Suddenly, the man beneath her eyes snapped open. His expression was indifferent, showing no sign of deep sleep at all.
He glanced at the knife she had quickly hidden, his gaze flicking towards her.
Chi You's palms tightened. She avoided his eyes and got off the bed.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
He half-propped himself up and looked at her.
Chi You picked up a teacup from the table and poured a cup of tea.
"I'm thirsty."
"Pour me a cup."
His entitled voice came from behind her.
Chi You paused for a moment, poured him a cup, and handed it over.
Liu Rongruo got up, sat by the bed, and took the teacup from her hand.
As she turned to leave, a strong force suddenly came from behind her. She stumbled and fell into his arms.
Chi You struggled, but he held her even tighter.
"I'm sleepy, I want to sleep."
Liu Rongruo ignored her words, held the teacup, and brought it to her lips.
"Drink."
His eyes were cold, devoid of any warmth.
Chi You's back trembled slightly, and she pursed her lips.
He said, "Weren't you thirsty? Why aren't you drinking?"
"I've had enough."
He looked down at her, the teacup in his hand pressed against her lips. The force was so great that her lips began to ache.
Chi You was forced to open her mouth, and the water gurgled down her throat.
She choked and coughed, angrily pushing his hand away.
With a clang, the teacup fell to the floor.
He held one of her hands and began to touch her with the other.
Chi You twisted her body, struggling desperately.
But his strength was too great; it was like futile resistance.
"What are you going crazy about?!"
Liu Rongruo gripped her body and took a knife from her embrace.
The air froze for a moment.
Chi You looked at the knife in front of her, pursed her lips, and her expression turned cold.
Liu Rongruo stared at her, pressing the knife against her jaw and gently lifting her face.
"Were you lying to me again?"
She remained silent, her face, plump and delicate like a blooming flower, filled with indifference.
Liu Rongruo pressed the knife to her eyes, mere inches from her eyelids.
Chi You trembled and instinctively moved back.
"What do you want to do?"
"You said you were sleepy, but your eyes are wide open. Do you need me to close them for you?"
Then, he lunged forward with the knife as if to blind her.
Chi You's eyelids twitched violently. She quickly broke free and grabbed his hand.
"I'm not sleepy anymore, I want to look at you more."
"Look at me? Then I'll open them wide for you to see properly."
The cold knife tip instantly pressed against her eyelid, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
Chi You sensed his ruthlessness and desperately suppressed the anger in her heart, gently trying to take his hand.
"This way is enough for me to see, I don't need them wide open."
She held his hand and slowly moved it away.
Liu Rongruo stared indifferently at her face, his eyes tight and heavy. In the quiet, dim tent, his gaze made one's bones chill.
Chi You swallowed, deliberately softened her posture, and slowly leaned closer to him.
The person in his arms was boneless and pliant, her eyes showing a hint of appeasement.
Liu Rongruo allowed her to remove the knife and continued to stare at her.
"Did you steal this from my study?"
"Steal? This isn't stealing, I'm just carrying it for self-defense."
Chi You pushed herself up and placed the knife on the small table beside them.
Seeing her attempt to rise, Liu Rongruo immediately grabbed her and threw her onto the bed.
His force was immense, leaving her dizzy and disoriented.
She was already weak from his previous torment, and this impact made her think, "You dead, beast, you want to kill me."
As the thought crossed her mind, he pressed down on her again, tearing at her clothes. She could no longer bear it and roared.
"It's the middle of the night, you're not sleeping, and I still want to sleep."
Liu Rongruo ignored her words, pinning her hands above her head with one hand and grasping her neck with the other. His slightly cool lips then covered hers.
He wasn't kissing her; he was devouring her.
Chi You's pain brought forth tears, and she twisted her body, struggling.
Broken curses were particularly jarring in the quiet, dimly lit tent.
But this scoundrel paid no heed. Blood spilled from his mouth, yet he remained indifferent, kissing wildly.
Chi You, disgusted, dodged, but with her neck held, she could only endure his kisses.
Heaven knows how long this torment lasted.
The candlelight in the room burned almost all night.
The next day, when Chi You woke up, the sun was already shining brightly.
She threw off the covers and looked at the marks on her body, sitting there frozen for a long time.
It wasn't until she heard the maid's voice outside that she finally came back to her senses.
For the past few days, Liu Rongruo had been acting crazy, tormenting her whenever he had free time. As soon as he finished court, he would come to her room in a frenzy, and sometimes he would take her out and torment her relentlessly on a pleasure boat.
Chi You couldn't stand it and resisted, telling him to find other women. But upon hearing this, he would become even more frantic and drag her to him. Many in the mansion harbored resentment towards her.
However, the old madam's authority had suppressed them. The direct lineage of the Liu family was thin, and she was hoping Liu Rongruo would provide descendants for the household.
Chi You had been feeling very drowsy lately and wanted to avoid Liu Rongruo whenever she saw him.
Fortunately, the wedding between the Liu and Qin families was approaching, and the mansion was busy, as was Liu Rongruo.
But no matter how late he was, he would come to sleep with her every night.
Chi You, exhausted, opened her eyes and looked at the person on her, her eyes slightly red.
"Are you trying to wear me out to death?"
Seeing she was awake, Liu Rongruo did not restrain his actions. He threw off the covers and picked her up.
"Are you dead?"
"---"
This poisonous-tongued, scheming man would have a rotten mouth sooner or later.
"I've been staying here obediently for so long. When will you return my bracelet?"
She had almost turned the courtyard upside down but still couldn't find it.
Liu Rongruo tore at her undergarments and entered her.
Chi You sat on his lap, her body trembling. Her eyes filled with lingering desire, her fair, delicate face as if stained with rouge, and her lips were so red they looked like they could drip water.
"Kiss me willingly, and I'll give you back the bracelet."
Chi You was stunned and looked down at him.
She had asked him countless times, and he had never agreed to give it back. Why was he suddenly agreeing now?
Could he have some ulterior motive?
Seeing her silence, Liu Rongruo seized her head and kissed her.
His kisses were endless; he held her and kissed her repeatedly.
Her lips felt numb.
Chi You looked at him, remembering their entanglement, and a dense pain surged in her heart. She had been living with her clan's enemy for so long and was repeatedly entangled with him.
"What, don't you want your bracelet anymore?"
His cold voice jolted her back to her senses.
Chi You concealed the emotions in her eyes. She needed to get the bracelet back quickly, successfully poison him, control him, and leave Daliang.
There could be no further delay.
Xuan Qing had been silent for too long; she suspected something had happened.
"Prime Minister, you're not lying to me?"
Liu Rongruo stared at her. "Do you think I'm a liar like you?"
Chi You sneered. He had tricked her into stealing the military tally and灭 her Southern Xinjiang. How was he not a liar?
"Then where is the bracelet?"
"Kiss me first."
He embraced her waist and looked up at her.
Hearing his stubborn words, Chi You couldn't help but scoff. She leaned closer to his ear.
"Liu Rongruo, you lost."
With that, she tilted her head and sealed his lips.