He looked at the beautiful, indifferent face with nervousness, his black eyelashes fluttering lightly. His entire face was flushed red, his eyes hazy with desire.
Their breaths mingled, as if a slight movement closer would lead to a kiss.
He eagerly leaned in, and the delicate face, as beautiful as a peach blossom, enlarged bit by bit before Shen Yue.
Just as they were about to kiss, someone grabbed the young man's hair from behind.
His body lightened, followed by a thud. The boy was thrown to the ground.
The ambiguous atmosphere was shattered instantly, and the air seemed to freeze.
Shen Yue's eyes flickered upwards, looking indifferently at the cold-faced Cheng Qian Gong.
Her skin was flawless, a cold white, tinged with a sickly pallor. It wasn't a healthy white, but an extreme one.
Perhaps due to the excessively burning charcoal fire, or other factors, the sickly cold white flesh was tinged with a blush like rouge.
Her collar was also pulled askew, revealing her distinctly bony, delicate collarbone.
She appeared rather wanton.
Was it that if he had been a moment later,
they would have kissed, or perhaps something more?
The young man was suddenly pulled away with considerable force. Unprepared, he was almost flung out, his back hitting the sharp corner of a table, the pain causing his vision to blur.
He endured the pain and got up, glaring fiercely at Cheng Qian Gong.
"How dare you be so presumptuous in front of His Highness!"
Cheng Qian Gong gazed at the young man with a chillingly cold expression, his clenched fingers turning white. He spoke in a seemingly gentle tone, "Get out."
He maintained his demeanor as a refined gentleman, as if the one who had violently thrown someone to the ground just moments ago, nearly shattering their bones, was not him at all.
The young man showed no fear. At this moment, he seemed to possess boundless courage. "You're the one who should get out."
Cheng Qian Gong didn't waste words with him. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shen Yue, who had been unnervingly quiet, and called out in a low voice.
"Your Highness..."
Shen Yue blinked her eyes with extreme slowness. Her dark pupils trembled slightly, and then she looked at Cheng Qian Gong.
Her tone was cold, "What are you here for?"
She then glanced at the young man standing strangely. Her collar was dishevelled, revealing some fair, delicate skin. The light slid down the messy collar, disappearing into the depths.
Her eyes looked at Cheng Qian Gong, but they did not reflect his image.
She said, lightly and slowly, "Why did you hit him?"
The question sounded like an accusation, or perhaps a defense of the young man.
Veins bulged on Cheng Qian Gong's hand, his fist clenched so tightly it made a cracking sound.
He bit the tip of his tongue, feeling the sharp pain. Blood welled up, and the faint scent of it brought a sense of calm to his mind.
After clenching his fist and taking a moment to compose himself, he turned around and reverted to his usual demeanor, then approached Shen Yue.
He bent down, and his hot palm, sticky with sweat, pressed against Shen Yue's face.
The overly intimate gesture between same-sex individuals made Shen Yue turn her head. It was the first time she had avoided Cheng Qian Gong's touch; usually, she would cling to him like a needy kitten.
Now, she turned away as if disgusted, her delicate brows furrowing even deeper.
"I'm not allowed to touch you anymore?" Cheng Qian Gong's hand moved to slide into Shen Yue's hair, then he gently brushed it back, revealing her dark, cold eyes.
Her gaze swept over him, igniting him like a flame.
His voice, filled with mockery, seemed to taunt, "I can't touch you, but others can, is that it?"
He spoke each word with deliberate bitterness, his fingers slowly tightening, pulling at Shen Yue's scalp, causing pain.
The calm, restrained facade crumbled, and an undeniable, exposed greed began to surface in his eyes.
This intensely aggressive gaze was impossible to ignore.
Shen Yue looked at that face, a familiar face she had described countless times in her heart. Yet now, it seemed utterly strange.
Xi'er's words echoed in her mind, never ceasing.
Whether it was true or false, Shen Yue had already made up her mind.
She should have known earlier, but when the truth was crudely dug out with a knife, revealing a bloody reality, it was still agonizing.
Shen Yue looked at the man's familiar features, feeling a moment of confusion.
Cheng Qian Gong's expression, in the dim light, appeared incredibly gloomy. He curved his lips, and the breath he exhaled was suggestive, "Didn't you say you liked me the most? Didn't you say it was all an act? He was about to kiss you just now, why didn't you push him away? Were you reluctant?"
Shen Yue stared blankly, her mind a muddled mess. Her heart felt a sharp sting. After a long pause, she struggled to comprehend his words.
Then her complexion changed drastically, her stomach churned, and the sticky, slick sensation on her face felt unbearable. Everything made her feel suffocated.
Her face turned deathly pale, her eyelashes trembling violently. She managed to say, "No..."
Her voice was too faint. Cheng Qian Gong leaned closer, his nose almost touching hers, his breath heavy. "Say that again..."
Shen Yue's face grew paler and paler, her entire body starting to tremble. The feeling of nausea was uncontrollable.
Then, in the next second, Shen Yue shoved him away, stumbled a few steps, and vomited violently.
Xi'er was startled and quickly walked over to support Shen Yue, patting her back reassuringly.
Shen Yue wanted to push him away, but her legs were so weak she had no strength, unable to even stand steadily, let alone push the young man away.
Only Cheng Qian Gong, still standing there, had an unreadable expression.
When she could no longer vomit, she suppressed the sickening feeling. However, it wasn't enough. Shen Yue couldn't bear to stay in this study any longer.
She didn't want to see either of them.
The sticky, slick feeling on her face made her complexion even paler. She even began to frantically rub her face with the back of her hand, as if trying to wipe away that sensation.
It was Cheng Qian Gong who stopped her self-inflicted torment.
Her wrist was grabbed, and Shen Yue looked up, her brows radiating undisguised ferocity.
Cheng Qian Gong's voice was a gentle reassurance, "You'll break the skin if you keep rubbing."
Shen Yue finally stopped.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Her pale face was flushed and hot from the high temperature of the charcoal fire, but her eyes were exceptionally cold.
Cheng Qian Gong took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the water from her face, carefully and gently.
But the next second.
There was a crisp "slap."
Cheng Qian Gong's head was struck and tilted to the side. A red mark appeared on his fair left cheek, his hand still in the posture of wiping Shen Yue's face.