Chapter 42: So Jiang Yu Didn’t Feel a Thing at All

The wooden building of the Song family’s old residence was rustic, and the conditions in the fortress camp were harsh. Jiang Yu hadn’t slept this soundly in years, even having a lovely, gentle dream.

She dreamt she was sitting under the stone table in the small courtyard, playing Go with her mother. Jiang Shuhe’s figure was wrapped in sunlight, drifting and hazy, her face unclear, but her voice was tender and soft as she called out, “A-Yu.”

Just as mother and daughter were enjoying themselves, Jiang Shuhe suddenly stood up.

Jiang Yu looked up, only to see a large gunny sack appear out of thin air in her mother’s hands, which was promptly placed right onto her shoulders.

Jiang Yu: “?”

Yet Jiang Shuhe didn’t stop there, piling them up one sack after another.

Jiang Yu was literally squished awake.

She saw the arm draped across her shoulders and blinked her drowsy eyes twice in confusion. As her gaze shifted upward, He Lian’s handsome, sleeping face met her eyes.

Jiang Yu: “…”

Why was she in He Lian’s arms? Wasn’t she on He Zhiyi’s bed?

Jiang Yu instinctively reached out to feel around her side. The right side was completely empty. She scratched lightly at the soft bedsheets with her fingers, amused by her own absurd thought.

She had actually thought the three of them were sleeping together.

Looking up again, He Lian’s sleeping demeanor was just as refined as his table manners—no snoring, no grinding of teeth. His breathing was simply much heavier than hers, and his thin lips were tightly pursed.

Looking at him brought back memories of that kiss from earlier during the day, making the tips of Jiang Yu’s ears flush slightly red.

She secretly reached out and lightly tapped the man’s brow bone with a fingertip, then slowly slid her hand downward, using her sleepiness as an excuse to squirm out of He Lian’s embrace.

Jiang Yu remembered that when they were walking around the Han Palace Residence during the day, there was a vintage landline telephone in the first-floor lobby.

Tiptoeing down to the first floor, the grandfather clock on the wall suddenly struck.

Dong— Dong— Dong—

Jiang Yu froze on the spot instantly, hunching her body down slightly. A moment later, she looked up—it was the twelve o’clock chime.

Silently letting out a breath of relief, Jiang Yu located the landline.

The servants of the Han Palace Residence had all gone to rest, leaving the vast lobby quiet save for the whirring sound of the rotary dial turning.

It took a long time for the other side to pick up, a weary, sleepy voice sounding through the line.

“Hello, who is this?”

Hearing the familiar voice, Jiang Yu unconsciously tightened her grip on the receiver and whispered softly, “Sister Xiaohe, it’s me, Jiang Yu.”

The other side went silent for two seconds before exclaiming in overwhelming joy: “A-Yu! You’re alright?!”

“I’m fine, I’m with He Lian,” Jiang Yu said. “What about you? Where are you?”

“He Lian gave me a sum of money and had someone escort me back to my hometown. You have no idea—I’ve been waiting for your call this entire time, worried sick! He Lian didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

Jiang Yu was slightly taken aback by the question, her fingers mindlessly twisting the telephone cord. “…He Lian is very good to me.”

“That’s good then. So what are you going to do next? Do you need me to do anything else?”

“No need.” Though Jiang Yu’s voice was quiet, it was resolutely firm. “Live your life well and don’t get involved in things here anymore. I’ll handle the rest myself. Sister Xiaohe, thank you for your hard work over these past six months.”

Su He went quiet for a moment, her choked sob easily audible: “It’s nothing. I’m fine with anything, as long as you’re safe and sound. At least then I can face Auntie Jiang with a clear conscience.”

Thinking of her mother, a wave of bitterness welled up in Jiang Yu, and she cursed He Lian a few times in her heart.

She had finally managed to dream of her mother, only to end up carrying heavy gunny sacks for no reason because he was holding her tight.

“Still, you must be careful. I don’t think He Lian is someone to be messed with. Wanting to use his hand to grind the Song family to ashes won’t be an easy task.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

Jiang Yu didn’t dare speak the second half of her sentence— at worst, it’s just death . Keeping track of the time, she hurriedly added, “Sister Xiaohe, I won’t be calling you again in the future. Take good care of yourself. Once all of this is completely over, I will come find you.”

