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Xiao Yingzhu had anticipated Jiang Nian's reaction. He calmly reached out and pulled Jiang Nian, who was trying to escape, back with an irresistible force, as if using her human form as a lock, temporarily trapping her between the stone table and his body.

Apart from the fact that his other hand was still on the table, the only scent in her nostrils was his clear fragrance of sandalwood, and they were not actually too intimate.

However, there was a significant height difference between them, and Jiang Nian was so startled that she lost her balance, her arm forced to rest on the table. Xiao Yingzhu deliberately increased her strength, her cold, slender hand moving upward from her wrist, not touching her arm at all. However, her breath was as solid as a snake, slowly sliding up along her skin.

Finally, as if he had found the desired spot, he slowly put his hand on her shoulder.

Xiao Yingzhu's hands were large, her fingers long, and she placed them lightly on her shoulders, even less forceful than on the ferry, as if afraid to hurt her. Perhaps Jiang Nian was so nervous and confused that he unconsciously formed these thoughts, because when he lowered his eyes and looked at her calmly, it was as if he was looking at a caged, trapped prey.

In the silence, there was not a trace of impurities in his eyes, his pupils were like obsidian, gently reflecting her shadow, without any violence or coercion.

It was only because she was trapped in his tight net that he looked at her with such almost peace, without the need to tie her up or imprison her.

With just one hand, the cold, deep bondage crept up her ankles like a shadow in the night, emanating from his beautiful features and his knuckle-jointed hands. Jiang Nian was so oppressed that she dared not move.

The cold palm on her shoulder made her scalp numb.

Xiao Yingzhu did nothing, and even stood up straight. He no longer half-leaned on the stone table lazily like before, but put his hand lightly on her shoulder, patting her shoulder as others did when communicating with their subordinates to encourage her.

It's just that his slightly leaning posture exudes a more dangerous and ambiguous atmosphere than ordinary conversation.

She had always walked beside him in the past, so she hadn't noticed how big the height difference was between them. It was not until she stood in front of Xiao Yingzhu that Jiang Nian suddenly realized that she could only reach his neck and see his Adam's apple clearly.

His sight was so hot that he didn't know where to look. Jiang Nian wanted to turn his head to look in other directions. The aura of the person in front of him was too obvious, too substantial, and too strong.

No matter where he glanced, he could only feel guilty, like someone who had deliberately messed with toys and wanted to run away, while he was the one who grabbed and gently lifted her up by the scruff of the neck, and just wanted to lecture her and question her properly.

Xiao Yingzhu's voice was as calm as it was at the beginning, without any splashes or ripples, as if it had no emotions. She asked in an extremely simple manner:

"Where do you want to go?"

“…”

Jiang Nian felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were trapped in an icy cave. The slightly guilty composure on her face was about to break, and she wanted to close her eyes and pretend to be dead.

This was really different from what happened on the ferry before.

It really has reached a point where there is nowhere to go.

Xiao Yingzhu was still looking at her indifferently. Jiang Nian felt as if the string in her head was stretched very long, and then suddenly contracted, with a frightening sound of wind, which dispelled her already little sanity.

No matter whether it is dangerous or whether there will be any terrible consequences.

Now she just wanted to travel back to the time before she went downstairs and scold herself for looking for Xiao Yingzhu on a whim.

Facing his indifferent gaze, Jiang Nian's face was calm. He secretly pulled at his fingers, but couldn't move them, so he started talking nonsense.

"Sir, it's getting late. You should go back and rest."

"After all, we have important things to do tomorrow, so we should prioritize safety."

This time it’s really not a joke. Xiao Yingzhu in front of me looks like a male ghost. I’d better run away quickly.

She shouldn't have come out in the lonely night.

After he finished speaking, because he didn't dare to look at Xiao Yingzhu, Jiang Nian calmly glanced at the fingers he placed on his shoulder, with obvious meaning.

The scattered hair blocked the peripheral vision that could see other places.

The hand that looked even whiter under the cold moonlight occupied her sight. Xiao Yingzhu's fingers were well-defined, beautiful and well-proportioned, like flawless porcelain jade.

It makes people want to hold it.

Unfortunately, the owner's daily behavior towards others is too strange and too difficult to understand. Ordinary people dare only watch from afar and don't even think about it; and those who are familiar with him will only maintain a good sense of propriety and not think too much about it.

