Murong Jing He snapped back to reality and studied the woman in his arms for a moment before looking up with a smile. "This was a gift from my father, and I wouldn’t dare give it to anyone else, unless..." He left the rest of the sentence hanging, but the implication was clear—unless she became part of his household, in which case, she wouldn’t be considered "anyone else."
Catching the meaning behind his words, Luo Mei couldn’t help but laugh in anger. She knew he was telling the truth, but that didn’t make it any less infuriating. She shot a fierce glare at the man who made no effort to hide his intentions and retorted, "Keep dreaming."
Murong Jing He chuckled, not at all offended. He absentmindedly rubbed the small red mole on Mei Lin’s brow as he said leisurely, "I’ve been dreaming long enough. How much longer do you want me to wait?"
Mei Lin’s body stiffened uncontrollably. She wanted to push his hand away. She didn’t know what was on her brow, but being kissed and touched like this felt very strange—too intimate. Hearing him speak those words so close to her ear, even though she knew they weren’t meant for her, made her heart flutter, and she instinctively turned her head away.
Murong Jing He frowned slightly as his fingers slipped away from the small mole, but his attention was quickly diverted by Luo Mei.
Whether it was because his words had touched on something personal or stirred up old memories, Luo Mei’s eyes softened for a moment before they hardened again with coldness. Avoiding the topic, she turned and walked toward the exit, leaving behind a final remark.
"No need to lend her to me then. In two days, when we go hunting at Zhongshan in the western part of the city, bring her along." With that, her figure grew fainter as she disappeared behind the layers of silk curtains.
Murong Jing He watched as the breeze made the blue-green silk flutter, leaving behind only the faint fragrance that was unique to Luo Mei. A touch of melancholy crossed his face as he murmured, "Then I’ll just keep dreaming." With those words, he suddenly flipped over, pressing the woman in his arms beneath him as he reached out to smooth her slightly disheveled hair.
"Let me see what it is about you that caught her interest..." he teased, all previous emotions gone, reverting to the image of a hedonistic prince indulging in his vices.
When Mei Lin accidentally met his half-closed eyes, she didn’t expect to see two cold, indifferent glimmers devoid of any emotion.
* * *
Murong Jing He, of course, couldn’t figure out what about Mei Lin had piqued Luo Mei’s interest, but he decided to keep her in his quarters. For two consecutive nights, he had her by his side, and even in his sleep, his fingers remained pressed against the mole on her brow, as if he had suddenly become obsessed with it.
During the day, Mei Lin found an opportunity to look in a mirror and finally noticed the small, reddish-brown mole the size of a grain of rice nestled between her brow and temple. She had never noticed it before. Of course, that wasn’t the point. The point was that he seemed so infatuated with such a tiny mole—it was almost childish.
She soon realized that his sleep was troubled. Every night, he would exhaust himself before finally falling asleep. At first, she thought it was due to his passion for physical intimacy, but one time, she caught a glimpse of his calm, emotionless eyes during the act. She began to pay attention and discovered that he never truly immersed himself in those moments. It seemed that for him, it was just a way to induce sleep. And once he fell asleep, even the slightest change in her breathing could wake him.
For the first time, Mei Lin felt sorry for this man.
She, too, had once lived like that, constantly vigilant because one careless moment could mean never waking up again. But after she lost her martial arts skills, she no longer had that worry and could finally sleep soundly until morning. On the surface, Murong Jing He appeared carefree and indulgent, but in reality, he was always on guard, living a life of constant vigilance, not even as carefree as a commoner.
0 Comments