Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 167

The next moment, Gu Yu released the girl's small hands that were pressed against the wall, and before she could react, he pulled her thin body into his arms and gradually tightened his embrace.

"..."

Unlike the last hug, which was filled with fear, grievance, and sadness, this one seemed much more "formal," and Xing Xiuyan didn't feel the discomfort she had expected.

On the contrary, feeling the force that seemed to crush her in that broad embrace, the girl felt as if she had found her home in life. Her mind went blank, and she subconsciously reached out to hug Gu Yu's arms.

What is this overwhelming feeling in my heart?

Unfortunately, her blank mind at this moment was destined to remain unanswered.

Chapter Sixty-One: Speaking Frankly

Gu Yu had always been particularly fond of these small moments of tranquility: the warm, soft body she slept in bed while the snow howled outside her window in winter; the soft lap pillow a young girl used when she was drowsy and listless in the afternoon; the slightly cool little hands when she felt irritable in the sweltering summer heat…

Hearing the rustling of the cold wind, Gu Yu unconsciously rubbed his chin against the girl's head, holding her even tighter with both hands.

It wasn't until Xing Xiuyan, who was so strong that she was breathless from being in his arms, came to her senses and pushed him away that Gu Yu realized what was happening. He loosened his grip slightly, but still refused to let go. He even pushed her forward a little, pressing her against the wall, and looked at her intently.

"Sister Xing, I..."

Xing Xiuyan's heart pounded wildly. She only needed to look at him once to understand what he meant. She quickly turned her head away, her face flushed. However, she was pressed against the wall and couldn't move. Even if she looked away, she still felt like his gaze was burning several holes in her body.

"Speak up! Speak up!"

The girl's lips trembled slightly. She desperately wanted to express her disagreement, hoping that the bad guy might have a chance to let her go. But for some reason, even though the words were on the tip of her tongue, she seemed to lose her voice and couldn't open her mouth.

The girl's face was pounding so hard that it was almost bleeding, and she even felt dizzy. Whether it was from exhaustion or something else, she subconsciously closed her eyes and raised her head.

"It's over!"

The girl cried out inwardly, feeling both ashamed and afraid. What had she done? She had actually taken the initiative... That bad man had always been dissolute, and now he was only getting more emboldened.

Her curved eyelashes trembled slightly like two small palm-leaf fans. Xing Xiuyan inwardly condemned her own bewitched behavior while holding her breath and waiting for someone's advances. She was the epitome of a young girl with rosy cheeks and a spring-like expression.

After waiting for a long time without any movement, Xing Xiuyan almost suffocated herself before finally catching her breath. She nervously opened her eyes and was met with Gu Yu's charming and handsome smiling face, which gave her a devastating opening moment.

"What is Sister Xing doing?"

"?"

A hint of doubt flickered in Xing Xiuyan's eyes, but under Gu Yu's feigned gaze, it quickly turned into intense shame and indignation. Her pretty face turned as red as if it were about to bleed, and she suddenly struggled violently, trying to escape this shameful place.

"Hey, hey, hey~ Dear sister, please don't move..."

Gu Yu leaned forward half a step, easily suppressing the girl's weak resistance. His deep voice whispered in her ear, and their bodies pressed tightly together, making her instantly understand the unspoken meaning in his words.

"Ugh! Don't move!"

Seeing that Xing Xiuyan's tone had changed due to stimulation, Gu Yu leaned back slightly to temporarily avoid the stimulation below, his hot breath still blowing on her cheek, not letting her go.

"Dear sister, could you please let me soothe my throat?"

Under a barrage of attacks, Xing Xiuyan completely lost her composure and didn't hear Gu Yu's words at all. She was dizzy and twisting left and right, but she didn't dare to be too violent, for fear of encountering something terrible again. Before long, she was out of strength.

Gu Yu naturally wouldn't let her lose her strength and sit down. He held her shoulders with both hands, almost lifting the girl up and hanging her against the wall, firmly controlling her delicate body in front of him.

"Good sister~"

Driven by some kind of wicked sense of humor, Gu Yu leaned over once again, coaxing and rubbing his nose and cheek against the girl's pink cheek, occasionally exhaling a breath of hot air. Watching the girl struggle to breathe softly, he almost burst out laughing.

"Dear sister... will you agree or not?"

"Answer... what do you mean...?"

Xing Xiuyan replied in a trembling voice. At this moment, her mind was a complete mess, and she couldn't think of anything to agree to. Her mind was a jumbled mess.

"Of course...it's to soothe my throat..."

Gu Yu's voice, which had been holding back for so long, was also a little hoarse. Since he started to win over the sisters in this garden, he had never suppressed himself like this before. When had he never kissed someone whenever he wanted?

He won't budge unless we offer him something today!

"me…"

Xing Xiuyan was preoccupied with other thoughts because of their intimacy, and then he pressed her on, making her feel like she was sitting on pins and needles. Her face turned red and she looked away, her eyes filled with shyness, helplessness and grievance. She had nowhere to vent her girlish feelings, which was really distressing.

