Silent Lover (The Silent Concubine) - Chap 136
Chapter 136 – Bruised Purple
The morning light filtered through the paper windows, casting shadows on the two figures tightly nestled together in the sleeping chamber. A crisp chirp from a swallow under the eaves woke Jun Xuanxiao, who instinctively tightened his hold on the person in his arms, only relaxing when he confirmed they were still there.
Jun Xuanxiao had maintained this position throughout the night, barely closing his eyes for an hour of shallow sleep.
He looked down at the peaceful figure in his arms, whose delicate face was frighteningly pale, causing a sharp pain in Jun Xuanxiao’s heart.
Jun Xuanxiao had always believed he understood Shen Yu thoroughly, that he was considerate to the utmost. But only now did he realize that he was likely the most incompetent, self-righteous husband in the world…
If Shen Yu even still considered him a husband after waking up.
Jun Xuanxiao deeply felt he was unworthy. For so long, he hadn’t even known Shen Yu’s birthday, learning it only from Bian Shisi. Did Shen Yu ever care about those trivial acts of kindness he had offered before? Jun Xuanxiao felt guilty for not understanding him at all.
If only none of this had happened… If there were a chance to start over, he would never do anything to hurt Shen Yu again; he would treat him a thousand times better…
But alas, there is no second chance in life.
“Yuer, can you give me one more chance? I swear to the heavens, I will make it up to you, repay all the debts I owe you, alright? Just wake up, and whatever you want, whatever you wish to do, I will grant it…”
Jun Xuanxiao whispered softly into Shen Yu’s ear, but Shen Yu could not hear him, nor would he respond.
Having gone a day and a night without grooming, a dark stubble had grown on Jun Xuanxiao’s chin, making him look aged and haggard. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to clear his dazed mind.
The longevity noodles prepared by the palace maids had already gone cold.
“Yuer, today is your birthday. In Beiyu, it’s customary to eat longevity noodles, but I don’t know how it’s celebrated in your homeland, Yunmeng. If you want to sleep, I’ll eat it for you.”
Jun Xuanxiao stuffed a large mouthful of noodles into his mouth, his throat tightening with emotion, making it difficult to swallow. The food tasted like ashes, but he forced it down quickly.
Jun Xuanxiao felt ridiculous, so desperate that he was pinning his hopes on a custom’s symbolic meaning to wish for Shen Yu’s recovery.
“Customs…”
A scarlet bean flashed before Jun Xuanxiao’s eyes…
“Someone, come here!”
A unit of the Northern Expeditionary Army was immediately dispatched to the Northern Capital’s royal mansion under orders from the prince. The command was strange—they were to search the mansion for a single red bean that had fallen into some crevice. The soldiers were baffled, thinking the prince had lost his mind.
…
In a side room of the commander’s mansion, red robes and military gear were strewn about the floor, with an embroidered shoe hanging off the edge of the bed and another neatly placed alongside a pair of boots.
On the bed, two entwined, naked bodies lay together—one pale as snow, the other robust and tan. The intense lust that had filled the room had only recently dissipated, leaving behind a lingering scent of debauchery.
Song Qing opened his eyes and sat up suddenly, his head pounding from the lingering effects of the potent drug. A long leg draped across his belly, and as he sat up, it slid down to his lower abdomen…
Perhaps it was the drug still at work, or maybe it was because Song Qing had been celibate for twenty-three years, but this contact made his body instantly respond, a wave of heat rising within him.
Song Qing recoiled as if he had touched a venomous snake, flinging the leg away…
When he saw the naked figure of Hong Lian beside him, his eyes widened in horror.
“How…how did I end up sleeping with him?!” Song Qing clutched his head, feeling as if a swarm of bees were buzzing inside it.
Although Song Qing was a virgin, he had heard about such things before. In the military camp, the soldiers liked to joke about such matters crudely. Serving the prince and Shen Yu for so long, he had learned a thing or two, so it didn’t take him long to grasp what had happened…
Moreover, the bruises on Hong Lian’s body and the stained sheets testified to everything he feared.
Hong Lian stirred from the commotion but was too exhausted from the previous night to open his eyes fully. He half-lidded his hazy gaze and looked at Song Qing.
“Sir Song, aren’t you tired? You’ve got such stamina…”
Hong Lian, still drowsy, wanted to sleep more but was yanked upright by Song Qing.
“Get up!” Song Qing roared, livid. “Why are you in my bed?! What…what happened last night?”
Hong Lian weakly replied, “Isn’t it obvious? Last night was my first time serving you with flower wine, and you couldn’t hold your liquor. You forced yourself on me.”
Song Qing was speechless, stammering, “No…no way…”
“Why not?” Hong Lian retorted sharply. “Last night, you were calling me ‘darling,’ weren’t you? Ugh, no wonder you’re a soldier—you’re so rough, you nearly broke my bones. Just look at you, so eager you bruised my ass purple…”
Song Qing’s face turned from green to white, then flushed red with shame and anger, especially when Hong Lian gave him a suggestive look and raised an eyebrow at his crotch. Panicking, Song Qing tumbled out of bed, grabbing his clothes to cover himself.
