Her hands were seized forcefully, and sharp pain shot through her limbs.
Those pair of crimson, indifferent eyes watched her with displeasure, like a ferocious wolf capable of tearing flesh from bone, piece by piece.
Ye Luan’s lips lost their color from the pain, pale and powerless.
Xiao Chi Zhan stood up, gripped her waist, and pulled her tightly into his embrace, proceeding to slowly and deliberately kiss her lips.
“If you continue to be so presumptuous, I won’t mind chopping off your hands.”
A familiar aura enveloped her entire being.
Ye Luan slumped in his arms, forced to submit.
He licked the shape of her lips again and again. With his other hand, he slid beneath her clothes, caressing her slender waist, and tracing the length of her spine inch by inch.
Ye Luan felt both pain and anger as he kneaded her, but her limbs were suppressed by him.
Her lips, her mouth, were filled with his frenzied presence.
She was utterly infuriated.
She thought of the people who had been taken away, and a wave of guilt and panic washed over her. With a resolute heart, she hooked her arms around his head, her lips meeting his, responding with all her might.
Xiao Chi Zhan was already unable to resist her, let alone be enticed in such a manner.
Soon, he was aroused.
Seizing an unguarded moment, Ye Luan shoved him away fiercely, draped his robe from the rack over herself, and fled.
Xiao Chi Zhan leaned against the bed, gently wiping his lips, and let out a soft scoff before slowly getting off the couch.
Outer courtyard.
Several servants were being beaten to the brink of death.
Ye Luan ran over and saw the惨状 (miserable scene), her face instantly turning deathly pale.
“Stop, stop!”
Her desperate cry caused the executioner guards to immediately halt.
“Miss Ye, this is no place for you.” Long San, holding his saber, walked over from the corridor.
Ye Luan ignored him, rushing forward instead, snatching the cudgels from the guards’ hands and tossing them all into the lotus pond behind.
She stared at them coldly, saying nothing.
Xiao Chi Zhan, clad in a white fox fur coat, circled around from the other end of the corridor and stood silently beneath the eaves, his deep red pupils chillingly profound.
“Greetings, Your Highness.”
Ye Luan gritted her teeth and also knelt on the ground.
Those pair of clean white jade boots stopped before her. Her chin was gently lifted, forcing her gaze into those terrifying red pupils.
An involuntary chill ran down her spine, yet she stubbornly glared at him, unwilling to yield.
Xiao Chi Zhan bared his teeth in a chilling smile, “What do you want?”
“Release them.”
The rough pad of his fingertip caressed her cheek, a terrifying and chilling sensation like being cornered by a wild beast, a dense coldness spreading from the soles of her feet.
The cold wind whistled, chilling her so much that her complexion became deathly pale.
On Xiao Chi Zhan’s bewitching face, there was no trace of emotion, only a frightening indifference.
He gazed at her clear eyes, his fingertip slowly tracing upwards.
Though they were mesmerizing, foxy eyes, they were incredibly pure and bright.
The smile on his lips deepened.
The desolate and chilling wind blew through the garden, petals landing on the pond. Everyone in the courtyard knelt on the ground.
Only the white-haired, red-eyed man stood proudly like a deity, observing everything with disdain.
“What if I refuse?”
Ye Luan lowered her eyes, “This humble daughter will remain kneeling and will not rise.”
A cold laugh suddenly rang out.
Xiao Chi Zhan looked down at the woman on the ground, licking his lips slightly. He bent down slightly, extending his handsome, clean hands, and lifted her into his arms.
“Kiss me.”
His voice was so gentle, yet it sent a shiver of fear down Ye Luan’s spine.
She hooked her arms around his head, mechanically kissing his lips.
The people kneeling around them all lowered their heads, no one daring to watch.
The cold wind brushed against her cheeks, bringing a slight sting.
Ye Luan pulled back slightly, gazing at him quietly.
“Continue.”
After an unknown amount of time, she felt her lips going numb.
She cursed him a thousand times in her heart.
Those red lips were kissed to a mesmerizing, vibrant hue.
Xiao Chi Zhan’s eyes darkened slightly as he carried her out with large strides.
Ye Luan anxiously asked, “And them?”
Xiao Chi Zhan looked down at her coldly, “From now on, do not attempt to test my limits.”
His voice was chillingly cold. She pursed her lips and remained silent.
Xiao Chi Zhan glanced back. Long San immediately understood and ordered the guards to take away the unconscious individuals.
Despite the commotion, Ye Luan did not drink those substances. However, she was truly imprisoned in this small courtyard.
Her hands were adorned with specially made shackles, inlaid with a large Dongyu pearl, ostentatious and luxurious.
The inner lining was carefully padded with soft material, so no matter how much she struggled, her skin would not be harmed.
The small courtyard was surrounded by many hidden guards, and there were also a multitude of serving maids and nannies. She was confined to the couch for most of the time.
Only when she wished to go out was she watched by a throng of people during her strolls in the courtyard.
This life of confinement deepened Ye Luan’s hatred for Xiao Chi Zhan, making her life feel worse than death.
But she could not die. Even if she harbored thoughts of ending her life, she simply could not.
This place was like an impregnable fortress.
Except when Xiao Chi Zhan returned after his work, everyone else would withdraw. At other times, a multitude of maids and nannies would watch and monitor her.
This was tantamount to imprisonment.
Ye Luan’s temper grew increasingly stubborn, her face perpetually cold.
“Miss Ye, His Highness is arriving soon. This servant will help you bathe.”
Ye Luan lay on the couch, her eyes vacant, staring at the canopy above, unmoving.
Dong Shuang dared not urge her further and instead said softly, “His Highness knows that Miss likes Xiang cuisine and has paid a great sum to invite several renowned chefs from Jiang’an. Would Miss like to try their cooking?”
“I want to go out for a walk.”
It was already dark outside.
Dong Shuang frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and refused.
“His Highness is arriving soon, Miss should just wait quietly.”
Ye Luan’s expression turned even colder. She closed her eyes, ignoring whatever Dong Shuang said.
Xiao Chi Zhan, having finished his official duties, walked into the inner chamber with a palpable chill about him. He removed his cloak and, seeing the woman on the bed ignoring him, waved his hand.
The servants attending in the room all withdrew.
He walked to the bedside, unlocked the shackles, and pulled her into his embrace, asking tenderly, “Why won’t you eat?”
Ye Luan nestled quietly in his arms, her eyes closed, not responding.
Xiao Chi Zhan caressed her waist, pressing her fiercely into his embrace. Feeling the hatred radiating from her, he leaned against the bed, his eyes half-closed.
The atmosphere in the room was both eerie and chilling.
She seemed to have transformed into someone else. The former her was as cunning as a wildcat, flattering him and teasing him to achieve her goals.
But now, she was like someone devoid of life, a doll to be manipulated, her eyes lacking any vitality.
He detested this feeling but did not know what to do with her.
The iron arm around her waist tightened, causing Ye Luan to gasp in pain.
Yet she remained silent, looking at him with a vacant expression.
Xiao Chi Zhan loosened his grip slightly, lifting her chin with his other hand, and looked down at her.
Her foxy eyes held undisguised coldness and disgust.
He reached out and closed her eyes, resting his chin on her head, and sighed, “What am I to do with you?”