Chapter 22 – Unwilling

Mei Li felt that her stomach was pressed hard, her throat was hot, and she choked and spat out a large mouthful of water. Her nose was also filled with water, and every breath was sore and uncomfortable.

She recalled the horror and despair of falling into the water just now. Was she already dead?

“Do you feel better?” a cold voice asked calmly.

She was trembling with fear and had no strength to hide. The struggle in the water just now had consumed all her strength.

She tried to adapt to the darkness, the moonlight shone from the small and narrow cave entrance reflecting at the water at the bottom of the cave. The sparkling water glowed brighter and brighter as the moon moved to shine right down.

She saw Jingxuan’s handsome but cold face, the water droplets hanging from his long eyelashes reflecting a faint reflection from the moonlight, illuminating his dark eyes even deeper. He sat beside her in a relaxed manner, and seemed to sneer at her fear and terror.

“Where are we?” She did not want to meet his eyes so she reluctantly half-propped herself up to look around. It was a small horizontal hole less than two feet from the water at the bottom of the pit, and many wrist-thick vines were hanging down from the hole, obstructing it from the view from above.

The space was gourd-shaped. Although the opening is small, the inside is wide. The bottom of the pit is simply a small pool of water. Fortunately their lives were preserved when he was able to find this hidden hole. If not, even if his stamina is enough to tread in water, he will eventually drown from exhaustion.

In her guard, she saw him that he actually started to strip off his soaked clothes, “You… what are you doing?!” She was angry and anxious. The hole was low and narrow, and she couldn’t avoid him.

“Aren’t you cold?” He sneered while being unclothed, ignoring her indignant protest.

When he said that, she all the more felt her wet clothes tightly stick onto her body. This is especially cold and uncomfortable, but she turned her face away from him and forced herself to say coldly: “It’s not cold.”

He sneered, then ignored her, then wrung his inner clothes he took off in the opening of the hole and wiped the water droplets off his body.

Mei Li forced herself to be calm and didn’t look at him… Because he actually took off his tightest trousers, even his boots and socks, and looked comfortable. She didn’t know how to deal with him and simply closed her eyes, and silently endured the increasingly bitter cold alone.

Jingxuan leisurely leaned against the cave wall, looking at her through the reflection of the moonlight. Two years has passed, what impressed him the most now was her silent patience. Before, she was stubborn and lonely, and it made him confused, and somewhat… moved.

He frowned and quickly leaned over to pull her cold and wet clothes.

“What are you doing!” How could she not be guarded against him? But when he really started moving, she still felt that her strength was too weak. “Your highness…” She couldn’t deal with him so she just clutched on her skirt tightly, squeezing water out of her clothes with force.

He sneered, “Don’t worry, I don’t have that interest now.”

His tone made her even more embarrassed and embarrassed. After all, she couldn’t beat him. He rudely tore off the clothes on her body. She had to hug her knees tightly and form a small ball. He snorted but didn’t try to force her, but carefully wiped her back, arms, and calves in places she couldn’t hide even if she curled up.

She bit her lip and said nothing.

Suddenly, he swept her hard and easily hugged her into his arms, and his hand pulled her ankle mercilessly. Mei Li felt like he was about to break her leg. The pain has not passed yet when his slender and powerful arms and legs wrapped around her. She was like a flying insect caught by a spider, trapped in his arms and unable to move.

She wanted to struggle harder, but he made his grasp even more firmer, “I don’t have any interest now, but if you continue to twist like this,” he sighed evilly, “It’s hard to tell later.”

Knowing that it was useless, she simply put her hands tightly around her upper arm to protect her chest, and also set off his arms that were around her. He ignored her and held her tightly for a long time without a trace of slack.

Mei Li pillowed on his arm but she resisted in her heart. But her body have to rely on the temperature of his body. Her nose was sour, she had not had time to stop it as tears were already dripping down the corners of her eyes. tThis was the warmth she had once wanted, but he was so stingy to give even a bit to her. Now… even if it’s getting warmer, she knew that her heart will eventually be cold.

“You have nothing to say?” After a long silence, he opened his mouth, somewhat annoyed, and shook his arm badly that turned her head down. She closed her eyes tightly, He starts to feel uncomfortable now that she looked as though she was still going to fall asleep at this state!

Mei Li frowned, “Why are you here?” She said perfunctorily. She didn’t want to offend him in this situation.

“What do you mean?” He sneered disdainfully, knowing that he still deliberately slandered, “Didn’t you ask me to come?”

“Me?!” Her closed eyes suddenly opened, and she looked at him in horror and anger. Her big and clear eyes were so beautiful like sparkling water, he felt his chest go hot like something has gone swollen and painful. He squinted his face and maintained an indifferent expression. He didn’t want to get her under such circumstances.

Mei Li thought for a moment in silence and roughly figured everything out. She knew that the prank would not be as simple as tricking her to go to the mountain.

Seeing that she didn’t speak anymore, he shook her, “I saved you. If you can’t say your gratitude, it’s better to use action.” He chuckled disgustingly.

