Chapter 181 Bai Xiuming Knew That Sending Flowers Tonight…

Chapter 181 Bai Xiuming Knew What Giving Flowers Meant Tonight...

Descending from the altar, A Chan removed the feathered crown from her head and placed it on the pillar erected on the west side. The other three likewise set aside their headdresses, and together they walked out of the altar grounds.

The moment A Chan turned, she saw Shen Huixue waving excitedly and headed in that direction.

As she approached, Shen Huixue placed a pre-prepared floral wreath around her neck.

Others, seizing the opportunity, slipped small floral bracelets onto A Chan’s wrists. Finding them beautiful, A Chan accepted them all.

The surrounding cheers were deafening. Shen Huixue leaned in close to A Chan’s ear and shouted, “Let’s go, the feast is starting!”

Before A Chan could react, Shen Huixue was already pulling her in another direction.

She had intended to look for Bai Xiuming, but when she glanced back, all she saw was a dense throng, making it impossible to distinguish anyone.

Pulled along by Huixue, A Chan joined the villagers gathered around the altar, heading towards the center of the village.

Before they even arrived, she could already see the blazing flames rising in the distance.

A few more steps brought into view a massive bonfire platform in the village square, its flames leaping skyward, radiating warmth in every direction. The flickering light illuminated every face.

Around the bonfire, on stone slabs, lay piles of colorful flowers, towering stacks of wine jars, fresh fruits and vegetables, and fragrant roasted meat—crispy on the outside and tender inside—still intact.

As more people gathered, the four dancers from today’s ritual were led by the crowd to the bonfire. Hand in hand, everyone began dancing around the flames.

With the sound of drums and songs that seemed to pierce the night, the night's celebration officially began.

After the group dance, A Chan was led by Shen Huixue in a dance, then passed on to another dancer as the revelry continued.

Everyone’s dance moves were unique—untaught, they simply expressed their inner joy through spontaneous movement.

Amid such a lively and jubilant atmosphere, A Chan forgot all her worries, leaving only happiness in her heart.

After several rounds of dancing, she was exhausted, breathlessly searching for Shen Huixue. Before spotting Huixue, however, she saw Lie Xing standing amidst the dancing crowd, surrounded by several girls.

The young women were all dressed up for the occasion, each holding a cluster of flowers, seemingly intending to give them to Lie Xing.

Beneath their hopeful gazes, Lie Xing accepted a white bouquet from one of them. The others looked disappointed and drifted away, while the chosen girl shyly took his hand.

Amid the cheers of the onlookers, the two walked away from the crowd.

Witnessing this, A Chan felt as though she had seen something significant.

After this example, A Chan noticed several other young couples nearby doing the same—accepting flowers from each other before leaving together.

At some point, Shen Huixue returned to A Chan’s side. Seeing her engrossed in the spectacle, she handed her a bowl of mildly alcoholic fruit wine.

“It’s fruit wine brewed in the village. Try it!”

Having danced for so long, A Chan was thirsty. She took the bowl and drank most of it.

The wine carried only a faint alcoholic aroma, the rest bursting with rich, fresh fruit flavor. Without hesitation, she finished the remaining half.

Returning the empty bowl to Shen Huixue, A Chan couldn’t suppress her curiosity and whispered, “Where are they all going?”

Shen Huixue smiled knowingly—she had expected A Chan to ask, as she herself had once been just as curious.

“Probably going home together.”

Home?

A Chan widened her eyes, blinking a few times before pointing out the oddity: “But they don’t seem very familiar.”

Shen Huixue replied with meaning, “They will be by morning.”

Among the Wu people, matchmaking needed no parental approval. After every ritual, there was a grand feast—for the village youth, this was the best place to socialize.

If someone took their fancy, they could offer flowers. If the other accepted, they could take things further.

A Chan’s lips parted slightly—did she understand correctly?

Though she was a worldly fox spirit, this was her first time encountering such customs. The Wu people were truly free.

As the two spoke, another young couple walked past them hand in hand, disappearing into the distance.

“What if they realize they’re not suited after tonight?” A Chan turned to watch the departing pair and couldn’t help asking.

“Then they’ll choose someone else at the next feast. They’ll find the right one eventually.” Shen Huixue, having seen this many times, wasn't surprised. “After every feast, the village would see many weddings.”

So if you liked someone, you could just take them home to try?

Perhaps it was the alcohol, or maybe the atmosphere, but A Chan felt a growing urge.

She glanced at the flowers piled beside the bonfire, where people kept stepping forward to pick them. She wanted to as well.

But… now that she thought about it, she hadn’t seen Bai Xiuming since the ritual began.

She turned, scanning the crowd, when suddenly she spotted a familiar figure near the flower pile.

He was being stopped by several girls. From this distance, A Chan couldn’t make out their expressions.

Perhaps her gaze was too obvious, because Bai Xiuming seemed to sense it. He turned abruptly, his eyes meeting hers across the dancing crowd.

He simply watched her from afar, making no move to approach.

“Huixue,” A Chan suddenly called to the girl beside her.

“Hm?”

“I’m going to pick flowers.”

Shen Huixue paused, then followed A Chan’s gaze to the flower pile—and spotted Bai Xiuming.

She smiled knowingly. “Go on.”

