The rouge smeared from their kiss, brushing against Lin Ting’s lips.
Though she couldn’t see it, she could feel a trace of moisture glide by, sending a shiver through her heart.
Duan Ling pressed close to Lin Ting, rubbing against her repeatedly, and soon his lips were stained with the vibrant rouge, gradually matching her color.
Before long, his lips became even darker than hers.
The rouge also spread to the corners of Duan Ling’s mouth, tinting the nearby skin a delicate shade of red, glowing with a rosy hue.
He continued to lick the rouge from her lips, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed it.
The floral scent of the rouge lingered around them, seeping into their bodies with each breath.
Lin Ting’s mind seemed to be invaded by the fragrance, now mingled with Duan Ling’s essence, giving her a sensation of drowning.
Instinctively, she parted her lips to breathe, but his tongue, already stained with the rouge, gently hooked hers, turning her tongue red as well.
Their lips and teeth were filled with the aroma of rouge.
Duan Ling’s left hand dropped down, intertwining his fingers with Lin Ting’s, while his right hand cradled the back of her neck, his fingertips gently brushing through her hair.
It was tender, as if he wanted to bewitch her, to keep her from pulling away.
Lin Ting’s tongue had been hooked by Duan Ling for too long, growing numb, so she unconsciously moved it, pressing against his.
Almost simultaneously, Duan Ling’s breathing quickened.
He opened his eyes and ended the kiss.
After he pulled away, her mind finally cleared.
If she had just woken up before, now she was fully awake.
Lin Ting pursed her lips, feeling uneasy.
A breeze swept into the pavilion, bringing fresh air that dispelled the floral scent of the rouge and the unfamiliar heat on Lin Ting’s body.
She lifted her head, and the first thing she saw was Duan Ling’s lips, redder than ever.
This time, half of the redness on his lips was from the friction of their kiss, and the other half was from her bright red rouge.
Even his chin wasn’t spared, exuding an inexplicable sensuality, as if it had been thoroughly ravaged.
Lin Ting’s nose grew warm, as if she might start bleeding.
She quickly averted her gaze, refusing to look any longer.
Duan Ling calmly turned aside, carefully rolled up the portrait, and held it in his hand.
He handed Lin Ting a handkerchief, this time not wiping her lips for her as he had done before.
Lin Ting didn’t think much of it.
On the table in the center of the pavilion were fruits, pastries, and tea.
She dipped the handkerchief in the tea and wiped her mouth.
The rouge had mostly been smeared off by him, leaving little behind.
A quick wipe was enough to remove it, but the lingering warmth and softness of the touch remained.
Habits were truly terrifying.
It seemed she was starting to get used to Duan Ling’s sudden kisses.
The thought struck her, and Lin Ting froze like a statue.
Duan Ling didn’t look at her anymore.
“My mother wants to see you. She asked you to come over after the portrait is finished, wearing this dress. No need to change.”
This red dress bore some resemblance to a wedding gown, exquisitely crafted and delicate.
But she only saw it as an ordinary red dress.
After wiping her mouth, Lin Ting carefully hid the handkerchief stained with rouge, as if afraid someone might see it.
“What about you? Aren’t you coming?”
Today, they had been painting their pre-wedding portraits together.
Madam Feng shouldn’t only want to see her and leave her son behind.
He turned again, gazing out of the pavilion.
His hand holding the portrait tightened and then relaxed, carefully controlling the pressure so that the portrait remained without a single wrinkle.
“You go first. I’ll….. join you in half an hour.”
“Alright.” Lin Ting actually wanted to see the dual portrait the artist had painted, but seeing Duan Ling roll it up to take away, she didn’t ask for it.
Wait, why should she care about this portrait?
What did it matter if it looked good or not?
Lin Ting didn’t ask Duan Ling what he had to do.
He was a member of the Imperial Guards, often busy with duties.
However… two quarters of an hour, which is half an hour, was he going to handle an urgent official matter or review a case file?
