The Red Fades, the Fragrance Disappears; Who Will Pity It? (14)
"You can leave." Xie Fei said to the people standing at the side, waving his hands. Thanks to the wine, his cold voice carried a few points of softness.
The people answered in agreement, retreating.Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
As soon as the doors opened and closed, there were only two people remaining in the room. In the quiet, Xi Wen could even hear the soft sound of the candle burning. Her heart suddenly tightened, her two hands unconsciously squeezing her clothes tightly.
Xi Wen held her breath, listening carefully. In the next second, she felt the red veil on her head being lifted gently. She timidly raised her eyes, glimpsing Xie Fei"s tall and fair figure standing in front of her. He asked with a slight smile, "You"ve waited long, haven"t you? Just now I was drinking wine with Tang You and the others, it wasn"t good to refuse."
Xi Wen wanted to shake her head, but she didn"t dare to move. The phoenix coronet on her head looked exquisite, but it was extremely heavy. Her neck had long been pressed until it was sore and soft. She could only say quietly, "It wasn"t long."
Xie Fei noticed she was leaning her head to the side, looking unwell. A sliver of laughter slipped into his inklike pupils. He reached out to take the phoenix coronet off of her head.
Xi Wen only felt her head suddenly get lighter, immediately looking at Xie Fei with astonishment.
"Wearing this is heavy, right? If it"s not comfortable just take it off. From now on, this is your house. There"s no need to be so reserved," Xie Fei said lightly, looking at her. He set the phoenix coronet on the dressing table at the side.
It was easy to say it like this, but coming to a strange place, there weren"t many people who could really relax, Xi Wen thought secretly in her heart, but her little face flushed. She shyly lowered her head, fingers stealthily pinching the blankets underneath her. Her voice quiet as a mosquito, she mumbled, "I know now. Many thanks to Young Master."
Xie Fei nodded, taking Xi Wen by the hand. She froze, unconsciously standing to follow him.
When they reached table, she returned to her senses. She struggled to pull away her hand, her face red. "Young Master…"
Xie Fei laughed, letting go of her readily. He pushed the pastries on the table towards her. "You"re hungry, right? Eat some pastries first, I"ve already had Lu Qi go to the kitchen to get food boxes."Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
Xi Wen looked at the pastries and nodded, her eyes sparkling. She reached out to take a pastry, eating it carefully. She was really too hungry. Other than the few candies her empress mother had slipped to her before getting on the bridal sedan, she hadn"t eaten anything for the entire day. Her stomach had started rumbling a long time ago. Now, seeing food, how could she remember anything else?
Xie Fei"s right hand supported his chin, slightly tilting his hand and focusing on Xi Wen tenderly. He always knew she was beautiful. Even Houtu was inferior to her by a bit. But just now when he lifted the bridal veil, even he was shocked.
It was probably because he had lived alone deep in the palace for so many years. After knowing Xi Wen for so long, he rarely saw her put on makeup, but today she had drawn on exquisite makeup, put her hair up in a complicated bun, and even put on a hairpin with all kinds of pearls.
“Cough, cough cough cough…” Maybe it was because she ate too quickly, Xi Wen covered her mouth and started coughing, lightly hitting her chest with one hand.
Xie Fei hurriedly reached out and brought over the teapot, pouring a cup of tea and giving it to her. "You choked? Hurry and drink a cup of tea."
Xi Wen took the tea, draining it in one gulp, and finally stopped coughing. She heaved out a breath of air before she felt a bit of embarra.s.sment. She snuck a glance at Xie Fei, flushing red. Quietly, she said, "I… Normally I"m not… not like this."
Xie Fei smiled slightly. "I know. You were just too hungry today, that"s all. Quickly, eat. I won"t laugh at you."Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
Xi Wen looked at the pastries in embarra.s.sment. How she had eaten was completely inelegant. It was better to leave some face for herself and not show the image of a glutton, so she shook her head sufferingly. "No need—"
Xie Fei looked at her cute, confused appearance, lip quirking in a small smile. "Do what you"re told. Later Lu Qi will send food boxes, eat more then. I"m going to take a bath."
Today he was fed with plenty of wine by Tang You and the others. The marriage clothes had also been splashed with plenty of wine; he carried the scent of wine on his body.
Xi Wen pursed her lips in a smile, secretly delighted. She lifted her eyes and saw Xie Fei didn"t call anyone to serve him, going inside on his own. She blinked, baffled. Didn"t Empress Mother say the young masters of aristocratic households needed servant girls to attend to them whether they were changing clothes, having meals, washing their faces, or bathing, and not to let herself eat vinegar and get angry? But Xie Fei… it seemed like he was different from other influential families" young masters.
