In the courtyard, apparently not heeding the change in weather and atmosphere, Bai Qingyue was plagued by inner turmoil.

He had not been taken by surprise when she pushed him away. He had, in fact, made his fall appear more dramatic than it was, as garnering sympathy seemed to work rather well with her.

No, the blow he had received, intangible as it was, was caused by her reaction to his confession. She was behaving as though being deflowered was of no concern to her. Even the lowest puny mortal placed great importance on propriety, so her reaction made no sense to him!

A sudden thought jarred him. Could it be that she had found another suitor for herself during the time she was away? And, if that was the case, had she given herself to him? She was not confined to a single partner as he was by his curse.

Bai Qingyue's already fair skin became even paler, icy white blanching to even paler white as he clenched his teeth together in bitterness. He had presumed that the so-called friend of hers was the only potential threat to his claim over her, but now...

"Am I to assume, then, that you have offered yourself to another man?" he inquired, a deadly undertone to his voice. His golden stare remained fixed to an imagined point, far off in the distance, as he spoke.

Even if there is someone else you desire, I still will not let you go! Bai Qingyue's calm bearing was in vast opposition to his turbulent thoughts. Only the weather and the wilting garden reflected his inner turmoil.

At the question from Zhu Qingyue, a flush of embarrassment overwhelmed Li Meirong where she stood, rigid, at his side. Her entire face became a deep red as she stared at the ground just past her toes. Her fingers, now clasped together in front of her, fidgeted and fiddled together with her mortification.

How had anything she said warranted this overly familiar question?! She had thought that they could now, finally, end this awkward conversation, and yet it only appeared to have worsened! She had attempted to free him of the burden he had placed upon himself, to see to her welfare, and yet he took that as permission to pry into her private life?

A sudden sense of foreboding traveled through Li Meirong, settling into her heart. The organ was beating even more frantically.

She was unsure as to why his words were causing her such distress, but she felt the bizarre urge to clarify the truth of her words with him.

"I haven't." She cleared her throat before continuing. "I mean to say, you are the only one that I've…." The final few words were spoken so softly that, if not for Bai Qingyue's sensitive hearing, it would have been almost impossible for him to hear her.

Bai Qingyue slowly turned his head to look down at Li Meirong, examining her from head to toe. He could see nothing of her face, as she was still staring at the ground, and despite only being able to view the crown of her head, he could and did still take note of her shallow breathing.

He raised a hand and, with one long finger extended, nudged her beneath her small chin. The gentle but insistent pressure slowly raised her head so that she faced him. And, as she moved, a lovely sight awaited him. The movement had exposed her long, ivory neck, and he was once again captivated by her beauty. Her luscious lips were a tantalizing shade of red, and her large black eyes instantly pacified him.

As beautiful as she was, her words were apparently crafted specifically to cause him harm. She always seemed to choose her words to strike him where it hurt most.

"Explain yourself." He urged.

"You're the only one I've been with! I only meant that there is no need to be responsible to me because of what happened." Li Meirong attempted to clarify. "We were both drugged, and, well, I don't blame you." Her voice was tight as she continued to try and explain her position. Both of her dainty palms came up to clutch at his hand, attempting to pull him away from her face. She did not succeed, though, in anything but making him grasp firmly to her jaw.

Blame me! Bai Qingyue growled inwardly. Blame me! I want you to blame me!

Completely vexed, he sighed deeply. This was not at all how he had intended the day's events to unfold. If he could have done so without repercussions, he would have locked his lovely yet dim wife in a cage by now! Honestly, he had expected her to immediately succumb to him after his aggrieved performance and heartfelt declaration.

Nevertheless, he had prepared for this scenario, too.

"Even if you do not wish me to be responsible for you," he growled, brushing his thumb across her cheek and refusing to relent his grip on her, "you must be responsible for me!"

Li Meirong stared at the man incredulously, stunned by his outlandish words.

What in the world was he going on about this time?!

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Chapter 114 *Snippet*

Li Meirong stood there, dumbfounded, for a good few seconds. She stared at Zhu Qingyue, still struggling to comprehend the meaning of his words.

One second passed, two seconds, three…

A soft giggle suddenly escaped her lips, filling the air with a cheerful melody much like the tinkling of silver bells. Her eyes closed as her narrow shoulders began to shake with the force of her laughter.

The ridiculousness of the entire situation was simply too much for her to handle stoically; she couldn't help herself. Zhu Qingyue's words were just so unbelievably silly!

When her fit of giggles finally subsided, her eyes opened once more, and she was met with the sight of Zhu Qingyue's deathly serious expression. Despite his extraordinary presence, the stillness of his body was such that he might as well have been a mannequin.