Chapter 324: Please

Mu Xi shook her head, indicating she was fine.

Ye Lan continued her unfinished actions, quickly stripping her completely naked.

Mu Xi felt a sense of shame and wanted to raise her hands to cover herself, but Ye Lan gently grasped her wrist.

“Don’t move, Xi’er.” Ye Lan’s voice carried a hint of hoarseness, and her gaze became even more fervent.

“Let me take a good look at you.”

Mu Xi was forced to expose herself under Ye Lan’s gaze, feeling at a loss.

She hated this feeling of being scrutinized, as if she were a piece of merchandise to be picked over but she also knew she was powerless to resist, so she could only endure silently.

Ye Lan’s eyes roamed over her body, from her delicate face, to her slender neck, then to the small swell of her chest, not missing a single spot.

Her gaze was focused and infatuated, as if appreciating a rare treasure.

Mu Xi felt an inexplicable irritation, wanting to look away, but found she couldn’t move at all.

She was like a golden canary trapped in a cage, helplessly watching the person outside while being utterly powerless.

Ye Lan’s fingertips lightly traced across her skin.

Mu Xi couldn’t help but tremble, the heat deep within her body seeming to grow stronger.

“Very beautiful.” Ye Lan murmured in admiration, her voice carrying a suppressed desire.

“Xi’er, you are truly beautiful.”

Mu Xi didn’t respond, just kept her eyes tightly shut, her eyelashes trembling slightly.

She only knew that tonight would not be peaceful.

She didn’t know what Ye Lan intended to do, nor what she would face next.

Ye Lan leaned down and kissed her again.

This time, the kiss was no longer gentle but carried a predatory forcefulness.

Ye Lan’s lips and tongue ravaged inside her mouth, as if trying to devour her completely.

Mu Xi was kissed breathless, her chest heaving violently.

The heat deep within her body erupted like a volcano, drowning her completely.

She felt dizzy, as if floating on clouds, and her consciousness began to blur.

“Xi’er, I love you.” She heard Ye Lan whisper in her ear, her voice hoarse and sexy.

Mu Xi silently endured Ye Lan’s kiss, feeling the irresistible desire deep within her body.

The night was long and chaotic.

Mu Xi’s consciousness wavered between clarity and haziness.

She was like a ship lost at sea, unable to find direction or a destination.

She could only cling tightly to Ye Lan, as if grasping the last lifeline.

She didn’t know if she had expectations for Ye Lan or if it was just an instinctive will to survive.

She only knew that at this moment, she needed Ye Lan, needed her warmth, her comfort.

Ye Lan seemed to sense her dependence, her movements becoming gentler and more cautious.

She kissed her over and over, caressed her, using every means to soothe her.

Mu Xi thought fuzzily, maybe it’s okay like this.

Since she couldn’t resist, she might as well enjoy it.

Enjoy this final madness, this false tenderness, this embrace that was destined not to last.

She reached out and gently wrapped her arms around Ye Lan’s waist.

Her fingertips touched the scars on Ye Lan’s back, the uneven texture startling her slightly.

Those were traces left by energy beams, the price Ye Lan paid to protect her and her subordinates.

At that moment, Mu Xi’s heart seemed to be struck by something, trembling slightly.

The hatred still existed, but it no longer seemed as strong, as sharp.

Replacing it was an indescribably complex emotion.

Perhaps she could really try to fall in love with Ye Lan.

For herself, and to escape this endless pain and torment.

If falling in love with Ye Lan meant she no longer had to hate or suffer, why not?

I don’t know how long passed, but the entanglement finally ended.

Passion cooled, leaving only reason.

Silence spread through the room, leaving only their intertwined breaths and the dull thud of Mu Xi’s exhausted yet wildly beating heart.

Sweat soaked her silver hair, strands clinging to her forehead and neck.

Every part of her body screamed with soreness and exhaustion, but deeper still was the lingering emptiness and confusion.

She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling.

The room in Silent Language Building was sturdy, cold, bearing the rough style of Stone City, just like Ye Lan.

Her vision gradually blurred, and warm liquid uncontrollably escaped from the corners of her eyes, streaming down her cheeks, dripping onto the pillow, staining it with small dark patches.

At first, it was just silent tears, then suppressed sobs overflowed from deep in her throat.

Mu Xi curled up, burying her face in the soft bedding, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Ye Lan gently hugged her from behind, her warm chest pressing against her back, familiar scent enveloping her.

She could feel the lines of Ye Lan’s arm muscles, solid and strong.

“Xi’er…” Ye Lan’s voice was low and hoarse, carrying a hint of barely perceptible tenderness, like a cage trapping her tightly.

Mu Xi didn’t answer, only buried herself deeper into the blanket, as if trying to hide herself, to disappear forever in a corner of the world.

“Still feeling bad?” Ye Lan’s voice became even softer, as if soothing a wounded kitten.

Her fingers gently stroked Mu Xi’s sweat-dampened back, slowly and patiently, again and again.

Mu Xi remained silent, but her tears flowed more and more, like a dam breaking, surging uncontrollably.

She didn’t know why she was crying—for her deceased parents, for her lost freedom, for her trampled dignity, or for this hopeless future?

Perhaps it was all of them, perhaps none.

She just felt tired, so tired, as if carrying the weight of the entire world, pressing down until she couldn’t breathe.

She didn’t want to hate anymore, didn’t want to resist, didn’t want to struggle anymore.

Hatred was a double-edged sword, wounding Ye Lan while constantly cutting herself.

“Ye Lan…” Finally, she spoke, her voice hoarse and broken, thick with tears, “I… I don’t want to hate you anymore…”

Ye Lan’s body stiffened slightly, her arm around Mu Xi’s waist pausing for a moment before tightening again, pulling her closer.

“I know.” Ye Lan replied softly, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly, “I know you’re suffering.”

Mu Xi choked out between sobs, “I… I beg you… let me fall in love with you… please… let me fall in love with you, okay?”

She was silent for so long that Mu Xi thought she wouldn’t answer, until finally she heard Ye Lan whisper in her ear, almost like a murmur, “Okay.”

In the darkness, Ye Lan’s breathing quickened, her chest heaving violently.

A simple “okay” was like a pebble thrown into her long-calm heart, stirring ripples.

She lifted her head abruptly, looking at Ye Lan through tear-blurred eyes, trying to read something on her face, but only seeing a blurry outline.

“Really… really?” Mu Xi’s voice still carried tears, but with a hint of barely perceptible hope.

“Really.” Ye Lan answered firmly, without any hesitation, “I will make you fall in love with me, Xi’er. I will make you… willingly fall in love with me.”

She cupped Mu Xi’s face, her thumb gently wiping away her tears, the movement impossibly gentle, as if handling a fragile treasure.

In the dim light, Ye Lan’s eyes were deep and dark, like a bottomless vortex that, once fallen into, could never be escaped.

Ye Lan paused, her tone suddenly turning dangerous, carrying a hint of oppressive suffocation, “But…”

“Xi’er, remember this. Once you fall in love with me, you will never be able to leave me. Never, ever…”