Nan Zhiyun had been holding onto Yu Jingchen's waist, her head resting against his chest as if trying to hide herself out of fear.
Yu Jingchen had no choice but to call out, "Someone!" Xing Lai quickly entered from outside.
"Light the lamps!" Yu Jingchen's tone was laced with impatience.
Xing Lai dared not delay, immediately lighting the candles in the room. He was almost shocked speechless by the sight before him. As the room slowly brightened, Nan Zhiyun still hadn't recovered. Her eyes were tightly shut, unwilling to let go.
"Withdraw," Yu Jingchen said again. Only then did Xing Lai leave.
Once they were alone again, Yu Jingchen looked down at Nan Zhiyun, who was clinging to his waist. Perhaps she hadn't fully sobered up yet, as her body was still trembling slightly. She knelt there, her hands tightly clasped around his waist as if afraid he would throw her away.
This realization made Yu Jingchen's heart skip a beat, and a strange feeling arose within him, though he quickly suppressed it. He composed himself and remained still, without speaking or making any other move. Nan Zhiyun's breathing was rapid but gradually began to even out.
After an unknown amount of time, Nan Zhiyun finally emerged from her inner world. The room was lit again, and the darkness in her heart slowly receded.
"Shouldn't you let go now?" Yu Jingchen's cold voice echoed, as devoid of warmth as ever.
Nan Zhiyun finally reacted, immediately releasing her hands as if she had touched something burning. She was flustered, panicked, and at a loss.
"Heh, scared now? Why didn't you let go earlier?" Yu Jingchen felt a surge of inexplicable annoyance watching Nan Zhiyun's hasty release.
"Your Majesty, forgive me!" Nan Zhiyun was genuinely terrified this time. After all, Yu Jingchen, in both his previous and current life, intensely disliked anyone approaching him.
Not just her, but anyone who came near him would be met with disgust. Therefore, whenever Yu Jingchen encountered someone who proactively approached him, he would never go easy on them, never forgive them lightly.
"Nan Zhiyun, your boldness is growing. Is it because I let you off twice recently? You think I won't do anything to you, that you don't need to fear my punishment anymore?" Yu Jingchen felt a pent-up frustration, making him uncomfortable if it wasn't released.
Nan Zhiyun dared not argue, only kneeling there with her head bowed, listening to Yu Jingchen's lecture. However, it was her passive attitude that fanned the flames of Yu Jingchen's anger.
Yu Jingchen pushed Nan Zhiyun down. She cried out as she fell and was injured, but she endured the pain, refusing to make a sound. Yu Jingchen pinned her down.
"Nan Zhiyun, you went to Ci An Palace, and now you've changed your tactics?" Yu Jingchen's face darkened considerably. It was clear he was truly angered by Nan Zhiyun's attitude this time.
Nan Zhiyun dared not say anything, fearing that a single wrong word would further enrage Yu Jingchen. However, as Yu Jingchen was already furious, even her silence would still provoke him.
The more Yu Jingchen thought about it, the angrier he became. He directly reached out and tore Nan Zhiyun's clothes, leaving her feeling a chill and her face filled with terror.
"Nan Zhiyun, you've tested my patience repeatedly. Haven't you gone too far?" Yu Jingchen felt he had tolerated her many times, yet this woman always found a way to provoke him.
"Do you truly wish to be punished? Fine, today I will fulfill your wish." With that, Yu Jingchen pressed Nan Zhiyun's hands apart. Nan Zhiyun had no strength to resist.
However, such actions brought him only deep torment and boundless fear. Looking at the fear in the young woman's eyes, Yu Jingchen suddenly felt a twisted sense of exhilaration. Yes, this was what he wanted – fear, submission. After forgiving her twice, she seemed to think there were no more limits.
Since that was the case, from now on, no matter what she did wrong, he would absolutely not go easy on her. He had to make her understand his punishment, make her remember it thoroughly, and never dare to make the same mistake again. He wanted her to tremble when she saw him, or she would continue to push her boundaries.
With these thoughts, Yu Jingchen no longer hesitated. He directly reached out and tore off the remaining scraps of fabric on Nan Zhiyun, exposing her completely.
"Your Majesty..." Nan Zhiyun began to panic.
But Yu Jingchen, still in a fit of rage, paid no heed. Seeing Nan Zhiyun's resistance only fueled his anger.
"If you don't want to go through what happened last time again, you'd best not try to resist. Otherwise, those things are always ready for you." Yu Jingchen was clearly enraged, his eyes filled with cruelty. Nan Zhiyun bit her lip, not daring to make a sound, but Yu Jingchen directly grabbed her mouth. "Don't bite your lip later. Scream... You're not allowed to refuse. You have no right." Yu Jingchen couldn't stand her acting that way.
Nan Zhiyun gasped for breath, the events of last time vivid in her mind, especially the things Yu Jingchen had mentioned. The first time it was a candlestick, a moment of excruciating pain... combined with his previous life, that was two memories.
Besides that, in his previous life, he hadn't just used a candlestick... he had used anything he could get his hands on. Ironically, he himself had rarely touched her.
"Did you understand what I just said?" Yu Jingchen's demeanor grew somewhat frantic. Nan Zhiyun closed her eyes and nodded. She dared not resist, but this reaction clearly didn't truly satisfy Yu Jingchen.
"Open your eyes! Speak, did you understand?" Yu Jingchen repeated.
"I... I understand," Nan Zhiyun's voice trembled.
"Good that you understand. I warn you, don't close your eyes. I want you to watch, to watch yourself as you receive punishment. You must remember this punishment deeply. If you anger me again in the future, I will use the things you fear the most." Yu Jingchen's hand lightly traced Nan Zhiyun's cheek, chillingly cold. Nan Zhiyun wanted to flinch away, but she dared not.
Because she was afraid of enraging Yu Jingchen again. Yu Jingchen was always unpredictable, and she didn't really know what she had done this time to provoke him. But she knew she had to obey obediently.