Chapter 263: Chapter 110: Heart’s Delight (Part 3)

She could hardly breathe, feeling as if her lungs might burst. Her mouth was tender and her tongue weak, saliva pooling at the corners of her lips.

Chen Wanqing pushed hard against Zhao Jing, muffled pleas escaping her lips.

Zhao Jing finally let her go, but he didn’t move away. He still held her firmly, his moist lips planting soft, intermittent pecks on her red, swollen mouth.

"Jing..."

The moment she opened her mouth, that cunning snake darted back inside.

It swayed lithely, stretching out contentedly as it roamed back and forth in the warm spring.

She didn’t know what he’d touched, but a sensation like an electric shock suddenly shot through her.

Chen Wanqing couldn’t help but gasp, and a soft moan that would make anyone blush escaped her lips.

The sound was like an aphrodisiac, and in an instant, the youth who had been holding himself back lost all control...

Outside in the courtyard, the sounds of De’an complaining of exhaustion, Chen Song’s enthusiastic greetings, and Xu Su Ying telling De’an to call them for dinner could be heard.

The cozy bustle of daily life drifted in, bringing with it a sense of peace and tranquility.

But Chen Wanqing was not fine.

She sat before her vanity, her delicate brows furrowed. As she applied another layer of powder to her red, swollen lips, she felt utterly vexed.

The powder had worked last time, but it was useless now.

Worse, any amount of pressure sent a sharp, stinging pain through them, as if they’d been pierced by splinters.

Chen Wanqing mercilessly stomped on the foot next to her. "Jing, you went too far! How can I possibly face anyone today with my mouth in this state?"

Zhao Jing’s gaze was scorching as he stared at her swollen, alluring lips.

They were indeed swollen—more so than last time. He had heard her hiss in pain and couldn’t help but feel a pang of remorse.

"Wanqing, I’m sorry. I won’t do it again."

The young man drooped his head, his face a mask of dejection. He looked utterly pitiful.

He was just like a big, guilty puppy, obediently admitting his mistake and using his perfect looks to beg for forgiveness—a trick he had long since mastered.

But Chen Wanqing knew it was just an act.

If she let him off easy this time, he would be even bolder the next.

She had seen right through him.

’But what can I do?’

She just didn’t have the heart to be cruel to him.

In the end, just like last time, all she could do was shoot him a fierce glare and snap, "Don’t let it happen again!"

As for how she’d react the next time he did it... ’That’s a problem for future me,’ she thought. ’I’ll deal with it then.’

Zhao Jing was heading to a banquet at the county government today, and he wore the outfit Chen Wanqing had prepared for him a few days ago.

It was a blue-green, cross-collared robe embroidered with a cloud pattern.

The blue-green of the robe on the young man’s straight frame enhanced his refined aura, making him look like a stalk of bamboo after the rain—tall, solemn, and graceful, drawing all eyes to him.

Though his shoulders were not yet broad and he still possessed a youthful immaturity, a bamboo shoot that has weathered the wind and rain will one day stand tall on its own.

When the two of them emerged from the back courtyard, Zhao Jing was radiant, his dark eyes sparkling with life.

Her daughter, on the other hand, had her head bowed. The powder on her face was a little thick, and she winced every time she licked her lips. She looked utterly listless, as if her very life force had been drained away to vitalize another.

As a woman who had seen it all, Xu Su Ying understood everything perfectly.

’But weren’t the young lovebirds being a little too comfortable around the family?’

’It happened last time, and now it’s happened again. It’s normal for newlyweds to be affectionate, but they need to control the intensity!’

Xu Su Ying planned to have a word with her daughter about this later, but there was no time for that now.

Zhao Jing and De’an needed to eat quickly to get to the county government banquet on time.

Before he left, Zhao Jing again had Chen Wanqing straighten his attire.

His eyes were fixed on Chen Wanqing, following her every movement.

Chen De’an wondered if it was just his imagination, but he could have sworn he saw a hint of scorching thirst in Jing’s eyes.

’Still, Jing is much better now than he was last night.’

’Last night, it was as if his soul had been spirited away. He was completely absent-minded when I spoke to him; it would take ages for him to even say a single word in response.’

’I was worried back then. If Jing had gone to the banquet in that state, he would surely have been labeled "arrogant" and "haughty." That would have been detrimental to making confidants and would have negatively impacted the impression he made on the County Magistrate.’

’Thankfully, his sister was the perfect cure. The moment she arrived, Jing was healed.’

’That must be why she came into the city so early this morning.’

After the two of them left, Chen Wanqing called over Dashan and rushed to open the shop for business.

Xu Su Ying had to swallow her words once again.

Still, she followed her out the door and called, "Will you be home for lunch?"

"We will! Make some for Dashan, too. We’ll be back after we sell out of incense. We might be early or we might be late, so just eat once you’re done cooking, Mom. No need to wait for us."

Business was booming for Chen Wanqing again that day. The dozen or so boxes of incense she brought sold out in just a single hour.

Any students who came after that left empty-handed.

All they could do was ask when more would be in stock, if they could pay a deposit in advance, when they could pick up their pre-orders, and whether home delivery was possible.

Moonlight Fragrance was now in such high demand that supply couldn’t keep up, and Qingxiang House was always as crowded as a bustling market.

Hearing the commotion next door, Mrs. Zhu couldn’t help but step outside to look. As expected, the neighboring shop was packed with people.

Seven or eight young scholars were crammed into the little shop.

Some were dressed in silks and brocades, others in plain cloth with the square caps of scholars. What they all had in common was their purpose: to purchase Moonlight Fragrance.

In just a short while, Mrs. Zhu watched as a long list of pre-orders was added to the form in Chen Wanqing’s hand.

That was all silver! In just that short span of time, she had likely earned enough to buy half a shop. Mrs. Zhu’s eyes went red with an envy so fierce it felt like they might start bleeding.