You Are My String Of Fate

2.18 || Virtuous To One's Husband

Hou Feihong knew Hua Mulan's righteousness more than anyone. He also knew Hua Mulan would have rescued Liu Qirong by herself if Hou Feihong chose to stay put. Although Hua Mulan did not have a good impression towards Liu Qirong, her sense of justice would not let the Second Prince's intention to defile Liu Qirong come to fruition.

But Hua Mulan had put herself in disguise to follow Hou Feihong, thus she obviously knew Hou Feihong was there. If Hou Feihong stayed silent, how would he explain himself in front of Hua Mulan?

Hou Feihong could only decide to drop his disguise and save the damsel in distress himself. He thought to himself it would not matter too much. Liu Qirong's reputation was as good as gone, considering the rumors circulating around.

When his docile wife trembled in his chest, he was certain he had made the right decision. More so, he was increasingly getting frustrated with Hua Mulan and her barrages of questions and doubts after the Second Prince escaped. Thus, he asked again, "Don't you trust me?"

The person who answered was not the woman he believed he was in love with, but the naive beautiful person in his arms, "Lord Husband, I trust you."

It took more than a few days to placate Hua Mulan and weave lies mixed with truths for her until she finally relented.

They went through a few rounds of love-making in bed, Hua Mulan still taking the lead on top of him. Hou Feihong loved the position, but sometimes, he just wanted to pin the prideful woman down and hear her screaming in joy and pain as he ruthlessly plunged into her. He wanted to mark her all over.

Just like he had done to Liu Qirong numerous times in the past. The woman was always docile and accepted him, no matter how rough or how many times he wanted it. Hua Mulan would always stop after two or three rounds at most in one time, citing tiredness.

Yet she never let him take control. He wanted to plant his seeds in her. After all, his ambition almost came into fruition and soon she would be lawfully his. On the other hand, he remembered the heart-broken expression of Liu Qirong, every-time he pulled out of her, not willing to grace her womb with his seeds.

The two women were vastly different; he loved Hua Mulan's wildness and bravery, he loved Liu Qirong's curvaceous body and demureness. Hou Feihong wanted both.

He promised to himself, he would treat Liu Qirong better in the future, no matter how broken her reputation was. She seemed content with his affection, and Hou Feihong was sure he could share a part of his love with Liu Qirong.

When he decided to finally pay Liu Qirong a visit, she was already missing from her room. Initially he was not worried. After all, she was not exactly a prisoner and might only be strolling around the building.

But none of the servants could find her.

He began to panic when the servants alerted him to the blood stains on the ground, about a few hundred meters away from the house. He had scoured the area a few days before when he was chasing after the Second Prince, and he was sure this particular area was clean. But he had not found the Second Prince at all.

Recalling the hungry eyes the Second Prince had when the latter looked at Liu Qirong, Hou Feihong's mind was thrown into disarray.

*** *** ***

A thought of wanting to find a quiet place to nurse Yuzhen back to health had come across Liu Qirong's mind. However, she soon found out that would be impossible.

Not only were there no other villages or towns nearby, the weather was also not friendly, as though the sun was exacting vengeance for sins Liu Qirong did not commit.