Chapter 2

    “How can I trust you if you refuse to leave?”

    “In that case... let’s make a formal agreement.”

    She said with an unfading smile.

    “I will stay here quietly. You don’t need to visit my quarters often, and even if we meet outside, there’s no need to introduce me or acknowledge me in front of others. If you are bored, you may come find me. I will not bear children, and if I do conceive, I will not deliver that child. I only ask that you allow me the freedom to come and go from the manor. If you wish to monitor me, you may send someone to follow me—just don’t imprison me,” the woman stated calmly. “Your primary wife will never be threatened by my having a child. The master's residence will remain just as it is. These are my only desires.”

    Feng Yongyuan was silent for a long time. “I don’t understand.”

    “You serve in the royal court, surrounded by people with hidden agendas, so I suppose you find me strange. But this is all I want.”

    “Why are you doing all this?”

    “I like you. I’ve liked you for a long time. All I wish is to share a bed with you once, to live in your household. Even if we never see each other, I would still be under the same roof as you, in the role of one of your wives. That’s the whole reason.”

    She explained as casually as if she were discussing the weather. She gracefully picked up a brush and began writing the terms of their agreement. After finishing, she sealed it with her personal stamp and handed the paper over to Feng Yongyuan. Her demeanor was gentle and soft, but there was a distance in her manner, as though she was detached from everything.

    Feng Yongyuan looked at the deep red jade seal of Yue Haili. Just by glancing at it, he could tell it was a precious piece. A jade piece no larger than the tip of a pinky could cost nearly a thousand taels. Judging by the size and the craftsmanship of her piece, it was likely worth at least three thousand taels.

    She was not a poor woman, despite her simple clothes and jewelry. Her skin was as fair as moonlight, her face an elegant oval shape. She had large, round eyes, arched eyebrows, and full lips. When she smiled, there were small dimples in her cheeks. Although one could describe her as beautiful and charming, upon closer inspection, a small red mole at the corner of her eye gave her an alluring, seductive appeal.

    Feng Yongyuan glanced at her handwriting. It wasn’t forceful or powerful but steady and soft. The strokes were even and smooth, round but sharply defined, showing beauty and precision. It didn’t look like the writing of someone scheming or cunning. Instead, it belonged to a person with remarkable patience and restraint.

    The master’s residence wasn’t particularly wealthy. They lived comfortably but without extravagance, as a few generations before, the family had been nearly ruined by gamblers who had drained the household’s wealth. Therefore, the household was careful with its spending. Although they still possessed a few valuable antiques, most of the lavish items like jade, sapphires, rubies, and night pearls had long been sold to pay off debts. Even the household's cash reserves were limited.

    The royal gifts were, of course, royal gifts. They could not be sold or exchanged for money and were merely meant to be displayed for prestige.

    Due to the master household's lack of liquidity, taking in concubines happened very rarely and was always carefully scrutinized. When rumors spread throughout the capital that the master’s heir was keeping a concubine outside the household, both the master and the main Furen were furious. However, to maintain the family’s reputation, they were forced to accept Yue Haili into the manor immediately, deciding to deal with other matters later.

    “Who exactly are you, Yue Haili?” the young man asked. He couldn’t bring himself to trust this strange woman. For some reason, whenever he looked at her, a surge of resentment boiled inside him. Yet, despite his feelings, he couldn’t take his eyes off her sweet face.

    The name Yue Haili had no known origin, and she had suddenly appeared in the capital amidst much excitement. Those sent to investigate her background came back empty-handed.

    “My nickname is Yue Ying. You can call me Ying Ying, Master’s heir.”

    Feng Yongyuan’s eye twitched. Did she already think they were close?

    The young woman laughed lightly, an open and teasing sound. She then began telling her story without hiding anything.

    “Yue Ying was a girl sold by her poor parents to a brothel when she was three years old in exchange for ten loads of rice and ten taels of silver. At six, she stole her contract and ran away. She wandered for years, trading to survive. At twelve, she opened a small shop in Hongxiang County, gradually expanding until she had enough money to get by. At fourteen, she came to the capital to do business. By chance, I saw the Master’s heir at the Armory Shop and immediately fell in love. But I found out that you were already engaged.”

