Chapter 125: Do You Really Think I Wouldn't Dare to Kill You?!! (5,000 words)

Hearing this, the pained and distressed Jin'er could only nod weakly. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to regulate her internal breathing, and under Liuye's guidance, attempted to suppress the powerful spiritual energy surging within her.

After about two hours of effort, Jin'er finally felt much better. Seeing her expression relax significantly, Liuye, who had been by her side the entire time, stood up to leave.

Noticing his movement, Jin'er slowly opened her eyes. As she watched his cold, imposing back disappear through the doorway, an inexplicable feeling welled up in her heart.

It was him again... Fate really knew how to toy with people. When she needed him, he had left her heartlessly. Yet, every time she sought revenge for her loved ones, she was saved by him time and time again.

Heh... Perhaps this was what they called the irony of fate, but why did all these chaotic, tangled matters have to fall upon her? Heaven was truly unfair.

Pushing aside her restless thoughts, Jin'er composed herself and returned to her breathing exercises. After a while, she heard the sound of water being poured in the room.

Opening her eyes, she saw Liuye carrying a bucket of hot water and pouring it into a wooden tub. After emptying one, he turned and left, soon returning with another. He repeated this process until the water level was sufficient, at which point he stopped.

Turning to see Jin'er staring fixedly at him, Liuye gave her a single glance, dropped the remark, "There are clean clothes in the cabinet," and then turned to pull the door shut behind him as he left.

Jin'er bit her lip, then slowly rose from the bed and walked to the cabinet. She took out a set of white undergarments and instinctively held them to her nose to smell them. To her surprise, they held a faint, clean fragrance—the same scent she used to smell whenever she was near Ye.

Breathing in this familiar scent, Jin'er could not help but recall her time with him at the Muxue Residence, and their journey together on horseback to Huawu Island. Her heart began to ache with inexplicable conflict once more.

With a helpless sigh, she walked to the tub, draped the clean clothes over a nearby screen, and began to undress.

Only then did she realize that all three layers of her clothing were soaked through. As she peeled them off one by one, she discovered that the layer closest to her skin was covered in sparkling silver residue. Examining it closely and recalling the sensations she had experienced in the Imperial Study, a faint smile of relief and catharsis pulled at the corners of her mouth.

It seemed the cold poison had truly been purged. But why did she not feel the excitement and agitation she had expected? Perhaps it was because the Fire Eye Stone had been destroyed.

Another sigh escaped her. Jin'er removed all her clothing, endured the chill in the air, and picked up her outer robe to wipe the remaining silver substance from her body. She then stepped onto the footstool and, raising her slender, fair legs, climbed into the tub.

As her perfect, graceful body slowly sank into the tub, the warm and comforting sensation enveloped her entirely, making her let out a soft moan of relief.

Mist swirled above the water, making Jin'er’s stunning features appear ethereal and hazy, indescribably enchanting. Resting her head against the rim of the tub, she silently savored the comfort, lost in a daze for a while, before slowly cupping a handful of water to splash over her face and neck, beginning to wash herself in a manner that seemed gentle but was, in truth, absent-minded.

I wonder how Mo Yan is doing now? Will the old Emperor blame him? Does he worry about her? Does he miss her? Although this accident had allowed her to escape the palace and him quite naturally, she did not feel any better.

After finishing her bath, filled with heavy thoughts, Jin'er put on the clean undergarments and found the only set of white silk robes in the cabinet. Staring blankly at the clothing in her hands, she couldn't help but wonder what Ye, who was always dressed in black, would look like in white.

A moment later, Jin'er shook herself out of her thoughts. Muttering a curse at herself for letting her mind wander, she slipped on the oversized outer robe. Though it was far too big and long, looking rather comical, it would suffice for the night.

After hesitating for a long while, Jin'er gathered the overly long hem of the robe in her hands and walked toward the door.

Following her earlier meditation and the comfortable hot bath, she felt much better, though her body remained weak. Any sudden exertion would cause the internal injuries from the backlash to make her chest ache. However, walking calmly like this posed no problem.

"Creak—" As she opened the door, the first thing Jin'er saw was a cold figure leaning against the pillar diagonally across from the doorway. He had his arms crossed, one leg bent against the pillar, his head turned to gaze silently at the waning moon on the horizon. In the hazy moonlight, his knife-sharp profile was exceptionally cold and captivating.

Even though he clearly heard the door open, he remained indifferent. If not for his flowing hair and ribbon dancing in the wind, Jin'er would have suspected he was merely a perfect statue.

Biting her lip, Jin'er crossed the threshold and walked over. Only when she reached his side did that perfect profile slowly turn.

His deep, black-crystal eyes met Jin'er’s clear, alluring apricot eyes. For an instant, it was as if two magnets had locked together, impossible to separate.

His gaze was clearly as cold as frost, yet why did she always feel there was something else hidden within? Those strange depths held a powerful attraction, making her want to catch a glimpse of what lay beneath.

