Chapter 105: You’ve Got Some Nerve, Who Says She’s Unwilling?

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: You’ve Got Some Nerve, Who Says She’s Unwilling?

She sat on the ground, holding a bowl bigger than her face. Her slender fingers gripped a pair of jade chopsticks as she ate with her head lowered.

She looked so docile.

So docile it made one’s heart ache.

The gaze from over there was too fiery. Cui Lingyao sensed it immediately and looked up.

A man in stark black martial attire stood on the main road not far away. His posture was ramrod straight as he faced her, his gaze fixed upon her.

In the dim light of night, his features were a blur.

But she would recognize that silhouette even if it were burned to ash.

Their eyes met for an instant, and her pupils slowly widened.

Her mouth was still full, her cheeks puffed out.

Her stunned expression was all the more endearing.

Xie Jinbai’s heart melted, and he started walking over.

Seeing a party on horseback suddenly approach their master, Shen Er took a few guards to intercept them, but Shen Tingyu stopped him.

He stood up and took a few steps forward to greet the newcomer. "This humble official greets Your Highness," he said with a cupped-fist salute.

"There’s no need for such formalities."

Xie Jinbai clenched his hand into a fist and gave a low cough. "I was just passing through and happened to run into Mr. Shen. What a fateful encounter. It seems we’ll have to share this space tonight."

At night, men and horses were exhausted. It was pitch-black—the rain had left the sky without even a sliver of moonlight, making travel impossible. This large, flat area near a water source was the only suitable campsite nearby.

Sharing the space was only logical.

What else could Shen Tingyu say?

He could only smile and nod in agreement.

Xie Jinbai shot him a glance, then turned without another word and walked toward the bonfire where Cui Lingyao was sitting.

Liu Yue and Liu Rong didn’t follow him. Instead, they turned to Shen Er. "We’ll trouble you to arrange a meal for us. It’ll save us the effort."

Shen Er: "..."

’Like master, like man,’ he thought.

Though he grumbled internally, he put on a smile. "This way, sirs."

「Meanwhile」

The man hadn’t appeared for days. Seeing him suddenly in front of her, Cui Lingyao was a bit dazed.

"Stunned silent?"

Seeing her dazed look, Xie Jinbai chuckled and sat down beside her.

A clean mat was laid out on the ground, but he didn’t seem to mind sitting on the floor in the slightest. The moment he was settled, he leaned in. "Is the bowl hot?"

With that, he took the noodle bowl from her hands. "Here, I’ll hold it for you."

The sudden emptiness in her hands snapped Cui Lingyao back to her senses. "Where have you been the last few days?"

He took it as a sign of her concern, and the smile on his lips deepened.

"I had to take care of some things," he said gently. "If you want to know, I’ll tell you everything, piece by piece, later on."

’This wasn’t the place to talk; there were too many prying eyes.’

Especially with Shen Tingyu walking toward them.

Cui Lingyao snatched her noodle bowl back. "Behave yourself," she whispered.

’I’m still Shen Tingyu’s fiancée.’

’Besides, Shen Tingyu knows nothing of the history between us.’

’He should know to keep a respectful distance from another man’s fiancée.’

But Xie Jinbai had no intention of backing down. Not seeing her for days had left him deeply unsettled, his emotions in turmoil. Only now, with her right in front of him, did he finally feel grounded.

’He wanted to hold her.’

The thought was threatening to shatter his self-control.

Xie Jinbai pressed his lips together, his head tilted as he watched her in silence.

He didn’t even glance away at Shen Tingyu’s approach.

His gaze was so focused, so bordering on ravenous, that Cui Lingyao went completely rigid under his stare.

Steeling herself, she forced down a few more bites of noodles. She was about to call Zhiqiu to take away the bowl, which was still more than half full, when her hands suddenly felt light again. The man beside her had taken it.

This time, he didn’t spare her chopsticks either.

SLURP. Cui Lingyao stared at the man beside her, wide-eyed with astonishment.

Xie Jinbai swallowed his mouthful and gave her an innocent smile. "Food is precious on the road. Can’t let it go to waste. As it happens, I’m hungry."

A few steps away, Liu Rong, who was in the middle of bringing over a plate of food, nearly stumbled.

’Was this truly his pampered, fastidious highness?’

Cui Lingyao was even more shocked, utterly speechless.

’Even when they were at their closest, she had never seen him eat her leftovers.’

’And he had the gall to say food was precious.’

’The world hasn’t descended into chaos yet. How could a dignified member of the Heavenly Royal Family say such a thing?’

Xie Jinbai turned to the man beside them, Shen Tingyu, and asked with a smile, "That is... Mr. Shen doesn’t mind, does he?"

The words were a blatant provocation.

’Eating a woman’s leftovers, then asking her fiancé if he minds.’

’What was he trying to do?!’

Cui Lingyao’s mind went blank. "Xie Jinbai!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Present," Xie Jinbai chuckled. "Don’t be anxious. No one else over here can see. As for Mr. Shen... I’ll explain it to him properly myself."

They were in a corner, far from the servants and guards, who wouldn’t dare to constantly watch their masters’ every move anyway.

So, the only person who had witnessed his actions was the one directly involved: Shen Tingyu.

Besides, Xie Jinbai had no intention of remaining her secret ’ex-husband’ any longer. Telling her fiancé about their relationship was something he had prepared for long ago.

He finished the noodles in a few quick slurps, tossed the bowl to Liu Rong behind him, and seized the hand of the young woman beside him, just as he was about to speak.

Cui Lingyao dug her nails viciously into his palm.

"Don’t you go mad!" she said coldly. "If you dare to use your status to humiliate people again, I swear I will never let you get what you want as long as I live."

The moment she spoke, the air around them seemed to freeze.

Only the occasional CRACKLE of a spark from the fire broke the silence.

Xie Jinbai’s expression grew cold. This man, so often defiant and proud, a man who commanded thousands with absolute authority, was actually deterred by her words.

He said nothing more, but his grip on the young woman’s hand remained ironclad, refusing to loosen.

Across from them, Shen Tingyu, who had been silent until now, stared at their clasped hands. His lips twitched. "Has Your Highness taken a fancy to my fiancée?"

Cui Lingyao: "..."

"That’s right!" Xie Jinbai admitted without hesitation.

’He has no shame.’

Shen Tingyu gave a slight nod. "And what position does Your Highness intend to give Yaoyao?"

’Yaoyao...’

A chill entered Xie Jinbai’s eyes. "She will only ever be my wife."

The words held a double meaning.

She would be his wife, and his alone.

Furious, Cui Lingyao cried, "You’re insane!"

She struggled constantly to wrench her hand free.

But having come this far, how could Xie Jinbai possibly allow her to retreat?

He tightened his fingers, his gaze fixed on Shen Tingyu. "She was concerned for your dignity, so she hesitated to make things clear to you. But I can’t tolerate it any longer. Your engagement can wait to be dissolved until you’re back in the capital, but from this day forward, I must ask Mr. Shen to remember that Yaoyao is mine."

"Your Highness is mistaken," Shen Tingyu replied, his expression unchanged and his tone impassive. "Yaoyao is a person, not a possession. Even if Your Highness has taken an interest in her, you should be asking for her consent, not declaring your ownership to me."

It was as if Xie Jinbai saw her as an object he could claim simply by informing her supposed original owner.

Shen Tingyu’s words were a blatant jab. Xie Jinbai’s eyes flashed with a vicious light, and he smiled through gritted teeth. "You have some nerve. Who says she’s unwilling?"

Shen Tingyu said nothing. Instead, his gaze fell upon the young woman beside the prince.