Chapter 88 Jealousy 2: Call Me Dad
Even after leaving that dark street corner, the atmosphere between the two remained tense and silent, like a taut bowstring.
Ah Qi walked ahead, his steps quick and steady, forcing Fang Ru to jog to keep up. She felt a nameless anger rising within her, yet she was helpless to do anything about it.
The market in the royal court was even more bustling under the afternoon sun, with waves of heat and various smells hitting you in the face.
After walking for a while, Ah Qi suddenly stopped, and Fang Ru almost bumped into his back.
He turned to the side, his brows furrowed slightly, his gaze sweeping over her flushed cheeks and slightly rapid breathing. His tone was harsh: "The Northern Barbarians have the portrait; we can't stay around here. We're going to the Western Rong."
“Xirong?” Fangru frowned. That name represented a deeper desolation and unknown danger. “Isn’t that…”
"Don't you want to go?" Ah Qi interrupted her, a cold smile curving his lips. "It's not too late to go back and find that pretty boy prince, as long as you're not afraid of dragging his entire tribe down with you."
Fangru was speechless at his words, glared at him fiercely, and turned her face away: "I don't need you to remind me! So what if I'm from the Western Rong? Is it worse than being by your side?"
"We'll see when we try." Ah Qi stopped looking at her, turned around and continued walking forward. "Before that, we need to get some things for the journey."
He led her onto a narrower side street, but with more stalls.
The store mainly sells everyday items, low-quality food, and leather goods.
Ah Qi stopped in front of a stall selling dried meat and multigrain cakes.
The stall owner was an old Di man with a face full of wrinkles, who was dozing off with his eyes half-closed.
Ah Qi tapped the wooden board of the stall with his finger and said something in the Di language.
Old Di opened his eyes, his cloudy gaze sweeping over A Qi, then lingering for a moment on Fang Ru behind him.
Fangru deliberately distanced herself from Aqi, pretending to be very interested in a nearby stall selling colored stones and cheap beads.
The rough ornaments reflected a blinding light in the sunlight, just like her chaotic mood at that moment.
“How many of these coarse flatbreads can you eat?” Ah Qi picked up a dark brown flatbread that looked like it could kill someone, and asked without turning his head.
Fangru was already annoyed and retorted irritably, "Do you think this is feeding livestock? Counting them? As long as they don't choke to death, that's fine!"
Ah Qi weighed the piece of bread in his hand and chuckled, "Livestock are much easier to feed than you. I'm just afraid that some people will start crying and complaining of toothaches before they've even finished the bread. Then I won't have anywhere to find a doctor for them."
"Who's crying!" Fangru turned around abruptly, glaring at his back. "Even if all my teeth are broken, it's none of your business! You should worry about yourself. You're old and frail, don't let me break you up and feed you when you can't chew anymore!"
“Oh,” Ah Qi finally turned around, his eyes filled with mockery, “So you’re already thinking about ‘serving’ me? Looks like you’re adapting quite well.”
"You!" Fangru's cheeks flushed red with anger, wishing she could smash the beaded string in her hand into his face.
The old Di stall owner watched them arguing in their broken tongue, grinned with his missing teeth, and said to Ah Qi in broken Common, "Women, troublesome." He seemed to deeply agree.
Ah Qi didn't reply, but continued to select dried meat. He picked up a piece of dried meat, carefully pinched it with his fingers, feeling its dryness and toughness, and frowned slightly, seemingly not very satisfied.
Fangru looked at his focused profile, his serious expression as if he were selecting some treasure, and couldn't help but retort, "Why are you being so picky? You'll just swallow it whole anyway, won't you? Stop pretending!"
Ah Qi paused, turned his head, and gave her a cold look: "What? You think I'm too slow in choosing? Fine, you come here." He pretended to hand her the dried meat, "Let's see if your hands, which are only good for embroidery and writing, can tell good from bad."
Fangru was outmaneuvered. Looking at the dark, oily jerky, she stubbornly retorted, "I'm not eating it! You choose for yourself!"
Just then, a woman carrying two small children and a vegetable basket walked over. She first looked at the dried meat in Ah Qi's hand, then at Fang Ru, who was standing to the side. Although she was dressed simply, she could not hide her elegant temperament and was sulking with a sullen face. A kind smile with a hint of teasing from someone who had been through it all appeared on her face.
