Chapter 98

Shi Mingyue's red eyes and trembling voice pierced Yun Zhan's heart like needles, and heartache spread instantly, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She didn't break free from the hand that was tightly gripping hers; instead, she grabbed it back and gently wrapped her other arm around Shi Mingyue's back, pulling her steadily into her embrace, her voice soft and gentle.

"Don't worry, I won't leave, I promise you."

With his chin resting on the top of Shi Mingyue's head, he could smell the faint fragrance of wine mixed with the scent of her hair. Yun Zhan gently patted her back, like comforting a frightened little animal: "What happened before was my fault. I shouldn't have left you. Don't be sad, okay?"

Shi Mingyue nestled in her arms, her breathing still rapid at first, her chest pressed against Yun Zhan's chest, and she could clearly feel each other's heartbeats.

After a while, she slowly calmed down, raised her hand and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes haphazardly with her fingertips, wiping the remaining dampness onto Yun Zhan's clothes.

Yun Zhan continued to patiently stroke her back, his movements gentle.

Only when the person in his arms stopped trembling did he gently push her away and softly say, "I'll go get you a glass of water."

She walked to the table, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to Shi Mingyue.

Shi Mingyue took the water glass, tilted her head back and drank it all in one gulp. When she put the glass down, there was still a ring of clear water on the corner of her lips, which shimmered slightly under the light.

Before Yun Zhan could react, Shi Mingyue suddenly grabbed her collar, pulled her close, and kissed her.

The kiss came quickly and passionately. Shi Mingyue's lips were still warm from drinking warm water, and her nimble tongue forcefully pried open Yun Zhan's lips and teeth, almost sweeping through her entire mouth.

Yun Zhan was so startled by this sudden action that his whole body stiffened, his breath was instantly taken away, his cheeks quickly turned crimson, and his chest rose and fell slightly due to lack of oxygen.

She subconsciously pushed Shi Mingyue's shoulder, finally managing to push him away slightly before he suffocated.

Yun Zhan, his breath unsteady, looked at the person in front of him whose eyes were still somewhat dazed, his voice filled with lingering panic and shyness: "Why... all of a sudden?"

Yun Zhan raised his hand and gently wiped the corner of his lips, his fingertips still retaining the warm touch of the kiss.

She looked up at Shi Mingyue, her gaze meeting his still reddened eyes, which clearly reflected her own image, filled with an intense love that was almost overflowing, and a trace of undisguised burning desire, like a burning fire that made her heart tighten.

Shi Mingyue's gaze slowly moved downwards, landing on Yun Zhan's slightly open collar, and lingering over the collarbone that still bore faint kiss marks.

Her throat suddenly bobbed involuntarily, as if she was suppressing something, and then she stuck out her tongue and gently licked her lips.

Her movements were languid and straightforward, fueled by alcohol, and her voice was hoarse yet earnest: "Didn't you say you liked me? Then shouldn't you prove it?"

Yun Zhan was taken aback by her blunt question and quickly waved his hand, his eyes showing some concern: "But... you're drunk right now and not fully conscious. Let's wait until you're sober tomorrow before we talk about it."

She knew that Shi Mingyue was in an unstable state at the moment, and did not want to take advantage of her vulnerability. She was also afraid that this impulsive act would create a new rift between them.

Upon hearing this, Shi Mingyue frowned instantly, her breath seemed to reek of alcohol, and her eyes showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

She leaned forward, almost touching Yun Zhan, her voice carrying a drunken arrogance and a hint of barely perceptible grievance: "Unwilling to fulfill your duties as a wife?"

She paused, her fingers gently grasping Yun Zhan's sleeve, her tone suddenly becoming firm: "Yun Zhan... I command you, kiss me."

The air was thick with the smell of alcohol and an ambiguous atmosphere. Shi Mingyue's gaze was fixed on Yun Zhan with unwavering determination, as if she would not give up until Yun Zhan agreed.

Looking at her still assertive demeanor despite being drunk, Yun Zhan felt both helpless and heartbroken, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Shi Mingyue tightened her grip on Yun Zhan's sleeve. The alcohol made her thoughts muddled, but it also completely exposed the obsession hidden deep in her heart.

She stared at Yun Zhan, her tone carrying the arrogance unique to drunkenness: "Since you've said you won't leave me, then you definitely won't be with anyone else in the future, so why not do it?"

This statement is logically untenable, but Shi Mingyue herself finds it perfectly reasonable. In her drunken mind, "not leaving" should be equivalent to "completely belonging," and all intimate things should be natural.

The dignified and elegant demeanor of the young lady she once possessed has vanished, leaving only a fragile yet assertive nature, overwhelmed by insecurity and a lack of love, like a child throwing a tantrum when she doesn't get candy.

Yun Zhan was taken aback by her words and hurriedly waved his hands to explain, his tone somewhat incoherent: "This is not the same thing... You are drunk now and not in your right mind. Doing these things is really not good. You will definitely have a headache when you wake up tomorrow."

As she spoke, she tried to gently pull Shi Mingyue's hand away, but the other party held it too tightly and wouldn't budge.

"You haven't experienced it, how would you know I get a headache?"

Shi Mingyue immediately retorted, her eyes filled with a hint of grievance and anger at being misunderstood.

"You just don't want to touch me, and you're making up these excuses to lie to me."

I didn't lie to you!

Yun Zhan grew anxious, and his voice rose slightly.

