The youth’s lips were soft, a fleeting touch that was gone in an instant.

Before Jiang Qingli could react, Gu Nian took a step back, pursed his lips, and lowered his eyes apprehensively.

Like a guilty official awaiting judgment.

Qin Muye’s pupils trembled. His fingers subconsciously cut off the video call, and he strode toward them.

He couldn’t watch anymore. He was going to take Jiang Qingli away right now!

Just as he approached, Jiang Qingli turned and made a gesture, signaling for him to leave for a moment.

The Prince’s eyes widened, and he pointed at himself. ’Me? Leave? Why should I!’

Jiang Qingli tugged on the corner of his shirt, held up her index finger, and blinked her eyes rapidly. "Just for a little while~"

To be honest, Jiang Qingli was terrible at acting cute. She blinked so fast it looked like her eyes were sore.

But Qin Muye’s heart still sped up at her cuteness. By the time he came to his senses, he was already outside.

Before him was a tightly shut door.

Qin Muye: "..."

’That damn rabbit, actually getting Jiang Qingli to use her charms on me! How despicable!’

The young snow leopard clenched his fists. Something hard dug into his palm, and only then did he realize he was still clutching his terminal.

He just then remembered that Que Feiling had started a video call earlier.

He seemed to have hung up on him by accident.

But it was still vibrating.

Qin Muye took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and opened the terminal. He saw a long string of greetings and exclamation points from Que Feiling, followed by a shocked question:

[Who was that male just now? Didn’t you say you two were on a date?]

[It’s getting late. You need to figure out a way to keep them apart. Don’t let him stop the female master from handling her business, buddy.]

Qin Muye: "..."

He suddenly felt the irritation of having his bluff called.

Qin Muye typed a [1] and sent it, then pretended he hadn’t seen the messages.

Putting the terminal away, he suddenly felt that something wasn’t right.

’Wait, Que Feiling has never met Jiang Qingli. So how did he recognize her as his female master at a glance?’

...

「On the other side of the wall.」

Gu Nian let Jiang Qingli pull him down to sit on the sofa, his eyelashes trembling.

Jiang Qingli raised her hand, the pad of her finger brushing over the faint blue shadows under his eyes. Her voice was soft. "You didn’t sleep all night?"

"I slept."

The temperature outside wasn’t low, but his skin felt a little cool.

He shivered slightly at the touch of her warm fingers.

"Really?" Jiang Qingli stood up, lifted his chin with one hand, and forced him to look at her. "Look me in the eyes and say that again."

The young man pursed his lips and mumbled, "...I didn’t sleep."

Jiang Qingli gave him no room to retreat, pressing on, "Why not?"

"Qingli..."

His hoarse voice was tinged with the same avoidance and pleading as the night before.

His long fingers clenched the hem of her skirt, his knuckles turning white.

The youth lifted his lashes. His pink eyes, looking as if they’d been washed with water, were wet and glistening, reflecting her figure.

He glanced at her for only a moment before looking down again.

There were so many things Gu Nian wanted to say, but he didn’t know where to begin.

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he asked with difficulty, a bitter taste in his mouth, "Qingli... you’ve guessed something, haven’t you?"

"You’ve already said you’re my rabbit. Wouldn’t I be too stupid if I didn’t know anything about my own rabbit?"

Jiang Qingli didn’t deny it.

Gu Nian asked softly, "Then how much do you know, Qingli?"

"I’m guessing you’re a high-ranking executive at the auction house," Jiang Qingli said. "And you were the one who sent that jewelry set, right?"

Gu Nian’s heart sank instantly.

’He knew it.’

He hadn’t slept at all last night.

Gu Nian had thought about it a lot. The more he thought, the more flaws he found in his deception.

A huge sense of panic enveloped him, relentlessly pressing on his nerves.

He thought avoidance could delay his sentence, but he had forgotten that even with amnesia, Jiang Qingli could still see right through him as easily as she always had.

