“Tangning!”
Xiao Yan shot to his feet and rushed out of the room. Rong Yue and the others, their faces pale, hurriedly followed.
Inside, Tangning had woken, sitting disheveled on the bed, her face filled with terror.
“My lady, it’s me… it’s Hua Wu…”
Hua Wu reached out to calm Tangning, but as she approached, Tangning swung a pillow at her.
Clutching the blanket over her head, Tangning curled into a trembling ball in the corner of the bed, her back pressed against the wall, muttering incoherently.
“Don’t come near me!”
“Don’t come near…”
Hua Wu’s tears fell as she saw Tangning’s fear. Not daring to approach, she helplessly called out “My lady,” but the sound only seemed to frighten Tangning more.
Tangning hugged herself tightly, hiding her face in the blanket, afraid to see any light.
As long as there was no light, no one would come. As long as it stayed dark, she wouldn’t be punished…
The group at the door froze, their breaths catching as they saw Tangning cowering in the corner. Their hearts felt as if they were being squeezed and twisted painfully. Rong Yue, in particular, was so overcome with anguish she could barely breathe.
This was her sister’s child, the little girl she had doted on since childhood. She shouldn’t be like this!
“Tangning, it’s your aunt. Look at me… it’s your aunt…”
Rong Yue approached the bed, crying as she tried to embrace Tangning. But as she drew near, Tangning shrank back in terror, clutching the blanket tighter. When a corner of the blanket lifted, revealing a sliver of light, Tangning screamed, her eyes wide with fear at the sudden brightness.
“Go away, go away… Mother… don’t come near…”
Tangning flailed, screaming, like a frightened bird without shelter, on the verge of breaking at the slightest touch.
“Don’t touch her!”
Xiao Yan’s voice cut through, and he stepped past Rong Yue, wrapping Tangning entirely in the blanket. With a flick of his sleeve, he knocked down a nearby window prop.
The window slammed shut with a *bang*, plunging the room into darkness.
“Lower the curtains, close the door, and block every source of light.”
“Xiao Yan…”
“Get out!”
Xiao Yan looked up. “Don’t startle her.”
Rong Yue didn’t want to leave, but Tangning was terrified of their approach, her mind so clouded she didn’t seem to recognize anyone. The look in her eyes moments ago had pierced Rong Yue’s heart like a blade.
Gu Helian’s eyes were red too. Seeing Tangning trembling under the blanket, he pulled Rong Yue gently. “Let’s go outside for now.”
…
The room fell silent. After the door closed, every gap was sealed.
The faint remaining light of the setting sun was completely blocked out. The dark blue bed curtains draped down, leaving the already dim bed in near-total darkness.
Xiao Yan looked at Tangning, huddled in the corner, and sat quietly beside her.
The darkness seemed to give Tangning a sense of safety. Her trembling body gradually calmed, and she curled up against the wall, silent and still, as if asleep.
But Xiao Yan could hear her uneven breathing.
He knew she wasn’t asleep.
“Tangning.”
The figure in the corner flinched.
Xiao Yan softened his voice as much as he could. “Don’t be afraid. They won’t come in. Brother’s here.”
Tangning, curled up tightly, stared blankly. At the word “Brother,” she shuddered violently and shrank further into the corner.
Xiao Yan suddenly realized that the young Tangning had no other brother figure. The “brother” in her eyes was Song Jin Xiu, Song Hong’s son, the one who claimed to care for her while watching her descend into hell.
Regret flashed in his eyes. After a moment, he changed his words.
“Do you remember the pear tree you planted when you were little? You said that when it bore fruit, you’d give me the biggest, best pear.”
Pear… tree?
Tangning’s eyes flickered.
Xiao Yan spoke gently. “The first time I met you, my eyes were injured, and I couldn’t see. You loved to chatter by my side.”
“You said you loved the plum blossom pastries your mother made, the wooden horse your father gave you, and secretly tugging on Grand Tutor Rong’s beard. Even if I didn’t respond, you could talk to me all day.”
