Chapter 196: Chapter 196: "How Can You Be This Delicate, Hmm?

Cui Lingyao had spent three years learning firsthand just how lustful this man could be.

He had certainly never been one to deny himself in bed.

Three years ago, during his most temperamental phase, the moment they got into bed, he would grip her by the waist and toss her about relentlessly.

And now, three years later, who knew where he had learned his new tricks, but he was even more wicked.

They were halfway through their lovemaking.

Cui Lingyao was already at her breaking point.

She couldn’t help but curse, "Can’t you just get it over with?!"

’Does leaving me in limbo like this, watching me grit my teeth and endure, give you some sick sense of accomplishment?’

...

In the darkness, the air fell silent for a moment, then a muffled laugh could be faintly heard.

"Well then..." Xie Jinbai lightly squeezed the small of her back. "...care to cooperate?"

Cui Lingyao: "..."

She had no room to refuse, nor did she want to.

In fact, his teasing had sparked her temper. Indignantly, she grabbed his neck and abruptly flipped over...

Xie Jinbai froze for a second but quickly recovered, very cooperatively lying flat on his back.

The next moment, his brows furrowed slightly as he reached out to steady her waist.

"Silly girl, slow down..."

She had never taken the lead like this before; she had really overestimated her abilities...

And that was indeed the case.

A jolt of pain made Cui Lingyao gasp, and the desire that had kept her in limbo instantly vanished. She scrambled to get off him.

"Where are you going?"

Xie Jinbai wouldn’t let her escape. Gripping her waist, he sat up and pulled her into his embrace, coaxing her in a hoarse voice, "Take your time. I’ll let you have your way."

His voice was gentle and indulgent.

As if it could tolerate all her arrogance and willfulness, letting her do as she pleased.

The tip of Cui Lingyao’s nose tingled, and she felt an inexplicable sense of aggrievement.

The feelings of aggrievement—which had started that morning when she saw the six portraits of beautiful women, continued when he left her at the study door that afternoon, and culminated in being forced to please him tonight—could no longer be suppressed.

She buried her face in the crook of his neck and began to sob.

These weren’t the cries of passion.

These were real, genuine tears.

Xie Jinbai froze at the sound and reached for her chin.

"Did I hurt you?"

Cui Lingyao sobbed, unable to speak, and just shook her head.

Her face was streaked with tears, and Xie Jinbai couldn’t bear to tease her any longer.

But...

His expression was conflicted for a moment before he gritted his teeth and pulled away from her.

"We didn’t even finish once, and you’re this upset?"

"Then what about me? You played me for a fool. Shouldn’t I be the one who’s more upset?"

Xie Jinbai wrapped an arm around her shoulders, gently patting her back. "Don’t cry. I’ll stop."

"..." Cui Lingyao sniffled, her sobs turning into soft whimpers.

He’d never seen her so distraught. Xie Jinbai grew alarmed. "Are you really hurt? When you just..."

As he spoke, he moved to check her.

Cui Lingyao grabbed his wrist, shaking her head frantically. "It... it doesn’t hurt."

Xie Jinbai hesitated.

’How could she cry like this if it didn’t hurt?’

He hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided against forcing the issue. Instead, he pulled her into his arms and lay back down.

"Don’t cry, please don’t cry..." he coaxed softly, but the woman in his arms seemed unable to stop, her quiet sobs punctuated by hiccups.

Her soft, delicate body trembled in his arms.

A vein throbbed on Xie Jinbai’s forehead. "For heaven’s sake, can you stop crying? It’s breaking my heart to hear you!"

His voice was practically a roar.

The sobbing, which had gone on for some time, suddenly stopped.

"Crying like this, are you trying to torture yourself or me?"

Xie Jinbai lifted her head from his chest and wiped away her tears. "Did sleeping with me tonight make you feel this wronged?"

’If she had ever resisted more fiercely, when had he ever forced himself on her?’

’After three years of marriage, he could surely tell whether she wanted it or not.’

Cui Lingyao sniffled and gently shook her head. "No."

She was finally talking. Xie Jinbai let out a long sigh of relief and pinched her cheek. "Then is it my fault... for not pleasing you properly?"

’He had, admittedly, been teasing her on purpose.’

Xie Jinbai clicked his tongue and hugged her tighter. "How can you be so sensitive, hm?"

And yet, this sensitive soul was the one who could drive him absolutely crazy.

"My fault," he apologized, lowering his head to kiss her. "Let’s continue. I won’t tease you like this again."

"...No," Cui Lingyao turned her head to avoid his kiss and whispered, "It’s not because of that."

As his kiss landed on empty air, Xie Jinbai’s breath hitched. "Then what is it?"

What was it...

Cui Lingyao was silent for several moments, until an uncontrollable hiccup escaped her. Then she choked out, "You were too harsh."

Xie Jinbai froze.

’Harsh?’

’To her?’

"It was so cold this afternoon, and after you said all those infuriating things, you just abandoned me and left. Then you came back tonight, didn’t say a single word, and just immediately wanted to sleep with me. What do you take me for..."

"..." Xie Jinbai was speechless. He wanted to say something, but the woman in his arms continued her accusations, "And then you deliberately toyed with me in bed! You’re just too much!"

Xie Jinbai: "..."

’This counts as... too much?’

’He wanted to defend himself. For instance, compared to what she’d done to him, his own actions were hardly excessive.’

’Not even by a fraction.’

’At most, he had entered the courtyard a step ahead of her. How could that be considered "abandoning" her?’

’And as for what happened in bed...’

’...he didn’t feel that a little teasing between a husband and wife was going too far.’

’If it was too much, why had she endured it?’

But the woman in his arms had only just quieted down, and he didn’t want to make her cry again. He obediently conceded, "Alright, I was out of line. It won’t happen again."

Cui Lingyao finally stopped her accusations. She sniffled, buried her face in the crook of his neck, and fell silent.

The tumultuous room fell quiet.

Now that the woman in his arms had stopped crying, Xie Jinbai was able to slowly calm down.

He belatedly began to understand.

...She felt wronged.

And it was a feeling that had only burst forth after he had started coaxing her...

"Am I awful? I was the one who told you to take concubines, but I’m also the one who can’t bear the slightest cold shoulder from you..."

He had only left her behind for a moment, yet the contrast felt so vast she found it impossible to accept being treated that way by him.

Cui Lingyao’s voice was muffled. "I’m sorry."

"Use a different word," Xie Jinbai said, now understanding completely. He gripped the back of her neck, applying gentle pressure to lift her head from his shoulder. He lowered his gaze to meet hers. "Say you love me."

Cui Lingyao: "..."

The silence lasted only a moment before the hand on her neck tightened abruptly. Xie Jinbai lowered his head and pressed a hard kiss to her lips. "Say you love me!"

His voice was hoarse, but firm.

As if he had finally confirmed something.

His eyes, fixed on hers, were startlingly bright. "Yaoyao, say you love me."

Cui Lingyao’s eyelashes trembled. Those two words were stuck in her throat, refusing to come out.

Simply admitting she *liked* him was already her limit.

The word ’love’ was too profound.

Xie Jinbai waited a moment, and the light in his eyes slowly dimmed. "Are you still unwilling to admit it?"

’She really was terrible!’

’How could such a woman exist, one who only wanted to take and had no intention of giving anything in return?’

’That was one thing, but she didn’t even have the courage to openly admit her feelings.’

Xie Jinbai sighed softly. "I really don’t know what kind of environment the you from that other world grew up in."

To make her so cautious, so hesitant to speak of love.

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