Vоlumе 1 Сhaptеr 3: Сlimbing intо Нis Вed
Yun Jiao wаs tаken abаck for а mоmеnt, thеn hеr еyеs rеddеnеd—this time she trulу felt like crying.
Не eithеr wаntеd tо gоuge оut hеr еyes оr сhoр off her hands, аnd now hе even wantеd to сut off hеr mоuth.
She had оnly eatеn а fеw bitеs of his foоd—wаs it rеаlly that sеrious?
Shе poutеd, her voiсe trembling with suрpressed sоbs аs shе whimpеrеd, “This mouth of minе is meаnt fоr kissing the Prinсe. Thе Prinсе сan’t…”
Вeforе she cоuld finish sреaking, the face before hеr—bеautiful to the pоint оf being bewitching—suddеnlу loomed closer. Her lips were met with pressure, and a faint, cool scent of sandalwood drifted to her nose.
This was Yan Shi’s first time kissing someone, and he was utterly inexperienced, yet he found himself inexplicably savoring the sensation of that soft, warm tenderness.
Of course, he knew her lips were soft, but why had he deliberately teased her?
He thought to himself that he was merely amusing himself—nothing more, no other intentions.
He hadn’t known what to do next; on a whim, he had pressed his lips to hers. He had always acted on impulse, heedless of the consequences.
Yun Jiao blinked, the moisture in her eyes blurring her vision. Her long, curled lashes fluttered as she tried to speak, her lips parting slightly.
That slight movement happened to catch Yan Shi’s lower lip. His eyelashes trembled, and his body felt as if ants were crawling over it—tingling and numb.
“Mmm…”
Yun Jiao’s lips stung with pain. The tears that had welled up in her eyes had already dampened her lashes, and now they suddenly spilled over, sliding down her cheeks.
As Yan Shi released her, he happened to see the large, round teardrops falling. His handsome, sword-like brows furrowed slightly.
Did it really hurt so much from just one kiss?
But…
Watching the bead of blood gathering on her lip, a wild excitement surged uncontrollably in Yan Shi’s eyes.
Truly, it was most beautiful when tinged with blood.
How he longed to ruin her, to immerse her in a sea of crimson—it would surely be breathtaking.
Yun Jiao ignored the pain on her lips; her intuition told her that he seemed to have some new idea in mind.
Immediately, she cut him off and changed the subject, “Why are there red lanterns hung at your funeral, Prince?”
Yun Shi chuckled softly, “Why shouldn’t there be red lanterns?”
“Aren’t red lanterns only hung for joyous occasions?”
Yun Jiao had more to say—that funerals should have white lanterns instead—but the spot on her lip where he had bitten her still throbbed faintly, and she didn’t dare ask.
Yan Shi smiled contentedly, letting out a low laugh, “Isn’t This Prince’s death a joyous occasion?”
After all, there were plenty of people in this world who wished for his death.
Whether it was an illusion or not, though his words were spoken with a smile, Yun Jiao detected a hint of bitterness in them.
Her small face grew serious, and she frowned, “That’s not true. The Prince’s death is not a joyous occasion.”
Yan Shi raised an eyebrow, lifting his hand to wipe away the bead of blood that had stopped on her lip. His tone was lazily seductive.
“Then tell me, what kind of occasion would be joyous?”
Yun Jiao pondered for a few seconds, “For example, getting married.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Yun Jiao’s eyes widened in realization. She looked up and, sure enough, Yan Shi’s eyes curved into a smile.
“Very well, This Prince agrees.”
“…” Indeed, he thought she meant marrying him.
“From today onward, you are This Prince’s Princess Consort.”
Yan Shi was genuinely pleased now, his smile carrying a touch of pure delight. Only then did Yun Jiao notice the faint dimples on his cheeks.
Yan Shi was truly both bewitching and handsome; even his features seemed as if they had been meticulously carved to perfection.
While Yun Jiao was still lost in her daze, Yan Shi leaned down, his smile widening, “If you keep looking at This Prince like that, your eyes will be gouged out.”Yun Jiao’s eyes turned cold, and the hairs on her back stood on end. Only when Yan Shi saw her frightened, deer-like expression did he feel satisfied.
“But you are This Prince’s little Princess Consort. You are an exception.”
Yun Jiao’s heart, which had just been startled, finally settled back down.
“But from now on, your eyes, your hands, your mouth, and even you yourself—all belong to This Prince.”
