Chapter 70: Once Gained, So Uncherished

Chapter 70: Chapter 70: Once Gained, So Uncherished

His cool lips descended upon hers.

Cui Lingyao’s pupils contracted. The hand she had placed on his shoulder reflexively shot up to his neck, desperately trying to shove him away.

Xie Jinbai remained perfectly still, letting her grasp him, showing no intention of stopping.

One hand gripped her jaw, tilting it up, while the other arm wrapped tightly around her waist. He held her in a position that completely trapped her in his embrace as he kissed her.

The girl he had longed for for so many years was right here, alive, in front of him.

Now that he held her in his arms once more, how could he possibly bear to let go?

The kiss was focused.

And forceful.

Cui Lingyao couldn’t escape it.

She didn’t like this feeling.

Being manhandled.

Powerless.

Even though she could sense the caution underlying the kiss, it was still impossible to accept.

The air around them suddenly grew warmer. It was already summer, a scorching afternoon with the sun high in the sky.

She hadn’t felt it before, but now, trapped in his embrace and after several futile struggles, Cui Lingyao felt her entire body flush with heat. Fine beads of sweat formed on her brow, and her breath grew ragged.

Xie Jinbai was in no better state; in fact, he was suffering even more.

After years of abstinence, his body couldn’t withstand the slightest provocation.

Even with this unreciprocated kiss, his very soul trembled.

It screamed with the need for her.

’She’s being stubborn, isn’t she? Perhaps I can try another way to make her admit it...’

The arm around her waist suddenly tightened, bending her slender frame into a vulnerable curve, pressing her directly against his abdomen.

Leaving no space between them.

The distance she had struggled to maintain was forcefully closed by him. Cui Lingyao’s body went rigid as she clearly felt a certain reaction. Her eyes flew wide.

The man before her was still kissing her, and was even about to deepen it.

The corners of his narrow eyes tilted up, a dense, consuming desire swirling in their half-lidded depths.

He had clearly reached a point where he would heed no consequences.

’This man is used to having his way in bed. Ever since we married, he never denied himself. But he’s never been so unrestrained as to... do this to me in someone else’s home.’

A mix of panic and fury surged through Cui Lingyao. Forgetting everything else, she curled the fingers digging into his neck and scratched down, hard.

She held nothing back. Xie Jinbai let out a muffled grunt.

The obsessive kiss finally ceased.

Cui Lingyao shoved him away, stumbling back several steps until her back hit the trunk of a plane tree, stopping her retreat.

She fiercely wiped her lips with the back of her hand and glared at him. "Xie Jinbai! What do you think you’re doing?"

’In this place, at this time, under these circumstances. What was he trying to do to me?’

Xie Jinbai didn’t follow. He stood rooted to the spot, his gaze lifting to meet hers.

The corners of his eyes were still flushed red, and a turbulent desire swirled in their depths.

It added a dangerous, sensual edge to his otherwise cold and severe features.

His Adam’s apple bobbed. "I wasn’t trying to do anything," he said, his voice low and raspy. "Just wanted a couple of kisses."

’This is the Duke Zhao Mansion, not a place for me to indulge my desires. I didn’t plan on doing anything to her here. Even that kiss wasn’t part of my plan. She just angered me so much that I lost control for a moment and kissed her. Then I lost control again and couldn’t stop.’

Cui Lingyao didn’t believe him for a second. They had been husband and wife for three years.

’Just now, he...’

Shaking himself free from his haze of desire, Xie Jinbai suddenly arched an eyebrow. "What did you just call me?"

’She called me by my full name. Other than my Yaoyao, no other girl in the world would dare.’

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "Finally done with your act?" he asked.

"..." Cui Lingyao fell silent, her lips pressed into a thin line as she glared at him.

Her eyes were full of fury.

The sight made Xie Jinbai’s heart soften.

He took a step forward, moving to embrace her again. Cui Lingyao scrambled to get away, but her reaction wasn’t as fast as his. He caught her by the wrist.

"Don’t be angry. No matter how impatient I get, I wouldn’t do anything to you here."

Xie Jinbai squeezed her wrist, leaning down slightly. He tilted his head to show her the marks on his neck and said coaxingly, "Look, you did that. If you’re still not satisfied, feel free to do it again."

Two long scratch marks were clearly visible on his neck.

The skin there was delicate. She had used all her strength, and her nails had broken the skin, causing faint beads of blood to well up.

It looked painful.

"Bastard!"

A tightness constricted Cui Lingyao’s chest, and a strange, sour feeling stung her nose. She had no time to process the emotion, simply shoving him again. "Xie Jinbai, you’re an absolute bastard!"

Her push had all the force of a gentle tickle. Xie Jinbai didn’t budge. Instead, he pulled on her wrist and drew her back into his arms.

"It’s my fault. I’m sorry..."

"Come home with me, Yaoyao. Let’s start over. This time, I swear I’ll protect you properly. I’ll never let you suffer the slightest grievance again. If you’re still angry, you can spend the rest of your life taking it out on me. I’ll let you do as you please."

’I failed to protect her. I let her die once already. No matter how much she resents me, I deserve it all. As long as she comes back to me, I can accept anything.’

But a long moment passed after he spoke, and the girl in his arms remained silent.

Xie Jinbai’s heart plummeted.

An icy chill spread through him.

He subconsciously tightened his arms, and only when he felt her still in his embrace could he manage to draw a shaky breath.

"You..."

He struggled to steady his breathing. "You’re not willing?"

His voice was raw and strained.

Cui Lingyao finally responded.

She hummed softly in agreement, then lifted her head from his chest to look him in the eye. "That’s right. I am not willing."

"Why? Is it because of Shen Tingyu?" Xie Jinbai’s jaw clenched, and his expression instantly darkened. "Have you really fallen for him?"

He ground his teeth, his glare turning vicious. A monstrous, long-suppressed killing intent began to radiate from him.

It was as if a single nod from her would send him to slaughter the man who dared to capture her heart.

His expression was savage and volatile, utterly terrifying.

A chill ran down Cui Lingyao’s spine.

’Once again, she felt that the man before her had changed far too much in three years.’

He was born a noble, legitimate Prince. When he was a boy beginning his education, the old Emperor had not only gathered more than ten highly respected tutors for him but had also frequently taught him personally and overseen his studies.

He had studied the ways of an Emperor, was well-versed in the classics, and had a natural genius for military strategy.

He had gone to war in his early teens, accumulating numerous accolades.

While his disposition was a bit cold, and his nature couldn’t exactly be called gentle or modest, his upbringing should have shaped him into a reasonable, enlightened ruler.

And in the past, he had been.

Composed and inscrutable, with everything firmly in his control. But he never used to be so quick to unleash his killing intent.

But now...

Cui Lingyao could hardly recognize him.

When she remained silent, Xie Jinbai’s gaze grew even colder. "Tell me, what is it you like about him? Is it because he made you chase him for three years? Because you had to put in more effort, you find him more precious?"

A few days had been enough for him to investigate every single detail of her actions toward Shen Tingyu over the past three years.

’I know exactly how much effort she put into pursuing another man. Because she invested so much, once she finally gets him, she’ll naturally treasure him. It’s just human nature. It has nothing to do with love. I was a fool not to have realized it back then. I couldn’t bear to make things difficult for her, so I gave in to her wishes too easily. And because she got what she wanted so effortlessly, she never learned to cherish it.’