Chapter 206: Melted in a Single Furnace
Chapter 206: Chapter 206: Melted in a Single Furnace
Inside the tent.
Lu Xiu’s hand slipped, and Liang Wan fell hard, landing in an undignified heap on the couch. The pain made her brow knit together as she sucked in a sharp breath.
Liang Wan pushed through the pain and scrambled up, furious. "Are you crazy?!"
Lu Xiu stood there expressionlessly, looking down at her with cold, indifferent eyes. "Weren’t you saying you hadn’t had your fill? Go on, say it now. Make a scene. If that’s not enough, you can tear this place apart for all I care."
Looking up at him would only put her at a disadvantage.
So she refused to look at him, her eyes darting to the side as she stubbornly retorted, "I’m tired. You may want to listen, but I don’t feel like talking anymore."
She was being petulant, unreasonable, and throwing a tantrum.
It was out of character.
Lu Xiu leaned down and gripped her chin, forcing her to face him. They were so close their noses nearly touched.
"Getting spoiled because you think you’re favored?"
His eyes were as deep as the night, leaving her with nowhere to hide.
Liang Wan’s heart pounded in panic. Lu Xiu was not an easy man to fool.
’This clumsy act... if I keep this up, he’s sure to see right through me.’
Liang Wan steeled herself. ’Things are already this bad,’ she thought. ’What’s the harm in acting even crazier?’
She gritted her teeth and glared at him, shoving him with all her might.
"How laughable, Grand Commandant. Am I favored? In what capacity could I possibly be favored? What right do I have? Between you and me, it’s always been your word that goes. You alone decide everything. When have you ever considered my feelings? When has it ever been my turn to speak? You were the one who went against my will and forced me to stay. And now that you’re sick of me, tired of me, and ready to give up on life, you decide to send me far, far away. So you tell me, where is this favor you speak of? What kind of favor is *this*?"
"To be summoned when you want me and dismissed when you don’t—is that what you call being favored?"
"Grand Commandant! Great General! You tell me, is *this* what you call being favored?"
"Is this being favored? So what do you take me for? A cat? A dog? A bird...?"
"What am I to you...? Say it! You tell me!"
"You tell me..."
She let it all out in one hysterical, fearless, and unrestrained torrent of words. But as soon as she was done, it was as if all her strength had been drained, and her body collapsed.
Her heart felt as if it had been ripped open, an unbearable ache spreading through her as tears streamed endlessly down her face.
It was as if a torrential downpour had suddenly engulfed her world, soaking everything in a gray haze. She was lost, with no idea how to find her way back.
Liang Wan sniffled and closed her eyes. She was exhausted.
Now, she truly never wanted to look at him again.
’Let him do whatever he wants.’
"It’s not like that," Lu Xiu choked out, pulling her limp body tightly into his arms. He was desperate to explain, but his voice was too thick with emotion. All he could do was narrow his eyes and stroke her back, again and again, as gently as if he were soothing an injured animal.
Before, her act had been a confusing mix of truth and pretense, but now he could clearly feel her heart growing cold—the same heart he had spent countless days and nights painstakingly warming until it had finally begun to thaw.
"I never thought of you as—"
"Whether you did or not, it doesn’t matter anymore," she interrupted.
Perhaps because she had cried so much, Liang Wan felt a chill. Her head rested on his shoulder, her face pale and listless, like someone on the verge of death.
"Actually, I thought of this long ago. I knew it would be better to prepare myself to leave at any moment, rather than just wait around to be cast aside when you grew tired of me. But you were even quicker to act than I ever imagined."
She opened her eyes and looked at his profile.
"You were right. I shouldn’t have come. But now... let’s part on good terms. Our fate ends here, our feelings stop here. From now on, we will walk separate paths in life and in death. This ill-fated bond between us should be turned to ash, just like that marriage contract."
A knot formed in Lu Xiu’s chest. He pulled her away from him and glared at her. "Impossible."
Liang Wan looked at him, wanting to laugh, but when she tried to curve her lips into a smile, she couldn’t. So she gave up.
"Lu Xiu, the moment you had Zhou Yun deliver that message, the moment you decided to send me away, you had already chosen to abandon me. You were the one who cast me aside first..."
Her voice was as light and damp as a passing mist, yet it sent a chill straight to the bone.
Liang Wan shot him an indifferent look, pushed his hands away, and moved to get off the couch.
Before her toes could even touch the floor, an arm wrapped around her waist and dragged her back.
Lu Xiu’s face darkened. "You wouldn’t leave when I told you to. Now you want to go? It’s too late."
"Right, here we go again. But let me tell you, whether it’s too late or not is not for you to decide—"
She was forced back as he pressed down on top of her, pinning her shoulders and trapping her in the small space beneath him.
Lu Xiu lowered his head, capturing her tear-stained lips with his. They were wet and salty.
Lu Xiu licked his lips and stared into her wet eyes. "Say it again. Is it my decision now?"
Liang Wan couldn’t push him off. "No."
He lowered his head again, his kiss fierce and harsh, like a punishment.
Liang Wan clenched her jaw, resisting him firmly.
Lu Xiu stared at her for a moment before moving to kiss her ear.
A tingling sensation coursed through her body.
She was wound as tight as a string.
She had expected a relentless tide of teasing, but instead, all that followed was a single, warm, and brief sentence.
Liang Wan froze, her eyes narrowing, still hot with emotion.
Taking advantage of her distraction, Lu Xiu turned onto his side, pulling her into his arms to lie face to face with him.
He only kissed her forehead. "I will never abandon you."
Lu Xiu stared deep into her eyes.
Liang Wan glanced at him, then lowered her head. "Can I still trust your words?"
He tightened his arms around her and sighed. "I’m not seeking death. It’s just that—"
Liang Wan pressed her fingers to his lips and propped herself up to look at him. She knew all about his past.
"I know," she said. "You have your reasons."
With that, she leaned down and kissed him, initiating a deep, entangling kiss.
The arms around her tightened, and soon, dissatisfied with just a kiss, he began to help her out of the complex layers of her clothing.
Although she had been the one to start this fire, she quickly became the passive one. Limp and pliant, she could only clutch tightly to his lapels, struggling to endure his advances.
Finally, Liang Wan couldn’t take it anymore and nestled against him like a kitten, panting for breath.
Her misty eyes were fixed on him, looking wronged and innocent, yet still holding a trace of untamable pride.
Lu Xiu’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The restlessness and desire he had barely managed to suppress began to spread through him like wildfire.
He knew all too well that a powerful, ferocious beast was caged within him, and she, blissfully unaware of the consequences, had just carelessly lured it out.
Lu Xiu laid her flat on her back, supporting her neck with one hand. His gaze burned into her, and every breath he exhaled was scorching hot.
Liang Wan gazed into the dark eyes so close to her own. They were as deep as a well, but now they were being consumed by desire, blazing like a sea of fire.
Everywhere his gaze landed, it was as if a fire had been lit, making her own skin burn hot in response.
Burning with heat, Liang Wan reached up, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pulled him down to her.
Lu Xiu held her tightly, his kiss deep and fierce.
Under his escalating assault, she slowly melted into a puddle, her mind growing hazy. Her slender, pale hand slipped inside his collar, seeking coolness, only to find his skin was even hotter than her own.
In a tangle of breathless gasps, all restraints were cast aside until they lay bare before one another.
The cool air on her skin brought back a sliver of her senses.
Lu Xiu’s eyes were bloodshot as he hastily pulled her hand away from his body.
The corners of her eyes, red and shimmering with moisture, now held a look of confusion. To him, she looked incredibly wronged.
"Why?"