Chapter 27: Suppress

Chapter 27: Suppression

The study was silent, with only opalescent incense smoke drifting lazily.

Even without turning around, Xin He could sense Wei Mingjin’s gaze fixed on her neck.

That gaze was searing and intense, making the delicate skin on her neck feel as if it were burning.

But with Wei Mingjin standing so close behind her, she dared not make any sudden movements. She kept her body tense, lowered her head, and asked, barely a whisper, "Young Master, how should this character be written?"

Wei Mingjin came back to himself, withdrew his gaze, and refocused his attention on the paper.

He took Xin He’s hand, guiding her hand stroke by stroke: "Writing emphasizes order and structure, not merely assembling strokes…"

Xin He forced herself to ignore the warmth radiating from him, pouring all her focus into the characters before her.

After finishing one character, Wei Mingjin released her hand: "Do you remember the stroke order now?"

"Yes, I do," Xin He replied, nodding hurriedly.

Wei Mingjin did not challenge her further. Instead, he took two steps back, putting space between them. "Since you remember, go back and practice writing it again. Show it to me tomorrow."

"Yes," Xin He said before hastily leaving the room.

Qiong Hua was chatting with Feng Mo under the corridor. Seeing Xin He rush out, she quickly approached and asked with concern, "Yiniang Xin, are you feeling unwell? Why is your face so flushed?"

"No, it’s just that the brazier in the Young Master’s study is too hot," Xin He replied before hurriedly descending the steps.

Qiong Hua immediately followed.

Feng Mo looked puzzled: The Young Master’s study had only one charcoal basin, and the doors and windows were open. It couldn't possibly have been hot enough to make Yiniang Xin’s face flush so red?

"Someone. In here," Wei Mingjin’s voice called from the study.

Feng Mo immediately stopped his wandering thoughts and hurried inside. "Young Master, your orders?"

"Draw a bath."

As Feng Mo was about to leave to carry out the order, Wei Mingjin added, "Make it cold."

Feng Mo: "…"

Using cold water for a bath in the middle of winter? Wouldn’t that be bad for his health?!

Feng Mo turned back, intending to persuade him otherwise, but seeing Wei Mingjin’s dark expression as he sat behind the desk, he immediately swallowed his words.

Having served by Wei Mingjin’s side for many years, Feng Mo knew all too well when he could dare to offer advice and when it was best to remain silent.

Soon, the water was prepared.

Wei Mingjin shed his robes and slowly stepped into the cold water.

The weather had grown increasingly cold, and at this hour, the icicles hanging from the eaves had not yet melted. Yet, Wei Mingjin showed no sign of feeling it, sitting expressionlessly in the cold water.

Letting the cold water douse the fire in him.

Wei Mingjin was talented and handsome, and over the years, countless women had admired him, with many even offering themselves without expecting recognition.

But Wei Mingjin had rejected them all.

He was a man, physically intact.

He had the same desires and reactions as any normal man, but he never gave in to them as others did. Instead, he always chose to suppress them in a swift and severe manner.

The outside world praised Wei Mingjin for his chastity, so unlike his libertine father.

But no one knew that Wei Mingjin was not practicing self-denial out of purity—rather, he found the act of carnal intimacy between men and women to be profoundly vile and disgusting.

This perception was forged when Wei Mingjin was six years old.

It was a summer afternoon, with the sun blazing and cicadas rasping.

After waking from his nap, Wei Mingjin had written a calligraphy exercise that he was particularly proud of. Filled with pride, he eagerly took it to his father, hoping for praise.

The afternoon drowsiness made everyone lethargic. While the master of the house napped, the servants took the opportunity to sneak away and rest.

Wei Mingjin didn’t encounter a single servant on his way, so he reached his father’s study unimpeded.

The door to his father’s study was tightly shut, but the window was open, and muffled sounds of his father’s voice could be heard from inside.

Afraid that his father might be discussing important matters with someone, Wei Mingjin didn’t dare barge in. Instead, he decided to sneak over to the window and take a peek.

At that time, Wei Mingjin was still small. He had to stand on his tiptoes and grip the windowsill to see inside.

In the study, his father was pressing a maid against the desk, engaging in carnal knowledge.

Two naked bodies were entangled together.

His father, who always appeared dignified and well-dressed, had shed his usual gentle and scholarly demeanor. His expression was dazed and frenzied as he pinned the maid down, his flesh quivering and swaying as he rutted like a beast.

The woman beneath him wore a pained expression and screamed repeatedly.

Wei Mingjin was frozen in terror, unable to move.

