A faint fragrance filled the room, radiating from every fiber of Ji Zhen’s being.
Hibiscus Fragrance is something passed down from the previous dynasty and was a forbidden substance because of its potent effects. No matter how strong-willed or determined a person was, they could not escape the torment of desire it brought on.
Although the authorities constantly seized this substance, they could not stop its circulation. It was not only found in the lower-class red-light districts but was also secretly used by some high-ranking officials for amusement. Furthermore, some with malicious intent used Hibiscus Fragrance to “bring about a good union.”
There were cases of people who had escaped the poison of this substance, but the process was like being burned alive. Only someone with an iron will could endure it.
Without a doubt, Ji Zhen was not such an unyielding person.
He had wanted to use the drug on Shen Yanqing but was discovered. He had tried to outsmart the other party, but the tables were turned, leaving him full of regret.
Just as Shen Yanqing had said, he had brought this upon himself. He didn’t ask Shen Yanqing to help him, but at least he shouldn’t stop him from seeking help from others either.
Ji Zhen’s vision was blurred with tears, and his consciousness was almost completely gone, as if he had been steamed. He could not see the change in Shen Yanqing’s expression. All he wanted was to escape through the door that was stopping him from saving himself.
He didn’t care about anything else anymore and even pushed Shen Yanqing away. He stumbled forward two steps, and as soon as his hand touched the latch, he urgently called out in a raspy voice, “Ji An, prepare the carriage…”
He had forgotten that he had sent all the servants away before coming here, so Ji An naturally could not hear his cry for help.
Ji Zhen struggled to open the door latch, but before he could, a large hand from behind grabbed his wrists and twisted them behind his back. The force was so strong that he crashed into the door with a bang.
Shen Yanqing pinned Ji Zhen’s pale wrists behind his back, locking them in place. He didn’t realize how cold and deep his voice was as he asked, “Who are you looking for?”
Ji Zhen was pressed against the door, unable to move. His face was soaked, and he couldn’t tell if it was sweat or tears. He only felt as if the fire burning inside him was about to drive him mad.
As long as he could leave this place sooner and suffer less, there was nothing he wouldn’t say.
Ji Zhen struggled to answer, “I’m looking for… Xiao Moli…”
Xiao Moli had given him the Hibiscus Fragrance and would know how to spare him the pain.
But after he answered, Shen Yanqing still refused to release him and said in a slow, cold voice, “Since you’ve entered the Shen family, you are intrinsically linked to my family. Repeatedly going to places of ill repute brings shame to the Shen family name.”
The Shen family had been righteous for generations, and its descendants were all upstanding gentlemen. By Shen Yanqing’s generation, they were even more like the clear breeze and bright moon. Unless they had official duties, they would not take half a step into a brothel and were known for their pure and honorable reputation.
As Shen Yanqing’s male wife, Ji Zhen should, of course, follow his lead and abide by the strict rules of the Shen family.
But there was an exception to everything. Was Ji Zhen expected to suffer through the torment of being scorched alive just to uphold the family rules?
Driven to desperation, Ji Zhen cried out pleadingly, “I’ll go through the back door and wear a veil, so that’s fine, right? This way, I won’t lose you, Lord Shen’s face.”
He was even willing to wear a veil just to leave and find someone else.
What he would do after he left was unspoken.
Shen Yanqing’s marriage to Ji Zhen was a measure of last resort. If Ji Zhen had an affair with someone else, it would be a perfect opportunity to get a divorce. He should have let Ji Zhen leave without hesitation, but upon seeing Ji Zhen’s state, the grip on his wrists tightened.
From his perspective, Ji Zhen looked like a warm, soft rice cake steaming in a heater. His wife’s clothes were disheveled, his black hair was mussed, his cheeks were flushed, and his eyelashes were dewy with moisture. He bit his full lower lip, leaving a small mark, unable to bear the torment. If Shen Yanqing were to open the door, everyone outside would see Ji Zhen in such a delicate state.
Shen Yanqing nearly twisted off Ji Zhen’s wrists.
Ji Zhen cried out in pain, “Let go of me…”
The scent of Hibiscus Fragrance grew stronger, filling the entire room. The drug was only meant to affect the person who consumed it, but Shen Yanqing distinctly felt that he was also being influenced.
Otherwise, why would he ignore Ji Zhen’s struggles and throw him onto the bed?
Ji Zhen, dizzy from the fall, thought that Shen Yanqing was still concerned about him going to the Huangying Tower and tarnishing the family name. As soon as he gathered a little strength, he tried to climb off the bed, but the other party grabbed his ankles and dragged him back, completely pinning him to the bed.
“Shen Yanqing,” Ji Zhen half-curled his body in agony and couldn’t help but cry out, “I already promised you I’d wear a veil. What more do you want?”
“That’s a question I should be asking you.”
Shen Yanqing loomed over him, listing his transgressions one by one. “Attempting to drug me is unrighteous. Repeatedly entering places of ill repute as a married person is unfaithful. Having no remorse after your actions are exposed is dishonorable. Ji Zhen, you are unrighteous, unfaithful, and dishonorable. You’re simply reaping what you’ve sown. Just endure it.”
Ji Zhen was already on the verge of a breakdown, and hearing Shen Yanqing’s accusations made him even more miserable.
He tried to see Shen Yanqing’s expression, but his eyes were so filled with tears that everything was a blur, leaving only a vague silhouette of Shen Yanqing.
He knew he was in the wrong and shook his head haphazardly, mumbling, “I am at fault. I’ll apologize to you after I’ve dealt with the effects of the drug…”
Now was not the time for an interrogation.
Ji Zhen lay there, tears and sweat running from the corners of his eyes and into his collar. He desperately clutched at the fabric on Shen Yanqing’s chest, pleading, “I’m really suffering. I beg you, please, let me go.”
