In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

At the same time, Li Zhiwei executed a clean and swift Su Qin sword-carrying maneuver, then spun around and thrust back, stopping abruptly and landing steadily. His breathing was slightly rapid, his cheeks flushed a healthy red from the movement, and his eyes shone with an unprecedented brightness.

The courtyard was completely silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

The next moment, applause and exclamations erupted.

"Excellent!" The matriarch, seated at the head of the table, was the first to clap her hands, her eyes filled with admiration and emotion. "What a perfect description of 'graceful as a startled swan, lithe as a swimming dragon'! What a fine zither! What a fine sword! What a fine song!"

She looked at Xie Yige, her gaze deep and earnest: "Yige, I wholeheartedly accept this birthday gift. I am fortunate to have such a friend."

Li Zhiwei quickly walked to Xie Yige's side, held her hand tightly, her eyes reddening, and whispered, "Yige, thank you..."

Xie Yige grasped her hand in return and said softly, "We're like sisters, there's no need for thanks between us."

Liu Ruxuan and Li Zhiyu's faces flushed red and then paled, and they could hardly sit still under the knowing or mocking gazes from those around them.

Beside the carved moon gate connecting the warm pavilion to the main hall, Cui Yutang had been standing quietly for some time. He had intended to avoid the noise, but when the sound of the zither began, his steps were involuntarily halted.

He watched her delicate hands caressing the zither, her dark hair cascading down her back; he listened to her clear, resonant voice as she sang, each word ringing out; he watched as her gaze met that of a girl dancing with a sword in the courtyard, a gaze filled with pure, sincere admiration and tenderness.

The high wall built in his heart by twenty years of etiquette and reason crumbled completely at this moment. It wasn't just the deep-seated feelings and infatuation that had long been there, but also a heavy, almost painful respect and admiration that surged in and overwhelmed him.

She was kind, intelligent, talented, and even more courageous and sincere. In the face of such a woman, his restraint, self-righteous distance seemed so pale, laughable, and so... vulnerable.

He closed his eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing laboredly.

Not far away, Li Zhige also stared blankly at the azure figure in the courtyard. It was a stunning beauty that quietly left an indelible mark on people's hearts.

My heart felt like it had been hit by something, not too hard, and the aftershocks lingered for a long time.

The birthday banquet was in full swing, and the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves. Li Zhiwei was called to the old lady's side for a talk. Xie Yige sat for a while, and seeing her brother talking with familiar students and her sister-in-law chatting with other women, she quietly left her seat, wanting to find a quiet place to get some fresh air.

The general's mansion had a vast back garden, lush with flowers and trees, rockeries, and winding paths leading to secluded spots. In the late spring evening, the wind carried the fragrance of flowers and a growing dampness. She strolled along a pebble path, unknowingly arriving behind a group of rockeries made of Taihu stones, a secluded spot hidden by vines.

Just as I was about to turn back, I suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the other side of the artificial hill. It sounded like panting, like sobbing, mixed with the faint rustling of clothes.

Xie Yige stopped in her tracks, her brows furrowing in confusion. Had someone been injured?

She instinctively slowed her pace, using the jagged rocks for cover, and moved slightly closer to the source of the sound. The sound grew clearer; it was suppressed and rapid breathing, along with the sound of something being slapped, which sounded particularly jarring behind the silent artificial hill.

Xie Yige's cheeks flushed instantly, and she immediately understood what that sound was. She hurriedly backed away, wanting only to leave this place of trouble as soon as possible.

"You, you be quiet... someone will see," a delicate female voice complained breathlessly, her voice strangely hoarse and somewhat familiar.

Xie Yige's cheeks flushed, and she instantly realized what that sound was. She hurriedly backed away, wanting only to leave immediately.

"What are you afraid of?" a slick male voice rang out, equally hoarse. "This place is secluded, who...who would come here?"

Just then, a hand silently and swiftly reached out from behind, precisely covering Xie Yige's about-to-leave scream. At the same time, another strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her back and tightly holding her against a warm chest.

The cool sandalwood scent, mixed with a hint of alcohol, instantly enveloped her.

It's Cui Yutang.

Xie Yige froze in shock, her back pressed against him, clearly feeling the rise and fall of his chest and the burning heat emanating from his body through her clothes. His hand covering her mouth was warm and strong, and his calloused fingertips inadvertently brushed against her cheek, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

"Shh..." He whispered in her ear, his hot breath brushing against her sensitive earlobe. "Don't make a sound."

On the other side of the artificial hill, the blush-inducing conversation and sounds continued, becoming even clearer and more unrestrained.

"Lin Zhiyin," the male voice said smugly, "you're almost my cousin's fiancée, and you're still enjoying yourself under me, aren't you? Hmm?"

My cousin's fiancée? Xie Yige's pupils contracted slightly.

"Ugh... Brother Zhixuan, don't mention him..." The woman's voice was broken, tinged with both sobs and joy, "That brute Li Zhige is nothing compared to how caring you are..."

Lin Zhiyin from Minister Lin's family? She's Li Zhige's fiancée? And this man calls him cousin, so he must be Li Zhixuan?

Xie Yige's mind was buzzing, a mixture of shame, anger, and horror. She had actually stumbled upon such a shameful affair! What made her even more helpless was that she was currently being held tightly in Cui Yutang's arms, forced to listen to this unbearable noise as well.

"Heh heh, what does that brute know about the pleasures of the bedroom?" Li Zhixuan's voice became even more unrestrained. "Unlike me, I know how to make you happy."

Then came even more intense sounds, along with Lin Zhiyin's suppressed yet increasingly high-pitched moans, echoing behind the silent artificial hill, so clear they sent chills down one's spine.

Xie Yige's cheeks burned as if they were about to burst, her whole body stiffened, and even her toes curled up in shame. She could feel Cui Yutang's body tense up behind her, the muscles in his arms around her waist bulging, the temperature of his palm covering her mouth rising, and his breathing becoming noticeably heavy and hot, his breath spraying against the back of her ears and neck, bringing waves of tingling itch.

The narrow crevice in the artificial rockery was dimly lit by the vines, but the space wasn't actually that cramped; it was at least enough for the two of them to separate slightly and not be so tightly pressed together. However, from the moment Cui Yutang pulled her into his arms until this moment, their bodies were pressed tightly together, and neither of them had moved an inch.

Her back sank completely into his chest, his chin brushing unintentionally against the top of her head, and the arm around her waist as firm as an iron hoop. Through several layers of clothing, she could even vaguely feel the undeniable heat from a certain part of his body, and a strange and surging heat rising within her own body.

This realization made her even more panicked, her breathing became erratic, and her heart pounded wildly in her chest, almost in sync with the rapid heartbeat behind her. The air was filled with the bitter scent of vines, the slight stench of earth, and the crisp sandalwood fragrance emanating from the person behind her, as well as... a silent, pervasive, and blush-inducing tension.