Chapter 3: Welcoming Banquet

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Unexpectedly, just a few days before the welcoming banquet, General Ru actually sent a card. Well, well, well. No sneakily kidnapping her to kill her in the dark, no sudden poison spiked in her meals, no nothing but directly coming here, was he planning on confronting her? Implicating her parents? She wondered a little. Her parents were puzzled, but had no reason to refuse his visit, so the infamous young general was welcomed some hours later.

He had come with gifts and asked to see the prime minister. Quite surprisingly, the reason for his sudden arrival was to propose an alliance. He wanted to wed the prime minister’s legitimate daughter!

It was way too sudden! No one in the family was prepared for this! There had never been any signal or warning that he was interested in their daughter at all!

The pride of the Ru family, the descendant of a military family. He was twenty-three already but had no interest in marriage at all, no matter how much his mother and grandmother had tried to persuade him. It was quite shocking to see him suddenly here, proposing out of nowhere!

In the end, he was neither refused nor given a defined answer. He was instead asked for some time and to come back another day. However, internally, the prime minister was quite elated. To make an alliance with that family wasn’t bad at all! The worried one was his wife. After all, her cousin, the empress, had said that to replace the broken engagement that her daughter was afflicted with she would personally find her a good match. Wouldn’t that be not considering her majesty to just accept without consulting her? Thus she tried to persuade her husband against this and even though it didn’t seem like she succeeded in making him change his mind, she was quite happy that he hadn’t given his immediate consent.

The prime minister’s wife wrote to the empress to report on this particular event.

The one whose marriage has been discussed wasn’t told much. And truthfully, she was feeling way too weirded by this development to have a real opinion on the matter.

He actually came to ask her hand in marriage. A marriage!!! Did he actually hit his head or did the drugs gnawed at his brain?

He could have killed her with none the wiser but if she really did marry into his family, wouldn’t he be suspected if anything were to happen to her? Didn’t he care about gossip at all?

The smile that left her face returned as she wondered just what exactly he had in store for her? What kind of counterattack was he trying to pull?

If things were left as per as it was supposed to be originally, then the possibility for her to go to Fen country was still there. Violated, beaten, and broken beyond belief for other people’s amusement with no one to care, no family to run to, and ultimately, dying with no one to know about it for months. And when they did, all hell broke loose, for her family tried to take revenge and it all went terribly wrong.

And long story short, the whole clan got annihilated.

That she was unwilling to see the execution of such a future was an understatement. This man too, certainly was here for a certain kind of punishment, maybe worse than what she’d done to him… but strangely enough, he was a path she had yet to know and was willing to try. The one where death wasn’t accompanied by cruelty. Maybe?!

And as such, she responded in affirmative to her father when he asked her opinion on the matter even though her mother had previously pointed at her to say other things.

Maybe he would break her too. But she doubted that his means would be as despicable as what she was supposed to suffer originally. She wondered though how he would do so. It shouldn’t be too difficult actually. She wasn’t like the brave women he fell in love with; just walking a certain distance leave her panting, where would she take the energy to run away, and with what confidence? She was now merely waiting to see how he would deal with her. That she’d die, didn’t matter anymore, her family would be safe this time around anyway; this was a certitude she had.

Mu Rong An wondered though, how the protagonists would react to their friend’s sudden desire to wed and most of all, wed her, the one who had tried on many occasions to harm Li Ming Qi. Hen Ru Ying wouldn’t be happy, certainly! After all, the second prince was the one who was going to ask the empress to talk to the emperor about sending her to Fen country.

***

Indeed, neither Li Ming Qi nor Hen Ru Ying was happy with such news. Li Ming Qi worried that her good friend got manipulated by the fake side of the prime minister’s daughter and while it wasn’t his style, he was a man and as such, could make mistakes and become infatuated with beauty. For his sake, she tried to warn him, quite bluntly actually, for their relationship was close enough to permit such. Even Hen Ru Ying who couldn’t understand reminded his friend of the person-he-wanted's schemes.

However, General Ru was unfazed and unmoving, his decision long taken, and didn't plan on being swayed. They tried asking if there was a hidden reason, was someone pressuring him? Threatening him? For certainly, even though he wished to marry there were better women out there, with less pretension and a heart way clearer and less jealous! The one he had seemingly taken the fancy of was clearly not a real virtuous one. They had talked long enough and said all they could think of, yet he still stood firm in his resolution.