“To go to the Huangying brothel and find someone else?”
Ji Zhen nodded frantically.
He thought Shen Yanqing had relented, but to his surprise, the other party said, “If I don’t want you, why would they?”
Ji Zhen’s mind went blank, and he trembled with shame and anger at such a contemptuous remark. He bit his tongue hard, using the pain to stay clear-headed for a moment, and choked out a retort, “They all like me. They’re always so happy when I visit…”
“Like you?” Shen Yanqing stared at Ji Zhen, who was dazed but firm in his expression. Perhaps it was the effect of the Hibiscus Fragrance that fueled his continued mockery. “Do they like your superficial looks, your lavish spending, or your noble family background? They just flatter you to please you, and you’re the only one who believes it.”
This time, Ji Zhen was truly furious. He opened his red-rimmed eyes and retorted angrily, “You don’t know the friendship I have with them, so how do you know their feelings aren’t genuine?”
This was the first time since they had married that Ji Zhen had shown his claws in front of Shen Yanqing. It wasn’t enough to scratch him, but it did displease Shen Yanqing. Without thinking, he said something even more hurtful to Ji Zhen. “What about you is worth liking?”
Ji Zhen froze, speechless. He blinked, and hot tears rolled down his cheeks.
Shen Yanqing was also surprised that he had said such a humiliating thing, and his face became somber.
Ever since he was a child, his parents had taught him to be self-disciplined and adhere to proper etiquette. His academy teachers also praised him for being a young man who knew how to hide his emotions. He was known as the gentle and humble gentleman, and the emperor had even personally named him the top scholar of the new imperial examinations for his noble character. For twenty years, he had been disciplined and upright, yet whenever he faced Ji Zhen, he would uncontrollably cast his noble integrity aside.
Before Ji Zhen had forced him into marriage, Shen Yanqing actually had a certain appreciation for him. It had nothing to do with love, he simply found him pleasing to the eye and heart.
He hadn’t forgotten the bright-eyed young man who had joyfully caught the peony flower he had tossed during the street parade, or the tipsy, muddle-headed boy who hid behind a tree to peek at him during a poetry gathering.
If Ji Zhen hadn’t insisted on marrying him by using his family’s status, he might have left a trace of pure beauty in his heart. Instead, he had brought this suffering upon himself.
Shen Yanqing stared at Ji Zhen, who was in a state of utter disarray from the effects of the Hibiscus Fragrance.
He was a useless person with no skills or knowledge, pampered and spoiled by his family, so much so that at seventeen, he was still naive and lacked worldly wisdom.
Shen Yanqing had never imagined that his partner would be like this.
Ji Zhen wasn’t entirely without merit. He was innocent, pure-hearted, and candid. But there were thousands of people in this world with such qualities. This small bit of goodness was far from enough, at least in Shen Yanqing’s eyes.
Ji Zhen had lost his senses, and sweat had soaked the bedsheets.
His lips were slightly parted, as if he desired something but didn’t know how to quench his thirst. He unconsciously rubbed against Shen Yanqing, who was close by.
“Mhm,” Ji Zhen said self-deprecatingly while crying, “You’re right. I’m really not worth liking…”
He buried his wet face in Shen Yanqing’s chest, trembling all over. He mumbled indistinctly, “You… don’t like me either.”
No matter how much he flirted or tried to please him, Shen Yanqing wouldn’t give him a second look and would only see his despicable tactics.
It turned out that loving someone could make a person so humble. Even knowing the actions were humiliating, one would still willingly surrender their dignity, letting the other trample them in the mud.
Ji Zhen had finally experienced the full force of the Hibiscus Fragrance. With no relief, he writhed in agony and finally reached down. Afraid that his ugly display would make Shen Yanqing sick, he sobbed, “Don’t look at me, don’t look at me…”
Shen Yanqing only had to lower his eyes to see Ji Zhen, drenched in sweat, gratifying himself in front of him.
It was both frantic and clumsy.
The bed was filled with the lingering fragrance of Hibiscus Fragrance, and the scent enveloped Shen Yanqing as well.
Ji Zhen thrashed his legs and made a series of broken moans, already lost in passion. But this alone couldn’t resolve the drug’s effects.
Ji Zhen was in immense pain but didn’t dare ask Shen Yanqing for help again. He stammered in fear, “Am I going to die?”
He clutched the bedsheets tightly and vaguely saw the thick mahogany headboard. He raised his head, ready to hit it, trying to knock himself unconscious.
Shen Yanqing’s expression changed instantly. He grabbed Ji Zhen by his disheveled clothes and pulled him into his arms, saying with a chilling tone, “Are you trying to kill yourself?”
Ji Zhen couldn’t hear what the other party was saying. He nodded, then shook his head, his face streaked with tears.
The warm body pressed tightly against Shen Yanqing, and both heat and longing reached him.
Shen Yanqing gripped the pliable body in his hands and smelled the intoxicating fragrance. He held down the restlessly twisting Ji Zhen and took a deep breath. “Do you truly want to consummate our marriage?”
This time, Ji Zhen caught the two words and muttered, “Mhm, Shen Yanqing, consummate the marriage…”
His voice was filled with nothing but adoration.
His self-control completely crumbled.
Shen Yanqing closed his eyes and raised a hand to let down the bed curtains. Instantly, crimson waves surged, and moans filled the air.
On a moonlit night and a flower-strewn morning, leaning against jade and embracing fragrance, a night of passion passed beneath the veils of Hibiscus Fragrance.
The author has something to say:
Lord Shen: Hehe, how could I possibly fall for a useless person with no skills or knowledge?
Yes, yes, yes, it’s best if you don’t.
T/N: I set the schedule date wrong for yesterday chap, so two chaps today