The fact that she could think of all these things now could only be attributed to her being too nervous.

Xiao Yingzhu hasn't done anything yet. He just put his hand on her shoulder and didn't do anything excessive. It can be seen as him wanting to have a good talk with her, right?

There was a cold and murderous atmosphere in front of her, with a storm coming, and a stone table behind her. She was attacked from both sides and had no way to retreat.

Jiang Nian took a deep breath, assessing Xiao Yingzhu's mood at the moment, while trying to move away from this situation where he had no chance of winning.

The wind around was damp and the sky was covered with dark clouds. Soon, the next wave of showers would come.

My heart was beating abnormally fast, as if something had irritated me.

She resisted the inexplicable conflicting emotions in her heart, raised her eyes in this depressing and silent atmosphere, secretly glanced outside the pavilion, and quietly took a few steps outside... Unfortunately, she couldn't move at all.

It was clearly a very light restraint, but when it came to a real fight, she realized that the strength between the two was completely different.

Even if they were just holding onto each other, there was a sense of unwillingness to break free. Xiao Yingzhu was simply holding back. If he didn't want to let go, then he really couldn't break free.

Looking at his previous frivolous and indifferent look, he didn't seem to be interested in these things.

But why did she suddenly feel like a bird imprisoned in a cage?

Shouldn't he have absolutely no interest in such things?

Jiang Nian suddenly raised his eyes, but the strength on his shoulders suddenly loosened, the clear air dissipated, and he felt a sense of emptiness in his heart.

The person in front of me had a relaxed look, revealing a sense of clarity and clarity after a period of calm.

With a smile on his face, he withdrew from the extremely intimate and ambiguous posture, turned around and picked up the umbrella that was leaning against the side.

The rare warmth and coolness between the two was instantly disturbed by the cold wind, and the white and black reflected two visual extremes. Xiao Yingzhu had her black hair tied up high, and her snow-blue sleeves were thin. Her back was clear and elegant, and pleasing to the eye.

The young master was unparalleled in the world. The brief and bright moon shone brightly, casting a very faint light around him, like lush green pine and bamboo.

But beneath this elegance, Jiang Nian saw something extremely incongruous.

It is vague and hidden beneath the bright surface, full of desire, longing, control, confinement, and a violence that can almost devour a person.

When they first met, they were unfamiliar with each other, and he seemed moody and ruthless. When they met again, he pretended to be a harmless and gentle gentleman. As they gradually got to know each other, he became nonchalant and secretly indulged his companions.

The relationship is like a silk thread, getting tighter and tighter. When the suspicion reaches its peak, the ice breaks, the cards are revealed, and the bottom is exposed.

The obscure emotions that were surging underneath gradually surfaced, and the relationship became like a rushing river that was out of control.

From the subtle metaphors in the words to the ambiguity in front of everyone without regard for others, they understand each other tacitly at first sight. On the surface, they do their business impartially, but behind the scenes, there is an ambiguous relationship that is almost there.

This series of events are like beads threaded together, blending into each other and eventually folding into cages all over the sky, locking up everything that can reach the world.

He is not free from bondage or imprisonment.

Instead, from the very beginning, all the places she could reach were locked tightly, so tightly that even the fine wires were airtight, and it was impossible to tell whether this was the real world or a gorgeous cage he had carefully carved.

The power struggle began when she traveled here.

She had stumbled into this place by mistake, was targeted, and now had her wings cruelly clipped. She was a caged bird "free" only in the space he tolerated.

Fortunately, it is different from the birds imprisoned by others.

Xiao Yingzhu was very tolerant and gave her the right to know the truth and the right to choose how to develop her career.

As long as she doesn't think about these things, she can live an ordinary and comfortable life like ordinary people.

She will not get lost in the long river of history with dynasties changing, and she will still have a clear idea of ​​where she is and where she should go.

But compared to before, Jiang Nian felt that the Xiao Yingzhu he saw now was more real, unconcealed and violent.

Albeit in an extremely gentle and appropriate way.

A sober and calm madman.

—

The bright light was short-lived, and the huge curtain of darkness covered the bright moon. Heavy and heavy rain fell with a roar.

The rain falls on the eaves of the stone pavilion like a waterfall, and the coolness penetrates into the heart.

"Leave."

