Fatal Desire

Chapter 143 The Calm Before the Storm (4)

Song Xi mumbled an "Mmm," and said, "What are you doing? Hmm..."

Her voice was soft and sleepy, but the last syllable suddenly rose in pitch, carrying a lingering tenderness.

In the darkness, Zhao Yansen's hand gripped her waist like a branding iron, and her silk nightgown slipped out several folds as she turned over.

His thin lips pressed down without warning, kissing her lips with a burning heat like a long-planned blaze.

"Woo..."

The man's actions were too intense for Song Xi to bear. She kicked her leg, trying to back away, but her ankle was suddenly grabbed, and she slid half a foot off the down comforter.

The silk sheets rubbed against my back, sending a tiny shiver down my spine.

"Wait..." she gasped as she pushed at his shoulder, her fingertips sinking into the taut muscles. "Ah..."

Zhao Yansen grabbed her slender wrist with one hand, lifted it above her head, and forcefully pressed it into the pillow.

This scene... Song Xi suddenly remembered the marionettes she had seen in London when she was a child, which were also suspended with their limbs spread wide, being manipulated by others.

She felt a surge of shame, her cheeks flushed, and she arched her back to struggle, giving the man an opportunity to take advantage of her.

An endless tingling sensation exploded in her nerve endings, Song Xi's scalp tingled, her eyes were wet with a rouge color, and her whole body warmed up.

"Be good, call me by my name." Zhao Yansen's low, husky voice mingled with wet kisses on her neck.

Her sobs broke into broken ones, and Song Xi trembled violently, her voice shaking as she said, "Zhao... Zhao Yansen."

Upon hearing this, the man smiled in satisfaction and responded, his tone gradually softening.

A drop of sweat slid down his chin and landed on Song Xi's chest, leaving an invisible mark.

Zhao Yansen bent down and kissed away the tears at the corners of her eyes, then released his grip on her hands.

With her hands free, Song Xi instinctively hugged his broad shoulders, buried her face in the crook of his shoulder, and let out a soft, coquettish moan.

After a long while, their passionate encounter ended.

Song Xi pushed Zhao Yansen away, curled up in the quilt, and felt the top-quality mulberry silk fabric rubbing against her skin, causing a lingering, subtle tremor.

Zhao Yansen stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his arms: "Does it hurt?"

Song Xi remained silent, her ear tips peeking out from her black hair, flushed a deep red.

"Hmm?" Zhao Yansen couldn't hear her reply, so he slowly slid his long fingers down the curve of her waist, trying to find the answer himself.

Song Xi's body suddenly trembled, and she hurriedly grabbed his mischievous hand: "No."

"It's not swollen." Zhao Yansen hooked his arm around her slender waist, turned her over, and locked his deep gaze on her evasive eyes. "Why are you ignoring me?"

His fingertips caressed the delicate skin of her wrist, where traces of their earlier passion still lingered.

Now that they're at home, Zhao Chengyou's room is right next door, and Zhao Yansen doesn't live here. Coming here in the middle of the night will definitely arouse suspicion.

Song Xi didn't want to talk to him.

"Xixi." Zhao Yansen parted his lips slightly, took her sensitive earlobe into his mouth and gently sucked on it, his hot breath spraying onto her neck.

Song Xi unconsciously shrank back, pressing her cheek against his well-defined chest, trying to change the subject:
"I heard that the Xu family ancestors served in the Imperial Medical Academy?"

"It's just a pretense to raise your status." Zhao Yansen grabbed her hand and pressed it to his waist, making her hug him, and then casually played with her loose hair.

The Xu family is a family of doctors, and many of them have superb medical skills.

Song Xi asked again, "Is it true that their eldest son went to jail for fighting for Miss Zhou?" "You seem to care about other people's romantic affairs." Zhao Yansen raised an eyebrow and pinched her waist meaningfully.

“Gossiping is human nature,” Song Xi said.

