Volume 1, Chapter 59: Do Not Spit It Out, Swallow It

When Qi Jinshan returned in the evening, Xie Mingyue was pinching her nose while drinking her medicine.

Seeing her face scrunched up into a ball, looking as if she were facing a formidable enemy, he smiled inwardly.

"Gou Zihan has carefully adjusted the dosage; this decoction shouldn't be bitter."

He unfastened his crane-cloak, and fearing that the night dew on him might chill her, he deliberately stood by the stove to warm himself.

Xie Mingyue bit her lip and shook her head. "It is bitter. Just smelling it is already unbearable."

A plate of candied fruits was placed beside her, and Wutong was holding one between her fingers, ready at a moment's notice to shove it into her mouth the second the bitter medicine slid down her throat.

Alas, after hesitating and weighing her options repeatedly, Xie Mingyue stubbornly refused.

Once Qi Jinshan was thoroughly warmed, he walked over, snatched the medicine bowl from her hands, lowered his gaze with a faint smile, and suddenly tilted his head back, pouring it all into his own mouth.

"What are you doing..."

Xie Mingyue's eyes widened. Before she could finish, he grabbed her, clamped her chin, and kissed her.

The bitter taste of the medicine faintly diffused between their lips and teeth.

"Don't spit it out. Swallow."

The man's voice was deep and slow, carrying an irresistible strength. Xie Mingyue had no choice but to obey, swallowing it down bit by bit.

In her dazed state, she drew in a breath of cool air, and then the tip of her tongue brushed against a sweet, dried plum.

"Be a good girl, it's not bitter anymore."

Qi Jinshan cupped her face, sucking gently on her lips while soothing her in a low voice.

"Mmm..."

Xie Mingyue's entire focus was concentrated on that wanton softness, desperately sucking on the life-saving candied fruit to suppress the lingering bitterness in her mouth.

"It was clearly very bitter!"

Once released, with the dried plum still in her mouth, she glared furiously at Qi Jinshan.

Yet the faint pink on the tips of her ears betrayed her inner shyness.

"Bitter?"

Qi Jinshan breathed out a trace of the medicinal scent, lowering his gaze with a soft smile.

"Then in the future, I shall feed my wife her medicine every time."

How would he feed her?

Just like before?

Xie Mingyue gave a start and immediately corrected herself, "Not bitter, not bitter at all."

Qi Jinshan pulled a wooden box from his sleeve. The wooden handle on the lid was carved into the shape of rabbit ears, exquisite and charming.

"What is this?"

Xie Mingyue accepted the wooden box from him and lifted the lid. A fresh fragrance wafted out, instantly bringing an inexplicable sense of comfort.

The man in front of her smiled even deeper. "Contraceptive pills made by Gou Zihan."

Xie Mingyue opened her mouth, a flush creeping up her cheeks, unable to say a single word. She simply lowered her head and tucked the box away into a drawer.

Qi Jinshan pulled her back. "Put it by the pillow."

Xie Mingyue could bear it no longer. "Qi Jinshan, you're going too far!"

A sense of grievance inevitably welled up inside her.

Putting this kind of medicine by the pillow, only to take it the moment they finished?

Convenient as it might be, it made her seem so cheap!

A man's mind was truly only filled with those matters between the sheets!

"Where has your mind wandered?" Qi Jinshan pulled her into his arms, gently kissing her temple which smelled of jasmine. "I am the one who will take this medicine."

As he spoke, the gold-flecked skirt was already being lifted.

His large hand began to move in a way that quickly spiraled out of control.

Xie Mingyue's angry expression froze. She pressed against his chest and raised her face. "What?"

The contraceptive medicine—why was *he* taking it?

Qi Jinshan's hands wandered everywhere, yet he used his striking, superior bone structure to tempt her. "This matter is already harder on my wife. The bitter tasks should naturally fall to me."

As he spoke, his movements grew increasingly dominant.

Soothed by his low, seductive voice, Xie Mingyue instantly began to lose herself in a daze.

Qi Jinshan gave a low chuckle, plucked a pill from the box with one hand and swallowed it, then pulled open his robes as a fierce heat suddenly erupted.

Unable to withstand the onslaught, Xie Mingyue let out a melodious cry and hurriedly covered her mouth and nose.

It wasn't even time for bed yet, and a whole courtyard of maidservants and matrons were standing outside!

Yet Qi Jinshan acted maliciously, laughing as he praised her sweet voice while driving relentlessly into her, tangling her up until her mind went completely blank, making her forget everything else in the world.

