Chapter 43 He truly seemed like a monster that drained people's life force...
Ji Chengning was caught in a dilemma by Cui Yao.
He was afraid his cousin would say something shocking again, but he didn't dare reach out his hand, worried that she would lick his palm.
I was at a loss for what to do.
From Cui Yao's perspective, the young marquis looked up, his eyes and nose shrouded in a layer of watery red, his eyes shimmering as if begging for mercy.
Cui Yao's throat grew drier and drier until she could even hear the rough, creaking sound of her cartilage rubbing together.
Cui Yao reached out and gently placed her hand on Ji Chengning's leg.
The latter was startled, then realized that it was her cousin touching her and forcing her to relax.
"Does it hurt?" he heard Cui Yao ask.
So gentle, as if afraid that even the breath she exhaled would hurt Ji Chengning, she moved even more carefully, and Ji Chengning only felt an itch.
It felt like something furry was scratching against my soft flesh, causing an itch.
Ji Chengning was stunned. He felt that his cousin's eyes were much clearer and brighter than usual. He could even see his own reflection, a blank, bewitched reflection. His ears felt slightly hot, and then he said firmly, "It doesn't hurt."
Before he could finish speaking, his cousin suddenly looked up, her clear yet cold eyes fixed on him, her emotions surging within them, yet her tone was so gentle it sent chills down his spine, "Lying."
"You know I'm lying, yet you still ask?" Ji Chengnin snapped out of his daze and leaned towards Cui Yao. "Cousin, my legs hurt so much. If you hadn't come to pick me up, I probably would have had to crawl back, and maybe my legs would have been ruined. Cousin, how can you be so kind?"
The more she talked, the sweeter and stickier her voice became, shoving the sticky syrup into her mouth, leaving no room for refusal. The sticky syrup stuck in her throat, a suffocating sweetness and heat.
It was so hot it was hard to breathe.
Therefore, Cui Yao also felt that Ji Chengning should not be allowed to speak.
If the young marquis doesn't speak, all is well; but if he does speak, it will certainly be of no use to the important matter and will only needlessly disturb his mind.
Seeing his cousin sitting silently, the young marquis thought he had won back the argument, but before he could even feel smug, everything went dark before his eyes, and something icy cold was pressed against his lips.
He bit down instinctively.
Cui Yao paused for half a second before slowly lowering her hand.
It melts in your mouth, and the bitter liquid slides down smoothly.
Caught completely off guard, Ji Chengning was so distressed that his brows furrowed deeply.
Cui Yao poured him some water, which Ji Chengnin took and drank in one gulp.
"Why doesn't Your Highness ask what I fed you?" Cui Yao looked at his unguarded actions with a deep gaze.
“I’ve already eaten,” Ji Chengning said, opening his mouth to show his absolute trust in Cui Yao, his tongue darting around to indicate that he had eaten everything clean. “I think Yao would never harm me, considering our sibling relationship.”
The unruly young marquis tilted his head back, obediently opened his mouth, revealing half of his tender red tongue.
Cui Yao looked away.
Cui Yao said coldly, "It's poison."
Ji Chengnin smiled, his eyes curving into a sly arc. "Hemostatic powder?" Though it was a question, his tone was certain.
Cui Yao did not answer.
Even though he was the one who had been kneeling for most of the night, Cui Yao's face was extremely pale, like a piece of jade that had lost its luster. Her bluish eyelashes were pressed down hard, suppressing all the spirit flowing inside. In Ji Chengning's eyes, she looked pitiful.
He then tugged at Cui Yao's sleeve and said with a smile, "I'm fine."
Cui Yao stared at his face, which showed no resentment whatsoever, and said softly, "Your Highness, are you really that loyal?"
Cui Yao's words seemed disjointed, but Ji Chengning understood them perfectly. He put a finger to his lips and said, "Shh, Yao."
Cui Yao's gaze followed his movements, never leaving him for a moment, "If something happens..." His lips parted.
Cui Yao grabbed Ji Chengning's hand and reached towards his own waist.
Ji Chengnin was greatly surprised.
He struggled, of course, but Cui Yao was incredibly strong, and Ji Chengning was exhausted. His cousin's fingers were wrapped around his wrists like shackles, and he couldn't break free, so he went with Cui Yao.
Cui Yao stared intently at the young marquis's expression.
Seeing his gaze darting away, trying his best to meet her eyes, Cui Yao twirled her fingers in confusion.
He could actually feel the heat from Ji Chengnin's icy skin.
He wanted to pull his hand away immediately, fearing he would get burned, yet he couldn't help but yearn for the heat, willing to throw himself into the flames.
The moment Ji Chengnin touched Cui Yao's waist, his embarrassed expression instantly changed.
