Chapter Thirty-Four: Who Cares About Keeping a Distance—If I Wish to Kiss You, I Will

Su Jingluo never expected Xiao Jingxuan to suddenly turn around, nor did she expect him to pull her straight into his arms. Her whole face was pressed against his chest. There was a faint, indescribable fragrance about him that was surprisingly pleasant.

“Scoundrel!” Su Jingluo instinctively tried to push him away, but he did not budge.

“What did you say?” For the first time, Xiao Jingxuan heard someone call him that. His dark, ink-colored eyes grew even deeper.

“Let go of me—men and women shouldn’t touch each other!” Su Jingluo’s voice was barely more than a whisper. She didn’t even know why her heart was pounding so fast, and she had no confidence in her words. Just moments ago, she’d been thinking about starting her own business—how could she get caught up in romance now?

Men and women shouldn’t touch each other? Wasn’t it she who had drugged him five years ago? Wasn’t it she who, only a few days prior, had clung to him like a kitten while he burned with fever? And now she wanted to clear the air between them? Did the emperor say something else to her? Was she still pining for him? Or had she simply been acting all along?

Xiao Jingxuan was never this sensitive, nor did he ever overthink things before—because he simply didn’t care. It had always just been a game of power and intrigue. But now, the more he thought about it, the more infuriated he became. His deep eyes were filled with wrath and resentment.

He seized her chin, forcing her to raise her head and look into his fathomless gaze. He gave a cold, brittle smile.

“Su Jingluo, you are my princess consort. What nonsense about propriety? If I want to kiss you, I will.” Xiao Jingxuan’s voice was low and deep, his dark pupils like whirlpools drawing in everything around them.

Su Jingluo tried to turn her head away, to escape this magnetic pull, but his strong, well-defined fingers held her fast—she could not resist at all.

Xiao Jingxuan gazed at her soft, rosy lips and her wide, startled eyes, and could no longer restrain himself. He kissed her. His lips were cold; hers, yielding and with a hint of sweetness. The sensation was addictive. The more Su Jingluo struggled, the more Xiao Jingxuan wanted to claim her, his tongue gently coaxing her lips apart. Su Jingluo’s mind went blank, her initial resistance melting away as his burning tongue swept over her again and again.

“My lord, your subordinate has—” Zhuo Yuean burst excitedly into the room, only to freeze at the sight of his lord, in broad daylight, pinning the princess consort to the doorway in a passionate embrace. He flushed from his brow to his neck. It’s over, he thought. This time, he was surely doomed.

Xiao Jingxuan, his breathing heavy, turned his head, his eyes ablaze with fury.

“My lord, I—I need to use the latrine. I’ll take my leave!” Zhuo Yuean didn’t even wait for a response. In a flash, he was gone.

For a fleeting moment, Su Jingluo had felt as if she’d fallen into an abyss, utterly helpless. Now, she was mortified—her mouth was wet with saliva, and she hurried to wipe it away with her sleeve.

“You despise me.” Xiao Jingxuan, still savoring the taste of their fevered kiss, felt a raw vulnerability. He knew she had feigned innocence, played him for a fool, yet still, he found himself drawn to her, as if he no longer recognized himself. And now, this woman dared to recoil from him.

“So what if I do? You—you scoundrel, just go away!” Su Jingluo kept her head down, her face burning. It wasn’t truly him she despised—it was the disruption to her own plans and state of mind. Besides, Xiao Jingxuan was far too sensitive. Was she supposed to stand there like a fool, drool all over her face? And since he’d forced a kiss on her, did she not have the right to protest? Su Jingluo thought wiping her mouth wasn’t nearly enough—she ought to wash it out right in front of him.

“Oh? And what if I don’t leave?” Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes were still stormy with anger.

“If you won’t go, then—I’ll leave instead.” Su Jingluo was at a loss. If she couldn’t provoke him, she could at least avoid him. It was a good opportunity to check out the marketplace.

“You’re not going anywhere. Stay here in the prince’s mansion and behave yourself. Do you hear me?” There was no way he’d let her leave. Xiao Jingxuan was now deeply worried the emperor might steal her away, or the malicious empress might try to harm her again. This small world within his reach was the safest place for her.