Chapter 56 A Different Kiss

In the courtyard of Lord Yi’s mansion, there was a beautiful woman sitting by the stone table. Wearing a piece of white clothes and a plain-looking pearl hairpin, the woman looked pure as a fairy. Without all her charming camouflage, she stared ahead blankly and sighed. Ruxin didn’t hate leading a quiet life, but she couldn’t. A woman was trying to walk in. Despite her age, she was well dressed and fine-looking. The servants guarding the yard blocked her and several servant girls behind her outside. “My lady, you can’t get in!” one of the servants who was in charge said. “How dare you! Can’t I even get into my husband’s yard?” “My lady, please forgive me. Lord Yi said no one is allowed to disturb Miss Ruxin.” “She can’t be that fragile, can she? Are you telling me my visit would disturb her?” “My lady, I’m just taking orders from the lord.” “Get off me! I’m getting in anyway.” “But, my lady, the lord said no one is allowed to get in.” "Jinger, Laier, go stop them." Princess Consort finally lost her patience. A low-born singer was living in her husband’s courtyard, which she couldn’t even step into. Since the girl appeared, everything the lord did for her had driven the once decent lady crazy. “Yes, my lady.” Under the order of the princess consort, the servant girls all went up to confront those servants. However, afraid of annoying the lord, the latter still didn’t step back. “My lady, please let us off.” “How dare you get in the way of Princess Consort?” “My lady, we sincerely apologize, but there’s nothing we can do. “We are just following the order!” Ruxin heard the noise from outside, for which she had been waiting for ages! Still seated, she said directly to the door, “Is that Princess Consort? Let her in.” “But Miss Ruxin, the lord said...” The leading servant wanted to explain. He was more respectful to Ruxin than to Lord Yi’s nominal wife. After all, the one in the yard was all the lord cared about! “Let Princess Consort in! Tell Hai that I’ve allowed it.” “Yes, Miss Ruxin.” With Ruxin’s permission, the servants immediately gave way, clearly showing disrespect for Princess Consort. Princess Consort was so embarrassed and furious that she wanted to leave. Even the servants in her mansion disobeyed her for an outsider. It wasn’t like she was begging to get in. “Have a good rest, Ruxin. Since I’m not welcome here, I won’t bother you.” But how could Ruxin just let go of the opportunity to provoke her? “Alright. Anyway, you don’t even have the guts to step in. What a joke.” Princess Consort couldn’t bear it anymore. She had already been on the edge of collapse! Taking her servant girls into the yard, she stared at Ruxin with hatred. This girl had taken her husband away from her! “Ruxin, stop joking. This is my home. There’s no such a place where I don’t dare to step in.” “Yeah, my lady,” Ruxin replied. Once again, she put on that bewitching look. Standing still, Ruxin looked at the woman in front of her with contempt. “Be patient. You haven’t been part of the family yet. Show some respect for me.” “Do I have to? Sooner or later, he will marry me. By then, Hai won’t even bother looking at you. And perhaps I’ll even be the new Princess Consort.” “You!” “What? Go snitch on me. See if he cares.” “Y-You’re just a low-born singer. Even if the lord likes you, you can only be a concubine.” “Really? You know what? If I ask for it, do you think Hai will divorce you?” “You’re insane. Remember, we have a daughter. For the sake of our baby girl, he won’t listen to any of your nonsense.” “A daughter? I can give birth to daughters, too! And sons. Look at me. I’m younger and much prettier. We’ll have as many kids as we want.” “Enough! You, you’re...” “What? Don’t worry. I don’t even want to be his wife who doesn’t even get a chance to see him for days.” “Stop it...” “Did I say anything wrong? He doesn’t want to touch you. But facing me, he is a very different man!” Princess Consort was so angry that she couldn’t keep her manner anymore, but that was exactly what Ruxin wanted. At the same time, Ruxin found out that Yun Hai, who was carrying her lunch, was eavesdropping on their conversation at the end of the corridor. It seemed that he had been standing there for quite a while. Ruxin stopped provoking Princess Consort and started to talk about her husband, the flashpoint of their quarrel, trying to provoke the lord. She needed to break whatever between them. Otherwise, she would get her heart lost and softened in front of the man who looked just like her deceased lover. “You really think I’m that into him? He’s the one who keeps making me food and sticking around. Honestly, just go take him away if you can. I’m so sick of him. I don’t even have time for myself now.” “You...” The lady had already been too angry to speak. “Nobody cares about an old man. I’m still young. There are plenty of young men chasing after