Chapter 90

The breeze was gentle, the moon bright, the night hazy.
It was early winter, and the winter nights in Jiangjia Village were particularly quiet and cold. In the deep stillness of midnight, the sound of trickling water could be heard in the serene courtyard.
Xiao Changyuan lifted a bucket of water and poured it over his head.
Droplets clung to his thick, dark lashes, streaming down his sharply defined, handsome face. Under the clear, cold moonlight, he appeared exceptionally alluring and restrained.
Xiao Changyuan poured nine buckets of ice, cold water before he barely managed to extinguish the raging fire burning within him.
He placed the bucket back in the kitchen and closed the wooden door. Using his inner strength, he dried his soaked clothes before pushing open the door to the main room and stepping inside.
Xiao Changyuan quietly climbed onto the bed, reaching out to wrap his arms tightly around Yun Pianpian’s slender, soft waist.
Feeling the soft warmth in his embrace, Xiao Changyuan closed his eyes contentedly.
He must endure, endure forever.
This agony, like being scorched by flames, was something he must never let his wife experience.
As Yun Pianpian’s light, steady breathing reached his ears, Xiao Changyuan gradually drifted into a deep sleep.
Under the bright moon, in the dark and tranquil night sky, seven faint stars suddenly aligned, emitting an eerie golden glow that shone down upon the courtyard.
Xiao Changyuan opened his eyes in the darkness, before him lay a resplendent, golden bedchamber.
Exquisite golden curtains hung low.
He found himself on a magnificent dragon, embroidered bed, dressed in black brocade robes. Outside the curtains, dim palace lanterns cast a faint light, and a golden crane, shaped incense burner emitted the subtle fragrance of ambergris.
The fragrant mist curled gently, delicate and serene.
Within the curtains, the rich aroma of wine lingered. Xiao Changyuan saw Yun Pianpian, utterly intoxicated, wearing an elaborate palace gown, her ink, black hair cascading and her cheeks flushed crimson as she gazed at him. Her dazed, dewy almond eyes were filled with a tipsy haze as she wrapped her arms around him.
“Husband, I want more wine…”
Tonight was the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Following the usual tradition, Xiao Changyuan had arranged a lavish banquet in the palace, inviting civil and military officials along with their wives and families to celebrate with the people.
Yun Pianpian sat beside Xiao Changyuan.
She had assumed the palace tribute wine was similar in strength to the wine outside the palace, but after just one cup, she was immediately intoxicated, her eyes hazy and her cheeks flushed pink.
Seeing her in such an alluring state, how could Xiao Changyuan have any interest in continuing the banquet? All he wanted was to hold her in his arms and indulge in her without restraint.
Before the Mid-Autumn banquet was even halfway through, Xiao Changyuan announced its conclusion, scooped Yun Pianpian into his arms, and carried her back to the bedchamber.
The officials and their families had no choice but to return home.
At the banquet table, Yun Pianpian had always remembered her status as the empress, maintaining her dignified and elegant demeanor even in her drunken state. But now, back in the bedchamber, her domain, she could freely act spoiled and beg him for more wine.
“I’m not drunk, I can still drink…”
Xiao Changyuan carried Yun Pianpian to the dragon, embroidered bed, his gaze darkening as he lowered his head to capture her enticing, sweet red lips.
Yun Pianpian pushed Xiao Changyuan away with a delicate, soft touch.
“I don't want you, I want wine.”
“I am your wine.”
The man's voice was deep and husky.
Like a demon whispering in her ear, bewitching and captivating.
Yun Pianpian blinked her slightly intoxicated almond eyes.
“Really?”
Xiao Changyuan's gaze grew even darker and more profound. He swallowed dryly, his throat parched, and whispered seductively,
“Taste me again.”
Half-believing, half-doubting, Yun Pianpian leaned in to kiss him. Her mind was muddled from the wine, and she seemed to truly taste the flavor of alcohol.
Her slightly flushed almond eyes lit up with delight.
“Husband, I want more.”
Xiao Changyuan slowly curved his pale, thin lips, about to savor the drunken Yun Pianpian, when a sudden wave of dizziness struck him. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
Amnesiac Yuan took over his body.
Before Amnesiac Yuan could react, Yun Pianpian stretched out her slender, delicate arms, wrapped them around his neck, and offered her red lips.
His pupils contracted, his heart raced wildly and his handsome face immediately flushed with a wave of heat, as if dripping with blood.