    Her voice was soft and calm, but if one listened carefully, there was an underlying tone of loneliness and fatigue.

    “I waited for you to marry first, then I waited another year so that I wouldn’t violate any customs. This way, I wouldn’t cause too much trouble for your Young Furen,” she explained, as she used warm water from a small stove to wipe the makeup from her face, cleaning it completely.

    Feng Yongyuan couldn’t help but be shocked. This woman spoke of these matters as if they were entirely normal, as though she felt nothing about the good or bad in what she was saying. Yet the words coming out of her mouth were utterly cruel, whether they were the truth or lies.

    But did she really need to lie about something like this? Feng Yongyuan wondered... Was she trying to elicit pity?

    “I’ve told you everything,” Yue Haili said slowly, then stood up. She reached out and wrapped her arms around his slim waist, skillfully loosening the tie she had studied for so long. “It’s nearly midnight hour of Zi. Let’s retire to the bridal bed.”

    She spoke without a hint of shame, unlike most women. It was Feng Yongyuan who felt embarrassed. He had never encountered a woman with the elegance of a scholar, the grace of the immortal yet the seductiveness of a courtesan. Talking with her was like punching into cotton—no matter how hard he pushed, she absorbed everything. He feared that even if he held a sword to her neck, she would invite him to use it on the bed without a second thought.

    In the blink of an eye, he was left wearing only his inner shirt, while she sat on the red bridal bed, dressed only in thin underpants and a bodice embroidered with golden plum blossoms. Her bare white shoulders were exposed to his view, looking soft and delicate.

    Her slender hands pulled him closer, and the dimples on her devilish smile deepened on her smooth cheeks. She smiled sweetly, cupping his face as she kissed him deeply. Even though Feng Yongyuan was naturally cold, that kiss felt like a bolt of lightning to his heart. It was a mix of aching pain and overwhelming sweetness, with longing creeping into every corner of his soul. In the end, he could no longer resist his desire for her.

    Yue Haili’s ripe, full body was pressed down onto the bed. The ties of her bodice came undone, revealing her full, firm breasts. His rough tongue greedily circled them as she moaned softly. Her slender waist was lifted, and her remaining thin undergarments were pulled away, revealing her smooth, milky-white thighs. Her legs were spread apart, her soft calves squeezed and kissed, leaving red marks. The scene was utterly indecent.

    Yue Haili's body went limp, her face flushed so deeply it seemed as if blood might drip from it. Her mind was blank, utterly white, never expecting the young man to cooperate to this extent. She let out a weak cry when she felt his rough, warm fingers slip inside to inspect her tight, damp warmth. Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she pleaded with him not to torment her any further.

    One of her hands gripped his muscular arm, which was moving rhythmically, tightly. Her head lifted from the pillow, making her long hair cascade down her back, giving her an even more alluring appearance.

    It seemed as if she had been teased to the point of readiness. Her soft, pale body was lifted high as he slid his arms under hers, holding her up. While still dazed, something foreign suddenly thrust inside her all at once.

    She let out a startled scream. The pain felt as though the sound of something tearing echoed in her mind, cutting so deep that she could barely breathe.

    Feng Yongyuan was also shocked. He hadn’t expected her to still be a virgin, untouched, and had acted without enough care. Upon hearing her sobs, he almost pulled away, but she clung to him tightly, whispering over and over that it was okay, that she would be fine.

    Before long, the tightness began to ease, and a gentle warmth enveloped them both. Yue Haili held onto the young man, burying her tear-stained face against his broad shoulder. In the midst of the heat, she softly whispered a plea.

    “Could you call me Ying Ying?”

    There was a brief pause before she heard his deep voice respond, “Ying Ying.”

    Her heart felt as if it had been nourished by rain, so full that tears streamed from her large eyes. “Mm.”

    “Thank you so much.”

    She pressed her face against his long, black hair, dark as silk, and silently let her tears flow. She fully embraced the blissful sensations, offering him everything she had, down to her last drop.

    Only six years, Yongyuan. After that, I will sever my heart from you.