Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play
Chapter 217: Backing

Chapter 217: Chapter 217: Backing

Xie Xun pulled Fengyu away from the feast and led her out of the camp. Fang Lingjun wanted to chase after them to speak with Fengyu, but Zhang Boxin stopped her.

Lin Xiao stared at Fengyu’s departing figure, dazed and distraught. He was one step too late. Why had he hesitated? Why did he weigh pros and cons? If he had rushed to Emperor Jianming and declared that it was he who should be betrothed to Fengyu, wouldn’t the imperial decree of marriage have been issued for the two of them?

Zhang Boxin exclaimed, "When did Fengyu and the young marquis start getting involved? I didn’t see it coming at all. Fang Lingjun, your lips are so tight—it’s impressive that you didn’t let slip even the slightest hint."

Fang Lingjun murmured, "I just found out about it myself. I’m even more shocked than you are."

Zhang Boxin: "..."

Fengyu exhaled, her heart finally at ease, and an uncontainable joy stirred within her. She and Xie Xun embraced by the riverside, where fireflies swirled in the air, the evening breeze lightly blowing, and the fragrance of flowers wafting. She felt as though life had reached its pinnacle, as if there were no longer any regrets.

"You’re mine, and you’ll never escape again!" Xie Xun pressed her tightly against his chest. Fengyu listened to his heartbeat—hot, fervent, and unrestrained—as he finally held her without reservation.

Fengyu’s joy was tinged with unease. "Xie Xun, aren’t you afraid?"

"Afraid of what?"

"The Feng Family’s two daughters marrying into the Marquis Mansion brothers... The Su Family essentially becoming the Marquis Mansion’s treasury. The noble families will never let this go easily," Fengyu gazed upward at him, starlight flickering in her eyes, lending her an innocent charm.

Xie Xun, bewitched by the starlight, kissed her eyelids—a gesture he had longed to make ever since standing before the imperial hall.

Fengyu closed her eyes, feeling his warm lips fall upon her eyelids. Xie Xun’s scorching breath brushed against her cheek. She trembled, her fingers clutching his robe tightly, twisting it into a bundle.

He grasped Fengyu by the waist, lifting her onto a riverside rock where she stood half a head taller than him. Fengyu rarely viewed Xie Xun from such an angle, and she marveled at how his features were sharply defined, his brows and eyes bright like stars. The passionate emotion clouding his gaze caused Fengyu’s cheeks to flush.

Her eyes nervously lingered on his lips, now moist and glistening from her kiss—invitingly soft and tantalizingly kissable.

Xie Xun resembled the most patient hunter in the wilderness, leisurely waiting for his prey. His thin lips curved slightly, luring her closer step by step. Fengyu fell under his spell, lowering her head to press her lips against his.

Their breaths intermingled, searing and passionate, their lips and teeth locked in fervent entanglement, with the starlight casting double shadows.

His grip on her waist hardened with each kiss, intense and demanding. Fengyu let out a faint moan, her body melting into his relentless embrace and caresses. Xie Xun’s throat bobbed, his swallowing sound conspicuously loud in the quiet night. Fengyu’s heart trembled slightly—his breath was hotter than any of his touches.

A hint of fear sparked in Fengyu. Nervously, she called his name with a soft nasal tone, "Xie Xun..."

Xie Xun buried his head in the crook of her neck, trying to calm the agitation within him. Fengyu, held tightly, felt a dull ache. When she squirmed slightly, he immediately restrained her, "Don’t move."

She dared not move again, standing atop the riverside rock, her unease mounting. Her face flushed a deep red.

Xie Xun ran his fingers over her lips, now swollen and tinged with a rouge-like hue from his kisses. Fengyu, dazed and bewildered, stared blankly at Xie Xun, her unblemished eyes a paradoxical blend of innocence and allure.

Xie Xun’s breathing grew heavier. His fingers pressing against her lips seemed about to part them.

With their union now legitimized, emotions and passions surged, breaking through his once-proud self-control. Fengyu dared not speak, for the moment she opened her mouth, Xie Xun’s fingers would slip into it.

Frightened, she clamped her lips shut. Xie Xun couldn’t help but chuckle at her reaction, his heart softening.

