Chapter 60: Quick to Learn
Another soft knock came from outside the door. Song Hemei felt as though each rap landed squarely on her heart, pounding so hard it froze her entire body.
Yu Yeqing, however, seemed unconcerned, bracing himself to sit up.
In her panic, she didn't have time to think. She rolled over, pinned his shoulders, and pushed him back down. Clearing her throat, she called out, "Don't come in yet. What time is it?"
"Nearly the hour of the Snake, ma'am."
Song Hemei choked on her breath. "That's hardly early. Fall back. No need to attend me."
Suhui, the maid outside, hesitated but didn't leave. "Madam, the little young master is fussing again and asking for you. Shall I—"
"Then take him to my sister-in-law. Don't let him come and bother me."
A meek acknowledgment came from outside. Song Hemei exhaled in relief and instinctively glanced back—only to find Yu Yeqing looking down at her, his eyes fixed on her face.
"Are you afraid they'll find out?"
Song Hemei was momentarily speechless. "Aren't you?"
What a novel question—did he expect her to beat a gong and announce it to the world?
But another thought struck her, and she hastily called out again, "Suhui, wait. Fetch me some fresh clothes and send them in."
Fortunately, the maid hadn't gone far. She turned back, approached the door, acknowledged the order, and then left to carry it out.
Yu Yeqing let her pin him down without moving. When she lifted her head to look at him, his gaze slid from the crown of her hair to her eyes. "And why aren't you afraid now?"
She was warm all over, pressing against him like this. The thin fabric of their garments offered little barrier. One of his hands was trapped beneath her, resting against her soft belly; the other gripped the edge of the bed so tightly that veins stood out on the back of his hand.
Under his stare, she couldn't easily get up. Her options were either to stay pressed close or let him see everything. She chose the former.
When he asked, she rested her arms and pillow-like weight on his firm chest and replied testily, "Well, it's not like we can stay this way forever, can we?"
She patted his shoulder lightly. "Don't worry, the screen is there. And Suhui is a bit dense—she won't notice a thing."
She shifted against him, slowly trying to edge past him toward the side of the bed, using her hand on the soft pillow beside him for leverage. "Move inward a bit. Once the quilt is arranged, it'll be fine."
As her weight pressed over him, Yu Yeqing instinctively lifted his chin, his Adam's apple bobbing. Freed from the trapped hand, he wrapped it around her waist and pulled her bodily to the other side.
Song Hemei felt herself spin half a turn. In an instant, she was lying to his left, and he had turned sideways to face her, almost as if cradling her in his arms.
Another knock came. Without further thought, she yanked up the quilt and covered Yu Yeqing's head. "Get lower."
Yu Yeqing drew a strained breath but shifted his stiff body, bending until his head was level with her waist.
The warm yellow light filtering through the thin brocade allowed him to clearly see the slender, delicate white of her waist—and other details he dared not look at. He held himself rigid, even his breathing disordered.
Song Hemei rearranged the quilt to look disheveled, not revealing the shape of another person, before letting the maid enter.
The door opened from outside. Through the screen, she could see Suhui heading straight for the bed. She quickly spoke up, "Wait, you—"
The words died in her throat. The ambiguous sensation of breath against her waist made her instinctively tense her stomach, and her voice quivered subtly.
Suhui seemed puzzled. "Madam?"
Song Hemei's scalp tingled. Instinctively, she lifted her hand to cover the unruly breath at her waist, but her fingers landed on Yu Yeqing's lips and curled along his jaw.
Then she felt her hand being tugged, and the warmth of his lips met her palm.
She took two steadying breaths, forcing the tremor from her voice as she instructed Suhui, "Put the clothes on the small couch. I'm not seeing anyone today. Don't let anyone disturb me."
Suhui paused for a moment, then acknowledged the order and did as she was told.
Only after the maid finally left did Song Hemei let out the breath she'd been holding. She shoved Yu Yeqing and hissed, barely suppressing her irritation, "What are you playing at? Do you want to get caught?"
Yu Yeqing didn't answer, nor did he emerge. Annoyed, she tried to push him again, but he caught her hand and pinned it to the bed, interlacing their fingers. Then he rose, covered her mouth with his, and kissed her.
Half her body went numb. After the initial shock of his sudden move, a lingering thrill began spreading from her lips downward.
The body's reactions were unmistakable. The sucking at her lips made her instinctively tense, her knees pressing tightly together.
Her free hand rose to his chest, pushing him back a little. A mix of surprise and embarrassment left her breath uneven. "What are you doing…?"
