Chapter 98: The Kiss—Lost in Passion

"Father, you want me to... No! My eldest brother is already the Crown Prince, how could I possibly..." Although he and Mo Fan shared little brotherly affection, if he were to contend for the throne, given Mo Fan’s temperament, it would inevitably lead to fratricide. He had never possessed any desire for the imperial throne, and he detested the intrigues of the court even more. This was an outcome he did not wish to see.

"Do you think I wish to see my only two sons turn against each other?" The Emperor of Fire spoke with undeniable heartache, then took a deep breath and closed his eyes in resignation.

When he opened them again, his face, weathered by the passage of time, had shifted to an expression of composure and solemnity.

"You should know Mo Fan’s nature well—he is licentious, devoid of virtue or talent, and both cruel and suspicious. Having brazenly snatched away his most beloved treasure, do you truly believe he will act as if nothing has happened?"

Upon hearing this, Mo Yan shuddered, looking at the Emperor in astonishment. "Father, you knew?"

The Emperor sighed, frowning slightly. He picked up his teacup, lifted the lid, took a small sip, and said calmly, "When one sits in the highest position, is it not easy to see the movements below?"

Mo Yan frowned, momentarily at a loss for words. After a long silence, he looked up and said, "The Fire Kingdom has always followed the tradition of favoring the eldest over the younger."

"Rules can be set, and they can be changed. Furthermore, the other four kingdoms have all had instances of deposing the eldest in favor of the younger. We are in a critical moment, so these should not be insurmountable obstacles. The most difficult challenge is to overcome the power held by the Crown Prince and the Queen’s faction. They currently control half the imperial court; the remainder are either loyal to me or neutral, seeking only self-preservation. You must find a way to win over everyone you can."

Hearing the latter part, Mo Yan felt restless and troubled.

He had disliked this great cage since he was a child, and he hated the backstabbing even more. He only yearned for a free and unconstrained life outside these walls. But now...

The thought of having to attend court every day, dealing with tedious memorials from morning until night, being unable to go anywhere, and having to play political games with ministers and navigate the women of the inner palace made his future look pitch-black and devoid of joy. He couldn't help but shiver.

"Father, you have always loved me most since I was a child. Can you not help me this one time? I truly do not want to be this emperor." Mo Yan made a final attempt, his voice filled with pleading.

The Emperor shook his head with a bitter smile. "If I did not love you, I would never have told you about the Fire Eye Stone. You must understand your identity; you are a child of the royal family, not a commoner. For the sake of the people of the Fire Kingdom, some sacrifices are unavoidable."

"Moreover, you must also save the woman you love most." Having said this, he cast a meaningful look at Mo Yan before turning toward his desk.

Mo Yan might have been able to dismiss everything else said previously, but that last sentence struck him like a heavy hammer, making him nearly lose his footing.

"Enough has been said. Whether you do it or not, go back and think it over carefully. I still have many memorials to process; you may withdraw."

After a long silence, Mo Yan’s voice came weakly. "Yes. I take my leave."

He did not know how he had left the Imperial Study; he simply drifted back to the Haoyue Palace, guided by instinct.

"You're back! Why were you gone for so long?" Jin'er was sitting on a stone bench, lost in thought. Seeing Mo Yan return, she hurriedly stood up to greet him, her heart filled with anticipation.

"How was it? Did you get it?" As soon as the words left her lips, Jin'er noticed his expression was off, and she suddenly became nervous. "Nothing?" she asked tentatively, filled with anxiety.

The moment he saw Jin'er, the gloom in Mo Yan’s heart was instantly pierced by a beam of bright light. Seeing the expression in her eyes shift from joy and expectation to nervousness and unease, his heart couldn't help but tighten.

With a faint smile, he reached out to pull her into his arms, holding her tightly. He closed his eyes and inhaled the faint fragrance of her hair, greedily savoring such a beautiful moment.

After a while, he whispered in her ear.

"Really?" Jin'er was overjoyed and hurriedly broke free from his embrace, her face full of excitement. "That’s wonderful! I can be saved! I can finally be saved!" Jin'er danced with joy, spinning around on the pebbled path. The bright sunlight fell upon her, as if she were shimmering with colorful rays, and the dimples filled with her smiles were so beautiful they made one intoxicated.

Watching the elfin figure before him with a faint smile, Mo Yan’s heavy heart gradually began to lighten.

With her here, even hell could be heaven.

After a moment of excitement, Jin'er forced herself to calm down. She ran back to Mo Yan’s side and whispered, full of expectation, "Did your father agree?"

Mo Yan smiled and nodded. "He agreed, but you must wait a few days. Trust me."