"There's scientific evidence for this. Alcohol affects your physical condition, and you'll likely feel unwell after waking up. Listen to me, get some rest first, okay?"

She tried to calm herself down and used reason to persuade the man who was intoxicated by alcohol.

But Shi Mingyue wasn't buying it at all. She gave a loud "humph" and her brows furrowed even more.

She reached out with her other hand, gripping Yun Zhan's collar tightly and pulling him even closer, their noses almost touching: "What scientific basis? I didn't catch a cold from the wind. I'll drink some hangover soup afterward, it'll be fine!"

Her voice was firm and unyielding, and her breath, hot and pungent with the smell of alcohol, sprayed on Yun Zhan's face, leaving him in a dilemma.

Yun Zhan looked at Shi Mingyue clutching his collar and wouldn't let go, and met her eyes with the stubborn determination to get what she wanted. He finally sighed helplessly, slowly raised his hands, and adopted a "surrender" posture.

She could feel Shi Mingyue's tense body relax a little.

Yet, his eyes still held a hint of smug satisfaction, like a little animal that had finally caught its prey, with a touch of drunken naiveté.

"Only in this way... will you be so obedient?"

"It's not that I'm being good... it's that I don't want you to continue being sad."

I didn't want to see you suffer, so I chose to follow your instructions.

Yun Zhan took a deep breath. When her fingertips touched the buttons on Shi Mingyue's shirt, she hesitated for a moment, gently rubbing the cool buttons with her fingertips, slowly unbuttoning them one by one.

The dim indoor lighting cast long shadows of the two people, their breaths mingling, and the smell of alcohol was gradually replaced by a warmer atmosphere.

The bed curtains fell, silencing the soft sounds between the beds, with only the occasional rustling of fabric against fabric, which was particularly clear in the quiet night, until finally all was still.

After it was over, Shi Mingyue had clearly lost her earlier arrogance. She slumped down beside Yun Zhan, her cheeks still flushed, and her eyelashes trembled slightly, clearly indicating that she was very sleepy.

She didn't let go; instead, she gripped Yun Zhan's wrist tightly, her fingers curled up as if afraid he would slip away while she was asleep.

Yun Zhan tried to gently pull his hand away and cover her with the blanket, but Shi Mingyue held on even tighter.

"Don't...go."

Shi Mingyue's voice was heavy with sleepiness, indistinct yet still stubbornly murmuring.

"You're married to me... You can't leave... You're mine..."

The words were broken and intermittent, the last syllables lingering in the air like a fragile plea.

She leaned her head closer to Yun Zhan, her breathing gradually becoming steady, but her hand holding Yun Zhan's wrist never let go. Yun Zhan was her only link to this world, the obsession she dared not let go of.

Looking at her sleeping face, Yun Zhan's eyes were filled with complex emotions, including heartache, helplessness, and a touch of tenderness that he himself was unaware of.

As night deepened, only Shi Mingyue's steady breathing could be heard inside the tent.

Yun Zhan lay quietly, feeling the grip on her wrist gradually loosen until Shi Mingyue's breathing became even and long. Only then did she slowly turn to her side and cautiously try to pull her hand back.

As her fingertips left Mingyue's palm, she could still feel the lingering warmth.

Getting up and walking to the table, Yun Zhan poured some warm water into a basin, soaked a cloth in it, and wrung it out until it was half dry.

"The water isn't very hot anymore, so we'll have to make do..."

She carried the copper basin and walked lightly back to the bedside. She leaned down and looked at Shi Mingyue sleeping soundly. Her eyelashes were lowered quietly, and the coldness of the day and the stubbornness after drinking were gone, leaving only a rare gentleness.

Gently lifting the thin blanket covering Shi Mingyue, Yun Zhan took a handkerchief and began to carefully wipe her arms.

The handkerchief was warm and gentle. When it touched her skin, Shi Mingyue only moved her fingers slightly and did not wake up.

But when the handkerchief moved to her waist and abdomen, Yun Zhan's movements suddenly stopped. The loose fabric slipped down, revealing an astonishingly thin waist with clearly visible ribs. Even the soft flesh that could be felt in the past had disappeared, leaving only a bony figure.

Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, the pain almost making it hard for her to breathe.

Yun Zhan's hand holding the handkerchief began to tremble slightly, his vision slowly blurred, and tears fell unexpectedly onto Shi Mingyue's skin with a "plop," quickly spreading out against her warm skin.

She hurriedly turned her face away, trying to hold back her tears, but the more she wiped her eyes, the more she saw the protruding bones on Shi Mingyue's shoulder blades and the loose cuffs of her shirt covering her wrists... Yun Zhan's tears became more and more uncontrollable.

Large tears fell one after another, splashing into the basin with a soft "tinkling" sound that was especially clear in the quiet night.

"Okay, don't be sad anymore. Now that you're back... treat her well..."

21 comforted her, seeing that Shi Mingyue was also feeling bad.

"I...I'm sorry to her."

Yun Zhan sighed. She didn't dare to use too much force, afraid of hurting this overly thin body. She could only gently wipe it with a handkerchief, her movements full of careful tenderness.

After wiping the last spot, Yun Zhan put the handkerchief back in the copper basin, bent down to cover Shi Mingyue with the blanket, and gently brushed his fingertips across her pale cheek.

Guilt and heartache intertwined in Yun Zhan's eyes as he silently murmured in his heart, "I'm sorry... it's all my fault."