Contrary to his expectations of a soft and supple object, he first pressed down on a cold, icy thing, its killing intent chilling to the bone. Even though the knife was not yet drawn, Ji Chengnin could feel its sharpness.
Killing someone with this object would be no more difficult than tearing a piece of fine silk.
Even colder than the blade was Cui Yao's breath that followed.
He finished speaking, saying, "I will never implicate the Crown Prince."
A damp, cold breath fell from above, eerie yet extremely intimate.
There is no way to avoid it.
He must feel bad.
But strangely, nothing happened; instead, he felt a tingling sensation in the back of his neck, an instinctive warning that danger was imminent.
What terrified Ji Chengning even more than facing the emperor's wrath was Cui Yao himself.
Even Ji Chengning himself chuckled at this absurd notion for a few moments.
But why?
I subconsciously looked up.
Their eyes met.
Ji Chengning had rarely seen such pale, almost transparent eyes on a living person.
Bright, cold, and clear eyes, as if a sharp blade had been drawn, slicing through Cui Yao's eye sockets with a chilling light.
The cold, damp breath seeped into Ji Chengnin's sensitive skin beside his ear. "Your Highness."
Ji Chengnin's ear tips trembled slightly.
He suddenly realized the answer to his question.
Because when the emperor is angry, blood will flow for miles, and all the consequences are predictable; the worst outcome is death.
But Cui Yao is different.
Like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows, even though they are familiar with each other, its actions are completely unpredictable. He can hardly guess whether this snake, which is quietly watching him, will pounce on him in the next moment and plunge its fangs into his throat, or use its cool, scaly body to intimately press against him.
What is most terrifying is that things are always unexpected.
But Ji Chengning's gaze drifted from Cui Yao's exquisite eyebrows and eyes to her sharply defined lips. She was, after all, a stunningly beautiful serpentine.
The lips open and close.
Ji Chengning seemed to see it: the bright red tongue inside the venomous fang.
He felt no fear, but instead stretched out his fingers and probed into the snake's mouth to see if the cold-blooded venomous creature would bite his desire.
“I’m not worried that you’ll implicate me,” Ji Chengning pressed down on the scabbard as Cui Yao suggested. The latter shuddered, as if it were part of his body, sharing the same origin and feeling. “A son of a wealthy family should not sit under a dangerous roof. Ah Yao, I’m afraid you’ll be in danger.”
Cui Yao stared intently at him.
The irritating dryness in her throat did not ease with the young marquis's gentle words; instead, it intensified.
Swelling and feeling suffocated, Cui Yao pressed his fingers tightly against the ring, making him want to slit his own throat and dig out the thing that was disturbing his peace, once and for all.
But Ji Chengning reached out his hand to him.
As her fingertips brushed against the corner of his lips, Cui Yao shuddered.
He suddenly lowered his eyes and saw that Ji Chengning's fingertips were covered in bright red blood.
It was blood that seeped out from when he bit his lip.
"It's like a snake spirit that has cultivated into human form," Ji Chengnin said jokingly. He usually loved cleanliness, but he didn't feel disgusted when he touched Cui Yao's blood. On the contrary, he had a strange feeling that he couldn't describe. "Such sharp teeth."
After all, Cui Yao's reaction was all because she saw him injured.
Cui Yao tilted her head.
He didn't dodge; instead, he rubbed his face against Ji Chengnin's hand.
The soft, cold touch startled Ji Chengning.
"Why are you being so clingy?" Ji Chengnin muttered.
Cousin Cui was born with the beauty of a rare flower and the grace of ice and snow. Her clear, cold eyes were now looking at him, but they held a shimmering light, like melting ice and snow, or flowing spring water.
Young Master Ji was not a true gentleman with a heart of stone, and he refrained from poking Cui Yao's face.
“Ah Yao”.
Cui Yao looked at him quietly.
Because her heart was pounding so hard, Cui Yao couldn't even hear Ji Chengning's voice clearly, so she could only stare intently at his lips.
Ji Chengning's neck stiffened even more under his gaze.
Perhaps because the curtains weren't lifted, the air inside the carriage felt heavy and sticky.
Ji Chengnin opened his mouth.
He said, "What medicine did you give me? It really works."
While intended to break the awkward atmosphere, it was indeed the truth.
The mangled knee now feels slightly warm, not from the gushing blood, but from the warmth of a hot towel, a warm, tingling sensation that has reduced the pain considerably.
Cui Yao: "..."
She paused in the motion of rubbing his fingertips.
His gaze fell, fixed intently on his hands resting on his knees.
They were so serious it was as if flowers had just sprouted from their skin.
Ji Chengning felt that his cousin was like a bad-tempered cat he had raised when he was a child. She clearly wanted to get close to people but didn't know how. She stiffly leaned in, leaving people bewildered and the cat extremely embarrassed. She could only stare at her paws as if nothing was wrong.
Cui Yao said softly, "It's poison."
