Chapter 17 I Want to Touch You
The chains rattled as Xiao Sui fumbled around anxiously: "Princess, where is my seal?"
Ning Qi glanced at it; it had been dropped on the ground by the two of them earlier, but Qian Yu had picked it up and put it on the table.
She told him.
Xiao Sui tried to walk to the table, but was restricted by the chains. He turned around and asked, "Could you please bring it to me?"
Ning Qi got out of bed and handed him the metal pieces, but was stunned to see him trying to put them back around his neck. She immediately grabbed his hand.
"You just struggled to get it off, so why are you putting it back on now?"
Xiao Sui explained earnestly, "Without wearing it, I don't know what I might do, and I don't want to hurt you."
"But you didn't hurt me just now," Ning Qi said疑惑地. "There are still more than half a month before the study abroad trip. Are you planning to suffer again?"
Xiao Sui seemed to recall the painful scene just now, pursing his lips, his fingers trembling almost imperceptibly, "It's okay, I can bear it."
He can't handle it at all; there's still blood on his face that hasn't been wiped off.
Ning Qi resisted the urge to swear and firmly pressed his hand down, saying, "Don't wear it anymore. Don't wear this kind of thing again."
She paused, then raised her chin and added, "This is an order; you must obey."
Xiao Sui paused for a moment, as if he had taken it to heart, and put down those damned pieces of iron. "Okay, I'll listen to you."
"That's more like it."
The morning light streamed into the room, bringing a touch of warmth.
Xiao Sui lowered his head, gently pinching his fingers. Her body heat still lingered in his body after the embrace, spreading from every part to his heart. The warmth, stronger than sunlight, dispelled the long darkness and ended his pain, but it was accompanied by unease.
She had no idea that her gradual pleading and guidance were a ploy to kill her closest brother.
If she finds out in the future, she'll probably hate him.
Xiao Sui's body stiffened; the mere thought of this inevitable outcome made him feel uneasy.
But he shouldn't need to think about the future anymore. He couldn't escape unscathed after murdering the prince. The only thing he could do was surrender, sever ties with her, and atone for his sins with his life.
He was already a dying man, and his encounter with the princess during this time was already a way for him to survive.
The chains were pulled up, along with his hand, snapping him out of his reverie. He looked up, bewildered: "Princess?"
"Where's the key to this broken chain? Let's unlock it quickly."
Xiao Sui clutched his wrist. "No, this really can't be untied."
"So you plan to stay locked up here forever?" the princess's voice rang out, slightly annoyed. "Don't forget, you still have to serve me every night."
"But...it really can't be untied." He looked at the princess with a hint of pleading. He didn't know when he would lose control, or what he would do in a state of loss of control.
Ning Qi fell silent. Xiao Sui wasn't a bad person at all. She didn't know why he always felt that he would hurt others. Even the system always exaggerated his feelings.
Just like now, he's trying so hard to tie himself up; he looks so pathetic.
"Does it have to be tied up?" Ning Xi asked.
Xiao Sui nodded firmly.
"Alright, go tie him up in my room."
Xiao Sui was stunned. "But..."
Ning Qi ignored his "but", and directly called Qian Yu over, cut his chains, and then ordered, "Tie him to my chaise lounge."
Qianyu looked at Ningxi in surprise, then at Xiao Sui, "Which way of binding?"
Clearly, she had misunderstood. Ning Qi chuckled inwardly, glanced at Xiao Sui, and cleared her throat. "What else could it be?"
Qianyu nodded immediately, "I understand."
So when Ning Qi returned to his room after a day of cultivation on the main peak, he saw a man with his hands tied high up and wearing only a thin undergarment.
His muscular waist and abdomen were faintly visible beneath the semi-transparent fabric, and his strong chest rose and fell with his breath.
A thin blanket covered her legs, but because the blanket was not long enough, it revealed her slender ankles encircled by iron rings. The other end of the iron chain was hidden under the chair, and her bare feet dangled to the ground, their muscles and bones clearly visible.
Ning Qi's breathing immediately became erratic; this was... far too tempting.
Why does this man always look so aroused when he's tied up?
"Princess." He spoke softly, his voice a little hoarse, and unconsciously moved his suspended arm as if to seduce her.
Ning Qi approached, intending to touch the full curve of his chest, but her gaze was drawn to the deep purple arc mark on his neck.
