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The next morning, when Astragalus woke, Xiao Ying was still asleep. She was groggy and tried to sit up, but something weighed on her shoulder; only then did she realize it was Xiao Ying's arm. She was resting in the crook of his arm, the two of them squeezed together all night on the lower bunk of the narrow iron bed.

The city lord of Huang jolted, immediately lying back down obediently. She was secretly delighted: the wish she’d made months ago—to wake up and see Xiao Ying first thing in the morning—had finally been granted by the heavens…

But, oh heavens, when I said I wanted to wake up purely and innocently, I was just being polite; I didn’t mean for anything else to happen. Why did you take it so literally...

She lifted her head to quietly observe Xiao Ying’s sleeping face. He was deeply asleep, breathing so softly it was nearly inaudible. Lying on his side on the outer edge of the bed, he hadn’t rolled off all night—a sure sign of good, well-mannered sleep. Yet his brow was slightly furrowed; perhaps his arm had gone numb from being her pillow. Astragalus wanted to let go of his hand, but was afraid of waking him.

He was wearing an old cotton shirt as pajamas, which she had wrinkled and twisted around him. Two buttons at the collar were undone, and from her angle, his collarbone was just visible...

The city lord swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry.

She and Xiao Ying had been in a relationship for half a year, but, separated most of the time, they’d never had a chance for intimacy. Now, with another separation looming and still not even a kiss between them, she couldn’t help feeling shortchanged. Here they were, finally alone in a room, sharing a bed and a pillow—if she didn’t do something now, she’d feel unworthy of her title as city lord! Xiao Ying’s sleeping face was so innocent, so completely unguarded, it was practically inviting her to take advantage of him!

Action was needed. The city lord lifted herself up, studying her beloved’s face, trying to decide from which angle to steal a kiss.

But as soon as she moved, he woke up. Half-opening his drowsy eyes, he found her face so close to his, still unaware of his peril, his voice rough with sleep: “Ah Qi, you’re awake? What time is it...”

How much restraint could she be expected to have? The city lord was just about to pounce and kiss him senseless when he suddenly turned his head with a wince, brows knitting in pain. “Ouch,” he muttered.

She wasn’t the sort to ignore her beloved’s discomfort for her own pleasure, so she quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“My arm…” he hissed, “it’s so numb…”

After being her pillow all night, how could it not be? The city lord sat up to massage his arm and restore the circulation.

“Ah...gentler!” he cried.

Seeing her chance for intimacy slip away, the city lord, full of frustration, applied a bit too much pressure. She quickly lightened her touch, grumbling inwardly: It’s just a numb arm, does he have to make such a fuss? And what was with that expression!

It was said that people’s desires were strongest in the morning, and the city lord believed it. In her mind, the little scenario had already skipped the innocent kiss stage and leapt straight into forbidden territory. They were both in their twenties, had been dating over half a year—she wouldn’t mind skipping ahead to the home run…

Besides, they’d soon be separated, with her parents interfering, and wouldn’t be able to spend proper time together for at least three years. Platonic love sounded wonderful in theory, but in reality it was fragile! Couples needed intimacy to deepen their bond!

The more she thought about it, the more justified she felt in unleashing her desires. After massaging his arm for a while, and seeing he seemed better, she quickly lay down again, pinning his shoulder to stop him from getting up. “Xiao Ying…”

He stayed lying down. “Do you want to sleep a bit more?”

“Mm…” she mumbled, her hand drifting to his chest. Not daring to be too forward, she didn’t touch his muscles directly but played with the third, loosely fastened button at the center of his shirt. “Xiao Ying, I’ve been thinking. We’re not breaking up, we’re just each busy with our own things for a while, and won’t have much time together, right?”

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “That’s right.”

“So, since we’re not breaking up, we shouldn’t be too sad. We should be happy and do something joyful, shouldn’t we?”

“As long as you think so, that’s good.”

See? Her beloved had agreed! Time to do something joyful!

At last, she managed to unfasten that button. Unable to see his face, her courage swelled, and with a bold move, she slipped her hand inside his shirt.

He bolted upright, smacking his head on the iron railing above. “Ah Qi! What are you doing!”

What was with that dramatic reaction? She’d barely touched him—not even enough to get a feel for it!

The city lord was used to advancing when the enemy retreated, and if he was shy, she would be bolder. Smirking, she pressed herself atop him, preventing any escape. “Xiao Ying, we’ve been together so long and are about to part. Shouldn’t we have something to remember each other by? We’re both adults…”

Her beloved’s face flushed crimson as he protested, “Ah Qi, don’t… This kind of thing should wait until after marriage… or at least until our parents agree and it’s certain we’ll be together…”

“We’re already sure we’ll be together, aren’t we?” the city lord replied righteously. “Are you really afraid I’ll use you and abandon you? Don’t worry, if you give me your virtue, I’ll take full responsibility.”