He had just come to let them know, he said, and wouldn’t intrude much longer in their newlywed time. He then bid them farewell.

Following that, he actually managed to get the emperor’s edict! Whether they liked it or not, the Mu family could only accept now! Well, not that the prime minister had in mind to refuse anyway.

Two days later he came again to the Mu residence to properly proposed one more time, which was now a mere formality since the emperor had already given his golden blessing. Anyway, such actions were still pleasant for the prime minister. Happy as he was, he even ordered his daughter to show the guest around the exquisite garden of the Mu residence and its fake mountains a bit, which was merely an excuse to let them discuss in private. Of course, servants were following them behind.

Mu Rong An’s smile was unwavering on her face as she accompanied her guest. They were at a proper distance from each other and hadn’t shared a single glance, much less talked to each other. They walked a little bit and sat near a pond. She ordered tea to be bought and personally served him herself. 

She could really sit there, not feeling uncomfortable at all, even though she knew what she had done. There were no awkward movements from her, no blushing, and certainly no regrets either. Her conducts were prim and proper as though nothing happened.

The scalding hot tea slowly turned cold without him touching a sip of it. He actually made no motion towards it at all, as though it didn't exist in the first place. Mu Rong An's eyes curved in a smile but she didn’t talk, just sip her own tea. When he deemed that he had stayed long enough in this mansion, he got up and as he turned his back to her, she called to him, laughter in her voice.

“This humble one is really happy and eager to be married to General Ru!”

He didn’t acknowledge her nonsense with an answer. His glare, as he looked at her properly for the first time of the day was thick with anger… and was it killing intent? She watched him go, giggles shaking her shoulders.

She was quite carefree, really, for she herself couldn’t say if she was scared or not. The ones who were paled and frightened to death were actually her servants!

By nighttime, she learned that even the wedding day had been discussed! She was already eighteen, and the general seemed to want to wed quite quickly, it had thus been fixed for a couple months after the renewal banquet.

***

Said banquet came just two days later. Representants of Fen and Qin came in number. For Fen country, there were the crown prince and his advisor, plus some ministries. For Qin country, it was the emperor’s cousin and the emperor’s young brother added to ministries. The power was quite balanced for now in appearance. In truth though, Fen’s emperor was on the verge of death and their country was plagued with many internal conflicts. The crown prince had already dealt with many that wanted his life and affirmed his position though.

Officials were all invited with their legitimate wives and children. The location was the imperial garden, which was quite wide, and under the cover of the night, it was quite cool and agreeable.

Mu Rong An didn’t really want to go, but there was no choice for her in this matter. She just sat by her family’s side and didn’t really talk, just smiled and observed it all. The emperor was high in his dragon chair, and by his side, sat the empress, a little below were three concubines of the first rank. Her gaze searched for Hen Ru Ying and found him not far from the emperor, leaning gently towards his new wife whispering only them knew what, that was making them smile.

They were quite a beautiful sight. Two peerless beauties. Hen Ru Ying had a beautiful face, really beautiful, and could easily pass for a woman. He truly let people wonder if the words like celestial being weren’t invented for him. Li Ming Qi too, by his side, was remarkable. Although her beauty wasn’t a match to Mu Rong An's, she had a beauty that grows on people, or so they say anyway. The more you look, the more beautiful she appeared.

Mu Rong An was quite impressed with herself actually. If it was before, such a sight would let her boil in anger from the inside out but it seemed that her rather peculiar way of venting last time was really efficient, and knowing that her original fate deviated a little, she was quite at peace, genuinely. She got clear-headed enough to analyze her feelings. Maybe she still, somewhere in her mind or heart –well, not that it was big if she was to consider what was written about her- she may still like this prince however little. But knowing that it was that person that precipitated her to her death –actually, that she could forgive-, and even more the death of her family, she refused to fight for him more than what she already did.

