The voice by her ear was hoarse and deep, making her heart feel as if it would leap out.
Startled, Chi You instinctively tried to get up, but he held her down on the table.
"Ah Xiong, let me go."
Liu Rongruo coldly grabbed her and flung her onto the bed.
She was thrown, her vision swimming, and she quickly propped herself up.
The rain outside was still falling, blowing in through the gaps in the window. The cabin was icy cold.
Chi You felt that the Ah Xiong before her was terrifyingly unfamiliar, as if she had never known him at all.
The corners of her eyes reddened, and she inexplicably felt wronged.
Liu Rongruo stood by the bed and cupped her chin.
"Did he touch you?"
Chi You blinked, not understanding what he was asking.
Seeing her silence, Liu Rongruo watched her quietly, his hand on her chin chillingly cold.
He said nothing more, reached for his belt, climbed onto the bed, and seized her, pressing her down.
Chi You was startled, not having time to say anything.
He lowered his head and covered her lips, biting her fiercely.
His cool fingertips traced the silk ribbon at her waist and roughly pulled it off.
Chi You trembled all over, her eyes wide as she looked at the man on top of her.
In the dim tent, she could not see his eyes clearly.
But as their skin touched skin, a heat spread from her chest, making her heartstrings feel taut.
Her face flushed so deeply it seemed to drip water, her eyes dewy, like holding spring water or the colors of dawn and dusk, hazy and moist.
His kisses were rough. She couldn't help but struggle, only to find her body utterly weak.
Liu Rongruo vented his anger on her lips, gripping her slender arms and pulling them around his neck, hooking his head.
Chi You instinctively wanted to pull her hands away, but they were so close that she would always touch him, her palms growing sweaty from touching his heated skin.
"Ah Xiong."
The person beneath him trembled violently.
Liu Rongruo slightly pushed himself up, lowering his gaze to look at her.
He usually had a cool and indifferent demeanor, but within the confines of the bed, his eyes were filled with terrifying wild desire, his eye rims a frightening crimson.
Chi You looked at him, her lips parting several times, but she could not utter a single word.
Such a scene made her mind feel like it had died.
"If you dare to run with him, and I catch him, I will kill him with my own hands."
Chi You immediately understood who he was referring to and panicked.
"Ah Xiong, I don't want to return to Daliang, I don't want to be in the palace. I ran away on my own. Don't send people to catch him anymore."
Hearing her defense, Liu Rongruo grabbed her neck, his eyes showing undisguised ferocity.
"If you dare to protect him again, I will find someone to kill him right now."
He was merely a man she had known for a few days, and he dared to compare himself to him.
"I will ensure you cannot live, and even in death, you will be separated."
His face was too cruel. Chi You was intimidated by him, her dewy eyes widening. She retreated in fear, muttering,
"But I don't want to be in the imperial palace."
She wanted to find her relatives.
Liu Rongruo did not hear her murmur. He suppressed the anger that had been building for days, calmly scooped her up, and sat up.
He looked at her lips, still dewy from his kiss, and pressed her head down, kissing her again.
Chi You was forced to sit in his arms, her legs entwined around his waist.
They were so close that she could feel it.
Her fearful hands pushed against his chest, trying to push him away.
"Ah—Ah Xiong, what are you doing?"
Liu Rongruo buried his head in her neck, his voice hoarse.
"What do you think?"
As soon as the words fell, he grasped her waist.
Chi You's breath hitched, the corners of her eyes reddening.
Liu Rongruo remained silent.
Chi You twisted, but she was entirely clinging to him, his hands on her waist making her unable to move.
Her eyes were moist and red, her mind in a fog, unable to muster the strength to resist.
She instinctively hugged his back and called out to him.
After an unknown amount of time, the rain outside had stopped, and dawn was gradually approaching.
In the dim tent, their bodies were tightly entwined.
Suddenly, she violently spat out a mouthful of black blood. On her fair arm, something extremely thin and long was faintly visible. Her open eyes flickered between red and black, her expression shifting between cruel and innocent, struggling in agony.
Liu Rongruo paused, looking at the person beneath him, remembering what Li Qiongyu had said before.
"This is what every saintess of Southern Xinjiang must go through. According to news from the Dark Pavilion, this kind of Gu can only be resolved through union with a beloved."
Was it being resolved now?
Chi You's entire body felt as if it were being gnawed by snakes and ants. She closed her eyes in pain, her skin trembling from the agony of the Toad King Gu shedding its skin.
She instinctively hugged him tighter, twisting and struggling, weakly pulling him.
"Save me, save me—"
Liu Rongruo's eyes darkened slightly, and he did not move.
"If this Gu is resolved, you will remember everything, right?"
As soon as he spoke, Chi You's gaze completely changed.
With reddened, hazy eyes, she looked at the person on top of her. Her mind felt like it was being torn apart. The pain of the Toad King Gu breaking free made her writhe in agony.
She stared intently at the face before her, her eyes turning red with anger, but she could feel the Toad King Gu within her struggling to break free.
Chi You forcefully suppressed her hatred and said angrily, "What are you staring blankly for? Hurry up."
"It's you." Liu Rongruo narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled, "If you want to resolve the Gu, do it yourself."
His breath tickled her ear, making her entire body go numb, her bones trembling violently.
Chi You couldn't bear it. The pain of the conflicting personalities within her made her mind hazy, and she couldn't hear what he was saying. She directly grabbed him and kissed him.
The begonia flowers outside, mixed with the fresh air, seeped in through the window lattice, adding a touch of spring to the room.
Bai Ze, who was guarding outside, heard the intense commotion from within and exchanged a look with Qilin.
This ship was the Prince's warship, extremely fast on the water, specially built for naval combat. It was protected on all sides, and everything inside was the strongest.
But no matter how strong it was, it was still a ship. It couldn't withstand the Prime Minister's… activities. If the bed broke, how would he explain it to the Prince when they returned?
"Do you think Concubine Qing will still live in the palace when we go back this time?"
Qilin didn't want to gossip with him and averted his gaze.
Bai Ze, hearing the gasps from inside, was extremely curious and nudged him with his elbow.
"Why the long face? Don't worry, he can't hear you now. He's busy."
Qilin said, "If you have so much free time, why don't you go in and take a look?"
"Then I'd have my skin peeled off." Bai Ze said, then added gossipy, "I say, if he's doing that to the bed, won't it break?"
Qilin gave him a disgusted look.
"What are you thinking about? If the Prime Minister finds out you're thinking like this, he'll kill you."
Bai Ze immediately jumped up in protest.
"Hey, don't talk nonsense. I didn't think like that at all. Maybe it's you who's thinking that way."
"I'm not as vulgar as you."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, I wonder who was secretly looking at picture books in the middle of the night."
Qilin's face turned red. "You pervert, are you sick—"
"Who—who who who was peeking? I saw it accidentally, okay."
As they were whispering outside, a loud crashing sound suddenly came from within.
Qilin thought something had happened and quickly tried to go in.
Bai Ze immediately grabbed his ear. "Are you stupid? That noise must mean the bed broke. If you go in now, you'll lose your eyeballs."
Qilin was astonished and then heard the sound of someone falling to the ground. His face went numb.
Good heavens, the bed really did break.