Drunk on Madness - Chapter 18

Late at night, after soothing Li Xiang, Su Mo returned to his room. His cold gaze fell upon Zhou Mingxuan, who was still seated at the desk. He walked over and asked, “What did you see when you arrived today?”

Zhou Mingxuan’s expression was indifferent, his robes flowing like drifting clouds. He lazily held a scroll in his hand, his demeanor relaxed and unhurried. “I thought you didn’t care about such details.”

Seeing that Zhou Mingxuan still had the mood to tease him, Su Mo assumed nothing serious had happened. His expression softened slightly.

Zhou Mingxuan closed the scroll, turned slightly, and looked up at Su Mo. “What if I told you she was humiliated by Chen Bolin today? Would you still want her?” His deep pupils shimmered with an unfathomable light.

Su Mo’s eyes gradually turned crimson. His lips pressed tightly together, his gaze icy. His usually gentle demeanor suddenly turned sinister and ruthless. “Impossible!”

Zhou Mingxuan hesitated for a moment. “True, the worst didn’t happen, but it wasn’t far from it.”

His eyes were cold, his gaze chilling. “When I arrived, she was tied to a pillar, her clothes torn and thrown on the ground.”

Su Mo clenched his fingers silently, his lips pressed into a thin line. A disdainful sneer curled at the corner of his mouth. “No matter. He’ll soon be a dead man.”

Zhou Mingxuan glanced at him. The calmer Su Mo appeared, the more a dark storm seemed to brew in his eyes. “He won’t live, of course. Before she lost consciousness, Li Xiang said she wanted to kill him herself.”

Su Mo’s eyes blazed with fury, his voice dripping with hatred. “I won’t let him die too easily!”

Zhou Mingxuan’s phoenix-like eyes, dark as ink, flickered slightly. “Su Mo, though she wasn’t violated by Chen Bolin, her purity is already tarnished. Do you still want her?”

A breeze brushed past, stirring the loose strands of hair on his forehead. His upturned phoenix eyes churned with emotions too complex to decipher.

Under the flickering lamplight, Su Mo’s handsome face stiffened. A complicated shadow flashed through his sharp, dark eyes.

Su Mo lowered his gaze and said, “Of course, I wish she were pure and untouched, belonging only to me. But none of this was her fault, it was that beast Chen Bolin’s! I failed to protect her. If I were to reject her because of this, would I even be human?”

“I can bear losing her first time, but I can’t imagine my life without her forever.” Su Mo’s clear, jade-like eyes brimmed with profound tenderness.

Zhou Mingxuan’s expression was inscrutable. He remarked lazily, “I never took you for such a romantic.”

In the following days, Li Xiang remained in her room to rest. Su Mo temporarily arranged for a maid named Chunxi to take care of her.

Su Mo himself was busy during this time. The three of them often secluded themselves in a room, discussing something important, refusing to be disturbed. Only late at night would Su Mo come to check on her, occasionally bringing small gifts.

The Qingming Festival was just a few days away, and the weather was gradually turning colder. With Chunxi’s chatter, Li Xiang’s days weren’t entirely dull.

On a cold night, in the Lianhua Pavilion of Baiyun Town, Su Mo, Zhou Mingxuan, and Gu Ci sat in a private room. On the floor lay a squirming burlap sack shaped like a human.

Su Mo opened the sack, revealing Chen Bolin, bound and gagged. His face was bruised and swollen, his mouth stuffed with a rag, rendering him speechless. His eyes burned with hatred as he glared at the three men.

After Su Mo removed the cloth from Chen Bolin’s mouth, the latter immediately began cursing, “Su Mo, what’s so great about you? You’re just a dog of the Prince of Yan’s household. Lanyan was always mine, she’s my cousin, and we were meant for each other…” Seeing him shout, Su Mo didn’t want to hear any more and stuffed the cloth back into his mouth.

Gu Ci, standing nearby, was utterly astonished. He had suspected something, but never expected it to be this explosive. Glancing at Su Mo and Zhou Mingxuan, who remained indifferent, neither shocked nor enraged, he was taken aback.

Su Mo disdainfully patted Chen Bolin’s face and said, “Whether it’s true or not, it doesn’t matter anymore. Because soon, you’ll be a dead man.”

Disgust was written all over his face. “Killing you would be too merciful. You like forcing yourself on women, don’t you? Today, I’ll let you experience it for yourself.” With that, he pulled out a small bottle from his sleeve, unscrewed the cap, removed the cloth from Chen Bolin’s mouth again, and poured the entire contents into it.

Chen Bolin tried to spit it out, but Su Mo clamped his jaw shut. Before long, the medicine slowly slid down his throat. When Su Mo finally released him, Chen Bolin attempted to vomit again, but Su Mo immediately picked up the cloth from the ground and stuffed it back in.