Xiao Yingzhu opened an umbrella in the pavilion and tilted her head towards Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian stood still, his fingertips accidentally touching the cold stone table, making him curl up in fear.

It was nearly three o'clock in the morning, and the thunder struck straight down, making her cheeks look pale.

The edge of the Luo umbrella was light green, and in the hazy light that was almost daylight, it was the only boat that could safely reach the resting place, but Jiang Nian did not recognize the people in this boat.

Xiao Yingzhu's eyebrows and eyes are beautiful and charming.

Because of the change in her mood, in Jiang Nian's eyes, the familiar stability that she always felt had been torn apart, and the shell called trust was being slowly pulled out, gradually losing its vitality and turning into a pile of unwanted paper scraps that fell into the stagnant water.

The familiar features that I was used to seeing on a daily basis now seemed unfamiliar.

Xiao Yingzhu frowned slightly, took a few steps towards her, and wanted to reach out and pull her: "What's wrong?"

Her nerves had just relaxed for a few seconds, and now she was half suspended. She reflexively slapped his hand away and shrank back in front of herself.

Startled by his own actions, Jiang Nian was silent for a moment before shaking his head: "Nothing."

It’s nothing, I just don’t want to go back with him now.

Xiao Yingzhu's misty gaze shrouded her face for a moment, then glanced at her hands that were clenched in front of her nervously. His eyebrows moved and he put the umbrella in her hand in hers.

"Yeah?"

Jiang Nian raised his eyes in a daze, realized something, and looked at him.

The umbrella in his hand sank slightly, and he withdrew his hand very gently, as if he knew that she was afraid of his touch. His fingertips avoided her skin on purpose and did not touch her skin at all.

The rain was heavy, but he seemed not to feel the torrential rain outside the pavilion. He stepped into the waterfall that covered him. The rain instantly soaked his back and wet his tied hair.

White light split half the sky, the lotus pond flowers were ready to be picked, and the towering buildings on both sides reached into the dark clouds. In the sudden storm, his body was thin and fragile, as if it could be blown away by the wind, like a fallen flower beaten down by a rainstorm, falling to the ground and withering, becoming something that no one appreciated and no one cared about. Anyone could fall into the mud forever with a casual step, never to get out. So he bid farewell to the world and turned into a handful of soil scattered by the wind.

Why do you think so?

Isn't Xiao Yingzhu omnipotent?

Why did she feel that he was extremely vulnerable at this moment?

Such words should have nothing to do with Xiao Yingzhu.

His previous actions all showed that words like grief, failure, misplaced love, regret, despair, and fragility would never appear in his mind.

In Xiao Yingzhu's position and the power he holds, the only ones who are manipulated and dominated are others, never him.

He is the winner, the powerful one who is high above everyone else. Except for the emperor of the time, no one can disobey him or stab him in the back.

Even if there were, they were all buried under his sad and beautiful fan.

This feeling of being on the verge of breaking, being extremely fragile, and needing protection... shouldn't be emanating from him.

But why does she think so now?

It was as if thorns had grown in her chest, entangled with Jiang Nian's heart like vines, and pierced her barriers with sharp thorns, entering the deepest part of her heart, piercing her so much pain that she felt suffocated and could hardly hold the umbrella in her hand.

Jiang Nian pursed her lips and raised her hand to press the slightly painful spot. She took a few slow steps and stood in the pavilion, watching Xiao Yingzhu walking slowly in the rain.

It was as if he didn't care about anything anymore. Everything around him had nothing to do with him. Even if the world was destroyed, it couldn't disturb him. He was so calm and composed, and as if he was torturing himself, he let the rain wet him.

All the old manners and graces are gone.

Earlier in the rice fields, Xiao Yingzhu was so obsessed with cleanliness that she didn't even want the hem of her brocade clothes to get dirty.

But he is like this now, completely without any scruples.

“…”

The dense raindrops fell like beans, each drop was so cold that it seemed to penetrate the skin. The umbrella was stretched outside the pavilion, and the sound was so loud that it hurt my ears.

There was a cold wind in her breath. It was still early autumn, but the wind she inhaled was as biting as ice, repeatedly grinding and cutting her trachea.

My hands are so cold that I have no feeling.

Jiang Nian's mind was in a daze. He just held the umbrella handle with all his strength, looking at the figure that was about to be swallowed by the rain. He hesitated for a moment and quickly caught up.