After the Cold and Aloof Husband's Mask Falls - Chapter 36

Inside the bridal chamber.

Gu Wanlan had always known that Cui Jue was exceptionally handsome. But tonight, his beauty was breathtaking, like a branch of red plum blossoms blooming defiantly against a steep, snow-covered cliff.

Before the cool wine could even slide down her throat, Gu Wanlan, staring unblinkingly at him, already felt a flush of intoxication.

The ceremonial wine was finished. For a moment, neither spoke, simply gazing at one another.

Cui Jue easily noticed the faint shadow of exhaustion beneath the girl’s eyes. He couldn’t help but reach out, his thumb grazing her skin with a tenderness he didn’t even realize he possessed.

“You’ve worked hard,” he murmured.

Though he didn’t know exactly where she had been these past few days, her state told him everything. Whatever she had been doing in secret was likely more grueling than his own recent trials. Yet, she had returned as promised for their wedding, giving him far more than he had dared to imagine.

That was enough.

Cui Jue lowered his lashes, hiding the surging hunger in his eyes. Whether he was reminding himself or truly trying to comfort her, he spoke softly: “Rest. I won’t disturb you tonight.”

“?”

Gu Wanlan blinked. As she saw him preparing to rise from the bed, she realized what “I won’t disturb you” meant. A sudden wave of disappointment rose in her heart. Before she could even process why she felt that way, her body reacted faster than her mind.

She grabbed his hand just as he was about to pull away. But because her movement was so sudden, a sharp thud echoed as something slid out of Cui Jue’s sleeve and landed on the bed.

It was the volume of erotica Cui Qiong had forced upon him—complete with folded bookmarks!

Cui Jue’s eyes flickered. Acting as if nothing had happened, he reached for it, but Gu Wanlan was faster. She snatched the book from his hand.

Even with a cursory glance, she knew exactly what it was. If this were a wedding for a young man unversed in the ways of the world, it wouldn’t be surprising for family or friends to provide such a guide. But she had seen clearly where the page was folded.

The posture on that marked page was…

Gu Wanlan’s mischievous streak flared. She dangled the book by a corner and leaned toward Cui Jue, her voice dripping with wicked amusement. “I never would have guessed you liked this sort of thing. You even folded the page to make a note of it.”

Wrapped once again in her scent, Cui Jue’s breath hitched. Inside his sleeve, his palm was already marked with blood where his nails dug in. It had taken every ounce of his legendary endurance to force himself to pull away from her. Now, looking down, he saw her moist, full, ruby lips; looking up, he saw the blood-red wedding canopy.

He dared not look anywhere, nor move an inch. He was terrified that a single lapse in control would unleash the beast howling inside him and scare her away.

Fortunately, he was a master at wearing the skin of a detached saint. He closed his eyes, forcing his breathing to remain steady. “It… belongs to Cui Qiong. It is not my property.”

Cui Jue believed he was hiding his reaction well, but in Gu Wanlan’s eyes, he was completely exposed. The bobbing of his Adam’s apple, the slight trembling of his eyelashes…

The more she saw, the more she wanted to tease him. She wanted to make him cry; she wanted this cold, arrogant man to lose his composure entirely because of her.

With a sudden shove, she pinned him back against the bed. The red silk curtains, previously tucked aside, billowed down around them.

Cui Jue’s eyes widened. He looked dazed, but in the dim, red-filtered light of the candles, his features took on a hint of the ethereal.

Gu Wanlan licked her dry lips and leaned over him, intentionally letting her hot breath brush against his pale, elegant neck. She felt the involuntary shiver run through him, and saw that patch of skin flush a deep crimson.

Teasing this stiff, proper man is far too much fun!

Suppressing a laugh, she whispered into his ear in a voice that was both intimate and sultry: “So… do you like it? That position? Just like before—if you like it, you only have to say the word, and I’ll satisfy you.”

Gu Wanlan might not have personal experience, but she had spent enough time disguised as a man in military camps to have heard every bit of “locker room” talk there was. She understood that most men preferred to be the one in control—especially a repressed little prig like him. She was purely waiting for him to show a more flustered, interesting expression.

“Tell me.”

She stared at his face, her hand sliding toward his waist, her fingertips probing through the layers of his wedding robes…

A sharp, ragged gasp rang out.

Cui Jue shuddered. He snapped his eyes open and seized her wandering hand. Because he was holding back so much, the corners of his eyes were stained with a thin veil of red. “Do you have any idea what you are saying?!”

“I’m not just saying it, I’m doing it,” she challenged, even pushing her fingertips a fraction further.

“Gu Wanlan!”

He sounded nearly frantic. But meeting her defiant eyes, he was the first to surrender.

Fine. You don’t want to sleep? Then neither of us will.