A flicker of surprise crossed Gu Ci’s eyes. “What did you give him?”

Su Mo stood up slowly and replied indifferently, “A breeding stimulant for bulls.” Gu Ci choked on his words.

Soon, the drug took effect. The man on the ground began groaning, his body writhing like a beast. Su Mo, seeing that the time was right, turned to Gu Ci and said, “Let me show you a grand performance.” He then gestured for the two of them to move to the adjacent room.

After closing the door, Su Mo opened a hidden panel, revealing Chen Bolin on the floor, his veins bulging, his body twisting as he panted like a wild animal.

A madam knocked respectfully on the door. “Young Master, the preparations are complete. Shall we begin?”

Su Mo nodded toward the figures outside. “Begin.”

(….1)

Su Mo closed the panel.

Gu Ci looked disgusted, covering his eyes. “That’s too cruel. I need to go wash my eyes.”

In the dimly lit room, the golden incense burner emitted a wisp of smoke. The sounds from next door were unbearable. Gu Ci pushed open the window, letting in the cold air.

The icy wind swept through, and the three stood silently by the window for a long time. Snowflakes settled on their hair, and a gust of wind sent some fluttering to the ground.

After what felt like an eternity, screams suddenly erupted from the neighboring room.

The madam rushed out, shouting, “Ah! Someone, quick! There’s a dead man!”

With everything settled, the three returned to the academy under the snowy night. Su Mo went to find Li Xiang.

Inside the room, warmed by a charcoal fire, Li Xiang had bundled herself up like a dumpling, curled at the edge of the bed to stay warm. Seeing him enter, she lifted the blanket, inviting him to join her.

Su Mo didn’t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her waist and sat down beside her to warm up.

The sudden chill from his body made Li Xiang shiver. Amused by her reaction, Su Mo found her adorable and playfully kissed her cheek.

Embarrassed, Li Xiang’s fair earlobes turned slightly pink. “Don’t do that.”

She stretched out her hands and feet toward the fire. Only then did Su Mo notice she was barefoot, her delicate toes and translucent nails looked irresistibly cute. He reached out and touched them, finding them icy cold.

Su Mo frowned. “Why are they so cold?” He cupped them in his hands, trying to warm them up.

Li Xiang was a bit ticklish, shrinking her feet as she said, “It’s so cold today. Even after soaking in hot water for a while, they’ve frozen again like this.”

Su Mo held her feet in his hands for a moment, realizing it wasn’t helping. Suddenly, he lifted her feet and tucked them directly against his chest. The abrupt movement pulled Li Xiang down onto the bed, her feet still nestled against him.

Su Mo hadn’t expected her to fall. He reached out with one hand to pull her up, but his strength was too much, and they both tumbled toward him instead.

Li Xiang found the whole scene both amusing and exasperating. Laughing, she rested against Su Mo’s chest and gave him a few light punches. When she slowly sat up again, she realized she was straddling his waist.

She stiffened immediately and was about to climb off when Su Mo flipped her over, pinning her beneath him. Caught off guard, she fell into his warm embrace, their hearts pounding close together. The cool, crisp scent of him enveloped her completely.

Their kiss lingered until Su Mo finally pulled away, his breathing uneven, his eyes fixed intently on her. “What should I do?” he murmured. “I still want more.”

Li Xiang pressed her hands against his chest, tilting her head up to respond. If he wanted her, she was willing to give herself to him.

But Su Mo rolled onto his side instead, waiting for his breathing to steady before chuckling softly. “Xiangxiang, why didn’t you refuse me?”

Li Xiang adjusted her clothes and pulled the blanket over herself, shooting him a glance. “If you want it, take it.” Su Mo’s eyes crinkled with amusement. “I almost feel like you’re disappointed I didn’t keep going.”

Li Xiang ignored him, turning toward the inner side of the bed. Seeing her reluctance to engage, Su Mo reached out and pulled her close. “I want to wait until we’re married, until we’ve received the blessings of our elders and friends. Then I’ll have you properly, with no doubts.”

Li Xiang turned back to face him, surprise flickering in her eyes. “You know I have no parents. To me, no one in this world matters more than you. Since we’ve already chosen each other, these things should happen naturally, when we both want them.”

She huffed in frustration and added, “Besides, I never said I wanted to consummate anything just now. I just didn’t refuse because I could see you were struggling, and I felt bad for you. And now you’re turning it around, making it sound like I’m the one who’s unsatisfied.” After kissing for so long, she had mentally prepared herself to give in, only for him to stop.

Su Mo gazed at her with a smile, his eyes brimming with unspoken emotion. “There are other ways to take care of me.”

A single oil lamp flickered in the room, its dim golden light spilling across the bedroom, casting the silhouettes of two tightly entwined figures against the walls.