“Why do I feel this way about you…?”
Her voice was faint, as if she were talking to herself, “Why is it that every time you call me ‘Little Xi,’ I feel this inexplicable urge?”
A flicker of pain flashed through Ye Lan’s eyes.
She reached out and gently tucked Mu Xi’s silver hair behind her ear, her movements filled with both pity and a sense of possession.
“Because that is a name that belongs only to us,” she said.
Her voice was calm, yet an ocean of turbulent waves surged deep within her eyes.
“I will call you that, and you will respond to me.”
Mu Xi felt as if her heart were being squeezed by an invisible hand — it was both painful and sweet.
She opened her mouth to say something, but the sudden sound of howling wind from outside interrupted her.
Ye Lan stood up quickly, shielding Mu Xi with her body as she looked out the window alertly.
“The sandstorm is here.” She walked briskly to the control panel, her fingers dancing rapidly over the buttons, “We need to reinforce the defense system.”
Mu Xi also stood up from the sofa, but a wave of dizziness hit her because she rose too quickly.
She stumbled, her body leaning forward uncontrollably.
Ye Lan turned agilely and caught her, holding Mu Xi’s shoulders with both hands.
The distance between them vanished in an instant.
Mu Xi’s face was nearly pressed against Ye Lan’s chest, allowing her to clearly feel the other woman’s powerful heartbeat.
“Be careful,” Ye Lan said, her voice filled with both worry and doting affection.
Her arms instinctively tightened, firmly confining Mu Xi in her embrace.
“You are very weak right now.”
Mu Xi’s cheek rested against the crook of Ye Lan’s neck.
The other woman’s warmth and scent enveloped her, giving her a strange sense of security.
She knew she should break away from such an intimate posture, yet she found herself unwilling to move.
“I don’t understand,” she murmured, her voice muffled by the closeness.
“Why does drinking your blood make me feel so comfortable? This isn’t right.”
Ye Lan gently stroked her silver hair.
Her actions were infinitely tender, yet they also hid an unspeakable possessiveness.
“One day you will understand, Little Xi,” she whispered, her breath brushing against Mu Xi’s hair.
“But now is not the time.”
Feeling Ye Lan’s presence, Mu Xi suddenly realized that her hand had subconsciously gripped the other woman’s sleeve, like a drowning person clutching at a life-saving straw.
She wanted to let go, yet she was reluctant to do so.
The contradiction nearly tore her apart.
“Ye Lan…” she called out the name, her voice full of confusion and longing.
Ye Lan’s body stiffened slightly.
Then, she leaned down and whispered into Mu Xi’s ear, “Let me protect you, Little Xi. Even if you don’t remember who I am, please let me stay by your side.”
Mu Xi nodded gently, her body instinctively leaning closer into Ye Lan’s arms.
She looked up, her eyes staring straight at Ye Lan’s face.
Her gaze was a mixture of dependency and bewilderment, like a lamb that had finally found its way home.
As Ye Lan met those clear eyes, her breath suddenly hitched.
Those eyes seemed to possess a magical power, sending her thoughts back to the past in an instant.
“Your eyes,” Ye Lan’s voice was low and hoarse as her fingers subconsciously touched Mu Xi’s cheek, “look exactly like your mother’s. And the contours of your features are clearly a carbon copy of your father’s.”
Her thumb gently traced Mu Xi’s brow bone as if she were touching a precious work of art.
“The first time I met Mu Tianhong, although he was already up in years and his face was lined with the marks of time, one could tell at a glance that he must have been a peerless beauty in his youth.”
Ye Lan’s gaze softened, “You inherited all his strengths, as well as your mother’s — “
“Enough!” Mu Xi suddenly pushed Ye Lan’s hand away, a flash of pain in her eyes.
“Don’t mention them. They abandoned me, leaving me to die at sea. What is there to talk about?” Her voice trembled, and her fingernails dug deep into her palms, leaving several pale crescent marks.
Ye Lan frowned deeply and grabbed Mu Xi’s wrist, stopping her from harming herself.
