Upon hearing Song Qingshu’s words, Cheng Ying was overcome with shame and fury. At the same time, a strange sense of disappointment welled up inside her. Truth be told, she had previously held a favorable impression of him…he was renowned throughout the land, skilled in martial arts, possessed an outstanding demeanor, and had even taken the time to treat Lu Wushuang’s leg injury. But now, in her heart, he was nothing more than a despicable lecher.
“S-sleep?” Cheng Yaojia was also startled. She thought to herself, *It’s one thing if I accompany him, but my cousin is an innocent young woman. How could she be expected to do the same?*
Seeing the expressions on the two women’s faces, Song Qingshu realized they had misunderstood. He said with frustration, “Where are your minds wandering? I only meant for her to spend the night here. I’m not going to do anything to her. That way, even if she tries to expose us later, people will naturally ask about the details. The fact that she shared a bed with us will be impossible to hide. And then, who would believe she’s still pure?”
“How despicable of you!” Cheng Ying’s hands and feet turned ice-cold. Clever as she was, she immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. Even if Song Qingshu truly did nothing to her tonight, given the current social climate, others would surely be suspicious. With all the gossip and rumors, her reputation as a virtuous woman would be completely ruined.
Song Qingshu said calmly, “This isn’t cruelty…it’s merely an understanding of human nature. If I were truly cruel, wouldn’t it be simpler to just take off your clothes and take your body?”
Cheng Ying fell silent, knowing that what he said was true. Putting herself in his position, she doubted she would easily trust someone based on a mere promise. Given the circumstances, this was actually the lesser of two evils.
“Miss Cheng, rest assured. I will not disrespect you. Just treat it as sleeping here for one night. When you wake up tomorrow, nothing will have happened.” Song Qingshu reached out to press her sleep acupoint.
“Stop!” Cheng Ying grew anxious.
Song Qingshu paused and looked at her in confusion.
“Don’t you dare press my acupoint. I need to stay awake the whole time. Otherwise, how do I know you won’t take advantage while I’m asleep?” Cheng Ying hesitated, her face flushing slightly before continuing, “T-take liberties with me.”
“I do understand your concerns, but…” Song Qingshu’s expression grew strange. “But I’m about to get intimate with your cousin. Are you sure you want to stay awake and be present?”
Cheng Yaojia gasped, her face turning as red as a bridal veil. She also began to persuade her cousin. Sneaking around with Song Qingshu was already the boldest thing she had ever done in her life. If she had to do it in front of her younger cousin… the very thought made her wish she could crawl into a hole in the ground.
“No. I must stay awake.” If it were any other matter, Cheng Ying might have agreed. But this concerned her own purity…how could she afford the slightest negligence? Though she knew her cousin meant her no harm, she also understood that Cheng Yaojia had a gentle, weak-willed nature. If Song Qingshu truly tried to do something to her, her cousin would likely be powerless to stop him. Cheng Ying had no intention of losing her innocence while unconscious in a dream.
“Very well. If you insist, then suit yourself. Just don’t regret it later.” Song Qingshu stopped Cheng Yaojia from continuing to dissuade her cousin and, pulling her into his arms, rolled toward the inside of the bed.
“Ah…don’t…” Remembering that her cousin was still nearby, Cheng Yaojia was mortified. She hurriedly tried to push him away, her face burning red.
Song Qingshu smiled. “Don’t worry. She can’t see anything anyway.” At that moment, Cheng Ying was lying flat on the outermost edge of the bed, her acupoints pressed, so indeed she couldn’t see what was happening on the other side.
Cheng Yaojia let out a small cry…it was unclear where he had touched her…and her voice carried a hint of pleading. “But she can hear us!”
Song Qingshu leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Then you’ll just have to hold back and not make any noise.”
Cheng Yaojia felt a stir in her heart from the warm breath in her ear. Before she could react, he pressed down heavily upon her. Her whole body trembled. Not daring to make a sound, she could only lightly pound his chest in protest.
“…”
No one knew how much time had passed. Beside them, Cheng Ying’s face was flushed crimson. She now deeply regretted insisting on staying awake. Although Cheng Yaojia deliberately muffled her voice, the night was deep and quiet, and they were all on the same bed. How could Cheng Ying not hear?
The seductive, bone-melting whimpers of a woman. The heavy, ragged breathing of a man. The sounds of bodies entwined and colliding, accompanied by the creaking of the bed frame. Though Cheng Ying was an inexperienced maiden, her mind still vividly conjured the scene unfolding right next to her. Her face burned, and despite herself, her body grew weak.
“…”
The next morning, when Cheng Ying awoke, her heart was filled with alarm. She instinctively sat up and checked to make sure her clothes were still intact, then let out a long sigh of relief.
“You’re awake?” came her cousin’s gentle, shy voice from nearby. Cheng Ying followed the sound and saw Cheng Yaojia sitting before the dressing table, applying her makeup. Whether it was due to the “nurturing” she had received last night, she appeared especially radiant and revitalized today.
Only then did Cheng Ying realize that her acupoints had naturally released. She glanced toward the bed and saw that the blankets were neatly folded, with no trace of that man anywhere.
As if knowing what she was looking for, Cheng Yaojia rose and walked over to her. “No need to look. Young Master Song left at daybreak. I knew you had been frightened, and you barely managed to fall asleep, so I didn’t wake you when I got up.”
Cheng Ying’s face reddened at these words. She silently cursed to herself, *The two of you kept at it until the wee hours. There’s no way I could have slept.*
Cheng Yaojia sat down beside her, taking her hand and saying softly, “Cousin, don’t blame Young Master Song. He only did this for my sake.”
Cheng Ying bit her lip. “I don’t know what kind of love potion he’s fed you. You treat him far better than you ever treated my brother-in-law.”
Cheng Yaojia blushed as well and said gently, “He is truly a godly man. Spend enough time around him, and you might find yourself falling for him too.”
“I would never be like you, Cousin,” Cheng Ying said coldly. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she realized they might be hurtful. She had always been kind-hearted and didn’t want to see her cousin sad. However, the events of last night had shaken her too deeply, and she simply couldn’t bring herself to have a calm conversation. After putting on her clothes, she stood up and said, “I’m going back to check on Wushuang.”
She had only taken two steps when she stopped abruptly, her fair face instantly flushing crimson. She had just noticed a damp, cold, slippery sensation beneath her skirt. Remembering how she had listened all night and that her own body had reacted as well, she felt such a complex feeling of injustice, humiliation, and self-pity that she nearly burst into tears.
“Are you feeling unwell?” Seeing her stop suddenly, Cheng Yaojia asked with concern.
“It’s nothing.” Cheng Ying pressed her lips together and fled the room as if escaping.
Along the way, Cheng Ying mentally cursed Song Qingshu to death. She decided to first check on Wushuang to see how she was doing, then go bathe and change clothes. That cold, sticky feeling of fabric clinging to her skin was extremely uncomfortable.
Cheng Ying was always meticulous and didn’t want her younger cousin to notice her distress and worry unnecessarily. She composed herself at the door before pushing it open. “Wushuang…”
But her voice died in her throat. For there sat Song Qingshu, right beside Lu Wushuang’s bed, chatting and laughing with her.