She spoke slowly to Fangru in heavily accented Common:
"Young lady, you're so lucky! Look at your husband, he's so thrifty! He even picks the firmest, most durable kind of dried meat. Are you going on a long trip? He knows that this kind of dried meat will keep you full longer on the road. He really cares about you and doesn't want you to go hungry!" The woman said, pointing to the much softer-looking fresh meat in her basket. "People like us who only travel around the neighborhood buy the softer kind. Your husband is so thoughtful!"
Fangru's face flushed bright red instantly, even her ears turned crimson.
She felt like she was being roasted over a fire, both anxious and embarrassed. She quickly waved her hands, raising her voice eight octaves: "Grandma, you've misunderstood! He's not my man! We...we're not in that kind of relationship at all!" She was eager to clear her name, her tone resolute.
The woman, clearly used to seeing shy new brides, simply assumed Fangru was just being bashful and smiled sweetly, "Oh, I know, I know, it's not a man, it's a lover! It's all the same, all the same! Look at their handsome appearance, what a perfect match!"
Fangru almost fainted; this was just making things worse!
Just then, Ah Qi had already paid and packed up the selected dried meat and biscuits.
He turned around and saw Fangru blushing as she explained to the woman, and the woman's knowing smile.
He walked a few steps to Fangru's side, so close that he could almost feel each other's body temperature. Then, very naturally, he reached out and took the bag of hard, coarse biscuits that Fangru had been holding from her arms, as if he had done this action a thousand times before.
He looked down at Fangru, who wished she could disappear into the ground, and asked in a low voice with a hint of mischief, "What did she say to you?"
Fangru felt alarm bells ringing in her head, her scalp tingling. She didn't dare look him in the eye, her gaze darting away as she mumbled, "N-nothing... I didn't say anything! I just... I just asked for directions..."
Ah Qi raised an eyebrow, his deep gaze lingering for a moment on her still-blushing earlobe, then glancing at the woman's retreating figure as she shook her head and left with a smile. A knowing yet slightly wicked smile slowly curved his lips.
“I heard everything,” he said slowly and confidently.
Fangru's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm, even exclaiming with a hint of bluff, "What did you hear? Are you deaf?"
Ah Qi leaned down, close to her ear, his warm breath brushing against her sensitive skin, and said clearly, word by word, in a voice only the two of them could hear: "She said... we two look very compatible. We're a match made in heaven."
"You're talking nonsense!" Fangru shoved him away abruptly, her eyes wide with shame and indignation, her voice trembling noticeably. "She clearly said... she said you're old and ugly, of low character and bad temper, and that you're not good enough for me! She told me to find someone else!" She practically shouted it out, as if the louder she spoke, the more convincing she would be.
Ah Qi wasn't angry when she pushed him away. Instead, he stood there with his arms crossed, chuckling softly. His laughter was pleasant and deep, attracting the attention of people at the nearby stalls.
He watched her furious and reckless outburst, a strange light flickering in his eyes.
"Oh? So you think I'm old and ugly, of low character, and have a bad temper?" He drawled, enjoying her predicament. "Then who was it that just now preferred to follow this 'old and ugly' fugitive to the Western Rong rather than return to the tribe with that young and handsome prince to enjoy a life of luxury? Hmm?"
"I...I was..." Fangru stammered, her face flushed red, and after a long while she managed to stammer out, "I was weighing the pros and cons! It was a strategy! It was...it was being blinded by a leaf!"
"Strategy? Blinded by a leaf?" Ah Qi repeated, stepping closer to her, his eyes filled with pressure. "Then how long will your strategy and 'blinded by a leaf' last? Will they heal themselves by the time you reach Xirong?"
"Mind your own business!" Fangru couldn't argue with him, so she picked up the package of dried meat from the ground, turned around and left, her steps quick and hurried, as if she could shake off the annoying laughter and gaze behind her.
As Ah Qi watched her almost fleeing figure, the smile on his face gradually faded, turning into a complex and unfathomable depth.
He weighed the coarse bread in his hand and followed at a leisurely pace, always keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, like a wolf patiently tracking its prey.