Lin Ting casually picked up a piece of pastry to eat, masking the lingering scent he left behind.
She mumbled with her mouth full, “Then you should hurry. I’ll wait for you at Madam Feng’s courtyard.”
Duan Ling left.
Only after Duan Ling had gone far did Lin Ting remember that the rouge on his lips hadn’t been wiped off.
If someone saw it, wouldn’t they know what he had been up to?
Never mind, he probably had the sense to handle it.
Maybe he would wipe it off as he walked.
She didn’t need to worry too much.
Lin Ting found Tao Zhu, who was waiting with the Duan family servants at the back gate, and went to see Madam Feng.
Duan Xinning was also in Madam Feng’s courtyard.
When she saw Lin Ting enter, she greeted her, “I heard you and Second Brother were painting portraits in the backyard. Are you done?”
Lin Ting replied, “We’re done.”
Duan Xinning’s eyes showed a hint of regret.
As soon as she heard that Lin Ting had come today to paint portraits with Duan Ling in the backyard, she wanted to go and see.
But Madam Feng stopped her, saying it was inauspicious to disturb them while they were painting.
Even Madam Feng herself didn’t go.
Regret aside, Duan Xinning didn’t dwell on it too much.
Her mother’s words weren’t without reason.
Before marriage, it’s all about auspiciousness.
She also hoped they would marry smoothly.
Duan Xinning took Lin Ting’s hand and led her into the house.
After admiring her red dress, she hooked her pinky finger around Lin Ting’s and swayed it gently, whispering coquettishly, “Where’s the portrait? I want to see it.”
For a moment, Lin Ting wanted to pull her hand back from Duan Xinning’s grasp, as she recalled what had happened earlier in the backyard.
When Duan Ling kissed her, their fingers intertwined, and his fingertips had deliberately or inadvertently brushed over the back of her hand, as if teasing her.
The back of her hand felt slightly warm, and she pushed aside her distracting thoughts.
“It’s not with me. Duan Ling-“
Madam Feng overheard their conversation and smiled, “You’re about to get married, why are you still calling him ‘Duan Ling’? You should start calling him Ziyu.”
This was the second time she had tried to get Lin Ting to change how she addressed Duan Ling.
This time, Duan Xinning didn’t say anything.
Before Lin Ting had publicly proposed to Duan Ling, Duan Xinning had been worried that her mother might make things difficult for her, which was why she had intervened when her mother suggested they change how they addressed each other.
But times were different now.
As her mother said, they were about to get married.
Thinking of the word “marriage,” Duan Xinning thought of Xia Zimo.
His father still hadn’t returned, and their engagement remained unsettled.
If she didn’t know that Xia Zimo’s father had truly been sent out of the capital by the emperor on official business, Duan Xinning would have suspected that he was deliberately delaying, not truly intending to marry her.
She suppressed her emotions and looked at Lin Ting.
Under Madam Feng’s gentle gaze, Lin Ting felt slightly awkward as she changed her words, “The portrait isn’t with me. Ziyu took it.”
She often called Duan Ling “Duan Da,” and when gossiping about him with Jin Anazi , she would call him by his full name-Duan Ling.
This was the first time she had used his courtesy name, Duan Ziyu, or Ziyu.
As she said it, it felt a bit awkward on her tongue.
Duan Xinning said disappointedly, “Second Brother took it? Why did he take it? I haven’t seen it yet.”
She turned to Madam Feng, “Mother, can’t the pre-wedding portraits be shown to others?”
“Not necessarily. Your Second Brother probably took it to avoid damaging it. If you can’t see it today, there will be other opportunities in the future.”
Madam Feng replied to Duan Xinning, then affectionately called Lin Ting over, “How did it go? Was it smooth?”
She hadn’t even glanced at the painting yet, but she said, “The artist’s skill is exquisite, the portrait looks beautiful, and the process went smoothly.”
Though sitting for so long had made her bottom ache a bit, and her body felt slightly stiff.
