Fine beads of sweat covered the young man’s forehead. Doing this for such a long time was gradually draining him of his physical strength. To suppress his voice as much as possible, he pressed his lips tightly together until they turned somewhat pale.
However, Han Yujiu showed no intention of stopping at all. He cornered the young man, demanding repeatedly:
“Will you run away again?”
The young man could only shed helpless tears and shake his head. Although the Silence Spell had long since been lifted, the ravenous ache in his throat still prevented him from uttering even the slightest sound.
Meanwhile, at the height of intimacy, an abyss of gentleness made the young man’s body tremble.
Amidst the surging waves and intoxicating ups and downs, there was both dizzying pleasure and unbearable pain.
The man hugged the young man for dear life, as if he were clinging to his final straw of salvation. With a hoarse voice, he said:
“Xiao Zhou, I really cannot live without you.”
“I beg you, do not come to me only to leave again.”
Yun Qingzhou could neither speak nor respond. He could only clench the bedsheets beneath him with all his might, his knuckles turning pale.
When Yun Qingzhou woke up again, two days had already passed. His body ached so terribly that he could not help but gasp softly as he turned over, mentally cursing Han Yujiu for being an absolute beast.
His throat was bone-dry. No matter how miserable he felt, Yun Qingzhou forced himself to sit up, wanting to get out of bed to find some water. But the moment he moved his arm slightly, the crisp, clinking sound of iron echoed distinctively in the quiet palace.
A wave of ominous foreboding welled up inside Yun Qingzhou. Sure enough, when he lowered his gaze, the bright golden rings around his wrists almost blinded him.
Yun Qingzhou looked around in disbelief, only to discover that both his hands and feet were bound, with long chains extending into the corner of the palace.
Yun Qingzhou tried pulling on the golden rings, finding that they seemed specifically designed to target him. They completely stripped away all the spiritual energy within his body, yet without causing him any actual injury, leaving him entirely devoid of strength.
System, tell me, what is going on here?
The system swallowed guiltily. Xiao Zhou, I told you so. I warned you not to provoke the male lead into anger.
Yun Qingzhou got angry just hearing the words “male lead.” He widened his eyes and, in a surge of agitation, tried to stand up. As a result, he accidentally strained the muscles around his waist, letting out a muffled groan of pain before collapsing back onto the bed in defeat.
Deep inside, the miniature version of Yun Qingzhou was twisting his face in silent despair: What kind of monstrous sin did I commit in my past life?
The system instantly felt hot-faced and wracked with guilt, and decided to throw caution to the wind.
Xiao Zhou, if you do not want to do this damned mission anymore, then we will not do it!
At worst, we will start all over again! After eighteen worlds, I will still be a hero!
Hearing this, Yun Qingzhou gave a bitter, helpless laugh, his anger dissipating somewhat. He sighed and said:
Forget it. I was just venting. If I had to go through this all over again, I would not be able to take it.
Not long after Yun Qingzhou sat down, the doors of the palace were pushed open, and he instinctively looked toward the entrance.
Upon seeing who had entered, Yun Qingzhou’s pupils abruptly constricted. His body instinctively shrank back, putting distance between himself and the man slowly walking toward him.
The visitor was currently clad in a solemn red ceremonial robe, the long hem dragging on the ground. The collar was embroidered with intricate and exquisite golden patterns, while the sleeves and waistband featured lifelike phoenixes and cloud-cranes woven from silver thread.
Without a doubt, it was a wedding robe.
Against the backdrop of the bright red garments, a flush of red bloomed across Han Yujiu’s face, making him look even more seductive and bewitching, appearing no different from a spirit that fed on human souls.
However, Yun Qingzhou, being a dense straight guy, had no appreciation for such aesthetics. He was simply filled with confusion as to why Han Yujiu would wear a wedding robe.
Could he be marrying someone? Yet he had never seen any close female companions around Han Yujiu.
The doubt flashed through his mind for only a moment before Yun Qingzhou resumed his detached demeanor, eyeing Han Yujiu with vigilance.
He was genuinely terrified now. Seeing the man mostly filled him with the urge to flee, and his former reckless bravado was entirely gone.
Seeing the young man put on a brave front yet unable to conceal the terror in his eyes, Han Yujiu felt as though his heart had been pierced by needles. The hands hanging at his sides clenched tightly.
By now, he had already stopped right in front of the young man. He slowly crouched down, looking up at the youth from below. In his emerald-green eyes lay an unmelting stubbornness and deep injury.
Han Yujiu’s hand gently caressed the young man’s face, as tenderly as if he were touching some priceless, rare treasure.
Yun Qingzhou wanted to turn his head away to dodge, but upon seeing the male lead’s expression, his entire body seemed to freeze, making him unable to move.
Seeing the youth want to avoid him yet forcibly restraining himself, Han Yujiu finally found a glimmer of hope welling up in his heart. Only then did he seem to find the courage to speak.
“Xiao Zhou, I want to forge a soul pact with you.”
Han Yujiu lifted one of Yun Qingzhou’s hands, pressing his burning lips against the youth’s smooth, white hand, scorching the young man’s body into a slight tremble.
Hearing the male lead’s words, Yun Qingzhou widened his eyes in shock. His throat felt as though it had lost its voice, unable to provide an answer for a long time.
Are you kidding me? The male lead wearing a wedding robe was actually planning to marry me, but…
Yun Qingzhou knew very well that he did not love the man before him at all.
Or perhaps, he simply did not understand what love was.
Yet the man’s sincere and deeply affectionate gaze at this moment stirred up a strong impulse to retreat within him, leaving him deeply hesitant.
Xiao Zhou, this is just a mission, and the person in front of you is merely a character in a script. You do not need to figure out such genuine emotions.
However, judging by your persona as a Buddhist cultivator, you cannot agree to this right now, but you can play along and stall the male lead.
The system rarely spoke to him in such a sincere and serious tone, but it successfully snapped Yun Qingzhou back to his senses.
Looking at Han Yujiu crouching before him, the Buddhist cultivator slowly withdrew his hand, turning his head slightly to avoid the man’s gaze brimming with infinite expectation.
That’s right, Han Yujiu was merely a character, while he himself was a quick-transmigration mission worker with flawless acting skills.
Besides, love can be acted out. He would make the man before him feel loved in the days to come. Even if it were fake, he had no need to feel guilty.
The young man’s merciless withdrawal of his hand plunged Han Yujiu into an instant frozen abyss. The dense, searing pain in his heart told him one thing:
The young man he deeply loved seemed to hold not even a shred of affection for him, as if he had truly forgotten him entirely.
The corners of Han Yujiu’s lips curled into a self-mocking smile. Short of absolute desperation, he truly did not want to force the youth before him, but now…
Perhaps only by locking the young man firmly by his side and showering him with affection day after day could they ever achieve a complete and happy ending together.