The two walked out of the market one after the other, leaving the noise and heat behind.
Silence spread through the sweltering air, carrying the dryness of sand and dust.
Fangru kept a straight face and deliberately kept his distance, as if he were carrying a plague.
Only when he was far away from the last trace of the market's hustle and bustle, with only the sound of the Gobi Desert wind and the faint sound of camel bells in the distance, did Ah Qi stop at the end of a quiet, secluded alleyway, weathered and worn by the wind and sand.
He took out a few coins, whispered a few words to the old man squatting in the corner with a blurred face, and rented the most inconspicuous low mud house at the end of the alley.
"I'll stay here tonight." He pushed open the creaking wooden door, which looked like it might fall apart at any moment, his tone calm and unquestionable, and stepped aside to let people in.
The mud house was dimly lit, and a somber atmosphere mixed with dust, mildew, and smoke filled the air.
Fangru stood at the door, hesitatingly looking inside.
The room was low and dark, with rough yellow earth walls. There was only a kang (a heated brick bed) that took up most of the space and a dilapidated wooden table that looked like it was about to collapse.
This scene inevitably reminded her of that unbearable experience at the brewery, and her stomach churned.
"What?" Ah Qi turned around, his eyes sharp as a hawk in the dim light, precisely catching the fleeting fear and resistance on her face. "Afraid I'll eat you?"
"Who's afraid of you!" Fangru was provoked by the contempt in his words, and her heart flared up. She stiffened her neck and stepped over the threshold, but deliberately chose the corner farthest from the earthen bed, and sat down with her back against the cold earthen wall, as if that was the only safe zone.
Ah Qi gave a barely audible sneer, slammed the wooden door shut with his backhand, and expertly bolted it down.
The soft click of the lock closing was amplified infinitely in the small, silent space, becoming exceptionally jarring and completely cutting off the faint sunlight outside and any chance of escape.
Night fell as quickly as ink over the Gobi Desert, and a chill began to seep in from all directions, especially from the unseen cracks in the walls.
Ah Qi lit the small, greasy oil lamp on the table. The tiny flame flickered and cast distorted shadows of the two people onto the uneven wall, like ghostly figures.
Fangru hugged her arms tightly; her thin clothes could not ward off the bone-chilling cold, nor could they ward off the growing fear within her.
She watched as Ah Qi sat down at the table, nonchalantly drawing his ever-present dagger and, under the dim light, slowly and meticulously wiping the sharp blade with a piece of suede.
His movements were focused and steady, the cold glint of the blade flowing with his actions, occasionally illuminating his lowered eyelashes and the inscrutable profile of his face. The dangerous aura hidden beneath that focused expression made her heart tighten, and she could almost hear her own heart pounding like a drum.
"When...when do we set off for Xirong?" She licked her dry lips, trying to break the suffocating silence with her voice, which trembled almost imperceptibly.
Ah Qi wiped the dagger without pausing, his tone flat and even: "Tomorrow at dawn."
"Then...where will I sleep?" She mustered her courage, her gaze quickly sweeping over the only piece of furniture in the room, the large earthen bed, before immediately looking away.
"Suit yourself." He didn't even look up, his voice devoid of emotion. "But I'm just warning you, scorpions often come out in this area at night, and they like to burrow into warm places."
Fangru's face turned pale instantly, and her fingers unconsciously clenched the hem of her clothes.
Just as she was struggling internally about whether to endure the cold and the possible insects and scorpions, or to approach the source of danger, Ah Qi suddenly made a move.
He put down the dagger and slowly stood up.
The light from the oil lamp made his figure appear even taller, and the shadow he cast seemed to approach step by step, completely enveloping her as she huddled in the corner.
Fangru's heart pounded wildly. She tried to stand up in a panic, but her back was already pressed against the cold, hard earthen wall, leaving her nowhere to retreat.
"What...what do you want to do?" Her voice trembled with fear.
Before he finished speaking, Ah Qi had already pulled out a rough piece of hemp rope from somewhere.
He leaned down and grabbed her slender wrist with such force that she had no chance to resist. The heat of his palm and the undeniable control she felt as their skin touched.
