"What business is it of yours? Let go."
Li Qiongyu would surely gossip about her when he returned, and she couldn't lie.
But if she told the truth now, he might go mad, and she didn't want to be bothered.
"You have no right to control me, let go."
Damn it, he was squeezing her again, her waist was about to break.
Xiao Chizhan refused to let go, pressing down firmly on her waist. His crimson eyes looked coldly and menacingly at the saber on the ground, his voice incredibly terrifying.
"The Phoenix Tail Saber, forged from Xuan Iron, Xie Beihan gave it to you?!"
He glanced at her sideways, his gaze chilling.
Ye Luan felt her scalp tingle as she listened to his voice, and even the surrounding air seemed to turn colder.
She lowered her gaze, remaining silent.
What was it to him? He was putting on a face like he had caught her in adultery, as if she had done something unfaithful.
Seeing her ignore him, Xiao Chizhan held her with one hand and reached for the saber on the ground with the other.
"Give it to me."
"No."
As he spoke, he was about to throw it away.
Ye Luan quickly grabbed for it, angrily saying, "Have you no manners, throwing other people's things around so carelessly."
"I'm throwing away things that are an eyesore, so what?"
His expression was so self-righteous, it made one's teeth itch.
Ye Luan grabbed his collar and reached to snatch the saber.
Xiao Chizhan let out a cold snort, twisted her hand behind her back, his face darkening.
"Hold it for me, I'll return it to him myself. Otherwise, I'll throw it away."
"By what right?" Ye Luan kicked him in anger, "Who are you to throw away my things?"
Xiao Chizhan leaned down to look at her, his brow furrowed over his eyes, his demeanor ferocious.
"Luan Luan, I can grant you freedom, once you accept me again. But I will never allow the existence of anyone else."
Ye Luan, pinned by him, quickly tried to dodge backward, but her body was firmly held, and she couldn't escape.
She raised her eyes coldly, "Besides coercion and threats, what else can you do?"
"----"
"Xiao Chizhan, I have long let go of all past matters, but that does not mean I will accept you. The best outcome for us is-"
Her voice was very calm, so calm that there was not the slightest fluctuation.
"For the rest of our lives, we shall never meet again."
As the words left her lips, the surrounding air instantly froze.
Xiao Chizhan sneered, "Never meet again?!"
Every word she spoke was like a knife cutting into his heart, making him want to kill.
"Fine!"
"Very well! Never meet again!"
His jaw was abruptly lifted, colliding with his dark crimson eyes.
"Ye Luan, you lie in my arms and tell me, from now on we shall never meet again?!"
His sinister gaze raked over her from head to toe, filled with raw, undisguised lust.
His expression was like a ferocious beast shedding its disguise, dangerous, exposed, and utterly unrestrained.
Ye Luan shivered at his gaze and turned her eyes away.
"What I, Xiao Chizhan, desire, I have never failed to obtain."
His voice was obsessive and ruthless. She glanced at him sideways, her eyes filled with sarcasm.
"Yes, the dignified Prince of Dingbei, if you want something, can't you just take it? No one would dare disobey you."
Xiao Chizhan, "---"
After a moment, he suddenly hugged her fiercely, burying his head in her neck, breathing her in greedily.
Ye Luan was annoyed and said stiffly, "You're hurting me."
"Luan Luan, don't say such things again. My heart really hurts."
His voice carried a hint of fragility, and a difficult-to-describe pain.
Ye Luan's fingertips trembled, her anger inexplicably subsided, her heart feeling complicated.
"What must I do for you to come back?"
Around them, there was silence.
Ye Luan suppressed the inexplicable surge of melancholy in her heart and said faintly, "Let me go first."
Xiao Chizhan paused, then, reluctantly, loosened his grip slightly.
"This couch board is too hard, just sit on my lap."
Ye Luan ignored him, slipped off him, and sat opposite. While pouring water, she secretly glanced at his expression.
He still looked as proper as ever, his pupils faintly red, no abnormality.
Damn it.
Had this dog thing been acting just now, trying to gain sympathy and melt her heart?
Annoyed!
She had expected to see him cry.
"Give me the saber."
Xiao Chizhan immediately hid the saber in his embrace, poured her tea, and said solicitously, "Drink some water, your mouth must be dry."
Ye Luan took the tea he offered and repeated, "Give me the saber."
"I will forge a better one for you when I get back. Can't you do without his?"
"No, give it here!"
Xiao Chizhan pursed his lips, refusing to give it.
Ye Luan was speechless, so she said, "You took my things without permission, and it makes me very uncomfortable. Moreover, this was given to me by someone else. If you take it, what will I use to return it when the time comes?"
"You want to return it to him?"
"Yes, I don't accept gifts without reason."
Xiao Chizhan said, "Then I'll return it for you."
"Do you think this behavior is appropriate? Is it respectful? If someone else took something you gave me and returned it to you, would you feel comfortable?"
Her tone was sharp and laced with displeasure.
Seeing that she was truly angry, Xiao Chizhan fell silent.
Ye Luan also said nothing, just watched him quietly.
After a while.
He reluctantly took out the saber and placed it on the table.
"Here."
Ye Luan snorted coldly and put the saber away.
"Then remember to return it to him."
She couldn't be bothered to deal with him.
-----
After entering the pass, the weather outside gradually became less hot.
Tantai Ye had to stay at the pass city to handle military affairs, and Wei Qingge had to visit General Wei, so she also had to stay for a few days.
Ye Luan wanted to return to the capital first, but Wei Qingge and Lan Murou were insistent, and she also remembered that once they returned to the capital, it would only be her and Xiao Chizhan on the road, which would be quite awkward. So, she agreed.
They stayed in the pass city for five or six days. Li Qiongyu, having nothing to do, often took them out to play.
The pass city was far from the capital. After they finished their border affairs, they traveled for half a month before finally arriving at the capital.
It had been half a year since they last parted. Ye Luan poked her head out to look at the bustling capital, and a faint smile curved her lips.
"Murou, Aluan, I'll go back to my residence to find my mother first. I'll look for you when I have time."
"Okay."
Tantai Ye also rode his horse away with Lan Murou, moving so fast that they didn't even have time to say goodbye.
Ye Luan patted the carriage door and said, "Blood Blade, stop the carriage and just drop me off on the street."
"Where are you going?"
"Do I need to report to the Prince?"
Xiao Chizhan's eyes darkened, and he said, "I'll take you."
"No need, stop the carriage."
After Ye Luan got out of the carriage with Xue Qiu, she headed directly towards Liuhang Alley.
The carriage behind followed at a neither-too-close nor too-far distance. She didn't bother to pay attention to it, looking at the lively surroundings.
"Aluan, you're back?"
Suddenly, a gentle voice called out from ahead.
"Cousin!"
Bai Muheng was coming out of a restaurant with a group of people. Seeing Ye Luan, he was both surprised and delighted. He hurried to bid farewell to his colleagues and walked towards her.
"Aluan, have you just returned? Grandmother misses you dearly."
Ever since Aluan had left the capital last time, they had been confined to their residence. They hadn't seen Aluan until they were released. The household had sent people to inquire several times, only to hear that she had gone to Zhongzhou. Now, she had finally returned.