Mu Rong An dropped her gaze to her tea that she quietly sipped. She didn’t mind anymore, recently, she was feeling more and more soothed. And the reason most certainly… she searched for his face, and sure enough, General Ru was here. He was looking toward Li Ming Qi and Hen Ru Ying. Mu Rong An’s smile curved at this discovery, wondering a little which expression he was sporting now. Certainly an expressionless one, she mused, one that concealed perfectly how he felt. Did the second prince really not know about his feelings for Li Ming Qi at all, or, was he trying to ignore it in the name of their friendship?

Realizing he was looked at certainly, he brutally shifted his line of sight. At such a distance she couldn’t exactly see his face clearly, she still was certain though, that he was glaring at her. She smiled at him anyway before returning to sipping her tea, not caring about what anyone was saying. Be that the emperor or his prestigious guests.

But who knew that things would still stay the same and that eventually she would be pushed into a pit?

The crown prince of Fen had talked about beauties and music and out of nowhere, she was asked to perform since she beard the title of the most talented person of the year, and she had held such a title for five years. Not this year though, this year that title was snatched by Li Ming Qi.

If it was the original timeline, she would push the name of Li Ming Qi to dodge that, which would bounce right back at her. Ultimately, her guqin’s cords would break due to anxiety, for she was scared of being selected to go form an alliance with Fen country, letting her lose face. 

Since Fen’s emperor was on the verge of death, Nan was trying to have another durable alliance by sending someone to marry over. The current Nan emperor was trying to prevent war, and she was scared to be chosen as a pawn. Even though he wanted peace to be bought without blood, the emperor was quite unreconciled when he thought that one of his dear daughters must be sent away. He only had two that he loved dearly and doted upon them intensely; which was why all the legitimate daughters of his officers were invited, to replace one of the princesses in this role.

Well, it didn't concern her anymore anyway, that was something that couldn't happen even if she was taken fancy off for at this very moment, she was already an engaged woman. Not that it changed anything in her not wanting to play! This time, she simply said some words about her bad health while gritting her teeth in her heart. That lusty prince, who was going to play for you?

This same crown prince was supposed to be her future husband, the one who would torture her and ultimately kill her. She had tried hard the whole night to not even glance at him but now if possible, she wouldn’t mind driving a dagger in his chest!

He was renowned for his wide number of concubines but had no wife and even though his wicked sense of pleasure wasn’t something widely known, for Mu Rong An who knew of them, he was particularly disgusting to look at! This sick person actually liked the sight of blood! That was like his aphrodisiac!

Her father joined in her pleading, emphasizing her sickness too. He too, felt particularly sour at the idea of her playing for these people. Since it was repeated these last days how much the prime minister's daughter was sick and her face appeared pale, the emperor didn’t insist and another person actually played.

She was sick no more actually, just dressed a little plainer and put on makeup to appear more fragile!

Mu Rong An thanked her father. Originally he was supposed to try and fail but since she angered no one today, -well, not the protagonists- it actually went smoothly. She just returned to her tea, seemingly closing her ears, not wishing to listen to what was going on at all!

She faintly glanced at that crown prince again and hid her sneer behind her teacup. She really wished she could see this person's demise!

He was actually the one who had wounded Hen Ru Ying, almost making him become a waste. Crown Prince Wu Wei wanted to push Nan country in jeopardy and had tried to do so in various ways. His goal was, before accessing the throne, to destabilize the other countries and when he would stabilize his own reign, marched towards them to conquer them.

Nan country was his first target. Nan emperor only had three sons, the first one was constantly sick and the physician had predicted his death before his thirties while the third one was too young still. Killing Hen Ru Ying would cause some chaos for even though it wasn't official, everyone considered him as the crown prince!

Mu Rong An then looked at her fiance and sighted in her heart. A pity, she thought with a little bit of grievance, that she would die before Wu Wei! It was a person whose sufferings she wouldn't mind seeing!

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Chapter 2: ! Wedding Night

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“First Miss,” came a soft whisper from the tent’s entrance.

Making sure he drank it all, Mu Rong Shan straightened up, her finger on her lips, a gentle smile on her face.

“I grew impatient and forgot, but” she glanced at his flushed face, “alcohol, plus the incense, maybe we won’t need the aphrodisiac too?”

Her eyes danced with glee at the killing intent he was flashing her, “let us just take some for the fun of it anyway.”

