Drunk on Madness - Chapter 33

The afternoon sun blazed fiercely, yet the military camp’s training continued without pause.

The Crown Prince personally oversaw the drills, his voice loud and resolute, spurring the soldiers to push forward with courage. He led by example, sharing both hardships and triumphs with his men.

After a round of exercises, the soldiers took a brief rest. A young officer approached Zhou Mingxuan and whispered a few words into his ear.

Zhou Mingxuan’s lips pressed into a thin line. He handed the command flag to Deputy General Gu, the old veteran, issued a few instructions, and then hurriedly left with Gu Ci.

Word had just arrived from the residence, Li Xiang had been taken away. No one knew where she had gone.

Zhou Mingxuan understood clearly. Li Xiang had no acquaintances in the borderlands. The only person who could have taken her was Su Mo.

Gu Ci was stunned by the news. These past days, he had been tirelessly persuading Su Mo to give up on Li Xiang. He had even seen some progress, so why would Su Mo suddenly go to the prince’s residence to see her?

Zhou Mingxuan turned to Gu Ci, his dark eyes fixed on him, and asked hoarsely, “Where does Su Mo usually go?” Since arriving at the border, their interactions had been sparse due to Li Xiang’s presence. Even when they met, it was little more than a nod of acknowledgment. The once-close bond between the three of them had frayed.

Gu Ci looked at Zhou Mingxuan with disappointment. “What are you implying? You suspect Su Mo took Li Xiang?”

“After all the effort I’ve spent convincing Su Mo to let go of the woman he loves, you still think he’d steal yours? You should remember, if not for Su Mo and me diverting those pursuers back then, you and Li Xiang would never have had the chance to be alone together.”

Zhou Mingxuan stared at him, but for a fleeting moment, his pitch-black eyes betrayed a hint of helplessness. “I know. I understand all of that. But I can’t give up on Xiangxiang. She’s important to me.”

Gu Ci gazed at the man he had grown up with. Even as the favored son of heaven, he couldn’t escape this trial. Unable to bear his distress, Gu Ci finally relented. “Fine. I’ll take you to look for them.”

Inside the treehouse, Su Mo applied medicine to Li Xiang’s wounds. Unwilling to waste time, she asked, “Have you made up your mind?”

Su Mo’s thoughts were in turmoil. “Do you really have to leave?”

Li Xiang met his gaze. “If you can convince the Crown Prince to let us be together, then I’ll stay.”

Su Mo found the situation too thorny. He had given up because he believed that after two years of living side by side, their bond would naturally be deeper than his. He thought that by stepping aside, they would naturally come together. But now, it seemed that wasn’t the case, Li Xiang hadn’t fallen for Zhou Mingxuan.

Su Mo grasped her hand. “Don’t go. I’ll try.” He had no confidence in persuading the Crown Prince, but he couldn’t bear to let her leave just like that.

A flicker of joy flashed in Li Xiang’s eyes as she stared intently at him. “Then how do you plan to convince him?”

Su Mo’s handsome face stiffened slightly, unsure how to answer. Seeing his unease, Li Xiang blushed and said, “Why don’t we… make it so that he has no choice but to accept? Once it’s done, he won’t be able to object.”

Su Mo’s eyes widened in shock. After a long pause, he finally spoke. “Th-that’s not appropriate!”

Li Xiang was beyond caring. “Do you have a better idea? Or we could just trick him into thinking we did it. He wouldn’t still covet your wife after that, would he? I don’t want to go back to the prince’s residence either way.”

Su Mo’s expression darkened at her words. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Why are you suddenly so afraid of staying at the prince’s residence?”

Li Xiang turned her head away, avoiding his gaze, and said, “It’s nothing. I was just a little scared since you didn’t come to pick me up.”

Su Mo looked at her profile and knew she wasn’t telling the truth, but he didn’t press further. “For now, I don’t have a good way to persuade the heir. If you don’t mind your reputation being compromised, tell him first that you’re mine. We’ll see how he reacts.”

Hearing that he was willing to shelter her under his wing, Li Xiang felt much more at ease.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She wrapped her arms around Su Mo and kissed him. Su Mo instinctively kissed her back.

His lips brushed lightly against hers, and the faint fragrance of her skin filled his senses, making his breath grow hot.

A delicate hand slid to his waist, but Su Mo immediately caught it, his eyes flashing with resistance. “What are you doing?”

Li Xiang leaned close to his ear, her warm breath grazing his earlobe as she whispered, “If we’re going to deceive him, we’ll need some evidence.”

Her boldness slowly unraveled Su Mo, making him forget his original intentions.

Like fish tangled in water, they lost themselves in each other.

Unbeknownst to them, a light rain had begun to fall. Zhou Mingxuan, Gu Ci, and several guards arrived in the forest to search, but Gu Ci soon lost his bearings. As they wandered in circles, Zhou Mingxuan’s heart grew uneasy.