Seeing that she was burying her head in the sand again and refusing to look at him, Gu Yu was getting angry. He wanted to reach out and turn her around, but he had only just offended her once and had just coaxed her not long ago. He felt that he had no right to be so disrespectful to her. So he softened and gave up his impulsive plan. He continued to stick close to her, hoping to subtly influence her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Xing Xiuyan saw Gu Yu about to get close to her again, and she panicked. She thought he couldn't resist and wanted to force himself on her. She subconsciously raised her hand to resist, but her fingers only touched a very elastic cheek.

"..."

Xing Xiuyan glanced over subconsciously and saw that Gu Yu was clearly tilting his head, intending only to get close to her. Then, seeing the astonishment in his eyes and another emotion gradually emerging that made her vaguely feel she might regret it, her face paled. Forgetting her girlish reserve, she quickly bit her lip and said:

"You...! Don't overthink it... I just... I just..."

To be honest, Gu Yu was indeed a little angry and sad for a moment when her face was blocked.

Although what I did was indeed somewhat unkind, and it left a deep psychological scar on the other person, putting aside the facts, haven't I already apologized? What more do you want from me!

However, seeing the girl's panicked state, Gu Yu stared at her for a moment, and finally calmed down.

It's not my fault that I'm a sucker for good looks!

Moreover, he believed that the girl's panic and helplessness were not due to fear of his revenge, but simply because she was afraid that he would misunderstand—after all, he was very experienced with this kind of expression.

Just as Gu Yu was about to crack a joke to smooth over the awkward moment, he let go of her hand to pat her head. Unexpectedly, Xing Xiuyan's heart skipped a beat. She mistakenly thought she had hurt him, which became the last straw that broke the camel's back. She immediately hugged Gu Yu tightly, not letting him leave.

"That's not it! I... I'm just a little reserved... You... I'll go with you..."

Talking about this will keep me awake.

Gu Yu's spirits lifted, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face, but it quickly disappeared. He was no longer in a hurry, adopting a gentlemanly demeanor, simply patting the back of her head and leaning down to gently comfort her:

"Sister Xing...though it may seem a bit presumptuous, you must know my true feelings after all this time. But...why..."

"I…"

Xing Xiuyan buried her head in Gu Yu's chest, her voice sounding somewhat muffled, but the subtle vibrations in her chest as she spoke gave the impression of being completely open and honest.

Without having to look Gu Yu in the eye directly, the girl mustered up some courage, gritted her teeth, and decided to take this opportunity to clear up all the hesitation and grievances in her heart.

Although she was mentally prepared to be a concubine, it didn't mean she would kneel down and endure humiliation.

Chapter Sixty-Two: Taking Down

“Since I promised you that day, I naturally… already had a plan. But after all, it's just the two of us in private… my parents don't even know yet, this without a matchmaker… is really too…”

Gu Yu gently stroked her trembling body, feeling both amused and exasperated.

This girl, who is usually so unconventional, has finally started to care about etiquette. But doesn't that mean that touching her hand and hugging her before wasn't taking advantage of her? What's the difference between that and kissing?

However, this wasn't the time for a debate with the girl about nothingness versus existence and quantity versus quality, so Gu Yu simply gave a soft "hmm" through her nose, signaling her to continue.

Xing Xiuyan pricked up her ears with trepidation, afraid of upsetting Gu Yu. Seeing that he didn't react, she finally breathed a sigh of relief and felt inexplicably moved.

After all, she had a little something in mind when she said those words.

While they were all considered unsuitable to be wives, the distinctions between them were quite nuanced. Although they could all be collectively referred to as concubines, in today's world, there was much more to it than met the eye.

In terms of status, the lowest-ranking maids are naturally those like Xiangling and Qingwen, who only rely on their close relationship with the master.

Further up, there were concubines who had been bought.

There was no betrothal ceremony; they only spent a little money to be carried into the courtyard in a small sedan chair. Those who were more serious would have a family banquet to get acquainted and to show off in front of the lady of the house. Those who were less serious would be nothing more than playthings, and even the wet nurses and the like could be given attitudes.

Only those above that level have a say in the family.

Putting aside the rare occurrences of being a concubine or a secondary wife, shouldn't she at least be able to earn a more formal title like a secondary wife?

Falling into the trap of becoming a concubine means you could be given away as a plaything any day.

Although Gu Yu was a man of integrity and would never do such a thing, the girl instinctively wanted to avoid the potentially dangerous place.

Gu Yu had always treated these girls as his proper wives, at most choosing one to lead them as a show. He never imagined that Xing Xiuyan had so many hidden schemes in her mind.

He didn't notice that the girl emphasized the word "matchmaker," and simply assumed that she was bound by etiquette and unwilling to do anything shameful like premarital intimacy.

After a pause, encouraged by his silent words, Xing Xiuyan grew bolder and continued:

"Although I am not a young lady from a wealthy family, and cannot compare to the ladies in the manor, I still know my place... Young Master Yu, you are a good person. If you had forced yourself on me, I could not have done anything to you. But now that I know your character well, I dare to tell you these things from my heart..."

"..."

Above her, out of her sight, Gu Yu's handsome face suddenly darkened. He twitched his lips, but still didn't interrupt the girl's ramblings, feeling extremely annoyed.

