TSFLIP Chapter 57

Qi Mu originally only planned to scare her with a light, fleeting kiss, but when the moment came, things quickly spiraled out of his control. He first covered Feng Guang’s lips with a series of deep kisses, then slid his tongue inside, like a nimble serpent, easily prying her teeth apart, and found her small tongue with ease.

“Mm…” Feng Guang’s expression of shock gradually turned into one of helpless surrender as she passively endured his passion. Her body soon weakened, and if it weren’t for him holding her tightly, she feared she would’ve collapsed to the ground.

Just as she was about to run out of breath, Qi Mu finally let her go. Their lips parted, connected by a thin silver strand of saliva, and he heard her gasp for air. Slowly licking the corner of his lips, he smiled wickedly. “Sweet.”

Boom! Feng Guang’s mind felt like fireworks had just gone off. Her legs were weak, and she could only lean against his chest for support. These sensations had already left her brain in a daze, but before she could fully process what was happening, Qi Mu effortlessly lifted her in his arms and carried her toward the bed. He didn’t need any light to expertly avoid all obstacles along the way.

She weakly called out, “Wait…”

He responded bluntly, “I can’t wait.”

“Qi Mu!” She nervously clutched the front of his shirt, her voice trembling in panic for the first time. “What… what are you trying to do?”

He lowered his head, amused. “What’s this? Not calling me ‘Your Highness’ anymore?”

“I… you…” She stammered, finally managing to piece together a half-coherent sentence. “I’m very traditional. Before marriage, I can’t… I can’t…”

“Can’t what?” His voice was filled with laughter as if he truly didn’t understand the rest of her sentence.

Her face flushed red, and she snapped in frustration, “Qi Mu!”

“Alright, Miss Xia, I’m just teasing you.” Qi Mu gently placed her on the bed. “You should rest.”

The moment she touched the bed, she shrank into the corner, her eyes—though unable to see—still warily facing the direction of his voice.

He walked back to the table and sat down, smirking. “Although there’s a certain thrill in touching my brother’s fiancée, Miss Xia, didn’t you say you trusted me not to be that kind of person?”

“…” She finally understood what it meant to be hoisted by one’s own petard.

Qi Mu was a petty man, and she wasn’t exactly the forgiving type either. But as the saying goes, commoners don’t fight with officials. She chose to accept this slight. Of course, she also believed he wouldn’t tell anyone about what happened tonight. Her thoughts gradually grew more and more muddled, and soon, she drifted off into sleep.

The next morning, people from the Xia residence came to pick up Feng Guang. She didn’t dare look at Qi Mu’s face as she said her goodbyes and hurriedly got into her family’s carriage, quickly leaving. After that, she didn’t leave the residence for an entire month, and there was no chance she’d see Qi Mu again.

By April, the grass had grown tall, and the birds were singing. The weather had warmed even more, and the carriage leisurely traveled along a forest path.

“Miss, we’ve arrived at Linggan Temple,” Yun’er said as she first opened the carriage door and then helped Feng Guang down.

Linggan Temple, situated on the top of a misty mountain, was famous throughout Luocheng for its spiritual power and was one of the most popular temples for incense offerings. At the Xia family’s request, Feng Guang had come on the 15th of this month to offer incense and pray.

The temple was grand and imposing, and the main hall was solemn. There were not too many nor too few worshippers today, and Feng Guang quickly found a good spot. She held three sticks of incense but didn’t bow or pray, only lighting them and handing them to Yun’er to place in the incense burner.

“Young lady,” a woman beside her said, “you’ve lit your incense, but you haven’t bowed to Buddha.”

Hearing this, Feng Guang turned to look at the woman. She seemed to be in her forties, with an air of grace and elegance. Despite her age, she still retained much of her beauty, clearly showing that she had been a great beauty in her youth—a noble and attractive woman.

“Madam, when it comes to temples, it’s about sincerity. Lighting incense and bowing to Buddha are just outward forms. When someone has a request, they strive to do everything perfectly for peace of mind. But if there’s no request…” she smiled sheepishly, “then one can just go with the flow.”