Chapter 61: "What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you.

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: "What are you afraid of? I’m not going to eat you.

Xie Jinbai was furious. He ground his teeth and forced a smile. "Fine. Keep up your act."

So she would.

Cui Lingyao turned back to the match with a wooden expression.

But the man beside her wouldn’t let it rest.

In truth, Xie Jinbai couldn’t stand it when her attention was elsewhere.

He raised an arm, drained a cup of wine, and asked her again, "If you win, what promise do you want from me?"

Cui Lingyao remained silent, pretending she hadn’t heard.

She probably thought she was putting on a good act.

But in Xie Jinbai’s eyes, aside from her different face, it was as if his Yaoyao had completely returned.

After all, besides Cui Lingyao, no other noble lady in the Capital City would dare to ignore him like this.

Not even a Princess, nor the Noble Ladies of the Royal Family, would dare.

Only her.

Xie Jinbai’s mood inexplicably improved. "Go on, tell me. Perhaps I’ll grant it even if you don’t win."

He tilted his head, staring at her openly in front of all the other guests.

The very picture of a scoundrel.

Cui Lingyao felt the side of her face he was staring at go numb, a mix of awkwardness and anxiety.

When a person gets nervous, they unconsciously feel the need to do something.

She stiffly picked up the wine cup from the table before her. Just as she was about to take a sip, her wrist was suddenly seized by the man beside her.

Xie Jinbai’s face darkened. He glared at her. "Are you crazy? That’s alcohol!"

He never for a moment forgot that she couldn’t drink.

Cui Lingyao looked utterly baffled. "I am aware this is alcohol, of course."

With that, she broke free from his grasp, raised the cup, and downed it in one go.

Xie Jinbai could only watch as she swallowed the wine.

Cui Lingyao showed him the empty cup and smiled. "I have been learning to drink since I was ten. Could it be that Your Highness mistook me for someone else just now?"

Her smile was beautiful.

Her lovely, almond-shaped eyes were bright and dazzling, brimming with life.

For a moment, Xie Jinbai was lost in a daze.

’I want to hold her.’

He couldn’t bring himself to be angry, even with her provocative tone.

’I just want to hold her.’

’To hold her in my arms, to truly feel the joy of having her back, and then to calmly and quietly speak with her.’

’I have to tell her how miserable and full of regret I’ve been in the three years she’s been gone.’

’But she’s still angry. She refuses to acknowledge me.’

Xie Jinbai didn’t want to displease her.

’I have to take it slow.’

’In any case, she’s alive again.’

’In the past, I wronged her. Now, I must be patient and coax her.’

’I’ll win her back, and we can go back to our old days as a loving husband and wife.’

’This time, I’ll be more magnanimous. I won’t haggle over every little slight just because our feelings weren’t perfectly matched.’

’It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t love me as much.’

He didn’t dare to be greedy anymore.

There was too much emotion in his eyes. Cui Lingyao’s smile vanished, and she quickly averted her gaze.

Her eyes fell once more upon the Beast Fighting Arena below.

She found, however, that in just a few moments, the black bear that had been on the defensive seemed to have been pushed into a corner and had begun a ferocious counterattack.

The young tiger was beaten into a steady retreat, and the black bear tore a chunk of flesh from its foreleg with a single bite.

The guests in the stands cried out in alarm.

The tables had turned.

Xie Jinbai lowered his eyes to glance below, the corner of his lip twitching into what seemed to be a smile. "What will you do? It looks like you’re about to lose."

"..." Cui Lingyao fell silent for a moment before forcing herself to say, "It’s too early to tell who will win or lose."

At this, Xie Jinbai was genuinely amused.

He tilted his head to look at her again and smiled. "When large beasts like these fight, they generally don’t expend too much of their energy."

Cui Lingyao actually knew this as well.

Survival in the wild is brutal. Even a king of the jungle like a tiger must maintain its peak physical condition and avoid injury at all costs.

If it can finish an opponent, it will do so quickly.

If it can’t, and determines the opponent is too difficult to defeat, it will rarely fight to the death.

Xie Jinbai said, "This black bear may be injured and unwell, but it has been raised as a Fighting Beast for many years and is rich in combat experience. It would be very difficult for a newly adult tiger to defeat it."

Cui Lingyao pressed her lips together. "So you knew from the start that the bear would win."

"Not at all. Difficult doesn’t mean impossible."

Xie Jinbai smiled, then said seriously, "If I were that tiger, I definitely wouldn’t lose today."

It all depended on whether the adult tiger had the strength to crack this tough nut.

He could.

In his youth, just after coming of age, he had cut down many a seasoned general on the battlefield.

He had never known defeat.

They were talking about two beasts fighting, yet the man was posturing like a peacock spreading its tail.

It was as if he would go down and fight the black bear himself if she just gave him the nod.

Cui Lingyao stiffly turned her head away and ignored him again.

Down in the Beast Fighting Arena, not long after Xie Jinbai finished speaking, the tiger was clawed again, leaving another bloody gash. It crouched low and retreated a few steps.

It was a posture of submission.

The black bear did not press the attack.

This standoff lasted for several long minutes.

The outcome was decided.

Several Beast Tamers entered the arena and led away the two injured beasts.

Applause erupted from the stands.

"The black bear actually won!"

Shen Hanyun was in disbelief, calling for Cui Lingyao to go collect her winnings.

But how could Cui Lingyao be in the mood?

She had lost.

Which meant she had to answer one of his questions.

’What will he ask?’

A storm of emotions churned within Cui Lingyao.

The corner of Xie Jinbai’s mouth curved up. He lifted his chin slightly and asked her, "Want to keep watching?"

In the Beast Fighting Arena, two more iron cages were brought out.

The next beast fight was about to begin.

Cui Lingyao’s expression was calm. Instead of answering, she countered, "What question does Your Highness require me to answer?"

This dead-set determination of hers to quickly and cleanly sever all ties made Xie Jinbai laugh in exasperation.

"Since you’re not watching, come with me."

His voice was chilling.

Cui Lingyao’s brow furrowed slightly. "Where are we going?"

"To somewhere quieter," Xie Jinbai said. "The question I want to ask is of great importance and cannot be revealed in public."

At his words, the young woman beside him immediately grew wary.

Xie Jinbai watched her, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He forced a sinister smile. "What are you afraid of? It’s not like I’m going to eat you."

Cui Lingyao: "...There should be a proper distance between men and women."

She really didn’t trust his words.

Xie Jinbai’s smile deepened. "Are you implying that I should give you a title before asking you to leave with me? That otherwise, your reputation would be sullied?"

As for what kind of title, in a situation like this, it certainly wouldn’t be that of a principal wife.

Cui Lingyao went completely stiff.

"Are you coming or not?" Xie Jinbai asked with a smile. "Or are you saying you really want to settle on a title first?"

"If you want one, I can give it to you right now."

He leaned in slightly, his gaze fixed on her eyes, and said softly, "Don’t worry. I won’t make you a concubine."

’Utterly shameless.’

Cui Lingyao said with a wooden expression, "Your Highness jests. I am already engaged."

Engaged.

That word was his trigger.

His good mood evaporated instantly. His eyes darkened as he stared at her. "Are you sure you won’t come with me?"

After three years apart, he had seen too much slaughter. His aura of authority had grown heavier. It wasn’t as obvious when he was smiling, but now, with a grim face, the pressure he exuded was exceptionally sharp.

It was terrifying.

A chill ran down Cui Lingyao’s spine.

She was now keenly aware that the man before her was not the man he used to be.