Gu Nian nodded weakly and forced a smile. "Yes. You guessed right, Qingli."

He lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, his eyes fixed on the tips of her shoes.

For many years, he had worn different masks, deceiving one person after another with ease.

But right now, Gu Nian didn’t know how to face Jiang Qingli.

He was afraid she would look at him with disgust, afraid she would divorce him and tell him to get lost.

Ever since the day they were separated, everything Gu Nian had done was to get back to Jiang Qingli’s side.

They had only been together for a few months, but he had already grown accustomed to a life with her in it.

He was used to her crescent-moon eyes when she smiled at him, used to the warmth of her hand in his, used to their synchronized heartbeats and breaths as they slept in the same bed.

He could no longer imagine a life without Jiang Qingli.

After a moment of silence, the young man suddenly pulled out a dagger and placed it in her hand.

Jiang Qingli grasped the hilt and unsheathed it. The gleaming, sharp blade reflected their two different faces.

"Is this your weapon?" Jiang Qingli asked.

"Mhm."

Gu Nian said nothing more. His breathing was erratic, and it was impossible to know what he was thinking.

The sudden silence stretched on, each second an agonizing torture.

As if he couldn’t bear it any longer, Gu Nian suddenly spoke. "I’m sorry, Qingli."

Before she could react, he violently seized her wrist.

In the next second, the roles were reversed.

Pinning her slender wrist with one hand, he pushed her down onto the sofa. His back arched over her, casting a shadow across her face.

In a complete departure from his usual obedience, he easily wrapped one hand around her neck. He leaned in close, his lips hovering an inch from hers, his presence overwhelmingly aggressive.

As if startled by his intense change in demeanor, Jiang Qingli shrank back slightly.

Gu Nian raised his eyes, and it seemed he let out a small laugh.

He closed the distance, capturing her full, rosy lip.

He moved his knee up, pinning her firmly in place.

He looked down at her from above and sighed softly:

"Qingli, I’m sorry."

He spoke the words of an apology, but there was no apologetic intent in them at all.

There was even a morbid sense of relief.

"Qingli, I’m not obedient at all."

"The real me is despicable and vile."

"When you get close to me, my mind is filled with thoughts of how to f*ck you until you cry."

The hand he held struggled.

Gu Nian asked softly, "Are you scared, Qingli?"

"You—"

Before Jiang Qingli could form a complete word, he suddenly gripped her wrist and yanked it violently toward himself.

The dagger pressed against the side of his neck. Any closer and it would slice open his throat, spraying crimson blood onto her clean skirt.

The young man suddenly smiled.

He stared into her eyes, yet his gaze seemed unfocused.

In those eyes that were always so obedient, a thick, obsessive paranoia now swirled.

It was as if he had given up the struggle.

Word by word, he spoke in a near self-destructive tone—

"If you find me disgusting, Qingli, then just kill me."

"I won’t resist."

’If you don’t want me, then I might as well die.’

’If I become the first person you kill, you’ll remember me forever, right?’

The room was deathly silent.

Gu Nian tightened his grip on her wrist, applying force.

Jiang Qingli tried to resist.

But the seemingly slender youth before her was astonishingly strong. She kicked him hard, but it didn’t slow him down in the slightest.

The blade sliced into his skin, and the flash of crimson blood was blinding.

Jiang Qingli couldn’t think about anything else. She threw her head back and kissed him on the lips.

It was less of a kiss and more of a bite.

The metallic taste of blood filled their mouths.

The young man’s body suddenly froze.

Jiang Qingli seized the opportunity to wrench her wrist free and fling the dagger away.

CLANG—

The dagger clattered onto the floor, making a sharp, piercing sound.

Gu Nian had no time to pay it any mind.

Right now, all he could see was the girl grabbing him by the collar and telling him, word by word:

"Gu Nian."

"Everything you just said... I already knew."