crisis
In that instant, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind.
Her delicate body was tightly embraced by large, hot arms, from which she could not break free. Those rough palms covered her mouth and nose, and no matter how she struggled, she could not escape. She felt everything go black, and she could no longer breathe.
With a determined heart, she opened her pearly teeth and bit down hard on that warm palm. A muffled groan of pain instantly reached her ears.
Taking advantage of his distraction, Lin Xu mustered all her strength, grabbed the arm of the person behind her, and spun to the side. Because of the urgency of the situation, she took too big a step, and just as she broke free from the person's grasp, her body tilted and she fell straight backward.
Through the faint light filtering through the starry sky above, she saw the man's face as she crashed to the ground.
He had a straight nose, a thin face with distinct bones, and a calm, expressionless face with only a pair of cold, piercing eyes that stared intently at her.
It was the same chilling feeling he had when he watched her fall precariously into the Weilong River that day.
She felt all her strength drain away, and she had no power to escape.
Beneath her was the cold, hard stone pavement. Just as the soft silk ribbon on her back was about to fall to the ground, the man moved, leaned down, and gently embraced her with the hands that had been tightly holding her.
She met his gaze directly into those peach blossom eyes, cold as frost in the night, like snow soaking in a river, devoid of any emotion, a far cry from his usual carefree and leisurely demeanor. Those dark pupils reflected her flushed cheeks.
Because her mouth and nose had been covered and she was having difficulty breathing, she couldn't help but cough lightly.
Her snow-white face had a touch of sickly blush, and the thin veil on her chest was slightly disheveled from her earlier movements, barely concealing the rich spring color.
"Why...did you kidnap me?"
Dou Yanxun's eyes darkened slightly, but the hands around her back did not loosen; instead, the strength in his arms increased.
The two were vastly different in size, and Lin Xu, in his arms, was like a small beast at the mercy of its master, with nowhere to escape.
The two were in a very narrow, dark alleyway on the side of a bustling main street. She had walked through here many times before, but she never knew that there was such a dark and secluded corner in the bustling city, which seemed to hide everything from the usual light.
The crowds in the distance were bustling as usual, but whatever was happening in this gloomy alley was unknown to those outside.
Dou Yanxun's lips curled slightly, but his eyes held no trace of a smile as he slowly and deeply said:
"Miss Lin, why ask a question you already know the answer to?"
Seeing her innocent, frightened look, like a fawn in the deep forest, his eyes narrowed with a hint of malice. He released the arm that was around her and gently stroked her delicate cheek.
That hand had distinct knuckles, was long and fair, and was still very beautiful even in the dim light.
There were deep teeth marks and faint bloodstains on the palm of her hand, now half-dry; those were her teeth marks from just now.
Her cheeks flushed slightly as she felt the hand linger on her cheek, as if examining a hard-won trophy.
In a short while, the hand moved downwards, warmth emanating from her slender neck. As the pressure increased, Dou Yanxun used the hand she had just bitten to slowly grip her neck.
Her life or death is now entirely in his hands.
"Since you sent someone to follow the top courtesan of Bihua Tower, your intentions are obvious. So why put on this innocent and pitiful act in front of me?"
As he spoke in a low voice, his hand tightened its grip, pressing firmly against her throat.
At the same time, those eyes gradually approached her, the mockery in them spreading wildly, like a raging deep sea, threatening to drown her.
She was almost unable to breathe!
As his palm pressure gradually increased, Lin Xu's vision blurred. She couldn't help but reach out and clench the hand of the person in front of her, a sour pain rising in her throat, and she could no longer hold on.
"I......"
Seeing that she finally spoke, Dou Yanxun raised his eyes and looked at her leisurely. Although his hand stopped exerting force, it did not leave her neck.
It seemed as if it was merely leaving him a gap to rest.
Lin Xu gasped for breath, finally feeling her strength returning to her chest. The force she had just endured made her neck burn with pain. She gripped Dou Yanxun's wrist tightly with both hands, coughing several times before her breathing gradually became steady.
“I did send people to search for Yao Niang. But I only... I only wanted to see what kind of woman could win your favor, Dou Yanxun’s, approval... that’s all.”
Dou Yanxun's eyes were filled with a misty light, as if he did not believe her words at all.
His face was grim, his dark blue eyebrows furrowed, and he said in a stern voice:
"You're full of tricks. I think you won't admit defeat until you're faced with the truth. If you want to play games, I, Dou, will play along to the end today."
As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly released his hands and pushed her deeper into the dark alley. She stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
As far as the eye could see, there was filth and grime, accompanied by the stench of decay. A motionless woman lay on top of the messy clutter. Her clothes were neat, but her eyes were closed, making it impossible to tell if she was alive or dead.
She gasped immediately, her heart pounding wildly. Before she could even take a quick step forward, the sash hanging down her back was grabbed by the person behind her, and Dou Yanxun's lazy voice followed:
"She's just asleep. If you still refuse to tell the truth, I can't guarantee she won't keep sleeping like this."
