Aromatic Flesh

In the original plot, Xue HeZe’s decision to elope was indeed justified. In reality, if Xue HeZe and Qian YunSheng wished to be together, eloping was their only option. Gu MingYue could have chosen to stay in Shanghai, sever ties with the Xue family first, and then publicly announce the annulment of her engagement with Tang YingShao. However, after that, how would she and Qian YunSheng navigate their lives? Without the protection of their respective families, they would be living within the influence of both families, facing the judgmental gazes of society and enduring pressure from all sides. Would the Xue family, the Tang family, and Tang YingShao simply let them go without consequences? It seemed that their wisest temporary choice was to depart for Beiping and seek refuge with Xue HeZe’s aunt and her close friends from her school days.

Xue HeZe’s aunt, Shi XiaoMan, was among the early batches of self-funded female students who went abroad to study. In fact, her decision to study abroad had a unique motive. Angered by her parents arranging her sister’s marriage to a crude illiterate thug and concerned about her own future marriage prospects, she took a shocking and unconventional step – secretly taking a substantial amount of money from home and seeking the assistance of a familiar priest to help her reach the United States. This action directly led to her family cutting all ties with her and disowning her as their daughter. Shi XiaoMan spent four years in the United States and upon her return, she had a foreign businessman husband who was nearly ten years older than her. In the eyes of her compatriots, foreigners were generally regarded as superior, and as a result, Shi XiaoMan was unexpectedly accepted back into her family. Since she did not have her own children, she treated Xue HeZe as her own, and with their shared experience of studying abroad, Xue HeZe’s relationship with her aunt grew increasingly intimate over the past two years. They exchanged constant letters and their bond became even stronger than that of Xue HeZe’s biological mother.

If Shi XiaoMan were in Xue HeZe’s shoes, she would undoubtedly understand Xue HeZe’s state of mind. Both women were fearless in their ability to commit audacious and unconventional acts. If Xue HeZe had not encountered bandits on the way, perhaps she and Qian YunSheng would have settled down in Beiping and naturally, the original female protagonist would have no further role to play in their lives.

The steady ticking of the pocket watch reverberated through the room, while Gu MingYue patiently waited. However, Qian YunSheng appeared as though he had fallen asleep, with closed eyes and lips pressed tightly together, completely unresponsive.

“I understand…” Her voice choked with a raspy and defeated tone as she uttered those words. She slowly disengaged herself from Qian YunSheng’s body, contemplating whether it was best to leave for now. She shouldn’t push him too far, so perhaps it was wiser to return to her residence and come up with an alternative plan.

Gu MingYue didn’t want to resort to using suicide as a threat to manipulate the man, as emotions obtained through coercion were inherently unstable and unreliable.

“I’ll go first… Ah!” Just as Gu MingYue was about to put on a tearful expression and bid him farewell, she was abruptly pulled forward by Qian YunSheng who had sat up suddenly, causing her to lose her balance and fall into his embrace.

The man’s behaviour was unpredictable, and after a brief moment of confusion, Gu MingYue’s heart was flooded with immense joy that surged within her.

With his arms wrapped around her tightly in an embrace and his pale slender fingers resting on top of her head, the man exclaimed in a deep and muffled voice, “I like you too!”

The woman’s body softened in his embrace, but he was unable to find a way to fully express his tenderness.

Their disparate backgrounds and social statuses posed great challenges for their future, and even if they left Shanghai, they faced uncertainty about their livelihood. Apart from his singing skills, he had no other notable talents to offer. He was a useless man that was not capable of providing her with the happiness she deserved.

“Go, forget about me.” The man, seemingly fulfilling a long-held desire, had a satisfied expression on his face as he gently smoothed out the wrinkles on Gu MingYue’s clothes, while he softly bid her farewell.

Their parting meant that they would become strangers, with no chance of meeting again.

How could someone as despicable as himself deserve a lady like her?

Despite his outward arrogance, Qian YunSheng had always been plagued by extreme self-doubt. Being a man who resorted to desperate measures, even engaging in degrading acts, just to climb the social ladder, he believed his fate was to struggle in the mire alone.

However, Gu MingYue would not allow him to escape any longer. She had finally managed to make him confess his true feelings, and now was the time to capitalize on that vulnerability. She had to strike while the iron was hot, ensuring that Qian YunSheng had no choice but to face the inevitable, with nowhere to run.

“I’m not leaving!” Gu MingYue stubbornly refused.

Without hesitation, she swiftly removed her top, revealing her smooth and tender shoulders and arms. She stood before him, wearing only a loose, semi-transparent, white silk undergarment, exposing the contours of her bountiful chest. In the midst of Qian YunSheng’s stunned expression, she untied the last remaining piece covering her chest, exposing her voluptuous bosom, resembling two ripe peaches. Defenselessly, it entered the man’s sight.

“What are you doing? Put your clothes on!” Qian YunSheng exclaimed in a fluster, hastily closing his eyes and making random gestures with his hand. Unfortunately, his hand inadvertently landed on the woman’s body as she leaned forward, resulting in grasping a handful of her soft flesh.

Gu MingYue held his hand firmly in place, her voice now a soft and seductive whisper. “Shh… Can you feel it? That’s my heart beating for you.”

Qian YunSheng’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed subconsciously. Gu MingYue’s current expression carried a seductive allure he had never witnessed before, as if she had transformed from a delicate and graceful lily into a bewitching crimson rose blooming under the night sky.

Captivating men with her sudden change in demeanour was something Gu MingYue had mastered effortlessly.

Qian YunSheng found himself truly enticed by her allure. His limited knowledge of romantic affairs stemmed mostly from his experiences with Tang YingShao, and he had rarely been in such close contact with a woman’s bare skin, let alone one as enchanting and exquisite as hers.

“No! You shouldn’t do this! Leave this place at once while there’s no one around!” Qian YunSheng managed to restrain his emotions with the reins of reason. He forcefully withdrew his hand and quickly got up from the ground, before pushing Gu MingYue away as if to make his escape.

Staying in this room posed a threat to his self-control, and he feared he might commit an unforgivable act, even to himself.

“Stop right there!” Gu MingYue’s voice, tinged with a mix of humiliation and confusion, echoed sharply, “You can be with Tang YingShao, yet you refuse me?”

Qian YunSheng’s hand paused on the doorknob, finally comprehending the piercing agony in his heart.

Gu MingYue had exposed his most disgraceful and hideous scar, tearing through his flesh and blood, leaving him with no time or space to tend to the wound.