Chapter 56: Be Good, It Won’t Hurt

He gently stroked her face, gazing into those large eyes brimming with tears. Suddenly, he wondered if perhaps he had gone too far. Yet this little wildcat was simply too untamed; if he did not act this way, she would never submit. If he let down his guard for a moment, she would bite him and escape.

He kissed her tears with aching tenderness. They tasted bitter. Why were tears so bitter? He could not comprehend.

His fingers brushed her lips. "Be good, don't be afraid. It won't hurt. This is the most natural thing between husband and wife."

She felt utterly aggrieved. She had been so cautious and defensive, yet she had lost to him, even allowing herself to be bound and made to endure this. Now he wanted to deceive her, saying it would not hurt?

If she remembered correctly, the nursemaid had instructed her well during the grand wedding in Jincheng.

Thinking of the nursemaid who had died so innocently, she wept even harder. At this moment, all she could do was cry. She felt like meat upon a chopping block, utterly at the mercy of others, without the power to resist. She did not know how she had allowed herself to fall into such a predicament. Was she simply too merciful, too soft-hearted? Or was it because he was Qin Youtian, and so, unwittingly, she had let down her guard?

“Don’t think you can fool me. My nursemaid warned me about this!”

Recalling the marriage lessons in the palace, her cheeks burned as red as the evening clouds.

“You had a nursemaid?” Qin Youtian kissed her small mouth gently, his coarse hand tracing lightly down her slender waist, and lower still.

Hua Qinci knew what was about to happen, yet she was unwilling—unwilling to be confined in this narrow world.

“Scoundrel! Shameless! You have no sense of honor!”

Her angry curses only excited Qin Youtian more. “We are husband and wife. This is perfectly normal. The way you say it, it sounds as though I’m committing some crime. Don’t be afraid. In time, you’ll grow used to it.”

“Bah! If you have any courage, untie me! Otherwise, I’ll kill you!”

He was amused. “Kill me? How would you do it, like this? I rather hope you’ll try to kill me every day.”

She found his brazenness unspeakable; there was simply no way to reason with this man.

She could feel the heat of his desire, burning unchecked, drawing ever closer. Humiliated and helpless, she clenched her teeth as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Scoundrel! Die!”

She thought she was doomed, and had just closed her eyes to endure the unwilling pain—when suddenly, the pressure vanished. When she opened her eyes, Qin Youtian was already gone without a trace.

Her hands and feet were still bound; she could not move.

“Damn you, Qin Youtian. Just wait—if you dare lay a hand on me, you’re dead.”

She gritted her teeth and made her vow.

The moon was bright that deep night, illuminating the path for those who traveled beneath it.

Within the little mountain village, a thick fog blanketed the night. Darkness descended from the mountain peaks, only to rise again from the foothills come morning. The scene was magnificent—the mountains seemed to lift the soft white clouds like a quilt, so inviting that one wished to reach out and touch that gentle softness for oneself.

The Qin family’s courtyard had been consumed by a raging fire the night before, and by morning, the smoke gradually faded. All that was left was a pile of ashes.

Qin Mingyue sat disheveled outside the courtyard, her clothes scorched black, wrapped in a blanket. Numbly, she stared at the ruins.

“Mother? Mother? What happened? What has happened?” Qin Youtian had returned, exhausted.

He was stunned by the sight. Seeing that Qin Mingyue only stared blankly at the courtyard, he grew even more alarmed.

“Mother? Mother? Where is Qinci? Where is my wife?”

“Qin… Qinci… she, she…” Qin Mingyue remembered what had happened the night before and could say no more.