Qing Ying approached Zhou Mingxuan to report, his eyes flickering with hesitation. “Young Master, there’s a treehouse ahead. It seems someone is inside. I didn’t dare act rashly, so they haven’t noticed us yet.” Zhou Mingxuan’s heart sank slowly, as if the answer was just within reach.

The group moved closer and saw Su Mo descending from the treehouse. He walked to the small riverbank, seemingly washing something.

Zhou Mingxuan signaled for the guards to restrain Su Mo while he headed toward the treehouse alone. Su Mo noticed Zhou Mingxuan and his men and was about to speak when two figures lunged at him, and a fierce battle erupted.

Zhou Mingxuan leaped onto the treehouse. Inside, Li Xiang was resting with her eyes closed. Hearing the noise, she assumed it was Su Mo returning and paid no attention.

Su Mo fought against two opponents alone, his gaze flickering anxiously toward the distant treehouse.

Zhou Mingxuan stood on the branch, hesitating before the wooden door. After taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. The sight of scattered clothes in the room instantly made his eyes burn red.

Ever since coming to the borderlands with Li Xiang, she had slipped through his fingers like sand, the tighter he held on, the faster she slipped away.

Li Xiang’s half-bare back revealed faint red marks. Zhou Mingxuan shut his eyes in anguish. He knew he should let go. Su Mo had been his childhood friend, his brother. He couldn’t just kill him to end this.

But he couldn’t accept it. She had been so close to being his. For a fleeting moment, Zhou Mingxuan truly felt the urge to kill Su Mo.

Gently, he touched the side of her face. Still half-asleep, Li Xiang sensed someone standing behind her, watching intently, their fingers tenderly stroking her cheek.

Thinking it was Su Mo, she reached for the person’s hand and murmured, “Done washing? Hmm?”

Zhou Mingxuan’s eyes darkened with resentment. If they thought they could force him out of the game this way, he wouldn’t hold back either.

In an instant, he seized her arm and pinned her down without a trace of gentleness. The sudden movement made Li Xiang realize something was wrong, this wasn’t Su Mo.

She twisted around sharply, only to see Zhou Mingxuan’s furious face. Pushing him away was impossible now.

“Young Master, listen to me!” she pleaded, but Zhou Mingxuan ignored her completely.

His hand had just lifted the quilt when Li Xiang’s free arm swung out, striking Zhou Mingxuan across the face.

A sharp slap echoed through the room.

He froze instantly, releasing his grip on Li Xiang.

“Young Master should understand that Su Mo and I are already bound together. I beg you to let us be, and we will be eternally grateful.”

Li Xiang wrapped her arms around herself, about to catch her breath and rise, when Zhou Mingxuan yanked her back.

He entered her like a blade, splitting her apart. Pain radiated through her entire body, so intense she couldn’t breathe.

Li Xiang let out a muffled groan, her eyes wide with disbelief.

She never imagined things would come to this. Suddenly, hurried footsteps sounded outside, it was Su Mo. A glimmer of hope appeared in Li Xiang’s eyes. But Zhou Mingxuan’s gaze only darkened with amusement, as if mocking her futile resistance.

Before she could process the contempt in his eyes, the wooden door burst open. Su Mo was met with a sight he would never forget, one that would haunt his dreams for years to come.

Tears welled in Li Xiang’s eyes as she stared helplessly at the figure in the doorway.

Su Mo’s mind went blank. Seeing him, Li Xiang seemed to spot her salvation and croaked out, “Su… Su Mo.”

Zhou Mingxuan watched Li Xiang with a complicated expression. Hearing her call another man’s name, he grabbed a piece of clothing nearby and stuffed it into her mouth.

The cabin fell silent, save for the rustling of branches outside.

“Close the door,” Zhou Mingxuan suddenly ordered Su Mo.

Staring at the master he had sworn to protect with his life since childhood, the man he had pledged eternal loyalty to, Su Mo felt his lifelong beliefs crumble. Not knowing how to react, he numbly pushed the door shut.

Zhou Mingxuan’s attention was now solely on Li Xiang. His trembling hand gently brushed her cheek as he murmured, “Having her was so effortless. All I had to do was bear hearing her cry beneath me.”

His voice turned icy as his gaze flicked to Su Mo. “So, this is what it feels like to possess her,” he said mockingly. “She wasn’t nearly this passionate before you arrived.”

Time seemed to stretch endlessly before Zhou Mingxuan finally released her.

She lay there like a discarded ragdoll, her eyes vacant, lacking even the strength to remove the cloth from her mouth.

Seeing her utterly broken expression, Zhou Mingxuan’s heart ached with torment. Yet he couldn’t bring himself to let her go, he wanted her to respond to him, to acknowledge him.