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Chapter 206: Chapter 206 Zhan Lan, Don’t Go...
Vermilion Bird pushed open the door with the swiftness of a surprise thunderclap that leaves no time to cover one’s ears.
Zhan Lan withdrew the ointment from her hand, opened the door, walked in holding Little White, and was immediately enveloped by the pungent smell of alcohol. Even someone who loved to drink as much as she did frowned.
Sensibly, Little White ran to Vermilion Bird’s side; it really didn’t like the smell of alcohol in its master’s room.
Seeing Zhan Lan enter the room, Vermilion Bird was relieved. Holding Little White with cheerful spirits, he said, "Come on, let’s go have some meat!"
Zhan Lan first noticed several jars of alcohol on the table, all opened.
Mu Yan’s cheeks were flushed, his collar slightly open, revealing his attractive collarbone and the hint of well-defined pectorals.
His long fingers held a wine glass; his eyes, misty as if stars had fallen into the night lake, and the edges tinged with the colors of dusk, quietly gazed at her. Even the beauty mark near his eye was tinged with desire.
He parted his lips slightly, tilted his head back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he drank a glass of wine.
Zhan Lan’s heartbeat suddenly quickened. Seeing Mu Yan in such a melancholic state, she couldn’t help but feel empathy. Could he be burdened by some woes?
The Seal Keeper of the Xingtian Department, the future Regent King, he was powerful and influential; it seemed that there was nothing he longed for that he could not obtain.
Why then did his gaze hold such loneliness? From afar, it seemed like a solitary iceberg, yet upon closer inspection, it resembled a lonely grave, striking a chord of sorrow in one’s heart.
What had he experienced to wear such an expression?
Zhan Lan’s throat tightened. She stepped forward, took the glass from Mu Yan’s hand, and with a frown, said, "Lord Mu, stop drinking, your hand..."
Suddenly, her wrist was gripped tightly, Mu Yan pulled her closer, his eyes fixing on her, his voice devoid of warmth, "Who are you to control me!"
Zhan Lan was momentarily at a loss for words. In her past life, she had once called him Imperial Uncle.
In this life, she was merely his friend; perhaps not even that, just a neighbor.
Seeing Zhan Lan’s silence, Mu Yan scoffed, "If you came to tell me to drink less, forget it. I’m not drunk!"
"I’m here to apply the ointment on you," Zhan Lan spoke.
Mu Yan observed her taking out the ointment from her sleeve and rejected it, "No need."
Zhan Lan stubbornly grabbed his injured hand, not saying a word, with a forceful attitude, she tenderly applied the ointment.
Mu Yan watched as Zhan Lan’s long eyelashes trembled lightly, and beneath her high nose her rosy lips parted with a sigh, only to close again.
The warmth of her palms transferred onto his skin, Mu Yan’s chest heaving, his voice hoarse, he asked, "Zhan Lan, haven’t you always wanted to... repay the favor you owe me?"
Zhan Lan lifted her eyes to meet his, "You say it, as long as it’s within my ability."
Their eyes met, and all of a sudden, Zhan Lan felt her cheeks heat up. Mu Yan’s hand slid down her cheek, came to rest on her neck, his lips curled in a smirk, "Help me up."
Zhan Lan moved his hand away and, supporting him, helped him up. She followed him with unstable steps towards the interior of the room.
Most of his weight rested on Zhan Lan, if she had not been trained in martial arts, she likely would have been overpowered and toppled to the ground.
As they walked, Zhan Lan suddenly felt the weight on her lessen.
Then, the ground beneath her vanished as Mu Yan’s arms went under her knees, sweeping her sideways into his embrace, heading towards the bed.
Zhan Lan clutched at his clothes, her pupils dilating as she asked, "What are you doing?"
Mu Yan didn’t respond to her; the next moment, Zhan Lan was tossed onto the bed. As she felt the soft touch, Mu Yan pressed down upon her.
The veins on the back of his pale hand stood out as he forcefully pinned Zhan Lan’s hands above her head.
At the same time, Zhan Lan’s lips were pressed by his soft yet icy ones, the taste of alcohol and the woody scent of Mu Yan mingling together as they invaded her mouth.
Zhan Lan was kissed into a daze; Mu Yan’s kisses were like a conquering siege, leaving her no time to catch her breath.
Different from the last time on the boat, this kiss carried an intense domineering plunder, leaving no room for her refusal.
Finally finding a moment to breathe, Zhan Lan struggled to free herself from his grip, but Mu Yan’s strength was astonishing, one hand easily restraining her.
As Mu Yan continued to kiss her, his other hand brutally tore open her neckline, his fingers sliding down from her collarbone.
His touch electrified her, sending shivers throughout Zhan Lan’s body.
"Stop..." Zhan Lan couldn’t let Mu Yan continue his drunken antics; she bit hard on his lips, causing him pain and releasing her.
Mu Yan let go of her hand and wiped the blood from his lower lip with his thumb, his gaze landing on Zhan Lan’s panicked face. Her collar was wide open, exposing her pale skin and alluring curves; Zhan Lan quickly pulled her clothes closed.
She sat up angrily on the bed and said: "Mu Yan, have you lost your mind?"
Mu Yan scoffed at himself, "Yes, I’ve gone crazy. Using Miss Zhan’s body to repay a favor owed, aren’t you willing?"
Zhan Lan looked at his drunken state, first feeling pained at the sorrow in his eyes, then furious at his audacity.
So the only reason Mu Yan was good to her was to have her body.
In that moment, Zhan Lan inexplicably felt a sense of shame and heartache; Mu Yan was still that libertine who toyed with women’s feelings.
Zhan Lan’s wounded eyes momentarily brought Mu Yan out of his reverie; jealousy had driven him mad and he had acted impulsively.
His vision was blurring; multiple images of Zhan Lan overlapped in his eyes.
Zhan Lan stood up to leave, not wanting to witness his drunken madness; just as she took two steps, she felt Mu Yan tightly embrace her from behind.
Mu Yan’s voice was choked, "Don’t go, please don’t leave me..."
Zhan Lan felt both anger and humiliation, her voice cold: "Let go of me!"
After a few moments, Mu Yan finally released her, but as Zhan Lan turned back, she saw him falling backward.
She quickly reached out to support Mu Yan’s upper body and head with her hands.
Soon after, she heard Mu Yan’s even breathing; he had fallen asleep.
Zhan Lan saw that the lip she had bitten was now broken, and a wound on his hand had reopened.
Gritting her teeth, she managed to drag him onto the bed, panting as she looked at the man now deeply asleep on the bed.
She sat at the edge of the bed to catch her breath, covered Mu Yan with a blanket, and after applying ointment to his lips and hand, she tried to leave but heard Mu Yan babbling deliriously, "Mother, don’t hit me, I won’t ask anymore, I’ll be good..."
"Zhan Lan, don’t go, please don’t..."
Mu Yan’s expression became one of extreme pain.
Zhan Lan froze, staring at his feverishly red cheeks.
She touched Mu Yan’s forehead with the back of her hand; it was burning up. Zhan Lan murmured, "He has a fever..."
Zhan Lan donned a fur mantle to cover the collar torn by Mu Yan and ran downstairs, shouting, "Vermilion Bird, your Family Head has a fever, Vermilion Bird!"
After calling out several times without response, Zhan Lan figured that Vermilion Bird must have been asleep.
Zhan Lan returned to the bedside and saw Mu Yan’s forehead and neck covered with a layer of fine sweat.
Her brow furrowed. Could she really just leave him here like this?
