"Brother?"
Liu Rongruo's expression remained hidden in the darkness, his emotions unreadable.
His cold, slender hands gently caressed her face, his gaze fixed intently on her, a gaze so piercing it made one's scalp tingle in the confined space.
Chiyou's face was pale from the torment of the blood-eating silkworms, and she curled up in pain.
But the cabinet was too small, and they were pressed close together. He held her tightly, and she could only nestle in his embrace.
She reached out to pull at his collar, her eyes red, and hit him.
"If you had been willing to spare Southern Xinjiang back then, how would we have ended up like this? And you still torment me like this. Do you have to see me dead before you'll stop?"
Liu Rongruo listened to her words, his expression unchanging. In the darkness, his eyes stared at her like those of a jackal, tiger, or leopard, seeking to penetrate her heart.
Chiyou's heart turned cold, but she bit her lip fiercely, enduring the searing pain within her body, and met his gaze.
In the darkness, their eyes met.
Her bewitching little face was filled with pain and accusations directed at him, her eyes were red-rimmed, making her appear even more desolate.
Liu Rongruo's heart contracted sharply. He held her tightly, remaining silent.
The atmosphere in the air became somewhat stagnant.
Chiyou turned her eyes away, struggling to break free from his embrace.
He suddenly exerted force, pulling her into his arms and pressing her against him.
His movements were so strong that the cabinet itself swayed.
Chiyou had no idea what madness possessed him. The pain from the blood-eating silkworms was becoming unbearable.
Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She weakly grasped his robe, pleading, "I will stay here obediently. Give me the antidote."
Liu Rongruo looked at her, then suddenly grabbed the back of her neck and spoke.
"You promise you won't deceive me if you stay by my side?"
Chiyou knew how suspicious he was, so she didn't dare say anything else, merely stating,
"I am here for a marriage alliance."
Liu Rongruo gazed at her, quietly observing her.
Chiyou was in so much pain that she felt she was suffocating, unable to help but writhe in his arms.
He paused, then tightened his grip, pulling her into his embrace.
"If you dare to lie to me, I will kill you."
Chiyou looked at him with difficulty, her body twisting and turning in his arms from the pain.
"No, as long as Prime Minister is willing to protect me, I will stay by your side."
Liu Rongruo listened to her weak, pale words. After watching her for a while, seeing that she was about to faint, he took out a porcelain bottle from his embrace, retrieved the medicine, and put it into her mouth.
The medicine slowly spread through her body, and Chiyou felt her consciousness gradually returning.
After being tormented like this, dense cold sweat dripped from her forehead, her stray hairs were matted with sweat, and her entire little face was extremely pale.
Liu Rongruo stared at her for a moment, then whispered into her ear,
"If you dare to call Xie Beihan 'brother' again, I will kill you both."
After speaking, he added fiercely, "Even in death, I will ensure you are separated."
Chiyou's pale face closed her eyes, ignoring him.
Seeing her lack of response, he firmly pinched her waist, forcing her to react.
"Did you hear me?"
She slumped in his arms, weakly opening her eyes and nodding.
"I have the mother蛊 within me and need the Silver Snake Spirit-Shifting Bracelet. Can you return it to me?"
Liu Rongruo held her in his arms and kissed her, his voice deep.
"If you lie to me one more time, I will sew your mouth shut right now."
A chill ran down Chiyou's spine. Just as she was about to speak, she heard the secret room outside being opened and someone running out.
She immediately dodged his caresses and said, "Isn't Prime Minister going to apprehend them?"
As soon as she spoke, the sounds of fighting erupted from outside.
Liu Rongruo held her, reached for her bodice clasp, and with a forceful pull, her clothes came off.
Chiyou kicked, "There are thieves!"
He remained silent, gently pinching the smoky purple camisole and pulling it upwards.
She let out a soft hum, twisted her waist, and rested her head on his shoulder, her emotions hidden deep within her eyes.
The cabinet was truly too cramped for them to move freely, and before long, he carried her to the couch behind the screen.