It wasn’t until the maid accidentally saw him and let out a shriek that Master Wei, lost in his lust, suddenly turned his head and noticed Wei Mingjin staring blankly through the window.

That afternoon, Master Wei’s roars of anger nearly shook the roof off. Every servant outside the study, as well as the maids and attendants serving Wei Mingjin, were punished with the cane without exception.

After that day, Wei Mingjin fell seriously ill, running a high fever for several days before finally regaining consciousness.

From then on, physical intimacy between men and women became something utterly ugly and disgusting in his eyes.

As he grew older, his body matured, and he began to experience uncontrollable desires. Yet, whenever Wei Mingjin thought about engaging in intimate acts with a woman like his father had, he felt nothing but disgust and revulsion.

So he always chose to suppress these urges in a swift and brutal manner.

For many years, he had managed this well. Until that night at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, when he was tricked and, through a twist of fate, ended up in a compromising situation with Xin He, who had also been drugged.

Most of what happened that night had been lost to haze after he woke up.

But today, when that faint fragrance from Xin He drifted over, those forgotten memories suddenly resurfaced.

In the shadowed bedcurtains, their breaths mingled, scalding.

With a soft, warm jade of a woman in his arms, her slender, snow-white neck arched high, glistening beads of sweat tracing a path over the trembling crimson mole on the wings of her shoulders, meandering downward into the dip of her waist. Her willowy waist quivered, and her satin-like black hair cascaded forward, veiling the pale curves beneath.

Wherever his large hands roamed, they encountered nothing but silk and perfume.

Even though he was drugged that night, he had initially fought against this intimacy with the other person.

But the woman was surprisingly strong, and when he resisted, she grasped his wrists and forced his compliance.

Though she was eager, she was clueless about what to do.

She pressed against him, flustered and anxious, and he was hardly any better.

His stomach muscles were taut, and it was only his lingering childhood trauma that barely kept the raging urges at bay.

Later, in her clumsy exploration, she somehow stumbled onto the right path.

And in that moment, even the shadow of his childhood could no longer restrain the long-suppressed beast within Wei Mingjin.

So he opened his eyes, bloodshot from restraint, and suddenly slipped his arm around her slender waist, reversing their roles and taking control.

They were both inexperienced, and at first, it was agonizing for both.

But in the sweaty collisions, everything soon fell into place, and they gradually found a rhythmic sync.

Wei Mingjin sat without expression in the cold water.

Usually, after soaking in cold water, the fever would quickly cool.

But today, he had been in the cold water for two quarters, and not only had the heat not dissipated, it seemed to be intensifying.

He was lucid today, but at this moment, his body once again felt the same turmoil as that night when he was under the influence.

Some things, once you’ve gotten a taste, cannot be resolved by mere suppression.

Wei Mingjin lowered his gaze, a flash of deep disgust in his eyes.

Meanwhile, Xin He had changed into a house dress and was sitting at the kang table writing.

Before entering the Wei household, Xin He was not only the most beautiful girl in Shili Village but also renowned for her cleverness and skill.

Whether it was embroidery, gathering herbs, or farm work, she always managed to do it quickly and well.

But now, when it came to writing, Xin He was not only no longer clever and skilled but seemed rather awkward.

After carefully writing one character and comparing it to the one Wei Mingjin had written earlier, Xin He angrily tossed her brush aside.

What kind of awful writing is this! She had followed Wei Mingjin’s instructions exactly, so why did his characters look so elegant while hers resembled a mess of ugly earthworms?

Qiong Hua, who had entered carrying bird’s nest tonic, hurriedly comforted her: "You must be tired from writing, Ma’am. Have some bird’s nest tonic and rest for a while."

Xin He didn’t answer, only turned her face away in frustration.

Qiong Hua placed the bird’s nest tonic down, glanced at the writing on the table, and added encouragingly: "The young master has been reading and writing since childhood and trained under renowned teachers, so his calligraphy is naturally excellent. You’ve only been practicing for half a month, Ma’am. Being able to write like this is already very good."

"Really?" Xin He looked at Qiong Hua.

Qiong Hua nodded emphatically.

Xin He’s expression softened slightly: "I also think I’m doing quite well now, but the young master says my writing is terrible."

The last sentence carried obvious discontent.

Earlier, to win over Wei Mingjin, Xin He had claimed that she had always envied those who could read and write, but that was just a lie to fool him.

In the past, at her uncle’s house, she went hungry and underdressed, and she had to toil daily to please the family to avoid being sold.

Back then, all Xin He could think about was securing a good marriage.

A woman has two chances at life: one when she is born, and the other when she marries.

Only by marrying a wealthy husband who would listen to her could she alter her fate in the second half of her life.

