After Marrying the Villain with Seven Personalities [Transmigration into a Book]) - Chapter 29

A small daisy, its threads a messy tangle, gradually took shape against the backdrop of the bright red fabric. Up close, it didn’t look like much of anything. From a distance…

It still didn’t look like much.

Xu Linqiu frowned and bit off the thread. Just as she was about to thread another needle to touch up the design, the woman beside her snatched it away.

The Empress narrowed her slender, willow-leaf eyes, scanning the daisy with an intensity so solemn that Xu Linqiu feared Yi Chenqing had returned. Then, she suddenly broke into a radiant smile. “The State Preceptor’s craftsmanship has become truly exquisite~”

Xu Linqiu breathed a sigh of relief and placed the needles and thread back into the sewing kit. The Empress then pushed her “treasure box” forward, hopping off the bed with excitement. “State Preceptor, choose for yourself.”

Those words filled Xu Linqiu with a sudden, sinking dread. Ignoring everything else, she took a deep breath and opened the box.

Sure enough, the first thing that caught her eye was a small leather whip.

For a moment, a thought bubble seemed to appear over Xu Linqiu’s head. In it, she saw herself dressed in crimson court robes, pinning the young Empress—whose dragon robes were in disarray—against the imperial desk while brandishing that very whip.

Xu Linqiu shuddered, quickly scattering the messy thoughts. Feigning composure, she rummaged through the rest of the box.

The more she looked, the more breathless she became. She didn’t even know the purpose of some of these items, but they all looked incredibly… stimulating.

A pity my waist is in such bad shape… otherwise, it wouldn’t be impossible to try a few.

Of course, she couldn’t bring herself to actually use the whip.

She tucked the sewing kit inside, quickly crawled to the edge of the bed with the box in her arms, and hid it underneath.

At the sound of the bathroom door opening, Yi Chenhuang made a grand entrance, one hand on her hip and the other leaning against the doorframe. Heaven only knows who she learned that “seductive” pose from.

Xu Linqiu looked over. Under the lights, her gaze was met with an expanse of glowing, supple skin. The red fabric of the dudou barely covered her, and the unrecognizable daisy sat center stage on the loose, fluttering material.

“Go back and put some clothes on. This is improper,” Xu Linqiu commanded, though her eyes refused to look away.

The woman ignored her entirely. She tilted her head back and walked over with high-profile grace, looking for all the world like an arrogant cat. As she leaned over the edge of the bed, Xu Linqiu’s heart began to hammer against her ribs.

Yi Chenhuang circled around and lay down on the other side.

Fine, soft hair spilled across her warm shoulders. Her willow-leaf eyes curved into crescents as she looked up at Xu Linqiu.

Xu Linqiu’s gaze flickered, but as the scent of magnolia drew closer, the woman’s arms hooked around her neck. Her cool cheek pressed against Xu Linqiu’s, nuzzling gently. “Does the State Preceptor not want to… possess me?~”

She bent her legs slightly, pressing her body close.

Instinctively, Xu Linqiu braced her hands on either side of the woman, shielding her in her arms. The contrast in their skin temperatures helped her tense, fluttering heart settle into a steady rhythm.

She pulled back slightly to cup the Empress’s face, meeting eyes that seemed to hold the stars. Playing along with the role, Xu Linqiu smiled. “Where did Your Majesty learn such things?”

Her smile was gentle and captivating, her eyes deep as an abyss. Yi Chenhuang couldn’t help but curl into her arms like a kitten, her legs brushing against Xu Linqiu as she tilted her head up to meet her lips. “Never mind that. We just really want to…”

The moment their soft lips met, their breathing synchronized. The temperature in the room spiked, melting into a blend of two distinct fragrances.

Xu Linqiu closed her eyes, their lips lingering and pulling in a tender rhythm, teeth occasionally grazing. Their accelerating heartbeats seemed to throb in unison through the thin barrier of skin. She found herself caressing the Empress’s flushed face, her tongue wandering to entwine with the other’s.

They were like two willow branches swaying and tangling in a spring breeze, letting out low, lingering sighs of passion.

Xu Linqiu didn’t notice the woman shifting upward. A hand reached down, effortlessly finding the box beneath the bed. With a casual grab, the Empress pressed the object she found into Xu Linqiu’s hand.

Feeling the sudden weight in her palm, Xu Linqiu froze. She broke the kiss, her eyes still hazy with lingering desire. She felt the object—a cylindrical item—and sighed helplessly. “I told you, my waist hurts. I don’t think I can.”

“As it happens, if your waist hurts, this is meant for ‘massaging’.”

Xu Linqiu: “…”

Yi Chenhuang pursed her lips, her cheeks puffing out slightly as her arms tightened around Xu Linqiu’s neck. “Just once, okay? State Preceptor~”

Xu Linqiu was defenseless against such soft pleading. She sighed internally and kissed those moist lips again, their tongues tangling once more.

The room grew thick with heat.

Beneath the warm light, Xu Linqiu leaned down to bite the Empress’s neck, sucking until a dark, ambiguous mark appeared, before gradually moving lower.

The Empress tilted her head back, her expression dazed, her legs rubbing together uncontrollably.

