Originally, Ye Jingyu hadn't thought much about it when he spent a lot of time with her. Last time in the carriage, she had said that if she had to choose a prince as her husband, she would choose him.
This statement had made the man very happy, but in the past two days, he had gradually come to his senses.
She hadn't been completely forced by the situation when she said that; rather, she felt that their relationship was merely a gentleman's agreement, and in that context, it was considered trust.
But he didn't want this kind of trust!
This damned girl had never intended to be sincere with him from the very beginning!
She was merely using him as a stepping stone to escape from the murky and corrupt world!
Su Yunmo, staring at him with his direct gaze, felt her spirit gradually wane, her gaze becoming somewhat weak.
Her five fingers instinctively recoiled, and her voice became much softer, "No... I, I didn't mean that."
She didn't look down on him, it was just... it was just...
Su Yunmo bit her lip.
"It's just because you think you're older than me and can treat this king like a child!" Ye Jingyu hit the nail on the head.
Su Yunmo felt a tremor in her heart, pursed her lips, and turned her face away.
Seeing that she didn't deny it, Ye Jingyu became even more enraged and reached out to pull at her clothes.
Su Yunmo immediately panicked, struggling desperately, "Let go! Ye Jingyu, what are you doing? Are you crazy!"
"Let me show you whether this king is a child or not!" Ye Jingyu said, word by word, with fierce determination.
Su Yunmo clearly saw the seriousness and ferocity in his eyes.
At this moment, she felt as if she had returned to the time when she had first met him.
Perhaps it was because she had truly spent a long time with him now, Su Yunmo had forgotten that this man was inherently cold and cruel.
His personality and way of doing things could not be judged by his appearance.
Unable to use her powers, Su Yunmo was so anxious that cold sweat broke out on her forehead, until Ye Jingyu tore off her outer garment.
A gust of cold air seeped into her collar.
Su Yunmo shivered all over, her pupils contracting, completely stunned by fear.
For some reason, tears slid down the corners of her eyes.
She began to tremble, genuinely afraid that Ye Jingyu, in a fit of temper, would do something terrible to her.
"No... I was wrong, please, don't do this."
It was rare to see her yield.
Seeing her body tremble, Ye Jingyu's actions instinctively paused.
The man hadn't intended to do anything to her; he just wanted to scare her a little and make her recognize a reality.
"Miss Su, who do you think is more like a naive child right now?"
Su Yunmo opened her mouth, but couldn't speak. She shrank back in fear, but because Ye Jingyu was pinning her down, she couldn't retreat further.
Seeing her still resisting, Ye Jingyu frowned fiercely and slapped her on the backside, "Answer me!"
Su Yunmo finally couldn't help but cry out, miserably, "I, it's me."
Ye Jingyu's eyes flickered. Seeing that she was truly scared, he didn't intend to let her off so easily. "Call this king, what should you call me?"
Su Yunmo's eyes were teary, her voice as fine as a mosquito's hum, "Brother Yu."
Her voice held a hint of stubbornness and pleading.
The man looked at her with a deep gaze for a moment, then, unable to bear it, he picked her up and placed her on his lap, reaching out to wipe the tears from her face.
Su Yunmo looked at his outstretched hand, and never before had she felt this man's palm so broad and generous.
She instinctively recoiled, almost falling to the ground.
Ye Jingyu, with quick reflexes, held her, looking displeased, "Afraid of this king?"
Su Yunmo shrunk her neck, instinctively shaking her head, but unconsciously swallowed.
Seeing her like this, Ye Jingyu sighed deeply and carefully helped her put her clothes back on, smoothing out the wrinkles. "If you're scared just by this, then where did you get the courage to sneak into Prince Kun's manor?"
Su Yunmo pursed her lips. Although she felt that saying this might anger the man, she couldn't help but retort, "Ye Jingkun wouldn't do such a thing."
Not everyone was like him.
"Oh?" Ye Jingyu wasn't angry, but said with immense sarcasm, "How do you know?"
Su Yunmo froze for a moment.
Ye Jingyu then leaned down to stare at her, word by word.
"Take the last time for example, he knocked you out. During that time, you couldn't feel anything. How would you know what he did to you?"
Su Yunmo was completely stunned, looking at the man with shock and bewilderment.
Ye Jingyu brushed the hair blocking her view behind her ear, "If you had truly cried and made a fuss, this king would have felt heartache, but would Ye Jingkun feel heartache?"
That man was his half-brother, and he knew his disposition best.
Even though he was now acting like a gentleman, his heart was actually the darkest.
If he wanted to achieve something, to obtain someone, he wouldn't think so much.
What if it was forceful acquisition? As long as he obtained it, that was enough.
The fact that Ye Jingkun could patiently play cat and mouse with her now was simply for his own amusement.
But if one day, he no longer wanted to play this game, did she think she would get anything good?
Su Yunmo bit her lower lip, lowered her head, and unconsciously clenched her hands.
To be honest, she hadn't thought about this matter.
In the beginning, when she decided to infiltrate the enemy camp to gather information, it was only because she had powers and Ye Jingkun couldn't do anything to her.
However, it was easier to dodge an open spear than an arrow in the dark. The last time he knocked her out, she hadn't even had time to use her powers.
Seeing her expression becoming increasingly flustered, Ye Jingyu knew she was feeling fearful.
The man said nothing more, letting her calm her emotions alone. He only raised his voice to call for a maid to bring water.
When the maid brought the water.
Ye Jingyu personally took a hot towel and helped her wipe the tears from her face, his every movement meticulous and gentle.
Su Yunmo felt his carefulness and knew he was comforting her, so she obediently rubbed against the hot towel in his hand.
She looked like a puppy that had been abandoned on the roadside and just brought home.
Seeing her like this, Ye Jingyu felt both exasperated and amused. After wiping her face clean, he dismissed the maid.
"Remember, you can't act impulsively again in the future," Ye Jingyu poked her forehead with a finger.
Su Yunmo, now recovered from her shock, no longer felt her heart pounding. She just pouted shyly and resentfully, turned her head, and said softly, "Even if I was acting impulsively, you were too much."
Her voice wasn't quiet. Ye Jingyu heard it.
The man poked her forehead a little harder, "You've made a mistake, and you still have a point?"
"It's true," Su Yunmo said with a sense of spoiled entitlement, pouting. "If something like this happens again, you can just tell me properly, why do you have to..."
She couldn't finish the rest of her sentence, turning her head away, her face involuntarily blushing, "Why do you have to scare me."
"If I didn't scare you, would you listen to this king?" Ye Jingyu shook his head helplessly.
This girl had always been headstrong, and she would never take others' opinions to heart. He could only do this.
Su Yunmo found his words rather awkward, knowing she was being underestimated, so she puffed out her cheeks and looked at him.
Seeing her blinking her big eyes, Ye Jingyu secretly sighed, finally giving in, "Alright, this king will talk to you properly next time and won't scare you."
"Hmph, that's more like it," Su Yunmo snorted and lifted her little head.
Ye Jingyu saw her becoming more childlike and felt even more helpless.
Qian Xue knocked on the door and rushed in, "My lord, the young lady is in trouble! The General's wife has been summoned to the palace by Wang Xiting!"