Mercenary Princess - Chapter 96
Covering her ears, Rongyue buried her head deeply in her knees, tears streaming down her face. She bit her lower lip tightly to prevent her suppressed sobs from escaping.
A long silence filled the military tent. The tent was quiet, oppressively quiet, heavy with tension, like the deathly stillness before a storm. The wisps of smoke, seemingly unable to bear the eerie tranquility, drifted and floated impatiently through the tent's cracks, trying to escape...
"Mistress, isn't the tent brightly lit with candles?" A seemingly casual question, but actually a statement, startled Rongyue, who abruptly looked up.
"Mistress, am I blind?" This casual remark only fueled Rongyue's panic.
Suppressing her emotions, Rongyue tried to make her voice sound erratic: "Don't talk nonsense, the candles in the tent have just burned out, we'll wait until dawn tomorrow..."
"Get out."
“Chen…”
"Get out!" Tuoba Chen's handsome face twisted with suppressed anger.
Barely managing to stand, Rongyue stumbled towards Tuoba Chen, tightly gripping his hand that was clutching the bedsheets: "I won't go out! Chen, your eyesight might only be temporary, wait for the army doctor to arrive..."
"I told you to get out!" Before anyone could react, Rongyue was pushed to the ground by Tuoba Chen.
"Get out! Jian Xiaosan, I'm perfectly fine, there's no need to call a military doctor!" As if afraid that Rongyue would see his vulnerable side, he braced himself on the bed with both hands and abruptly turned his head to the other side.
Tuoba Chen spoke forcefully, but his trembling shoulders betrayed his emotions. Rongyue placed her hands on Tuoba Chen's shoulders, rested her head against the pillow, and whispered painfully in his ear, "Chen, please don't do this, I beg you..."
"Jian Xiaosan, are you trying to stay and laugh at me?! I'm blind, are you satisfied now?! Get out!" Huo De turned his face away and roared fiercely at Rong Yue. He pushed Rong Yue away violently with both hands, but the excessive force caused blood to seep from the bandages on his back.
The shocking sight of blood made Rongyue tremble with fear: "Chen, don't move!"
"I'm a useless person now, I no longer deserve you, I no longer deserve you... Get out, get out! You mistress, do you know how pathetic I am right now, especially if you see me like this? Do you know that, mistress? I'm begging you, get out, get out! Ah—"
The desperate howl, like that of a wounded beast, pierced Rongyue's heart as if a thousand arrows had struck her. Clutching Tuoba Chen's shoulders tightly, Rongyue choked back tears, unable to speak: "It's my fault, my fault... Chen, I'm willing... to stay with you for the rest of my life..."
"Spend your whole life with me? If you want to spend your whole life with me, then marry me! Jian Xiaosan, are you willing?!"
Gazing at Tuoba Chen's pale, handsome face contorted in pain, Rongyue's heart trembled. She recalled the army doctor's words and his injuries. Overwhelmed by guilt and helplessness, she forced herself to nod stiffly: "I...I'm willing..."
Tuoba Chen's whole body trembled violently, but the next moment he roared, "Jian Xiaosan! Even if I, Tuoba Chen, am at my worst, I don't need your sympathy! I don't need it! Cough cough..."
"No, no, I'm not pitying you, Chen, I really... want to marry you, really!"
You lied to me!
Seeing that Tuoba Chen's emotions were becoming increasingly out of control, and that the wound on his back was reopening more and more severely due to his frenzied behavior, Rong Yue's eyes flashed with painful struggle. The next moment, she turned Tuoba Chen's handsome face with both hands, gently closed her eyes, and brought her trembling, cold lips to his...