“You were just a tiny thing back then, and I don’t know where all those words came from. I was in a dark mood and ignored you, but you’d keep talking on your own. When you got tired, you’d insist on crawling into my arms, saying I had to hold you and coax you to sleep. You said that once my eyes healed, you’d take me to see your pear tree and give me the first fruit.”
Tangning rested her chin on her knees, her gaze slowly calming, as if lost in thought.
Xiao Yan edged closer, testing. “I thought, how could there be such a talkative kid?”
“The day I left, you clung to my leg, crying so hard it was like a flood. Your mother tried to soothe you for ages, but you wouldn’t let go, insisting you wanted to come with me…”
The figure under the blanket was quiet for a long time before a soft voice emerged.
“Little Brother…”
“Yes, I’m back.”
Xiao Yan had moved to her side. He didn’t lift the blanket she clutched tightly, only slowly placed his hand beside her. “I’m here. Don’t be afraid.”
The person inside didn’t move. He wasn’t in a hurry, sitting quietly.
After a long while, the blanket lifted slightly, and a soft, pale hand reached out, cautiously resting on Xiao Yan’s.
When he gripped it tightly, Tangning’s eyes met his, close enough to see clearly. Her muddled mind seemed to clear, and the fearful, numb look in her eyes gradually regained its light.
“Brother…”
Xiao Yan’s heart trembled, nearly tearing up. The calm he’d fought to maintain shattered, and the fear of losing her and finding her again overwhelmed him. He pulled her into his arms.
“Tangning, Tangning…”
Tangning clung to him, sobbing, as if pouring out all her pain. She cried about how much it hurt, how her mother was gone, and why they had treated her that way.
In that suffocating darkness, she couldn’t see anything, and no one came to save her.
She screamed over and over but couldn’t escape, watching herself sink, watching herself be tamed, watching her hatred turn to fear and then to desperate hope…
She felt she couldn’t hold on anymore…
“Brother…”
Tangning wrapped her legs around Xiao Yan’s waist, her arms clinging to him like a lifeline. Her fear drove her to grasp at something, and the man holding her wasn’t enough.
She bit his thin lips, crying and seeking more. Xiao Yan froze at the touch, instinctively pulling back slightly, only to feel her tears mingle between their lips.
The salty warmth darkened his eyes. He tightened his hold on the soft figure in his arms, one hand cradling her head as he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers.
Unlike his usual gentleness, there was a reckless intensity in both of them. The heat spread from their lips to behind her ear, teasing and tingling, trailing down her neck.
Amid disheveled clothes, Tangning’s expression was dazed. She tilted her head back, her slender, pale hands gripping the bedframe in the dark, her eyes misty.
Her soft, fragmented sounds made Xiao Yan’s eyes redden.
The smooth touch beneath his hands was intoxicating. Xiao Yan, fighting his nearly exploding body, leaned over her. After a long moment, Tangning’s body suddenly tensed.
He lifted his head, pulling her tightly into his arms.
“Brother…”
Tangning’s mind was blank. Coming to, she saw the man above her, drenched in sweat, his breathing heavy with restrained heat, as if he could ignite with the slightest touch.
His lips were red, his breathing sticky, and sweat dripped from his throat onto her face.
“Brother, I can help you…”
Recalling what he’d done, Tangning had already cast aside her fear. The lingering pleasure left her shy and moved.
Her eyes red, she thought that even if they couldn’t consummate normally, she could still help him.
“Brother, I’m not afraid.”
Xiao Yan paused, looking into her watery eyes, filled with fearless determination despite the intimacy, as if she were throwing herself into it.
He suddenly realized he’d never told her his eunuch status was false.
Seeing her shy yet steadfast gaze, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly, guiding her hand to explore the darkness.
“Then… I’ll trouble Little Crabapple…”
Tangning braced herself but froze when she touched something, her eyes widening.
“How are you… mmph.”
Her lips were sealed, and Xiao Yan let out a low hum. “How?”
Tangning’s face flushed crimson. “You… mmph… liar…”
Her breath caught, tangled in intense intimacy.
Xiao Yan chuckled, nuzzling her neck.
“Little Crabapple said she’d help me.”
=================
You can read ahead to chapterr 470 (100+ extra chapters) here
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