Xu Linqiu loved this raw, instinctive madness. She loved the scent of magnolia, she loved her softness, and she had even inevitably fallen for this “drama queen” persona. Despite the sudden surprises, she was… truly adorable.

As the saying goes, one must be brave enough to explore. Like a climber braving hardships to reach the summit just to pluck and kiss a single flower. Like a fish playing in the water, darting into a hidden cave, then mischievously lingering at the entrance.

Late into the night, the bright lights were extinguished. In the pitch-black space, the sound of intertwined, soft gasps remained, eventually turning into a sharp scolding.

“You liar of a State Preceptor! You said we’d play with this… how can we play when it’s this dark…”

Her voice cut off abruptly. Xu Linqiu, focused and sweating, whispered tentatively, “How about this?”

The only answer was a short, sharp gasp, followed by heavy, bashful breathing. “It’s… alright…”

Satisfied, Xu Linqiu felt her way through the dark to kiss her, enduring the faint ache in her waist to continue.

Faint light filtered through the curtains into the dim, fragrant room.

The moment Yi Chenqing woke up, a wave of soreness washed over her. She felt a soft warmth pressed against her back; a woman’s steady, warm breath fanned against her neck, and an arm was clamped tightly around her waist.

Her own hand seemed to be clutching something. Yi Chenqing’s body went rigid. She had no memory of what had happened, only that she was currently sleeping on the very edge of the bed. If not for Xu Linqiu holding her, she likely would have fallen off.

She looked down and caught sight of the red marks covering her body. The blanket barely reached her waist. And in her hand… she was holding…

“!!!”

Yi Chenqing’s face turned a violent shade of red. She looked away, unable to bear the sight of the object in her hand, and tried to toss it to the floor. As she did, her eyes swept over the box under the bed. It was wide open, and the most prominent item inside was a small leather whip, alongside various other blush-inducing gadgets.

She threw the object into the box and jumped as a voice came from behind her.

“Last night, I told you to let go, but you insisted on sleeping with it.”

Xu Linqiu sounded like she wasn’t fully awake yet. She kept her eyes closed, nuzzling into Yi Chenqing’s neck, her voice slightly hoarse.

Yi Chenqing couldn’t understand why, but the moment that breath brushed her skin, her body went weak. She gritted her teeth and asked, “These things… and last night…”

“Mmm…” Xu Linqiu murmured, a smile playing on her lips. “You must have had an ‘episode’ last night. When I came out from the shower, I found you asleep in the chair. I tried to carry you to bed, but you suddenly tackled me. And then… we had a very ‘happy’ game together~”

“I brought those things. I just like playing with them~” she added, whispering into Yi Chenqing’s ear to tease her.

Opening her eyes slightly, Xu Linqiu saw exactly what she expected: Yi Chenqing’s earlobes were beet red. Laughing, she reached for the dudou at the head of the bed and stuffed it into the other woman’s arms.

“You even forced me to wear this last night. I didn’t want to, but you got… rough.”

The red silk felt like a hot coal in Yi Chenqing’s hands. She threw it back into the box as if it were burning her.

Xu Linqiu pulled her closer, rubbing against her neck, her voice softening. “In the end, you nearly broke my waist.”

“Even though you were rough with me,” she whispered bashfully, “I actually quite liked it…”

Yi Chenqing: “…”

Did I marry a succubus?

She tried her best to ignore the softness behind her, but to her shame, she felt her body reacting. Perhaps it was as Yanbai had said—after being celibate for so many years, and with Xu Linqiu being so alluring, her subconscious must have craved this. That must be why she “fell ill” and lost control.

Yi Chenqing mentally braced herself and spoke with forced gravity. “I am sorry. I should not have been so… reckless. We should have taken things slow.”

She then asked tentatively, “Your waist… does it still hurt?”

“It doesn’t matter, but yes, it hurts so much~”

Xu Linqiu sounded incredibly aggrieved. “Why don’t you turn around and rub it for me?”

She loosened her grip and moved back a bit.

Her body stiff, Yi Chenqing hesitated before pulling the blanket up to cover herself and slowly turning around. She didn’t expect Xu Linqiu to immediately dive into the covers and hug her.

The woman curled into her chest, taking Yi Chenqing’s hand and placing it on her waist. “Go on, rub it.”

Yi Chenqing squeezed her legs together in a fit of bashfulness, though her face remained stoic. Only her pale lips betrayed her. After several seconds, she began to slowly massage the waist with a wooden expression.

After a while, Xu Linqiu was so comfortable she was drifting back to sleep. Suddenly remembering something, she looked down and asked with concern, “Does your chest still hurt?”

Yi Chenqing flinched. Now that it was mentioned, the pain seemed to fully wake up. It really did hurt.

Xu Linqiu added apologetically, “I was in so much pain last night that I used too much force. I accidentally bit you. I’m sorry.”

Yi Chenqing was silent for a long time. Then, she abruptly pulled the blanket up to cover Xu Linqiu’s eyes. Her voice was steady, though it trembled slightly. “It is fine. I am going to shower.”

She practically fled the room, her entire body flushed with a shy, rosy hue.

Xu Linqiu held the blanket over her face and laughed until her eyes crinkled.

So adorable.