Volume 1 Сhарtеr 14: Wаnting to Be Неr Possеssion
Yan Shi’s рuрils соntrасted, his brеаth саtching.
His bоdy visibly stiffened, his сhеst feеling аs if wеighеd dоwn by а thоusаnd pounds, hеаvy аnd opprеssive.
Аn invisible hand seеmed tо grip his hеаrt tightly, kneаding it over and оvеr аgаin.
He ореnеd his mouth, but his throаt chоked up.
Нis lashes lоwered, сonceаling thе еmotiоns in his еyes. Thе hand rеsting оn Yun Jiao’s bаck stiffenеd slightly, сurling inwаrd аs he аsked in a hоarse vоiсе, “What did you say?”
His voicе wаs soft and low, like а fеather, but onlу hе knew the immense, earth-shattering waves of emotion suppressed beneath that calm surface.
This was the first time he had ever been chosen.
Even though the other choice was merely a box of jewelry, he was still overwhelmed by the tidal wave of joy that washed over him.
So, he could be chosen too. Words he had never heard before—he longed to hear them again, longed to be chosen once more.
“What did Jiao Jiao say? Can you say it again?” He stroked Yun Jiao’s head, coaxing her gently.
“I said, it’s not the jewelry I like, but the Prince. It has always been the Prince.”
Yun Jiao repeated tearfully. Yan Shi’s hand tightened abruptly, then suddenly relaxed.
Carefully pulling her out of his embrace, he used his large hand to wipe the tears from her face. “Don’t cry anymore. If you keep crying, your eyes will swell, and swollen eyes won’t look good.”
He coaxed her with the gentlest voice he had ever used in his life, his brown eyes tinged with red as he gazed at her, unwilling to look away for even a moment.
“Don’t cry anymore, okay?”
His calloused fingertips brushed against her delicate skin as if wiping away something fragile and precious. Even the motion of wiping her tears was gentle, afraid of hurting her.
He stared intently at her teary eyes, his heart stirring as he kissed her eyelids, carefully following the trail of tears downward.
Her damp eyes, soft cheeks, straight nose, and finally, her cherry-like lips.
He tilted his head slightly, pressing his lips gently against hers, tracing the shape of her lips with the lightest, softest touch.
Yun Jiao lifted her head, her slender neck forming a graceful line, her lips parting like intertwining vines.
Yan Shi followed his instincts, clumsily comforting her.
“Mmm…” Yun Jiao let out a soft moan.
Yan Shi reluctantly released her, feeling a wave of relief wash over him. Finally, she had stopped crying.
At some point, he had become unable to resist those damp, tear-filled eyes.
“Ugly,” he couldn’t help but pinch Yun Jiao’s cheek.
Yun Jiao immediately puffed up like a pufferfish, slapped his hand away, and turned her back to him in a huff.
Just looking at her back, it was clear she was furious.
Yan Shi chuckled softly. “You’ve grown bold, daring to throw a tantrum with This Prince.”
Yun Jiao’s anger deflated, but then she pursed her lips. So what if she threw a tantrum? What could he do to her? At worst, he’d just withhold her meals again.
“Hmph,” she let out a delicate sound, not even daring to raise her voice.
To Yan Shi, it was no different from being scratched by a kitten—not only did it not hurt, but it made his bones go soft and his muscles melt.
No wonder those playboys liked keeping small animals—making them angry and then coaxing them back was truly amusing.
Yan Shi picked Yun Jiao up and placed her on his lap, one arm encircling her waist.
Yun Jiao pouted, pretending to struggle a few times. Yan Shi tightened his legs around her, trapping her as he smiled and watched her.
Their eyes met.
“Hmph,” Yun Jiao turned her head away, refusing to look at him.A deeper smile spread across Yan Shi’s face as he reached into the dressing box and took out a piece of eyebrow pigment. “Not ugly. This Prince spoke wrongly. Let me make it up to you by doing your makeup.”
He gently turned her soft, fair face, holding it steady with one large hand while carefully applying the eyebrow pigment with the other.
Yun Jiao was surprised. “Your Highness knows how to do makeup? That’s amazing!”
She was all thumbs when it came to makeup—either ending up with thick, cartoonish brows or a look that made no difference at all. To her, anyone skilled at makeup was practically a god.
Yan Shi raised an eyebrow, a hint of pride in his expression. Setting down the pigment, he said, “What’s so difficult about it?”