Fixing her wreath, A Chan pushed through the crowd, making her way quickly toward the bonfire.

Unfortunately, before she could get close, a dancing throng cut her off. By the time they passed, Bai Xiuming was no longer there.

She turned and spotted him again, this time outside the crowd.

Following his figure, A Chan found herself leaving the crowd, gradually distancing herself from the raucous celebration.

Trailing that intentionally distant figure through the darkness, following familiar trails, she eventually returned to the village-edge altar.

The flames in the hearth had mostly died down, leaving only glowing embers lighting the surroundings.

There, Bai Xiuming sat on one of the altar’s steps, gazing at her in silence.

A Chan climbed the steps, ascending one by one before stopping in front of Bai Xiuming.

The distant festivities made this place feel unnaturally quiet. One standing, the other sitting—A Chan found herself looking down at Bai Xiuming for the first time.

She asked, "Why did you come here?"

No question about it—he'd lured her here.

"I wanted to see you dance for me here, just for me," Bai Xiuming said, tilting his head up to gaze at her, his throat moving as he spoke.

Though physically beneath her, the intensity of his gaze was so scorching and unguarded that A Chan could hardly say no.

"Will you?" His voice was low and husky, like honeyed poison.

A Chan felt her body growing warmer, her pulse racing. She licked her lips, though they didn't need moistening. "...Alright."

Under Bai Xiuming’s watchful eyes, she took another step up, reaching the altar's top.

A soft tapping sound began—Bai Xiuming’s fingers curled and rapped against the wooden steps. Though not as resonant as drumbeats, the rhythm matched the sacred drums perfectly.

Following the familiar tempo, A Chan’s body began to move.

The Ritual Dance of the Wu clan originated from their ancestors’ ancient hunting traditions. When performed by men, it was fierce and wild, but every motion of her movements now radiated seduction in Bai Xiuming’s eyes.

The arch of her neck, the sway of her arms, the twist of her waist—his eyes burned into her. If he were her prey, he wouldn’t even think of fleeing. He’d surrender willingly, letting her do as he pleased.

From the moment he first saw her on the platform, these carnal thoughts had festered in his mind. Now, they could no longer be suppressed.

The drumming ceased abruptly. A Chan turned her head toward Bai Xiuming, only to see him rise and stride toward her.

In his hand, that appeared as if by magic, was a bouquet of blue flowers clustered together like a perfect sphere of blossoms.

He held it up to her. "Do you like it?"

A Chan tilted her head. She wondered—did Bai Xiuming know what giving flowers meant tonight?

After a pause, her fingers closed around the bouquet.

The next moment, she felt herself lifted effortlessly, her waist encircled by his arms. The flower crown atop her head fell to the ground, but Bai Xiuming paid it no mind, carrying her into the waiting shadows.

The door crashed open as their tangled bodies stumbled toward the bed, the soft sounds of their panting loud in the hush.

Once inside, Bai Xiuming became pure hunger.

A Chan, caught in his embrace, soon found her calves pressed against the edge of the bed. Losing her balance, she fell backward.

Bai Xiuming braced a knee on the mattress, his scorching palm supporting the small of her back, cushioning her fall.

As her spine met the soft bedding, his tall, firm frame followed, pinning her deep into the bedding.

The sudden weight drew a faint gasp from her. Her small hands slid from the nape of his neck to his chest, pressed between their bodies.

Beneath her fingers, his muscles were taut, their defined contours unmistakable even through fabric.

She pushed against him, but it was futile.

His kisses today were possessively rough, sapping her strength bit by bit. She could only tilt her head back, surrendering to his conquest until she was nearly breathless, finally turning her face away.

Bai Xiuming showed no intention of stopping. His lips, damp and hot, trailed downward—her delicate chin, the delicate column of her throat.

Beneath him, A Chan lay with dazed eyes, her swollen, reddened mouth parted as she gulped for air.

Her body felt like it was burning, fire licking through her veins.

"So hot..." she murmured.

"Where?" Bai Xiuming mumbled against her earlobe.

A Chan ignored him. "Hot... need a bath..."

"As you wish." He rolled over, lifting her in his arms, chest to chest.

Startled by this unfamiliar embrace, A Chan instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

Before the bathing pool, when she refused to let go, he simply stepped in with her.

A Chan reclined into the water, her ceremonial garments plastered to her skin, the heaving contours of her chest unmistakable. Bai Xiuming braced a hand on the edge of the tub, his gaze darkening, his eyes dark with desire.

Under her watchful eyes, he undid his belt, shrugged off his drenched robes and tossing it aside.

Her gaze drifted downward uncontrollably—the defined ridges of his abdomen, a prominent vein leading beneath the waistband of his pants. She swallowed, her knees drawing up instinctively.

Bai Xiuming stared at her unblinkingly, with predator's focus, unwilling to miss even the slightest flicker of emotion.

His arm plunged into the water, capturing her ankle. His large hand enveloped her delicate foot, wringing a tremble from her.

His grip loosened, sliding up along her calf.

The warm bathwater only fed the flames coursing through A Chan. Water sloshed violently over the rim, splattering onto the floor.

A pair of jade-white feet swayed with the ripples, luminous against the dark water.

The night was deep, the revelry outside still unending. In the pitch-black room, the very air pulsed with need.