Weariness of Spring Flowers — Chapter 1.6

From the occasional responses of the girl, Mei Lin learned that her name was Adai. Throughout the entire evening, Murong Jing He never once asked for Mei Lin's name.

When the banquet ended, the two women followed Murong Jing He back to his tent.

"Wait here," Murong Jing He said, speaking to Mei Lin for the first time as they stood outside the tent. Yet his eyes were still fixated on Adai, full of undisguised lust.

Mei Lin nodded and stopped in her tracks, feeling a great sense of relief. Although the autumn night was cold, it was far better than being pinned down by a lustful scoundrel.

However, just as she began to relax, things took a sudden turn for the worse. As Murong Jing He reached out to pull Adai closer, the girl suddenly pressed a dagger, seemingly appearing out of nowhere, against her own chest.

"If you dare touch me, I'll die right here in front of you," she declared, her voice resolute, with a look of bitter despair in her beautiful eyes.

Mei Lin was stunned. Her gaze moved from the girl's determined eyes to the dagger, realizing it was the same one used to carve the roasted meat at the banquet. The girl had somehow managed to conceal it without anyone noticing, clearly preparing for this moment. Mei Lin inwardly cursed, sensing that things were about to go in a direction she didn’t want.

Sure enough, Murong Jing He seemed only mildly surprised before letting out a laugh. He didn’t force the issue and simply waved his hand. "Then you stay outside," he said, turning to Mei Lin with a sly grin. "Do you want me to lend you a dagger as well?"

Though he was smiling, Mei Lin noticed that his half-closed eyes were devoid of any warmth. A shiver ran down her spine as she quickly stepped forward, nestling into his arms with a forced smile. "Your Highness, I am already yours, and I am at your disposal." Her words were deliberately vague and ambiguous, not directly rejecting his unsettling suggestion but also not inviting any misinterpretation.

Mei Lin knew she didn’t have whatever leverage Adai possessed, though she wasn’t sure what that leverage was. She wasn’t foolish enough to try imitating her. Besides, Mei Lin couldn’t comprehend the idea of using one’s life as a bargaining chip. To these men, who saw them as mere playthings, what value did their lives hold?

Murong Jing He seemed pleased with her submission, giving her a faint smile before suddenly bending down and sweeping her off her feet, carrying her into the tent.

That smile carried no meaning, cold and indifferent, almost out of character for him. Mei Lin briefly lost herself in thought, recalling the man’s earlier expressionless eyes and the chill they had sent through her. She felt a surge of caution.

This man might not be as shallow and vulgar as he appeared. Just as this thought crossed her mind, she was thrown onto the thick carpet, landing hard. The next moment, the man’s weight pressed down on her.

The pungent smell of alcohol mixed with the unfamiliar scent of a man enveloped her, and Mei Lin finally began to feel a growing fear of what was about to happen. It wasn’t that she was unfamiliar with such matters. Back in the dark factory, the instructors had taken advantage of their positions to abuse countless young men and women. She had only escaped because she was rumored to have a mother who was a diseased prostitute, making her blood "unclean" in their eyes. She had little recollection of this, but the pained expressions of the girls in her dorm had been seared into her memory, resurfacing now and filling her with dread.

Afraid that she might do something foolish in a moment of weakness that could cost her life, Mei Lin gripped the carpet beneath her with sweaty hands, turning her head to the side. The seductive smile that had been on her lips was now frozen.

Murong Jing He proved to be anything but gentle. Without any pretense of foreplay, he simply took her. Mei Lin let out a muffled groan of pain, her body tensing, and the hair at her temples quickly became damp with cold sweat.

Murong Jing He clearly wasn’t pleased with her stiffness and tightness. His chiseled brows furrowed slightly as he spoke in a cold tone, "Relax, you’re hurting me."

At his words, Mei Lin wanted to scream at him, but in reality, she could only bite down on her lip, trembling as she tried to adjust to the overwhelming presence inside her. It wasn’t until her nails dug into her palms that her body finally began to relax a little.

Sensing this, Murong Jing He thrust deeper, then began a relentless and brutal rhythm.

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