Gan Yuan instinctively swallowed, and the pill slid down her throat. Huangfu Jue held up a cup and passed her two sips of water. As he felt her swallow the water, his lips did not part from hers. Her lips were as soft as a baby’s skin, tempting him to linger.
Tentatively, he gently kissed her lips. She was still unconscious, peacefully unresponsive.
He pursed his lips, kissing her again, lightly for fear of waking her.
When she was awake, she was always too tough and stubborn. Now, she was, unusually, malleable and compliant.
He unconsciously deepened the kiss, savoring her softness and sweetness. Short of breath from his kisses, she instinctively moaned and drew back, her eyebrows slightly furrowed in displeasure, like an angry child.
That expression, compared to her usual defiant self, was much cuter.
His kisses traveled down, grazing her chin and landing on her collarbone.
His hand slid down, attempting to pull away her undergarment, but his elbow accidentally hit her wound.
She inhaled sharply from the pain, turning to one side.
Realizing what he was doing, Huangfu Jue slapped his forehead.
He had truly lost his mind.
After making sure she was covered by the blanket, he swiftly got up and walked into the bathroom, washed his face with cold water, then returned to the bedside to lie down beside her, embracing her once more. He felt the soft fragrance of her body in his arms, and his just-calmed nerves began to stir again.
He frowned, released her, and moved to one side. With eyes closed, it took a long while, but sleep did not come.
Huangfu Jue turned restlessly, something touched his back, and reaching back, his hand caught her soft fingers.
Holding her hand, he had intended to put it back, but halfway through, he stopped, pulling her palm over to cover his body.
Late into the night, Gan Yuan had a long dream.
In the dream, she saw Huangfu Qi again.
It was six years ago, and in the dream, she was still a young girl. They danced together from the first song until the end of the evening’s ball, and yet they were not tired at all.
It was as if they had danced for a hundred years, perfectly in sync every time.
He advanced, she retreated.
He lifted his arm, she spun.
After the final song ended, he took the initiative to show her around his castle.
From the terrace to the library, he introduced her to everything, the art on the walls, the ornaments on the shelves...
She just listened quietly, and all along, he held onto her hand without letting go, until the entire castle tour was done.
He was silent for a moment.
"I haven’t shown you the stable yet."
She laughed, knowing that he didn’t want her to go.
In the dead of the night, a visit to the stables was clearly not a good suggestion, but she did not want to refuse.