“How long have you been here?” She interrupted his smile coldly, “Were you already here when Yindi was fighting with me?” She thought he should have been here long ago, hiding in the dark watching everything.

He stopped talking.

This time, she was the one sneered low— it seemed his pleasure to stand by and watch her suffering.

Irritated by her laughter, he rolled over and pressed onto her petite and delicate body, “When I jumped down to save you, I didn’t expect such a hole!” Yes, after getting out of danger, he was secretly scared by his impulsive behavior and was afraid! If it weren’t for the swaying of the vines on the wall of the cave, he might not have discovered the hole. His… his grand plan and his ambition might have gone just because he thought that this little woman with a cold face would be under another man!

Her expression changed slightly, and her ironic smile gradually faded.

“Thank you.” She whispered as she turned away.

His expression turned fierce, and hugged her as hard as he did earlier. Like he really wanted to choke her to death. She couldn’t understand why he would always be angry when she wouldn’t thank him. And now that she did, he was even more angry!

He is thinking… Is what he did for her worth her perfunctory remarks?!

Feeling his anger, she smiled, “You should’ve not saved me.”

“You!” The veins on his arms are about to burst.

“Mei Li—” Yonghe’s anxious shout suddenly came from above the entrance of the cave.

Hearing this, Mei Li was overjoyed. Just as she’s about to answer, Jingxuan quickly covered her mouth. He tightly trapped her with his hands and feet, so that she could not make a sound to attract Yonghe’s attention. Jingxuan even freed up a hand and quickly pulled some vines hanging down from the small hole to cover the hole.

Mei Li’s anxious heart was about to explode. She felt thatthe top of the cave was illuminated by a torch, and Yonghe’s loud shouts made her heart hurt. 

She is here! She is here! She hated that she wanted to bite Jingxuan’s hand covering her mouth, but he had been prepared for it early. She squeezed her cheeks hard, and her jaw felt a sharp pain and she could not use any strength to bite back.

It was dark in the small horizontal hole. It was very clear to see the brightly illuminated hole after the vines covered it. With a splash of water, Yonghe jumped from the entrance of the hole with a long rope tied around his waist. He dived repeatedly in the water to search for her, and finally the voice calling her name was hoarse, he even choked up.

A couple of guards also jumped down to help him find her, but because the vines were both covering the hole very well, nobody would expect that there would be a cavity behind it. Finally, no one really did notice this dark corner at all.

“Yonghe!” Ying Ru Fujin’s cry resounded from the entrance of the cave, “Come up now, Yonghe.”

“No, no!” Yonghe shouted in despair that his mother have to order the people above to pull him up forcibly. Yonghe frantically even tried to cut the rope with his dagger. The guard who jumped down with him quickly stopped and assisted the people above for them to take Yonghe up.

Jingxuan finally let go of her when silence finally came back. The people have left.. Mei Li stared blankly for a long time before she cried out hoarsely. Just now, Yonghe’s cry broke her heart!

“What are you doing?” Jingxuan’s smile was unusually cold, “Don’t let them find you!”

“You!” Mei Li hates him to the core. She rushed over like crazy. She tried to beat him with both hands, but he grabbed both her hands easily.

“Why? Why?” She hissed. Because she was too angry, and her hair was loosened, it clung to her thin cheeks in a mess, making her look more fragile and helpless. Her ears seemed to be ringing with Yonghe’s call of eternal despair.

“Why are you doing this?! Why don’t you just let me go?!” Tears flowed down like a river, and the grievances and anger of the past all broke out, “I have already given up my heart on you, I don’t want you anymore just like what you want! So what now? What do you want me to do?!” But although she was questioning him, she seemed to be questioning the fate that is making her suffer again and again.

She is crying and yelling. This kind of Mei Li gave Jingxuan some familiar feelings. Her last words stung her, his hands clenched.

“Mei Li…” He said in a low voice when she was finally exhausted from crying, “Would you like Yonghe to see you and me like this?”

She stiffened, her groggy mind was numb and unable to think anymore.

“My personal guard will find me here in a while, and I will take you out. You can say that you rolled down the slope and didn’t fall here. Yindi must be scared to death and won’t mess with you.”

She was firmly held into his arms, but he didn’t expect that her despair and crying look would break his heart like this.

He hugged her tightly, “You ask me why… I did that for a reason… I was not heartless, you know.”

“Will you… really take me out?” She didn’t seem to hear his emotional narrative at all, only stubbornly clinging to his promise.

In her eyes andin her heart, is Yonghe the only man now?

“Will you keep today’s secret?” She asked. She couldn’t believe him!

He let go of her, sat upright, and looked at her with tears on his face and eyes blurred. Her heart had been taken away by the man who had just called her name.

He feels reconciled! He is unwilling!

The man in her heart was originally him! It should be just him!

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T/N: I have not translated for half a year because I moved continents lol. Also, this was a very difficult chapter to translate. Jingxuan, you fool.