Shen Yue seemed amused by his restrained demeanor. A flicker of a smile crossed her eyes, and she gently blew a puff of air onto his face. As expected, Cheng Qian Gong flinched.
"Your Highness, please maintain some decorum..." he gritted out, trying to maintain his aloof and distant facade. Yet, his flushed face betrayed him.
Shen Yue let out a soft laugh. The tear mole beneath her lower eyelid was alluring and exquisite. Her smile was faint, ethereal, yet it held a warmth that could melt the snow on glacial peaks.
It warmed frozen years and stunned fleeting moments.
A subtle, sweet, and intoxicating fragrance wafted through the air, like crushed, decaying flower petals, effortlessly stirring the darkest desires and destructive impulses within a person's heart.
She was beautiful when she smiled.
A beauty that shouldn't exist in this world.
In the depths of unspoken desire, one only craved possession or destruction.
Facing Cheng Qian Gong, Shen Yue always revealed more of her emotions, acting more like a real person.
Cheng Qian Gong's heart pounded like a drum beneath her palm.
His seemingly indifferent eyes held a hidden panic and shyness.
A little bit cute.
Cheng Qian Gong grabbed Shen Yue's wrist, intending to push her away. Unexpectedly, Shen Yue leaned closer and bit his lower lip. The slight sting made his grip loosen. The rich fragrance lingered in his nostrils, and his breath hitched as if he were stunned.
"Do you like it?"
Her long, thick lashes lifted. Her eyes were beautiful and dazzling, her smile soft and floral.
Unreservedly.
In that instant, Cheng Qian Gong experienced a sudden illusion.
It was as if Shen Yue liked him, liked him to the point of... being unable to extricate herself.
But he quickly regained his senses, knowing that someone like Shen Yue didn't understand what liking someone meant.
"Cheng Qian Gong..."
Her voice, luxuriously opulent, mixed with the faint, delicate fragrance, blew into his ear from his auricle, laced with an indescribable hint of amusement.
Her full, luscious lips pressed against the man's flushed earlobe.
Her slender, soft arms entwined around his neck like vines, as if she could only survive by clinging to him.
Their intimate and ambiguous actions made them appear like a deeply in love couple.
"Cheng Qian Gong, why aren't you pushing me away?"
"Do you also have some feelings for me?"
Unrestrained and in control.
Cheng Qian Gong's body temperature rose, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. His earlobe was licked, then gently bitten, causing a slight pain, but more so a tingling and numbness.
Those words made Cheng Qian Gong blush furiously.
His Adam's apple bobbed. Cheng Qian Gong's heart felt like it would leap out of his chest. He was inexperienced in both body and soul, unable to withstand Shen Yue's teasing. In no time, his breathing became ragged.
He knew he should push her away immediately and reprimand her harshly, but his outstretched hand involuntarily tightened, his fingertips rubbing him with small movements.
"Mmm."
Cheng Qian Gong tilted his head, his breathing pausing for a moment before suddenly becoming rapid, like a drowning person gasping for air.
He tightened his arms, pulling Shen Yue into an embrace with a possessiveness he didn't even know he had. Every breath he took was scorching.
Shen Yue stroked his sweat-drenched face. Her crimson lips curved slightly, forming a beautiful and perfect arc.
She sighed, as if indulging him.
"Insubordinate."
Her languid voice landed on Cheng Qian Gong's heart, each word striking a resonant chord, making his heart leap.
The nascent desire within him burned intensely, like a raging fire.
Cheng Qian Gong closed his eyes. Although he understood that Shen Yue was only teasing him, he had still fallen for it. He even loathed himself for his wavering resolve and felt a sense of vexation.
Shen Yue's teasing methods were so practiced. Did she always treat others this way? Just like she treated him.
Cheng Qian Gong had expected his first reaction to be disgust, to feel tainted. He had never touched any woman and was not interested in sex. He had only planned to marry when the time was right and maintain a respectful relationship with his wife.
But Shen Yue had shattered all of that, or rather, she had thrown his heart into turmoil.
The other person could withdraw at any time, or perhaps it was just a momentary whim.
Thinking this, agitated anger and frustration surged within him.
"Your Highness, are you like this with everyone?"
By the time he realized it, he had already spoken, his voice chilling and sharp as ice.
Shen Yue blinked, unfazed. Her eyes remained as beautiful as ever, and she replied slowly, "Do you care a lot?"
Certainly not.
She detested being touched. Anyone who dared to touch her, Shen Yue would chop off their heads without batting an eye. But Cheng Qian Gong was different.
To Shen Yue, Cheng Qian Gong was medicine. In his presence, she felt alive, as if she possessed the seven emotions and six desires that humans were meant to have.
She desperately clutched that warm beam of light in her hands, afraid to let go for even a moment. Even if it burned her hands, even if it bled profusely, she would not let go.
He grasped Shen Yue's exquisitely curved wrist in return. His eyes were pure, a cold black that evoked frozen frost.
"What is there to care about? I just find it dirty."
His low voice was incredibly soft, carrying an almost sinister undertone. His dark eyes churned like a storm, reflecting only Shen Yue's figure.
He whispered to her, word by word.
Malice palpable.
"Your Highness, do those men not satisfy you?"
It was hard to believe such words would come from Cheng Qian Gong. He was gentle and refined, possessing the integrity and pride of a scholar. He would never utter a vulgar word, maintaining his decorum even in anger.
Yet, facing Shen Yue, everything he stood for, everything he restrained, seemed like an illusion, easily shattered and lost control.
By using words filled with malevolence and dark desire to trample Shen Yue, he seemed to believe he could prove he wasn't deeply entangled, that he hadn't fallen for her.
A subtle sting of pain and sadness flickered in the depths of Shen Yue's pupils. Then, a faint smile bloomed on her lips. "How could they compare to Lord Chen?"
"Who in Chang'an city doesn't know of Lord Cheng's reputation? His talent is exceptional, and his appearance rivals Pan An. I find him most pleasing, and naturally, I wish to hold him in my hands for amusement."
If there had to be pain, then let them both feel it.
A beautiful, cold indifference tinged Shen Yue's eyes. She had gone mad long ago anyway.
It didn't matter anymore.
Even if it was... hatred, it didn't matter.
Ignoring the inexpressible bitterness in her heart, she laughed with wild abandon, like a peony in full, radiant bloom.