Flower Stealing Master

Chapter 1014: Gentlemen and Ladies

Cheng Yaojia froze in place, the smug expression on her face instantly stiffening. 

The soft sensation made all of Song Qingshu’s anger dissipate in an instant, replaced by a heavy sense of embarrassment, feeling that what he was doing seemed rather inappropriate. 

“Hmph, this is a punishment for your earlier behavior,” Song Qingshu said, trying to sound fierce while retracting his hand. He cleared his throat and quickly changed the subject, “Let’s continue with our previous agreement. If you still refuse to speak after counting to several tens, don’t blame me for being rude.”

Cheng Yaojia’s mind went blank; that pure place that only her husband should t0uch was actually defiled by this man? She kept thinking about this matter, so much so that she only reacted when Song Qingshu counted to ten. 

“It seems you don’t mind me taking off your cl0thes,” Song Qingshu said, feeling frustrated. ‘Why was this woman so stubborn? Can’t she just tell me directly instead of getting us into this awkward situation?’ 

“Don’t!” Cheng Yaojia crossed her arms in front of her che$t, trying to stop him from removing the second piece of cl0thing. 

“I’ll ask you once more; if you tell me, I won’t bully you like this anymore,” Song Qingshu said softly. 

Cheng Yaojia shook her head, holding her arms tightly. 

Song Qingshu frowned, thinking to himself, could it be that I, a man of status, can’t handle this young lady? He reached out and brushed her elbow, and Cheng Yaojia immediately felt her hands go numb and weak, unable to keep them crossed over her che$t, letting them drop down helplessly. 

Song Qingshu deliberately snorted, then reached in to unfasten her cl0thing, taking off her second piece of cl0thing. Although he was careful, he still couldn’t avoid occasionally brushing against her body. 

Cheng Yaojia’s face turned as red as a rose, and Song Qingshu felt awkward, so he said, “You better think this through; you only have one last piece of cl0thing left. If you refuse to answer again, we might end up seeing each other in a more honest way.” 

While Song Qingshu knew she was still wearing a belly wrap underneath, this wasn’t the era of bikinis everywhere; exposing a belly wrap in front of a strange man would probably be no different from being completely naked. 

“Just kill me!” Cheng Yaojia said, her lips almost bleeding from biting them. 

Song Qingshu realized that continuing to press her in her current emotional state wouldn’t yield any results, so he changed his strategy, not rushing to count, but instead speaking to her in a gentler tone, “Miss Cheng…” 

“I’m already married!” Cheng Yaojia huffed coldly. 

“Alright then, Madam Lu,” Song Qingshu cleared his throat, “I don’t understand why you are so stubborn, willing to sacrifice your purity rather than speak.” 

Cheng Yaojia gritted her teeth and said, “Compared to the greater good of our nation, what does my personal purity matter?” 

Song Qingshu was taken aback, suddenly feeling a deep respect for her. He hadn’t expected that beneath her delicate exterior, she possessed such strong convictions. 

After a moment of silence, Song Qingshu sighed, “I was indeed reckless. If I have offended you in any way, I hope you can forgive me.” 

After saying this, he began to help her put her cl0thes back on, piece by piece. Cheng Yaojia was confused and turned to look at him in surprise. 

“Madam, there’s no need to be surprised. The reason I did that just now was to gather information from you. Since you have such noble intentions, it would be meaningless for me to strip you of your cl0thes.” Seeing Cheng Yaojia’s face flush at this, Song Qingshu smiled and continued, “Your virtue and spirit are truly admirable, which is why I didn’t want to continue offending you. There are too many people outside right now, so I can’t let you go, but you can rest assured that once it gets dark, I will find a chance to release you.” 

“Really?” Cheng Yaojia looked at him in disbelief. 

Song Qingshu replied earnestly, “Since I respect you, why would I deceive you with false words?”

“You didn’t hold back on the deception just now…” Cheng Yaojia murmured softly. Seeing Song Qingshu’s helpless expression, she shyly smiled, “Thank you!” 

“To receive a genuine smile from you, my lady, makes my efforts worthwhile,” Song Qingshu sighed. 

Cheng Yaojia’s face flushed, her voice barely above a whisper, “Could you let me up first before we talk…?” She was sitting in Song Qingshu’s lap and could vaguely feel something pressing against her. She was no longer a sheltered girl, so she knew exactly what it was. That ma$culine, overwhelming pressure made her voice tremble slightly. 

Song Qingshu was taken aback, quickly realizing what was happening. Compared to Cheng Yaojia’s shy demeanor, he was much more open-minded. While loosening his grip, he chuckled, “It’s just a natural bodily reaction; I hope you won’t take offense, my lady.” 

Cheng Yaojia nodded and, upon standing up, kept her head down, staring at her feet. Her hands fidgeted with the hem of her cl0thes, not daring to look him in the eye. 

However, an unexpected thought crossed her mind: although this man appeared rough on the outside, he was surprisingly attentive, managing to wear her feminine attire perfectly. 

Seeing her awkwardness, Song Qingshu couldn’t help but chuckle, patting the chair beside him, “Aren’t you tired standing like that? Come, sit down.” 

Cheng Yaojia didn’t dare to throw herself into the trap, immediately shaking her head like a rattle drum. 

Song Qingshu was momentarily stunned but quickly reacted, “I was being reckless; how could you sit with another man? How about this: you sit, and I’ll stand.” Saying this, he stood up and offered her the chair. 

“Just sit yourself,” Cheng Yaojia said, still a bit dazed. The fierce and intimidating Jin warrior had suddenly transformed into a polite gentleman. No matter how imaginative she was, she couldn’t comprehend how this had happened. 

“In our hometown, there’s a custom: ladies first,” Song Qingshu said, firmly pressing her shoulders down into the chair while he sat on the ground opposite her. 

Cheng Yaojia felt embarrassed to meet his gaze, instinctively turning her face away, and quietly said, “I find that you don’t seem so bad after all.” 

Song Qingshu smiled playfully, “Just a moment ago, someone was calling me despicable, shameless, and all sorts of things.” 

Cheng Yaojia’s face heated up, and she instinctively mumbled, “Your actions just now were indeed a bit despicable and shameless.” 

Song Qingshu knew he had gone a bit too far and smiled slightly at her words, choosing not to argue, simply gazing quietly at her fair, rosy face. 

A visible blush crept up Cheng Yaojia’s neck, and being stared at so intently made her feel extremely shy. 

“What… what’s your name?” Cheng Yaojia asked, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze, quickly trying to shift the topic. 

“Song… cough, cough, I mean, I’m Tang Kuo Bian,” Song Qingshu almost let it slip. 

“Oh,” Cheng Yaojia replied, and after that, there was no more conversation. She quietly stared at the carriage wall, peering out at the scenery through the gaps near the window. 

Seeing her silent, Song Qingshu enjoyed the serene image of the lady in front of him. The two of them, one observing the other and the other gazing out the window, unknowingly returned to the Daotai Yamen.