Young Prime Minister, a Hermit

Chapter 82

He chuckled, using his elbow and palm to steady my struggling body, while his other hand reached around to my neck, gently stroking it. The receding sound of the waterfall made his voice exceptionally clear: "Could this Adam's apple be fake too?"

A slight stinging sensation on my neck, followed by the sound of skin being peeled off tightly. I opened my mouth slightly and stared at the incredibly realistic Adam's apple in Liu Cenfeng's hand, completely stunned.

Liu Cenfeng was also slightly taken aback, then his icy blue eyes deepened and darkened, as if brewing a storm. His smile, however, grew even brighter, captivating the heart. He leaned down, his hot breath on my face, the intensity of his lips palpable even without contact, his lips parting slightly near my ear as he silently uttered, "Lanlan, Feng Yihan knew you were a woman all along, didn't he?"

I shuddered. He carried me into a stone house, where the faint sound of water was immediately shut out. The house was filled with the faint scent of lilacs, which used to be my favorite fragrance.

Liu Cenfeng released me and put my hand down, but it remained on my neck. His eyes were deep, his expression was ambiguous, and his voice had a deep, seductive quality: "Lanlan, tell me, how should I punish you?"

Thump—thump—thump—I clutched my chest abruptly, shoved him away, and stumbled back several steps in horror. It was here again, that feeling—the same fear, despair, sorrow, and pain I felt when I first saw Liu Cenfeng from afar on the border of the Tarakan Desert. I looked down at my hands, clutching my chest, pale as snow, trembling slightly, a testament to the sheer terror this body felt towards Liu Cenfeng.

Xiao Yi

2007.12.11 18:54

Chapter 56, Maple Forest Cottage, End.

Chapter 58 Love and Hate Obsession

Chapter 58 Love and Hate Obsession

"How long are you going to stand there in a daze?" A clear, deep voice came from behind me. I looked up in surprise and saw Liu Cenfeng already sitting at the round table, smiling at me. Several exquisite dishes and pastries were laid out on the mahogany table, along with a bottle of wine. Two small wine glasses were placed opposite each other on the east and west sides of the table, filled to the brim with dark red wine, yet not a drop spilled. The delicate fragrance of lilacs in the room was slowly overwhelmed by the rich aroma of the wine, intoxicatingly sweet.

"Hurry up and sit down." Liu Cenfeng picked up his wine glass and took a sip, his movements elegant and casual, extremely handsome. "Don't let all this time I've spent working on this go to waste."

My eyes widened in surprise, momentarily forgetting my earlier fear. As I sat down, I pointed to the table full of wine and asked, "Did you make all of this?" Looking up at the ceiling, I pictured Liu Cenfeng in a white robe and apron, standing before the stove...

"Pfft..." I burst out laughing. Although Yufei used to be able to cook a few dishes, it was hard to imagine him doing it in Liu Cenfeng's image.

Liu Cenfeng was completely unfazed by my mockery. He gently picked up a piece of pastry with his slender fingers and put it in his mouth. Afterward, he licked the crumbs off his fingertips with his tongue and then sucked on them with his crimson lips. This childlike action, performed by him, was incredibly sexy and alluring, leaving me speechless. My heart pounded, and my throat felt dry.

He smiled and said, "I've been missing Lanlan's pastries a lot these pastries over the years. When I miss them terribly, I cook them myself. But I can never make them taste the same as Lanlan's."

"Clatter—" The chopsticks in my hand fell to the ground. I stared blankly at the pastries on the round table, steam slowly rising before my eyes. I forced a bright smile and said, "From now on, if you want to eat them, I can make them for you anytime."

Liu Cenfeng smiled noncommittally, took a sip of the wine, and said, "This is wine, it's not easy to get drunk, Lanlan can drink it."

I raised my glass and took a sip. The rich aroma of the wine immediately filled my mouth, and the slightly spicy sweetness was even more unforgettable. I sighed and smiled, "It's delicious." As I looked up, I saw a radiant smile bloom on that beautiful face. Her white dress fluttered, and her black hair was swaying. It was as if I had returned to the purest and most beautiful past.

"Her robes flowed like clouds, her petals like snow..." This phrase echoed repeatedly in my mind. If Han Jue was like a gentle breeze, Ren Yao was handsome and graceful, and Lin Yu was refined and elegant, then Liu Cenfeng was a fusion of all three, radiating them without reservation at any time, possessing a captivating allure that transcended gender, both ethereal and otherworldly. His beauty was both alluring and terrifying, inspiring a desire to possess him, yet also a fear of becoming addicted to him.

"Lanlan must really want to ask me about what happened during the year I was imprisoned by the Crown Prince, right?" Liu Cenfeng suddenly asked.

I was startled and shook my head frantically: "No! I don't want to ask. You...you shouldn't think about it anymore!"

Liu Cenfeng chuckled softly: "Lanlan, why are you so nervous? It's nothing serious, even if you become the prince's male concubine."

My heart ached, but he was still smiling: "Don't look like you're about to cry. You couldn't find me when I was in my most painful time, and I don't care for this cheap sympathy now. Besides... instead of sympathizing with that naive and cowardly good-for-nothing back then, you should think about how to sympathize with me now."

I stared blankly at him. Liu Cenfeng leaned forward, grabbed a lock of my hair, and gently tugged at it. I let out a soft cry as he pulled me closer. His smile was cold yet alluring, and his voice was incredibly seductive: "This body only has a little over a year left to live. Lanlan, what do you suggest we do?"