"Let me go!" Fangru struggled in panic, her wrists aching from his grip. "What are you going to do now? What right do you have to tie me up?!"
"Make sure you don't suddenly have a change of heart in the middle of the night, or get 'blinded' again and run back to that pretty boy prince." His voice was cold and devoid of any emotion. He deftly brought her wrists together, wrapped them around the sturdy wooden frame at the head of the bed, and quickly tied them into a tight knot.
"You bastard! Shameless!" Fangru trembled with rage, tears of humiliation welling in her eyes. "Even if I die, I will never..."
"Won't what?" He suddenly leaned closer, his hot breath carrying a faint scent of alcohol, forcefully brushing against her cheeks and neck, sending a shiver down her spine. "Won't be like this now, completely powerless, at my mercy?"
His fingers traced the lines of her taut jawline with a light, slow motion, sending a shiver down her spine. "Didn't you keep saying I was too old? Didn't you swear I wasn't good enough for you?" His voice deepened, carrying a dangerous, suppressed huskiness.
Fangru abruptly turned her face away, avoiding the intrusion of his fingers and breath, and bit her lower lip tightly.
"Since you think I'm too old to be worthy..." His voice suddenly turned gloomy, with a wicked intimacy, his lips almost touching her earlobe, his warm breath penetrating her, "then call me 'Father' and let me hear it."
"You're dreaming!" Fangru stared wide-eyed in disbelief, humiliation and anger making her blood rush to her head.
"Not going to moan?" He chuckled softly, a laugh devoid of any warmth. His fingers, which had been lingering on her chin, slid down, pinching her lightly but firmly with a punitive force that made her gasp in pain, her body involuntarily shrinking back.
“I have plenty of ways to make you talk.” He pressed his entire body against hers, trapping her in the narrow space between him and the wall. Fangru could clearly feel the heat from his chest and the tension in his muscles, as well as the undeniable, poised change. This clear threat made her freeze instantly, her blood seemingly freezing.
“Or…” His voice was terribly hoarse, his eyes were dark, churning with naked desire and some kind of destructive impulse, and he moved with a strong hint of suggestion, “Do you prefer me to use another ‘method’? That way… might make you realize better who is the only person you can rely on and must obey right now.”
His body was pressed tightly together... every inch of contact felt like igniting a flame.
That irresistible masculine strength and burning body temperature, mixed with the faint smell of sweat, dust, and a hint of alcohol on his body, created a dizzying, aggressive aura that enveloped her completely.
(Reviewer, please take a close look. What exactly is wrong with this passage? Is it that smells shouldn't be mentioned? Or is it that psychological states shouldn't be mentioned?)
Fear eventually overwhelmed shame and anger, and the instinct for survival made her realize that any fierce resistance at this moment could lead to even more terrible consequences.
Tears streamed silently down her face, soaking her temples. Finally, she managed to squeeze out two words from deep within her throat, barely audible, trembling with uncontrollable sobs:
"...Father."
"I can't hear you." He moved closer, his nose almost touching hers, their hot breaths mingling, their lips separated by only a thin line, forcing her to give an even more humiliating response.
“…Father!” Fangru closed her eyes in despair, and more tears welled up and rolled down her pale cheeks.
Ah Qi seemed finally satisfied, letting out a low, hoarse, almost pleasurable chuckle from his throat. The chuckle sounded exceptionally clear and cruel in the silent night.
However, this humiliating address did not make him let her go. Instead, it was as if a forbidden switch had been turned on, igniting a deeper, darker fire in his eyes.
In the darkness, his heavy, desire-filled breathing mingled with her suppressed, broken sobs.
He whispered in her ear, his deep, hoarse voice uttering obscene and vulgar words. Every word was like a barbed whip, deliberately and slowly torturing her remaining dignity and shame, dragging her into a deeper vortex of despair and lust.
"Then call out 'Father'"
"Keep shouting..."
"...Weren't you supposed to be aloof? Hmm? You're still..."
"...You think I'm too old? Now you know who can make you..."
Fangru clenched her teeth, but her soul seemed to have been detached, leaving only endless coldness and numbness.
,,,
Occasionally, when pushed too far, she would retort in a broken voice, "Bastard... beast..."