He pushed Yun Pianpian away shyly and with difficulty.
His voice was low and hoarse, restrained and controlled.
“Wife, this is demonic cultivation.”
Yun Pianpian blinked her drunken almond eyes, thinking Xiao Changyuan was role, playing with her. She slowly curved her red lips into a charming smile.
“What if it is demonic cultivation?”
Xiao Changyuan gazed at her with a conflicted, infatuated expression.
“But.”
Yun Pianpian extended her delicate, soft fingertips and pressed them against his pale lips.
Her watery, dazed almond eyes looked at him with a seductive gaze: “Doesn't my husband want to practice it?”
Xiao Changyuan's eyelashes trembled slightly, his heart pounding like thunder. Where she touched him felt as if electrified, sending tingles through his body.
Before he could react, Yun Pianpian gently pressed Xiao Changyuan down onto the dragon bed.
Leaned over and kissed him.
Xiao Changyuan was kissed until his bones felt weak.
The corners of his eyes were damp and red.
His handsome face flushed so deeply it seemed to drip blood.
His entire body trembled.
His mind went blank, the last shreds of reason reminding him he shouldn't do this. He reached out to push her away, but Yun Pianpian used her soft, delicate hands to pin his wrists, easily lifting them above his head.
Pressing them against the dragon bed.
“Husband.”
Yun Pianpian narrowed her slightly intoxicated, watery almond eyes.
“Do you want me to tie you up?”
Xiao Changyuan's eyelashes trembled, his handsome face flushed all the way to the tips of his ears. He gazed at Yun Pianpian with damp, reddened eyes.
In his dark, moist ink, black eyes, lay a conflicted yearning.
He knew her strength was weak, that he could easily push her away, but he didn't want to push her away.
Because every part of him, every bone in his body, craved her.
So her soft, delicate hands felt like a heavy weight pressing down on his wrists, making it impossible for him to push her away.
Yun Pianpian gazed at Xiao Changyuan with drunken, dazed eyes.
“Does my husband want to practice demonic cultivation?”
Xiao Changyuan looked at her with a face full of conflict, his thoughts gradually spiraled out of control.
This is demonic cultivation.
No, this is just a dream.
Indulge in your desires in this dream.
No one will know you secretly practiced demonic cultivation.
This is just a dream.
Haven't you had dreams like this many times before?
This time is no different.
Only…This dream feels more real than ever.
Don't you want to practice demonic cultivation with your wife?
Xiao Changyuan ultimately could not resist the temptation of Yun Pianpian. He failed to suppress the boiling desire within his heart and yielded to the most honest voice deep inside him.
“I want.”
Yun Pianpian curved her luscious crimson lips.
She leaned down and kissed Xiao Changyuan.
“I will satisfy my husband.”
The brocade curtains were fragrant and thick, the room filled with an enchanting atmosphere.
In the earthen house of Jiangjia Village.
Amnesiac Yuan opened his eyes, his handsome face flushed.
Before him was the familiar earthen, walled room. Soft sunlight filtered through the rustic window paper, spilling onto the old wooden bed. The tables and chairs in the room were aged yet clean.
His heart pounded like a drum.
Last night had indeed been just a dream.
Even though that dream felt so real.
He couldn't even remember what they had practiced in the end, but he recalled the intoxicating, bone, melting sensation that left him craving for more.
So this was the allure of demonic cultivation, no wonder it addicted so many people, led them to fall into the demonic path.
Xiao Changyuan began to reminisce.
Yun Pianpian slowly opened her eyes in his embrace. With a drowsy expression, she murmured, “Husband, good morning.” Xiao Changyuan's eyelashes fluttered, and he immediately lowered his gaze, not even daring to meet her eyes, because last night in his dream, he had practiced the forbidden demonic arts with her.
He was afraid she would notice something amiss.
Fortunately, Yun Pianpian didn't detect anything unusual. She went about her morning routine as usual, then headed to the kitchen to rinse rice and chop vegetables, softly calling for his help.
“Husband, come quickly and help me light the fire.”
Xiao Changyuan slowly let out a sigh of relief.
“I'm coming.”
In the resplendent bedchamber.
Xiao Changyuan slowly opened his eyes.
His head throbbed faintly from the hangover, his memories lingering on how he had coaxed Yun Pianpian to taste him the night before.
He couldn't recall what happened after that.
