Chapter 47

Xiao Changyuan's body stiffened abruptly, his handsome face flushed slightly.
A trace of panic flickered in his dark, profound eyes.
The brilliant fireworks blooming in the night sky reflected in the emperor's deep, ink, black pupils, shimmering and fading, making his jade, like, aloof features appear even more strikingly handsome, like a breathtaking deity.
Yun Pianpian clearly saw the hesitation and struggle in his eyes.
He clearly wanted to kiss her but had been restraining himself, enduring it all along, he was holding back so much that his eyes were nearly red.
Xiao Changyuan gazed at Yun Pianpian, his eyes dark as lacquer.
His voice was low and hoarse, as if scorched by the smoke of the fading fireworks.
“Darling, this is demonic cultivation, we mustn't- Mmph.”
Yun Pianpian grabbed the front of Xiao Changyuan's robe and kissed him again.
She silenced the refusal that had yet to leave his lips, trapping it in his throat.
Xiao Changyuan's pupils contracted slightly, his eyes reddening from restraint.
Boiling blood burned away his reason.
His eyelashes trembled lightly.
Suddenly, he reached out, cupped the back of Yun Pianpian's head, and lowered his head, unable to resist kissing her back.
Yun Pianpian did not know that Xiao Changyuan doused himself with cold water every night.
Because he was afraid of frightening her, he always waited until she was asleep before he acted.
Until two days ago, Yun Pianpian had unintentionally woken up.
Rubbing her bleary eyes, she found the bed empty, Xiao Changyuan was not lying beside her. Faint sounds drifted in from outside, like the patter of rain, yet heavier and more torrential.
Yun Pianpian felt a flicker of doubt.
Where had her tyrant gone?
The room was pitch, black, with only dim light to see by.
Cool moonlight trickled in through the cracks of the wooden door.
Wanting to find Xiao Changyuan, Yun Pianpian draped her clothes over her shoulders, slipped on her shoes, and drowsily made her way toward the faint glow.
The wooden door stood before her.
Yun Pianpian reached out and carefully pulled it open, a beam of moonlight fell upon her face.
Peering through the crack, she witnessed a scene that shook her to the core.
Under the cold, pale moonlight, the emperor clad in robes as dark as ink stood in the snow, covered courtyard. He lifted a bucket, tilted his head back, and poured the icy water over his jade, like face, as if a torrential downpour were cleansing a piece of smooth, cold jade. Crystal, clear droplets streamed down his sculpted features, dripped from his elegant jawline, and finally fell onto the snow, melting the pristine white blanket beneath.
His originally cold and handsome face was tinged with a faint blue from the freezing wind and water.
Yun Pianpian slowly widened her clear, almond, shaped eyes.
All drowsiness vanished in an instant.
What was the great tyrant doing?
Xiao Changyuan seemed to sense her presence.
He slowly turned his head.
His deep, dark, icy eyes gazed intently at Yun Pianpian.
His thin lips pressed together, his voice colder than the biting wind, yet carrying a suppressed, hoarse quality.
“Wife, don’t be afraid. I won’t lose control.”
Yun Pianpian froze, suddenly recalling what Xiao Changyuan had done with her before they slept that night. She stared at him in disbelief, so, every day after punishing her, he would come out alone into the cold wind and snow to douse himself with icy water.
The young man in ink, black robes stood tall and graceful in the courtyard.
The snow within a five, foot radius around him had all melted away from the cold water, revealing the dark, muddy earth hidden beneath.
Yun Pianpian had no idea how many buckets of water Xiao Changyuan had poured to melt all that snow.
A sudden ache filled her heart.
So, this fool had been using such a clumsy method to cool himself down every night.
He had no idea that he didn’t need to go to such lengths.
Yun Pianpian opened her mouth, an impulse rising within her to tell Xiao Changyuan the truth about his demonic cultivation.
But she was afraid that if he knew the truth, he would be angry with her, despise her, and even start questioning her identity.
She had grown accustomed to his tenderness and couldn’t bear the thought of his wrath.
If he so much as scolded her, she might cry all day.
Her nose tingled with sorrow as she rushed into the courtyard, stretched out her arms, and tightly embraced the drenched Xiao Changyuan.
In her heart, she apologized to him over and over again.
I’m sorry, it’s all my fault.
Yun Pianpian made an important decision in her heart.
On New Year’s Eve, she would give herself to Xiao Changyuan.
She hoped that Xiao Changyuan, considering her good performance, her blood and tears, and her sincerity, would forgive her deception. She wanted to offer herself entirely to Xiao Changyuan in exchange for his forgiveness.
