Rebirth of the Excellent Daughter of the Marquis Household (REDMH) - Chapter 175

**Trigger Warning (TW): non-consent unconscious kissing**

Bai Fu lowered her gaze and withdrew from the room.

Once the door was shut tightly, Yun Ke finally let go of Gu Yu Qi’s shoulders, intending to wring a cloth to wipe her face down.

But as soon as he released her, Gu Yu Qi swayed unsteadily, startling him into quickly catching her again.

Imperial Prince An had never had to take care of anyone before. The situation was both awkward and unfamiliar.

What now? He let out a soft laugh at himself. How could he be so foolish? Would it not be easier to just put Gu Yu Qi on the bed?

He carried Gu Yu Qi over and carefully laid her on the wide pearwood carved bed.

Then he turned away to wring a cloth before coming back.

Gu Yu Qi seemed to have fallen asleep. She remained in the same position as before, completely still.

Yun Ke patiently wiped the makeup from her face bit by bit. Without the makeup, Gu Yu Qi’s features looked softer and more refined.

Gu Yu Qi’s beauty was usually striking and bold. Just a touch of colour was enough to make her look dazzling, but now, without it, there was a natural simplicity to her that brought out another kind of beauty, one that was gentler and more authentic.

Perhaps Yun Ke had scrubbed a little too hard earlier. A faint red mark appeared on her skin, and he felt a pang of guilt. His hands truly had not known the right pressure to apply.

It was his first time looking after someone so he lacked experience. It would get better in the future, Yun Ke silently consoled himself.

He carefully removed the hairpins from Gu Yu Qi’s hair. To avoid pulling or hurting her, his movements were extremely gentle.

Thankfully, Yun Ke had done this once before on their wedding night, so he still remembered the process somewhat.

After untying her hair, Yun Ke simply sat down beside her. His slid his long fingers into her hair and began to softly massage her scalp.

This was something she used to enjoy doing for him in their previous life.

Her hands had always applied just the right amount of pressure and rhythm, no one else could match her. So even though he had deeply resented her in the past, there were still times when he had gone to her just to relax.

Gu Yu Qi, soothed by Yun Ke’s massage, instinctively turned over in her sleep and leaned a little closer to Yun Ke.

A flicker of joy appeared in Yun Ke’s eyes. He leaned down and whispered, “Ah Nan, do you like this?”

Gu Yu Qi, still unaware, simply followed her inner feeling and let out a soft hum of affirmation. Yun Ke was overjoyed.

“Then do you like me?” he asked softly.

His heart suddenly raced. He tried to suppress the anticipation, afraid of hearing her say no.

But this time, Gu Yu Qi gave no reply.

“Ah Nan.” Yun Ke was beginning to grow anxious. He grasped Gu Yu Qi’s shoulders and gave her a gentle shake.

Gu Yu Qi, already groggy and dizzy, felt even more disoriented with the movement. A low moan of discomfort escaped her lips, and Yun Ke felt as though he had been struck by lightning.

The woman in his arms had hair cascading down like a waterfall, carrying an indescribable charm of innocence and allure. Her delicate face was flushed, eyes closed, and her lips, slightly upturned in displeasure, looked to Yun Ke like an unspoken invitation to kiss.

**TW start

Unable to restrain himself, Yun Ke leaned in, slowly pressing her between himself and the bed. His lips first landed softly between her brows, then moved to her eyes. Her long lashes fluttered slightly at the touch, and Yun Ke paused, only to see Gu Yu Qi simply turn her head slightly and sink deeper into slumber in a more comfortable position.

Yun Ke gently kissed her cheek.

Perhaps his warm breath made her feel uncomfortable, for Gu Yu Qi shifted unconsciously, trying to escape the heat of his lips.

She turned her head again, tucking one ear out of reach, and curled up like a small cat, trying to get away from him.

Afraid of pressing down on her too hard, Yun Ke shifted to the side. As soon as she was freed from the pressure, she found another comfortable position for herself.

Yun Ke gazed at Gu Yu Qi’s peaceful and cute sleeping posture, a smile in his eyes. His heart swelled, brimming with love.

He finally understood what it meant to be unable to let go.

He had never quite grasped that phrase before until today.

