The person next to me looked somewhat weary, the flush on their cheeks slowly fading, leaving a pale complexion with a strange, listless quality.
"Have you had breakfast?" He lowered his head and asked in my ear.
"not yet."
He led me downstairs, beckoned the shopkeeper and waiter who were hiding trembling behind the counter, and after instructing them to serve breakfast, the shopkeeper and waiter rushed off to the kitchen without looking back.
"Judging from this, it must be the Supreme Heavenly Lord, City Lord Nangong?" Xiao Lianjue blinked, a seductive smile curving her lips.
The people around me didn't even look up, their heads down, engrossed in playing with my fingers.
"Oh, you two are such good friends? You, Nangong Ling, are you serious? You actually believe this troublemaker?"
"If he doesn't believe me, does he believe you?" That's exactly the topic I hate the most.
Xiao Lianjue smiled so hard her eyes curved into slits. "I don't mind."
How can anyone be more shameless than Gemini An? Is this person really the Crown Prince Yongri, the master of the Eastern Palace?
"...Didn't sleep well last night? You got up so early..." He fiddled with my fingers, asking only trivial questions.
"Thank goodness, could you get him out of here? Looking at this guy makes me lose my appetite."
Thinking back to that time when my stomach was upset for three whole days, it left me with quite a bit of a trauma.
"You can pretend he doesn't exist." With a slight frown, he finally raised his head to look Xiao Lianjue in the eye.
“Nangong Ling, you know that no one can ever ignore me.” His peach blossom eyes were smiling, yet sharp.
"How should I know? I don't know you."
"Don't say that, or you'll regret it." Xiao Lianjue narrowed her eyes, her confidence seemingly unfounded.
“You came all this way not just to test Juyizhuang, right? If you have something else to take care of, hurry up and leave.”
"Why don't you take this opportunity to arrest me?"
“I know better than you who the people at Juyi Manor are and what their abilities are. Besides, the fact that you dared to enter Ruyi Tower alone means you are very confident that you can get out. You, Xiao Lianjue, never fight a battle you are not confident of winning.”
"Hmm, that's interesting. Rong Cheng certainly has a keen eye for people." A rouge box seemed to have been knocked over with his smile, spilling a strong scent of perfume. "It's nothing serious, it's just that Rong Cheng hasn't seen his sister in a long time, he must miss her terribly, right?"
A fleeting glance from someone nearby revealed a vague message that was quickly obscured by the somber darkness.
"Do you want to see your older brother?" he asked me, turning his head to the side. His expression and eyes revealed no emotion whatsoever.
Of course I wanted to see him, but after I understood my brother's intentions, I felt a bit scared. How could I, Rong Lian, be schemed against by my own family?
Moreover, I had a strange premonition that if I nodded, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"I don't want to for now; I'm not mentally prepared to see him." This is also the truth.
The deep black color gradually faded. Although his expression didn't change, the sharp aura he exuded before had diminished considerably, at least making him less intimidating.
"You heard me."
She was speaking to Xiao Lianjue but not looking at him. Instead, she took a sip of tea from the cup in front of her. Before the water on her lips could dry, a flash of white light appeared before her eyes, followed by the sound of a porcelain cup shattering on the ground.
I instinctively shuddered. If I had known Xiao Lianjue would come, I wouldn't have bothered to coax him to sleep last night. It's one thing for him to have trouble falling asleep normally, but even when he does fall asleep, if he doesn't wake up naturally, he's incredibly irritable for quite some time afterward.
The reason he smashed the cup was simply because it wasn't filled with his usual Junshan Yinzhen tea. Disturbing Nangong Ling's sleep or meal could easily be a matter of life and death.
"Qionghua, see the guest out."
As soon as someone's name was called, that person came out of the kitchen, as if they had been squatting there waiting for a long time.
"Anyway, there's plenty of time in the future. Let it go this time. I never force people."
He laughed suavely, as if he were saying something insignificant, but his eyes held a terrifying danger.
After seeing Xiao Lianjue off and having breakfast, Nangong Ling showed no intention of releasing the pressure points of the other three people in the main hall.
"Are you just leaving them hanging like decorations?" I asked, pointing to the wooden figures outside.
"Do you want Qiongying to play with you?" Back in his room, his temper finally calmed down.
I shook my head. "Don't always run around barefoot. You're more likely to get sick, even in the summer."
"Oh," the person replied casually, sounding perfunctory.
"What's wrong? Did Xiao Lianjue's trip make you so upset? Or do you have a problem with me...?"
"What are you thinking about now?" He looked up. "Where did you put the sachet I gave you last time?"
"What are you going to do with the pocket of my dark blue coat with silver fur trim?"
He ran to the cabinet and rummaged through everything before finally managing to pull out the sachet. Only then did he show his first smile of the day.
"Keep it with you and don't take it off." He came over and stuffed the sachet into my clothes, speaking almost into my ear.
"What's strange about it?"
"I almost forgot about this if the Crown Prince hadn't come... Anyway, it's a good thing, but don't take it out easily, understand?"
After he finished speaking, he blew a breath into my ear, and he perked up immediately.
"How come you seem so calm? You've given away your years of hard work to someone else for nothing. I thought you were really hurt and I was trying to figure out how to comfort you. I was afraid that someone as proud as you would be devastated by this."
These words elicited a soft chuckle from him. "Tell me, how does my wife plan to comfort my wounded confidence?"
Why should I tell you? I don't want you to get smug again.
"Hmm..." he hummed softly, and casually closed the window.
"What are you going to do?!" I stared at him in almost terror.
"My wife is being naughty."
