The Runaway Bride in a Substitute Marriage 30

Before Chen Yao could react, Xie Qingyan's arms had already lifted her from the couch, and he stood up.

In a few steps, he crossed to the table, picked up the now-cold medicinal broth, and drank it in one go.

Chen Yao's almond eyes widened in surprise, round as a startled cat's.

A smile tugged at Xie Qingyan's lips as he leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her soft eyelids. His hand, resting on her thigh, tightened its grip, fingertips nearly sinking into the soft flesh.

"You... I didn't ask you to drink that," Chen Yao frowned.

Her hands rested on his neck, and for a moment, she didn't know what expression to wear, so she turned her face away. "Besides, it's cold."

When it had first arrived, she'd already caught the heavy bitterness of the medicinal smell. Now that it had cooled completely, it could only taste worse.

Xie Qingyan held her and sat back down on the couch. Despite drinking the bitter tonic, his face betrayed no discomfort.

He simply raised a hand to cup her cheek, gazing into her eyes with a smile. "Is my wife worried about me?"

"Not at all," Chen Yao averted her gaze, stubbornly.

But he gently pinched her chin and turned her back, his warm breath drawing near.

His lips covered hers softly, and Chen Yao instinctively closed her eyes, soon feeling her breath completely consumed.

In the quiet room, soft, ambiguous sounds of kissing echoed continuously.

Xie Qingyan's fingers pressed firmly into her waist, pulling her into his embrace. His tongue swept into her mouth, skillful yet assertive, kissing her deeply over and over.

Their lips and tongues tangled, and Chen Yao vaguely tasted the bitterness of the medicine on his tongue. She frowned and let out a soft, unconscious "Mm."

Her almond eyes, misted with desire, half-opened. She struggled a little against his chest, but his hands easily pushed her back down.

Then he grabbed her hands and pulled them back, forcing her chest upward, holding her even more intimately against him.

Chen Yao's mind soon went hazy. A beautiful blush spread across her fair face, and she clung to him like a boneless kitten, soft and limp in his arms.

*

Later, Chen Yao never knew how Xie Qingyan had negotiated with Madam Xie, but in any case, her days returned to their former freedom and ease.

Then, more than half a year after their marriage, her belly still showed no sign of a child, and Madam Xie's old attitude began to resurface.

The candlelight in the room flickered gently.

Chen Yao sighed, then looked calmly at the man before her. "Xie Qingyan, let's talk."

"What would my wife like to discuss?"

The man, who had just shed his outer robe, walked over slowly. His voice was gentle, and he habitually leaned in, ready to pull his wife into his arms.

"Wait a moment." Chen Yao hastily swatted away his outstretched hand, her expression grave. "Let's sit face to face and talk."

Xie Qingyan's eyes flickered. He had already guessed what his wife wanted to discuss.

But he showed nothing on his face, maintaining his gentle smile as he reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

He then sat down on the couch, adjusting his posture so that his wife could sit face to face on his lap before speaking gently. "Please go ahead, my wife."

Chen Yao: "..."

After all his movements, her serious mood had been thoroughly disrupted, and the atmosphere had inexplicably turned improper again.

"Let me go," Chen Yao pursed her lips, looking at him with some displeasure. "I can sit by myself."

"Have I done something wrong again?" Xie Qingyan looked down at her, his voice lowering a little.

"No," Chen Yao replied instinctively, then quickly caught herself. "...No, what does that have to do with anything?"

Xie Qingyan leaned forward, asking seriously, "Then why won't my wife let me hold her?"

Chen Yao was silent for a moment, feeling like she was about to be beaten by him.

"Fine, do whatever you want." She stretched out a finger and gently pushed away the handsome face too close to her.

Then she let the matter go and returned to the topic she'd initially wanted to discuss. "We've been married for over half a year, but I still haven't conceived."

Xie Qingyan held his wife's small hand, his warm fingertips stroking it as he reflected, "Mm, it seems I haven't been working hard enough."

Chen Yao narrowed her eyes, suspecting he was doing this on purpose. She decided to be straightforward. "Anyway, let me be honest with you. I had already seen a doctor before this. My constitution makes it very difficult for me to conceive."

Xie Qingyan lifted his gaze and stared directly at her. After a long moment, he spoke in a low voice, "Is this the reason why my wife wanted to flee the marriage and didn't want to marry me in the first place?"

Chen Yao: "...Huh?"

She couldn't keep up with his train of thought for a moment. When she processed his words, she felt a bit speechless. How did he come to that conclusion?

"It has nothing to do with that," Chen Yao gritted her teeth, looking at him angrily. "Don't change the subject. The point is, it's impossible for me to have a child, so..."

"So?" Xie Qingyan raised his hand to cup her cheek, his dark, ink-like eyes fixed on her, growing deeper.

"You will be the head of the Xie family in the future. Won't you need an heir?" Chen Yao analyzed seriously. "And since I can't conceive, of course, I can only..."

Before she could finish the word "divorce," Xie Qingyan leaned in and kissed her fiercely.

He was clearly angry, and his kiss landed fast and heavy. It was no longer gradual or gentle but forceful, with a hint of fury.

Their breaths mingled as his thin lips pressed and ground against her soft lips, then his tongue drove into her mouth without resistance, tangling with her retreating tongue, sucking and kissing it repeatedly, sweeping across the sweetness of her mouth again and again.

Chen Yao's consciousness soon blurred. A delicate blush crept onto her beautiful face, her almond eyes were moist, and even the corners of her eyes were tinged red with mist.

With a clear sound of fabric tearing, she vaguely felt her clothes being pulled apart. Her bare skin met a hint of coolness, but was soon covered by the man's warm body heat.

Against the flickering candlelight, the lowered bed curtains clearly outlined the young woman's slender and graceful figure.

Xie Qingyan's jaw was set tight, and beads of sweat continuously formed on his forehead, sliding down his handsome features.

He suppressed his heavy breathing, his eyes dark as undissolved ink, staring intently at his wife before him. Something surged and churned deep within his gaze.

The chaotic sensation of being jostled overcame the young woman's senses. When she looked over with dazed, enchanting eyes, a single flicker of her gaze made the man's heart sway, and he couldn't look away.

The silk bed curtains gently swayed, and from within, the man's gentle, hoarse coaxing and the young woman's soft, delicate murmurs intermittently drifted out.