Chapter 257: Chapter 257: The Meaning of the Flowers
This only allowed Li Yun to kiss her more deeply.
He didn’t stop until Ming Lingyi’s lips were nearly swollen from his kisses.
Letting the reins go slack, they drifted with the horse for an unknown amount of time before Li Yun finally released Ming Lingyi and took hold of the reins once more.
But how could a mere passionate kiss possibly quell the fire raging within him?
If anything, it was only growing stronger.
"HYAH—"
With a deep cry, Li Yun held Ming Lingyi close and galloped toward Ju Garden.
This was a chrysanthemum garden in the suburb of the capital, but more specifically, it was a garden within the Royal Hot Spring Villa.
Li Yun carried Ming Lingyi straight to his usual residence, which was connected to a natural hot spring pool.
The moment they entered, Ming Lingyi felt the humidity in the air and caught the faint, natural scent of sulfur.
During the last stretch of the ride to Ju Garden, she had recovered and no longer felt so weak she couldn’t move.
"Don’t you want to wash up?" Li Yun’s question made Ming Lingyi hesitate again.
They had galloped all the way here and were covered in dust. On top of that, after their intimacy on that deserted path, her body was slick with a thin layer of sweat. The sticky feeling was uncomfortable against her skin.
In her current residence, taking a proper bath in a large pool was no easy feat.
But here at the villa, nearly all the surrounding courtyards were built around natural hot springs. Among them, Luoxue Pavilion, where Li Yun often stayed, was the largest, most comfortable, and most private.
Because of that momentary hesitation, Li Yun carried her down into the pool.
The milky hot spring water steamed, hidden among several century-old red osmanthus trees. The scent of osmanthus in early autumn was deep, mingling with the warm, moist vapor and drifting gently with the mountain mist. Petals fell silently, creating tiny ripples on the jade-green surface of the water, infusing a thread of cool fragrance into the bone-deep warmth.
The surrounding rocks were covered in dark green moss. In the distance, the occasional chirp of a roosting bird only accentuated the profound tranquility of this small world. White mist clung to the stone edge of the pool, lazily drifting before finally melting into the indigo of the distant mountains as dusk settled.
The place was truly serene and exceedingly private.
When she was lowered into the water, the warmth that instantly enveloped her made it seem as if every pore on her body opened up. It was so comfortable that she almost sighed aloud in pleasure.
If not for the distinct sound of splashing beside her and the ripples repeatedly lapping against her body, it might have been even more comfortable.
Although this was a natural hot spring, it was part of a Royal Villa, so the surroundings of the pool were naturally extraordinary.
The edge of the pool was lined with smooth, mutton-fat jade. An entire, massive piece of it had been set into the ground, yet it blended seamlessly with the surrounding scenery—a clear testament to its extravagant cost.
Smooth, round pebbles rested at the bottom of the pool, nourished by the spring water over many years, giving off a moist, green sheen that seemed to emanate from their very core. The water was alive, seeping in ever so slowly from the crevices in the rock and flowing out through a hidden channel at the other end. A veil of white steam constantly shrouded the surface.
It was because of this veil-like mist that the two figures in the pool became blurry and untouchable, with only the sound of soft cries, seemingly endless, drifting out from the white haze.
Ming Lingyi was pressed against the jade slab she had just been leaning on. The jade itself was exceptionally smooth and warm, and having been steeped in the hot spring for so many years, it didn’t feel too cold even when one was suddenly laid upon it.
What’s more, a searingly hot arm was now draped across her chest and stomach.
The water rippled. A mountain breeze rustled the century-old golden osmanthus trees on the bank, causing a shower of blossoms to fall.
Before, they would have landed on the water’s surface; now, they landed on the snow-white shoulders of the person in the pool.
It was a truly sensual and fragrant sight.
It wasn’t until Li Yun had carried her to the bed that Ming Lingyi belatedly remembered what he’d said back on Vermilion Bird Street. When he had reached out to her, he had clearly promised to take her somewhere nice to relieve her worries.
’Who knew this was his idea of "relieving my worries"?’
’This is complete nonsense! How is this relieving *my* worries? It looks to me like he’s the one getting his worries relieved!’
Annoyed, Ming Lingyi rolled over and bit his chest, which was already covered in red marks, as if to vent her frustration.
Li Yun hissed, looking down at the woman in his arms. "Not tired yet?"
He certainly wasn’t tired. They had already gone twice in the pool. By his usual standards, twice was far from enough. There was a look of satisfaction on his face, but it was clear he wasn’t fully sated.
If not for the fact that Ming Lingyi had been busy with her restaurant lately and was surely too exhausted to handle much more, Li Yun would have definitely pulled her onto the bank for another round.
Now, holding her back in their room and seeing she still had the energy to cause trouble, Li Yun’s breath hitched.
Before Ming Lingyi could answer, his hand, hidden under the covers, slid down from her waist. It was a movement that was part test, part warning. "You want more?"
When Ming Lingyi heard this, she felt completely misunderstood.
’What?!’
Once she realized what he was implying, she unceremoniously slapped away his hand from under the covers. "Get off!" Ming Lingyi said.
Li Yun chuckled and answered her with his actions instead of words.
The dryness of early autumn was replaced by damp warmth within the bed curtains.
That night, Ming Lingyi didn’t return to Huaidei Fang. Neither did Li Yun. The two of them remained at the villa.
After another bout of activity with Li Yun in the afternoon, Ming Lingyi took a nap. When she woke up, the aroma of food reminded her just how ravenous she was.
Li Yun hadn’t lied to her. The chrysanthemums in Ju Garden were indeed in beautiful bloom.
The various prized cultivars, meticulously cared for by the gardeners, had begun their first round of blossoms.
Li Yun didn’t delay her meal. He had servants arrange pots of the most precious, blooming chrysanthemums in the side hall so that Ming Lingyi could admire them while she ate.
When Ming Lingyi got up and went to the side hall, her eyes filled with amazement at the sight of a room full of flowers, each vying for attention.
Chrysanthemums truly deserved their reputation as flowers praised by countless poets and writers throughout history.
Closest to Ming Lingyi was a ’Fire Phoenix,’ its long, golden-red petals curling outward like the spreading wings of a mythical bird, as brilliant as a sunset cloud.
Beside it, a ’Green Peony’ drooped its head. When first blooming, it was as green as jadeite; in full bloom, its petal tips were tinged with a milky white, like frost embracing the flower’s heart.
The ’Ink Lotus’ was more serene, its purplish-black petals layered and drawn inward, a dark luster flowing over them as if carved from black jade.
In the distance, a ’Ten-Yard Pearl Curtain’ let its snow-white, silky petals hang down like a thousand silver threads, cascading brilliantly to the ground.
The sight was a feast for the eyes, and she couldn’t tear her gaze away.
Li Yun saw how much Ming Lingyi liked them and couldn’t help but say, "What a coincidence. Your restaurant opens tomorrow. Take these flowers with you."
Ming Lingyi replied, "The decorations for tomorrow are already set. Besides, these flowers are far too precious."
Even for a restaurant on a street like Vermilion Bird Street, the silver spent on an entire meal wouldn’t amount to even a tenth of the value of a single pot of flowers Li Yun had shown her.
Li Yun chuckled. "Without you here to see them, these things have no value."
In his eyes, the sole purpose of cultivating these chrysanthemums so perfectly was for Ming Lingyi to cast a single glance upon them.
Giving them to Ming Lingyi to take with her, so she could see them every day, was the best fate these flowers could have.
Comments