Yun Jiao tried to turn and look in the bronze mirror, but before she could move, Yan Shi gently pulled her face back. “Not done yet. Sit still, or you might fall and hurt yourself. If you start crying again, This Prince won’t comfort you.”
“You’re the one who cries all the time,” Yun Jiao muttered under her breath, pouting slightly.
Her small hands clutched the fabric of his robe at his waist. They were so close that Yun Jiao felt as if a little deer were leaping wildly in her chest.
Yan Shi focused entirely on her face, his strokes light and careful as he leaned in to apply the makeup, then pulled back slightly to examine his work.
The sound of her own heartbeat grew louder in her ears, and Yun Jiao suddenly felt her face grow warm and her heart race.
She cleared her throat softly and asked, “Your Highness is so skilled. Did you practice by doing makeup for other women?”
Her voice carried a hint of jealousy she hadn’t even noticed herself. Yun Jiao felt a pang in her heart, and her tone grew quieter.
Yan Shi glanced at her calmly. “Who would dare get this close to This Prince? Only you, you bold little wildcat.”
Rushing forward without a care for your life.
As he spoke, Yan Shi picked up a box of face powder and began blending it gently onto her skin, his tone unreadable as he continued, “And no one would want to get close to This Prince anyway.”
“I just practiced on myself until I got the hang of it.”
For some reason, a faint sadness seemed to hang in the air.
Yan Shi dabbed a bit of lip rouge onto her lips. “Take a look. Do you like it?”
He gently turned Yun Jiao’s face toward the bronze mirror. The reflection showed cherry-red lips and a delicate nose, her fair skin glowing with a soft pink hue. Her features were both charming and pure—a beauty that could topple cities and captivate nations.
“I love it,” Yun Jiao said, her eyes sparkling. Who wouldn’t love having beautiful makeup done?
“Then what reward does This Prince get?”
Yun Jiao snapped out of her delight and looked at him in disbelief.
How shameless! He was the one who offered to do her makeup.
“Calling This Prince shameless again?” Yan Shi frowned slightly, as if he could read her thoughts. “So ungrateful. This Prince worked hard to serve you—my hand is sore from all that effort—and I can’t even get one reward…”
Before he could finish, a soft, gentle touch landed on his Adam’s apple.
Yun Jiao blushed. “Is that enough?”
Upon closer inspection, a faint crimson lip print was visible on his throat—the lip rouge from Yun Jiao’s lips.
It was like a mark, silently declaring him as her possession.
To be her possession.
Just the thought filled him with immense pleasure. Yan Shi’s mood instantly brightened, a smile gracing his eyes. “My treasure does have a conscience after all.”
When Yan Shi was in a good mood, he was as gentle as a spring breeze, his eyes sparkling like countless stars—intoxicating at a glance. Especially now, with the wind tousling his long hair, he looked as ethereal and aloof as an immortal.
Yun Jiao’s heartbeat quickened uncontrollably. She twirled a strand of his hair around her finger. “Your Highness, how about I help you style your hair?”
Yan Shi raised an eyebrow. “Alright.”
Half a cup of tea later.
Yan Shi looked at Yun Jiao, who was frowning in concentration, and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
Yun Jiao’s face flushed with warmth. She felt as if she were being laughed at.But she truly was clumsy with her hands; she only knew how to tie a high ponytail…
Yun Jiao gave up on the idea of styling her long hair into something elegant and simply tied it up high.
She looked around and realized there was no hair ribbon, and Yan Shi wasn’t in the habit of tying his hair either, but she didn’t want to be mocked by him.
So, with a tearing sound—
Yun Jiao ripped a strip of fabric from the hem of her red dress to use as a hair ribbon, tying it around Yan Shi’s long hair.
Yan Shi seemed caught off guard by her action, his gaze pausing for a moment before a faint, almost imperceptible smile crept into his eyes.
It was a little maddening.
The ribbon was long, hanging down over his shoulder. Yan Shi hooked a finger around it, slowly winding it around.
The hair ribbon torn from her dress not only bound his hair but also bound him.
He loved this feeling of being permeated with her scent everywhere. If only this ribbon were wrapped around his hands, his eyes…
What kind of ecstasy would that be?
His fingers trembled slightly. He wanted… he wanted her to leave her mark all over him.