Ji Chengnin burst out laughing.
He was all smiles, to the point of being completely carefree.
Cui Yao felt a sudden sense of relief. Ji Chengning respected the emperor like a god and was close to him like a family elder. It was good that he was not heartbroken or devastated when he suddenly realized that the emperor was far from as wise as he had imagined.
But can a person really accept that their understanding of the past ten years or so has been overturned overnight?
Or perhaps, Ji Chengnin is forcing a smile?
Cui Yao stared at him intently.
Ji Chengnin seemed completely oblivious to the turbulent emotions in his eyes. "Ayao, have you heard about the candidates' strike and their blockade of the examination hall?"
Cui Yao considered carefully and said, "I've heard rumors."
After all, this is no small matter.
Ji Chengning half-closed his eyes. “From what Qin Min said, it was only a matter of two or three hours that the candidates learned that the exam questions had been leaked, that the pre-determined rankings had been posted at the entrance of the examination hall, and that the crowd was so agitated that they gathered outside the examination hall.”
Cui Yao looked up. "Oh?" He noticed that Ji Chengning's sleeves were disheveled, so he naturally reached out and straightened them for him.
Ji Chengnin's wrist stiffened, and for the umpteenth time, he went along with it.
"It's too fast, A-Yao. Don't you think all of this is happening too fast?" Ji Chengning said listlessly. He always seemed half-dead when it came to official business. "The candidates don't live in one place. Even if there are inns or temples where candidates gather, the news wouldn't spread so quickly. News takes time to spread. Besides, there are always soldiers patrolling and guarding outside the examination hall. Who posted the rankings without anyone noticing?"
Cui Yao stared at Ji Chengnin, her gaze lingering on him.
Young Master Ji was too tired and too relaxed in his presence, so he ignored the subtle abnormality in his body.
“If the rankings were fabricated, it would be too absurd for these students to believe,” after all, the person who fabricated them was able to get into the capital, and was certainly not a fool, if not a highly learned and talented person. “But if there is a reason and evidence, the person who fabricated the rankings must be extremely familiar with the students in this exam, or at least extremely familiar with their family backgrounds.”
This is the only way to better provoke the anger of students from poor families.
"If the rankings are real, they should have been decided long ago..." Ji Chengnin frowned deeply and did not continue.
He was unwilling to think about that possibility in depth.
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt a chill between his brows.
Cui Yao's fingers.
Cui Yao probably knew that her body temperature was much lower than normal, so she was extremely careful when touching her.
It felt like a leaf brushing against your forehead.
Ji Chengnin chuckled softly, his brows slowly relaxing.
"Then, the students who had received the news surrounded the examination hall," Ji Chengnin said. Up to this point, things had proceeded extremely quickly and methodically, "as if someone was manipulating things in the dark."
Cui Yao said tenderly, "Perhaps, Your Highness is overthinking it."
Ji Chengnin nodded slightly, "The imperial examination is in three days. If someone is trying to guide us from behind the scenes, the best time would be on the day of the examination."
Is he really overthinking things?
Ji Chengning never believed in coincidences.
"but……"
Ji Chengning pricked up his ears.
Cui Yao admired his vivid expression and slowly said, "Even if someone really guided you, it must be true. Your Highness, leaking the exam questions and determining the rankings based on the amount of bribes and the rank of your family members is a chronic problem in the court. It's like a boil under the skin. Even if it doesn't show up now, it will eventually spread throughout the body."
His fingers moved down, landing on Ji Chengning's chest.
He bent down and said softly, "The illness has reached the point of no return."
A cold breath swept across his throat.
Ji Chengnin's Adam's apple bobbed violently.
“According to A-Yao, even if there really is a mastermind behind this, it's not his fault,” he stared at Cui Yao’s face, “but rather,” he lowered his voice, his tone slightly muffled, “the fault of the imperial court?”
Cui Yao shook her head.
"Young Marquis, there really is a mastermind behind this."
Ji Chengnin opened his eyes.
"Who is it?" he asked in a deep voice.
Cui Yao smiled and pointed her free finger upwards.
Yes, they are celestial beings.
Ji Chengning stared at Cui Yao for a long time.
The latter naturally let him look at her, and even gave him an extremely tender smile.
Ji Chengning slowly closed his eyes.
If this is indeed true, then Cui Yao's statement is entirely correct.
Ji Chengning was deep in thought when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck.
Cui Yao supported the back of his neck with her five fingers and gently moved him over.
Ji Chengning was stunned. Before he could react, Cui Yao had already let go of his hand and placed his head on her lap.
Cui Yao gave him no chance to think, covering Ji Chengning's eyes with her sleeve and coaxing him gently, "Young Master, take a nap."
The world suddenly went dark.
