WARNING!!! NonCon Kiss ahead... between two MEN. Proceed with caution.
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LUO FAN
I did see him as a friend. We practically grew up together. Liang Yuan, Crown Prince Jiayi, and I were all disciples of Sect Master Wei Yusheng.
Liang Yuan and I were of the same age while Prince Jiayi was two years older, and that was why Liang Yuan and I were closer. Prince Jiayi, as the crown prince, had always been proud and did not like hanging out with me much, but he considered Liang Yuan his bestfriend. He only tolerated me because of Liang Yuan.
Until we were teenagers, our relationship was good. Things changed, however, when I rose to level four at the age of nineteen, tying with Prince Wei Jiayi as Frost Mountain's top disciples.
Being older than I was and being the crown prince, his ego could not handle being on equal footing with me. He had begun a silent war against me and had alienated Liang Yuan from me.
Between me and the crown prince, Liang Yuan had naturally chosen the bigger goose.
I forced out a smile. "Used to be… yes. It's not true anymore, is it?"
"A-Fan, why should I risk my life saving you if I no longer see you as a friend?"
"We have barely spoken ever since His Highness and I had parted ways."
He sighed. "I was just recruited as a spy then. So of course I had to go with His Highness. Otherwise, I would not be able to do my job."
"You sacrificed our friendship for that?"
"A-Fan, I did it for you."
I frowned. "What do you mean?"
He smiled. "Leader Luo will tell you later."
I nodded and did not attempt to pursue the matter.
"Do you like this place?" he asked.
"It's beautiful… aside from the flies, that is."
He laughed. "I have a place not too far away. If you want, you can sleep there tonight."
"Thank you for the offer, but… I don't think my uncle will be pleased."
He nodded. "Of course. Pardon my insensitivity."
"No need to apologize. I know you mean well."
He smiled at me as we continued our leisurely pace. "A-Fan, are you considering settling down here?"
"I don't know."
"Your uncle is here, the only family you have left. Why not consider it?"
I looked at my surroundings. Aside from the flies, the wind was fresh and the temperature was just right. Most of all, it was peaceful. However, I had been involved with some things already. My contract with Ruan Yanjun was one thing, but the most important thing was that I was already engaged. "I've given my word to Sect Leader Ruan. I have a contract with him."
"A-Fan, I don't trust Ruan Yanjun. I think he's only using you."
"Whether he is or not, he is protecting me. That's why Master has entrusted my safety to him."
"I also think that Ruan Yanjun has threatened Master Wei that was why he'd done that."
"I was there and I saw how Master had interacted with Sect Leader Ruan. He was not afraid at all, so I don't think he had done that under duress."
"If it's protection that you want, I can give you that. I just made it to level six. It's not at par with your former level but I think I should be able to protect you enough."
"If you do that, you'll be fighting with the crown prince's men. You'll be exposed and I'm sure Prince Jiayi will not stop until he gets your head. I'm not worth the risk."
"Of course, you are," he retorted. "And I don't care if I'm exposed. I'm willing to take the risk."
I turned away. "Don't even think about it."
"Fan, listen to me." He pulled my hand, whirling me back to him, and then he held me in both arms. "I will protect you. I offer you my life to keep you safe. Stay here and nothing can harm you ever again. I'll find a cure for your condition. I'll do all that for you."
I stared at him in puzzlement.
"I mean it," he whispered as he gently touched my face. "As long as you stay here, you'll be safe."
I stiffened, unable to utter a word.
"Trying to steal someone else's property while the owner is away?" A voice interrupted us.
I turned to look and I found Ruan Yanjun slowly approaching us, his gaze hard, his posture a menacing threat.
Liang Yuan dropped his hands and I quickly stepped away from him. He was becoming just like Ruan Yanjun, and it gave me the familiar chills that I had always felt in the presence of that devil.
Ruan Yanjun approached me and pulled me towards him, then he also touched my face. "You think you're worthy to touch this face?" he asked Liang Yuan.
I quickly tapped his hand away.
"He is my friend and we're cousins," Liang Yuan returned defiantly. "Between you and me, I have more right over him."
"Then why were you touching his face like you were seducing him to kiss you?"
"My intention was pure."
"Why don't you just admit that you have been secretly obsessed over your own cousin but you simply did not have the guts to confess?"
Liang Yuan flushed. "You are speaking nonsense."
Ruan Yanjun smirked and wrapped a possessive arm around my waist. "The problem is… he belongs to me."
I was about to push him away and confront him for spouting nonsense when Liang Yuan's loud voice interrupted me.
"You can never have him!"
Liang Yuan's stance was firm. Although his martial arts was far inferior to Ruan Yanjun's, he did not show any hint of fear.
"Oh, you still don't believe that he's mine?" Yanjun taunted, and to my utter surprise, he suddenly held my chin and tilted my head up, followed by his mouth descending on mine.
I froze in shock the moment his lips touched mine.
No one has ever done such a thing to me before!
No one had dared to steal a kiss from me. Not even a woman. Not especially a man.
Just as I recovered from shock and was about to punch his face, he stopped and held my hands down, as if he knew that if I recovered, I'd retaliate and he did not want to let Liang Yuan see that I simply dejected his action.
He smirked at my helplessness and glared at Liang Yuan. "What are you still standing there for? Do you want to watch some more?"
Liang Yuan stormed away furiously.
"Oh, he's extremely jealous," he said.
"Unhand me!" I grunted.
He held me closer instead and smiled. "Did you not enjoy your first kiss? If you ask me, I find the feel and taste of your lips rather soft and sweet for a man."
"That's not my first kiss."
"Oh, are you saying you've been kissed before? So tell me. Who has taken your first kiss?"
"That matter is personal! Let go of me!"
He laughed. "How amusing it is to see A-Fan who has been calm and reserved no matter the circumstance finally lose his temper over a petty kiss."
"Ruan Yanjun, kissing a man against his will is not a petty thing. That's just despicable, completely perverse, and such thing is only done by a person without self-respect."
"How sweet it is to hear you say my name finally." He laughed louder. "A-Fan, you're just in denial, because the truth is… you enjoyed it too."
With an angry growl, I pushed him with all my might, but he refused to let me go.
"If I released you, will you not run away?" he asked.
"I will definitely run away from you and never want to see you again."
"And how are you going to return to your wife?"
"I'll walk if I have to."
He chuckled and then sighed. "Alright, I just wanted to get back at your cousin for insulting you back in Qushan. I know he likes you, so I decided to hit his most sensitive button."
"Why do you insist that he likes me?"
"Because I can see how he reacts every time he sees you, you can't. If you've only seen the look on his face earlier."
"Full of disgust, I suppose."
"No, A-Fan, his heart is breaking. He was almost in tears when he turned away."
"Stop speaking nonsense."
"Alright, take a deep breath and I'll let you go."
I took a deep breath, and then I felt his arms loosening around me. I quickly took the opportunity to untangle myself from him and hurriedly took two steps back. I then turned away from him.
"A-Fan, if I ever catch you alone with that man again, I'll kiss you right in front of him once again."
I stopped. Somehow, I had known this man for a while already and he meant everything he said.