Chu Yunfei stopped moving.
He looked at the reddened corners of the woman's eyes beneath him, and her stubborn yet somewhat aggrieved phoenix eyes, and his heart stirred slightly.
He leaned down, his previously playful tone becoming more serious.
"Of course not."
"While I, Chu Yunfei, may not be considered a gentleman, I would never treat my woman as a cultivation vessel."
"The princess is so beautiful and charming, of course I like her."
Seeing that Ling Xueyao remained silent, Chu Yunfei continued, "If the princess does not believe me and thinks I only use you as a cultivation vessel, then I will leave the palace immediately and never touch Your Highness again, nor will I ever disturb you again."
After saying that, Chu Yunfei actually stood up, straightened his robes, and turned around as if to leave.
Ling Xueyao was taken aback upon seeing this.
Over this period of time, from the Black Wind Mountain Range to the Abyss, and then to last night's absurdity and intimacy, her feelings for Chu Yunfei had become incredibly complex.
There was shame and indignation, anger, but more than anything, there was a dependence and... fondness that had been deeply rooted in my heart for who knows how long.
Seeing that he was about to leave, and that his tone was resolute, even saying that he would not bother her again, how could she possibly maintain the composure befitting a princess?
She felt a pang of panic.
"Etc!"
She blurted it out almost without thinking.
Chu Yunfei stopped at the doorway, but didn't turn around. Only the corners of his mouth subtly turned up in the darkness where no one could see.
"Is there anything else you require, Your Highness? Rest assured, I, Chu, will always keep my word and never go back on my word."
His voice remained calm, without a trace of emotion.
Hearing his distant tone, Ling Xueyao felt even more flustered.
She bit her lower lip, sat up from the bed, the quilt slipped off her shoulders, revealing large expanses of snow-white skin and those ambiguous marks, her voice trembling slightly without her even realizing it.
"You... what you said, is it all true?"
"You really do... like me?"
"That's certainly true."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, a faint blush rose to Ling Xueyao's cheeks. She lowered her head, looking at her smooth ankles, her voice barely audible.
"Then... then I won't allow you to leave."
Chu Yunfei's smile widened.
Within his sea of consciousness, Xiaoxiao Dragon, who had been watching the whole thing unfold, let out a gasp of surprise.
"Tsk tsk tsk, brilliant, absolutely brilliant! You brat, you've mastered that tactic of feigning weakness to lure me in, that retreating-to-advance move!"
Chu Yunfei's face darkened, and he thought to himself, "Shut up. If you say another word, I'll deal with you too."
Upon hearing this, Xiaoxiao Dragon immediately flew into a rage. "You lecherous scoundrel! You really do have designs on me! Let me tell you, don't take me for some naive little girl. In my lifetime, I was not only the most beautiful woman in the world, but also unparalleled in wisdom and strategy. How could I possibly be interested in someone like you, let alone be fooled by your few words!"
Chu Fengyun chuckled inwardly, "That's not necessarily true. As long as you're still a woman, I have plenty of ways to deal with you."
Xiaoxiao Dragon sneered disdainfully, "You? You can't even Bai Zhi..."
Her voice abruptly stopped.
Chu Yunfei was taken aback. "Who is Bai Zhi?"
The name felt strangely familiar to him, but when he tried to think about it carefully, his mind went completely blank.
Xiaoxiao Dragon fell silent for a moment before saying calmly, "It's nothing, just a slip of the tongue."
Chu Yunfei wanted to ask more, but saw that Xiaoxiao Dragon's figure gradually became illusory, as if he had exhausted himself and fallen back into a deep sleep.
He frowned slightly, feeling that he had overlooked something important.
But this feeling was fleeting, and then it vanished without a trace.
Seeing that Chu Yunfei remained silent for a long time, Ling Xueyao grew increasingly anxious. She couldn't help but look up and ask with some concern, " Chu Yunfei, what's wrong?"
Her words pulled Chu Yunfei back from his thoughts.