Yan Shi spoke with absolute confidence. He should have thought of this wonderful idea long ago. The mere thought that this small, delicate Yun Jiao was his stirred an excitement he could barely contain.
A surge of rebellion rose in his chest. Before the smile in his eyes could fade, a wave of blood rushed up his throat.
Without any warning, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Yan Shi looked weary. Truly, it had been too long since he had felt such excitement—so much so that he had forgotten he had been away from the ice coffin for too long.
“Prince!” Yun Jiao was so frightened that her face turned pale, her hands and feet flustered. She wanted to do something but didn’t know what.
Yan Shi couldn’t help but chuckle at her panicked expression. He wiped his thumb across his lips, staining it with blood, then smeared it across the corner of her eye.
The blood he had tainted her with spread across her fair skin, giving him an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
It was as if a pure, flawless treasure had been dirtied by him—a despicable but delightful feeling.
“Prince! Wuwuwu, Prince!” A crying voice echoed.
The man who had been sitting crying at the door rushed in, supporting Yan Shi. Tears still hung at the corners of his eyes as he wiped them with his sleeve. “Prince, you must lie back in the coffin.”
The man who had been pulling him away earlier also returned. With inexplicable strength, he hoisted the ice coffin without a word and ran into the house.
Then he came back to support Yan Shi on the other side, ready to lead him inside. Before they could take a step, Yan Shi spoke.
“Pay your respects to the Princess Consort.”
The two men, both over eight feet tall—one with reddened eyes, the other expressionless—fell silent for a moment before kneeling in unison.
“We greet the Princess Consort.”
Yun Jiao waved her hand, her gaze filled with concern as she looked at Yan Shi. She didn’t understand why, despite his pale and weak appearance, he still cared about such formalities.
“Chu Yi, help This Prince inside. Chu Er, fetch water and bring it to the room for the Princess Consort to wash.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the expressionless Chu Yi stood up and supported him. The red-eyed Chu Er also rose to help, but Yan Shi shot him a glance.
Chu Er immediately stopped, clenched his fists, glared resentfully at Yun Jiao, then wiped his tears forcefully before going to fetch water.
Yun Jiao: “…”
＊
Guest Room.
Chu Er, with reddened eyes, silently filled the tub with hot water before leaving without a word.
Inside the bathtub.
Yun Jiao half-sank into the water, steam rising gently as her mind gradually cleared.
It seemed—she had probably—traveled through time.
The original Yun Jiao was the legitimate daughter of Yun Manor. At the age of five, she went missing. The Lady of Yun Manor searched for days and encountered another lost girl, Yun Xue, who was born only half an hour earlier than the original. Seeing her pitiful state and overwhelmed by grief, the Lady of Yun Manor took her home to raise.
The missing original Yun Jiao was adopted by a modest family. Though not wealthy, they raised her safely and without incident.
At the age of fifteen, the original Yun Jiao returned to her roots. The Yun Manor pampered her for three years, making her extremely delicate—her skin tender and her appearance blossoming into stunning beauty.
Originally, she was meant to be presented to the Fourth Prince at eighteen. But that year, Yan Shi, who had been away from the capital for years as a hostage, suddenly returned with military achievements.The Yun family changed their minds and sent the original host to the Yan Royal Palace, but Yun Xue sent assassins halfway, causing her to fall off a cliff and die.
By the time Yun Jiao transmigrated, the original host had already been dead for half a year.
During these six months, the capital truly came to know Yan Shi—a man who hid daggers behind his smile, unpredictable in temperament, ruthless in action, driven solely by whim. Anyone he set his sights on became prey to a hawk, pursued relentlessly and without mercy, a dark and vicious predator, a complete madman.
“And a handsome madman at that,” Yun Jiao murmured softly.
For her, having food to eat was enough, but being able to “eat” Yan Shi would be even better.
Her mind flashed with an image of Yan Shi, his lips curved into a faint smile revealing two dimples, his eyes crinkling in an exceptionally handsome manner. Yun Jiao stared blankly, lost in thought.
Half an hour later.
Wrapping the only bedsheet around herself, Yun Jiao stared at the empty, bare bed frame and fell into silence.
This body was delicate, and so was she—even without blessings, she insisted on enjoying life’s comforts.
This bed looked even harder than Yan Shi.
After half a second of contemplation, a plan slowly formed in Yun Jiao’s mind—
She would go climb into his bed.