Chapter 95: Clouds Playing with the Moon

No one is better at enticing people than Chinu.

If one had to say there is, it's the Chinu when he says 'hurts, hurts me'.

After Chinu finished speaking, the hint of red at the corner of his eye spread along the eye socket, like a drop of vermilion on rice paper, blooming slowly and deeply.

It spread all the way to the position of those three moles, making those originally alluring moles look even more bewitching.

His collar was still open, his whole chest bare in the damp air, his cold-white skin bearing a thin layer of powder.

Du Shanü's gaze moved from his face down to his ribs, then back up to his face.

Chinu's eyelashes were very long; when half-lowered, the shadow they cast covered most of the emotion in his pupils.

His eyes flickered, indistinct, yet they made people's hearts itch.

Du Shanü felt a stir in her heart, bent down, and pressed her lips to that rain‑cooled mole above his brow and eyes.

Her kiss was very light; Chinu's eyelashes twitched once, as faint as a butterfly's wingbeat.

Then her lips moved down, landing on the tip of his nose.

Further down, they landed on his lips.

This kiss was different from the ones before.

Those earlier kisses were surging, greedy, unsatisfied, as if they wanted to devour the other before stopping.

But this kiss was slow, light, carrying a tenderness almost like pity.

Her tongue tip pressed against the seam of his lips, lightly tracing the curve of his lower lip, then she slipped in, found his tongue, lightly curled it, then withdrew.

The whole kiss lasted no more than three breaths.

But just those three breaths threw Chinu's breathing into disarray.

When Du Shanü pulled back, he almost instinctively lunged forward an inch; finding nothing, he realized, lay back down, his Adam's apple rolled once, swallowing that unwilling muffled groan.

Du Shanü looked at his state, the corners of her mouth slightly rose.

She said nothing, just reached for the Gold Wound Medicine on the bedside, pulled the stopper; the medicinal powder's scent immediately drifted out—bitter, astringent, mixed with the coolness of borneol—diluting the room's sticky allure a bit.

"Don't move." she said.

When the powder was sprinkled on the wound, Chinu's abdominal muscles tensed sharply.

Du Shanü's fingers pressed against his waist, steadying his body.

"Does it hurt?"

"...... It hurts."

His voice was hoarse, as if someone had choked his throat.

Du Shanü glanced at him.

His expression truly looked like he was enduring pain—brows slightly furrowed, lips pressed, jaw line tight.

But his eyes gave him away.

Those eyes were half‑closed, pupils slightly unfocused; inside there was no pain, only a damp, dazed feeling aroused by the powder's coolness, like a cat whose belly has been stroked—obviously blissful yet pretending to be reluctant.

Du Shanü didn't call him out.

She picked up the dry bandage, wrapped it around his waist from behind—one loop, two loops, three loops.

Her arm encircled his waist; each time she looped around, his fingers curled at his side, as if enduring something.

When the third loop was finished, Chinu spoke again:

"...... Still hurts."

"I said it still hurts...... how come you...... don't coax me?"

This time his voice was lower than before, low enough to almost be drowned by the rain, sounding somewhat pitiful.

Du Shanü knew he was pretending, yet she still bent down and placed another kiss on his lips.

This one lasted a bit longer than before.

Her tongue tip pried open his lips, slipped in, found his tongue, entwined it once, then withdrew, lightly biting his lower lip.

Not hard, just a tap with her teeth, like punishing his presumption, yet also tacitly allowing it.

Chinu let out a muffled groan from her bite; the sound rose from deep in his throat, with a slight tremor, the tail turning up, like a laugh or a coquettish whine.

Du Shanü sat up straight, continuing to wrap the bandage.

Fourth loop, fifth loop.

Her fingers paused on the bandage for a moment, then she finished the fifth loop and tied a knot.

The instant the knot was tied, she leaned down and gave a third kiss.

This kiss was deeper than the previous two.