Cui Jue took a sharp breath. With a forceful tug of his left hand, he pulled open his collar. Only then did Gu Wanlan realize that he was already covered in a fine sheen of sweat.

His chest heaved. When he spoke again, his voice was so low and raspy it was barely recognizable. “As My Lady wishes. However…”

“I hope My Lady can… take… her… time.”

Gu Wanlan finally understood his meaning. Looking at him now—appearing so overwhelmed—she arched an eyebrow in surprise. She had only touched his waist, and he was already pleading for mercy? This was…

But she knew better than to push a cornered enemy too far. Since he had admitted defeat, she shouldn’t be too cruel. Besides, she was now genuinely curious to explore him.

She withdrew her hand as he wished, licked her lips, and leaned in tentatively. “Then… I’ll start by kissing you?”

A vein throbbed in Cui Jue’s forehead. He felt that the greatest torture of his life was nothing compared to this.

He craved her touch. From the moment he sat on the bed, every drop of his blood had been screaming at him to tear, to break, to consume. To avoid scaring her, he had to keep himself in check through sheer self-torment. When she suggested she take the lead, he thought it might be a good way to ensure he didn’t hurt her.

Now, he realized what a terrible mistake that was. With just a few words, she had nearly demolished his defenses entirely.

“Wait—”

He tried to speak, but Gu Wanlan chose that moment to press against him. Something soft and slick brushed past his teeth, sending a jolt through his body that made every hair stand on end.

Boom. His brain turned to ash.

Gu Wanlan had only intended to lick the corner of his mouth, but he had opened it to speak. Sensing that things were moving a bit too fast for a “gradual” approach, she started to pull back, afraid of startling him.

But the moment she retreated, the back of her head was seized by a powerful grip.

“Mmph—!”

He actually used his tongue!

Gu Wanlan’s eyes widened. After a brief moment of shock, she didn’t retreat; she prepared to do battle. But the enemy was cunning. After a fierce assault that left her breathless, he moved down to her neck. His strength was almost like a bite, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

She heard herself make a sound that was absolutely terrible.

So cunning…

Heat radiated from her spine. Gu Wanlan felt her body go soft. She could see herself reflected in his eyes: flushed, wanton, looking like a peony drenched by a spring rain, waiting to be plucked.

Meanwhile, Cui Jue had regained his composure after that brief lapse. He was once again the immovable, cold figure from before, but his aura was now more powerful, more unfathomable—like a cold-faced asura emerging from the dark.

How could he be doing such scandalous things while looking so dignified, while she…

Her competitive spirit was fully ignited. Taking advantage of his distraction, she bit into his neck.

She was satisfied to hear a muffled groan escape him, but the counter-attack was even more relentless. For the first time, she discovered how strong he could be, and how scorching his touch felt. Her mind became a total blur.

Gu Wanlan refused to admit defeat. She bit her lip, her face turning crimson, refusing to let another sound escape. Believing in the strategy of “capturing the leader to defeat the army,” she struck out while he was occupied, trying to deliver a finishing blow…

The battle was agonizingly close. Neither side would yield or beg for mercy.

From the depth of night until the sky turned grey at dawn, Gu Wanlan’s only conscious memories were the beads of sweat rolling off his forehead and the way his eyes never left hers. For a split second, she had the hallucination that she was the prey he had meticulously hunted.

By the time she tried to look closer, her consciousness began to sink. Later, she felt someone holding her, whispering things into her ear over and over. But she had been “tossed” so much that her head was swimming, and she couldn’t make out the words. Finally, she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep…

When Gu Wanlan woke up again, she couldn’t tell if it was day or night. She was alone. The torn curtains had been replaced, blocking out the external light.

As she tried to get up to pull them aside, she couldn’t help but hiss a curse. Memories of the previous night flooded back. Her face burned with heat. On one hand, she was ashamed of her lack of self-control; on the other, she was annoyed that she had actually ended up crying in front of him. It was a memory she wanted to strike from existence.

“Wanlan?”

Speak of the devil. Hearing that familiar voice outside the curtains, she didn’t know how to face him. She immediately closed her eyes and pulled the covers over her head to play dead.

“Is Sister not awake yet?” Another voice drifted in—this one was Gu Lehuan.

“Not yet.”

Lehuan’s tone was clearly indignant. “Cui Jue, I thought you were a man with at least some sense. Sister likes to mess around, but how could you just let her have her way! Don’t you know her left arm has—never mind. Men are all the same, led by their lower halves.”

Gu Wanlan froze. So, the person who had applied the medicinal oil and massaged her left arm on her wedding day was Lehuan? No wonder the pain had faded for so long.

“It is my fault.” Facing Lehuan’s interrogation, Cui Jue admitted his mistake readily. His voice was cold as usual, only showing a hint of urgency when he spoke of Gu Wanlan. “What is wrong with her left arm? Was she injured?