He turned around, his playful smile returning to his face.
"I'm fine, but Your Highness, I didn't hear what you said just now."
Upon hearing this, Ling Xueyao's cheeks turned even redder.
She thought she hadn't heard him because she hadn't spoken softly, so she had no choice but to repeat herself.
"I... forbid you to leave."
A mischievous smile flashed in Chu Yunfei's eyes as he walked back to the bedside.
"Your Highness, do you mean I'm not allowed to leave the palace, or... not allowed to leave this bed?"
Ling Xueyao looked up and met his teasing eyes, her pretty face instantly turning bright red.
That bastard, he clearly did it on purpose!
She was both ashamed and angry, and wanted to scold him, but when she thought of his resolute back just now, she swallowed the words back.
She was afraid.
I was afraid that if I said something too harsh, this guy would really just walk away.
In the end, all the shame and anger turned into a single, barely audible whisper.
"None... no!"
Looking at her shy and embarrassed yet daring not to retaliate, Chu Yunfei felt a surge of excitement, and his blood began to boil.
It seems that this spirited little horse, after last night's gallop, has been initially tamed by him.
He sat back down on the edge of the bed, stretched out his long arm, and once again pulled that soft, delicate body into his embrace, whispering in her ear.
"Your Highness, you said it yourself, I didn't force you."
The warm breath brushed against her earlobe, and Ling Xueyao trembled all over, her cheeks turning so red they almost bled.
She closed her eyes and stopped struggling, letting Chu Yunfei hold her.
After a long while, a soft response came from his nose.
"Um."
That soft "hmm," as light as a feather brushing against the heart, became the final straw that broke Chu Yunfei's composure.
He did not continue to probe.
Chu Yunfei lowered his head and kissed her.
Ling Xueyao's body stiffened for a moment.
She instinctively grabbed Chu Yunfei's collar.
The candlelight flickered gently, and the jade pendant beside the bed tinkled softly as it was pulled by her sleeve.
Noticing her response, Chu Yunfei paused slightly and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, I'm about to gallop away."
Ling Xueyao did not answer.
She merely raised her eyes, glanced at him for a moment, then turned her head away, her ears burning red.
"Stop talking nonsense."
The voice was soft, but it didn't mean to refuse.
Chu Yunfei chuckled and bent down again.
Clothing sashes fell loose, and curtains slowly descended, shutting out the outside light.
There's no need to say anything more.
Their auras gradually intertwined, and their spiritual power converged accordingly.
The Dragon and Phoenix Dao Emperor Scripture within Chu Yunfei's body began to operate on its own, and the originally calm spiritual energy circulation suddenly accelerated.
Ling Xueyao's fingertips trembled slightly as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
Then, she leaned close to Chu Yunfei's ear, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible.
" Chu Yunfei..."
"Um?"
"I..." She paused, as if making a great decision, before saying the rest of her sentence, "I also like you."
Chu Yunfei stopped moving.
He looked down at the person in his arms and asked, "What does Your Highness like about me?"
Ling Xueyao's face turned even redder.
She looked away and gently pushed Chu Yunfei's chest.
"Ugh... hurry up and start cultivating."
Chu Yunfei raised an eyebrow and teased, "So, Your Highness is now urging others to cultivate on their own initiative?"
Ling Xueyao then realized she had said the wrong thing, and her ears turned red. She bit her lip, seemingly trying to regain her usual princess dignity.
But when she met Chu Yunfei's smiling eyes, most of the aura she had just gathered immediately dissipated.
"You bastard, don't laugh."
Seeing her like this, Chu Yunfei's last bit of concern disappeared.
Their spiritual powers merged once more.
This time, the Dragon and Phoenix Dao Emperor Scripture circulated even more violently than before.
A golden dragon shadow rose from Chu Yunfei's body, while a pink phoenix shadow condensed behind Ling Xueyao.
Instead of hovering separately as before, the two illusory figures slowly approached each other in mid-air and finally intertwined.