Reading and writing were completely pointless to her.

As a woman, she couldn’t take the civil service exams. Moreover, she was self-aware: though she was beautiful, prestigious families or scholarly households prized virtue and decorum in a wife. Even if she were highly educated, they would never consider her.

Now that the barrier between her and Wei Mingjin had been broken, pretending to be eager and ambitious no longer held any appeal.

But Xin He didn’t understand why Wei Mingjin was so insistent on teaching her to read and write.

Though she didn’t understand, she knew she couldn’t oppose him. Since she now relied on Wei Mingjin for survival, no matter how unwilling she was, she had to comply with his wishes.

After drinking the bird’s nest tonic, Xin He took a deep breath and reluctantly picked up the paper to practice writing again.

Wei Mingjin had high expectations for her, and Xin He practiced for a solid two hours before stopping.

The next day, after breakfast, Xin He took what she thought were her two best pieces of writing to show Wei Mingjin.

Instead of the praise she had imagined, she was once again criticized for her ugly handwriting.

Just as Xin He was seething with irritation, Wei Mingjin added, "From now on, when you come here, don’t use any face powder, scents, or hair oil."

Xin He: "..."

After that, every time Xin He went to see Wei Mingjin, she felt as if she were marching to her doom.

On this day, as she was heading to see Wei Mingjin with a heavy heart, the doorkeeper came to report: "Ma’am, Miss Liang is here."

Xin He immediately felt relieved.

She instructed them to quickly invite Liang Wanying in and sent someone to inform Wei Mingjin.

Since she had a guest, she needed to entertain her guest and wouldn’t be able to go see him today.

Liang Wanying had some distance to travel, so Qiong Hua, who had been sent to inform Wei Mingjin, returned before Liang Wanying arrived.

Qiong Hua reported: "I’ve informed the young master. He said since Miss Liang is here, you should attend to your guest first."

Soon, Liang Wanying was ushered in.

Xin He immediately greeted her with a bright smile at the door: "Miss Liang, it’s been a while since you last visited. I was worried that I hadn’t hosted you properly last time or that I might have offended you with my words!"

"Not at all. Wanying caught a cold recently and was afraid of passing it on to you, which is why I haven’t come to keep you company."

Though Xin He and Liang Wanying were about the same age, Liang Wanying always acted deferentially around Xin He.

Xin He understood Liang Wanying’s intentions and didn’t mind, warmly taking her hand and asking with concern: "Oh, Miss Liang, you caught a cold? Are you fully recovered now? No wonder you look paler than the last time I saw you."

As she spoke, Xin He affectionately led Liang Wanying inside to sit down, and maids promptly served hot tea and snacks.

Liang Wanying had visited the Wei household several times before, and though Xin He had always been polite and attentive, the two had never been close.

Today, however, Xin He’s sudden warmth and intimacy made Liang Wanying feel unexpectedly flattered.

After some casual conversation, when Liang Wanying once again shyly and timidly brought up Wei Mingjin, Xin He said, "Young Master happens to be home today. If Miss Liang wishes to see him, I can have someone escort you over."

"R-really? Is that alright?" Liang Wanying stammered.

"Of course it is." Xin He called for an older female servant to take Liang Wanying to see Wei Mingjin.

Liang Wanying immediately stood up, brightening with happiness as she thanked Xin He.

"There's no need for thanks." Xin He took Liang Wanying’s hand and said in a low voice, "Our Young Master is exceptionally talented, but due to his mourning period for the master, he has declined all poetry gatherings and social outings with classmates. Still, I can tell he truly wishes to discuss poetry and literature with someone. I’ve heard that Miss Liang is skilled in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Since you’re going to see our Young Master, you must make the most of this chance."

"Thank you for the reminder, Madam." Grateful, Liang Wanying bowed respectfully to Xin He.

Xin He watched her leave with a smile, her mind already scheming with satisfaction—

After a long discussion of poetry and literature, it would surely be quite late.

Although the barrier between her and Wei Mingjin had been broken, he seemed intent on maintaining the status quo.

She was still his nominal stepmother. If it grew too late, to avoid suspicion, Wei Mingjin wouldn’t be able to send for her. That way, she could avoid going to him today.

But Xin He never expected Wei Mingjin to act so unpredictably.

Just as she had comfortably settled onto the couch at evening, munching on dried sour apricots with her legs crossed, Feng Mo’s shadow suddenly appeared like an apparition against the window paper. His voice was deep, like an underworld envoy come to claim a spirit.

"Madam, the Young Master asks for you."

*Thud—*

The apricot Xin He had just picked up instantly fell to the floor.