Yun Pianpian slept in his arms, her fair and delicate body covered in bluish, purple, ambiguous bite marks. Xiao Changyuan suddenly noticed a tooth mark on her shoulder.
His dark gaze fixed intently on that mark.
His gaze deepened.
He never dared to bite her too hard, fearing he might hurt her. There was no way he could have left such a clear, vivid red toothmark on her shoulder.
At most, it would have been a faint bruise.
But he had seen this toothmark in a dream.
Back when Xiao Changyuan was still in Jiangjia Village and hadn’t yet regained his memories, he had once had an incredibly vivid dream. In that dream, he and Yun Pianpian practiced demonic arts together. Every time he recalled it, his face would flush, his heart would race, and he’d be lost in endless reminiscence.
But now…
Xiao Changyuan thought of that dream again.
All that remained in his heart was bitter regret.
The one who should have savored Yun Pianpian in bed yesterday was his present self, not his past self.
That clueless brat had the audacity to steal the sweet fruit that belonged solely to him, and he’d even bitten Yun Pianpian so hard, leaving such a red toothmark.
Truly despicable…
Xiao Changyuan stared at the toothmark, his eyes grew red from staring.
But this anger wasn’t directed at Yun Pianpian, it was aimed at his former self.
If only he had resisted his desire for Yun Pianpian back in that dream.
If only he had withstood her temptation.
Then he wouldn’t be so angry with himself now.
Truly, he had played with fire and gotten burned, he had only himself to blame.
With a cold expression, Xiao Changyuan carried Yun Pianpian to the white jade bathing pool, feeling a renewed surge of shame and annoyance. That brat from the past hadn’t even bothered to clean his Pianpian’s body, leaving it to his present self to clean up the mess.
It was infuriating.
He hadn’t enjoyed anything last night, yet he still had to deal with the aftermath of his past self’s actions…
Xiao Changyuan was seething with anger.
Holding Yun Pianpian in the white jade pool, he took her fiercely once more. Yun Pianpian was bitten awake, her eyes red as she began to cry, “What are you doing, husband…?”
“I am punishing you.”
“What did I do wrong?”
“Pianpian did nothing wrong.”
“Then why are you biting me?”
Yun Pianpian’s cheeks flushed crimson from his bites, her eyes damp and on the verge of tears.
She looked utterly enticing.
Xiao Changyuan released her poor ear.
His dark, intense eyes fixed on her face.
“Now it’s your turn to punish me.”
Yun Pianpian wrapped her arms around his neck, biting his ear. Remembering how he had treated her earlier, she couldn’t help but bite down harder. Even with all her strength, Xiao Changyuan’s voice remained cold and fierce by her ear: “Bite harder…”
Hearing this, Yun Pianpian bit down with all her might.
They spent the entire morning in debauchery.
Xiao Changyuan held Yun Pianpian, fully satisfied.
The biggest difference between him and Yun Pianpian was this:
Yun Pianpian always saw the him who had lost his memory and the him who had regained it as two different people.
But Xiao Changyuan knew clearly that his past self and his present self were, in fact, one and the same.
They were both him.
Just different versions of himself at different times.
Xiao Changyuan asked softly, “Yun Pianpian, which version of me do you prefer?”
Yun Pianpian was so exhausted she was about to fall asleep. If she were her usual self, she would have said the gentle Xiao Changyuan. But now, drowsy as she was, her intelligence took over.
“I prefer the husband before me now.”
As the ancients said: Gazing at distant mountains and rivers only brings emptiness; lamenting fallen blossoms in the wind and rain only deepens sorrow. Better to cherish the one before you.
She would always love the Xiao Changyuan right in front of her.
Hearing her words, Xiao Changyuan closed his eyes contentedly, a faint smile gracing his pale lips.
“I also love the Yun Pianpian before me.”
He would not let last night's incident diminish his affection for Yun Pianpian in the slightest. On the contrary, he would cherish her even more, ensuring no one could ever take her away.
He loved the her of the past just as he loved the her of the future, but he would always favor the her of the present.
Whether she was a tiger or a butterfly, he would fall in love with her.
He wanted to be able to reach out and hold her, to lower his head and kiss her.
Only when she was firmly in his embrace would he feel that he truly possessed her.
So even if she sometimes drifted away, as long as she returned to his arms,
He would love her as always, be infatuated with her, forever yearning for her.
As in the past, as in the future, and as in the present.