Chapter 87 Jealousy: Besides using force, what else can you do?! ...
The darkness, like thick ink, swallowed everything.
With sight rendered meaningless, Fangru could only rely on her other senses to perceive this suffocating, cramped space. His scalding, branding body temperature, his heavy, trapped-beast-like breathing, and his eyes were all on her neck.
Even in absolute darkness, she could clearly "feel" those incredibly bright eyes, staring intently at her as if they were real, carrying an unfathomable undercurrent she could not comprehend.
Time seemed to stand still, each moment stretched out infinitely.
She could feel the rough blanket rubbing against her back, feel the shiver as his fingertips traced her skin, and feel how that irresistible force was tearing her apart and devouring her.
She bit her lower lip tightly, locking all her sobs and pleas deep in her throat.
After an unknown amount of time, it was as if a sandstorm that had swept everything had finally passed, and all was quiet.
The weight on my body suddenly disappeared.
Ah Qi stood up briskly, tidying his clothes with a rustling sound. His movements were without the slightest hesitation or lingering affection, as if the intense entanglement that had almost burned them both to ashes was just a dream, or a task that had nothing to do with him.
Fangru remained curled up on the bed, like a butterfly ravaged by a storm.
His clothes were torn and disheveled, and clear finger marks and a deep, bone-chilling pain remained on his exposed skin.
She didn't shed a tear; tears seemed too pale in the face of such utter crushing.
A chill emanated from within, causing her to tremble slightly uncontrollably.
She groped around, pulling at the torn pieces of fabric to barely cover herself, her voice hoarse from prolonged repression and current physical and mental exhaustion:
"Now...are you satisfied?"
Ah Qi paused almost imperceptibly with his hand fastening his belt. He didn't turn around; his back looked stiff and indifferent in the dim light.
Fangru used all her strength to sit up, her body feeling like it was falling apart.
His gaze fell blankly on that tall, straight back, and each word seemed to be squeezed out from a crack in the ice: "Take me away from here."
She paused, took a breath, and continued in that broken yet resolute voice, "Then, sell me. Sell me to anyone, slave traders, tribal chiefs...anyone will do." Her nails dug deeply into her palms. "As long as I'm not by your side."
Ah Qi finally turned around slowly.
The faint light filtering through the tent flaps outlined his sharply defined profile, his deep eyes shimmering in the shadows, their emotions unreadable: "You really want to leave me that badly?"
"Yes." Fangru's answer was resolute, with a kind of despair that came after destruction. "Looking at you for even a moment longer," she said softly, but each word carried weight, "makes me feel disgusted."
Ah Qi's lips curled into a faint, cold smile, as if mocking himself, yet also as if making a decision: "Fine, as you wish."
While the chaos caused by the prince's sudden death in the camp had not yet completely subsided, Ah Qi, with her, like two ghosts, moved through the gaps between shadows and noise, and finally escaped without any danger.
Stepping into the vast and desolate Gobi Desert, the icy night wind instantly enveloped them. Fangru silently followed behind Aqi, deliberately keeping a few steps away, as if that invisible space was her last barrier. Underfoot was rough sand and gravel; each step felt like measuring the distance between her and the past, and between herself and him.
As dawn broke, they stopped to rest behind a small earthen slope that offered shelter from the sandstorm.
Ah Qi took out a piece of black, hard, rock-like dried meat and a small leather water bag from his bag and threw them at her feet.
Fangru silently picked it up and took small bites of the dry, hard jerky. It tasted like cardboard, and she swallowed it with difficulty, using the slightly cool water as a substitute.
"Follow me, and at least you'll survive." Ah Qi's voice suddenly rang out, its sound muffled by the wind in the empty Gobi Desert at dawn.
Fangru raised her eyes, her gaze filled with clear sarcasm, and looked at him: "Survival in exchange for your body?" She tugged at the corners of her mouth, her smile pale and powerless, "Then it's better to sell to someone who knows their stuff, at least there's a price tag, cash on delivery, no... favors owed." She spoke the last two words with exceptional softness, yet they were like needles.
Ah Qi's eyes darkened, like a frozen lake: "Are you so sure the next buyer will be a good man?"
“No matter how bad,” Fangru met his gaze without flinching, “could I be worse than you?” She paused, then added, her voice low but each word clear, “You’re nothing but… a robber who takes advantage of others in distress.”
A flash of malice appeared in Ah Qi's eyes.
