Chapter 163: Finally Got a Kiss
Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Finally Got a Kiss
Cui Lingyao’s eyes went blank. "When did you get back?"
Xie Jinbai didn’t speak, just stared at her without blinking.
His eyes were dark and deep.
He had lost a lot of weight. His already sharp jawline now seemed even more severe, giving him a cold and forbidding air.
He probably hadn’t rested much on the road.
A layer of bluish stubble covered his chin, and his eyes were bloodshot.
He looked utterly exhausted.
But his presence was too powerful. Even slouched there, looking completely disheveled, he radiated an air that warned others not to cross him.
In short, it was impossible to look away.
Calculating the time, he must have traveled day and night to get back.
Cui Lingyao was both thrilled and heartbroken. She quickly dropped the carriage curtain, sat down next to him, and asked with concern, "How are your injuries? Rushing back like this... can your body handle it?"
As she spoke, the carriage wheels began to turn slowly. She hadn’t steadied herself yet, and her body tipped uncontrollably to the side.
The next moment, a firm grip seized her wrist.
Xie Jinbai pulled her up and, without hesitation, brought her into his embrace.
One arm wrapped tightly around her waist, while the other cupped the back of her neck.
With her in his arms, the tangible feeling of holding her finally allowed the taut strings of his heart to loosen.
He let out a soft sigh, lowered his head, and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "Liar," he mumbled.
The word was a quiet murmur.
"..." Cui Lingyao was speechless.
She remembered her promise before she died—that if she were to be reborn again, she would return to his side as quickly as possible.
But at the time, no one had imagined she would be able to return to her original body.
’And what a coincidence, to be just in time for Chen Minrou’s life-or-death crisis.’
Cui Lingyao blinked, making excuses out of guilt. "I sent you a letter."
"Yes... I received it," Xie Jinbai didn’t make things difficult for her, going along with what she said. "You could manage not to come find me, but I couldn’t. The moment I received your letter, I couldn’t rest for a second. I just wanted to come back and see you."
’She had chosen Chen Minrou over him.’
’Did that mean she saw Chen Minrou as more important than him?’
Xie Jinbai didn’t want to dwell on that question.
Reunited after a long separation—and after such a tragic, deathly parting.
He just wanted to hold her.
Cui Lingyao already had a profound understanding of his jealous streak. Hearing his words now, she didn’t relax. Instead, she took the initiative to tell him just how urgent the situation had been when she rescued Chen Minrou.
"If I had been any later, I might not have made it in time."
She held the head nestled against her neck and patiently explained, "Once Minmin had recovered, I wanted to go to Pingzhou to find you. But I didn’t know how many people were watching my every move back then, and Li Yong also thought it wasn’t a good idea to leave the Capital City."
In the shadow of the Emperor, no matter how treacherous the undercurrents were, it wouldn’t be so simple to make a move against her.
Prince Yu’s Mansion was a fortress, and she always had guards with her when she went out.
She was safe.
But once she left the capital, there were no guarantees.
Xie Jinbai listened quietly without speaking. His cool lips pressed against the side of her neck, brushing against her skin. From time to time, he would take the delicate flesh of her neck between his lips, sucking and kissing her slowly, deliberately.
The stubble on his chin tickled Cui Lingyao as it scraped against her skin.
She gave his head a little push. "Don’t leave a mark. I still have to go to the Imperial Palace."
"You’re not going to the palace," Xie Jinbai took a deep breath, lifting his head from her neck to look at her. "You’re not allowed to go anywhere. Not even the Imperial Palace."
’She had to stay right under his nose.’
’She wasn’t allowed to go anywhere his eyes couldn’t see.’
Cui Lingyao was stunned. She thought that since he had just returned, he didn’t know about the Emperor’s summons. "Father Emperor has issued a decree," she said hurriedly. "The eunuch who delivered the message is right outside the carriage. We’re on our way to the Imperial Palace right now."
"You don’t need to worry about any of that. I’ll handle it."
After speaking, he buried his head in her neck again, his nostrils flaring slightly as he inhaled her scent.
He seemed so dependent, so vulnerable.
Like a fierce beast that had retracted its claws and fangs, becoming docile.
Cui Lingyao rested obediently in his arms, afraid to lean against him too heavily for fear of touching his wounds.
She whispered, "Are you very tired?"
Xie Jinbai grunted in response. "A little."
For a man this powerful to say "a little"...
...meant he was completely exhausted.
So tired that all he wanted was to hold her.
Her heart ached for him. "You didn’t have to rush back like this. I’ll wait for you in the Capital City. I won’t go anywhere."
"Who says?" Xie Jinbai held her, feeling only relief. "It’s a good thing I came back."
’Otherwise, once she entered the palace...’
’...who knew what would be waiting for her.’
His Father Emperor had spent the better part of his life obsessed with cultivation, alchemy, and the art of immortality.
Now that there was a living example right in front of him, how could he possibly let her go so easily?
Cui Lingyao was about to say something more, but Xie Jinbai suddenly cupped her chin and tilted his head to kiss her.
Their lips met, their breaths mingling.
Cui Lingyao’s eyelashes fluttered. She wrapped her arms around his neck, carefully avoiding his chest, and settled into his lap, tilting her head back and parting her lips.
She was incredibly cooperative.
It made the kiss, which he had intended to be brief, nearly spiral out of control.
Xie Jinbai looked down at the woman in his arms, his lashes lowered. His lips captured hers, brushing against them slowly as he coaxed her in a hoarse voice, "We can talk about whatever you want when we get home."
They were in a carriage right now. Even he couldn’t guarantee there weren’t ears on the other side of the wall.
Therefore, they weren’t on their way to the Imperial Palace anymore. They were going home.
Cui Lingyao blinked and said no more.
’So obedient...’
A warmth spread through Xie Jinbai’s chest. He reached out to cradle the back of her neck, stared at her for a moment, then tilted his head to kiss her again.
He never tired of kissing her.
Cui Lingyao tilted her head back, cupped his face with her hands, and let him kiss her to his heart’s content.
By the time the carriage came to a stop...
...both of them were breathless.
Xie Jinbai reached out to fasten her sash, then smoothed her slightly messy hair. His thumb brushed over her flushed lips, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. "I finally got to kiss you properly."
When she was in the guise of Pei Shuyao, whenever he wanted to kiss her more, he was either met with disgust or outright refusal.
She even got upset with him, believing he had kissed two different girls.
Her jealousy was so strong that he had to pester her endlessly just to get her in his arms for a couple of kisses.
It was nothing like how cooperative she was now.
Cui Lingyao glanced up at him, then pressed her lips together in embarrassment and hopped down from the carriage first.
She was as light as a swallow, dismounting with effortless grace.
When she turned back, she saw Xie Jinbai place his foot on the mounting block, being helped down by Li Yong.
His movements... were slow.
A slowness Cui Lingyao had never seen in him before.
In her eyes, he was a decisive and agile man.
He was towering and solid, indestructible.
His might was legendary, a fact confirmed by the annals of history.
So, even though she knew he was seriously injured, and had even seen him stab himself clean through, Cui Lingyao had taken it for granted that he would be fine.
Even after he had braved the cold winds and traveled for days on end without rest...
...she still believed it.
Until this very moment.
In the early winter, the air was bone-chillingly cold.
The moment Xie Jinbai’s feet touched the ground, an adjutant draped a heavy cloak over his shoulders.
The dark cyan cloak enveloped his thin frame, making his complexion look even more deathly pale.
Watching him, Cui Lingyao’s eyes slowly began to redden.