Drunk on Madness - Chapter 27

The gentle moonlight spilled over a corner of the military camp, softening the otherwise austere and martial atmosphere.

Zhou Mingxuan strode under the moonlight, his steps steady yet tinged with urgency. When he reached a certain tent, he exhaled slowly and lifted the flap. “Xiangxiang, are you in there?”

Inside, Su Mo and Li Xiang sat side by side, the latter wearing a faint smile. Upon seeing Zhou Mingxuan, Li Xiang stood and bowed in greeting.

Zhou Mingxuan stepped forward without a change in expression, taking her hand to help her up. “I’ve come to take you back to the prince’s residence. The military camp is no place for a woman to stay overnight.” His grip remained firm, refusing to let go.

Li Xiang struggled slightly, glancing at Su Mo.

Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes darkened instantly, his lips curling into a cold smile. “Thank you for looking after Xiangxiang. But it’s late now, and as a woman, she truly cannot remain in the camp any longer.”

With that, he pulled Li Xiang toward the exit. She hadn’t expected him to drag her away so abruptly. Turning back, she reassured Su Mo, “Momo, once I’m settled, remember to come find me.”

The tent flap swayed in their wake. After a long silence, Su Mo murmured to the empty space, “Alright.”

Once outside, Zhou Mingxuan still didn’t slow his pace. Li Xiang, unwilling to be manhandled, protested, “Let go. I’ll follow you.”

But Zhou Mingxuan ignored her, continuing to pull her along. Frowning, Li Xiang struck his arm with her free hand, but he endured the blows without loosening his grip.

The night breeze was cool, the moonlight like water. Outside the camp, an ornate carriage stood in the open, flanked by a row of soldiers. The surroundings were quiet, save for the sound of their footsteps.

Zhou Mingxuan’s expression remained unreadable as he roughly pushed her into the carriage. To the attendant outside, he ordered, “Uncle Li, return to the residence.”

The carriage began moving, its bamboo-carved lanterns swaying gently with the motion.

Silence stretched between them. Li Xiang sat rigidly in one corner, unnerved by Zhou Mingxuan’s uncharacteristic anger. With his princely status newly restored, she dared not provoke him further.

Zhou Mingxuan exhaled, leaning back as he suppressed his simmering rage. In a measured tone, he said, “Stay away from Su Mo from now on. I don’t like it.”

Li Xiang’s heart clenched. “Just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean I have to obey. If we’re ranking by preference, I should be the one keeping my distance from you.”

Zhou Mingxuan’s lips parted, but no words came. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Have you forgotten who you’ve shared a bed with these past two years? Who you called ‘husband’?”

“That was forced by circumstance, just acting. It was all fake. We’ve always been innocent, with no improper feelings between us.” Li Xiang couldn’t understand what she’d done wrong. She had helped him, so why was he using this to bind her now?

Suddenly, Zhou Mingxuan yanked her from the corner, one hand cradling the back of her head while the other gripped her waist, pulling her flush against him.

Trapped in his powerful embrace, Li Xiang gasped as his lips claimed hers, leaving her breathless.

When they finally parted, her face was flushed from lack of air.

A sharp slap echoed through the carriage as Li Xiang struck him. The sound was jarring in the confined space. Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes flickered with shock before turning icy.

Uncle Li furrowed his brows at the sound. Having escorted the two of them all the way to the border, he found himself powerless in the face of how things had unfolded.

The young master had instructed him along the way not to tell Miss Li that Su Mo was still alive. It was then that Uncle Li realized just how deep the young master’s selfishness ran.

Watching Zhou Mingxuan’s profound affection for Li Xiang while feeling guilty toward Su Mo, he knew all too well that Su Mo, no matter how determined, could never contend with someone the young master had set his heart on.

Nor did he wish to see the bond nurtured between the young master and Su Mo since childhood shattered by Li Xiang. He hoped Su Mo and Li Xiang would soon face reality.

Inside the carriage, Zhou Mingxuan gazed at Li Xiang beside him, his lips curling into a cold smile that sent shivers down her spine.

He lifted her delicate face, watching as her eyes gradually welled with tears. Applying slight pressure, he coaxed her lips to part before surrendering to temptation, capturing them with his own, his tongue gently entwining with hers.

When the kiss ended, Zhou Mingxuan wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning close to whisper in her ear, “Between you and me, innocence was lost long ago.” Just as Li Xiang opened her mouth to protest, warm lips sealed hers once more.

Like a child discovering a new toy, he explored with unrestrained curiosity.

His warm breath fanned against her neck, her face paling as fear flickered in her eyes, tears spilling over.

Noticing her distress, Zhou Mingxuan slowly loosened his grip. Li Xiang immediately sat up, retreating to the corner, hastily straightening her disheveled clothes.

Zhou Mingxuan edged closer, retrieving a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe away her tears. Pulling her trembling form into his arms, he murmured soothingly, “Don’t be afraid. I was wrong just now. Seeing you with Su Mo made me jealous.”

His collar slightly open, he tilted his head, studying her nervous expression. “Xiangxiang, don’t provoke me with angry words. I know you were overjoyed to see Su Mo, so was I. But you promised to stay with me before. Have you forgotten?”

Yet Li Xiang remained trembling in his embrace, her voice quivering as she said, “I never promised you anything.” Tears cascaded anew.

She couldn’t help but demand, “Back in Wutong Village, why did you lie and tell me Su Mo was dead?”

He faltered, momentarily speechless. After a pause, he explained, “When you asked, I didn’t know he was alive. I hesitated, and you took that to mean he’d died. I should have corrected you, that was my fault.”

A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips as he added, “But doesn’t this prove that if he weren’t here, you’d choose me? That you do have some feelings for me?”

Li Xiang buried her face, her voice muffled. “No. In the carriage, I just didn’t know how to refuse you. That wasn’t a promise. Don’t you understand?”

“If I truly had feelings for you, I would’ve agreed outright, not said I needed time to think.”

A flash of crimson darkened Zhou Mingxuan’s obsidian eyes. “I don’t believe you. Now that you’ve seen Su Mo, you’re just saying this to push me away.”

His gaze dimmed, masking the storm within. “At this point, you have no other choice. You’re mine.” With that, he pulled her tightly against him.