Jin'er looked into his starry eyes and suddenly recalled the strangeness she felt when he first returned, feeling a bit worried. "Is it very troublesome?"

He wanted her to trust him, so she truly did, but she couldn't help but worry that things were not as simple as he said. Besides, the matter had progressed too smoothly—so smoothly that it felt unreal.

"Just a little bit, but I will resolve it. Just leave everything to me," Mo Yan said with a smile, reaching out to smooth her furrowed brow with a relaxed expression.

Jin'er tilted her head, gazing steadily at his handsome, charming face, the words "just leave everything to me" echoing in her ears, sending ripples through her heart.

If her background were not so complicated, her past not so tragic, if he were not a member of the royal family, and if he were the first person she had met... then would they be happily together right now?

As soon as that thought surfaced, a deep bitterness welled up in Jin'er’s heart. If... how could there be an "if" in this world?

Watching her brilliant starry eyes fixed unblinkingly on him, with a faint trace of infatuation, Mo Yan curled his lips and quickly leaned down to capture her soft, pink lips.

Jin'er’s body stiffened as she was instantly brought back to reality. She raised her hands to push him away, but her wrists were immediately caught in his grasp. He held her two small hands with one large hand, while the other placed itself domineeringly on her lower back, giving her no chance to dodge.

His warm, soft lips grazed against hers with deep tenderness. She tried to tilt her head back to escape, but he followed her movements, pursuing her lips and continuing to brush against them in an ambiguous, lingering way.

His warm, soft breath blew against her face, ticklish and uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the tip of his moist tongue licked the corner of her mouth, successfully causing her to tremble slightly.

Jin'er’s face flushed red, her cheeks burning, and her heart beat so fast it felt as if it would burst from her chest. Her mind involuntarily recalled the scene of them embracing and kissing underwater that night, and her heart raced even faster.

Just then, her teeth were pried apart, and his moist, slippery tongue probed in, gently hooking against her own. Instantly, an electric current seemed to rush down from the tip of her tongue, forcing a soft, flustered moan from her.

Before she could catch her breath, Mo Yan, his breathing heavy, launched a passionate assault, invading every sensitive corner of her mouth and wantonly claiming her.

Soon, Jin'er lost the strength to resist, her body going limp until she was almost entirely pressed against the large hand supporting her waist.

Feeling her change, Mo Yan’s breathing grew even heavier, his rapid breaths blowing against her delicate face with searing heat.

Just as the passion was rapidly rising, the sensation on her lips suddenly vanished, and a trace of unconscious disappointment flickered in Jin'er’s heart. However, before she could open her eyes, she felt her body suddenly lighten as she was swept up into his arms.

Jin'er instinctively reached out to clutch his lapels. Opening her eyes, she gazed into his pair of deep, dark pools. In their depths, two flames seemed to be burning faintly.

"Jin'er, you are so beautiful..." Mo Yan carried her forward, his gaze unable to move from her shy, beautiful face.

*You are too,* Jin'er couldn't help but think to herself.

When they entered the room and Mo Yan kicked the door shut, Jin'er suddenly snapped to her senses. Turning to look, she realized they had unknowingly returned to the bedroom. Looking at Mo Yan, whose expression was somewhat unusual, her heart grew tense.

"Put me down!" Jin'er urged, struggling with all her might.

However, Mo Yan seemed not to hear her, walking straight toward the bed with her in his arms.

Jin'er’s heart raced inexplicably. Vaguely guessing what he intended to do next, she hurriedly raised her hands to beat at him, shouting, "Put me down! Put me down now!"

Her back sank, and the next moment, she realized she had landed on the bed. Before she could scream again, Mo Yan’s body was already pressing down upon her.

Swallowing hard, Jin'er watched his exceptionally handsome face approach her bit by bit, the tempting red lips so close that she could hardly breathe.

*No, no...* If she let him continue like this, she would be finished.

Thinking of this, Jin'er took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and the moment his kiss landed on her lips, she used her inner energy to push him away with great force.

Mo Yan, not expecting her to use force, was caught off guard and stumbled back several steps, nearly losing his balance. At the same time, Jin'er sat up and took off both her shoes, throwing them at him one after another.

"Get out!"

"Jin'er..." Mo Yan dodged the shoes, his eyes still lingering with a trace of desire.

"Don't you dare mess around!" Jin'er bit her red lips and scolded him with a flushed face.

"I'm not messing around." Mo Yan smiled softly and took a step toward the bed, but Jin'er pointed at him and shouted, "Stay where you are! I'm not that weak, pitiful