Chiyou heard the sounds of fighting outside gradually cease, and the lights in the courtyard were lit.
The bed curtains swayed. Overwhelmed, she reached out and grabbed them, almost tearing them down.
"The bracelet you took has been with me for a long time. It was left to me by my mother. When can you return it to me?"
Liu Rongruo saw the redness in her eyes and lowered his head to kiss her lips.
"Are there any truths in your words?"
Chiyou panted, her eyes flushed red as she looked at him.
Liu Rongruo remained unmoved, lifting her leg and wrapping it around him.
"That bracelet is plain. What use do you have for it?"
Hearing his probing, Chiyou inwardly sneered.
That was a unique mechanism of her Southern Xinjiang, the bracelet of every successive saintess. How could people from the Central Plains decipher it?
"It's my mother's遗物. I look at it and miss her."
He leaned down and kissed her neck, falling silent.
Chiyou gritted her teeth, wanting to say more, but he immediately covered her lips, silencing her words.
Kirin waited outside for a long time, and when his master still didn't emerge, he glanced at the person captured on the ground and ordered, "Tie them up."
The guards immediately took ropes and bound the person.
Baize looked at the flickering lights in the house and remarked,
"At this late hour, they really know how to create a scene."
Hearing his words, Kirin swung the hilt of his saber towards Baize's head.
"Are you tired of living?"
"Ow, that hurts."
Seeing Baize cradle his head and dodge, Kirin spat, "Serves you right."
Baize glared at him, clutching his head, and began to grumble.
"If you keep gossiping, I'll tell Master tomorrow."
Baize: "----"
After a moment of silence, he glanced at the dark guards on the ground and couldn't help but start gossiping again.
"You know, the Ye family has been convicted, yet they still dare to come here to steal evidence. They're quite bold."
Kirin said, "Relying on the influence of the Royal Consort, haven't they done enough dirty deeds? But once that family was imprisoned, the Royal Consort never visited them once."
"I heard from Lord Cao of Dali Temple that young Master Ye has been shouting in prison every day, demanding to see the Royal Consort."
"You talk too much. Shut up."
Baize scoffed, "Wooden head."
Inside the room, Chiyou knelt on the couch, so exhausted her body had gone limp.
His long arm reached out, holding her firmly.
His kisses trailed down her spine, one after another.
He went at it relentlessly. Eventually, she didn't know when she fell asleep, having had almost no sleep the entire night.
The next morning, when Chiyou woke up, it was still early.
Her body felt sore and weak as she sat up. She glanced at the red marks all over her, her eyes darkening slightly. She casually picked up a robe from the rack and put it on.
Dragging her legs, she walked to the table, picked up a teacup, and gulped down a large mouthful of water. Feeling her throat slightly better, she couldn't help but recall the events of the previous night.
She hadn't managed to get the bracelet, but it was an unexpected bonus to have the poison cured.
The maid serving outside heard the sounds of someone waking up inside and entered respectfully with the meal.
Chiyou came back to her senses, walked to the adjoining washroom to wash up, and then sat down to eat.
When Liu Rongruo returned, he saw her sitting gracefully in a chair, eating daintily.
Chiyou saw his figure and remained unfazed, her eyes lowered as she ate.
"Serve the dishes."
He sat down beside her, and the attending maid respectfully stepped forward to serve.
A flicker of disdain flashed through Chiyou's eyes, too quickly to be noticed.
So much fuss just to eat a meal. These noble young men of the Central Plains are truly too weak to withstand a breeze--
Just as the thought crossed her mind, she suddenly remembered his ferocity from the previous night. Her hand, holding the porridge spoon, paused.
"What are you thinking about?"
A faint voice reached her ears. Chiyou replied, "The meal is very fragrant."
Liu Rongruo glanced at her, and the scene of her tearfully complaining in his arms the night before flashed through his mind. He picked up the serving chopsticks and placed some food on her plate.
"Eat more."