Chapter 35: Volume 1_Chapter 35   How to Win Over the Proud Ghost King? (16)

Volume 1_Chapter 35   How to Win Over the Proud Ghost King? (16)

Upon opening her eyes and waking up, Jiang Zhi discovered she was actually inside a cage forged of gold, like a miniature birdcage.

Animal fur carpets were spread beneath her, soft and comfortable, with special material chains shackled around her ankles; moreover, Jiang Zhi clearly sensed something abnormal about her body.

She couldn't muster any strength.

Jiang Zhi stared blankly for a few seconds, then with effort propped herself up, wanting to move toward the edge.

At that moment.

Outside the cage, the palace doors were pushed open from outside, and a familiar figure walked in—perhaps just having left the morning court, he hadn't had time to change out of his bright yellow dragon robe worn for the audience.

The dark-haired youth stepped up to her, holding several breakfast items, set them aside, and helped her sit up.

"Fairy sister," he said, his downcast eyes half-closed, not daring to meet her gaze, calling softly.

Jiang Zhi's voice was very soft; it took her a long time to finish saying what she wanted to say.

"You, why are you treating me like this?"

Zhan Wu Jin inhaled deeply the fragrance permeating the air; his dark, gloomy eyes fell on her face, the corners of his mouth turning up with a pleased madness: "Fairy sister, I've waited for you so long. Over these years, every night I've hoped you would come see me,"

"One year, two years, five years—today marks exactly six years. You ask why I've become like this; it's all because of you."

"I've missed you to the point of madness, fairy sister."

Jiang Zhi slightly furrowed her brows; looking at him felt like looking at another person, and a shudder rose from her heart, a chill spreading.

"Zhan Wu Jin, let me go."

The youth's heterochromatic, wanton eyes half-closed as he leaned toward her, then lightly rested his jaw on her shoulder, inhaling the addictive scent in the air, his voice low and hoarse.

"You saved me, cared for me, and even let me realize there are still things worth cherishing in this world. Yet I repaid kindness with enmity—the farmer and the snake is exemplified perfectly in me. I am precisely that sort of person, a monster that crawled up from the abyss."

"In this life, the next, and all lives to come, you are forever my fairy."

"Even if after death I were cast into the eighteen levels of hell, I would have no regrets."

"Breaking the fairy's wings, staining them with his filthy dark aura, making them wholly his."

Jiang Zhi's eyes welled with deep loathing; her fair, snow‑white cheeks grew ever paler, her weak voice laced with cold.

"I, I don't like you, and I won't see you in the next life either."

{Villain Zhan Wu Jin Hatred Value 30}

"So, Zhan Wu Jin, what you said is merely your delusion."

{Villain Zhan Wu Jin Hatred Value 40}

"I will leave you; you can't keep me. Once I'm gone, I won't come looking for you again."

{Villain Zhan Wu Jin Hatred Value 60}

The words fell.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop to zero, emitting a bone‑chilling cold.

Zhan Wu Jin roughly pressed her onto the fur carpet, hooking her chin and kissing her.

Like a beast, he seemed intent on tearing, biting, and devouring her clean.

The lawless kiss landed on her lips; the youth's thin, icy lips easily pried open her fine white teeth, slipped into her sweet mouth, tangled with her soft tongue, sucking and licking, forcing a low, trembling breath from between her lips and teeth.

In his embrace, the girl's snow‑white skin gradually flushed with a lustrous hue; her clear‑spring‑like bright eyes grew wet, her raven‑black lashes clinging to tiny droplets.

Zhan Wu Jin's eyes burned hot and deep; his long fingers slipped around the girl's slender waist, wanting to draw closer, when he heard her soft, weak, aggrieved sob.

Suddenly, a basin of cold water doused all of Zhan Wu Jin's desires; he lowered his gaze to watch the girl with closed eyes weeping, and a deep‑seated pain welled up in his heart.

"I, I won't kiss you anymore—stop crying, okay?"

He coaxed in a hoarse voice.

Jiang Zhi didn't glance at him; her plain face buried itself in the fur carpet beneath her, her petite frame trembling in waves.

Zhan Wu Jin's brows and eyes grew gloomy, yet he didn't know how to soothe her.

Recalling the girl's words, his heart ached ever more.

He waited a while.

Jiang Zhi's muffled voice came through:

"You, get out."

Zhan Wu Jin gazed at her crimson‑tinged cheek buried in the fur carpet, his distinct knuckles pressing down in midair for a moment, then he rose and left the splendid golden palace.

Having confirmed his departure, Jiang Zhi lay flat on the soft fur carpet, lifted her fingers to pinch her lips, still tingling with a numb, itchy sensation that stimulated and pleased even her marrow.

"Brother Seven, I really like kissing the villain."

The empty room echoed for a long time with no response.

Jiang Zhi turned over and sighed.

She forgot that there was no 777 here.

From that day on, Zhan Wu Jin would accompany her for half a day each day in the palace resembling a goldfinch, then leave again.

Jiang Zhi had no worries about food or drink; she was just bored.

Every day lying on the carpet, there was nothing she could do.

Until one day, the one bringing the meal was not Zhan Wu Jin but a palace maid, head bowed, trembling as she approached the golden cage and set down the food in her hands.

Jiang Zhi inched bit by bit to the edge, then leaned close and said, "I won't eat you; don't be afraid."

The maid was startled by her voice, looked up, and clearly saw the girl inside the cage.

Her silky black hair cascaded over the snow‑white fur carpet, setting off her porcelain‑white skin to appear even whiter; her beautiful, almost inhuman visage bore a sickly beauty, her clear, pure eyes devoid of any impurity, making it hard to feel hostility toward her.

The maid paused, her eyes full of astonishment.

How beautiful.

No wonder the emperor locked her in this golden‑made palace.

Jiang Zhi showed a weak expression, looking at the palace maid through the golden cage, and whispered, "Can you come a little closer? I have something to say to you."

The palace maid believed it and slowly approached her.

Night fell.

The entire imperial palace was filled with guard troops searching everywhere for one person; the woman in the portrait was as beautiful as a fairy. Searches in every hall and corner were almost carpet-like.

Jiang Zhi, still inside the imperial palace, hid in a rock pile in the rear garden; the interior was quite narrow, and she hid very concealed.

Footsteps came and went; the usually quiet palace at midnight was now bustling, as Zhan Wu Jin had sent nearly half of the troops to search for her inside the palace.

So finding her was only a matter of time.

Jiang Zhi was especially exhausted now; shrinking in this crack required a lot of strength.

Zhan Wu Jin didn't know what drug he had given her; her body grew weaker each day, feeble and powerless, and escaping from that ghost cage had already drained all her strength.

After another group of people's footsteps faded away, Jiang Zhi came out from the rock pile, hid in the darkness, and sneaked into the rear palace.

She changed into palace maid attire; posing as a palace maid was easy, but to her surprise, all the palace maids had been taken away, and they were being verified by headcount and appearance.

Seeing a troop of imperial guards approaching from behind, Jiang Zhi hurriedly joined the palace maids' line and hid at the very end.

Before she could catch her breath, Zhan Wu Jin walked over at a leisurely pace, his whole body emanating a cold, sharp aura.

Behind him followed the eunuchs comparing the portrait, each walking up to the palace maids in turn.

Jiang Zhi dared not move a muscle; just as the eunuch was about to reach her, unexpectedly, more than ten assassins rushed out of the darkness and charged toward Zhan Wu Jin's direction.

Blades flashed and swords gleamed.

Jiang Zhi tried to seize the chance to escape, but in the chaos she met the distant pair of icy, light‑blocking smoke‑blue eyes.