The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband

The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband – Chapter 10

Translated by: Oinkoink

Chapter 10 – Kiss

Every now and then, the voice of Ye Huaiyang calling Lan-lan Lan-lan could be heard from under the wall ever since that day. Chu Jinglan used to read in the pavilion but now he would always walk back with a blackened face. As time passed, he just simply not set foot in the backyard and moved all his work to the top of Chongxiao Pavilion where he finally found some tranquility.

Ye Huaiyang didn’t feel discouraged either that to counter his every move, she also moved to her own Lingyun Pavilion where they could look at each other by leaning on the railing of the opened window. She however was plagued with trifle matters recently and didn’t have any leisure time, hence Chu Jinglan didn’t know she was in the attic around the corner.

“Young Miss, these are all the accounting books of several banking houses in the south city.”

Yue’ya carried in many of the binded books for Ye Huaiyang’s perusal. She didn’t leave but showed some hesitation after putting down those books. Ye Huaiyang swept her a glance before she returned to the book.

“If you have something to say, just say it. What’s with the hesitation.”

“…Elder Young Master sent someone to relay a message a moment ago, he said for you to move back to the clan family as soon as possible.”

Ye Huaiyang stopped writing as she raised her lips and said, “Just comply and if someone asks, just say we are still packing up. Since Elder Brother will be returning to Guanzhong in a few days it will be beyond his reach even if I am still residing here by then.”

“Yes, Nubi got it.”

Ye Huaiyang looked at Yue’ya who was trying to suppress the laughter that she felt herself somewhat unscrupulous and lightly chuckled too. At this moment, Chongxiao Pavilion was lit up and the light shone through the snow-white window screen that illuminated the terrace of Lingyun Pavilion. Ye Huaiyang gazed over but when she turned her head back, she didn’t want to look at the account books on the table again.

“Go get my zither.”

Yue’ya nodded and carried over a burnt-wood zither not too long later. She gently placed it on the sandalwood table in front of the window and ignited a small piece of the rhino powder in a copper globe by the side where faint vapor and light fragrance immediately filled the air.

“It’s fine. Just go.”

Yue’ya curtsied before she retreated where her silhouette gradually disappeared behind the stairs. Ye Huaiyang stood up and walked towards the terrace. She flicked her sleeves over the goose-foot bronze lamp that in split seconds, the light was dimmed. She then pushed open the side door as silvery light spilled in and brightened the room. Gazing at the moon, she could see the high eaves of Chongxiao Pavilion as if seemingly within her reach.

Her eyes slowly moved down towards the snow-white window screen. A vague shadow vividly appeared in between with a profound outline just like being embedded in a water-ink picture scroll that from time to time, the shadow would be pacing or just quietly stand still which every movement could bring her joy.

She didn’t know if he likes listening to zither.

Ye Huaiyang hid her wildly beating heart as she sat before the sandalwood table. Her fingers lightly plucked the strings and the sound of zither immediately flowed like a torrent of water which gradually overshadowed the mourning sough of wind and transmitted towards the opposite attic, titillating the person’s heartstrings again and again.

It was Feng Qiu Huang[1].

Chu Jinglan halted his movement of flipping through the petitions and was merely dazed for a short moment before his hand twisted open the window bolt. The windows panels were then shove wide open by a burst of strong wind. As there was nothing obstructing his line of vision, he could now see clearly the person playing the zither who was Ye Huaiyang..

She was covered in tulle and was quietly sitting under the cold night wind. Her pair of slender soft hands were wandering back and forth on the strings which gave Feng Qiu Huang a poignant melody that she was now even flirting with him from a distance! He felt a peal of violent pulse on his temples and knitted his brows. He stretched his hands out and slammed the window close where the heavy noise instantly attracted her attention.

His determination is truly more outstanding as he was older than her by ten years after all.

Ye Huaiyang curved the corners of her lip and silently mocked herself, yet her hands didn’t stop.

She slowly twisted, strummed and picked where the tempo got increasingly faster seemingly like the torrential downpour. When the song was over, there was not the least bit of sound as she fell into the stillness of silence.

While on the other side, Chu Jinglan had already finished reading the confidential report of the northern border. Feeling somewhat in doubt, he walked to the bookcase to search for the Lingnan’s troop placement map. He then compared the report contents against the map one after the other where he unexpectedly discovered some abnormalities. Just when he was about to scrutinize it, a slightly indolent voice suddenly emitted from outside.

“Wangye is really focused.”

Chu Jinglan seemed to have not heard. He dipped the brush into the cinnabar ink and marked several points on the blueprint. Looking at the strange connection, he contemplated for a moment as an unexpected harsh light flashed in his eyes.

Bai Xingzhi. You have the audacity to do such a thing in Lingnan!

The anger within him hadn’t subsided when an unexpected strange noise came from the window. He raised his wide sleeve that shook open the window panels with his strong internal force and seemingly hindered by something, a mere ‘dong’ sound was heard. He didn’t think much and directly stretched his hands to push open the whole window. A faint inhaled sound suddenly came from outside. He looked up and immediately stiffened.

Unknowingly when a horizontal beam had been erected between the two attics and Ye Huaiyang was now quiveringly standing on top of it.

He had almost unwittingly pushed her off a five-story building just now. No wonder he heard her hitched inhaling sound yet as if nothing had happened,  she soon moved step by step over. The light pink skirt danced along the wind as it fluttered frantically in the air, blooming like the flower with her acting like the slender pistil in the middle that could be swept away by the wind at any time.

Even under this kind of circumstances, she didn’t look at her feet but looked at him faintly.

Chu Jinglan was unable to tell what was hidden in her eyes. He abruptly mounted the railing where he grabbed her hand and pulled her in before propped her heavily against the door frame.