As the moon climbed to the treetops, and only when her whimpers turned into desperate cries, did Qi Jinshan finally finish.

The corners of Xie Mingyue's eyes were reddened from crying again, and she cursed him with a hoarse voice, "You bad man, you didn't listen to me."

Qi Jinshan wrapped his arms around her damp temples, curving his lips into a light smile. "My wife told me not to stop, so I didn't dare stop."

Was that telling him not to stop?

She wanted him to stop moving and cease!

Angered, Xie Mingyue turned her back to him, but the burning-hot body immediately pressed up against her again.

"Don't be angry, my wife."

"Next time, you are not allowed to twist my meaning." She turned her face back and poked Qi Jinshan's solid chest.

Qi Jinshan caught her wrist and kissed her fingertips, one by one. "Alright."

Agreeing so readily?

Instead, Xie Mingyue found it hard to believe.

This man was too sly; Gou Zihan's surname really belonged to him instead.

"What are you looking at?" Qi Jinshan covered her eyes, his Adam's apple bobbing as a nasal sound escaped him.

Such an alluring gaze made him truly want to knead her into his very bones and blood, melting together completely.

"I'm not looking anymore."

Sensibly perceiving the hidden danger in the man's tone, Xie Mingyue obediently closed her eyes.

"It feels sticky and uncomfortable."

The sudden rainstorm had just ceased, and she was covered in damp sweat, making every posture on the bed feel unpleasant.

Qi Jinshan called for water, personally bathed her, and tucked her back into the soft bed.

The two slowly drifted off to sleep, but in the dead of night, Lady Yun was struck by a sudden acute illness, prompting both of them to rush over to Lady Yun's courtyard.

On the bed, Lady Yun's face was pale, her hands hanging down weakly.

"Jinshan, why are you here? You have to attend the imperial court tomorrow."

Seeing her son and Xie Mingyue arriving together, a flash of shrewd calculation crossed her eyes.

"Go back. Don't delay important affairs of the court; just leave Mingyue behind to wait on me."

Standing to the side, Xie Mingyue had listened for a long time before realizing the trap lay right here.

She wanted to use her status as a mother-in-law to wear her down and humiliate her.

She glanced at Qi Jinshan and said nothing.

A daughter-in-law facing her mother-in-law was naturally suppressed in status, but a son was entirely different.

"Mother only has a common cold, and there are maidservants and matrons around; Mingyue's presence here would be of no use," Qi Jinshan said, his gaze deepening as he looked at Lady Yun while tightly holding Xie Mingyue's hand. "She fell ill today as well and cannot handle exhaustion."

Hearing this, Lady Yun instantly felt a fire ignite in her heart.

"Since when is there a reason for a daughter-in-law to sleep soundly while her mother-in-law is sick? She doesn't manage the household affairs, nor does she have any children; what is wrong with serving me at night? If I weren't ill, she wouldn't even have the opportunity to earn the reputation of a virtuous wife!"

In whose household did a daughter-in-law not wait by the bedside when her mother-in-law fell ill? Yet Xie Mingyue was spoiled; morning and evening greetings, serving tea and medicine—when it came to her, none of these existed. Lady Yun hadn't cared in the past only because Xie Mingyue had been sickly and cowering in her courtyard, practically on the verge of death.

Now, however, she walked about the manor glowing with health and vitality, no longer showing this mother-in-law any respect in her eyes. Seeing this, Lady Yun naturally felt deeply unsettled.

Not to mention, Xie Mingyue had repeatedly made her lose face and ruined her schemes!

It was already a mercy that she wasn't swallowing this daughter-in-law alive.

Qi Jinshan frowned slightly. Xie Mingyue tugged at his hand and smiled. "Jinshan, Mother is right. You have to attend court tomorrow, so go back and rest first."

She pushed him toward the exit and even gave a playful wink.

Qi Jinshan looked at her steadily and cooperatively nodded. "Then you stay here and wait on Mother, but do take care of your health and don't overexert yourself."

"Don't worry, Husband, I won't."

Xie Mingyue smiled sincerely. The moment he left, she turned around and gracefully walked over to Lady Yun.

Wasn't it just serving people?

When she was young, she had served her father by splashing a basin of foot-washing water all over him, and when serving the old matriarch of the Xie family, she had let incense burn a scar onto her hand.

If Lady Yun wanted to humiliate and torment her, she had better see if Xie Mingyue was willing to take it lying down.

With Qi Jinshan gone, it was the perfect time to let Lady Yun witness her methods of serving others.