When she finally managed to catch her breath, she glared at him and said, “Bullying me is the only thing you’re capable of, shameless!”
He gazed at her with lowered eyes for a while, then used his thumb to wipe away the bloodstain at the corner of his lips, his gaze dark. After a long silence, he finally smiled faintly and said, “There are even more shameless things.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he began undoing the fastenings on her clothes. As her outer garments slipped off, her expression gradually became anxious. She started to curse him, but he immediately silenced her by pressing his lips against hers.
At this moment, she felt like a wingless bird trapped in a cage, at the mercy of her captor. His eyes were dark and predatory, like a wolf lusting for fresh meat.
The floor was scattered with scattered clothing, and a flicker of crimson flashed in his eyes. Until he lowered his head to kiss her again, a faint cry suddenly reached his ears.
This cry instantly snapped him back to reality. He braced himself above her, his body tensing slightly.
Her eyes were bloodshot as she looked up at him.
She was crying.
For some reason, those few words imprinted in his mind, instantly causing an unbearable pain in his heart. She was crying because of him.
The hand supporting him beside her began to tremble, and he said, “Stop crying.” However, it was as if she hadn’t heard him, still closing her eyes and weeping, refusing to even look at him.
Seeing her like this felt as if a sharp knife had pierced straight into his heart.
In the end, he fell silent for a moment and then untied the ropes from her body, finally setting her free. She kicked him in the chest and ran to a corner, where she cried.
He reached out to touch her, but she took a few steps back and huddled in the corner, causing his outstretched hand to freeze in mid-air before slowly retracting.
As the night wore on, she continued to cry without eating or drinking, not even knowing what she was crying about. Her eyes had swollen to the point where she couldn’t shed a single tear.
She curled up, sobbing uncontrollably, until suddenly, a hand appeared in front of her. It had distinct knuckles, long and beautiful, with a piece of osmanthus candy wrapped in oil paper lying in its palm.
The fragrance of osmanthus wafted to her nose, so tantalizing that it made her salivate. She immediately turned her head away upon smelling it. However, her stomach betrayed her with an untimely growl.
Her face gradually reddened, she sniffed, and her peripheral vision glanced at the osmanthus candy in his palm. He noticed and brought the candy closer, lowering his eyes to look at her like a cautious little creature. After hesitating for a moment, she quickly reached out and tried to snatch the candy from his palm.
But he had anticipated it and closed his hand, enclosing her fingers within his palm. She tried to pull her hand back forcefully, and he leaned closer, whispering, “It’s my fault for making you unhappy.” She allowed him to hold her hand, remaining silent.
He continued to gaze at her and said, “Will you give me another chance to repent?”
Upon hearing his words, she finally glared at him through gritted teeth and replied slowly, “You captured me and used my loved ones as threats. How can I forgive you?”
Upon hearing her words, he fell silent for a moment, then continued, “Release you and let you go?” He knew very well that if he released her, she would run far away.
She didn’t respond, and they remained deadlocked. Finally, he sighed softly and said, “Fine.” “Eat the candy first.”
Hearing his straightforward agreement, she felt somewhat incredulous, and she asked again, “Really?” He handed over the osmanthus candy and said, “I never break my word.”
Hearing his assurance, she breathed a sigh of relief and accepted the candy, placing it in her mouth. Seeing her attitude soften slightly, he no longer insisted that she eat nothing at all. His expression became more relaxed and open.
Little did she know that as soon as she finished eating, she immediately asked, “When will you send me back? Now?”
He hesitated for a moment, glanced down at her, and then said calmly, “There’s no need to rush. Since I’ve promised you, I will fulfill my promise.” Pausing for a moment, he added, “There’s no need to deceive you.”
As he looked down at her, her long lashes cast a faint shadow on her eye sockets. She couldn’t tell if it was her illusion, but she seemed to sense a hint of desolation.
She stared at him for a while, and surprisingly, she couldn’t bear it anymore. She leaned closer and whispered, “If you give up that assassination mission, I can pretend I don’t know anything. You can come and see me in the future, it’s allowed.”
He looked down at her, and after a long moment, a smile appeared on his lips. Then he leaned closer, gazing into her eyes, and said, “Princess, have we met before?”
Almost as soon as he uttered those words, a look of astonishment appeared on her face. What does this mean?
Before she could respond, the doors of the tavern were kicked open, and Han Ming walked in. “We need to leave quickly, the authorities are coming.”
Just as he finished speaking, he saw Su Qiuge, who had been tied up, sitting calmly on the bed, even holding a piece of osmanthus candy.
Han Ming’s gaze swept over Xie Xinglin, and without saying anything, he was taken aback when Xie Xinglin said something that shocked him even more.
“Afterward, avoid them, and I’ll send her back.”
Han Ming looked incredulous. “Are you joking? We worked so hard to get her out, and now you want to send her back? Do you really think the palace is your own home, coming and going as you please?”
“Mm.” The man in the plum-colored attire stood up from the bed and said slowly, “I won’t take this deal anymore.”
Han Ming closed the door and walked in, frustrated. “The entire government has posted notices to arrest you. If you refuse this deal, do you think they’ll let you go? Once you board this ship, it’s hard to get off. Don’t you understand?”
The man fell silent for a moment and then said calmly, “If they want to capture me, let them. Haven’t there been people threatening to take my life before?”
After hearing his resolute words, Han Ming knew that he had made up his mind, and there was nothing much he could say. He could only turn his head in frustration and look at the woman on the bed.
They had agreed before that once they completed this major task, they would retire and wash their hands of it. But now, he had changed his mind because of this woman. Han Ming gritted his teeth and thought to himself that Xie Xinglin was truly someone who valued personal desires over friendship.
He now felt like a fool. After going through so much trouble to break in and capture the woman, and then traveling such a long distance to bring her here, she remained silent throughout the entire journey. And now she suddenly talks about sending her back. It’s as if he brought this little princess here for a sightseeing tour, and once the tour is over, he can safely send her back without any issues.
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