Talking until here, she put down the cup and went to the entrance to meet her servant girls outside. These two were extremely loyal to her and she needed not to check to know that they wouldn’t breathe words of her actions today. They were the ones who were always there and sometimes even gave her ideas for her schemes. However, giving her the book she asked for and the small vial with transparent liquid inside, these young women’s eyes were carrying some fear. Behind that closed tent, it was, after all, the fearsome general Ru. The first Miss doing this kind of things, was it to force this person’s hand into marrying her?... Would such a bold thing work?... Were they supposed to call for people to show that he had tarnished their miss’s reputation?

“First Miss,” one of them began uneasily but was cut short.

Mu Rong Shan just took the two things from them, not inclined to explain herself,

“Don’t wander too far… don’t stay here either… Don’t do things I didn’t ask for… just stay put and wait for me.” And she once again entered the tent, closing the cloth behind her.

She glanced at the bedridden person, her smile returning.

Wishing to marry? There were no such things in her mind. She merely wanted to vent. So far, she was quite enjoying herself.

She put the whole vial’s content in what was left of the bottle of wine then stirred it. Opening the small book, she started reading it under the candles’ light.

“Wait for just a little, I am learning,” she told him, turning the pages slowly.

A couple more pages after, she didn’t want to read anymore. It wasn’t explicit enough and the illustrations were just too ugly to look at. By herself certainly, she could come somewhere. The most important information, the part of him that was going to be in hers, was fortunately mentioned in that book. For the rest, she could fill the gap with what she knew of the protagonists’ sweet moments and her own imagination.

The book was thus left alone as she approached him, starting to undress him. The ropes that were bounding him were quite unnerving, blocking her movements. These things were suddenly unsightly to her. He would be unable to move for a couple more hours. Kissing his forehead, she said,

“Wait a little more,”

She straightened the clothes that she was about to take off and when he was once again neatly clothed she went out to call for her servants. Mu Rong An then had them unbound him, even though the women didn’t seem convinced that it was a good idea. The servants didn’t dare meet eyes with this fearsome general, too scared and worried that he might just kill them when he would be good and about once again. Who knew if today wasn’t their last day!

Once done, they were chased out once again.

He was unbound, but still very much unable to move. Mu Rong An liked that sight better.

She started with his feet, taking off his dark boots. Then struggled to peel off his clothes one by one. Quite clumsily. She felt him shivered under her touch. Her hands were a little cold while his body was scorchingly hot.

Contrary to hers, his body wasn’t soft but quite hard with well-drawn muscles. From his clavicles, she let her fingers trailed, touching his chest, drawing the contours of his pectoris, his firm abs like steel, the beginning of his mermaid lines which died in a forest of hair.

Her gaze landed on a certain part of his body and she couldn’t help but comment.

“I never saw one... but compared to the drawings, general Ru has quite the baggage...” she said, admiring his intimate part for a second before taking back her gaze to look at his face, “the second prince has two concubines but now that he’s married he’ll most certainly neglect them. You, on the other side, never knew a woman and normally wouldn’t for a few more months... Going far away to forget your first love and for your forbidden feelings to not be discovered, stumbling upon that magnificent woman who was saving people from bandits.”

Talking until here, she sighed, “but we, on the other hands are normal people, who only know how to shout, run and cry when faced with bandits. Who would be thinking about saving others? No wonder then I suppose, that you’d be attracted to her sense of justice…”

She got up and put the clothes she took off from him in one corner. There was a basin lying by the head of the bed that she bring closer with some efforts, for it was filled with water. Beside it, there were a large sponge and a towel as well.

Putting the sponge in the water, she then wrung it and proceeded to wipe him. Goosebumps. He shivered again, for the hot water had long turned cold. She didn’t mind him and simply kept on sponged-bathing him.

“Never a well-bred lady, you always fall in love with the special one, and she falls in love with your purity, your good heart, ‘you being you’ she would call it... Guess what?” she stopped and asked, looking at his eyes “not in this lifetime.” She finished with a smile.

Thoroughly cleaning him, she wiped him with the towel and gave him a beam, really satisfied with herself. It was her turn, she thought. He was completely naked in front of her; she had to lay down her clothes too.

The sweet and intoxicating smell of the incense had her flushed already or maybe it was shyness?

She took down her outer robe and peeled off her own clothing; but in the end, when only her inner clothes separated her from the state of being as naked as a new-born, she hesitated and ultimately chose to stay like this. With her inner robe.

