Chapter 5

I wake up with his robe covering my bare body, shivering in the coldness of the night. Fortunately, my parents never bothered to check up on me if I am at home. Otherwise, they would have suspected me of sneaking out late at night to indulge in indecent behaviour. 

Such actions are highly condoned in Tuyi, as maidens are expected to keep themselves pure for marriage. But my mother was different since she was raised with sword-fighting training and born with innate powers. She doesn’t meet the definition of “maiden”, so why should I? 

Han is still asleep, with his arm lodged deep in my bosom. Silently, I disconnect him from my body and creep towards the lake to watch my reflection under the bright moon. Removing Han’s robe slowly, I observe the marks he has left on my ***** body.

I have very fair skin, snow-white by definition, which goes very well with my name, Winter. My skin gets bruised easily, which Han knows. I don’t understand what he stands to gain by leaving these marks. Doesn’t he know that I am fond of revealing outfits? Or is he trying to prove something to Cheng?

I just sigh and step into the icy-cold water, ignoring the biting feeling of it against my skin. A cold bath during a chilly night is not advisable, but after the rough ordeal earlier, I feel that I need the coldness to relieve my soreness down south. The splash of cold water soothes it a bit, and I think that I could fall asleep enjoying the coldness. 

But soon, I hear the boom of his voice as he intrudes into my sanctuary.

“Winter, what are you doing bathing here all by yourself?” he stares at me with a menacing look. I tense, losing myself. Then, I quickly say a few words in my defence.

“Why can’t I have a bath here?”

“You should have called me.” He takes off his undergarments and slides in after me before I can get out of the water. “But since you are seducing me with your ***** bath, I’m sure to give you a bigger thrill.”

“You were sleeping,” I insisted. 

“That doesn’t give you an excuse to leave me,” he glares at me domineeringly. “Unless you came here to wait for someone else, maybe Li Cheng, or some other man.”

“I did not!” I shout, but he cups his hand over my mouth and pinches my tips with the other hand. Then, he pulls me swiftly under the water to a rock on the other side. With half of my body submerged underwater, he presses my upper body against a rock, pinned down with the weight of his abdomen. I realise how I am now one of his possessions.

“Believe me, Han,” I persuade him. “I am already your woman.”

He smiles broadly as if he likes what I just said. “If you meant what you just said, then, spread your legs for me, Winter.”

My eyes tear with the brutality of the words that had just emerged from his mouth. “Han, is that all that I am to you? Someone, to just pleasure you because my sister can’t?” In that instant, my heart crumbles to pieces.

Han looks vexed at what I just asked. He seems to sound furious. 

“Winter, if you don’t behave and be a good girl, I can always bring forward the marriage to your sister.”

I gasp. No, that can never do! In the end, I listen to him and open myself wide, bracing myself for his entry. His tone softens, and he strokes my hair.

“Winter, if you dare betray me for another man, you’ll know the consequences.”

I nod submissively. “Han, I love you. I’ll never do anything to betray you. But, why can’t you sa…” Before I can finish my sentence, I let out a deep moan. It’s my first time ever making love underwater, and the feeling is… profound. He isn’t rough on me right now but is pleasuring me with his strokes. At times, I can’t believe that he was a ****** before. Although this is a question, I never asked Han.

Han just smiles. “Sweet girl, I would never get tired doing you all day long. As long you remain loyal to me.” He ends the sentence by increasing the power of his thrusts. I just make a few more sounds, getting louder each time. He appears to like it, playing with my hair and spinning my tresses around my mounds.

He lifts me effortlessly and flips me in a different angle for him to take me once more. And this way, we bask under the moonlight, enjoying each other and performing the sin that a maiden in Tuyi could be disowned for pre-marital sex. And the worst thing: our relationship is forbidden because everyone in Tuyi considers him my brother-in-law. He sneaks into my room at night, owning me and making me want him more than ever. 

But in my heart, I know I will never get to be Mrs Lu. He is around my sister in the daytime, giving her all the comfort he can while making their wedding preparations, but at night, I satisfy his darkest desires.  

By now, my lower abdomen no longer hurts that much when he goes wild on me, maybe because I have already experienced it uncountable times with him. We have secretly met for weeks on end, and I have long lost count of how many times he takes me through the night, only leaving my room at dawn.

One question just concerns me: what of the day when he comes to move in to live with our family, where I see him day and night? Would I be able to withstand the deepest of my desires?

Yet, fate had other plans for us when my mother came to me with a special announcement. That morning, my heart sank, and I was sure Lu Han heard it loud and clear because he stared at me with a dangerous look across his face.

Li Cheng had sent us betrothal gifts. It had pleased my mother greatly, and she thought she knew what was best for me, but she didn’t. I wasn’t interested in Li Cheng one bit, not even as a brother.

I knew I had to say no, and have a good reason for denying their arrangement, but what could convince my mother otherwise? In her heart, I was that delinquent who let her down, because I didn’t possess powers like my older siblings!

In my heart, I thought of all kinds of ways to escape my unwanted union with Li Cheng. After some thought, I firmly decided that I would save my best plan for last.

But that pinch from Lu Han at the dining table that night with our family, Li Cheng and his parents served more than just a warning, did it? 

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