Although it was weird, Xi Wen couldn"t help but acknowledge that she really quite liked Xie Fei like this. Looking at the shadow that had already disappeared inside, Xi Wen couldn"t help but smile.
Not long later, Lu Qi sent over the food boxes. Xi Wen took them and put them on the table. She hadn"t opened them yet when she smelled an alluring fragrance. She licked her lips, opening the food boxes.
A cup of pheasant in medicinal cuisine, a bowl of almond tea, and a portion of fresh shrimp in an orange.Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
Almond tea and shrimp in orange Almond tea (similar to almond tofu/xingren tofu) Shrimp in orange (鮮蝦釀橙, xianxianiangcheng)
Xi Wen sniffed the air. "So fragrant," she exclaimed in a low voice. She immediately lowered her head and began to eat.
As she was cleaning up the food boxes, Xie Fei walked out wearing a red silk robe, his black hair spread all over. Seeing the food boxes in her hands, he raised his eyebrow. "Done eating?"
Xi Wen"s face immediately flushed red in embarra.s.sment. She whispered a half-hearted agreement, then opened the door and pa.s.sed the food box to the servant girl on night watch. She called Ting Lan inside to serve her to bathe and change clothes.
When she was done bathing, Xie Fei was laying languidly on the divan, flipping carelessly through a book. Each of his movements were filled with elegance. Under the soft candlelight, his cold beauty also became much warmer.
Hearing Xi Wen"s movements, Xie Fei turned to look over. Her dainty beauty and face were like dyed with a layer of soft rogue, slim and soft little hands nervously playing with the corner of her robe. She stood there lovably, her fine black hair was draped to her waist, a faint layer of water in her eyes.
Xie Fei put the book onto the table, standing and reaching a hand out to her. He chuckled, "It"s getting late. How about furen1 and I sleep earlier?"
Xi Wen twisted her feet uncomfortably, taking his hand hesitantly and following him to the bed obediently. Xie Fei asked quietly, "Furen sleeps inside, okay?"
"Okay," Xi Wen nodded slightly, taking off her shoes and socks and crawling onto the bed. She burrowed in the brocade blankets, her hands laying at her sides and twisting at the corner of the robes. Her beautiful eyes whirled all around the room, looking everywhere except for at Xie Fei.
Xie Fei raised a hand to put down the gauze curtain, laying down next to her. Outside of the fire-red curtains, the red dragon and phoenix candles flickered, letting out the quiet sound of burning in the silence. Inside the curtains, the two of them were silent, as though there was a great distance between them. Yet there was an ambiguous undercurrent lingering inside.
After Xie Fei laid down, Xi Wen"s body slowly became stiff. Her heart thumped in her chest. In the silent room, the sound was especially loud. It was like she had become deaf.
She curled up uncomfortably in the corner of the blanket, jade feet dainty and delicate, fingers smooth and cute. They contrasted against the fire-red quilt, looking especially fair and exquisite.
Xie Fei turned over lightly. Xi Wen"s pink lips immediately pursed, squeezing the corner of her robe even more tightly. Her beautiful eyes flicked towards Xie Fei lying at her side, waiting with excitement and fear for him to press closer and then do the things in that little book Empress Mother had shown her last night.
Thinking until here, Xi Wen"s face reddened until it seemed like water could drip out. Her breathing also quickened, her eyes filled with bashfulness.
But she waited until she had almost become stiff, and didn"t see Xie Fei move. Xi Wen couldn"t resist letting her imagination run wild. This wedding was originally bestowed by her father emperor. Maybe… Xie Fei simply didn"t like her in the first place. Him being so good to her before was probably because his nature was good and kind. He was probably warm and polite like this to any other girls.
She thought like this and quietly consoled herself, but her nose couldn"t help but burn, a layer of water welling up in her eyes. Sparkling teardrops fell across her cheeks, soaking the pillow.Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
Although she didn"t make a sound, Xie Fei could feel she was crying. He opened his eyes, looking past the flickering candlelight and seeing Xi Wen"s crying face in complete shambles. His cool eyes turned tender, chilly hands lightly touching her tender cheek. He gently wiped her tears, sighing. "Why do you love crying so much?"