Her tongue surged straight in, sweeping over his upper palate.

As soon as the tongue tip swept past, Chinu's body jerked, as if electrified, trembling from his spine to his fingertips.

When she withdrew, both of them gasped.

Chinu's lips were redder than before, his chest heaved violently, the wound under the bandage was tugged......

This time it really hurt.

Du Shanü sat up straight, checked the bandage all over.

It was wrapped well, neither too loose nor too tight, and no powder had leaked out.

Her fingers pressed along the edge of the bandage in a circle, confirming every part was snug, then she withdrew her hand and went to untie her own waist sash.

Chinu's eye depth suddenly darkened a bit; instinctively he reached out and pressed her fingers.

Du Shanü raised an eyebrow; Chinu then sat up straight, lowered his head, and bit onto one end of the sash with his teeth.

His eyelashes drooped, he attentively and patiently bit at that soaked knot.

His teeth and tongue tip worked together, gradually loosening it, then opening it.

His nose tip occasionally brushed her waist, brushing the thin layer of body heat beneath her soaked clothes; each time he brushed past, his breathing grew a little heavier.

The knot came undone.

The sash hung down, resting on her waist side.

Chinu lifted his head, looking at her; the longing in his eyes almost solidified.

Du Shanü took off her soaked outer garment, kicked it aside, then bent down and lay down beside Chinu.

The bed was small; lying together made it a bit cramped.

Her shoulder touched his arm; his body heat passed through the thin inner garment, hot like a little stove, gradually drying the moisture on her.

Neither of them spoke.

Outside, the thunder had faded away, leaving only the rain and the sound of their breathing within it.

Chinu turned to face her, his eyes filled with deep expectation.

His collar remained open, the bandage glaring white in the dim light.

His fingers rested on her shoulder, fingertips exerting slight pressure as he leaned toward Du Shanü, close enough that her nose almost brushed his collarbone.

Du Shanü showed no reaction; instead, she slowly yawned.

Chinu's ardent heart cooled in an instant; after a moment of silence, he spoke:

"...... Just like this?"

"Is your heart made of iron?"

We've kissed so many times, the mood was just right—how did it suddenly stop!

Could she have forgotten what came before...

... what Afang said earlier?

Afang was right!

As long as we bed him, the world will surely be within our grasp!

Du Shanü lifted her gaze; he was looking at her, the wetness in his eyes not yet faded, but now mixed with something else—

It was reluctance—the kind where, despite having gained much, one still feels it's not enough.

His lips were slightly pursed, forming a subtle arc, as if he were sulking—or testing.

Du Shanü felt a bit drained; after a while she steadied herself and softly coaxed:

"...... Your wound hasn't healed yet."

Her voice was calm, but she herself knew what lay beneath that calm.

It's not that Chinu isn't alluring; it's simply not a good time.

Chinu's gaze lingered on her face for a moment, as if discerning the truth of her words.

Du Shanü usually greets people with a smile, but her thoughts are deeply concealed.

Chinu stared for a while, seeing nothing, then reluctantly withdrew his gaze:

"...... Hmph."

He didn't press further; he simply lowered his head, forehead touching her brow.

His breath fell on her cheek—warm, moist, carrying the bitter tang of Gold Wound Medicine and an indistinct sweetness lingering on their tongues.

Du Shanü wrapped her arms around him, closed her eyes, and felt the delayed fatigue of their journey.

Below, Chinu's fingers entwined her wrist, his pads pressing on her pulse, beating once, once, counting her heartbeat.

The rain continued.

They lay thus, their breaths intertwined, indistinguishable whose was whose.

Everything was so perfectly fitting it seemed unreal.

Chinu felt content, a moment of laxity overtaking him; on the verge of sleep, he blurted out:

"You wouldn't think of sleeping with Yu Baobao first, then me... right?"

"You won't abandon me, right?"

?? Shasha has this kind of resolve; whatever she does will surely succeed...