"Wh...what?!" I stared wide-eyed, my bloodless face instantly reflected in his eyes. "Yufei, what...what did you say?!"

Liu Cenfeng chuckled twice, finally releasing his grip on my hair, and said, "I'm telling you, Liu Cenfeng's body is riddled with illness; he can only live for another year or two at most. What, are you surprised?"

"This...how is this possible...Yufei, don't joke with me..." My voice caught in my throat, and I choked up, unable to speak. Zi Mo's cold and ruthless words still echoed in my ears: In the 768th year of the Wanli reign, news spread that Liu Cenfeng was suffering from a terminal illness, and he died suddenly less than half a year later.

I grabbed his wrist and gasped, “Yufei, you… don’t panic. Let me tell you, Yunyan… Yunyan’s medical skills are the best in the world. She can definitely prolong your life.”

Liu Cenfeng smiled, not withdrawing his hand, and said, "What's the point of lingering on for a few more years?"

I froze, my heart aching as if knives were cutting into it. I choked out, "Then...what do we do? I don't want you to die...I don't want you to die again..." I cried like a child clutching melted candy. He let me rant, only grabbing my hand with a half-smile. My gaze flickered, landing on the water chain on his wrist. My thoughts paused, then I cried out in alarm, "Yufei, we have to find a way back!"

Seeing him look up at me, I quickly wiped away my tears and forced a smile, saying, "That's right! How could I not have thought of that? Since you still have the water chain, you must have a way back. As long as we find a way back within a year, you won't die!"

"Really?" Liu Cenfeng answered absentmindedly, grabbing my hand and gently rubbing my skin near the water chain with his smooth, warm fingers, saying casually, "What if we can't find it?"

"No way! I'll definitely find it. Even if I can't, there's still..." Zi Mo! He was able to enter the Bagua Formation to investigate, so he must know how to get back. I happily withdrew my hand and turned the water chain, completely forgetting that I had argued with Zi Mo yesterday and told him never to come out again. A flash of white light appeared before my eyes, and Zi Mo gently floated to the ground in front of me, his face somewhat haggard, his whole body feeling increasingly transparent, only his expression remained as indifferent and lonely as ever.

Just as I was about to speak to him using ventriloquism, a casual remark from Liu Cenfeng made my whole body suddenly stiffen.

He had already leaned back in his chair, his head tilted, his soft, dark hair cascading down his snow-white clothes, like a beautiful ink painting. His voice was even deeper and more resonant than the bass notes of a piano. Yet, what was he saying in a flat, emotionless tone? He said, "Lanlan, to make up for all the suffering I've endured because of you, how about marrying me?"

I stared at him blankly for a long time, then suddenly burst into laughter, "Yufei, this joke is too outrageous! It's funnier than your usual lame jokes." As I laughed, the room felt empty, and I started to feel a little hot all over. My laughter sounded fake and unpleasant. I slowly stopped. He rested his right elbow on the armrest of the chair, his palm supporting his head, exuding a lazy and alluring aura. He smiled lightly and said, "Very good, Lanlan, you now know I'm not joking."

I opened my mouth, the shock in my heart beyond words: "Why...why aren't we friends?"

“It’s not your fault that you’re slow to react.” Liu Cenfeng stood up and walked up to me, looking down at me and stroking my hair. He smiled and spoke in a gentle yet chilling voice, “But it’s still disgusting that you’re so slow that you make people give their all.”

Liu Cenfeng's hand slowly slid down my head along my hair: "What, you're so afraid just because I'm asking you to marry me? Judging from your expression just now, I thought you would be willing to pay any price as long as I could live!"

"I...I'm not like that..." I trembled with inexplicable fear. "Marry...I never thought of that...we're just friends..."

He reached out and grabbed my shoulders, gently pulling me up from the chair and into his arms. His warm fingertips gripped my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes: "Lanlan, don't you understand yet? Whether it was Nie Yufei in the past, Ren Yao back then, or Liu Cenfeng now, their kindness towards you was always for a reason. Because my feelings for you are a feeling that awaits a response. If... I never receive a response until I die, what am I supposed to do?"

Thump—thump—thump—, my heart was pounding in my throat. It was so suffocating, so painful. Familiar fear, despair, sorrow, and a mixture of pain and something else surged up. I didn't know what to do. My voice trembled and hoarse as I spoke: "Yufei…don't be like this. You know, I like…"

"You hopelessly stupid woman!" Zi Mo's furious voice rang in my ears, but it sent a shiver down my spine and brought me back to my senses. He glared at me with disdain and helplessness: "Push him away, run out, and try to escape into the maple forest. I'll teach you how to break the formation!"

Before I could even think, I bent my knee and stepped on his foot. He winced and let go, and I shoved him away and ran for my life. The roar of the water was deafening, but I felt a little relieved. I hurriedly fled into the fiery red maple forest, my vision blurred, but thankfully no one was chasing me. I was breathing heavily and coughing, following the instructions as I walked forward while talking to Zimo.

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"Take three steps west, then east..."

I lowered my head, looking at the dark red mud beneath my feet as I walked: 'Zimo, am I being selfish? Yufei has sacrificed so much for me, and now he only has a little over a year left to live. All he wants is for me to marry him… But just thinking about marrying him…'

"So, do you want to marry him?" Zi Mo sneered. "Take five steps forward... Do you think he'll survive if you marry him? His sacrifices for you are voluntary, and your guilt is understandable, but he has no right to blackmail you with his sacrifices. Remember that!"