Chapter 29

Xia Qian stepped down the last step and stood steadily on the ground, but the person in front of her still had his gaze on her.

“Hughes,” she said, turning her face away uncomfortably, “I’m all better now.”

I don't have to look at her like that anymore...

She was not only being led by him, but also being gazed at by the boy with those eyes.

Xia Qian felt extremely uncomfortable.

Like a baby who can't walk yet, who might accidentally fall down at any moment, he takes care of her in every way.

She's just a little afraid of heights...

It's not that I can't walk.

Xia Qian's cheeks were still warm from the blush, and she turned her face away uncomfortably. However, Hughes still held her hand and walked towards the palace gate.

The imperial palace was luxurious and vast. Unlike the high-rise buildings full of technology in this era, the palace was a very ancient building.

Solemn and tall.

It is in the style of a medieval European palace, and at the same time, it is incredibly luxurious and exquisite.

Passing through the gate, one is greeted by a magnificent, golden wall. A red carpet is laid out in the middle of the road, stretching to the end and divided into different sections, leading to various directions of the palace.

Unlike the previous empty palace gates, servants were coming and going here one after another. When Hughes led her deeper into the palace, the number of servants passing by increased even more.

Despite being in the interstellar era, the social hierarchy was extremely clear. Every servant passing by in the palace would stop in their tracks and bow to greet Hughes.

At the same time, their gazes all fell on Xia Qian.

He stared at her with abrupt eyes, as if her presence next to Hughes was an abrupt one.

The black slave ring around the girl's neck was simply too obvious.

It's hard to ignore.

The slave ring is truly remarkable.

Xia Qian's hand unconsciously touched the slave ring around her neck, which was cold and icy. The original owner of this body had worn it since she was a child.

Just then, Hughes glanced sideways and his gaze fell directly on Xia Qian, as if he was curious about what she was doing.

Xia Qian withdrew her hand and said softly, "I feel a little uncomfortable."

"Where does it hurt?" His icy hand landed on Xia Qian's neck, his fingertips gently caressing the slave ring around her neck. Before Xia Qian could react, Hughes had already bent down. "This?"

From the very first day Xia Qian transmigrated, wearing this thing made her feel uncomfortable.

But at that time, she was busy dealing with Hughes, and all her fears were consumed by him. She didn't have time to think about the thing on her neck.

Everyone in the palace stared at her slave ring; almost everyone who saw her first noticed the slave ring around her neck.

It's like having a clear class distinction, secretly assessing in one's mind whether one's own class is high or low in comparison.

She was at the very bottom of the social hierarchy, the kind of person who was always being trampled on.

Xia Qian bit her lower lip.

At the same time, Hughes's hand went around to the back of her neck. On his slender hand, his index finger wore a black ring that was unfathomable and shone with a faint light like black jade.

His fingertips hadn't even touched her slave ring yet, but just being this close made Xia Qian tremble uncontrollably.

“Hughes…”

His ring contained her slave chip; he only needed to gently approach her slave ring, not even close, just a little close.

The slave rings will all react; that's a function specifically designed by the designers.

The slave must submit to the master. If the slave disobeys, the slave ring will punish the slave if the ring is placed too close to the slave's ring.

Xia Qian also had a ring on her hand. It was a ring that she had specifically pestered Xiu Si to buy when the original owner of the body was bought by him. Mu Xiang called it a couple's ring, but there was no such thing as a couple's ring. It just happened to be the same color.

The ring on Xia Qian's hand was also equipped with Mu Xiang's slave chip.

The main purpose of buying Muxiang was to serve her.

He gently cupped her cheeks, his other hand stroking the slave ring around her neck. Hughes said in a low voice, "If you don't like being a slave, I can help you get rid of it."

"So, even this, Xiaxia still won't like me?"

Even though the ring was no longer within the range of the slave ring's sensing, Xia Qian still felt inexplicably dizzy.

The topic, which I thought I could avoid, was brought up again by Hughes.

The boy seemed to really care about this issue.

His gaze was fixed on her, carrying an oppressive feeling that left her no room to escape.

Just then, Xia Qian spoke up, "Hughes, your affection is just the kind of affection you have for me, like you treat me like a pet."

Her voice was soft and gentle, but for the first time, her gaze hardened, as if she wouldn't compromise with him, and she looked at him seriously, saying, "This isn't how boyfriends and girlfriends like each other."

"What does it look like?" the boy asked, bending down.

Only in this way could he look the girl in the eye.

