C6 His Words may be False but His Heart Is True

Leh Jiu's thoughts were refreshingly uncomplicated, devoid of the complex emotions that often plagued the servants. She accepted the medicine and swallowed it with water, grimacing at the bitterness. It was decidedly unpleasant.

Leh Jiu's forthrightness, however, seemed to sour Si Nanzhi's mood. He was perturbed by her lack of longing. After all, countless women were scheming to share his bed, vying for the prestigious title of the Si family's Young Mistress. Did Leh Jiu harbor no ulterior motives?

A sudden chill swept through Leh Jiu, raising goosebumps on her skin. She rubbed her arms and turned to see Si Nanzhi, his expression dark and stormy. His face might as well have had the words 'I'm not happy' emblazoned across it.

Her eyes, clear and questioning, met his. Why had his demeanor shifted so abruptly?

Preferring not to overthink, Leh Jiu posed the question directly, "Why aren't you happy?"

"What do you think?" Si Nanzhi retorted, his tone icy, offering no real answer.

Leh Jiu looked up at him, her expression the picture of innocence, her voice soft and earnest, "I don't know."

She couldn't possibly guess his thoughts; she wasn't a mind reader. Yet, she understood one principle well: accepting someone's generosity could soften one's stance towards them. And she had just partaken in a feast he provided.

With a delicate gesture, her pale, slender hand extended towards Si Nanzhi, revealing a single piece of candy resting in her palm. Her lips curled into a charming smile as she offered, "This will sweeten your mood."

She had tested the theory herself. The candy, a gift from Grandma Tiantian, was irresistibly sweet.

Si Nanzhi felt as if he had punched a pillow, his internal frustration deflating at the sight of her smile. His irritation vanished as if it had never been. He was no toddler, after all.

Looking up, Si Nanzhi's eyes landed on the dimple that adorned her smiling face. Adorable, he thought, unable to resist poking it.

Ouch.

Leh Jiu's brow furrowed, her smile fading, and the dimple along with it.

Why poke her?

"Smile."

"..."

She wasn't in the business of selling smiles.

Seeing no reaction from her, Si Nanzhi's hand came to life, his fingers tugging at the corner of her mouth, trying to coax a smile out of her—unsuccessfully.

Annoyance flickered in Si Nanzhi's eyes as he issued a veiled threat, "No smile, no food for you in the future."

At the sound of his voice, Leh Jiu quickly flashed her sweetest smile, her charming dimples appearing instantly at the corners of her lips.

You little thing, still trying to be stubborn with me.

Pleased, Si Nanzhi poked her dimple again, saying, "Smile more when you see me from now on, got it?"

She thought to herself that she certainly wouldn't.

Yet, Leh Jiu replied with surprising obedience, "Got it."

Leh Jiu didn't pull her hand away, instead she offered, "It's really sweet, you should try it."

Si Nanzhi eyed the piece of candy in her tiny hand and asked, "Where did you get that?"

"Ms. Chen gave it to me."

Ms. Chen was the maid who had recently provided Leh Jiu with birth control.

This was the first time she had tasted such delicious candy.

The moment the sweet milk candy hit her tongue, all her troubles seemed to melt away.

"Aren't you going to try it?"

She only had a few pieces, and she wouldn't have considered sharing if it weren't for the lavish meal he had treated her to.

When he declined, Leh Jiu intended to withdraw her hand, planning to stash the candy in her pocket for tomorrow.

"Peel it for me."

He could see Leh Jiu's reluctance clear as day.

Thinking she could take back what she'd offered?

Despite her inner reluctance, Leh Jiu 'generously' handed it over.

Leh Jiu carefully unwrapped the candy. Si Nanzhi didn't move but opened his mouth, indicating for her to place it inside.

Feeding him once or twice made no difference.

The logic was simple: what's fed once can be fed twice, and what's fed twice can be fed thrice; feeding him certainly wouldn't cost her a pound of flesh.

But this time, she was clever.

No sooner had the candy touched Si Nanzhi's tongue than Leh Jiu swiftly withdrew her hand.

Watching him bite the air, Leh Jiu's expression was playfully smug, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Si Nanzhi's gaze narrowed, resting on her full red lips, his eyes glinting with a dangerous light. Abruptly, he seized her arm, pulling her onto his lap, and encircled her neck with his arm. Capturing her soft lips, he pried them open and playfully entwined his tongue with hers. His kiss was domineering and assertive.

Their breaths mingled, the scent of milk enveloping them. It was sticky, fiery, and lingering. Her smugness quickly turned to astonishment.

"Mmm... Mmm."

Leh Jiu struggled desperately, but Si Nanzhi firmly pinned her flailing hands behind her back. Within seconds, her resistance melted into compliance under his fervent kiss, leaving her limp in his embrace, their fingers interlocked.

The sweet taste of milk candy dissolved between their lips.

Si Nanzhi's kisses wandered from her lips to her cheek, the tip of her nose, her jawline, and then he gently nibbled her earlobe.

"Does that feel good?" Si Nanzhi whispered with a light chuckle, sending a tingling sensation through her, bewildering her senses.

Leh Jiu's cheeks flushed a fresh peach hue, so ripe it seemed one could bite into them and release a burst of juice. Her heart raced, her body too flushed to form words.

Si Nanzhi thought that with her influence, the cloying sweetness of the milk candy had faded, leaving only a delicate sweetness behind.

With his fingertips pressing against her soft lips, Si Nanzhi's eyes held a profound message: "Come with me."

Leh Jiu didn't ask where they were headed; her mind was too muddled to entertain the thought. She followed him like a dutiful spouse. Yet, when she found herself in a sealed room filled with medical equipment, Leh Jiu's eyes widened in shock, her blood turning to ice, her body rigid with fear and anxiety.

A chill crept through her...

Could it be that he was in league with them?

Leh Jiu's breathing quickened, panic setting in. She couldn't afford to linger. With a sudden burst of energy, she shoved Si Nanzhi aside and dashed for the door.

Four steps.

Three steps.

Two steps.

Just one more step and she would be out the door, free from this place...

But then, a strong grip cinched around her waist—Si Nanzhi had caught her.

It was over.

Was she fated to meet her end in the laboratory?

Was that last meal her final one?

Si Nanzhi wrapped his arms around her, spinning her to face him, ready to scold her, but as he caught sight of the tears welling in her eyes, he paused, taken aback. "Why are you crying?" he asked in astonishment.