Cheng Qian Gong suddenly raised his hand and pressed hard against his temples, shaking his head. His breathing grew increasingly labored and heavy, and a strange flush appeared on his fair face.
“Cheng Qian Gong?” Shen Yue pinched her fingertips, seeing Cheng Qian Gong tightly pursing his lips in pain. She couldn't help but stand up and walk closer. “Are you feeling unwell? Cheng Qian Gong, can you hear me?”
Cheng Qian Gong lowered his head, his chest heaving unevenly. Shen Yue’s hand accidentally brushed against his burning skin, and she started in surprise. Cheng Qian Gong abruptly lifted his eyes.
The composure and self-control in those eyes had completely vanished, leaving only a burgeoning darkness like thick ink, with a needle-like sense of danger that made Shen Yue instinctively retract her hand, her pupils slightly contracting.
Before she could react, her collar was grabbed, and she was forcibly pushed onto the couch.
“What did you do to me?” Cheng Qian Gong’s disgust was almost palpable. He suppressed his anger, but the force of his grip increased uncontrollably. “Why? What exactly do you want? Do you hate me that much?”
Shen Yue blinked, her eyes meeting Cheng Qian Gong’s. Her initial joy at his intimacy plummeted to despair when faced with his gaze.
Her long, thick eyelashes trembled slightly. She was pale, with an almost unhealthy pallor, and the tear mole beneath her eyelid was like cinnabar.
Outside, it was pitch black, like rolling dark clouds, with no light from the stars.
Her full, vibrant red lips were tightly pressed together, as if suppressing something. “I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
Her collar was gripped so tightly that her neck was starting to ache.
“You’re lying again.” Cheng Qian Gong’s eyes were crimson, filled with shadows. He pulled Shen Yue’s collar closer, his tone filled with utter annoyance. “You’re clearly not like this. Why have you become so wicked? Shen Yue, if you want revenge, then do it openly. It’s true, I misunderstood you, and I can atone. Why resort to such despicable tactics?”
A wave of heat surged through his lower abdomen, spreading to his limbs and into his blood. Every nerve throbbed.
His hair lay disheveled, and his dark eyes seemed increasingly inscrutable amidst the stray strands.
Shen Yue understood the meaning behind such a gaze. Her face turned pale, goosebumps prickling her skin as if countless ants were gnawing at her. She felt so disgusted she almost wanted to vomit.
She tried to push away Cheng Qian Gong’s hand to stand up, but he pinned her down, like a fierce leopard preying on her.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Shen Yue struggled desperately, a flush coloring her pale, sickly face, the corners of her eyes tinged with red. Her voice was hoarse, and upon closer listening, it even held a slight tremor.
“Cheng Qian Gong, you dare! Believe it or not, I’ll have your head!”
Cheng Qian Gong’s chest churned with a tempest of anger and agitation, driving him to the brink of madness. He endured with all his might, one hand gripping Shen Yue’s neck, his voice laced with furious mockery. “Fourth Prince, isn’t this what you wanted? Did you not consider the consequences before administering the drug?”
She had just finished bathing, her clothes were thin. In the candlelight, her hair seemed to shimmer, her collar torn and messy, revealing a hint of her collarbone, which was breathtakingly beautiful.
A flicker of panic crossed her dark, moist eyes. She pressed against Cheng Qian Gong’s hard, broad chest, her breath trembling. “It wasn’t, it wasn’t me…”
Cheng Qian Gong refused to believe her, convinced Shen Yue was full of lies, a habitual liar. He had come to apologize, only to be ambushed. If it were direct confrontation or scolding, that would be acceptable. But Shen Yue had crossed his bottom line. He detested these insidious and base methods the most.
From childhood, his disposition had been indifferent, and he had never experienced such intense emotions towards anyone.
Shen Yue tilted her head, revealing her perfectly snow-white neck. Beneath the thin skin, pale blue veins slowly pulsed. He saw them and lunged forward, biting down hard.
For a fleeting moment, he genuinely wanted to break those veins.
Shen Yue let out a muffled groan. The sharp pain on her neck made her suspect he intended to bite off a piece of her flesh.
The man’s hot, rapid breaths spattered onto her neck. Shen Yue pushed his head away, the pain rendering her speechless.
When things had calmed slightly, Cheng Qian Gong lifted his head and looked at Shen Yue with icy eyes.
“Having regrets now?”
Shen Yue’s eyes welled up with physiological tears. Her long eyelashes fluttered, and tears slid from the corners of her eyes.
The arm encircling her waist tightened, and he slowly leaned down, saying, “You should have thought of this outcome long ago.”
“Do you think I want to touch you? People like you, even a glance would dirty my eyes.”
Cheng Qian Gong expected to feel immense disgust and aversion. In fact, he did. The intense nausea made him press his lips tighter. Yet, the smooth, delicate skin was like warm white jade. He felt utterly repulsed, but due to the drug, his actions were contrary to his inner thoughts.
His eyes burned with desire, performing the most intimate of acts, yet devoid of any tenderness, only utter coldness.
He remained aloof, looking down at the person below him. His lips were stained with blood, Shen Yue’s blood.
In the depths of his eyes lay a murky mix of hatred.
“Everything has gone as you wished, Your Highness.”
“Why are you still crying?”
—
Unsure of what he saw, Cheng Qian Gong lowered his head deeply. After a long pause, he said faintly, “So Your Highness is a woman.”
He reached out as if compelled, brushing away Shen Yue’s reddened eyes. Not gently, he smudged the faint red into a deeper hue.
“Your Highness, this is an act of deceiving the sovereign.”
He seemed to smile, a hint of sarcasm in his expression.
Shen Yue’s reason had long since vanished. She was trembling, her eyelashes clumped together by tears. Her lips were vividly red, and the tear mole was alluring.
Her breath was weak, and her vision blurred.
She looked somewhat pitiful.
But unfortunately, Cheng Qian Gong felt no pity. He was both cold and fervent, devoid of any emotion. He didn’t even bother to remove his clothes, treating it purely as a business transaction.
As he had said, if it were not absolutely necessary, he would not even want to touch Shen Yue, finding her presence distasteful.
—
Once the drug's effects subsided, Cheng Qian Gong’s reason returned. The scene before him was a mess. He calmly stood up, leisurely tidying his slightly disheveled clothes. Dawn was breaking, and Cheng Qian Gong had reverted to his graceful demeanor. Without a moment’s hesitation, he left the sleeping quarters with an expressionless face.
From beginning to end, he did not look at Shen Yue lying on the couch.
—
Shen Yue lay there for a long time before her strength returned. It took several attempts for her to stand, her legs trembling uncontrollably.