“…Yes, I do pursue them.” Xia Qian turned her face away uncomfortably, recalling the couples she had seen, and began to speak seriously, “They all pursued each other very seriously, and then they liked each other before they got together.”

She and Hughes are nothing to each other.

Hughes hadn't even pursued her, yet she let her heart be seduced by him; she was truly lacking in self-control.

Such a relationship could end at any time.

Xia Qian, you must control yourself.

Don't be fooled by him.

Xia Qian said to herself in her heart.

However, the boy's voice lingered in her ears with unparalleled clarity at the same time, "What is pursuit?"

Unlike usual, yet it seemed like the same tone as always.

When Xia Qian looked up, what she saw were those unfathomable deep blue eyes, like dangerous black holes that would swallow up even the slightest bit of light.

It can't be seen in, and it can't be seen out.

Those deep, dark pupils reflected her face, and in that instant, Xia Qian inexplicably recalled the original owner's fate and the female lead's love life.

They were all proactive.

Hughes was a high and mighty god, cold and distant, who would never intentionally get close to anyone. Even now, when he bent down, Xia Qian only felt as if she were talking to a god.

He is too far away.

It felt so distant to her that it was impossible for him to pursue a girl like an ordinary man.

Even the female lead couldn't do it.

However, the boy, filled with boundless curiosity, lingered in her ears with his voice, his beautifully slender, fair hands gently holding her waist, "What is pursuit?"

Faced with intimacy with him, Xia Qian always subconsciously wanted to back away. However, they had been in even more intimate positions than this before, so this was nothing.

So Xia Qian didn't break free. However, she was still a little uncomfortable, awkwardly turning her face away and saying in a soft voice, "It's about seriously pursuing girls and doing your best to make them happy..."

She carefully recalled her experiences from childhood to adulthood. She had never met any boys she liked, so she had never been in a relationship. However, this did not prevent her from understanding this aspect of life.

She began to recall all the friends she had seen since childhood who had found partners and been pursued.

She said earnestly, "Pursuing someone means putting your true heart in front of her, exchanging hearts, and promising that you will always like and love her. That's what pursuing someone means."

Looking into those deep blue eyes, Xia Qian inexplicably said, "If that's not the case, they're not really lovers who truly like each other."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Qian realized what she had just said. She subconsciously took a step back, but Hughes held her waist tightly and she couldn't break free at all.

Xia Qian could only look away. "I was just expressing my opinion on this matter."

The next second, she couldn't help but glance back at the boy, "...But Hughes, you don't need to do these things."

Whether in the book or outside of it, he is a beacon of light.

The light that everyone chases.

Just by standing there, people will be constantly drawn to you.

Especially noblewomen.

Many girls wanted to get close to Hughes, but Hughes didn't need to lower himself to please any particular girl, nor was he likely to do so in his nature.

For Hughes, pursuing such a thing was a pipe dream, utterly impossible.

However, the boy did not loosen his grip on her waist. Instead, he stared intently at her, his unfathomable eyes seeming to hold a strange quality.

Before Xia Qian could say anything, the hand gripping her waist suddenly loosened, and Hughes' voice came from above her head, "I understand."

Xia Qian was taken aback.

What did he understand?

She didn't say anything.

What could he possibly understand?

At the same time, the Queen's voice suddenly came from behind, "Hughes, don't bully Xiaxia."

Following the sound, Xia Qian turned around and saw the Empress walking gracefully toward them, followed by two or three maids.

Hughes took her hand, his deep voice whispering in her ear, "I'll be serious."

Xia Qian was taken aback.

The Queen was some distance away from them, so she naturally couldn't hear their conversation.

Xia Qian replied in a similarly low voice, "But you don't like me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xia Qian realized for some reason that they were whispering to each other, very intimately.

Without realizing it, they seemed to be getting closer and closer.

The thought had barely crossed her mind when Xia Qian wanted to deny it silently, but at the same time, Hughes' voice echoed in her ears, "Xia Xia, you can't deny that I have feelings for you."

"I don't like him, but I at least have a good impression of him." The boy's tone was different from when he asked for advice before. It was as if he didn't need her to teach him at all and understood the situation very well.

He has always been a very perceptive person, perceptive of everything. He gazed at Xia Qian and said in a low voice, "This kind of goodwill can develop into liking."

You're either on the path to something you like, or on the path to becoming someone you like.

Either way, the result will be that you like it.

So of course, you have to be the first to take it for yourself.

He bound her heart tightly together.

Bound together with him.