The moment the soft touch pressed against his lips, his body stiffened instantly. She savored the exquisite pleasure of their rubbing and swirling lips, letting her sweet, warm tongue pry open his teeth, slipping into his mouth and gently stirring his restless tongue, inviting him to entwine and dance with her…
The hands that had initially resisted now embraced her tenderly, gently laying Rongyue down on the large bed. He held her tightly in his strong arms, taking the initiative, his passionate yet gentle caress sweeping over every inch of Rongyue's mouth, greedily and domineeringly sucking the intoxicating nectar. Listening to Rongyue's rapid breathing, Tuoba Chen felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and fulfillment; holding her was like possessing the whole world. Unexpectedly, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: If I have her in this life, what does it matter if I go blind for the rest of my life?
The glistening silver thread between her lips reminded Rongyue of her recent impulsiveness. Lying in Tuoba Chen's arms, Rongyue was slightly panting, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. Although she had agreed to marry Tuoba Chen to calm his volatile temper, a promise made was a promise kept. But did she really have to marry him...?
Stealing a glance at the smug Tuoba Chen, who was half-looking at her with a satisfied expression, Rongyue felt her heart in turmoil, and an unprecedented sense of powerlessness welled up inside her...
The prolonged silence seemed to have made Tuoba Chen realize something. Struggling to sit up, he leaned half his weight on Rong Yue and groped for her small chin, licking it gently: "Little San, you regret it, don't you? Regret agreeing to marry a blind, cripple like me? Isn't that right?"
Her hands, which instinctively wanted to push him away, suddenly stopped in mid-air. Mechanically withdrawing her hands, Rongyue looked at his unfocused eyes, her pupils flickering for a moment: "I, Jian Xiaosan, always keep my word."
The lips that were caressing his chin suddenly stopped: "I'm asking you if you regret it?"
Her almond-shaped eyes closed again: "I, Jian Xiaosan, have never regretted anything I've done."
"But I still don't believe it... Xiao San, how about you completely dispel my concerns tonight?" As he spoke, Tuoba Chen's hand slid down Rong Yue's waist. With a flick of his fingertips, the sash fluttered, and Rong Yue's blue outer robe was stripped off by his hand.
The momentary stiffness of the delicate body beneath her did not escape Tuoba Chen's keen senses. His hand, which had been resting on Rongyue's inner garment, paused. Tuoba Chen said resentfully, "So you finally feel wronged, don't you?"
..."
"Don't think like that. Since I agreed to be with you, this kind of thing is... inevitable... I'm just worried about your injuries..."
The sashes of her inner and outer garments were successively untied, exposing her pale blue and milky-white shoulders to the air. A large, trembling hand, its movements both tentative and eager, lingered within her inner garment…
When he touched the tightly wrapped bandage around Rongyue's chest, his expression suddenly became complicated. He gently stroked the flat, hard bandage repeatedly for a long time. Then, he sighed softly, reached out from inside Rongyue's inner garment, and gently gathered and tied her clothes.
"My dear mistress, I'm injured right now, and although I really want you, I'm powerless. I'll owe you tonight; perhaps it won't be long before I demand it back..."
Relieved, Rongyue inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. Putting her arm around Tuoba Chen's shoulder, Rongyue tried to persuade him, "Let the army doctor take a look at your eyes..."
"Do you want more people to know that their second prince has become a cripple?!" Tuoba Chen roared coldly.
With patience, Rongyue gently advised, "Chen, it's not right to ignore your illness and avoid seeking medical help..."
"Stop talking! Go to sleep!"
“Chen…”
"sleep!"
Seeing that Tuoba Chen was showing signs of anger again, Rongyue fell silent and helplessly lay in Tuoba Chen's arms.
Hearing Rongyue's soft breathing, Tuoba Chen's lips curled into a satisfied smile. *If only time could stand still at this moment…*
The next morning, before Tuoba Chen woke up, Rongyue pressed his acupoints to induce sleep and summoned the military doctor to take his pulse.
After taking his pulse, the military doctor carefully placed Tuoba Chen's hand back under the covers, stepped aside, and stroked his goatee with a grave expression: "Judging from the pulse, His Highness the Second Prince has likely been poisoned..."
"Poisoned?" Rongyue frowned. "Is the halberd poisoned?"
"Exactly."
"Why didn't you mention it before?"