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

Xie Yige's sobs gradually subsided, and she buried herself deeply in his arms.

The setting sun cast long shadows of the two people, which overlapped and became indistinguishable from one another.

After a long while, Xie Yige finally spoke, her voice still nasal.

Did they give you a hard time?

Cui Yutang felt a pang of sadness, but didn't answer directly: "Yes, it's cool here, let's go inside and talk."

Xie Yige then peeked out from his arms, her beautiful peach blossom eyes red from crying, like a wronged little rabbit.

"it is good."

Xie Yige glanced at Baoyu, who was standing not far away with his back to them.

"Baoyu, go and have someone bring over the meal I prepared, and save some for you as well."

"Yes, madam, thank you." Bao Yu walked with a light step; with his mistress around, his life had become much better.

The two didn't go to the dining hall, but went directly to Cui Yutang's study. Xie Yige closed the door behind her.

Her eyes were fixed on him.

"Cui Yutang, what does Consort Zheng want with you?"

Cui Yutang was silent for a moment, but still told the truth: "Consort Zheng wanted me to marry the Ninth Princess. I refused, so she punished me by making me kneel down once."

"How long is 'a while'?"

He did not answer immediately.

"Don't try to fool me." Xie Yige put her hands on her hips, striking a tough pose, her eyes still red at the corners, like an angry little rabbit. "You tell me yourself, or take off your clothes and let me check?"

Looking at her like this, Cui Yutang felt a pang of sadness and tenderness in his heart, and finally spoke in a low voice: "Nearly two hours."

Xie Yige's tears, which she had already held back, started flowing again.

They fell silently, one by one.

She didn't say a word, but she looked extremely sad, and her hands hung limply at her sides.

"I'm fine." Cui Yutang led her to sit on the inner couch, reached out and stroked her cheek, gently wiping away her tears.

"Sweetie, don't cry, it breaks my heart."

Xie Yige sniffed, but tears still wouldn't stop.

"Xie Yige, are you made of water?" he said deliberately in a relaxed tone. "You're almost turning into a little kitten."

"I'm not like that." Xie Yige glared at him, but it wasn't very effective. "Do you have medicine in your study?"

"It's inside the cabinet."

"Lift up your trouser legs so I can see and apply the medicine."

Cui Yutang hesitated for a moment, but still did as he was told and rolled up his trouser legs.

The moment Xie Yige saw his knees, it felt as if her heart had been ripped apart. Both knees were swollen and bruised, the skin in front of them torn and bleeding, a shocking sight against his fair skin.

An anger welled up inside him. Consort Zheng, you just wait.

She took a deep breath and tried to control her trembling hands.

She opened the medicine bottle, dipped her finger in the ointment, and gently applied it to his wound, her movements as light as if kissed by a gentle breeze.

Each time he applied the ointment, he would occasionally blow on it to try and ease his pain.

Her large eyes were brimming with tiny, scattered tears, but she held them back from falling.

"Cui Yutang, you must be in so much pain." Her voice trembled.

"It won't hurt."

You're lying.

He watched her lowered eyes and the way she carefully applied the medicine, and a surge of indescribable emotion welled up in his heart.

"Okay, if you treat me more gently, I won't feel any pain."

Xie Yige raised her head and saw that his deep phoenix eyes were filled with a gentle smile. In the deepest part of his pupils, petal-like patterns gently unfolded and swayed, like a flower from the netherworld blooming.

She looked into his eyes and felt a sudden tremor in her heart.

He couldn't help but kiss her.

Her lips landed on his eyelids, gently, like a feather brushing against them. She felt his eyelashes tremble slightly beneath her lips.

Cui Yutang suddenly recovered completely.

"Good girl, can we kiss somewhere else?" His voice was deep and pleasant, like a ghostly charm that specifically targets the hearts of young girls.

"We want it from other places too."

Xie Yige seemed to be bewitched by him, and took the initiative to kiss his lips, like a girl willingly offering herself as a sacrifice.

His long, strong hand grasped her slender calf.

"Good boy, open your mouth."

He pulled her close and straddled her. His heat, even through the thin fabric, pressed against her buttocks. He immediately took the initiative, his tongue entwining with hers, his body involuntarily trembling—this feeling, this damn longing.

Their hearts started racing.

Xie Yige was dazed by his kisses, and felt that the place where she was sitting was getting more and more bloated. She would move slightly from time to time, but he would immediately pull her back, making her feel uncomfortable.

But she was no longer thinking about what was going on, because she was already addicted to kissing.

Both of them seemed to have endless energy and a thirst for exploration.

They hadn't even separated for a moment before they were pressed together again.

Flip it up and down.

Then it sucked on it carefully and gently.

Until there was a knock on the door.

"Master, would you like dinner?" came the voice of a servant delivering the meal.

They separated abruptly. So quickly, in doing so, that a transparent silver thread was left behind.

Xie Yige blushed deeply, somewhat annoyed at her loss of control. She quickly climbed off him, her legs trembling slightly as she got out of bed, and quietly made her way through the study to open the door.

Cui Yutang looked down at his completely out-of-control area and sighed deeply.

He casually grabbed a cloak from the clothes rack and draped it over himself, covering his entire body.

Soon, three dishes and a soup were placed on the table in the study outside, and the room was instantly filled with the aroma of food.

"Cui Yutang, come out and have your meal. I made it myself!" Xie Yige's cheerful voice rang out from outside.

Cui Yutang immediately strode out from the inner room.

Xie Yige was stunned when she saw the cloak he was wearing, and quickly lowered her head.

"Come and try my cooking!"

Cui Yutang led her to sit down. On the table were a dish of partridge meatball soup, steamed pork ribs, sashimi, and stir-fried spinach. The dishes were light in color but fragrant, clearly showing that a lot of thought had been put into them.

"Made especially for me?" A slight smile appeared on his lips, and his eyes shone with an unusual brightness.

"Mmm, try it!"

He reached for the steamed ribs with his chopsticks, gently put one in his mouth, and took a bite.

Xie Yige's eyes were wide open, waiting for his feedback.

"The meat is tender but doesn't fall off the bone, and the sauce doesn't mask the meat's freshness. It's delicious." A look of amazement flashed in his eyes. This little girl can actually make these things.

Xie Yige's face immediately lit up: "I'm amazing, aren't I?"

"Hmm, impressive." He swallowed the food in his mouth, took a sip of tea, and then said, "However—"

"But what?"

He put down his teacup, suddenly leaned close to her ear, and said in a low voice with a hint of amusement, "But you taste even better."

Xie Yige's face instantly turned red, and she raised her hand to punch him.

"You'd better eat properly, or I'll beat you up."

But he took her hand and they intertwined their fingers, never letting go.