Feeling the heat of his large palm, Xi Wen froze, looking at him coming closer and closer to her. She bit her lip, shyly saying, "Young— Young master, do you… not want me"
Xie Fei fixed his gaze on her. After a long time, he said in a low voice, "Your body is weak, it"s not suitable now…"
"M-my body… it"s already fine, nothing will happen, really…" Xi Wen anxiously pushed herself into a sitting position, two eyes looking staunchly at Xie Fei. Rare, unwavering determination appeared on her small face.
Because of her anxiousness, Xi Wen didn"t even notice half of her shoulders had slipped into view. Her slim neck and exquisite collarbones were especially attractive. The fire-red dudou2 stood out against her smooth and soft, pale skin. The black hair hanging by her ears had spread out next to her cheeks. Her confused and beautiful appearance immediately caused Xie Fei"s eyes to darken.
Xie Fei was also surprised at the change within himself. He knew he had human emotions and desires3, but after cultivating for tens of thousands of years, he had long been able to control his desires with reason. He had even attained the condition to do as he pleased. But now, his calm emotions were sent into a frenzy.
He hesitated for a second, looking at Xi Wen"s crying little face. In the end, he couldn"t restrain himself. He pulled her into his chest in a smooth gesture.
Xi Wen froze. Her surprised sound hadn"t left her mouth when it was m.u.f.fled by Xie Fei"s thin lips.Please read at yanyantls dot wordpress dot com.
His kiss was tender, carrying a careful gentleness and loving, like cherishing a treasure.
Xi Wen"s eyes glimmered. She slowly closed her eyes, small hands unconsciously following and embracing him tightly.
His scorching breath lingered on the tip of her nose. Xi Wen"s little face began to heat up, her mind going blank and her eyes dazedly opening and closing. In her inattention, Xie Fei had already pushed apart her lips.
Xi Wen"s breath slowly became uneven. In her daze, she seemed to smell the light scent of wine, but also something like Xie Fei"s personal scent of green bamboo. In a second, it confused her until she couldn"t tell day from night.
In the deep kiss, Xie Fei pulled her entire body close to him, then with a bit of force, he turned her over, trapped on the bed in his embrace.
After a long time, Xie Fei finally left her lips. Because ot the emotional kiss, Xi Wen"s pink lips had an added red tint.
Her head of black hair was spread messily on the red quilt. A foggy layer condensed in her half-lidded eyes, her small face flushing red. She lightly bit her lip, shy. "Xie Fei…"
Xie Fei swallowed unconsciously, his Adam"s apple bobbing, looking at her with deep eyes. He couldn"t help but hug her tightly to his chest, his large hand cupped behind her head, stroking her long, perfumed hair.
He was so close to her. Every breath she took was filled with his scent, Xi Wen"s face flushed red, her hands poking at his arm. She whispered, "Are— are we going to keep going…"
Hearing her, Xie Fei"s mouth quirked in a smile. He lowered his head, capturing her lips in his, first touching tenderly, then starting to nibble at the petals of her lips.
Xi Wen"s heart thumped. It was as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest in the next second. Her black hair fanned out on the mandarin duck pillow, red and black intertwining, contrasting her pale little face so it was even more moving.
Xi Wen shrank back bashfully, wanting to hide, but Xie Fei forcefully pinned her body, preventing her from moving, the other hand ma.s.saging the back of her head.
The temperature of his fingers was hot enough to burn. When they brushed over her neck, Xi Wen couldn"t help but shrink back.
Xie Fei"s eyes looked at her red cheeks laughingly. Seeing she was a little uncomfortable, he pulled the the brocade quilt over the two of them…
Not long later, the two fire-red robes symbolizing marriage were pushed out of the gauze curtains. In the silent room, the dragon and phoenix candle burned quietly.
The author has something to say:
Xie Fei: Haven"t you looked enough? If you keep looking you need to pay!
There"s no need to say that I drive a fake car ￣へ￣, after all, treasured babies, I"m still a single dog ︿(￣︶￣)︿
Happy Valentine"s Day, I love you guys（づ￣3￣）づ
1↩: 夫人 is an old term that means something like "lady of the house" or "madam". It was also used as a term of affection.
2↩: Ancient underwear, basically the equivalent of a bra. Laid out flat, it"s a square-shaped halter neck top, and you tie the ends together behind you.
Image of a modern version 3↩: The raws specifically reference 七情六欲, seven emotions and six desires, which refer to various human emotions and desires. The seven emotions are joy, anger, anxiety, sentiment, grief, fear, and fright. The six desires are l.u.s.t, vanity, dignity, pleasant sounds, good life/death, and sensual pleasures. ( + )