He stared at her, then suddenly chuckled softly. The laughter sounded somewhat abrupt in the wilderness, carrying an indescribable wickedness: "Fine," he stopped laughing, his tone filled with a defiant ruthlessness, "Since you think I'm a bandit and that following me is beneath you, I'll take you to a 'good place' and find you a 'good home'!"
He seemed to be enraged, and deliberately changed direction, taking her towards a market that was said to be more bustling and chaotic, as if he really wanted to get rid of her immediately.
Soon, they arrived at the market located near the royal court.
The air was filled with the sounds of people, the melodious chimes of camel bells, and the scents of spices, livestock, and dust.
Outside a relatively clean, guarded area of tents, they encountered a young prince surrounded by his retinue.
His clothes were made of luxurious fabric, and his face still retained a youthful clarity, with clean eyes.
His gaze was quickly drawn to Fangru, who, despite her travel-worn appearance and simple clothes, had a straight back and a cool, clear look in her eyes.
Prince Parha walked straight towards Ah Qi, his gaze still fixed on Fang Ru, his tone direct and youthful: "How much for this woman?"
Ah Qi crossed his arms, a cold smile playing on his lips, but his eyes were fixed on Fang Ru with a dark gaze, as if waiting to see what choice she would make.
His tone was deliberately impatient: "Price? Just give me whatever you think is fair. As long as she agrees, she'll go with you right away."
Prince Parha then turned his gaze entirely to Fangru, and said in a gentle tone, "Girl, would you be willing to return to the tribe with me? I will certainly treat you with the utmost respect."
Fangru looked at the young man in front of her, who was completely different from Aqi. His eyes were clear and his manners were polite.
Glancing again at Ah Qi beside him, who exuded an aura of "Just say yes so I can be free," he took a deep breath and said to the prince, "I..."
Just as she was about to utter the word "willing," she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of several people dressed in Northern Di military uniforms at the entrance of the market not far away. They were holding several pieces of parchment and carefully comparing and questioning passersby, especially women.
The profile of one of the portraits looks exactly like her!
Fangru's heart skipped a beat, and a chill ran down her spine.
She couldn't drag this seemingly kind prince down with her! Following him might just harm him!
“…I don’t want to!” she suddenly changed her mind, her voice becoming somewhat sharp due to the abrupt change.
The prince, who was about to take out his money, froze.
Ah Qi, who had been coldly waiting to see her "get what she wanted," was suddenly stunned. The gloom in his eyes was instantly replaced by a glimmer of disbelief, and he even subconsciously took half a step forward.
Fangru didn't have time to explain. She grabbed Aqi's wrist and hissed, "Go!"
Without saying a word, he grabbed the still somewhat dazed Ah Qi and quickly slipped into the crowded people next to him, weaving and twisting his way into a dark street corner piled with clutter.
As soon as they stood still, Ah Qi grabbed her arm and pinned her against the earthen wall. His deep eyes were filled with complex and unfathomable emotions, including astonishment, doubt, and a hint of barely suppressed joy that even he himself was unaware of.
He leaned closer to her, his voice slightly hoarse: "What? Changed your mind? Do you think... I'm better than that pretty boy prince?"
Fangru was still in shock, her chest heaving violently. Hearing his bastard words, she was so angry that she kicked his shin, though it wasn't very hard.
She glared at him, her voice quick and urgent, filled with a lingering anger and unmistakable contempt:
"You wish! I saw the Northern Di soldiers questioning me with my portrait! I can't implicate him! Someone like him is clean and innocent; if he gets involved, he's finished!"
She took a breath, and seeing Ah Qi's face darken instantly, she continued to shout recklessly, "You piece of trash, with a worthless life and enemies everywhere, it's safest for you to be on the run with me! It's no wonder they traced you back to you!"
The light on Ah Qi's face instantly went out, and his eyes turned pitch black and terrifying.
He tightened his grip on her arm, almost gritting his teeth as he forced out a sentence: "Ha! So you only think of me when you're in danger? Using me as a shield?"
"So what if I am!" Fangru retorted, tilting her head back to meet his gaze. "Is that all you're good for? Don't you understand the importance of making the most of your resources?"
"Make the best use of everything?" Ah Qi laughed angrily, then slammed his other hand against the earthen wall beside her ear, completely enveloping her in his shadow. "Am I just an object in your eyes? An object that collects junk?"
"You have a very accurate self-awareness!" Fangru retorted without backing down. "It's good that you know you're a junk collector! So this 'hot potato' of mine is perfect for you, the 'King of Junk Collectors'!"
