“I entered the palace at three years old and always lived in Bian Xiang Palace. The decorations elsewhere have been changed, but the bathroom remains the same,” Chu Yuan continued.
Three years old—so young to have lost his mother and raised in the palace. No wonder his temperament was strange, ready to kill.
“Before the age of twelve, I never stepped out of the palace. The emperor kept me under tight watch,” Chu Yuan said, still with closed eyes. “But he can’t confine me forever.”
His voice carried weariness and loneliness. Ruan Ning felt compassionate, becoming gentler in her movements. Chu Yuan noticed, grasping her hand and pulling it to his lips, whispering, “Stay by my side. I need you.”
Ruan Ning hesitated, fearing for her life if she angered him. But the warmth of his hand and his soft voice made her heart soften. So she whispered, “I’m afraid you’ll kill me.”
Chu Yuan was silent for a moment, then kissed her palm softly, his voice low: “I won’t kill you. How could I kill you?”
He had waited over twenty years to meet someone so special. How could he bear to harm her?
Ruan Ning instinctively believed him, and her heart settled.
With his hair washed, partially dried, and tied with a silk thread, Ruan Ning hesitated about leaving when she heard him say, “Help me bathe.”
She subconsciously thought she could finally touch his abs, her face burning as she nervously avoided looking.
A splash of water startled her. Chu Yuan, puzzled by her stillness, noticed her crimson face and red earlobes. Realizing she was a pampered young lady, not a servant, he understood she had probably never seen a man’s body.
This shy demeanor was unfamiliar to him. For a moment, his heart seemed to stop, overwhelmed by an indescribable sadness. Yet, this was quickly replaced by a soaring joy. Before he realized it, he grasped her, pulled her closer, and kissed her.
Unsure how to proceed, he continued until his tongue accidentally brushed her lips. The hot, steamy bathroom left Ruan Ning breathless, and his passionate kiss gave her a dizzying illusion.