"You’re so easy to bully."

Fengyu glared at him in annoyance. Xie Xun chuckled again, lifting her off the rock and naturally reaching to hold her hand. Nuanyang, Feiying, Qiuxiang, and Chunlu—all blushing furiously—regretted following them here.

The group lifted their heads, admiring the stars and moon.

Ever since Xie Xun fell for Fengyu, Nuanyang and Feiying had developed a habit of crossing their arms while gazing at the moon. Now Qiuxiang and Chunlu joined them, their postures identical.

"The three-year promise is void. We’ll marry next year, alright?"

"No!"

Fengyu still felt uneasy. Despite the imperial decree, their union had stirred trouble for the Marquis Mansion. Fengyu feared that this decree might jeopardize Xie Zhang’s marriage to Feng Shu.

Holding her hand with one, Xie Xun wrapped his other arm around her waist. His voice was thick with desire. "Ayu... Say yes."

Fengyu buried her face in her robes, like an ostrich, refusing to respond.

Xie Xun sighed, unwilling to pressure her. "Two years!"

Fengyu murmured awkwardly, "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Xie Xun’s throat tensed slightly as he cupped her waist against him, his lips trailing over her neck, his voice heat-laden against her ear, "Youthful vigor."

Heat flared across Fengyu’s face. Though young and still ignorant of passion, she instinctively understood the nature of his intent, stiffening her body against him like a stone.

"I... I... Let me go... Let me go!" Fengyu stammered, overwhelmed.

Cool evening winds threaded through, dulling the flames of desire. Xie Xun traced her ear with his fingers, his gaze intense. Fengyu couldn’t bear the heat of his stare, as though it might drag her into a mysterious abyss.

She was both terrified and curious.

Xie Xun could not help but recall the day he broke his leg and, in the camp, had unleashed fury upon Fengyu, vowing to make her suffer when they returned to the capital. He remembered scheming to ruin her betrothal the moment it was arranged, intent on tarnishing her reputation so thoroughly that she’d be confined to the Feng Mansion for life. Fengyu possessed a face of unparalleled beauty, yet he’d felt nothing but contempt, viewing her as selfish and hypocritical, abhorring her cold nature.

How prejudiced he had once been, and how deeply he adored her now.

He pulled her to sit on the riverside rock with him, gazing at the moon. The feelings of love and desire that arose from the imperial decree gradually settled. Xie Xun asked, "When Dugu Jing named you, were you frightened?"

Fengyu fiddled with his fingers, holding them in her palm. Xie Xun’s fingers were slender and long, with calluses on his thumb and forefinger—a hand accustomed to drawing bowstrings.

"Dugu Jing was young and impulsive; his intent wasn’t directed at me," Fengyu replied. "But when Princess Huazhen demanded me as part of her dowry, I was indeed afraid, though it wasn’t impossible to resolve. I thought that agreeing to the marriage alliance wouldn’t matter—I could always escape halfway."

"How could you escape, surrounded by Beiman’s thousands of soldiers?"

"Immortals always have their ways." Fengyu drew circles in his palm. "For years, my father fought on the battlefield, and my uncle strengthened the family through scholarship and governance. Together, they upheld decades of prosperity and honor for the Feng Family. It cannot all be destroyed because of me."

"If you fled during the marriage alliance, you’d implicate your family as well."

"I know!"

Xie Xun frowned, already guessing her thoughts. He tightened his grip on her wrist. "You mean to die, protecting your honor and safeguarding your family?"

"I wouldn’t seek death!" Fengyu traced his brow with her finger. "I thought of faking my death to escape. I’ve played this trick since childhood."

Xie Xun froze—since childhood?

Her tone was light, yet it carried traces of sadness. Xie Xun’s heart clenched tighter and tighter, a deep pain suffusing him. She had been reared in luxury, her life sheltered, aside from occasional illnesses. What other hardships had she endured?

"In the future, if anything happens, will you tell me?" Xie Xun gazed at her softly, like the tender starlight of the night. Fengyu paused slightly in surprise.

"Why should I tell you?"

Xie Xun hesitated briefly, then smiled even more gently. "I can be your support, or I can be your blade. Whatever you need, I will become. I will always hold you up."

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