Her curses were weak and powerless, which only fueled Ah Qi's dark desire to conquer.
For Fangru, that night was as long as purgatory.
The next day, Fangru was practically half-carried and stuffed into a simple carriage by Aqi.
She was sore all over, as if she had been taken apart and put back together. She didn't even have the strength to lift a finger. She could only lie limply in the carriage covered with old felt, her face pale and her eyes dark and swollen.
(Please have the reviewer take a close look and see what the problem is with this section.)
The carriage bumped along, the sound of its wheels rolling over gravel monotonously and dullly.
We slowed down as we approached a busy intersection.
The sounds of passersby talking could be heard outside the car window, initially indistinct, but gradually becoming clearer:
"...Have you heard? The Great Khan is furious!"
"Is it about Prince Arslan?"
"That's right! They say he was assassinated by a group of Xia women! His body is still lying in the royal tent..."
"The Great Khan has already ordered the mobilization of troops from all tribes, and it looks like he's about to send troops to the Xia Kingdom! This battle seems unavoidable..."
It was like a thunderclap exploding in my ears!
Fangru suddenly opened her eyes wide, her exhaustion and pain instantly replaced by immense terror!
A woman from the Xia Kingdom assassinated a prince? The Northern Di are going to attack the Xia Kingdom? This...this is clearly a frame-up! It's an excuse to start a war!
She instantly thought of her father, who was far away in the Xia Kingdom, and the potential devastation that might result from this.
A strong sense of responsibility and fear gripped her heart, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
She has to do something! She must find out the truth and the real killer to stop this war!
But how to investigate? The only possible clue might be in the tent where Prince Arslan's body was kept!
The place is heavily guarded, and ordinary people simply cannot get close...
Her gaze involuntarily drifted to the outside of the carriage curtain. Ah Qi was sitting on the carriage shaft, his back to her, silently driving the carriage.
Only a man as skilled and audacious as him might have the ability to sneak in there.
But... sending him? That would be like sending him into a den of dragons and tigers!
If they had continued along this path, they would have soon been able to leave the sphere of influence of the Northern Di royal court and head to the relatively safer Western Rong.
Now, how could he possibly agree to go back and infiltrate the most heavily guarded royal tent? Why should he risk such danger for the sake of the Xia Kingdom and for her?
Fangru was in a state of utter confusion, her hands gripping the hem of her dress tightly. How could she begin?
Just then, she suddenly remembered that when Ah Qi left the carriage to fetch water from the river, he seemed to look unwell, and when he returned, the atmosphere around him seemed even more oppressive.
She was in a daze at the time and didn't pay attention, but now that she thought about it carefully, could it be...? She vaguely seemed to have caught a glimpse of Prince Parha, whom she had met briefly at the market yesterday, passing by with his entourage.
Did Ah Qi see something and misunderstand something?
A thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
The carriage swayed and moved forward for a while longer. Fangru took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and called out to the outside in a weak and hoarse voice, "Aqi... come in for a moment."
Ah Qi outside paused, seemingly somewhat surprised.
He reined in his horse, lifted the carriage curtain, and stepped inside, bringing with him the chill of the outside air.
The carriage suddenly felt crowded.
He looked at her pale, haggard face, her eyes filled with complex emotions, his brows furrowing slightly, and his tone was less than friendly: "What is it?"
Fangru lowered her eyelashes, avoiding his scrutinizing gaze. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes, her voice low, carrying a deliberate, as if carefully considered, distance.
"I... have changed my mind. I'm not going to Xirong."
Ah Qi's eyes suddenly turned cold.
He stared at her, recalling the nameless anger that had surged within him when he caught a glimpse of Prince Parha earlier. Now, upon hearing her words, he felt a surge of rage rising to his head.
A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips, his voice laced with suppressed anger:
"Oh? Not going to Xirong? Then where do you want to go? Back to find that pretty boy prince?"
Before he finished speaking, his tall figure had already approached, exuding an undeniable sense of oppression, trapping her in the corner of the carriage.
His eyes were deep and unfathomable, churning with an undercurrent that Fangru was familiar with, yet which terrified her.
Fangru's heart tightened, and she instantly understood what he wanted to do.
Why...why is this person always like this!