She raised her hand and gently touched it; even that patch of skin wasn't as soft as the rest.
It must have been through years of torment.
The moment his finger touched the ground, Xiao Sui's body trembled, seemingly surprised, and he subconsciously stepped back.
"Don't move." Ning Qi used her thumb and forefinger to hold his chin. The taut muscles softened under her fingers. Xiao Sui raised his head, revealing his long-tortured neck, letting her gently stroke it, as if he had opened his heart to her.
“Princess.” His Adam’s apple bobbed in her palm. “May I touch you?”
Huh? This is a rather unexpected request. Ning Qi was taken aback and looked down at the blanket on his lap. Had she accidentally aroused his feelings by touching it randomly?
That's because I was the one who was always taking advantage.
Ning Qi thought for a moment, stood up, untied the chains binding his hands, and held her own hands in front of him. "Go ahead and touch them. We agreed that you can't touch places you shouldn't touch."
Xiao Sui nodded, groped for her fingers, and then quickly left the place.
Isn't touching his hand enough? Ning Qi stared at his fingers, wanting to see what he would do next.
His fair hand slowly rose, his fingertips touching her chin, gently stroking it a few times, as if sensing something.
Ning Qi felt a little ticklish from his teasing and couldn't help but laugh, "What are you doing?"
Xiao Sui's finger continued upwards, touching the corner of her upturned mouth, pausing briefly.
Ning Qi opened his eyes wide as his fingers traced the outline of her lips, like a soft feather, bringing a subtle tingling sensation that was not unpleasant but rather left the feeling of his fingertips on her lips.
She felt inexplicably nervous.
Xiao Sui carefully and slowly stroked her nose, her eye sockets, and even swept her eyebrows with his thumb, pausing carefully for a moment at each spot.
His expression was also unusually serious.
"What...what are you doing?" Ning Qi asked.
Xiao Sui's finger lingered on the side of her face. "I want to know what you look like."
"You'll know what I look like once your eyes are better, won't you? You can't be sure by touching me like this." Ning Qi grabbed his wrist and said, "I'm very beautiful, you can't imagine me as ugly, understand?"
"No, it won't happen," Xiao Sui replied quickly.
"Or is it that your eyes haven't gotten any better?" Ning Xi asked.
“I can already see a faint light with my left eye,” he replied.
"I heard that your left eye is in better condition; perhaps it will recover to normal first."
Xiao Sui nodded.
He couldn't wait for his eyes to recover. Although the fruit was effective, it wasn't working very quickly, and he probably wouldn't be fully recovered by the time he went on his study tour.
He meticulously recorded all his sensations, not even wanting to miss the fine downy hairs on the princess's face.
He could never piece together her true appearance, but at least before he died, he could completely etch her touch into his heart.
——
As the day of the study tour drew near, Ning Qi's excitement grew. After all, it was her first trip since transmigrating, and she would be secretly bringing Xiao Sui along in front of many disciples—the thought alone was thrilling.
She summoned the maids and guards who were to accompany her on the trip and instructed them not to reveal Xiao Sui's identity to outsiders.
She also had a black guard uniform custom-made for Xiao Sui, complete with a black veiled hat that reached his neck and a long sword at his waist, making him look very respectable.
"There's still one flaw." Ning Qi stroked her chin.
Zhizhi asked, "What?"
"He's so handsome, so eye-catching," Ning Xi said.
Zhizhi was clearly taken aback for a moment, then chimed in, "There's nothing we can do, Young Master Xiao's appearance is indeed too outstanding."
Ning Qi nodded, "Yeah, I'd better stay home as much as possible then."
She removed Xiao Sui's veil and saw his bright red ear tips, then burst out laughing.
Xiao Sui pulled his hat back up to cover his burning cheeks.
On the day of departure, the disciples of Huaguang Sect who were participating in the study tour gathered at the main peak and flew away on their swords.
Ning Qi then rode in a carriage alone, taking Xiao Sui with him through a teleportation array to reach Heyan Academy in Nanyue ahead of everyone else.
A note from the author:
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Chu Fengnian, the hapless fool who was abruptly pulled from his sleep by Zhizhi: "Huh? You mean the princess and her lover are sleeping?"
Qianyu took out a handful of gold beans.
Chu Fengnian: "Sleeping is good, sleeping is good."
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