Chapter 48 My Heart Belongs Only to One Person (Part 5) Aphrodisiac
"What does Your Highness think? I have long said that Your Highness will surely like this 'gift'." As he spoke, a young man dressed in a royal blue brocade robe with gold trim stepped out from behind the other man.
Her voice was clear and melodious, yet carried a hint of cynicism.
It was Ji Xianqing; she would never mistake him!
“I hope Your Highness will see such sincerity,” Ji Xianqing bowed slightly towards the man in black. “If there is an opportunity in the future to protect my Zhen’an Marquis’s mansion, my father and I will be eternally grateful and willing to give our lives for Your Highness.”
The "gift" he spoke of... Ye Yixiang felt a chill run through her body, a coldness shooting straight from her feet to the top of her head. Could it be referring to her?!
The Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion is incredibly audacious, treating her like a plaything to be given away at will, using her to curry favor with this high-ranking "His Highness" in exchange for future protection? How dare they?! The Empress Dowager has just betrothed her to Xiao Mo!
The man in black did not immediately respond to Ji Xianqing's words. His gaze seemed to pierce through the dimness of the room and land precisely on Ye Yixiang.
Even though she couldn't see his eyes clearly, Ye Yixiang could feel the condescending scrutiny in his gaze.
The air seemed to freeze, and Ye Yixiang could clearly feel the clamor of desire and the roar of emptiness within her body. She clenched her fingers tightly in her sleeve, her nails digging deep into her palms, trying to use the pain to maintain her crumbling sanity.
Seeing that the man in black remained silent, Ji Xianqing introduced Ye Yixiang in a flippant tone, "Miss Ye, haven't you met her yet..."
Before he could finish speaking, the man in black slightly raised his hand, a casual gesture that carried an undeniable authority, instantly cutting off Ji Xianqing's words.
He finally moved, taking a step forward and slightly emerging from the shadows cast by the backlight, allowing more light from the eaves to outline his sharp jawline, his straight, prominent nose, and his somewhat thin lips. But most of his face, especially his eyes, remained cleverly hidden in the shadows cast by the eaves, indistinct and adding to his mystery and danger.
A deep, slightly magnetic voice rang out, unhurried and steady in tone, yet carrying an innate sense of detachment and control:
"Young Master Ji, you are very thoughtful."
He didn't look at Ji Xianqing; his gaze remained fixed on Ye Yixiang, as if admiring a prey that had just been caught and was making its final, feeble struggle.
“However,” he changed the subject slightly, his tone flat and even, “I don’t like others to interfere in my affairs. This ‘gift’… I accept it. You may leave.”
Ji Xianqing's face paled. He seemed to want to express his loyalty a few more times, but under the invisible yet immense pressure from the other party, he ultimately dared not utter another word. He bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty, I understand. I take my leave. Your Highness... please enjoy yourself."
After saying that, he quickly left the room and carefully closed the door again, isolating the inside from the outside.
With a soft click, the latch seemed to be pulled shut from the outside.
Inside, the light dimmed again, leaving only Ye Yixiang and the mysterious man in black.
The soft sound of the door closing was like a death knell, striking Ye Yixiang's heart heavily.
Every nerve in her body was taut, like a fully drawn bowstring, watching the figure slowly approaching her with a mixture of wariness and despair.
He walked with a steady and elegant gait, his cloud-patterned boots making soft, rhythmic sounds on the cold floor. In the deathly silent room, these sounds were amplified infinitely, each step feeling as if it were treading on her heart.
As he drew closer, the faint scent of ambergris emanating from him became clearer, mixed with an aura of authority that enveloped her like an invisible cage, leaving her nowhere to escape. The fragrance, which should have been dignified and elegant, now made her feel nauseous.
He stopped just a few steps away from her, a distance that crossed the line of safety and was filled with aggression. Finally, the dim light filtering through the window from the veranda was enough to illuminate most of his face.
The moment Ye Yixiang saw his face clearly, her breath almost stopped, and her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an icy hand!
It was an extremely handsome face, even beautiful. His eyebrows and eyes were deep-set, with the corners of his eyes slightly upturned, carrying a touch of lazy charm, yet deep within his eyes lay an unyielding gloom and desolation.
His nose was high and straight, as if carved by a knife; his lips were thin and beautiful; and the corners of his mouth seemed to naturally carry a faint, almost imperceptible curve, a smile that was both enigmatic and enigmatic. Combined, they created an almost otherworldly handsomeness.
Those eyes, a lighter color than most, had an almost glassy quality in the dim light. They were quietly watching her, their eyes devoid of any obvious emotion, like a bottomless pool, calm and still.
It is Prince Ke!
She recognized the face!
Rumors about this Prince Ke instantly flooded my mind: he was Emperor Jingyuan's nominal younger brother, but his true parentage remained a mystery. Some rumors suggested he was the product of a fleeting affair between the Empress Dowager and the King of Western Xia.
