The Cruel Prince

CRUEL PRINCE, CRUEL TOUCH

Jian breathed her scent. It seemed like forever ago since he had been this close to her, touched her, smelled her that he felt his heart wrenched. He had missed her so much that it hurt.

He made a move to put his arms around her, to hug her to get her closer to him, but Ying Yue pushed him away.

"Ying Yue, please!" He said begging. "I've missed you. Please, let me have this moment."

She heard the pain in his voice and saw the hurt in his eyes. Jian's had not bothered to hide from his usual mask of stoicism.

She hardly cared. She couldn't get herself to feel anything. Not for him, no! He's the one who put himself in this situation and now he came back begging. Anger rushed into her veins, trembling just trying to keep her voice from shaking. "The last I know, you're the one who got rid of me."

Jian was silent. Guilt eating him. He couldn't fault her for being angry. He wished there was another way to protect her inside the palace. He had gone through everything, thought of every possible way but the only thing he could do was to separate her from him.

"You don't understand."

She pushed him again so hard, he staggered a few steps back. Jian's eyes widened, surprised at her strength that he had to catch himself before he fell backwards. He doesn't recall her being this strong, Ying Yue never possessed any supernatural strength. She is human. Even when she fought Chanshin, Jian noticed she'd been faster and been able to go against his strongest subject. He knew right away something changed.

"What's not to understand? Everything is crystal clear! You took in concubines, you banished me."

"And you're here now. You're back! I won't let you go again."

Ying Yue snorted. Jian must've lost his mind. Does all royalty act this entitled? He tried to close in his distance again to wrap his arms around her.

He's a fool if he thinks she'll let him touch her so easily. Her fist was flying before he could issue another step.

Her clenched fist connected to his perfectly symmetrical jaw. Satisfaction rippled in her lips, smiling. Good! Someone outta break his face once in a while and damage that handsome face. Ying Yue gotta admit, even when she wanted nothing but to kill him, she still found her husband strikingly attractive.

Pain lashed out on her. She had forgotten all about her injuries. Chanshin must have fractured a rib. She grunted and recoiled at the pain. It hurts to breathe all of a sudden that she staggered to keep her balance.

Jian was on her immediately, barely a sign of bruise on his jaw. He probably barely even felt it sting. It made Ying Yue so mad she saw red.

"Did you say something?" He muttered as he steadied her with arms around her waist.

She blinked. "No."

If she let herself feel enough, Jian could definitely pick up on it. She knew she had to be careful around him from now on.

"Don't move." He said.

Ying Yue gritted her teeth wanting to protest. She hated that Jian got to wrap his arms around her after all. "Damn you!"

He smiled at her. He missed that feistiness in her. She was always the prettiest when she had her face twisted up in a fury. "Hang on, I'm going to move you."

Jian slid one hand under her knees and the other on her back. He lifted her easily like she weighed nothing at all. Jian has always been unnaturally strong.

He laid her gently on the bed, brushing his lush lips on her sweaty forehead.

"Aren't you going to have me arrested?" Ying Yue hissed, wiping the mark of his lips from her skin. She shuddered, feigning her disgust but Jian knew better, he always saw the lie in her face.

"Don't worry about getting arrested."

"I tried to kill you."

"And you failed miserably."

Ying Yue frowned at that. She would have been successful if it wasn't for Chanshin. "You know, it's considered cowardice hiding behind your subject."

"Do you honestly think you can kill me?" He asked. "As a matter of fact, he lowered himself to the bed and leaned beside her. He reached for the sword by her feet where he had placed it earlier. He handed it to Ying Yue and dared her to finish what she came to do.

She angled the blade on his neck and pressed. Her hand steady as she watched his pulse beat calmly. She could tell Jian was not afraid of her, he didn't think she had it on her.

Ying Yue wanted him to take her seriously, hissing as she gritted her teeth, fighting some sense in her to rip his head off.

Common girl, this is what you came here to do. Just do it.

But she can't. She's a fool to come here thinking she can kill him.

Jian was right. She doesn't have it in her.

A growl of frustration. Ying Yue withdrew the blade away from his neck. "The moment had passed. Ask me again tomorrow."

Jian laughed, pulling the cover on top of her. "Rest, Ying Yue. I'll have the healer come and see you immediately."