There are countless intricate relationships between prominent families, and when it comes to romance, it's mostly within their own circles. Although you often hear rumors of wealthy young men having affairs with celebrities or female students, these things all fade away, and eventually, they all settle down and get married.

"Isn't a marriage alliance a good thing?"

Song Xi seemed thoughtful. "Look at Kai Zhi, he broke up with his painter girlfriend of two years to get married, and his fiancée also broke up with her childhood sweetheart. They are currently cultivating their relationship, and it seems they are getting along quite well."

"Want to get married?" Zhao Yansen looked down at her.

Song Xi neither said she wanted to nor she didn't want to.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured, "Can you turn off the light? I'm sleepy."

*
The next morning, the courtyard's blue bricks and gray tiles were still damp with the night dew. Morning light filtered through the gaps in the bamboo groves, casting dappled shadows on the cobblestone path.

Song Xi walked around the screen wall, his fingertips brushing aside the dew-covered bamboo leaves, startling a perched thrush.

Song Yunyu, having some free time on the weekend, was brewing tea in the courtyard. Wisps of white steam rose from the iron kettle on the small red clay stove, mingling with the morning mist in the courtyard.

She had rather old-fashioned habits; rather than attending high-society tea parties, she preferred to drink tea, read books, and write a few calligraphy and paintings at home, exuding a detached and tranquil aura.

“Aunt.” Song Xi sat down on the stone bench opposite her aunt and casually placed her phone on the Taihu stone next to her.

Song Yunyu looked up at her, gently tapping the rim of the cup with the Ru kiln celadon tea lid in her hand: "Not busy lately?"

"Not bad, the project is finally on the right track." Song Xi took the teacup, the delicate fragrance of Baihao Yinzhen tea refreshing her.

She took a sip of tea, raising an eyebrow slightly. "What, are you annoyed that I'm disturbing your meditation?"

"I wish you were free more often." Song Yunyu chuckled, the jade bracelet on her wrist clinking against the tea tray. "What do you think of Gu Beixiao?"

"Not familiar, don't know each other." Song Xi's fingertips traced the rim of the glass. "We've only exchanged a few words."

"The Gu family has deep roots in Kyoto and is a good in-law family," Song Yunyu said gently, yet with an undeniable air. "Would you like to meet with him when you have some free time?"

"Me and Gu Beixiao?" Song Xi was quite surprised. "Even if the Gu family wanted a marriage alliance, they should have chosen a proper young lady from the Zhao family. How could it be me?"

Zhao Zongting was able to marry Song Yunyu because he first married Zhao Yansen's mother, which gave him the support of the Xiao family, boosted his career, and solidified his position.

Otherwise, how can a marriage between people of unequal social standing last?
Logically speaking, even if the Gu family wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Zhao family, they wouldn't choose her, since she doesn't have the surname Zhao and doesn't hold a high position in the Zhao family.

Song Xi pursed her lips, instinctively wanting to use Zhao Yansen as a shield: "My brother isn't even married yet, why should I be in such a hurry..."

Song Yunyu interrupted her: "The old lady has her own arrangements for your brother's marriage."

“Bei Xiao is a handsome man, and although he is older than you, he is steady and can take care of you,” Song Yunyu said calmly, her expression unchanged.

The aroma of tea wafts through the air, and the morning breeze rustles through the bamboo grove.

Several plates of delicate pastries and fruits were laid out on the stone table. Not far away, Zhao Chengyou was sitting upright at the long table practicing calligraphy, holding the brush in his hand, each stroke meticulously executed.

Song Xi looked away and said in a light tone, "Auntie, I'm not a child anymore, why would I need someone to take care of me?"

Song Yunyu looked at her quietly, then suddenly smiled: "In your aunt's eyes, you will always be a child."

She paused, her gaze deepening slightly, "Or... do you have a guy you like?"

(End of this chapter)