Yu Yeqing caught her wrist, pressing it down onto the bed as well. He propped himself up slightly, but mercifully not too high—just enough to look her in the eye, then stopped.
He said nothing. His deep black eyes fixed on her without moving, as if waiting for her to yield.
He wore only an inner robe, loosely fastened, allowing her to see the curve of his chest and feel the light brush of fabric against her own sensitive skin.
Song Hemei swallowed. She didn't need his answer to understand his intention.
"Now? In broad daylight…?"
She had just woken up. When she rolled over earlier, she already felt an ache spreading from her lower back up her spine. Wasn't this a bit much?
Yu Yeqing remained silent, still holding her hands down but not forcing her to continue. His long lashes drooped, veiling his eyes, then he slowly lowered himself until his nose brushed against hers, freezing her in place.
His movements were so gentle that she could almost taste tenderness. But she couldn't tell if he was doing it deliberately.
He seemed to enjoy this. Before, she thought it might be to provoke her. But now?
Now it had to be deliberate seduction.
She swallowed again, her breathing growing unsteady. He seemed unsatisfied with mere proximity; his lips occasionally brushed hers, a light, fleeting touch without any deeper entanglement.
She closed her eyes in resignation. She never imagined her willpower could be so weak. She was a well-bred girl, a proper mistress for three years—how could he use such tactics against her?
No help for it. Song Hemei reluctantly loosened her knees. "Fine, fine. Do whatever you want."
Yu Yeqing paused, pulled back slightly, and still propped himself up to look at her.
Song Hemei turned her head away. "In broad daylight, why are you staring at me?"
Yu Yeqing's gaze traced over her face inch by inch. Out of nowhere, he said, "Are you feeling warm?"
Song Hemei closed her eyes in resignation, knowing what prompted his question. Forcing herself to go along, she replied, "A little. But it's fine."
This time, Yu Yeqing's lips landed on her neck. Quickly finding the spot he had marked during their previous daytime encounter, he kissed it again.
Her shoulders instinctively tightened, but both her arms were pinned—she couldn't dodge or push him away.
Fortunately, he didn't linger there long. His lips moved down her exposed neck, inch by inch. Without clothing in the way, he progressed smoothly—so smoothly that he could continue further down.
His voice was hoarse. "If I leave marks, will anyone see them?"
Hearing his voice, Song Hemei forced her eyes open. "No. I don't let anyone attend me when I bathe."
He pressed his lips together. "You know what I really mean."
What did he mean?
Her mind was slow to react. It took her a few seconds to realize he was asking about Shao Wen'ang.
Last night, she had told him not to bring up Shao Wen'ang to spoil the mood. So today, he spoke half a sentence and hid the rest.
In a daze, she answered instinctively, "He'll never get to see anything like that in a hundred lifetimes."
Yu Yeqing's kiss had already reached her chest. At her words, a dark thought flickered through him.
Perhaps the bond between them wasn't as deep as he had imagined. Yet he also felt that such a thought was like wishing misfortune upon her.
Fear crept in. He dared not ask further, dared not hear what answer he might get.
He released one of her hands, sliding it to her waist. His warm breath fell on her chest. "May I?"
Song Hemei was still dazed, unsure what he meant. But the next moment, she felt him take her in his mouth. The unfamiliar sensation was far more overwhelming than what she had felt at her neck.
Her entire spine arched in response. Gasping, she said through gritted teeth, "And you call that asking sincerely?"
Yu Yeqing didn't reply, but she could feel his tongue.
He was clearly inexperienced, acting on instinct. After a simple attempt, he proved to be a quick learner and asked, "Is this right?"
Song Hemei's head had already fallen back; the canopy above the bed blurred before her eyes.
She didn't know if it was right, but she remembered the little booklet her sister-in-law had given her three years ago. It seemed to show something like this. And judging by her body's response, it was probably correct.
"It should be."
Yu Yeqing repeated hoarsely, "Should be?"
She gritted her teeth and confirmed, "You're doing it right. It's supposed to be like this."
Only then did she understand why the figures in the illustrations were always undressed.
It wasn't until his lips reached her belly that she realized something was off.
The manual she had glanced at briefly three years ago suddenly surfaced clearly in her mind. Farther down, there would be another kind of act.
She thought Yu Yeqing probably wouldn't go that far, but she wasn't sure how quickly he learned. Even if he was learning, he couldn't try everything at once.
She used her free hand to tug at his collar. "Can't you just hurry up?"
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