“When did this happen? Who told you these things?”
She almost blurted out, “Your parents were both — ” but she swallowed the fatal word at the last moment.
Those two words were like a sharp blade caught in her throat, making it hard to breathe.
Mu Xi lowered her eyes, her voice becoming hollow, “That is how it is in my memories. They threw me into the sea, and Luoyuan’s ship saved me. She is my benefactor.”
As soon as those words left her mouth, Ye Lan’s hands suddenly gripped Mu Xi’s shoulders.
The force was so great that Mu Xi let out a soft groan.
A feverish light flashed in Ye Lan’s eyes.
“Your memories have been modified, Little Xi,” she said urgently, her words sharp and clear.
“You have been hypnotized. Think about it. If your parents truly abandoned you, how could you still hold the title of the Princess of Wu City?”
These words were like a key, unlocking a certain door in Mu Xi’s mind.
Her pupils dilated slightly, and her brow furrowed into a tight knot.
“Why… have I never thought about this before?” Mu Xi muttered to herself, shaking her head in confusion, as if she were considering this obvious contradiction for the very first time.
Ye Lan relaxed her grip on her shoulders.
Her fingers gently combed through Mu Xi’s silver hair, an action that was both soothing and possessive.
“Because you were hypnotized. Your consciousness was manipulated, and your thoughts were guided,” her voice was low and dangerous.
“You wouldn’t actively think about anything unfavorable to Luoyuan. You need someone to remind you; otherwise, you will always be trapped in the maze of thoughts she designed for you.”
Mu Xi felt a wave of dizziness.
Her memories were like a shattered mirror — every piece was real, yet they couldn’t be pieced together into a complete picture.
She subconsciously gripped Ye Lan’s sleeve tighter, as if grabbing the only anchor in a storm.
“Then my parents… where are they now?” Mu Xi’s voice carried a hint of urgency.
“If I am the Princess of Wu City, why is my uncle, Mu Yunzheng, the City Lord now?”
Ye Lan’s expression became complicated.
She shook her head gently, her fingers rubbing the back of Mu Xi’s hand as if to comfort her.
“I don’t know the full details,” her eyes hid emotions that were hard to decipher.
“But there is one thing I am certain of: staying by Luoyuan’s side is very dangerous. She will destroy your will.”
Mu Xi was silent for a moment.
It felt as if two voices were arguing in her mind.
One voice told her that Luoyuan was her savior, while the other whispered that Ye Lan was her true guardian.
The contradiction almost made her head split apart.
Finally, she looked up and gazed steadily at Ye Lan.
“I trust you.”
Those three simple words caused Ye Lan’s gaze to turn burning hot.
Mu Xi felt a strange sense of satisfaction spread through her chest.
Deep inside, she actually hoped that Ye Lan would completely control her, set boundaries for her, and even lock her in a cage.
This thought should have terrified her, yet it unexpectedly gave her a sense of security.
“You will protect me, right?” Mu Xi asked softly, her voice carrying an unconscious longing.
“You won’t let Luoyuan hurt me?”
Ye Lan’s arms wrapped around Mu Xi’s slender waist, her strength both gentle and overbearing.
Her lips were nearly touching Mu Xi’s ear, and her breath was scorching.
“I will protect you with my life, Little Xi,” her voice sounded like a vow.
“No matter what happens, I will never let you leave me again.”
Mu Xi relaxed her tense body in this embrace.
She knew that such dependency was dangerous, but Ye Lan’s presence gave her an unprecedented sense of stability.
Her fingertips lightly touched Ye Lan’s arm, feeling the strength contained within.
“I even hope you would lock me up,” Mu Xi laughed softly, though her words carried an undetectable seriousness.
“Build a cage for me so I can’t run around. That would actually make me feel safe.”
Ye Lan’s body stiffened instantly, and a nameless light flashed in her eyes.
She leaned down, her forehead resting against Mu Xi’s.
Their breaths intertwined.
“Little Xi,” Ye Lan’s voice was so low it was almost inaudible, “you have no idea what such words might make me do.”