me!” “Shame on you.” “Well, I’m just a cheap singer! My lady, maybe Lord Yi will like you if you are as cheap as me.” “My lord...” Princess Consort said. She saw Yun Hai approaching, but she had never seen him so angry. Yun Hai smashed the food tray. Furiously, he grabbed Ruxin’s arm and carried her on his shoulder as if he didn’t see she was struggling. “Who told you to be here? Get out,” he said coldly to his wife as he was walking towards his bedroom. Tears dropped down Princess Consort’s cheeks. She couldn’t believe her husband just talked to her like that for such a shameless singer. He should have been grateful for her tolerance all along, but he didn’t. Hatred grew as she felt the piercing pain in her chest. Princess Consort turned around and ran out of the courtyard that had driven her mad, losing all her dignity as a noble lady. Her servant girls, on the other hand, could only follow her while calling her behind. Yun Hai threw Ruxin on his bed. He closed his eyes several times and asked with suppressed anger, “What am I to you? Are you really this cold-hearted?” “My lord, you did it for me yourself. I didn’t ask you to.” “Because I’m all over you. Because I’m just into cheap girls. Is that what you mean? Well, I guess I can’t let you down. Otherwise, your acting today will become a waste.” “Yun Hai, what do you want?” “What do you think? I’m showing you what an old man is capable of. And you tell me if the boys are better.” Ignoring Ruxin’s resistance, he pressed her on the bed. Taking his time, Yun Hai began to kiss her lips skillfully. Hands gripped over her head, Ruxin realized the man in front of her was totally different from her sweet and shy lover. It was true that she wanted to tear off his polite mask, but she didn’t expect such aggression. Even though they looked alike, Kong Yue would never treat her this way. Kissing Ruxin wildly, Yun Hai’s tongue forced into her mouth, reaching out for her tongue. Ruxin’s eyes welled up with tears. His rough moves had caused her a feeling of nausea. She kept struggling. But Yun Hai didn’t stop. Without moving away from her lips, he pulled apart her collar. As he was reaching for her breasts with his left hand, and his right hand was about to undress her, someone hit him on the back of his head. Immediately pushing away the man who had blacked out, Xuan Zhi held Ruxin tight in his arms. Soon afterward, he took her away from the mansion and found a local’s house to stay. In that plain-looking room, in Xuan Zhi’s arms, Ruxin was crying like a child. She wiped her mouth with full strength, over and over again. Xuan Zhi just hugged her and let her vent it out. He knew that she had been emotionally unstable recently. Yun Hai kept reminding her of her happiest days with Kong Yue, which she couldn’t ignore, but he was also doing the worst thing to her with that similar face. How could she accept it? With her nonstop wiping, Ruxin’s lips quickly became red and swollen. Xuan Zhi couldn’t bear watching it. He grabbed her hands to stop her. “Enough, Ruxin. You’re going to hurt yourself.” “I don’t want him to touch me. I don’t want him to touch me. I’ve been dirty enough. I can’t be the old me anymore...” “Ruxin, you are not dirty, not at all.” “Oh yes, I am. Very very...” Suddenly, Xuan Zhi leaned down and kissed Ruxin on her lips. His kiss was gentle, just like his embrace. Somehow, Ruxin didn’t feel like rejecting him at all. Slowly, Xuan Zhi’s tongue moved further in, touching hers, as if he was using his kiss to carefully wash away the stains on her soul. It lasted for a long time until he could barely control himself. Then Xuan Zhi let go of her lips and her body in his arms. “I’m sorry, Ruxin. But if you feel dirty, we’re the same now.” Ruxin blushed, “Um.” She couldn’t even look into Xuan Zhi’s eyes. Meanwhile, afraid what he did was repulsive to her, Xuan Zhi turned around fast, walking out of the room to calm himself down. Recovering slowly from that kiss, Ruxin took off her hairpin, putting her fingers on the pearl. These days with Yun Hai had really messed her up, for she would always recall some long-lost memories. There used to be a man preparing everything for her and spoiling her like a child as well, a handsome young man with a pair of sophisticated eyes. Yue was the love of her life. With memories from the past overlapping present experiences, she could hardly tell which part was the reality and even wanted to indulge in the illusion that he was still alive. However, that kiss from Yun Hai made her realize that Yue had been gone since long ago. Xuan Zhi’s kiss had helped her regain sanity. She didn’t know why she hated to be touched by any man but Xuan Zhi. Kong Yue was her love, but just now, she couldn’t help but be obsessed with the other man’s tender moves. Unwilling to think more about it, Ruxin suppressed her emotions. Once again, she turned into the cold-hearted singer.