second Sister. But Second Sister disliked going out, and having just returned from their old home, she needed several days of rest. In the end, Qiu Yurou only brought Jingxuan and her maid to the workshop.

Once Qiu Yurou left, Auntie Song was summoned into the room by the master of the house.