Madam Feng looked behind Lin Ting and asked, “Why didn’t Ziyu come with you to see me?”
Lin Ting first greeted her politely, then replied, “He seemed to have some urgent matters to attend to. He’ll be here in half an hour.”
Knowing that their family valued etiquette, she made sure to explain Duan Ling’s absence clearly.
Madam Feng scolded Duan Ling, “Urgent matters? Today is the day for painting the pre-wedding portrait. Nothing should be more important than you. Ziyu really doesn’t know his priorities. Le Yun, you’ve been wronged.”
Lin Ting’s ears burned at these words.
What did she mean by “nothing should be more important than her?” It was too much to assume her position in his heart.
“He probably suddenly remembered some urgent official business that needed handling. It’s unavoidable for someone in the Imperial Guards to be busy.”
“Busy or not, he shouldn’t act like this. Does he plan to handle official business on his wedding day too?” Madam Feng pulled her to sit beside her and took a sip of tea.
Lin Ting remained silent for a few seconds.
It wasn’t entirely impossible, and she didn’t mind.
Duan Xinning fully sided with Madam Feng and whispered in Lin Ting’s defense, “Second Brother is really something. Couldn’t he have postponed his official duties? Did he have to do them today?”
From a corner of the room, a man’s voice drifted over, “A man should take pride in serving the court. Your second brother…”
Madam Feng’s gaze swept over Duan’s father, as if she had choked on her tea, and she covered her mouth with a light cough.
It was only then that Lin Ting noticed there was someone else in the room.
Why was Duan Xinning’s father sitting in the corner?
If he hadn’t been sitting there, she wouldn’t have missed him.
Hearing Madam Feng’s cough, Duan’s father called for a maid to pour her another cup of tea and awkwardly changed his tone, “Your second brother indeed acted improperly.”
Over the years, she had barely looked at him directly, only putting on a show in front of outsiders.
Privately, she ignored him.
He knew she still blamed him for not stopping Duan Ling from becoming a test subject for medicine back then.
After saying this, Duan’s father fell silent, sitting quietly without another word.
Lin Ting felt the atmosphere was strange.
Madam Feng remained warm and enthusiastic toward her, chatting about Duan Ling’s childhood.
Lin Ting listened patiently, and as the conversation went on, she even became somewhat interested.
Although she had transmigrated into this book, the protagonist wasn’t Duan Ling, so his childhood wasn’t described in detail.
Madam Feng sighed, “When Ziyu was young, you were the first person outside the family to get close to him, and I noticed you then. It’s a pity that as you grew older, you drifted apart. But thankfully, your relationship has rekindled, and now you’re getting married. It’s truly fate.”
Lin Ting was puzzled.
“Do you remember the time Ziyu got injured outside, and you were the one who brought him back? Both of you were covered in dirt, collapsing at the front gate, and it nearly scared me to death.”
When had she ever saved Duan Ling?
Lin Ting was baffled.
“I brought him back?”
Madam Feng looked at her with kind eyes, “Yes, I remember it clearly. That year, you had just turned twelve, and Ziyu was sixteen.”
Lin Ting had no recollection of it.
When she was twelve?
Was it the time she had set a trap for Duan Ling, luring him into a wolf den?
Strange, she remembered everything that had happened before she awakened, including leading him into the wolf den.
Why had she forgotten that she had also saved him from it?
Madam Feng twirled her prayer beads, noticing Lin Ting’s bewildered expression, and added, “Have you really forgotten?”
Lin Ting forced an awkward smile.
“I don’t remember it clearly.”
Not only did she not remember clearly, but she even suspected that Madam Feng might have made it up.
However, Duan Xinning chimed in, “I remember. I was so scared back then that I cried.”
But the adults had been afraid that recalling the terrifying scene of being trapped in the wolf den would be too much for them, so she had never mentioned it until now.
Since Duan Xinning also remembered, it seemed the incident was real.
Lin Ting began to consider a possibility.