With that, terrified that she might hesitate, Jiang Yu placed the receiver back onto the cradle.

Knowing Su He was safe gave her peace of mind.

Whatever lied ahead—be it a mountain of daggers or a sea of flames—she had to face it alone.

Jiang Yu stood in place for a moment to gather herself, then turned around with her head lowered to head back. But after just two steps, she bumped into a solid wall, scaring her into looking up instantly.

He Lian was rubbing the corner of his eye with his fingertip, clearly not fully awake. “A-Yu? What are you running down here for?”

Jiang Yu, priding herself on her strong psychological resilience, kept her expression firm and declared solemnly: “Restroom!”

Perhaps because he was too groggy, He Lian didn’t doubt her. He pulled her along back up to the room. By the time Jiang Yu walked out of the ensuite bathroom, he had already changed into a strikingly flashy, tailored suit.

Was he going out?

It was midnight.

He Lian lifted her onto the bed and gestured at her face, “A-Yu, back at the fortress, do you still remember that ugly guy with the glasses?”

Shen Jin—of course Jiang Yu remembered.

Seeing her nod, He Lian explained further, “It’s his fiancée’s birthday today, and he keeps sending me messages telling me to come over. Sleep obediently at home, okay? By the time you wake up, I’ll be back.”

To be honest, taking Jiang Yu along wouldn’t have been a problem. He Lian wasn’t someone to beat around the bush, but the birthday party was being held on a cruise ship. The wind tonight was a bit strong, and he was afraid Jiang Yu’s fragile body couldn’t handle it.

Having heard him out, Jiang Yu didn’t show any sign of reluctance. Instead, she obediently slipped into the blanket, using her action to show she understood.

He Lian: “…”

Is she really not attached to me at all?

Unwilling to accept it, he bent down, pulled back the blanket, and looked at Jiang Yu’s already closed eyes, probing gently: “A-Yu, I said I’m going out. Aren’t you scared?”

Jiang Yu: “…” Go with a clear conscience.

She was sleepy too.

Seeing that Jiang Yu didn’t make a fuss or throw a tantrum, He Lian couldn’t hide his disappointment. As his gaze drifted down to her snowy white shoulder, he couldn’t resist lowering his head to kiss it. The soft feeling captivated him, prompting him to lightly peck his way all the way to her earlobe.

He Lian swallowed lightly.

The little fool was truly wonderful to kiss.

It was just a pity she barely gave any reaction.

He Lian cursed himself inwardly, flipped open the blanket to pull Jiang Yu into his arms, and kissed and teased her for quite a while. It wasn’t until that burning sensation threatened to spiral out of control that he finally pulled away, his forehead drenched in hot sweat.

The door closed. The motionless Jiang Yu buried her head deep, the top of her head sticking out of the blanket almost steaming with heat.

Her entire body felt like a freshly steamed bun.

On the other side, a luxury cruise ship was slowly sailing across the waters of Jinzhou’s South Port. The sound of crashing waves was muffled by the blasting music and energetic dancing on the deck. On the second-floor balcony railing, He Lian leaned back on a sofa, smoking a cigarette.

The sea breeze carried a salty tint, yet it couldn’t blow away that lingering desire.

Why wasn’t Jiang Yu craving his body anymore?

Was his technique wrong?

Even if Jiang Yu was mentally slow, she should still have a primal reaction.

Just as he was pondering, a wave of giggles echoed from the stairs behind him.

A few wealthy heiresses wrapped in towels over their swimsuits walked up arm-in-arm to rest. Seemingly not noticing him sitting on the leather sofa in the shadows of the night, they spoke without a shred of restraint or modesty.

“Hahaha, really? Threw him away after just one turn?”

“Of course! If it didn’t feel good, why do it a second time? Am I crazy?”

“What do you mean? Spill the details!”

“He’s tough, sure, but he just doesn’t know how to treat a girl gently! He only cares about his own pleasure, no foreplay, no aftercare. Aside from pain, I didn’t feel a single thing! I don’t want that kind of brute.”

He Lian, sitting with his back to them: “…”

Was it really like that?

He felt like he had been quite rough too.

He Lian’s finger twitched, flicking ash onto his pants.

So, after all this…

The little fool didn’t find it enjoyable at all!

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