Why resort to this method to confirm or punish something at the slightest disagreement?
She quickly used her hands to block his pressing chest, her voice trembling with urgency:
No! Listen to me!
Ah Qi paused, but his eyes remained sharp as he stared at her, as if trying to see through her lie.
Fangru took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She quickened her pace and said clearly, "I'm not going to find him! I'm going to the place where Prince Arslan's body is kept. Someone framed me, and I must find out the truth and find the real murderer! Otherwise, I'll be stuck with this blame, and it might even trigger a war between the two countries!"
She paused, meeting his scrutinizing gaze, and deliberately emphasized with a resolute determination to draw a clear line: "This is my own matter, I'll investigate it myself. I don't need your help. You... you can continue to Xirong, and we'll part ways here!"
A brief silence fell over the carriage, broken only by the two people's slightly rapid breathing.
The coldness and anger in Ah Qi's eyes strangely dissipated a little after she finished speaking.
He kept his eyes fixed on her, but the terrifying sense of oppression had lessened.
It turns out that she wasn't going to find that pretty boy, but to clear her name and even to avoid war.
His taut jawline softened slightly, and he suddenly chuckled softly, with an ambiguous meaning. He sat down next to her again, no longer in that aggressive posture, but still very close.
"You?" His tone was unreadable, neither mocking nor anything else. "A lone person, powerless as a chicken, trying to investigate a case in the important Northern Di royal court? You'd probably be hacked to pieces before you even reached the tent where the corpses were kept."
Fangru pursed her lips, knowing he was telling the truth, but she refused to back down: "That's none of your business! At worst, death is better than this..."
"Is it better than anything?" Ah Qi interrupted her, his eyes deep. "Is it better than owing me a favor? Or is it better than... being with me?"
Fangru turned her face away and did not answer.
Ah Qi looked at her stubborn profile, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly said, "I'll take you there."
Fangru turned her head in astonishment, staring at him in disbelief. Hadn't he just been…
Ah Qi met her gaze, his tone returning to its usual calmness, even with a hint of nonchalance: "What? You don't believe me? I've changed my mind, is that not okay?"
"Why?" Fangru couldn't help but ask. This was too unusual. Infiltrating the royal tent to examine the prince's body was more than ten times riskier than fleeing to the Western Rong!
Ah Qi twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a roguish smile: "I feel sorry for you, okay? Besides, I'm also quite curious which bastard is behind this, almost dragging me into this mess too."
This reason seemed plausible, but Fangru always felt it wasn't that simple.
However, with his help, the chances of success were indeed much greater. Suppressing her doubts, she pressed on, "Then...when do we set off?"
Ah Qi did not answer immediately.
His gaze lingered on her face, from her pale lips to her trembling eyelashes, which were slightly fluttering with nervousness, and finally settled on her clear yet worried eyes.
His gaze gradually took on a deeper meaning, and the heat that had subsided seemed to reignite quietly.
He reached out and gently brushed his fingers across a strand of hair that had fallen across her cheek, a gesture that was both unsettling and tender, so unlike his usual coldness.
His voice lowered, becoming slightly hoarse, and sounded particularly ambiguous in the cramped carriage:
"What's the rush? The night is long... We're very close to the royal court, we can leave tonight."
Fangru's heart skipped a beat, and she instantly understood the meaning in his eyes.
The atmosphere, which had just eased slightly, instantly became tense and dangerous again.
She instinctively tried to back away, but her back pressed firmly against the cold car wall.
“You,” her voice tightened, with obvious resistance, “at a time like this, you still have the mind to think about this?”
Ah Qi's fingers lingered on her chin, applying slight pressure to force her to lift her face towards him.
His eyes burned, perhaps driven by possessiveness, or perhaps simply by emotion.
“It is precisely at times like these,” he leaned down, his warm breath brushing against her ear, his voice low and seductive, that you need to… calm yourself down.
His kiss, with undeniable force, landed, silencing all her unspoken protests and arguments.
Inside the carriage, the temperature suddenly rose, and panting replaced words.
Fangru's resistance was futile in the face of his strength. In the end, she could only close her eyes and let the mixture of helplessness, submission, and a secret tremor overwhelm her...