In the dark, quiet corner, Zhu Ling lay there peacefully, as if she were simply immersed in a sweet and tranquil dream.
Lin Xu felt a sharp pain in her heart, but she desperately forced herself to hide her hatred. Her face was pale with panic, her eyes brimming with tears, and she tried to meet his indifferent gaze, murmuring softly:
"I don't understand what Young Master Dou means. Xu'er only wants to... only wants to learn more about the women who can win Young Master Dou's favor. If I can even gain a resemblance in them and thus win Young Master Dou's favor, that would be enough for me..."
Dou Yanxun sneered, slowly lowering his head to play with the sash around her waist in his hand. It was meticulously woven from pink yarn, soft and beautiful, and his fingertips circled the pink sash.
Just a few more circles and her clothes will be completely stripped off.
Dou Yanxun slightly raised his eyes, staring into her eyes with a half-smile, as if trying his best to find any trace of panic or any flaw that could not be hidden.
"Trying to please me? I have no grudges or entanglements with Miss Lin, so why would she go to such lengths to get close to me?"
The woman in front of him took a deep breath, as if she had finally mustered up the courage to close her eyes and straighten her chest forward.
It was a do-or-die courage—a willingness to be at the mercy of others and relinquish all control to them.
I closed my eyes, and all around me was utter silence.
Her heart pounded like a drum, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her chest rose and fell with her heavy breathing as she waited silently in the boundless darkness.
After a long while, she finally heard a faint movement from the person in front of her.
She could only sense that he was still playing with her clothes. Occasionally, warm fingertips would lightly touch her skin, leaving a shiver.
When she hurriedly opened her eyes, her clothes had already been straightened. The ribbon that had been fluttering carelessly was now neatly tied around her waist. Dou Yanxun lowered his eyes and carefully tied it into a knot that was not easy to untie.
He slowly straightened up under her gaze, a faint smile playing across his eyes. He looked at the skin on her neck, still flushed and trembling from her earlier shiver, and said with a gentle smile:
"Since you admire me so much, what are you afraid of, Miss Lin? Isn't it a matter of mutual affection, to let things flow naturally?"
Lin Xu swallowed nervously, her raven-white eyelashes casting a shadow on her pale face. Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz, carrying the shyness unique to young girls, as if she had mustered all her courage to stammer out:
"...It's always good to have some official status."
The gaze of the person in front of him unexpectedly trembled slightly, before returning to its previous dense mist after a moment.
"You—you really want to marry me?"
Lin Xu was petite, a full head shorter than Dou Yanxun. Upon hearing this, she nodded slightly, as if summoning all her courage, and half-shyly tried to meet his scrutinizing, suspicious, and doubtful gaze.
His eyes were filled with determination, showing no sign of escaping or making excuses.
“I have already begged Princess Kunrou for her favor. She is grateful for my deep affection for you, and I believe she will soon plead with the Princess to grant me... a marriage to you.”
She forced herself to remain calm and tried to steady her breathing. But for the first time, she saw a look of shock in Dou Yanxun's usually indifferent eyes, and then a look of panic that he desperately tried to hide.
Dou Yanxun slightly parted his lips, but did not utter a sound.
After a long while, he finally spoke with great difficulty, his voice low and faint, only she, who was so close at hand, could hear it.
“Miss Lin, you know perfectly well that I am never short of beautiful women, and the emotional debts I have incurred over the years are countless. It's not just Bihua Tower; in the entire capital of Mu, the number of people entangled with me, Dou Yanxun, cannot be counted on two hands. Even so—”
"I'm willing."
The petite figure in front of her showed no sign of backing down; instead, her expression became even more resolute and courageous, and her soft voice was incredibly awe-inspiring.
Dou Yanxun gently curved his lips into a smile, but his gaze became unfocused, as if looking through her towards a distant, illusory realm. His voice also carried a faint melancholy, tinged with a hazy, dreamlike quality.
"You know perfectly well that I have no feelings for you. Even a marriage contract can't do anything to me. Besides, if I were to publicly reject you and humiliate you, a virtuous young woman still unmarried, you would be burdened with a reputation full of shame and unable to move an inch. Have you ever thought about all the consequences?"
Lin Xu's eyes dimmed slightly.
Before Dou Yanxun could even breathe a sigh of relief, she saw her purse her lips, then sigh softly, her expression becoming more serene:
"If you refuse, I will ask again. If you retreat three miles, I will chase you for a hundred miles without stopping. Mujing is only so big, there will always be a day when I catch up with you."
Dou Yanxun gently closed his eyes. When he opened them again, there was no emotion left in them.
He glanced back at Zhu Ling lying on top of the clutter, and spoke in a calm, undisturbed voice:
"I just pressed her acupoint, she should wake up in less than half an incense stick's time."
He turned around and refused to look at her again, striding away to leave.
At the light at the alley entrance, a tall and elegant figure appeared out of nowhere, blocking Dou Yanxun's path.
The person's face was obscured by the backlighting, but she was all too familiar with the soft, melodious voice that rang out.
"—Is there something troubling this young lady?"
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