It seemed as if a calming incense was emanating from Cui Yao's sleeves, its subtle fragrance slowly enveloping the suppressed weariness that had been forcibly suppressed.
Ji Chengnin could no longer hold on and mumbled, "Cousin, I want to go back to the Marquis's residence."
If he goes back, his second uncle will surely be worried when he sees the injury on his leg. If he doesn't go back, Ji Chengning is unsure if his second uncle knows about his punishment of kneeling. If he hears some rumors but doesn't see him, his worries will only increase.
Therefore, the lesser of two options was chosen.
"Did the Crown Prince specifically instruct me because he's afraid I'll kidnap him?"
Ji Chengning chuckled sullenly, "I'm afraid A-Yao will carry me to some fox den."
Being compared to a fox spirit surprised Cui Yao.
After looking at Ji Chengnin again from beginning to end, I noticed that the young marquis had encountered a major event, and his brows were shrouded in sorrow, making him appear even more sentimental.
It's clearly a case of the thief crying "stop thief!"
He thought.
Imagining Ji Chengning with fox ears and a tail, Cui Yao smiled and said, "Isn't it a snake pit?"
Ji Chengnin turned his head, shifted to a more comfortable position, and murmured, "It's too cold."
There was no further discussion.
As weariness crept in, Ji Chengning closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming steady.
Cui Yao stared at him.
The crown prince seemed to have noticed something, or perhaps he was testing him?
Don't get close to Ji Chengnin anymore.
He was not stupid; on the contrary, he was extremely intelligent and possessed a terrifyingly natural keenness for politics. Most importantly, Cui Yao could not discern whether Ji Chengning was truly sincere towards the emperor or merely feigning concern.
Given the Marquis of Yongning's unwavering loyalty and the Ji family's Confucian traditions, Cui Yao found it hard to believe that it was the latter.
Now, he heard himself calmly tell himself, "It's not too late to back down."
To make up a more plausible reason, stage an accident to make Cui Yao's identity disappear from Ji Chengning's sight forever.
If that time comes, given the young marquis's passionate yet ruthless nature, will he shed a few tears for him and then forget about him, or will he be completely indifferent?
Cui Yao's breathing quickened as she imagined the possibilities.
A sickly flush instantly enveloped his cheekbones, which, combined with his bright, cold eyes, made him look exceptionally eerie and unsettling.
Cui Yao lowered her head.
If you really can't bear to part with him, and the voice in your mind bewitches him, gently coaxing him, then kill him.
A clean, beautiful body that will not bring any accidents or changes to oneself.
And so, Cui Yao truly seemed to be bewitched.
He lowered his head even further.
Her long, soft hair cascaded down, tightly wrapping Ji Chengnin in her arms.
Ji Chengnin is asleep.
Just reach out and grab his throat.
You don't even need to use too much force to hear the bone crack, like breaking a plum blossom branch in the dead of winter.
Or, Cui Yao's gaze was greedily fixed on Ji Chengnin, and she first slit his throat—the young marquis's neck was thin and long, and if there were more bright red marks, it would certainly be very beautiful, and she imagined the blood flowing out of the wound.
Cui Yao couldn't help but lick her canine teeth.
The sharp teeth pierced the tongue, instantly filling the mouth with blood.
But that's not enough at all.
The thirst only intensified.
Cui Yao wanted to bury his head in Ji Chengning's neck, but he changed his mind. Instead of using a knife, he planned to stab Ji Chengning's throat with his sharp teeth. He slowly approached Ji Chengning, as warily as a snake before hunting its prey.
Because of his tragic fate, the emotions he had been trying to suppress could no longer be contained.
Ji Chengning frowned.
It seems that it contains pain and disappointment that are difficult to resolve.
what's on your mind?
Is it the emperor, or this hopeless court?
As if by some strange twist of fate, Cui Yao reversed direction.
He was above Ji Chengnin, with only a half-sheet of paper between his eyebrows.
The yearning was insatiable, the torment like being surrounded by ants, which slowly gnawed at the pink flesh.
It hurts, it itches.
So he gave in to his desires.
With her lips, she pressed them against Ji Chengning's forehead.
Bang bang bang—
The noise was like a musket exploding.
Cui Yao's pupils dilated for a moment.
Despite being the complete opposite of what he had imagined, his actions filled him with an indescribable ecstasy.
And, increasingly difficult to satisfy desires.
Skin to skin, heat is continuously transferred.
So he truly became like a demon that sucks the life essence from people, clinging to them relentlessly.
I want to move it down.
I want it to stick even closer.
He stared intently at Ji Chengnin, hoping to get a response from the young marquis's limited reaction.
No.
But the excitement only increased.
It moves downwards when wet.
Ji Chengnin's long eyelashes trembled.
Cui Yao's body suddenly stiffened.
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Author's note: I'm here, my wife, muah!
Updates have been unstable these past two days, sorry.
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