Three Joys

Chapter 16

Those eyes were like rippling water, but they reminded me of the way my father used to sit alone in Fourth Aunt's courtyard, looking at the magnolia tree she planted before her passing.

As I lowered my gaze slightly, Xu Qihao moved closer, and soon, there was a gentle touch on my forehead.

"Get some rest," he said.

When I raised my eyes again, Xu Qihao had turned over. Although he was only two years older than me, like his two elder brothers, he was tall and elegant with broad shoulders.

As I watched his back, various images came and went in my mind, but none of them I could grasp. No matter how much I thought and hoped, the only person within my reach, the one whose warm body I could embrace, was the person lying beside me.

I half-supported my body and leaned against his shoulder. His eyes, as clear as crystal, bore a subtle trace of melancholy. I fixed my gaze on him for a moment, and then I leaned in, gently brushing my lips against his.

Xu Qihao looked somewhat taken aback, but soon, his lips willingly met mine. Awkwardly, I intensified the kiss, and before long, our mouths were suffused with the delicate fragrance of early spring pear blossoms, tinged with the faint trace of the bitter medicine he had consumed. We may not have been experts at this, but our intentions were clear, and his innate gentlemanly nature always took into consideration about my emotions. This tender moment extended for a while, leaving both of us with dewy, shimmering lips and eyes aglow with warmth.

After our parting, Xu Qihao and I sat up in unison. I looked at him, and with a slight raise of my hands, I gently placed them on his chest. My fingertips quivered slightly as I attempted several times to undo the snug garment. Eventually, the robe yielded. My hand slipped in gently, encountering the warmth of his body. His chest rose and fell rapidly, and I pressed my palm against his silky, radiant skin. His bare, enticing shoulders arched flawlessly. In that instant, he suddenly seized my wrist.

Xu Qihao's chest rose and fell, yet he simply looked at me with eyes as profound as orchids, brimming with concealed longing—the very same desire I had witnessed in his elder brothers, Xu Changfeng and Xu Yanqing. It was the desire of a man.

His voice was slightly hoarse. "Do you not wish to sleep tonight?"

The pressure against his collarbone gradually tightened, and I raised my gaze to meet his. My hair had grown long, and a few strands cascaded in front of my face. "He Lang, don't you... not want me?" I asked softly, my voice quivering.

The place on my wrist where he held me seared, but before I could retreat, Xu Qihao abruptly pulled me closer, and we fell onto the bed. As we embraced, he kissed me once more, yet this time, there was no hesitation. He ardently devoured my lips, and his hands ventured beneath my garments.

He was a clever man. The first few times, he had been reserved and hesitant, but now he seemed to have found the right balance. He molded me in his embrace, his mouth no longer gentle but fierce. I clung to his neck in the midst of his aggressive kisses, and he had already undone my undergarments. He continued to kiss my neck and collarbone with unwavering ardor. The scent of pear blossoms mingled with the fragrance of incense in the room, and I couldn't resist drawing my body closer to his. I used my body to explore his, and he responded eagerly. Our bodies melded together as we surrendered to the depths of desire.

An intoxicating, captivating aroma enveloped us, a fusion of his innate scent and the lingering incense in the room. I found myself instinctively pressing my body against his, delicately exploring him. Xu Qihao's kisses lingered on my neck for an extended moment, and I suddenly felt a tingling sensation. I opened my eyes and gazed at him. He traced a purple bruise just below my collarbone.