Due to his unusual background, he was not favored in his early years, but in recent years, his prestige in the court has risen rapidly, and he has won over many ministers. Now that Emperor Jingyuan is seriously ill, this Prince Ke has probably become a strong contender for the crown prince position. How did he end up here? Did the Marquis of Zhen'an's mansion actually side with him?
"Miss Ye...?" Prince Ke spoke, his voice still deep and magnetic. He slowly uttered the title, a hint of amusement in his voice, "Or perhaps, I should address you as... Princess Ningxiao?"
He knew her identity after all! Ye Yixiang's heart trembled violently. She wanted to retreat, but her body was too weak to muster any strength. Instead, the movement caused the suppressed heat to surge forth even more fiercely, like a wild beast breaking free of its restraints, making her involuntarily let out a soft whimper. She quickly bit her lower lip, tasting an even stronger metallic flavor of blood, trying to use the pain to awaken her fading consciousness.
Seeing her struggling to suppress the reddening in her eyes, her body trembling slightly, yet still striving to maintain her last shred of dignity, a barely perceptible hint of interest seemed to flicker in Prince Ke's eyes. He didn't move any closer, but instead leaned slightly closer to her ear and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:
“Don’t waste your energy. The more you resist this ‘Spring Intoxication’ medicine, the faster it takes effect, and the more… torturous it becomes.” He paused, his voice carrying a cold allure, “Moreover, it has a wonderful feature… that can make people lower their guard and reveal their true feelings.”
Revealing the truth? Ye Yixiang's heart tightened suddenly, and a long-forgotten name flashed through her mind—Ye Lingrou! Her half-sister who had been frail since childhood!
Another rumor about Prince Ke suddenly became clear.
It is said that six years ago, he was the first to lead troops to break through Chang'an City. After personally killing the guards left by his father in the palace, he rushed into the palace without regard for anything and frantically searched for Ye Lingrou! He had an almost obsessive possessiveness towards Lingrou. After the city fell, Lingrou mysteriously disappeared, and he has never given up searching for her for many years!
Could it be... that his actions today, this vile aphrodisiac, were intended to force her to reveal Lingrou's whereabouts?! Does he think she knows?!
This thought made her feel as if she had fallen into an ice cave, and the chill was even more intense than the heat brought by the medicine.
She forced out a few words through clenched teeth, her voice hoarse, trembling uncontrollably, and filled with a despair of blasphemy, "Lingrou... was only ten years old back then, she didn't understand anything... Let... her go..."
"Let her go?" Prince Ke repeated softly, as if he had heard something amusing, a hint of cruel amusement flashing in his eyes. "Tell me, where exactly is Ye Lingrou?"
"Why……"
"Why?" Prince Ke repeated softly, as if finding the question intriguing. He straightened up, looking down at her, a barely perceptible ripple finally appearing in his unfathomable eyes. "Perhaps, it's because you just happened to appear at an... interesting time. Or perhaps,"
He paused, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over her pale yet still stunningly beautiful face. "It's because I, the king, cannot obtain what I desire, so I enjoy destroying what others possess, especially... things that Chu Huaili cherishes as treasures."
His tone remained calm, but when he mentioned the name "Chu Huaili," a cold, sharp glint flashed in his eyes, instantly making Ye Yixiang understand. This was probably not just the Zhen'an Marquis's surrender, but also Prince Ke's provocation against Chu Huaili!
She became a pawn used to attack their opponents in their power struggle!
He leaned closer, his heterochromatic pupils locking onto her dazed eyes: "Miss Ye, you don't have to say anything. Once the drug takes full effect and you've lost all reason, I'll have those guards outside come and act as your 'antidote'."
His tone was nonchalant, but his words were extremely malicious: "Coincidentally, there are a few 'guests' in the meditation room next door. We can't let them... leave disappointed, can we?"
So... there were other people watching the show next door? Ye Yixiang's heart sank completely.
An overwhelming sense of grief and humiliation surged within her, threatening to overwhelm her. She wanted to shout at him, to tear his handsome yet cold face apart, but the fire within her burned ever brighter, and the dam of reason was crumbling inch by inch.
Her vision began to blur, and the figure of Prince Ke gradually turned into overlapping phantoms in her eyes. Only the cold ambergris on his body, like a seductive spell, kept entering her nostrils.
She saw him take another small step forward, the distance between them so close she could almost feel the slight coolness of his clothing. His hand, adorned with a dark jade thumb ring, moved closer to her cheek…
Ye Yixiang stared wide-eyed in terror, using her last bit of strength to try and turn her head away, but her body was limp and wouldn't obey her commands.
The prince's cool fingertips traced her chin, gently pinching her cheek. His other hand slowly traced the shape of her lips, his voice low and seductive: "Tell me, where is she?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com