The two stood there, silently watching each other, their hearts surging with inexplicable emotions that were impossible to name.

After a long time, Liuye’s eyes dimmed, and his cold, extraordinary face slowly leaned down.

Just as his lips were about to touch hers, Jin'er shuddered and snapped out of her trance. She turned away in a panic, her heart racing like a startled deer, unable to calm down.

However, before she could steady herself, a pair of powerful arms gripped her shoulders, turning her body back with a hint of dominance. The next moment, a cold sensation suddenly pressed against her lips.

Jin'er’s eyes widened, meeting his half-closed lids. Just as she was about to express her anger through her eyes, Liuye closed them entirely. One hand pulled her waist, drawing her body tight against his, while the other held the back of her head, and he began to kiss her with near-frenzy.

This was a catharsis of longing, suppressed for far too long. Once it erupted, it was like a bursting dam, impossible to contain.

For how many days and nights had he uncontrollably missed the person before him? That feeling was far more painful and agonizing than the demonic training of his childhood.

Although he knew that he and she could never be together, his heart had ached uncontrollably when he learned she was about to marry the new monarch of the Fire Kingdom. It was a sense of despair that left not even a sliver of hope, a despair that nearly suffocated him.

The moment he thought he would never see her again, he realized she was now by his side, in his arms. How could this not drive him mad?

Jin'er began to struggle, striking him with her fists, but in her weakened state, she could exert no real force; her blows were no more than a tickle to Liuye. Yet, this "feeble" struggle only made Liuye kiss her more frantically, as if he longed to crush her into his own body, as if he wanted to devour her whole.

Jin'er’s lips were bruised by his intensity, and she was gasping for air, but unable to break free, she could only struggle while letting out muffled protests through her nose. After a bout of close-contact wrestling, Jin'er was startled to discover something hard pressing against her stomach.

Damn it! This was a lethal threat to her.

Helpless, Jin'er had to settle down and give up the resistance. If she kept struggling, the consequences might be even worse. She was simply no match for him right now.

As she compromised, Liuye gradually reduced his intensity. He stopped biting her lips savagely and instead tried his best to suppress his emotions, switching to gentle kisses and nips.

His rare gentleness was something Jin'er found hard to resist, especially when his tongue forcefully invaded her mouth, teasing her own with a blend of gentleness and dominance. The waves of electricity and numbness made her defenses crumble completely.

Her thick eyelashes fluttered, and Jin'er finally closed her eyes, yielding from within.

Just for a moment... let me indulge myself for just a moment...

The large hand on her waist loosened, moving and stroking her back with a touch that was both gentle and firm. His lips, warmed by the friction with hers, became softer. His tongue, dominant yet not aggressive, teased her until she felt dizzy.

Compared to his usual cold and heartless image, and the brutality he had shown her at the Huayu Pavilion, he was so gentle now—so gentle that she began to crave this special treatment that belonged only to her.

Suddenly, he leaned his weight into her. Just as Jin'er felt she was about to fall backward, her body felt light, and he scooped her up into his arms. Even so, his lips never left hers. He walked back into the room, kissing her passionately all the while.

When her back felt the softness of the bedding and the firmness of the bed frame, Jin'er’s consciousness cleared slightly. His large hand moved to her waist and then began to wander upward. Seeing he was about to climb toward her peak, Jin'er became instantly tense and grabbed his hand.

She couldn't let this continue!

Opening her eyes, she saw that he had also opened his. His deep, cold eyes rippled with intense desire and a rare hint of tenderness. Jin'er gritted her teeth and firmly closed her eyes, turning her head away, afraid to look any longer lest she lose herself in his cold tenderness and do something she would regret.

"I need to rest." Her voice was alluring, but the tone was one of icy detachment, keeping him at a distance.

A period of silence followed...

Feeling the person half-lying on top of her not moving further but also showing no sign of retreating, Jin'er couldn't help but frown. She felt inexplicably panicked, yet she dared not open her eyes to look at him, so she could only tense her nerves and wait in trepidation.

"You clearly like it." A low, slightly hoarse voice whispered. Jin'er felt annoyed. She quickly opened her eyes, turned to glare at him, and feigned composure: "You misunderstood. I only like the feeling of the kiss just now, not you."

Liuye leaned in closer, their noses almost touching. "Is that a case of 'the thief protesting his innocence'?" He hadn't even said she liked him.

"You! Get away!" Jin'er’s cheeks flushed with shame and anger. She raised her hands to push him away, but he preempted her, gripping her wrists and pinning them to either side of her body.

"Let me go! If you don't let me go, don't blame me if..."

"I like you."

The words Jin'er was about to shout were stuck in her throat. Her small mouth hung slightly open as she stared in shock at the handsome face inches away, her heartbeat already in complete disarray.

What... what did he just say?

Although she hadn't been entirely unaware of his special treatment toward her, hearing the words "I like you" from someone as cold and ruthless as him was truly shocking.

