Xiao Chi Zhan did not return to the banquet, but directly dragged Ye Luan back to the post house.
His body was thrown onto the bed.
Ye Luan was in excruciating pain, and before she could sit up, her chin was grabbed. His blood-red eyes seemed to be burning with the fires of hell.
"You dare to meet him behind my back? Are you tired of living?"
Ye Luan forced down the pain and looked at him calmly.
"Your Highness, don't lose your mind whenever it comes to matters of emotion. I was forced, can't you see?"
Xiao Chi Zhan's crimson lips curved into a sinister smile. "All I saw was you two holding hands, and repeated secret meetings."
His voice was too cold and cruel. The blood at the corner of his mouth made him appear even more bloodthirsty and ruthless.
Ye Luan's back trembled. The pain in her ear made her unable to help but frown. She felt a dull ache in her stomach.
She wanted to appease his emotions, but her whole body was devoid of strength.
"What? You won't even say a word of explanation?"
Xiao Chi Zhan was petty, so petty that he couldn't fit a needle's eye.
He knew very well that the young girl before him had no interest in Xie Bei Han, but every time he thought of them together, he wanted to kill!
Perhaps, he was more upset that he also knew she had no interest in him.
She didn't love him!
The moment this thought surfaced, Xiao Chi Zhan felt his heart burning. He tore open the young girl's skirt and pressed down on her.
Her cheeks were fiercely pinched, forced to look at him, the pain suffocating.
"Ye Luan, I was wrong. I shouldn't have given you so much freedom, shouldn't have believed your words and let you go out to see anyone."
"Perhaps, what I decided back then was right. To lock you up, to imprison you for life, only then would you be obedient, only then would you stay by my side honestly."
This way, she would love him, and only him.
Ye Luan only felt the pain in her stomach, so much so that her back was sweating.
It had always been like this, always like this.
They were never equal.
As long as she displeased him, he would torment and imprison her.
She was like a pet. When she was well-behaved and obedient, he would dote on her and love her. But the moment he felt defiance or disobedience, he would go mad and torment her.
Humiliation, too much humiliation.
She really couldn't bear it for another moment.
The path to make him love her to death and then leave him was too long.
This kind of madman's love was imprisonment, possession, torment, suffocating.
She didn't want to wait any longer, she wanted to leave him, even if it meant death.
Perhaps, his faint affection for her would also make him heartbroken after her death.
After all, it was a madman's love---
Xiao Chi Zhan, I really, really want to see you heartbroken and devastated.
"Kiss me."
She felt a pain on her lips. Her entire small face was held in his palm, his eyes filled with desire.
Ye Luan endured the pain, reached out to embrace him, and kissed him. Her fox-like eyes welled up with tears, making her look exceptionally pitiful.
"I love you, it's you. Why don't you understand? I hate Xie Bei Han. Xiao Chi Zhan, why do you always torment me?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, her tear-filled eyes gazing at him.
Xiao Chi Zhan's anger inexplicably subsided. He pinched her chin and said coldly, "You love me?"
She would never love this madman in her life.
She detested these humiliating days.
"Otherwise, if I didn't love you, I would have committed suicide long ago on these humiliating days."
She loved herself, she wanted to live. Nothing was more important than living.
"Heh, you love me? Why don't I see love in your eyes?" He spoke with fierce force, his words bone-chillingly cold. "You love freedom, you want to escape me, don't you?"
Ye Luan's heart was startled, and the tears in her eyes became even more fierce.
"You never believe me, Xiao Chi Zhan, you are the one who doesn't love me."
Love him?
Heh, if she truly loved him, she wouldn't continue to pretend like this. She would treat him with her true self, wouldn't fantasize about deceiving him and escaping.
And now she was blaming him.
Little liar, she had been deceiving him all along.
Xiao Chi Zhan didn't want to think any further. He directly leaned down, captured her lips, and kissed her.
Ye Luan didn't know what he was doing, she only felt a dull pain in her stomach, so much so that her whole body curled up.
The night grew dark, and the crescent moon hung high in the sky.
The cold moonlight shone on the dim bed. The girl's face was terrifyingly pale. The inexplicable pain in her stomach made her unable to bear it, and she fainted.
Xiao Chi Zhan lowered his gaze. His movements finally stopped. He got up, lifted her, and went to the bathroom to wash up.
The wound on her earlobe was obvious, glaringly so.
His footsteps paused, and a flash of annoyance crossed his eyes. Damn it.
After applying the medicine, looking at the quiet and obedient girl on the bed, he remembered the scene in the octagonal pavilion. His deep crimson pupils glinted with intense murderous intent.
He could not control the ferocity in his heart at all.
He got up directly, put on a cloak, and strode out.
Ye Luan woke up in pain the next day. She frowned and sat up. The space beside her was cold. That person had been gone all night.
She thought for a moment, dressed, and got out of bed.
As she was about to go out, Xue Ren blocked her at the door.
"Miss Ye, the Prince has given orders. You are not allowed to go out."
What?
Ye Luan couldn't help but sneer. "Is he going to imprison me here again?"
Xue Ren's expression remained unchanged, his demeanor cold.
"Miss can move around within the courtyard, but not go elsewhere."
"Where did he go?"
"The Prince has matters to attend to. He will return at noon to dine with Miss."
Ye Luan clenched her fists, unable to hide the sarcastic smile on her lips.
"A Luan."
Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded from outside the door.
She looked up and saw Lan Mu Rou gracefully walking in from outside. Seeing her unhappy expression, she quickly came forward and took her hand. "Why does your face look so bad? You're so pale."
Ye Luan hid the bitterness in her heart and pulled her into the room.
"It's too cold outside. Come in and talk."
The winter in Zhong Zhou was cold, with biting winds that felt like knives scraping the face.
As soon as they entered the room, it became warm.
Lan Mu Rou took off her white fox fur coat and sat with her on the soft couch by the window to warm herself by the fire.
"Did the Prince torment you? Your face looks so bad."
Ye Luan directly cursed, "That crazy fool, when does he not torment me?" After a pause, she felt very hungry. "You came to see me so early, you haven't eaten, have you?"
"Mm, let's eat together."
'Okay.'
Ye Luan got up and ordered for the meal from outside. Soon, several maids with steaming hot breakfast filed in.
There were noodles, porridge, húbǐng, fish head soup, osmanthus tea cakes, kidney bean rolls, swallow's nest fritters, and the Eight Immortals Soup that people from Da Liang loved to drink for breakfast. It was truly abundant.
'People in Zhong Zhou eat a lot for breakfast. I'm not used to the diet here.'
Hearing Lan Mu Rou's words, Ye Luan was about to say something, but as soon as she drank a mouthful of soup, she felt her stomach churn uncomfortably, and she wanted to vomit.