"Do we need to blockade the docks?" Dantayi asked, changing the subject.
Xiao Chizhan rode his horse leisurely, heading back. "No need. The goods he wants haven't arrived yet, so he won't leave."
'Alright, then I'll send a message by carrier pigeon, asking Li Qiongyu to go to Bianzhou.'
"Mm."
Wei Qingge, having spent years with General Wei in military camps, could probably understand what they were discussing.
She tossed her hair and snorted, "If I ever see that bastard, I'll kick his descendants to smithereens and end his lineage forever."
Tsk.
So ruthless?
Dantayi couldn't help but glance at the gentle woman in his arms. Good heavens, he much preferred this kind.
They returned to the manor and after a meal, Ye Luan was taken back to Weirui Xuan.
Xiao Chizhan sat on a rosewood chair, watching her quietly.
Ye Luan knew he had been holding back all the way.
She forced a smile, walked behind him, and began to massage his forehead, speaking softly.
"Your Highness, Youzhou is quite fun."
He could easily guess her little schemes. With a strong pull, he drew her into his embrace.
Damn it.
Always launching surprise attacks.
He stared at the blood on her skirt and asked, "How did you get this?"
She had no injuries, so how did she get stained with blood?
One had to be incredibly close to get splattered with so much of someone else's blood.
The man's aura grew increasingly terrifying.
Ye Luan knew he was paranoid and petty. If he knew it was Xie Beihan's blood, he'd go mad again.
Thinking of this, a flash of brilliance flickered in her eyes.
Could Xie Beihan have done it on purpose?!
Her cheeks suddenly hurt as his crimson eyes fixed intently on her face.
"Don't try to make excuses. I want the truth."
"It hurts~"
This crazy lunatic, he was going to strangle her.
Xiao Chizhan loosened his grip slightly. "Speak."
"Um, when we were at the beast-fighting arena, a horse got spooked, and I accidentally got splashed."
He suddenly sneered, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"
This was clearly human blood.
"---"
Xiao Chizhan's gaze towards her grew sharper, not missing a single expression on her face.
Ye Luan's back stiffened, and she slowly said, "After I went to that palace, I saw the Xie Beihan you mentioned. He was sewing needles into corpses and accidentally splashed me."
"Accidentally?" He seemed to ponder her words, his seductive eyes gazing at her as if from a deep abyss. "Do you know each other?"
"No, I've never met him."
His gaze was more terrifying than ever, like the calm before a storm.
Ye Luan immediately leaned forward, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pecked him with a smile. "Your Highness, I'm so sleepy. Let's go to bed."
Xiao Chizhan ignored her words and asked again.
"Why did he let you go?"
His tone held deep doubt, but also an unspeakable hint of jealousy.
It was almost as if he was directly asking about their relationship.
Ye Luan was startled and maintained a calm expression. "Perhaps he thought I had no use."
Is that so?
Xiao Chizhan didn't believe it, only feeling the surging jealousy in his heart with nowhere to vent.
Ye Luan knew he was very stingy, so she quickly smiled and nestled into his embrace, tugging at the beads on his collar. "Your Highness, can you take me out to play more often? Today was very enjoyable."
How could he let her out again?
She absolutely could not leave the manor from now on.
"It's not safe outside. You'll stay in the manor from now on."
As he finished speaking, Ye Luan mentally cursed him several times over.
She deliberately raised her eyes, her once bright eyes dimming. Holding him, she spoke with disappointment.
"Alright, then Your Highness needs to accompany me more. I'm so bored here alone."
Seeing the change in her expression, Xiao Chizhan curved his lips. She was really good at pretending to be pitiful.
He didn't expose her and swept her into his arms, carrying her towards the bathroom.
"Today, let's go somewhere else."
Ye Luan immediately understood his implied meaning and pouted without speaking.
The moon was bright and the stars were sparse, casting a gentle, luminous glow.
Inside the palace hall, a radiant, clear night-shining pearl illuminated the natural imperial pool behind it, emitting a brilliant silver radiance, vaguely revealing two entwined figures.
The girl's charming voice was exceptionally clear and seductive in the silent hall.
After an unknown amount of time, Xiao Chizhan emerged from the water carrying the person who had fallen asleep from exhaustion. He gently dried her body and placed her back on the bed.
The clothes on the floor were in a mess.
The man paused as he got onto the bed. He picked up a porcelain bottle next to the red silk pouch, examined it closely, and then looked at the sleeping figure on the bed, his expression unreadable.
Afterward, he poured out a pill from the bottle, put on a cloak, and walked to the window.
"Longtian."
"Your subordinate is here."
He handed the pill to the dark guard and instructed, "Go investigate what this is."
"Yes."
The autumn night wind was truly chilling, so he closed the window.
Xiao Chizhan removed his clothes, lowered the bed curtains, and got into bed.
He propped his head with one hand and stroked the girl's tender skin with the other. Recalling the scenes in the dark room, a bloody gleam appeared in his eyes, accompanied by a smile.
He playfully pinched her nose. "Where did you come from? Could it be you're a fox spirit transformed, specifically to ensnare my soul?"
"Stop fooling around."
Half-asleep, Ye Luan was annoyed by his touching and slapped away his restless hand, turning over and continuing to sleep.
Xiao Chizhan narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly embraced her tightly, his burning body pressing down on her, and kissed her.
His kisses were wild, like a wolf that never knew fatigue, particularly fierce.
"Mmm."
Ye Luan was woken up, letting out faint whimpers.
She looked at the man on top of her, biting him in anger, and pushed him with all her might.
"It's the middle of the night, are we going to sleep or not?"
"Let's do it again."
She didn't have the energy to indulge his madness. She rolled up in the quilt and burrowed inward, yawning sleepily. "I'm so tired, stop bothering me."
The iron arm around her waist was tightly clasped.
"It hurts."
She was forced to turn around and nestled into his embrace, mumbling, "Xiao Chizhan, can you learn to be gentler? Every time you hold someone, it's like you're trying to strangle them to death."
Strangled to death?
He hadn't used that much strength.
"You need to exercise more in the future. If I use a little force, you'll cry out endlessly."
Ye Luan closed her eyes and irritably shook off his hand. "Women like gentle men. Men like you are the most unpopular."
Why did he need to be popular with so many people? As long as she liked him, it was enough.
"Don't you like me this way?"
She was quite narcissistic.
Ye Luan couldn't sleep due to his disturbance, so she opened her eyes.
The man's crimson eyes were seductive and bewitching in the night.
Perhaps it was because her words were unpleasant, a layer of frost settled on his face.
Ye Luan dared not provoke his violent tendencies and sheepishly said, "It's good, it's really good."
Perfunctory!
Xiao Chizhan's expression grew even gloomier. He pinched her nose, his deep voice echoing softly, "Why don't you teach me? I promise I'll learn."
A bloodthirsty, brutal little lunatic, how could she teach him gentleness?
He was a cruel and ferocious beast by nature!