Chapter 202: Addicted to Bullying Him?

Chapter 202: Chapter 202: Addicted to Bullying Him?

Cui Lingyao knew him all too well. Her body instantly went rigid.

She snatched the sash back. Xie Jinbai didn’t stop her. The moment his hands were empty, he took the opportunity to pull her into his arms, his palm tracing its way up the delicate curve of her waist.

"That’s enough!"

Cui Lingyao quickly grabbed his wrist and turned her head to glare at him. "When you said you’d spend the day with me, you didn’t mean in here, did you?"

’She’s so fierce.’

Taken aback by her fierceness, Xie Jinbai’s eyes soon revealed a flicker of interest. He reversed his grip, clasping her by the wrist. "How about..."

"No!" Both flustered and annoyed, and afraid he would actually keep her in bed, Cui Lingyao quickly suggested, "Let’s go horseback riding. We haven’t been to the Horse Racing Ground in ages."

"It’s too cold. You’ll catch a chill from riding."

Xie Jinbai refused flatly, then said eagerly, "Riding me is the same thing. Last night didn’t count. Let’s try again... I guarantee I’ll teach you... I won’t make you uncomfortable."

His tone was surprisingly earnest as he said this.

As if he were truly imparting some profound knowledge.

Cui Lingyao was simply exasperated. "We rarely get a whole day together. Can we not waste it on this kind of thing?"

’Is there nothing else in his head besides this stuff when he’s with me?’

Xie Jinbai actually thought for a moment. Seeing her insistence, he slowly loosened his grip. "Alright, whatever you say."

He looked particularly regretful.

Afraid he would go back on his word, Cui Lingyao quickly tied the thin sash of her undergarment, haphazardly threw on a sleeping robe, and then called for Dongzhi and the others, who were already waiting by the door, to come in and serve her.

The door was pushed open.

A draft of cold air poured in from outside, instantly dissipating much of the charged, ambiguous atmosphere in the room.

Cui Lingyao let out a long sigh of relief and got out of bed.

Xie Jinbai showed no intention of getting up with her.

He lay on his side on the bed, propped up on one arm, watching at his leisure as the maids helped her dress.

The quilt was draped casually over his body, revealing a small patch of his chest below the collarbone. Gone was his usual cold, intimidating aura, replaced by the complete picture of a debauched and rakish man.

In particular, his eyes followed Cui Lingyao’s every move. Though he’d reined in his desire, the sheer intensity of the emotion within them was still startling to see.

Dongzhi and the other maids were already married and not some innocent girls, but they entered with their eyes lowered, not daring to look too closely.

Even so, an accidental glimpse of him from the corner of their eyes was enough to make them blush beet red.

Cui Lingyao’s expression darkened.

The man wasn’t wearing a single thing under the quilt, yet he felt not the slightest bit of unease in a room with three or four women.

’Honestly...’

She took a deep breath and accepted the jade pendant from Xia Zhi’s hands. "I’ll do it myself. You may all leave."

"Yes!"

The moment the door closed, Cui Lingyao spun around and flung the jade pendant onto the bed.

Her attack was sudden, but thankfully Xie Jinbai reacted quickly, raising a hand to catch it securely.

The jade pendant, used to weigh down the hem of a skirt in winter, was heavy, palm-sized, and a solid, verdant green.

It was quite heavy.

’To just throw it at my head like that...’

Xie Jinbai hissed lightly. "What did I do to provoke you now? Trying to murder your own husband."

Cui Lingyao shot him a look.

Seeing the quilt on his body slip down another inch, she couldn’t stop herself from saying, "Shameless."

Xie Jinbai was speechless.

In his twenty-odd years of life, Prince Yu was stunned. It was the first time anyone had called him shameless to his face.

’What had he even done?’

’How was he... shameless?’

Cui Lingyao shot him a sideways glance. The frustration in her heart was hard to put into words; she couldn’t even clearly articulate it to herself. She only knew she was extremely unhappy and didn’t want to say any more to him. She snatched the jade pendant back, hastily tied it on, and turned to leave.

A hand gripped her shoulder.

Xie Jinbai sat up, grabbing her shoulder and pulling her back. "Explain yourself before you go! How exactly was I being shameless?"

She didn’t want to fool around with him in bed, and though he was reluctant, he had let her go.

When the maids came in to serve her, he hadn’t said a single unnecessary word.

And he still got cursed out by her for it.

Xie Jinbai felt truly wronged.

He reached out and lifted her chin. "This temper of yours is getting more and more unreasonable."

’Is scolding me addictive?’

’Or is bullying me addictive?’

Cui Lingyao wanted to say yes.

But she pressed her lips together and only said, "Let go of me."

Xie Jinbai watched her for a moment, then bent down and placed a kiss on the corner of her lips. The pressure from his knuckles slowly eased.

Cui Lingyao pulled his hand from her chin, stood up, and walked out.

The room fell silent.

Xie Jinbai sat motionless, his gaze lowered.

He really couldn’t make heads or tails of her sudden temper.

Things had been perfectly fine just a moment ago, and they had been fine last night.

Everything had been fine, so why did she suddenly get angry?

—Her temper was truly becoming more and more unpredictable.

No matter how domineering Xie Jinbai was, he was still human. Even if he never held anything against her, being yelled at for no reason still left a bad taste in his mouth.

He slowly calmed the frustration welling inside him and got up to get dressed.

He glanced down, saw his own naked body, and it was like a sudden epiphany.

He suddenly started to put the pieces together.

’She...’

With a soft CREAK, the door was pulled open again.

A fully dressed Xie Jinbai walked out, looking refreshed and cheerful.

Outside, the sun was bright and brilliant. Even a winter day could have beautiful scenery.

Breakfast was already prepared in the side hall.

When he arrived, Cui Lingyao was already halfway through a small bowl of congee. Seeing that all the gloom was gone from his face, replaced by a smile that reached his eyes, she was momentarily stunned. "What are you so happy about?"

’Didn’t I just chew him out?’

Xie Jinbai smiled at her. "I just figured something out."

That smile was one of pure, unadulterated triumph.

Every inch of his face radiated delight.

Cui Lingyao’s heart beat a little faster looking at him. She quickly turned her face away and focused on her meal.

Xie Jinbai sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and placed a piece of diced radish into her bowl.

Cui Lingyao didn’t refuse, popping it directly into her mouth.

She loved to eat these kinds of crisp, refreshing side dishes with her congee.

She ate with great relish.

Xie Jinbai watched her for a while, the smile in his eyes deepening.

Suddenly, he said in a low voice, "You were right to get angry. I was the one who was out of line. I’ll be more careful in the future."

Cui Lingyao was speechless.

She nearly choked on her congee, her cheeks flushing crimson as she held back a cough.

Xie Jinbai raised a hand to pat her on the back. "There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. The fact that you care about this only makes me happier."

Cui Lingyao was speechless.

She wanted to argue, to say that she didn’t care at all.

After all, she had always been stubborn with her words.

But when she turned her head and met those bright, shining eyes, she fell silent.

—He was truly very happy.

That bit of joy was practically overflowing from him.

What little rebelliousness Cui Lingyao had left couldn’t stand up to that look.

She just felt her throat go dry, and the stubborn words she wanted to say were caught in it.

She couldn’t get a single one out.

’If I care... then I care.’

’He’s so happy. What’s the harm in admitting that I care?’

’There’s no need to always make him upset.’

She slowly turned her head forward again and focused on eating.

She chose to tacitly accept his words.

Admitting that her sudden outburst just now was, in fact, because she was jealous.

She was displeased that the maids had seen him in that state.