Vоlumе 1 Сhapter 5: Ехchangе of Blооd, Еstаblish thе Вloоd Оаth
Undеr the hazу, dim moonlight, Yan Shi’s eуеs revеаlеd а rаre trасе of cоnfusiоn.
Lost in thоught, long-buried memоries suddеnly resurfaсed.
It sеemеd tо be when hе was six yеаrs оld.
In а magnificеnt раlаce, рricеless pоrcelаin and furniture lаy scattеrеd аcrоss thе floor. A wоman оf stunning bеauty wоre a sоmewhаt dеrаnged smilе on her fаce.
Веfоre the laughter could fully esсаpe, the womаn’s еxpressiоn shiftеd abruptly, turning furious as she slapped him to the ground.
“It’s you! It’s all because of you, this evil spirit! It’s all because of your disgusting father who forced himself on This Consort!”
With that, the woman picked up a long needle, dipped it in ink, tore open his clothes without another word, pinned him to the ground, and drove the sharp tip forcefully into the small of his back.
“It’s him! It’s all because he forced himself on This Consort!”
Curses mingled with the sound of the needle piercing his skin. Yan Shi’s expression was listless.
He watched as the door slowly closed, until the last sliver of light from the crack vanished completely.
Yan Shi’s eyes, weary and indifferent, lowered. The moonlight slanted in, casting shadows beneath his lashes on the bags under his eyes.
It had been many years, yet he still remembered her disgust, disdain, and revulsion from that time.
His gaze dropped as he studied Yun Jiao lying on top of him. The girl’s face was turned to the side, making it hard for him to see clearly.
In his understanding, “sleeping with” equaled disgust and revulsion.
So, did she despise him too?
Yan Shi sighed regretfully. It was rare to find someone who intrigued him, and now it was about to be ruined.
The moment his hand emerged from her waist, Yun Jiao’s eyes snapped open.
She reached out and grabbed at the air, her fingers perfectly intertwining with Yan Shi’s, locking their hands together.
Not a hair’s breadth off, just perfectly intertwined with his fingers.
A coincidence?
Impossible!
The only explanation was that he had intended to strangle her from the start!
Pretending to have just woken up, she rubbed her eyes with one hand and drowsily lifted her head to look at him.
“Prince, I just remembered—a wedding requires drinking the nuptial wine. How could I have fallen asleep first!”
Yan Shi was taken aback.
Tsk, caught again…
His finely shaped brows lifted slightly in surprise at her sharpness. She didn’t seem particularly clever, yet she always managed to guess his intentions.
“Nuptial wine?” he asked softly.
“Yes.” Yun Jiao tightened her fingers subtly, holding his hand even more firmly. “Only after drinking the nuptial wine are we truly husband and wife. From then on, I will share hardships with the Prince and never part.”
Yan Shi’s eyes reflected a faint light, as soft as the moonlight.
Everyone wished nothing but misfortune upon him. Who would ever want to share hardships with him, let alone never part?
The moon rose to the tips of his brows, and the light filtering through the window seemed to grow brighter.
“Truly?”
For some reason, Yan Shi’s voice was no longer as languid as before, carrying a hint of hoarseness.
Sensing the chilling aura around her ease slightly, Yun Jiao let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She released Yan Shi’s hand, rested her chin on his chest, and raised three fingers. “I swear.”
“Hah.”
A scoff escaped him. Yan Shi’s expression returned to its lazy demeanor, his eyes curving slightly. A vermilion mole beneath them looked bewitchingly seductive. “This Prince has never believed in oaths.”
“However, This Prince believes in you.”
All that nonsense about being struck by lightning or dying a miserable death—it was far quicker for him to take matters into his own hands.
If she dared deceive him, he’d simply kill her.
Yes, no trouble at all.Yun Jiao’s heart wavered. Just a single oath, and he believed her. If someone in her past life had said they believed her, perhaps she wouldn’t have died.
A pang of sorrow seeped from the depths of her heart, but Yun Jiao quickly suppressed her emotions and tried to sit up. Yan Shi pressed his hand down.
With a soft smack.
Yun Jiao’s lips met Yan Shi’s.
Their breaths intertwined, and Yun Jiao seemed to hear her heartbeat quicken again. She hurriedly pushed against his chest to sit up.
“You’ve kissed This Prince again.”
His voice was like a night breeze gently brushing past, and Yan Shi’s eyes sparkled with flecks of light.
