Chapter 171: The Saintess Is a Man
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
The room was dimly lit, with no lamps kindled, casting an obscure shadow across the chamber.
Lu Chao Chao crouched by the crack in the door, her vision blurry and indistinct, unable to see clearly.
Lu Jing Huai, with his striking features, was dressed exceptionally well that day, embodying the elegance of a refined gentleman.
He lifted the curtain and called softly, “Saintess Jing Li?”
His voice quivered slightly, carrying a mix of excitement and nervousness.
The Saintess Jing Li appeared somewhat tipsy, answering faintly, “Lu… Young Master Lu?” Her voice wavered as though overcome by wine, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue. Her hair, slightly disheveled, draped over one side of her face.
Her eyes, hazy and dreamy, gazed at Lu Jing Huai, brimming with a thousand spring ripples.
Lu Jing Huai’s throat tightened, and his face turned a light shade of red.
“Saintess Jing Li, shall Jing Huai assist you with some sobering tea?” he asked gently, pouring a cup of tea as he approached, carefully supporting the Saintess by her shoulder.
The Saintess exhaled softly, her exposed shoulder glistening with a silky smoothness that caused Lu Jing Huai’s face to flush deeply. Her beauty was celestial, radiating an otherworldly charm like a goddess descending from the heavens. At this moment, she resembled a fallen fairy, tinged with a delicate human vulnerability.
The Saintess sipped the tea from his hand, and as Lu Jing Huai held her by the waist, her head swayed slightly before resting on his shoulder. His heart pounded like a drum.
“Why do you always treat me with such favor?” she murmured, her scattered gaze shimmering with intrigue. “Do you extend such attentiveness to every woman?”
“Hmm?”
Lu Jing Huai’s expression turned solemn. “Certainly not.”
“I… I admire the Saintess. My devotion is solely for Jing Li,” he declared, his gaze steadfast and brimming with admiration.
“And your love poems? Were they not written for others?” she teased, her voice playful.
“Never. Jing Huai’s verses are composed solely for Jing Li,” he replied with a low and earnest tone.
The Saintess let out a light laugh. “In two days, you’re to wed another. While whispering sweet words to me, you prepare to marry someone else. Lu Jing Huai, do you intend to enjoy the best of both worlds?”
From her bosom, she produced a stack of letters—his collection of love poems.
“That’s not true!” Lu Jing Huai suddenly straightened his posture.
“It’s a marriage arranged by my parents and the matchmaker—I have never loved her!” he declared fervently, holding the Saintess’ hand, his eyes locked onto hers. “Jing Li, do you still not understand my heart?”
“I won’t marry her. My heart already belongs to another; there’s no room for anyone else. I know your status is lofty, and I dare not dream of taking you as my wife. But the position of my main wife will always be reserved for you.”
Tears welled in his eyes, his emotions laid bare. His gaze was so intense, so deeply affectionate, it was almost unbearable to face.
“Jing Li, I don’t dare to ask for your response. Please, let me love you in my humble way. Just the sight of your smile from afar is my greatest joy.”
His warm hand gently brushed against her brow.
“Don’t always frown, Jing Li. Be happy, for Jing Huai will ache otherwise…”
The Saintess stared at him, her red lips parting slightly.
“Everyone reveres and respects me, even the emperor of Western Yue dares not offend me. Yet you are the only one who dares to reveal your true heart to me,” she said softly. Her lashes quivered, and a hint of emotion flickered across her face.
“When others see me, they kneel and plead for me to communicate with the divine to bring peace to the world. But no one ever asks if I am happy…”
“You, Young Master Lu, are the first.”
The Saintess smiled gently, her ethereal beauty captivating Lu Jing Huai, leaving him utterly entranced.
Her delicate finger, pale and slender, rested lightly on his hand. Yet, it was larger than his by a surprising margin. Lu Jing Huai’s breathing grew uneven as he swallowed hard. His hand trembled as he shifted to sit on her lap.