“You are really not afraid of death, Ye Huaiyang.”

His voice was as cold as the winter iron and every word was thundering into her ears but instead of being fearful like others, she lightly chuckled out, “Is Wangye worrying about me?”

“You’re impudent!” Chu Jinglan tightened the grips on her arms which were beside her body and said in a cold tone, “You’ve trespassed into King Lan manor over and over again. Do you really think this King will not kill you?”

“I’m just curious what Wangye was so focused on.”

Once finished, she casually glanced around the room and paused at the table for a while. Chu Jinglan immediately pinched her lower jaw and turned her head to meet his angry face. She wasn’t afraid or dodge but adding more oil to fire.

“Wangye doesn’t know I have the ability to remember what I see. The report from the northern border and Lingnan’s troop placement map which were on the table have already imprinted in my mind. Since I am still in Wangye’s hands, there is no harm to make a choice.” She paused before her full red lips affixed to his earlobe and the words spoken were as sharp as a knife, “To silence me or to collaborate with me?”

Chu Jinglan looked at her expressionless. He suddenly moved his right hand when she felt a strain on her throat. She lowered her eyes and saw five fingers clutching her neck. He could easily kill her on the spot with just merely a light pinch.

“Do you think this King will not take your life?”

His tone was as cold as a sharp ice blade that rubbed every inch of her nerves. She was trembling yet she stood on tiptoe and pressed closer then without any warning, she kissed his lips.

“With this, it is not a loss to be killed.”

Chu Jinglan froze instantly.

Ye Huaiyang coquettishly smiled with profound bright eyes and looked straight into Chu Jinglan’s eyes. There seemed to be sparks jumping that gradually formed into a prairie of fire upon her. She approached unhurriedly and claimed his thin lips again. Her lilac tongue twirled across his which drew out innumerable silvery silky thread and overflowed with water.

Simply outrageous!

These were the only words that remained in Chu Jinglan’s mind. His body turned absolutely still, as if his acupoint had been tapped. The iron-arm across her waist could obviously push her away yet it had simply suspended there while the clenched hand on her fair neck had now completely reduced to merely for show.

Back on those days when he was high-spirited, there were so many women who threw themselves at him whether the noble daughters of prominent families or the female entertainers from the brothels but none was as gutsy as her. It was fine if she disregarded her own life, but she actually went as far as performing the play ‘Even after death, the beautiful woman would still flirt as a ghost’ compulsively which simply perplexed him.

The dignified Royal Highness King Lan had eventually been taken libertine by a physically weak woman.

Ye Huaiyang saw that he was completely stiff, thus she became all the more insatiable. After the tip of her tongue twirled across, she began to prod his teeth. A faint medicinal astringent taste emitted out which prompted her to stop her action and moved back a few inches before asking, “The old wound is not well yet?”

Chu Jinglan finally snapped back to reality and pressed her against the door panel. His face was stormy but when his eyes met hers, he could sensed something which he had never seen before – strong admiration without any impurities.

Just when he was stunned, Ye Huaiyang softly sighed with the last syllable alluring into his ears, “The story about paying a debt of gratitude in the book is really deceiving. Why is it so hard for me?”

What play was she acting now?

He couldn’t help but gritted his teeth as he bellowed, “Ye Huaiyang!”

“What is Wangye bellowing about?” She straightened her neck and pressed closer again. Both her hands tightly gripped his sleeves, somewhat like a little girl, “Have you already forgotten when you had personally led the armies to suppress the chaos that the White Lotus Society caused ten years ago in Wangdu and rescued a submerged cage full of children from the river?”

Startling, the face in front became inexplicably familiar as memory gushed out like a tide at this moment.

It turned out she was that little girl.

At that time, Ye family’s position was not as good as it was now. They could only ask the people from Yamen to find their missing youngest daughter, however it wasn’t only one or two young children missing in Wangdu at that time? Every day, there were people making noises at Yamen which coupled with the limited capacity of the Yamen officer meant that there wasn’t any progress in solving the matter.

Once Chu Jinglan solved the case, Ye Zhen personally came to retrieve his daughter at the riverbank. He was a fourth-ranked officer and often attended the royal court, hence Chu Jinglan naturally knew him and acquainted him. His cultured and calmness left a profound impression, but Chu Jinglan would have never expected that the Ye Huaiyang in front of him would turn out to be Ye Zhen’s daughter.

Ye Huaiyang looked at his appearance and knew he must have remembered, hence she raised her little face and asked, “Does Wangye believe me now?”

Chu Jinglan didn’t reply. He reached for the secret report and the troop placement map on the table before crushing them into broken bits within his grip that drifted onto Ye Huaiyang’s feet as a clear statement of his unwillingness to entangle with her.

“Go back to Ye manor.”

“Wangye won’t take my life? Then, I’ll treat this as your agreement to collaborate.” Ye Huaiyang chuckled without a shred of getting intimidated by that extremely cold handsome face. She even took advantage hooking her arm on his neck with eyes overflowing with seduction.

Chu Jinglan indifferently waved her hand away and coldly snorted, “Does your elder brother know what you are doing?”

If the dedicated Ye Huaili and the treacherous Ye Huaiyang were not pretending, this Ye family must truly be regarded in a new light..

Ye Huaiyang could hear his hidden sarcasm but she didn’t explain and only twitched her plump lips as she replied, “That’s not important as long as my heart knows what I am doing.”

[1] Fèng qiú huáng (鳳求凰) – Male phoenix seeking female phoenix; passionate courtship, symbolizing the extraordinary ideals of the hero and heroine, noble intentions, and tacit understanding