Yun Jiao blinked, averting her gaze as a blush crept onto her cheeks. “Next time, I’ll let Your Highness return the favor. Oh, right, a wedding toast can’t be without wine. I’ll go find some!”
“No need for such trouble.”
Yun Jiao glanced at him, puzzled, unable to guess his thoughts. She leaned into his embrace, her arm slipping through his, intertwining them as she gestured, “Like this.”
“I see.” Yan Shi nodded.
“You said that after drinking the wedding toast, you would never part from This Prince. Does that count as you making a pact with This Prince?”
Yun Jiao’s eyes darted around. “It counts.”
Yan Shi stared intently at her before finally smiling. “Excellent.”
With that, he took her thumb and bit down hard on the pad of her finger. A drop of crimson blood instantly welled up.
“Ouch…”
Yun Jiao winced in pain and tried to pull her hand back, but Yan Shi held her firmly. Then, he bit his own thumb.
Their hands were linked in the posture of drinking a wedding toast, their fingertips pressed to their lips, the blood staining their mouths.
Yan Shi’s eyes curved upward as he spoke leisurely, “This counts as drinking the wedding toast of blood, sealing the Blood Oath. If you go back on your word…”
Yun Jiao immediately replied obediently, “I will never go back on my word!”
After saying this, she yawned immediately. She had walked all day, eaten and drunk her fill, and was genuinely tired.
Even if he pinched her again, she was determined to sleep. She snuggled against him, found a comfortable position, and her eyelids drooped shut.
Yan Shi watched as she continued to nuzzle against him, momentarily stunned before letting out a soft chuckle.
This little deer—he found himself liking her more and more.
The person on top of him breathed evenly and deeply. Yan Shi took the hand he had bitten and examined it. On the pale pad of her finger was a faint mark, with traces of blood still seeping out.
He might have bitten too hard.
After a moment’s thought, his thick lashes lowered as Yan Shi gently took her fingertip into his mouth, licking the small mark.
After some time, Yan Shi lifted the person in his arms and walked to the wardrobe. From the rows of identical red garments, he randomly picked one to dress her in but hesitated for a moment before tossing it back.
He selected another piece made of the softest fabric, changed her into it, and then laid two layers of blankets, tucking the corners securely before pushing the door open and stepping out.
＊
In the study.
Yan Shi lounged in the armchair, his eyes lowered as he lazily flipped through the papers in his hand, the sound of rustling pages occasionally breaking the silence.
Chu Yi frowned slightly. “Master, half a year ago, Miss Yun…”
Yan Shi’s hand paused, and he abruptly looked up, his usually lazy gaze now sharp and piercing.
Chu Yi swallowed hard and quickly corrected himself, “The Princess Consort was originally raised by Yun Manor to be gifted to the Fourth Prince. For some reason, they changed their minds and decided to send her to you. On the way, someone hired an assassin to slit her throat and push her off a cliff. Logically, she should have…”Chu Er muttered softly, “Logically speaking, the Princess Consort should have died long ago.”
“Oh?” Yan Shi set down the paper in his hand, propped an elbow on the armrest, his eyes lighting up. “Logically speaking, This Prince should have died long ago too.”
“Master…” Chu Er’s eyes reddened. He lowered his head, clenching his fists without speaking.
The words “never to part” echoed in his ears, along with “Have you also risen from the dead?” A faint smile tugged at Yan Shi’s lips as he brushed his sleeves and stood up.
“Isn’t it more interesting for two people who should have died to live on together?”
＊
When Yan Shi returned to the room, Yun Jiao had just turned over, whimpering softly like a kitten, murmuring a few indistinct words.
Only when he leaned closer could he make them out.
“Prince… never part…”
Yan Shi chuckled lowly. On Yun Jiao’s lips, a faint crimson mark remained—left behind by a drop of blood.
He stared at it for a moment, his gaze darkening.
Yan Shi removed his outer robe and lay down beside her. In the next instant, Yun Jiao snuggled closer, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest.
Yan Shi slowly lowered his head, watching the person in his arms for a while before his eyes settled on her flushed lips.
After a long pause, he mimicked Yun Jiao, pressing his lips lightly against hers for two seconds.
Kissing was truly addictive.
Yun Jiao mumbled and held him tighter, burrowing into his embrace. “Like… like the Prince most…”
Yan Shi’s chest rose and fell slightly as he chuckled twice. “Not obedient at all, still lying even in your sleep.”
As he spoke, his smile faded almost entirely, his tone suddenly turning cold and dark.
“Fourth Brother really deserves to die.”