The closer he leaned, the more he could sense her orchid-like fragrance, their breaths mingling.
“Would you love me, no matter how I am?” the Saintess asked.
The room’s tension thickened, the atmosphere charged with unspoken desire.
Yu Shu hesitated to cover Lu Chao Chao’s eyes, torn between shielding her and savoring the juicy gossip.
Lu Jing Huai’s nerves were taut. “Of course. No matter how Jing Li is, she remains the unattainable Divine Maiden in my heart.”
He reached up, untying the ribbons of her robe. His expression grew sharp beneath the surface.
“Jing Huai will give the Saintess a proper answer, a rightful title. Please, Saintess, grant me a token to cherish forever,” he murmured, pulling her into his embrace, his breaths growing ragged. His trembling hands pressed forward. Women, once they lost their purity, were bound to submit to men, no matter their noble stature. What did the Saintess’s exalted status matter?
His hands explored boldly, yet the Saintess only watched him, her smile teasing and serene.
“You like me regardless of who I am?” she said slyly, “Then you mustn’t be frightened.”
Her smile grew wider, a mischievous gleam flashing in her eyes.
Grabbing his hand, she guided it further down.
Lu Jing Huai’s face lit with unbridled joy, but before it could reach his eyes, his expression froze. His smile stiffened, and then shock consumed him.
He recoiled violently, his face pale as a sheet, his entire body trembling. He stared at the Saintess in sheer horror, as if he had seen a ghost.
“You! You!!” he stammered, incapable of forming coherent words, his complexion devoid of all color.
The Saintess leaned closer, whispering coldly, “You have one… I have one too…”
“Brother Jing Huai,” she said, her red lips curling cruelly. “Did you not say you would love me no matter how I am?”
“Why is Brother Jing Huai shaking like a leaf? Is it from excitement? Or could it be…” she paused, her voice mockingly tender, “self-doubt that your… endowment… falls short of mine?”
She released his hand, covering her mouth as she laughed softly.
Lu Jing Huai stumbled back as though fleeing a nightmare, terror-stricken like never before.
Damn it! Damn it!!
The Saintess Jing Li was a man!!!
He thought of the love poems he had poured his soul into, the longing glances, the emotional confessions—all aimed at a man! His hand, now sullied, burned in his mind.
Lu Jing Huai spun to flee, but the door would not budge. It was firmly locked.
“Why is Brother Jing Huai leaving so soon?” the Saintess Jing Li asked, her silver-bell laughter ringing eerily. “Are you disgusted because I am a man?”
“Since you’re already here, how could I not entertain you properly?”
With a clap of her hands, three burly men emerged from behind the folding screen.
Lu Jing Huai’s face drained of all color. With a thud, he fell to his knees.
“Saintess, great Saintess, please have mercy! Jing Huai was blind to Mount Tai. It was my greed that led me astray…” he begged pitifully.
The Saintess Jing Li smirked, her gaze disdainful. “Make sure to take good care of my guest,” she ordered.
The door creaked open.
With a crash, Lu Chao Chao tumbled through the doorway, landing on the threshold.
The Saintess Jing Li lifted her effortlessly with one hand, her face full of mischief. “Little one, what follows is not suitable for children…” she teased, carrying her out of the courtyard.
Inside, screams echoed relentlessly.
This was the greatest blunder in Lu Jing Huai’s long history of flirtations, a misstep he would never live down.
Oh my
Hopefully he will somehow enjoy it.
Hear me out, there are ways to force a human to feel good, even when the situation is terrible.
That’s why a lot of rapists get away with it. They bring evidence of the victims in undeniable pleasure and wanting more.
Sometimes even making them so tired that they have no energy to resist or escape, then they put them in a position where they look like they could have left at any time, a willing participant to it.
Such victims are the ones who deserve to have all the care in the world. If they want to forget it, they should be allowed to.
To know that the body reacts even when hating it, feels like even the body is betraying him.
Only then will he hate his own existence.
Um I mean this is why you should have been faithful to your betrothed lol