On this chilly night, fireworks lit up the sky.
Under the dazzling and brilliant fireworks, Yun Pianpian pressed her lips to Xiao Changyuan's.
She knew Xiao Changyuan simply couldn't resist her.
He had held back for far too long, so long that even a single touch from her could ignite him.
The fireworks in the night sky flickered, now bright, now dim, radiant and magnificent.
But the two who had been watching the fireworks under their glow had long since vanished.
The courtyard, blanketed in fallen snow, stood empty and desolate.
The cold wind was biting, and only Buling Buling was earnestly looking up at the fireworks.
Xiao Changyuan had already pinned Yun Pianpian to the bed, gripping her waist, kissing her with urgency and ferocity. His eyes were bloodshot, his expression wild and out of control, as if he wanted to crush her, swallow her whole, and meld her into his very bones and blood.
Yun Pianpian was kissed until her brain was starved of oxygen.
She nearly fainted.
Suddenly, she grew a little timid.
Maybe, maybe wait until spring comes.
This was Yun Pianpian's last thought before she lost consciousness.
Xiao Changyuan had actually kissed her until she passed out.
Yun Pianpian had a tendency to procrastinate, preferring to leave everything until spring.
In spring, she wanted to take Xiao Changyuan to Lingxu Mountain to become a disciple of Jiandi Yue.
In spring, she wanted to buy Xiao Changyuan an ox and teach him how to plow the fields and farm.
In spring, she wanted to consummate her marriage with Xiao Changyuan and give herself to him.
In the blink of an eye, the busy spring arrived.
The spring chill was still sharp, and the ice and snow had just begun to melt.
The warm, bright sun slowly rose from the horizon, its gentle rays shining on the tiled roofs of the village houses, melting the thick white snow covering the dark green tiles. The cold snow turned into glistening raindrops, dripping from the eaves with a soft, rhythmic sound.
The droplets hit the bluestone pavement, splashing tiny, sparkling sprays like shattered glass.
Yun Pianpian reached out to catch the melting snow dripping from the eaves.
The glistening droplets fell into her delicate, pale palm, making it itch slightly. Finding it amusing, she was about to extend her other hand to catch more of the dripping snowmelt when Xiao Changyuan grasped it in his palm.
“Wife, the snowmelt is cold. Don't play with it.”
Xiao Changyuan frowned to stop her, his dark, deep eyes seeming displeased.
Yun Pianpian looked up and saw the unhappy expression on his face.
She immediately said, “Then I won't play anymore.”
Yun Pianpian wrapped her arms around Xiao Changyuan's arm, thought for a moment, then looked up and said softly, “Husband, it's been so long since we last went out. Let's go for a spring outing to Lingxu Mountain and visit Master's friend along the way, shall we?”
Yun Pianpian had so many things to do in spring.
She had to start with the most important task.
The trip to Lingxu Mountain was a matter of life and death for Xiao Changyuan, so she needed to take him there to become a disciple first before attending to other matters.
Only if Xiao Changyuan became a disciple of Jiandi Yue could Yun Pianpian rest easy.
Xiao Changyuan knew his wife loved to have fun.
He agreed to her request without any suspicion.
“Alright.”
The next day, Yun Pianpian packed their belongings, brought along Buling Buling, and the two of them went to the county town. They first bought plenty of dried rations and pastries from a bakery to eat on the road, then rented a carriage from a stable to take them to Lingxu Mountain.
The coachman was a young man in his twenties with regular features, very talkative and enthusiastic. He often traveled around by carriage and was well, versed in the local customs and anecdotes of the surrounding areas. As they passed through each county, he would share stories of local traditions and strange tales with Yun Pianpian.
Yun Pianpian sat inside the carriage, listening with great interest.
Xiao Changyuan, however, was not pleased.
His hands twitched slightly as he stared at Yun Pianpian, rubbing his knuckles, lost in thought.
Buling Buling looked up, glanced at Yun Pianpian, then at Xiao Changyuan, and suddenly covered its head with its paws.
The coachman was enthusiastically talking about Xuzhou.
The plum blossom pastries of Xuzhou were famous far and wide. It was said that the founding emperor of Mo Kingdom would visit the Daoji Bakery in Xuzhou every year during his southern tours to buy these pastries. The bakery sold out every day and closed as soon as they ran out. Many people who came from afar would return empty, handed if they arrived too late.
Yun Pianpian listened, her heart itching to try them.
The coachman's cheerful voice came from outside the carriage curtain, “If you'd like to try the plum blossom pastries, miss, when we pass by Xuzhou later, I can take the official road and buy some for you. If we hurry, we might even get the last box…”
Overjoyed, Yun Pianpian said, “Really? Can we make it in time for the last box?”
