Ye Yin, disguised as Dai Weisi, immediately went on the offensive, a tactic the real prince often used. Zhu Zhuyun was instantly provoked, and the flicker of doubt she felt was buried under a wave of fury.
"Dai Weisi! What nonsense are you talking about?!" she snapped, her beautiful eyes flashing with anger. "Those rumors were clearly caused by your own disgusting behavior! How dare you blame me for them?"
"My behavior?" "Dai Weisi" stepped closer, his body almost pressing against hers as he glared down at her. "If you hadn't lost your cool like an idiot during the tournament, would we have lost so badly? Would I have become the laughingstock of the entire city?"
He brought up the one topic guaranteed to hit her sore spot. Zhu Zhuyun's face went pale, and her body trembled. It was the single greatest humiliation of her life, one she desperately wanted to forget. Anger and shame surged through her, and she shrieked back, "And what about you?! You were beaten by your own younger brother and his fiancée! Do you have any pride left at all?"
They stood glaring at each other, the air crackling with tension. In his rage, "Dai Weisi" gestured wildly, and his hand "accidentally" knocked an exquisite incense burner off a nearby table. It fell with a clang, spilling ash across the cuff of Zhu Zhuyun's silk nightgown.
"Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly trying to pat the ash away.
"Hmph, clumsy," "Dai Weisi" muttered. He seemed momentarily surprised by his own action, and his tone softened slightly, though it was still impatient. "Stop patting it, you're just making it worse! Here, I'll get it."
Before she could react, he roughly grabbed her wrist with one hand while his other moved to brush the ash from her sleeve. The moment he touched her, a trace of an extremely cool, strangely familiar scent drifted into Zhu Zhuyun's nostrils.
Her body went stiff.
That smell. She knew that smell. She was too familiar with it. It was his scent.
"You..." she began, but "Dai Weisi" cut her off.
"You what?" He still seemed angry, but his hand slowed its movement. His fingers, carrying that slightly cool sensation, gently and perhaps deliberately caressed the delicate skin on the inside of her wrist.
The words caught in Zhu Zhuyun's throat, and an involuntary shiver ran through her. This was too strange. It was Dai Weisi's face and Dai Weisi's voice, but the fleeting playfulness deep in his eyes and the familiar yet alien feeling of his touch... it was all wrong. And that faint, unique scent that clung to him...
A ridiculously absurd thought—one that made her heart skip a beat—forced its way into her mind. No! It's impossible!
Zhu Zhuyun forcefully suppressed the chaotic storm in her heart and tried to pull her hand away, her voice carrying a tremor she couldn't hide. "Let go! I can do it myself!"
"Don't move," he commanded, his grip tightening. His tone was firm. "I can see you've been on edge lately. Your complexion is terrible." He suddenly changed the subject, his voice dropping slightly. "I recently acquired a special essential oil, an ancient recipe. They say it relaxes the muscles, calms the mind, and even helps with cultivation. Since you're so worried about my empire, I suppose I can let you use some of it."
Before Zhu Zhuyun could refuse, his other hand produced a small, jet-black bottle that felt cool to the touch and emitted the same strange fragrance. He pulled out the crystal stopper, and the peculiar scent instantly intensified.
Ignoring the shock and confusion in her eyes, Ye Yin poured a few drops of the thick, ink-like Netherworld Essential Oil into his palm. He rubbed his hands together and then pressed them directly onto the smooth skin of Zhu Zhuyun's nape.
"Mmmph!"
A short, sharp whimper escaped her lips, a sound mixed with astonishment and an uncontrollable wave of pleasure. The oil was cool against her skin but instantly transformed into countless tiny threads of cold energy that drilled deep into her body, bringing a sensation that seemed to temper her very bones and soul. Ice and fire, soreness and numbness, and an indescribable comfort erupted all at once.
It felt so good. Impossibly good.
"Dai Weisi's" fingers were incredibly skillful, kneading and pressing against her neck, shoulders, and spine. Every touch was precise, sending wave after wave of peculiar sensations through her. Zhu Zhuyun's mind went blank. Reason screamed at her that this was wrong, that this was Dai Weisi, but her body betrayed her, melting and softening under the masterful massage and the powerful effects of the oil.
Her taut nerves gradually relaxed. The fatigue and anxiety that had plagued her for days seemed to be washed away by that cool energy. She couldn't stop herself from closing her eyes, letting out soft hums she'd never heard herself make before. It was too comfortable... as if her very soul was being smoothed out.
Ye Yin watched as she relaxed, a hint of an intoxicated expression appearing on her face. The corner of his mouth curved into a more pronounced smile. His movements grew bolder, his fingers slowly tracing a path down her slender waist.
Zhu Zhuyun's body trembled violently. She wanted to struggle, but the intense pleasure made her limbs feel weak and heavy. Instead of resisting, a secret, forbidden anticipation began to grow in the pit of her stomach. Her breathing grew shallow, and a flush crept across her cheeks.
Finally, the massage seemed to be ending. Ye Yin's fingers lingered at the small of her back, pressing gently with a peculiar rhythm. Zhu Zhuyun let out a long sigh of utter satisfaction and languor, her body going completely limp as she leaned back.
Ye Yin took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her, pulling her into an embrace.
Their bodies were pressed tightly together, their breaths mingling in the air, thick with the scent of the oil. Zhu Zhuyun opened her eyes dazedly and found herself looking into Dai Weisi's eyes, which now seemed hazy and clouded with desire. The atmosphere was thick with ambiguity. He slowly lowered his head, moving to kiss her slightly parted lips.
Zhu Zhuyun's mind struggled for a moment, but her body had a will of its own. She didn't pull away. Instead, she tilted her head slightly and closed her eyes, as if in expectation.
The moment their lips met, a sensation that was familiar beyond all reason washed over her. When did Dai Weisi's kissing skills become so good? she wondered dimly. This... This feels just like when Ye Yin kissed me in the Dou Soul Arena...
Exactly the same.
Exactly the same!
No!
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes flew open. She could feel it now—the strength of the arm holding her, the sensation of the chest pressed against hers, and especially... the breath exhaled from the lips that were about to kiss her...
That wasn't Dai Weisi's breath!
It was... it was a breath she hated with every fiber of her being, yet one her subconscious had replayed countless times!
Ye Yin!
It was Ye Yin's breath!
Her beautiful eyes widened in horror. Her pupils reflected the face of Dai Weisi, so close to her own, but in her mind, the contours of that face were rapidly shedding their disguise.
"You... you're not Dai Weisi! You're... Ye—"
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