He blushed so deeply it seemed he might bleed, but still struggled to stay rational. “Ah Qi, no matter what you say, you’re a girl, and in the end, girls bear the cost. I can’t… If your mother finds out…”

“It’s not the old days—we don’t have to wait for marriage. You’re too old-fashioned! My mom is very open-minded about this; she’s a teacher, she knows all about it. She even gave me my first book on sex ed when I was a teenager.” Of course, Teacher Ding had also taught her to value herself, to protect herself and not be too casual. But was this casual? Xiao Ying was the one she had set her heart on marrying, with all seriousness and sincerity!

“Xiao Ying,” she said, bracing herself on either side of his neck and gazing into his eyes with what she hoped was the most affectionate, moving look she could muster, “I mean this seriously. I want to remember you, and I want you to remember me—not just in your heart…”

Her beloved’s resolve was clearly wavering, already half-collapsed. “But I’m not fully recovered yet; the doctor said I can’t do anything strenuous…”

“That’s easy—just lie still and let me handle it.” The city lord, agile and decisive, swung her leg over to straddle his waist.

“We’re not prepared for this, Ah Qi, when was your last—”

She impatiently cut him off, “I know. It’s the end of the safe period, very, very safe, there’s no chance I’ll get pregnant.”

Her beloved, lying beneath her, was mortified yet yielding. “Then be gentle…”

The two of them, one above and one below, looked at each other, faces as red as monkey’s bottoms. Even with all her bravado, the city lord was inexperienced. Under his gaze, she faltered, grabbed the pillowcase beside them, and covered his face.

Not seeing his eyes made things so much easier. And with his eyes covered, all she could see was the bridge of his nose, his tight-pressed lips, and the Adam’s apple moving nervously as he swallowed—strangely enticing… Maybe that was why Yin Zhiping blindfolded Little Dragon Maiden—not so she wouldn’t see, but for the thrill of it…

She undid the rest of his shirt buttons, finally feasting her eyes on the view she’d longed for. Xiao Ying was much more solid than he looked in clothes, with an impressive chest and even some abdominal muscles—though most of those were hidden by bandages…

The city lord compared his chest with her own, confirming that blindfolding really was a wise choice.

But when it came to real action, she was at a bit of a loss. She’d read the sex education book her mother had given her, but it was all theory, no practical guidance. She’d focused on her studies at school, hadn’t watched adult films, hardly even seen any R-rated movies. All her experience came from a few romance novels, but those were always male leads teasing female leads—there was no reference for a woman on top. Was she supposed to imitate the moves from those boys’ love stories?

She glanced at the two pink points on Xiao Ying’s chest—described in novels as “cornelian berries”—and recalled his earlier sensitivity. She decided to start there.

She bent down and gently licked one with her tongue.

His reaction was even stronger this time; his body arched up, lifting her entirely, his hands gripping her waist tightly. With a toss of his head, he shook off the pillowcase, his gaze losing all shyness, turning ardent and intense.

Astragalus hastily covered his eyes again. “Don’t move! Relax, or you’ll pull your wound. Just relax.”

He gritted his teeth. “How am I supposed to relax when you do that?”

The city lord was secretly delighted, lying on top of him, blowing in his ear and teasing him in a low, seductive voice, “Don’t you like it?”

His ears were bright red.

Encouraged by her success, her confidence soared. She tried to recall descriptions from novels, kissing her way from his chest to his collarbone, gently nipping him and leaving two tooth marks as a memento. She listened to his breathing deepen and grow erratic with her every move, felt his muscles tense beneath her touch, their skin growing hotter wherever they touched. His body was awakening under her hands, and she, too, was quickly losing her composure. Her breath grew uneven, her hands unconsciously gripping him harder. She squeezed his shoulders, then bit his jaw.

Xiao Ying shuddered, a muffled groan escaping his throat; when he spoke, his voice was trembling and broken. “Ah Qi, stop… it hurts…”

She nibbled her way to the corner of his lips, still teasing him wickedly. “That hurts? I wasn’t even rough.”

“It really… hurts…” Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. “Your elbow… is pressing on my wound…”

Astragalus quickly rolled off him. Looking down, she saw that the bandage over his injury was already damp with fluid.

Her ardor was instantly extinguished. In a panic, she scrambled to dress, pulled on her shoes, and rushed him to the hospital in a cab.

The doctor unwrapped the bandage for a careful inspection. Fortunately, there was just a little seepage, no bleeding, nothing serious. They took an X-ray to make sure there was no internal injury, then cleaned and re-bandaged him.

When the doctor saw the red bite marks on his chest as his shirt came off, he instantly understood and scolded them, “Young people should exercise some restraint. It’s only been half a month since the surgery and the stitches aren’t out yet. Can’t you wait a few more days? Don’t you know better?”

Exposed on the spot, both of them were so embarrassed they wished they could sink into the floor. Astragalus hung her head and took the scolding obediently, reflecting that she really had been a bit of a beast.