Xiao Changyuan saw the excitement on Yun Pianpian's face.
His handsome face darkened slightly.
Unaware of Xiao Changyuan's anger, the coachman outside the curtain continued with a smile, “I know the clerk at Daoji Bakery…”
“Shut up.”
Xiao Changyuan's gaze was icy, his handsome face stern as he coldly interrupted the coachman.
“If you say one more word to my wife, I will kill you.”
His voice was as low as if soaked in blood, wrapped in the chill of frost and cold snow.
It sent shivers down one's spine.
The coachman's voice outside the curtain abruptly ceased.
The air instantly froze solid.
Yun Pianpian was taken aback and called out to the coachman from inside the carriage, “I'm sorry, my husband means no harm. He just loves me too much…”
Suddenly, her chin was forcefully gripped by Xiao Changyuan's pale, slender hand.
She swallowed the rest of her words.
Her pinched chin ached slightly, and she frowned, forced to meet a pair of dark, brooding eyes.
His eyes, deep as an abyss and cold as a pond, were filled with intense possessiveness.
“You are my wife. You may only speak with me.”
The carriage was cramped and narrow, the wheels rumbling as they rolled over the ground.
The interior fell into utter silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
The young emperor, his thin lips pressed tightly together, held her chin with one hand. His cold, jade, like face was filled with displeasure.
Yun Pianpian’s heart tightened slightly.
The tyrant’s possessiveness toward her seemed to be growing stronger.
Before, he had only forbidden her from liking others, now, she wasn’t even allowed to speak to anyone else.
Strangely, Yun Pianpian didn’t resent him for restricting her freedom, on the contrary, Xiao Changyuan’s words gave her a peculiar sense of security.
Yun Pianpian looked at Xiao Changyuan, dazed, and finally found her voice.
“Alright, I’ll only speak to my husband.”
Satisfied with her answer, Xiao Changyuan released her chin.
Just as Yun Pianpian was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he pulled her into his embrace, lowered his head, and bit her earlobe with his thin lips. Only when she was on the verge of making a sound did he let her go, his handsome face still cold.
After he released her, Yun Pianpian didn’t leave his embrace. Instead, she nestled in his arms like a kitten, holding his arm to soothe his mood. Seeing her obedient expression, the displeasure on Xiao Changyuan’s face gradually faded.
Curled up in his embrace, Yun Pianpian worriedly contemplated the future.
The tyrant had been growing increasingly twisted lately.
It must be because he had been abstaining for too long, causing him to become this way…
She needed to quickly finish their trip to Lingxu Mountain and return to Jiangjia Village as soon as possible to lift the tyrant’s seal.
To turn him back into a good tyrant.
Lingxu Mountain was over a thousand li away from Jiangjia Village. Even traveling day and night by carriage, it would take two days to reach Lingxu Mountain.
Ever since Xiao Changyuan had threatened the coachman that day, the coachman no longer dared to speak to Yun Pianpian.
His eyes were always filled with fear whenever he looked at Xiao Changyuan.
The coachman had met many people in his travels, but he had never been so terrified of anyone before. It was a deep, seated, instinctual fear.
When they camped in the wilderness at night, the coachman didn’t dare approach Xiao Changyuan’s campfire, hiding far behind the carriage instead.
He lit his own campfire and slept leaning against the carriage.
The weather was cold, and the temperature inside the carriage was extremely low, far less warm than by the campfire.
Xiao Changyuan added two more logs to the fire before returning to his spot and pulling Yun Pianpian into his embrace.
Covered by Xiao Changyuan’s coat, Yun Pianpian, in her sleep, sensed his familiar presence and, filled with trust and dependence, nestled into his arms like a kitten, rubbing her face against his chest.
She clearly harbored immense trust and reliance toward him, yet, Xiao Changyuan remained insatiable, feeling that this was far from enough.
He wanted even more, much more.
But how much more?
Xiao Changyuan frowned, a trace of confusion flickering through his dark, icy eyes.
What exactly did he still desire?
After days of rough travel, spending nights huddled around campfires, Yun Pianpian and her companions finally arrived at Lingxu Mountain.
Yun Pianpian paid the coachman, who took the silver without even daring to utter thanks before hastily driving his carriage away in a panic.
It seemed Xiao Changyuan had thoroughly frightened the poor man.
“Husband, let's go.”
Yun Pianpian took Xiao Changyuan's hand and slowly made her way toward the foot of Lingxu Mountain.
Buling Buling trotted along behind them.