"Xiao Chi Zhan, I don't remember anything from the past. You don't need to beg for my forgiveness. If you still have any feelings for me, then stay away from me. Let's not interfere with each other."
Her voice was icy cold, piercing his very marrow and chilling him to the bone.
Xiao Chi Zhan's expression stiffened, his arms tightening around her, like a greedy wolf catching the scent of meat, nestling into her neck and sniffing relentlessly.
Ye Luan was being squeezed so hard she could barely breathe.
"Are you done hugging?"
"No."
This dog was rebellious from the tips of its hair to its toes; it simply wouldn't listen to her.
Ye Luan gritted her teeth in hatred, wishing for a moment that she could break him.
"If you don't let go, do you believe I'll cripple that part of you?"
As she spoke, she clearly felt him become excited.
This perverted lunatic was probably thinking all sorts of things.
Just as she was about to continue scaring him, she saw him lift his head, stare at her cheeks brazenly, and say,
"How about we try it in the carriage? You can carefully check if it's crippled."
Ye Luan: "----"
This shameless wretch would say anything.
"You don't care about that face of yours, but I do. Get off."
Though she was angry, every movement she made exuded a seductive charm, as if she were trying to entice him.
Xiao Chi Zhan narrowed his eyes, his prominent Adam's apple bobbing, a surge rising in his lower abdomen.
He didn't know when it started, but whenever she stood there, doing nothing, she could stir his defiance.
He lightly lifted her chin and suddenly said, "Luan Luan, give me a kiss."
Ye Luan was very close to him, able to clearly see the desire in his eyes. She slapped him squarely on the mouth and said decisively,
"Go kiss a pig."
He shamelessly retorted, "I only kiss you, so that makes you a pig."
"You're the pig, and your whole family are pigs."
Xiao Chi Zhan said, "It's just the two of us in my family. Besides you, who else is there?"
He always had some twisted logic and knew how to push his advantage.
Ye Luan didn't want to deal with him and tried to struggle.
"If you keep teasing me, I won't hold back."
'Can you not be such a beast?'
Xiao Chi Zhan said, "I'm only like this with you."
Ye Luan genuinely didn't want to pay him any mind; his incorrigible temper would never change.
"I've been traveling all day and I'm exhausted. I just want to rest for a bit. Can you let me go?"
Seeing her genuine impatience, Xiao Chi Zhan loosened his grip slightly and said good-naturedly,
"This carriage is so bumpy, it'll be uncomfortable to lie down. Just lie in my arms and sleep, I'll be your human shield."
"----"
Ye Luan said, "I like hard beds; I don't mind the bumps."
"Stubborn."
Ye Luan couldn't be bothered to talk to him anymore and remained silent with a cold expression.
Gradually, the carriage grew quiet, with only the faint sounds of the commotion outside.
He held her continuously, and drowsiness overcame her. Before she knew it, she had vaguely found a comfortable position in his arms, clutched his lapel, and fallen asleep.
A light, faint breath reached him. Xiao Chi Zhan lowered his gaze to look at her.
She was quiet when asleep, nestled in his arms, soft and docile, completely lacking the coldness she had when awake, her bones all pliable.
He curved his lips slightly, leaned down, and gently placed a kiss on her cheek.
Afraid of waking her, he dared not be too presumptuous. After observing her closely for a while longer, he leaned against the rear wall of the carriage and closed his eyes.
He was truly exhausted from traveling day and night.
While the two slept in the carriage, the scene outside was lively.
The weather in the frontier was hot. Wei Qingge found holding Xueqiu too warm and insisted on handing it to Li Qiongyu. For some reason, Li Qiongyu, who usually loved to pet Xueqiu, refused to hold it today.
"What's wrong with holding it for a bit? Xueqiu is so cute."
Li Qiongyu lay on the sand dune, a blade of grass in his mouth. "If it's so cute, why aren't you holding it?"
"It's hot."
Wei Qingge said, wiping the fine sweat on her forehead with her sleeve.
"Xueqiu is asleep, and you can't just throw it on the ground, it's too dirty."
Li Qiongyu said, "Then throw it onto the carriage."
"I wouldn't dare. The Prince is in the carriage."
Wei Qingge plopped down on the ground, sticking out her tongue in the heat, and cast a suspicious glance towards the carriage. "Hmm, why is there no movement inside?"
"Tsk, what kind of movement do you expect from them?"
He glanced at her sideways, a teasing smile in his peach-blossom eyes.
Wei Qingge didn't react at first. As she was about to roll up her sleeves in the heat, she thought about it carefully, and her face suddenly flushed crimson. Without thinking, she threw the object in her arms onto him.
"Li Qiongyu, are you sick? See if the Prince doesn't skin you for speaking so recklessly."
"Meow~"
Xueqiu, having been thrown, immediately woke up, its wet pupils darting around curiously.
Li Qiongyu, hit by the fat cat, let out an exaggerated yelp and sat up, propping himself with one hand. He was holding the chubby ball of fluff.
"Wei Qingge, who were you trying to hit to death?"
Whether it was an act or he was genuinely hit, he clutched his chest and yelled at her.
"So rough, whoever marries you will be unlucky."
Wei Qingge didn't care about him and quickly reached out to grab Xueqiu, which he was holding roughly by the neck.
"Give it to me, are you going to strangle its neck to death?"
Li Qiongyu refused, hiding it behind him by its neck and looking at her.
"Someone was hit, so there needs to be compensation."
His voice was low and pleasant, the trailing end of his words carrying a peculiar gentleness.
Wei Qingge, with her coarse disposition, didn't notice these details and stomped her foot in anger.
"I have no money, give it to me."
"No." After a pause, he said, "If you can snatch it, that's your skill. Otherwise, you pay the money."
The golden light shimmered in his slightly curved eyes, like radiant peach blossoms.
Wei Qingge looked at his utterly punchable demeanor and gritted her teeth in anger.
This damned cunning merchant only knew how to swindle her money.
Without thinking, she stomped on his robe with one foot, pressed his head with her other hand, and went to snatch Xueqiu.
"Are you trying to kill me---"
Li Qiongyu cried out dramatically, but his hands were quick and nimble, dodging her attempts, no matter how Ye Luan tried to grab it.
Xueqiu, tossed back and forth between the two, was almost flattened, meowing and trying to escape their clutches.
This commotion attracted the attention of the two nearby.
Lan Murou turned her head, looking with surprise at the two rolling in the dirt. "Qingge."
She quickly tried to go pull them apart, but before she could stand up, she was grabbed by Tantai Ye.
"Don't go."
"How can you not? They're fighting, aren't you going to break it up?"
Tantai Ye massaged her waist and sneered carelessly.
Lan Murou didn't understand his meaning and tried to pull away his hand, but he roughly embraced her, locking her in his arms.
"You care so much about other people's business, why don't you care about me? Touch me, I'm already hard."
His shamelessness had reached a new level.
Lan Murou felt indignant but dared not say anything.
She wriggled her hand and said, "Let me go, there are so many people here."
Tantai Ye knew she was shy. He lifted her chin and blocked her mouth, "I'm just teasing you, what are you afraid of? Or are you expecting something?"
"----"