Chapter Forty-One: The Princess Tends to the Wounded, the Prince Behaves Shamelessly

At that moment, Su Jingluo threw down everything she had been holding and, with a cry, latched onto Xiao Jingxuan like an octopus. Her legs clamped tightly around his waist, her arms wrapped around his neck, and her cheek pressed firmly against his face.

Xiao Jingxuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed a few times; his eyes, usually deep and unfathomable, flickered.

“Let go,” Xiao Jingxuan’s voice was still cold, but it lacked the murderous edge it carried moments before.

“No, I won’t. Xiao Jingxuan, are you even a man? Just because a woman goes shopping, you’re ready to kill and fight?” Su Jingluo tried to provoke him, knowing that most men with pride wouldn’t stay angry after such taunts.

But Xiao Jingxuan was not most men. He cared nothing for pride. When he’d heard Su Jingluo was missing, his mind had gone blank with panic—even though he appeared calm, only he knew his soul had slipped away in that instant.

“If I weren’t a man, how would I have what you held? Let go of me.”

Oh, she hadn’t expected him to respond from that angle. Truly shameless!

Seeing that Su Jingluo refused to admit fault, Xiao Jingxuan grew angrier. He pried her arms apart, so she clamped her legs tighter; when he pried her legs loose, she hung from his neck again. But Su Jingluo was slender and frail—after a few rounds, her limbs lost their strength. With one careless movement, she slipped off the wall altogether.

It’s over, it’s over—her leg was surely broken now; there was no hope left.

But in that critical moment, Xiao Jingxuan threw himself forward and caught Su Jingluo in his arms. He spun around, offering his back to the ground, and tossed Su Jingluo skyward as he fell. She would be fine—there was a large, human cushion beneath her. Xiao Jingxuan, however, took the brunt of it; Su Jingluo even heard a dull thud as his head struck the ground.

Su Jingluo scrambled off him at once, worried. Xiao Jingxuan’s eyes were tightly shut, not a word escaping his lips. His breathing was faint.

“It’s over—he must have scrambled his brains. Xiao Jingxuan, Xiao Jingxuan, wake up! Wake up!” Su Jingluo dared not shake him, fearing a hemorrhage might worsen. In her panic, she resorted to mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Without hesitation, she placed a hand on his forehead, pinched his nose, took a deep breath, and sealed her lips over his.

Wait—something was off. Wasn’t Xiao Jingxuan unconscious? Why was he moving his tongue?

Suddenly, Su Jingluo realized Xiao Jingxuan had been faking all along. She stared wide-eyed as his deep gaze sparkled; one hand was already cradling the back of her head, the other gripping her slender waist.

She was intent on saving his life, and he was only thinking of teasing her! Su Jingluo was truly furious; just a moment ago, she’d feared he was suffering a brain hemorrhage or in shock. If she’d had the proper equipment, she would have drained his skull herself. Now it was clear—there was no bleeding, only water in his brain.

Su Jingluo struggled in anger, but Xiao Jingxuan showed no sign of letting her go; instead, his breath grew heavier, warm against her face. Her body grew weak, her mind blank, but the memory of his earlier murderous intent snapped her back to clarity. Unable to push him away, Su Jingluo bit down hard on his tongue.

Xiao Jingxuan cried out in pain and released her.

“You—you—you—shameless!” Su Jingluo staggered back, pressed against the wall, wiping her mouth furiously and shouting in outrage.