Seeing her staring blankly at him, appearing somewhat incredulous, Liuye released her wrists, slowly sat up, and turned his face away. He took a deep breath, and then exhaled it heavily, looking utterly drained.

"If I could choose, I would rather never have liked you." Love was not something someone like him should ever possess. But he had already lost control of himself...

When it came to missions, he could choose whether to accept them or not. When it came to a target, he could choose whether to kill or spare them; everything was within his grasp. Yet with her, he was utterly helpless.

He had fallen for her uncontrollably, and now he could only suffer in silent, repressed agony, unable to escape the mounting pain and torment. He wished he could still live as he had before—cold-eyed and cold-hearted, without a single emotional tether...

But there was no going back...

Jin'er had by now slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position. She watched his profile silently, not missing the pain and inner conflict in his eyes.

With a light scoff, she said coldly: "If I could choose, I would rather never have met you."

He was in pain? Could he possibly be in more pain than she was?!

Recalling those tragic memories, the image of her nanny dying in agony, and her only good friend, Ying'er—these sedimented memories were stirred up once more, filling her heart until she could barely breathe.

Rather never have met him? When Liuye heard her utter such cold and heartless words, his heart felt as if it had been carved out by a dull blade. He turned his head and looked into her eyes, which were once again filled with long-suppressed hatred. His heart ached like a knife twist.

"I'm sorry... If only..."

"There are no 'ifs'!!" Jin'er shouted at him, her eyes flashing with intense emotion.

If she had escaped the Imperial Physician's Hall a day earlier or later, if she hadn't been taken to the Liu residence by her nanny, if she hadn't seen him kill her dearest ones with her own eyes—perhaps things wouldn't have ended up like this today! But did such "ifs" have any meaning? Could such "ifs" comfort them? Could they make them act as if nothing had ever happened?!

"Jin'er..." Liuye’s eyes dimmed. "I have said before, they would have died even without me."

"I don't care!! You were the one who killed them! I saw you kill her with my own eyes!! My last remaining kin!!!" Jin'er screamed, the wounds deep within her heart ripped wide open, bleeding profusely.

Liuye’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a giant hand, a pain beyond words.

Clenching his teeth, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes in agony, unable to bear looking at her heartbroken expression. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, making a creaking sound.

After a long while, he suddenly lowered his head and looked at her with resolute eyes. With a sharp "swish," he drew his sword, pressed the hilt into her hand, and guided her hand to point the blade directly at his own heart.

"Kill me, and avenge them!" he said in a low voice, his eyes turning slightly red.

Jin'er, who was sobbing, hadn't expected such an action. She was startled at first, but then anger took over.

"Do you think I can't bear to kill you?! Do you think I don't dare?!!" Before her words had faded, she thrust the sharp sword deep into his chest.

She had expected him to dodge, or to parry her blade, but he simply sat there, straight and still, letting the sword pierce directly into his solid chest.

"Ah!" Jin'er gasped in alarm and hurriedly tried to pull back, but she was a step too late; the blade had already entered. Fortunately, she had only used brute force and pulled back in time, so the sword hadn't pierced too deeply.

Even so, Jin'er was shocked. That was... the location of the heart.

Her hands trembled as she withdrew the sword. Fresh blood sprayed out with the movement, staining her white robes and the bedsheets red.

With a "clang," the bloodstained sword fell to the ground.

She looked at Ye with stunned, tear-filled eyes, only to see that his cold face remained expressionless. He simply stared at her fixedly, as if the sword hadn't been thrust into him at all. However, looking closely, she could see a ripple of heartache and a trace of... faint joy in the depths of his eyes?

Was it joy? Was he pleased that she couldn't bring herself to kill him???

"Get out!! Get out of here!! Never appear before me again!! Get out!!!!!" Jin'er went frantic, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him with all her might, her throat letting out hysterical screams.

After a bout of wild throwing, Liuye remained unmoved, watching her with such heartache, completely indifferent to his own injury.

Jin'er’s voice became hoarse, her hands grew tired, and her internal injuries flared up, yet seeing him sit there as steady as a mountain made her anger burn even brighter.

Was he mocking her?! Was he watching her claim to hate him and want revenge, yet failing to even strike him? And now that she was acting like a maniac, was he pleased?!!

Jin'er’s eyes seemed to be spitting fire. Ignoring the dull ache in her chest, she lunged to pick up the bloodstained sword and held it against her own throat.

"Are you leaving or not?! Are you leaving?!!" By the end, she applied a little pressure, and a line of blood beads immediately appeared where the blade met her delicate neck.

Liuye’s previously expressionless face finally changed. He quickly stood up and took two steps back.

Gritting his teeth as he looked at Jin'er’s resolute eyes, he finally gave her one last, deeply wounded look. "I'm leaving!" he said, and with a heavy heart, he turned and walked away. [End of today's update]