(Excuse me, reviewer, what's wrong with this passage? Are environmental and psychological descriptions not allowed?)
After an unknown amount of time, the wind stopped and the rain ceased.
Fangru huddled in the corner, wrapped in her somewhat disheveled clothes, feeling as if all her strength had been drained from her body.
The carriage was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere that hadn't yet dissipated. She looked at Ah Qi, whose breathing had calmed down and who was tidying his clothes, and couldn't help but speak softly with a hint of resentment and doubt, her voice still hoarse from their lovemaking: "Do you... do you still have the strength to investigate the case?" The question carried a subtle provocation that she herself was unaware of.
Ah Qi paused in fastening his belt and turned to look at her.
In the dim light, a smug and roguish smile curled at the corners of his mouth, his eyes shining with an astonishing brightness, as if the exhilarating "exercise" just now had only injected him with new vitality.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow, his tone full of provocation and a certain wicked amusement. "You look down on your man?" He deliberately emphasized the words "your man," with a strong sense of possessiveness.
Instead of backing away, he knelt on the cushion and leaned closer again, pinching her flushed cheek lightly with his fingers. "You think I'm not strong enough? Who was begging for mercy just now? Hmm?"
Fangru's face instantly turned bright red, both ashamed and angry, and she slapped his hand away:
"You...you're talking nonsense! Who begged for mercy!"
"Oh? You didn't beg for mercy?" Ah Qi's smile deepened, tinged with mockery. "Then was that a ghost who just whispered 'No more' and 'I can't take it anymore' in my ear?" He imitated her soft sobs perfectly.
"You...you're shameless! Vulgar!" Fangru was so angry that she trembled all over, wishing she could bite him. She wrapped herself in her clothes and shrank into the corner, like a frightened rabbit, but she still glared at him fiercely.
"Is this already vulgar?" Ah Qi chuckled, his voice magnetic and husky. "I still have even more vulgar energy to spare. How about... we discuss this further and see if I still have any 'energy' left to investigate the case?" As he spoke, his hand was already reaching for the edge of her tightly wrapped clothes.
Fangru screamed in fright and pushed him away with her hands and feet: "Get away! Who wants to discuss this with you! Go investigate your case! Don't touch me!"
Seeing that she was truly flustered, like a cat with its fur standing on end, Ah Qi finally withdrew his hand with satisfaction, sat up straight again, but the roguish smile on his face didn't disappear. "Now you know fear?" He slowly adjusted his cuffs. "Weren't you pretty bold when you were questioning me just now?"
"That was...that was a reasonable concern based on facts!" Fangru said stubbornly, though her heart was still pounding.
"Concerned?" Ah Qi chuckled, his gaze sweeping over her slender neck, which was exposed and still bore a few red marks, with a meaningful look. "Don't worry, I'm full of energy, enough... well, to investigate the case while 'taking care' of you."
He deliberately emphasized the word "take care of," which earned him another sharp glare from Fangru.
"Who needs your help! You'd better put all your energy into investigating the case, so as not to... so as not to have too much energy and think of crooked ways!" Fangru retorted, blushing.
"Unorthodox methods?" Ah Qi leaned closer, almost nose to nose, lowering his voice to an extremely ambiguous tone, "Just now, I wondered who it was, whose body language was much more honest than their words..."
"Shut up!" Fangru was filled with shame and indignation. She reached out to cover his mouth, but he easily grabbed her wrist.
Seeing her exasperated and helpless expression, Ah Qi finally stopped teasing her, let go of her hand, and regained his composure, though a trace of a smile lingered in his eyes. "Take a nap," he said, his tone becoming steady and carrying an undeniable authority, "We'll set off this afternoon. I'll take you through Dragon Pool and Tiger Pass."
Fangru watched his expression change instantly, and the certainty of a strong person and a guardian calmed her flustered heart a little.
She silently curled up, pulled her clothes up to cover half her face, leaving only her eyes showing, and gave him a complicated look.
The road ahead is fraught with danger and uncertainty, and this wicked, domineering yet unexpectedly reliable man is her only lifeline at this moment.
She closed her eyes, stopped arguing with him, and finally only her steady breathing could be heard in the carriage.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
