The orb struck my chest.
The impact sent me flying, pain exploding through my body as I crashed to the ground. My vision blurred, and I gasped for air, the cold energy lingering in my chest like a searing brand.
I lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for air, every muscle in my body screaming from the impact of Ruan Yanjun's dark energy attack. The cool stone beneath me was a fleeting comfort compared to the storm of emotions that churned in my chest—fear, defiance, and an unwillingness to surrender.
Before I could gather my strength to move, he was there. His tall figure loomed over me, and in the next instant, he crouched down, gripping my face roughly with one hand. His dark eyes burned with frustration, his jaw tight as if holding back an explosion of words.
"Until how long are you going to provoke me!" he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
I didn't flinch. I didn't look away. My gaze locked onto his, steady and unyielding. If he wanted submission, he wouldn't get it from me.
My silence seemed to stoke the fire in his eyes. His hand slid from my jaw to my throat, his fingers tightening around my neck. The pressure wasn't enough to choke me, but the warning was clear. My heart pounded in my chest, yet I refused to let fear show. If this was how it ended, then so be it.
His grip didn't last. Instead, he suddenly exhaled, the tension in his body shifting into something else—something darker and more primal. His expression softened, but not in a comforting way.
"I think I know what you want," he murmured, his voice dripping with intent.
Before I could react, he lowered his head, his lips crashing onto mine. The kiss was rough, almost punishing. His mouth claimed mine with bruising force, his teeth grazing my lower lip with a sharpness that bordered on pain. His hands were firm, one still at my throat, the other gripping my shoulder to hold me in place as though daring me to pull away.
I didn't move. I didn't struggle. The coppery taste of blood mixed with his fervor, but I kept still, my body frozen beneath his assault. If I gave no reaction, if I showed him no weakness, perhaps he'd lose interest. Perhaps he'd stop this cruel game he seemed to enjoy so much.
His lips moved against mine with an intensity that left me breathless, his every motion demanding something from me that I refused to give. My resolve wavered when his tongue brushed against mine, not with gentleness but with an almost predatory hunger. Yet I held my ground.
After what felt like an eternity, he pulled back, his breathing heavy, his expression unreadable. His dark eyes searched mine for something—anger, shame, submission—but all I offered him was the empty sky above us as I turned my gaze upward.
He chuckled, the sound low and mocking. "Alright," he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You want to test my patience? Let's see about that."
Without another word, he stood and walked away, leaving me lying on the ground, my body too weak to move, my chest too tight to speak. The silence he left in his wake felt heavier than his presence.
Later, a staff member from the inn found me and helped me to my room. My legs barely held me as I leaned on his shoulder, my mind still reeling. Once inside, he told me Ruan Yanjun had rented another room for himself and would not be returning.
Relief washed over me, though it was faint. For the first time in what felt like weeks, I was alone. The solitude was comforting, even if it came laced with unease.
I sank onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. My lips still tingled from his kiss, a cruel reminder of his power, his dominance. I pressed the back of my hand to my mouth, as if I could erase the sensation, but the memory lingered, as unshakable as the man himself.