It clung to her body and tease the imagination without revealing anything.

“The both of us are bathed and ready-” An explosion's sound cut her sentence midway, startling her. When she understood and remembered what it was, she chuckled. The wedding’s fireworks. The second prince had absolutely insisted to have it.

She filled the cup of wine one more time, 

“Your best friend is savoring his wedding night, let us have our own mock wedding night here,” she said with a wave of anger she couldn’t conceal.

She drank half of the cup and leaned to make him drink the other half of the wine that had been tampered with aphrodisiac long before. This time, he was struggling and not gulping it down at all. Which was quite impressive of him, considering the number of drugs that she had put in his alcohol before. He normally shouldn’t be able to move the sole muscle, not even his tongue. Should she rejoice that he couldn’t bite her still?

She pinched his nostrils, forcing him to drink by her mouth. It was only when the last drop passed down his throat that she let go. He had a fit of coughing after, searching for breath. When he had gulped enough air, she kissed him again, tasting the wine on his tongue.

She was quite bad at it, she was aware of it herself, but she liked it anyway, his hot breath mingling with hers, his tongue that was trying to push hers out but ultimately dancing in sync.

The aphrodisiac was coursing through her veins and she started feeling hot. Really hot. And he, with all the incense, aphrodisiac, and drugs as well, was slowly feeling it too, whether he liked it or not.

She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him until her tongue went numb and she was gasping for air. Then, she laid open-mouthed kisses all over his throat. She sat on him for better access, one foot at each side, her lips on his clavicles, his chest, down his belly. She really wanted to kiss him all over. Like a newfound toy, she couldn’t get enough of him.

Himself conscious of it or not, she didn’t know, but his body was responding to hers, and she soon felt something hard that was poking at her.

That part really gets hard, she thought. It wasn’t an exaggeration from the book.

When she was bathing him, it was soft but now it got harder and bigger. Was this thing really supposed to enter her body? She smiled and touched it, not really knowing what to do with it. However, just being held inside her hot and soft hand, it got even harder. She found this quite interesting and stroked it up and down until it was hard as steel… and twitching.

She heard Ru Shan Yong groan in a guttural manner almost as though she was torturing him. His face was flushed and she liked that. Adored that actually, knowing that it was she, who was making him writhe.

It was time she supposed, to be joined. She seated herself on him and looked into his eyes, while one hand was holding his member, she gauged his reaction as she was trying to let him in her entrance.

It was starting to go in but then got blocked. She wondered a little if he was too thick for her. Could it be that actually some men and some women couldn’t perform because of physical disparity? Stubborn, she wriggled, while he groaned, and painfully, in the end, the whole of him entered her. Gasping, she lay on his chest, searching for breath. It was really awful and she felt full. There were tears at the corners of her eyes.

He groaned, seemingly searching for breath too, making her wonder exactly what he was feeling; for his face was flushed and his body was obviously reacting to hers but his eyes were glaring daggers at her.

“Is it hatred that I see?” she asked him, still on his chest. “It is, isn’t it? Good!” she leaned and kissed him, forgetting all about her discomfort. She bit one of his earlobes and whispered to him “I want you to remember it well: the one who took it, the one who was first, was me! Not the one you love, not the one you’ll love in some unclear future or dreams, but the one who you presently hate. Mu Rong An. Never forget!”

She kissed him again, tasting the lingering wine in his mouth, taking it all.

“Men are call flower thief” she breathed to him, “I wonder how a woman should be called?”

The gaze he was looking at her with was thunderous and promising retribution. She relinquished at the sight, even taking the pleasure to continue from it. Having taken the length of him for a time, her body was better, having adapted to his size.

She straightened up and arched her back, starting the oldest rhythm of humanity. She rocked herself up and down, slowly, adapting to him, the pain still lingering. He grunted and she could swear he had buckled his hips if she wasn’t persuaded that he couldn’t move! The faster she got, the more pronounced his grunts would be, turning into moans sometimes. She really liked that. What her body could make him do.

She picked up her pace then, to hear him some more. The faster she got, the more bouncing her breasts would be. Following his line of sight, she saw him looking at them, thus while rocking, she leaned and placed her hands on his eyes,

“Don’t stare” she whispered or simply thought, she didn’t really know, before kissing his throat.