"Ha!" Ah Qi leaned closer to her, his hot breath hitting her face. "Hot potato? I'm thick-skinned, I can handle the heat! I'm just afraid your sweet potato won't be hot enough, it'll cool down halfway and hurt your teeth!"
"Don't worry!" Fangru retorted, "Even if I'm cold and turn to stone, I can still knock out a few of your teeth!"
"Broken Tooth?" Ah Qi's eyes were dark as he locked his gaze on her lips, which opened and closed, uttering harsh words.
Just now, when those lips were facing that pretty boy prince, were they almost about to obediently say "yes"? Did they show that prince a genuine, gentle smile that he had never received before?
The thought of her being shy and gentle in front of that prince, so different from how she treated him, contrasted sharply with her prickly and murderous demeanor in front of him now, triggered a violent surge of intense jealousy, resentment, and pain, which overwhelmed his last shred of reason like lava.
He rescued her from danger, and even in that chaotic tent, deep down he might have harbored a twisted desire to please her that he himself was unwilling to admit, only to be met with her label of "a robber taking advantage of someone in distress" and an undisguised look of contempt. As for the prince, it was only their first meeting, and after a few sweet words, she felt sorry for him being implicated and hastily distanced herself from him.
On what grounds?
Why should he only earn her disgust and exploitation, while that pretty boy easily gains her protection?
"Is that so?" His voice suddenly lowered, taking on a dangerous hoarseness. "Then I'll have to taste just how hard this stone of yours really is!"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly leaned down and, with an undeniable, punitive force, fiercely seized her lips that were uttering hurtful words!
"Ugh!" Fangru opened her eyes wide in horror, all the curses and sarcasm she was about to utter were rudely cut off by him, turning into a muffled sob.
His kiss was anything but gentle; it was full of aggression and venting anger, like a storm sweeping across the room, biting and sucking, with a fierce determination to completely devour her and brand her.
His hot, burning breath lingered between her lips and teeth, along with his unique scent—a mixture of wind, sand, sweat, and a dangerous aura—dominantly filling all her senses.
She struggled desperately, pounding her fists on his chest and arms with all her might, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree; she couldn't budge him an inch.
His arms gripped her slender waist like iron hoops, almost breaking her, while his other hand gripped the back of her neck, his fingertips digging into her loose hair, forcing her to tilt her head back and endure the kiss that carried anger and declaration.
Only when she was almost suffocating and her struggling strength was gradually weakening did Ah Qi suddenly release her. Their foreheads touched, and their breathing was erratic.
Ah Qi looked at her glistening, swollen lips and her face flushed from lack of oxygen and anger, his eyes churning with an undercurrent of emotion and complex feelings. His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of barely perceptible bitterness:
"Now you know, right? Even if I'm trash, a junk collector, I'm still trash you can't get rid of! Can that pretty boy give you that kind of 'security'? Hmm?"
Fangru was breathing heavily, tears of humiliation welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
She wiped her lips hard with the back of her hand, her voice trembling with a sob and extreme anger:
"You... what else can you do besides force?! You bastard, you'll never be worth a single finger of someone else!"
Ah Qi's eyes darkened, and he felt a prickling sensation in his heart, but he forced an even more roguish grin onto his face: "Not as good as you? Then who was it that wouldn't let go of me just now?" He deliberately twisted her struggles.
"You're talking nonsense! I was pushing you away!"
"Push me?" Ah Qi raised an eyebrow, his eyes lingering mischievously on her swollen lips. "It felt pretty good. Let's do it again next time."
"You are shameless! You are disgusting!"
"You keep using the same few words to curse, can't you come up with something new?" Ah Qi let go of her, crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, reverting to his lazy and annoying demeanor. "However, your cursing mouth... tastes alright when you kiss it."
"Ah Qi! I'm going to kill you!" Fangru was so angry that she trembled all over, wishing she could pounce on him and bite him.
"Fine, once we're safe, you can do whatever you want with me." Ah Qi shrugged indifferently, but his sharp eyes swept across the street corner. "But right now, you're a hot potato that's 'afraid of implicating good people,' and you still need me, this 'shameless and despicable' bastard, to help you escape. Let's go, if we keep arguing, the soldiers won't be offering us mare's milk wine anymore."
Fangru was so angry that her vision blurred, but she was helpless. She could only stomp her foot angrily, and with a heart full of rage and a chaotic heartbeat that she didn't even want to admit, she followed the back of the person she hated so much.
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