Chapter 042: Get Out!

“What are you doing…” Wu Tan was about to cry again, trying to bring her arms to her chest, but the pain in her left shoulder made her afraid to move at all.

Xiao Yue let out a cold snort, dropping down behind her and rubbing medicinal wine onto her shoulder. “What are you afraid of? Do you really think I’m so lacking that I’d take advantage of you?”

Wu Tan understood well enough—someone of Xiao Yue’s status would never do anything inappropriate to her in broad daylight. But this wasn’t about impropriety; it was about reputation and dignity.

Having her clothes stripped by a man for no apparent reason, Wu Tan felt fear and panic gnawing at her. She wanted to cry, but knew it would do no good, so she gritted her teeth and endured.

To maximize the effect of the medicinal wine, Xiao Yue pressed hard, his hands kneading her injured shoulder mercilessly. The pain was excruciating, tears streaming down Wu Tan’s cheeks as she gripped the carved bedpost, silently bearing it.

After finishing, Xiao Yue pulled her clothes up for her and stood. He glanced at the bed, now soaked with her tears.

What on earth was she made of?

He found her rather amusing, and couldn’t help but smile. Suddenly, memories of a night many years ago surfaced—she had been crying then as well…

He couldn’t recall her face from that time, and his own mind had been muddled. Yet he remembered, in a moment of reckless impulse, the sensation of her body pressed against his, supple and delicate, driving him wild—the touch was exquisite beyond words.

Wu Tan, head bowed, was slowly fixing her clothes. Her movements were awkward and slow, hindered by her injured arm. Her slender neck, pale as snow, was exposed, caught in the light filtering through the window paper, revealing even the fine hairs on her skin.

The warmth of her skin lingered in his palms, and Xiao Yue found his thoughts drifting.

Compelled by some strange impulse, he reached out, fingers brushing the skin at her neck. She shrieked, scrambling to the corner of the bed, eyes wide with fear and distrust.

His hand hung in the air, stunned.

In his previous life, he never had the chance to interact with Wu Tan directly, but he had to admit, she left a deep, unresolved mystery in his heart. That day outside Changning Palace, after observing her, he had to leave abruptly, and when he returned, she was gone.

Now, meeting her again, she was both familiar and unfamiliar—just as clever and sly, yet her temperament was more unpredictable. It was hard to describe.

He had to admit, Wu Tan always made him feel as though he was scratching an itch through a boot—every encounter left him wanting more.

His own feelings were odd. As Wu Tan suspected, he, a prince of the realm, could have any woman he wished—he had no need to engage in such undignified acts as stripping a young lady’s clothes. His upbringing and restraint would never allow him to be so frivolous.

Yet now, deep down, he regarded Wu Tan as his possession, with an unconscious sense that he had every right to see and touch her. He truly didn’t think applying medicine was anything to be ashamed or concerned about.

But Wu Tan saw it differently.

Though playful and mischievous at times, she was still a proper lady raised in a respectable family.

Trapped here by him, she was frightened, wanting to cry.

Xiao Yue saw the fear, grievance, and guardedness in her eyes. After a moment’s thought, he sat back down at the edge of the bed.

He beckoned her over.

Wu Tan shrank away, unmoving.

He grew impatient and simply reached out, pulling her close and prying her hand from her collar.

At first, Wu Tan resisted, but seeing he was only tidying her clothes and nothing more, she held back and remained silent.

Xiao Yue sneered, “How peculiar. If you care so much, shouldn’t you be crying for me to take responsibility?”

“I wouldn’t dare!” Wu Tan answered honestly, holding back tears.

“Oh?” Xiao Yue paused, looking up at her face as he tied her sash.

Wu Tan gestured for him to finish.

He didn’t dwell on it, but continued to fix her clothes.

Having calmed herself, Wu Tan sniffed, rallied her spirits, and forced a smile. “Your Highness, please don’t joke. You’re kind enough to treat my injury; I would never repay your kindness by blackmailing you.”

Her laugh was awkward, trying to please.

Xiao Yue saw only perfunctory politeness.

He stared at her in silence.

Wu Tan, cautious and tentative, continued, “But… surely you wouldn’t try to extort my family either?”

Xiao Yue raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“The Emperor wouldn’t like seeing you getting too close to us,” Wu Tan said.

Xiao Yue’s deliberate approach had always put her on guard.

“So?” Hearing this, Xiao Yue felt things were back to normal. This girl was always calculating, never foolish, yet her constant weighing of interests made him uncomfortable. He deliberately mocked her with a cold smile, “Are you hinting at something, then?”

“What?” Wu Tan frowned, blurting out her question.

Xiao Yue leaned in, his gaze intense. “So, because the Emperor is wary, even if I bullied you today, I wouldn’t need to take responsibility? Is that what you mean?”

Wu Tan was left speechless.

“Your second brother was right—men prefer… larger ones…” His eyes slowly drifted downward from her face. Wu Tan, already dazed by his proximity, followed his gaze inch by inch until she realized he was looking at her chest.

The realization hit her like thunder.

Before she could react, Xiao Yue’s face suddenly moved closer.

Their noses nearly touched; Wu Tan instinctively turned her head.

His lips brushed past her ear—a barely-there sensation, as light as a feather, yet it startled Wu Tan, making her heart clench tightly.

She froze, unmoving.

Xiao Yue’s voice was low, his breath warm against her ear, each word drawn out, ambiguous and intimate. “I especially like them!”

Wu Tan, though not naive, blushed furiously.

Out of instinct for self-preservation, she raised her hand and pushed Xiao Yue.

She used all her strength, but his chest was like an iron wall, completely unyielding.

The next moment, Xiao Yue seized her wrist.

Wu Tan tried to shake him off.

He dragged her close, pulling her against him.

She struggled to retreat, but his grip was so strong that there was no escape.

Xiao Yue stared into her eyes, close enough to see the panic written there. Yet she endured, silent, for the sake of her family, for those so-called loved ones. Last time, when she suffered humiliation and disgrace, she swallowed her anger and waited for death in the cold palace; today, though scared and aggrieved, she kept her composure, making no fuss, disturbing no one, hoping that once she passed through the door, it would all be forgotten.

Her reputation—the most precious thing to any woman—was at stake. Xiao Yue suddenly realized this young lady’s inner strength was terrifying.

Her compliance and false smiles had nothing to do with him as a person, but everything to do with his untouchable status.

Deflated, he no longer wished to torment her.

Wu Tan saw the sudden flare of anger in his eyes dissipate, and the next moment, Xiao Yue rose from the bedside, his expression cold. “Get out!”

Wu Tan, nerves frayed, leaped from the bed and fled without hesitation.

She had no idea what convoluted thoughts twisted through Xiao Yue’s mind, only that this Prince Sheng was moody and seemingly addicted to frightening people.

Perhaps she was fearless from youth, and after several encounters, she realized Xiao Yue truly meant her no harm. Deep down, she wasn’t really afraid of him.

Still, upon leaving the room, the first thing Wu Tan did was glance down at her chest, finally relieved.

He likes big ones! Good, good—she didn’t have them!

Two maids were still kneeling in the courtyard. Seeing her, they hurried to their feet. “Miss!”

Wu Tan had no intention of staying in this dreadful place, so she gathered her skirts and dashed out.

The group had barely left the courtyard when a cold voice rang out from behind a flowering tree ahead. “Stop!”

—Extra—

Hmm, the mood of a little girl confronting an old rogue—imagine it as you wish~

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