He waited to make sure Gu Yu Qi was sleeping soundly before he resumed what he had left unfinished.

The moment their lips touched, Yun Ke sighed inwardly. It was a sigh of satisfaction, of long-held yearning finally fulfilled.

Just one kiss, and he never wanted to pull away again.

Their breaths intertwined, and Yun Ke felt as if he could lose himself entirely in the sweetness of her lips.

He wanted more. As the kiss deepened, it grew more intense, like aged fine wine that pulled in Yun Ke’s very soul.

Gu Yu Qi felt breathless under the kiss and tried to turn her head away helplessly, but Yun Ke was not about to let her go.

It was a rare chance for her to be drunk enough that he could steal a kiss.

He cupped her face in his hands, holding her still, and deepened the kiss.

“Mm?” Though intoxicated, Gu Yu Qi was on the verge of suffocating, and instinctively began to struggle.

Only when he felt her resistance growing stronger did Yun Ke finally end the long, lingering kiss. He propped himself up slightly, his gaze falling on her lips, now slightly red and swollen from his kiss. His eyes were soft, almost fluid with tenderness.

**TW end

As the oppressive presence left her, her breathing calmed and Gu Yu Qi quietened again.

She was now fully unconscious, the strength of the wine having taken complete hold of her.

Due to her earlier struggle, her collar had loosened a little and the once-neatly overlapped lapels had parted slightly, revealing her graceful neck and delicate collarbones.

Under the contrast of the vermilion ceremonial dress of a secondary consort, her skin appeared like pearls, smooth, pale, and glowing with a soft sheen.

Yun Ke felt his throat grow dry. He wanted more but he restrained himself.

If she woke and realised he had done something she disliked, their already fragile relationship would be even harder to repair.

He had experienced Gu Yu Qi’s stubbornness and paranoia firsthand. For the sake of the long road ahead, he dared not act rashly now.

He had never imagined that, in this lifetime, Gu Yu Qi would bring him so many unfamiliar, new feelings.

These were things he had never experienced in their past life. It turned out that when affection ran deep, two souls could indeed merge.

Gu Yu Qi remained fast asleep, her breathing long and steady, with a slight nasal hum. Yun Ke, on the other hand, busied himself in silence.

Only after a long while did Yun Ke’s body tremble slightly, and he collapsed beside Gu Yu Qi.

He stared at Gu Yu qi sleeping face, his eyes filled with such emotion it was as though tears might spill from them.

Though not in the truest sense of a release, he already felt deeply satisfied.

Just now, he had been trying to recall every detail of their past life together. Though this moment fell far short of the pleasure and fulfilment he had once drawn from her, it still brought him a profound sense of comfort from both body and soul.

Yun Ke got up and washed himself with water. After changing into a clean set of clothes, he finally lay down slowly beside her. With a flick of his fingers, he extinguished the candles in the room, and the chamber fell into darkness.

He stretched out his arm and pulled Gu Yu Qi into his embrace. The corners of his lips curled into a smile as he slowly closed his eyes.

Gu Yu Qi remained drunk until she finally woke up at noon the next day.

She slowly opened her eyes, and what met her gaze was the familiar sight of her own bed.

Her head still throbbed with the dull ache of a hangover, and Gu Yu Qi felt a bit dazed. She slowly sat up. All of a sudden, she seemed to remember something. She quickly looked down at herself. Thankfully, her clothes were still on, though they were a little messy and creased from sleep.

She reached up and touched her long hair. It had already been let down by someone.

Ugh, her head hurt. She held her head in pain, trying to calm herself and piece together the events of the previous day.

All she remembered was that everyone had gotten drunk and just as she was about to fall, someone had caught her. The rest was a blur.

Everyone was drunk, so who had brought her back?

Gu Yu Qi raised her head and looked around the room in a daze. Suddenly, she saw a person reclining on the nearby couch. He was leaning comfortably against the thick cushions, his long legs crossed over the couch, a book in his hands.

“Y-Your… Your Highness,” Gu Yu Qi exclaimed in shock, stuttering over her words.

“This prince’s surname is not ‘Your Your’,” Yun Ke replied slowly, his eyelids lowered just enough to hide the smile in his eyes.

This little girl had finally woken up.

She probably would not remember anything from the night before. He had already destroyed all traces of evidence.