Chapter 51: Utterly Tormented

The next morning,

Golden sunlight spilled across the window, streaming in like crystalline ribbons, filling the air with a clear, intoxicating aroma laced faintly with the warmth of wine. Flower Qinci slowly opened her eyes, and found the dazzling sunlight even more uncomfortable than the large figure lying beside her.

She puzzled over it for a long time, but could not recall how the two of them had returned to the room last night.

At that moment, Qin Youtian was sleeping soundly, though his hand had strayed to a place it ought not to be.

Flower Qinci stared at that callused hand, attempting several times without success to quietly move it away, hoping to extract herself and go to another room for more sleep.

She intended to act as if nothing at all had happened.

Carefully, she pinched the edge of his sleeve, tugging it little by little.

Through the entire process, she barely dared to breathe.

She had resolved that, whatever had transpired last night, she would never admit to a thing.

She did not wish to be entangled with him any more than necessary.

She had just managed to slip free, but as she got out of bed, she accidentally tripped and tumbled to the floor with a loud thud. The impact left her dizzy, unsure if the lingering effects of the wine were to blame.

She endured the pain, determined not to make a sound.

Yet Qin Youtian seemed to be sleeping too deeply—he showed not the slightest reaction.

"So, you’re finally awake?"

The voice was cold and sharp, as if it had been waiting for thousands of years, grating on the nerves. It came from Qin Youtian’s side, though his eyes remained closed.

"Ah?" Flower Qinci looked up in surprise.

"If you’re awake, kindly remove your needles," Qin Youtian said icily, though his words made Flower Qinci want to laugh.

She chuckled, gazing at his motionless form as she approached. Sure enough, she saw several silver needles stuck in Qin Youtian’s body, which she removed one by one, barely able to keep from laughing as she did so.

"Is it really that funny?" As the needles were withdrawn, Qin Youtian suddenly felt a rush of relief throughout his body, but he was also furious, though he dared not show it.

His narrow eyes flashed with a dangerous light, as if he would glare Flower Qinci to death if he could.

Flower Qinci stifled her laughter. She truly could not recall what she had done the previous night.

Meanwhile, Qin Youtian clenched his jaw, constantly reminding himself to endure.

Last night, he had intended to claim this wild little cat, but at the most heated moment, she had, with a swift motion, embedded several silver needles in his body, leaving him utterly immobile—unable to move, in any sense.

As if that weren’t enough, she had gone on to toy with him!

Thinking back on the night, his chest tightened with frustration, and all he could do was bear it.

Flower Qinci had even shamelessly claimed that he was ill and that she was treating him.

It was only after Flower Qinci had finally tired herself out that he, in agony and humiliation, had fallen asleep.

He swore that one day, he would make her pay—one day...

Yet, remembering last night—her sultry, teasing glances as she tormented him—his heart would not settle.

Recalling her deliberate seduction, the alluring scene of the night before, he felt a restless ache and a surge of anger, but he forced himself to contain it.

This wildcat was too untamed—he would have to tame her slowly.

"So, how are you feeling? Are you alright?" Now that the needles had been removed and Qin Youtian was still unresponsive, Flower Qinci grew worried. Had her drunken hands left him crippled?

Still, perhaps it was better this way—she would have nothing to fear from him shifting into another form to bully her.

But as he continued to lie motionless, Flower Qinci began to worry in earnest. If she dragged him back like this, would his mother, Madam Qin Mingyue, kill her?

Remembering Madam Qin Mingyue’s ferocity, she hurriedly seized Qin Youtian’s hand to take his pulse and see if there was any hope of saving him.

But suddenly, Qin Youtian swiftly grabbed her, pulling her unguarded into his arms.

With a quick motion, he locked his arm around her slender neck, holding her tightly against him.

The warm, intoxicating scent of wine at her ear made Flower Qinci intensely uncomfortable.

"Are you out of your mind?" Flower Qinci’s hands were twisted and pinned to her sides, her whole body trapped in his embrace, unable to move.

"Let me go!" she snapped, exasperated. This man was having another episode, but she was confident—one day, she would cure him of this affliction.

A playful smile quirked at Qin Youtian’s lips. He finally understood: only in moments like this could he temporarily subdue this nocturnal wildcat.

"No."