The women this general fell in love with had, both of them, the habit to bandage their breasts and sneak out as males. Their breasts, constantly constricted, didn’t develop much and when this person’s future woman was once ashamed of that fact, he soothed her by saying that he didn’t like those vulgar meaty things and preferred hers, small but beautiful.

She picked up her pace while his grunts grew noisier. Although she was enjoying his reactions, it was painful still for her. Was the villainess not supposed to feel the pleasure at all, she wondered? Yet she was still feeling all-powerful by what she was making him feel. Soon she felt him twitch inside her and something hot poured from within and she cried a little, surprised by this.

She was a little bewildered.

“Did you just-?”, she started, looking at him, but as though ashamed of himself, he had closed his eyes, refusing to meet hers.

Where is the fairness in it all? Where was the part where ‘pleasure mingled with pain’? Wasn’t she supposed to know sexual release? Ever?

If the story had gone normally, she would be married to the Fen country’s crown prince. That man had an extremely wicked sense of pleasure, liking his counterpart to feel pain, a real sadist. He would torture her, and take her by force; he also liked to enjoy watching other men take her by force.

So, she was feeling a little miffed to be denied pleasure even now.

Did she think she would be surviving more than just a few months? No, she didn’t think so. She had already angered dear miss heroine and was certainly a nuisance for dear mister hero. No matter what, she was quite sure that she would be sent to the neighboring country, or if not, they would find a way to deal with her.

And now that she angered this famous general, she’d certainly die in an even quicker way but the difference being that it was actually on her own terms!

Whether she’ll be going to another country and be tortured there or the man she just took advantage of will kill her, she wanted those on her terms. Her death should be initiated by her own hands, the consequences of her own actions! She may be venting herself on him, but she knew that when it will come to him counterattacking, he wouldn’t implicate her whole family for no one would ever know that it was done by him.

That’s how much she trusts his thorough sense of revenge: when he acts, his enemy has no way of defense.

She chuckled as she saw his eyes still closed.

“It doesn’t matter,” she said as she kissed his nose, “it was satisfying in other parts.”

She got to know a side of him that no one before her knew; she heard the sounds that no one before her had him make. It was really satisfying.

She got off him, cleaned herself with another towel, and cleaned him too. She snuffled out the incense.

Hunger was clawing at her like a cat. Firstly draping him with a sheet, Mu Rong An wore her middle robe and opened the lids of the dishes that she had her servants prepared long before. She had, after all, the intention to spend the whole night here! Until the morn!

The meal was light and after eating, she found joy in forcing him to eat and drink soup too, by her mouth.

He breathed heavily, his eyes sending her warnings that she paid no heed to and just had her way with his mouth, closing his nose if necessary. It came to the point that he stopped resisting and just ate what she was passing down.

“Like a baby bird!” she said with glee.

“…” The woman was mental, was saying the man's expression.

Even when the meal was finished, she couldn’t help but kissed him again, taking his lower lip in her mouth, gently sucking. It was delicious in a really unique way. She trailed to his earlobes, his throat. She unwrapped her middle robe and sat on him again, putting a hand on his silky long black hair. She took off the ornament that held them and saw it fall on the bed, some on the tapestry.

“So smooth” she complimented.

He grunted and she was quite surprised to hear his voice. It was strained and feeble but he was still able to talk.

“That’s enough!” he had said, almost making her jump. Was the medicine wearing off or was he using his martial arts? Didn’t that got blocked too?

Not wanting to take risks, she got up and, using the ropes that had been left in a corner of the room, bound his members once again to the pikes by his sides. Sure that it was secure enough, she resumed her position.

He was glaring hatefully at her while she was letting her hands roam freely over his chest. He was a little hairy, she couldn't help but play with it. Mu Rong An pulled at it and in the end, the fingers were replaced by her tongue. Licking, sucking, and pulling lightly with her teeth. She placed wet kisses all over his chest, before taking in her mouth one of his cherries. It was so small. She wondered if men liked it, as women were supposed to when playing with their breasts. She teased one with her teeth while pinching the other with her fingers.

Whatever he really felt, his body was responding to hers anyway.