How many years has it been since I've been friend-zoned? And you say you're a good person, that's why I dare to mess with you like this… You little slut, just wait till I get my hands on you!

"...So, what does Sister Xing hope I will do?"

Xing Xiuyan looked up in surprise at Gu Yu's lowered face, her bright eyes filled with emotion and joy.

She hadn't expected Gu Yu to be so accommodating for her. She had been prepared to be angry at the rejection, but the surprise was so sudden that she felt embarrassed to push her luck. After a moment's hesitation, she blushed and whispered:

"You...you'll be preparing for your big exams after the New Year. Until then...let's leave it at that, okay? Don't be reckless again..."

If she had pleaded with him in a sweet and gentle voice, Gu Yu might have softened and agreed. Unfortunately, she had just been given a "nice guy" card and was feeling depressed. How could she possibly agree to a condition that only allowed hugging and cuddling?

Just as he was about to unilaterally tear up the agreement with a light snort, Xing Xiuyan, who had looked up and was staring intently at him, naturally noticed his disapproval. Her heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly came up with a way to provoke him, so she quickly said:

"You...you are...oh dear! In short, just don't let the other sisters get ahead, okay?"

Gu Yu paused, looking at Xing Xiuyan, whose face was flushed with embarrassment, with an inscrutable expression. She guiltily looked away, knowing that this was her trump card, and her eyes suddenly became subtle.

"Okay, I promise you, I will never skip over the other sisters—but Sister Xing has to promise me one thing first."

Xing Xiuyan's starry eyes lit up, and she looked up casually and said:

"what's up?"

Since Gu Yu has already agreed to all of this, it wouldn't be too much for her to agree to a small, not-too-outrageous request so that he can take advantage of her as an apology, would it?

Gu Yu moved closer with a strange smile on his lips, but unfortunately Xing Xiuyan didn't understand.

"I promised Sister Xing that I would never step over the other sisters... So Sister Xing, you must also promise me that you will take the initiative to agree~ How about it?"

"After all, a man's word is his bond. I promised Sister Xing the other day that I would only ask you for anything. How about we compromise like this?"

Xing Xiuyan was surprised that even now, Gu Yu was still keeping his promise to apologize. Her heart melted, and she almost let out a soft moan. She felt her face flush, and before she could think about any loopholes in his words, she nodded gently in agreement.

The next moment, a large hand grabbed the girl's delicate chin. Meeting her questioning gaze, Gu Yu chuckled mischievously, his deep eyes fixed on the girl's lips, and said meaningfully:

"Then please speak, Sister Xing~ My throat has been so thirsty..."

"?"

Xing Xiuyan felt like her brain wasn't working properly. How come after all that fuss, it seemed like everything had come full circle?

But not only am I waiting for her to take the initiative to agree to this shameful and frivolous act, it seems I've also sold off future opportunities?

"Young Master Yu, you—!"

"Hey~ Sister Xing just agreed to this... I, Gu Yu, swear that this action absolutely did not go against the wishes of the other sisters, otherwise—"

Seeing Xing Xiuyan's incredulous expression, Gu Yu solemnly raised one finger to the sky and swore an oath, but before he could finish speaking, she hurriedly covered his mouth.

"How can an oath be made so carelessly? Bah! Unintentional words should be let go with the wind..."

Gu Yu blinked, inhaling the fragrance from the girl's fair wrist, and couldn't resist sticking out his tongue to lick her delicate palm, eliciting a gasp. He then leaned closer and urged her on.

"Good sister~?"

Having been cornered by Gu Yu against this wall for so long, Xing Xiuyan knew she couldn't escape this time. Her face flushed, she hesitated for a long time before finally speaking in a trembling voice:

"You...you...kiss me...mmmm..."

The remaining words were scattered between his lips and teeth, and disappeared with the girl's sobs. Gu Yu picked up the girl's slightly petite body and hung her on the wall before savoring her delicate lips.

In this winter, the girl's soft lips were also tinged with a chill. Gu Yu felt as if she were holding two small, cold pieces of jelly in her mouth, which she could suck up with a gentle sip.

After lightly licking Xing Xiuyan's tightly clenched cherry lips, Gu Yu first loosened them slightly, giving her a moment to catch her breath, while he carefully savored the unique fragrance of her youthful body, which was distinct from that of his other sisters.

"Fragrant Jade Liquid... Sister Xing is truly exceptional."

Xing Xiuyan twisted her body in protest, thinking that the intimate moment that made her so ashamed was over. She was about to beg Gu Yu to let her go when, unexpectedly, his face was pressed against hers again.

"No~"

The reason Gu Yu let her off the hook earlier was mainly because she was too nervous and her whole body was tense. Now, Xing Xiuyan mistakenly thought that kissing was just like that, and her clenched teeth relaxed. Gu Yu naturally took advantage of this and squeezed in more deeply.

Prying open the unprepared pearly teeth, Gu Yu went straight for the heart of the matter, easily capturing that soft and delicate tongue. With a gentle suck, the girl's saliva was involuntarily transferred to her.

"Hmm..."