Before I could even pull away, he had already bitten my neck, his soft tongue gently brushing against my pulse, sending shivers down my spine with its heat.
“You…” You always use this trick.
"Shh." Cool, thin lips brushed against my lips, stopping at the corner of my mouth. "You little ingrate, I've been looking at you every day for the past two months but I can't touch you. I could bear it when my injury wasn't healed, but now? Are you trying to make me suffer to death?"
You know how painful it is. It's your own fault for not trusting me before. I did it on purpose.
Chapter 105
A thin layer of mist, like smoke or cloud, floated in those bottomless black eyes. The corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, with a dark blush on them. Her eyes were captivating and alluring, a sight that could not be found in this world. How could a human being be so bewitching?
His fingers traced the contours of her collarbone downwards, wrapped around the silk ribbon, and with a gentle tug, the sachet he had just slipped inside slid off the bed along with her warm orange coat.
"Ugh...be gentle!" He bit her hard on the chest, and even through the fabric, it still felt numb and painful.
"Don't move." He raised his head, his eyes filled with affection and a smile playing on his lips.
"It hurts so much!"
"I know." As she spoke, she grabbed both of my wrists with one hand and lifted me onto the pillow, while untying the belt of my shirt with the other.
"Then... ah..."
Without warning, he stuck a finger in from below.
"You think your little schemes can escape my notice?" His voice was already clear and melodious, but now it was lowered, hoarse and with a hint of allure.
This man is always the most patient, and this is no exception. He remained inside without moving, and a warm current surged through my lower abdomen. I was so aroused by his teasing that I could hardly move. As soon as I moved, his legs pressed me down. We remained locked in this stalemate, and I was sweating profusely from holding it in.
"Yunzhi..." I bit my lip, unable to do anything else, so I deliberately called him in a hoarse voice, just like him, and squinted my eyes, not believing that he could hold back.
His soft, smoky eyes narrowed, his breathing grew heavier, and his thin lips, stained red from passion, slowly pursed. Suddenly, he leaned down and inserted another finger. Before I could cry out, his soft, sweet red lips sealed my mouth. This kiss was anything but gentle; his tongue probed in like a whirlwind, leaving no stone unturned, a dense, cool fragrance filling my mouth, making it difficult even to breathe.
He went too far today. I was furious and embarrassed, so I bent my knee and shoved it into his groin. He grunted and pulled away from my lips, his brows furrowing in displeasure.
"With war breaking out in the northern desert, do you really think Xiao Lianjue just came here to test Juyi Manor? If he hadn't taken an interest in something, he could have easily handed it over to his subordinates. Why would he need to come in person?" He paused, his phoenix eyes narrowed, and with a fierce look, he pushed his half-inserted finger all the way in.
“…Mmm!” I squeezed my legs together, feeling hot all over from his gaze.
"Given his character, judging from the tone you just spoke to him, anyone else would have been dead several times over. But not only was he not angry, he responded to you in that manner. He's a person who's used to being carefree, and it's impossible that he's holding back because of Rong Cheng... You're so smart, do I need to continue?" After saying that, he slowly withdrew his finger. "This is your punishment. If you don't want to, you can call it a stop now, I won't force you."
How can there be such a person? Just when you're itching to the point of unbearable desire, they suddenly become nonchalant and act like they're ready to leave at any moment. Who started this whole thing?
"...You..." she began, then felt incredibly wronged. This was the kind of bullying one could inflict!
He paused, his gaze softening, flowing gently like warm spring water. After a barely audible sigh, he leaned down again, gently kissing away the warmth from the corner of my eye, then my brow and the tip of my nose, finally kissing my lips. This time, he was extremely careful and incredibly tender; I was almost melted away by his sweetness.
"When did Lian'er become such a crybaby?"
I turned my face away; if my hands hadn't been held down by him, I would have punched him a few times first.
"Alright, it's my fault. I was thinking about random things again." He said, turning my face towards him. "Lian'er, be good, stop making a fuss."
Don't try to fool me.
He smiled, a bitter smile on his face. "I'm afraid you'll have to slowly cure this problem for me in the future. I can't guarantee it won't recur anytime soon."
I stared at him for a while, and this kind of person actually showed an expression that was almost begging for mercy. I actually felt sorry for him. I guess I'm doomed to be stuck with this person for the rest of my life.
Beauty is a curse. I did not want to be swayed by it, but he relentlessly dragged me along. In the end, he conquered the city and marched straight in, plundering everything I had. I had no power to resist, or perhaps, I should say, I didn't even have the will to resist.
He was always very careful when he came in, even that time under the influence of the drug he was extremely restrained, barely hurting me the first time. Sometimes I feel sorry for him when I think about it. I was also under the influence, so I know the dosage was definitely high. His kisses weren't gentle then, but he managed to regain his last bit of rationality at the most crucial moment. After that experience, I finally understood how much he cherished me.
By evening, I was exhausted, and when I saw that he was coming again, I glared at him fiercely.
"Are you really going to knock me out before you're satisfied?"
Although he toned it down a bit after I glared at him, he stubbornly refused to get off me, and chuckled softly as he pressed against my neck.
"Lian'er was very good today, so I lost control. Besides, you were the one who made me hold back first. I'm going to collect the debt I owe you for the past two months."
"Who calculates things like that? You're a scoundrel."
He just smiled, his eyes clear and bright, like the pure and spotless stars and moon. It was probably the happiest smile he'd had in the past two months.
"..." He had no choice but to sigh, "Are you hungry? Your injury has only just healed and you're already like this... Um, go and eat something quickly."
"Mmm." He leaned in and pecked my lips. "I'll have them bring up a bucket of hot water. What would you like to eat tonight? I'll cook it for you."