He was groaning again and grunting. She inverted and took the other in her mouth while pinching the first. The sounds he was making, even though he was trying to restrain them were so sweet.

She came back to kiss his neck again, somehow, she really liked his neck and he liked it too for his groans were more guttural now.

“Miss… Mu” he said with difficulty,

“Shhh… just feel,” she whispered in his ear, taking his earlobe with her teeth, her hands roaming everywhere on his body.

Now that he could talk, he was certainly able to bite. Would he bite her? If he did, it would certainly be quite painful. Who knew if he wouldn’t be drawing blood? But she wanted to kiss him anyway. It was like a need, and she yielded without holding back, tasting the meal that he just ate all over again.

She seated herself on him again. It was still quite uncomfortable and slightly painful. She groaned,

“I am the one taking advantage of you, why am I still the one hurting?”

Is it bleeding again she wondered, since when cleaning up she caught some blood on herself.

***

She took a cold sponged bath, thoroughly cleaning herself before sponged-bathing him. The night was quite advanced and she was tired and sore. Snuffing out the light, she lay by his side on the sole bed of the tent, draping both of them with a thick cover. He, in his naked glory, while she had her inner robe on. She leaned to him, drawing his heat closer to her.

It was quite comfortable to lean on him, so she unceremoniously used his chest as a cushion and slept until the morning without any hint of remorse at all.

***

When the morning came, her servants called to her.

Waking up, she saw him glaring at her, and she smiled, wondering a little if he didn’t sleep at all. Not minding it much, she kissed his forehead, not daring enough now, to kiss him on the lips. Who knew if the night before he wasn’t just too enthralled by what they were doing and responded in the heat of the moment, now, most certainly, he would bite her tongue off if she dared!

She got up and clothed herself.

He said nothing, but his eyes were telling a story of their own. A story tainted with blood.

“Now, why the long face? I even bathed you. Shouldn’t we call ourselves even? Consider this a little revenge for throwing me into the pond and the humiliation that I consequently suffered from it.” She told him amiably once ready to leave.

In a good mood, one that she didn’t have in a long while, she unbound the ropes. The drugs’ effects were going to wear off in a couple of hours. She brought his clothes closer and couldn’t resist kissing his neck once more before straightening up.

The servants had already taken away everything inside the tent besides the tent itself and the tapestry and of course, the bedding.

“Why?” he had asked as she neared the entrance, ready to step into the morning and disappear from his sight.

She paused in her steps and glanced at him. Rather than forcefully taken, wasn’t it still better to have those kinds of things done her way? And if she could spite him too, why leave the chance alone?

“Why not?”

Thinking that somewhere she cheated her destiny had her smile as she left the place.

She rejoined the people from the wedding, taking back her place from the servant that she had disguised as herself. Everything went quite smoothly, and when he came back later to depart with everyone, they didn’t even meet.

***

Coming back to the Mu residence, she had her servants personally brew the soup for not getting pregnant and drinking it, she left the whole affair at the back of her mind, as though it never happened. Spreading the news that she was sick, she didn’t want any visitors and while the women of the capital thought she lost too much face and was hiding, she absolutely didn’t mind for once. She was, for the first time in a good while, at peace with herself and feeling quite good about the fact.

Concerning things like she was living in a book, she didn’t feel much from it. It didn't feel true. For her, that was only some information. The reality was her life here. Sure, knowing some things, she could have done something about her fate, trying to completely divert it. But such a thing was too late now and she doubted she would have been successful in living by herself if she had tried to flee. Even if she had gotten married immediately she doubted that she’d be really left alone.

This method was good. General Ru didn’t torture those that he killed. It was always swift and ended in an instant. That was the kind of death she wanted to have.

…Yet many days later, nothing happened to her still.

***

She, mysteriously, was still alive, even though the day of renewal was just a couple of days from now. It was really surprising.

In the end, would she still go to Fen country?

Those people from the neighboring countries were going to come in just a few days. General Ru, if the story was to follow its original course, was going to the borders some months after that, where he would meet his future wife. Mu Rong An vaguely thought about their romance then pushed it to the back of her mind. She didn’t really care.

As much as she wanted to distract herself from such thoughts, she’d inevitably think of her previous fiancé and smashed things down in anger. Will they really send her to that hell of a country still?

In the end, she was quite unwilling!

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