Chapter 59: The Price of a Kiss

“Yun’er, please calm your anger. I assure you, there’s nothing between us. I was simply sleeping when, out of the blue, she inexplicably assaulted me with a kiss. When I awoke from my dream, she was already kissing me. I struggled, yet it proved utterly futile, for by then I was gasping for air, my limbs heavy with weakness. I was, truly, a victim of circumstance.”

Ouyang Xiyue, having wiped the slobber from himself and changed his clothes, entered the living room, offering Shangguan Yun a conciliatory smile.

“Yun’er, you must believe me. I am innocent, I beg for your leniency.”

“Lord Xiyue, tell me,” Shangguan Yun demanded, her gaze sharp and piercing as she stared at Ouyang Xiyue, “did you just give your first kiss to this pervert?”

Upon hearing Shangguan Yun’s question, Ouyang Xiyue found himself at a loss for how to respond. If he lied, he feared Yun’er might report him. But if he told the truth, wouldn’t that expose what happened between Ling’er and him? No, no, absolutely not. If Ling’er truly believed he had betrayed her, he would be doomed. Yet, if he said nothing, he would also be doomed. What was he to do? What was he to do? What was he to do?

In that moment, Ouyang Xiyue’s mind was a tangled mess. A sudden, dark thought surfaced in his head: perhaps he should eliminate everyone present to ensure his safety.

No, no, what was he thinking? Killing everyone present? What a preposterous idea! Yun’er was someone profoundly important to him. As for Chi Congyu, then she could certainly be eliminated. If not for that scoundrel, how would there be such a monumental mess?

“Hey! I am not a pervert! You, a mere maid, need to understand your place. So what if I did forcefully kiss Ouyang Xiyue? He is my fiancé, and it’s none of your concern. Whatever I wish to do with him is my business. You just need to mind your own station, and! Release me at once!”

Bound hand and foot, Chi Congyu writhed and struggled on the floor. Evidently, her efforts were futile, for Shangguan Yun had sealed her pressure points, rendering her unable to channel her magic.

“Silence! What fiancé? Lord Xiyue has not yet agreed to marry you, and already you’re so presumptuous. If he were to marry you, who knows what horrors you might inflict upon him. No, for the sake of Lord Xiyue’s lifelong happiness, I must inform the Princess about this matter.”

As Shangguan Yun spoke, she prepared to reach for her phone to make a call. At that very instant, Ouyang Xiyue swiftly rose, his movements sharp and precise, snatching the phone from her grasp.

“Yun’er, I know I was wrong. Please don’t do anything rash. I swear I won’t dare again. I will definitely maintain my distance from this person. And at night—no, at all times, I’ll remain vigilant, preventing anyone with ulterior motives from succeeding. Truly, Yun’er, please forgive me.” As Ouyang Xiyue spoke, tears welled, threatening to spill from his eyes.

Shangguan Yun, however, clearly had no intention of letting the matter drop so easily. After all, even with mere verbal assurances, who could guarantee that no unforeseen incidents would occur in the future? Moreover, Shangguan Yun considered that, given her own status, such matters would be difficult to manage later on, as she was, after all, just a subordinate.

“No, Lord Xiyue, give me the phone. I still think I should speak to the Princess. After all, I cannot adequately handle this. The phone!”

Shangguan Yun demanded the phone from Ouyang Xiyue, who stood beside her, clearly unwilling to relinquish it. Shangguan Yun then rose, intending to take it by force. Seeing Shangguan Yun approaching him, Ouyang Xiyue felt a surge of anxiety tighten his chest.

‘It seems Yun’er is utterly determined not to let him off the hook today,’ Ouyang Xiyue thought. ‘In that case, I can only resign myself to a reckless gamble, a fight to the bitter end. Don’t blame me, I’m driven to desperation. Forgive me, Yun’er!’

As they struggled for the phone, Ouyang Xiyue suddenly placed the phone into Shangguan Yun’s hand. Shangguan Yun, believing Ouyang Xiyue had finally seen reason, was just about to turn and leave when Ouyang Xiyue, still by her side, seized her shoulders with both hands.

Then… then Shangguan Yun only felt that she, too, utterly unprepared, was assaulted by a forceful kiss. Yes, that’s right, she, too, was forcefully kissed!

Shangguan Yun’s eyes widened with disbelief as she stared at Ouyang Xiyue, who was kissing her. Her face was a mask of utter astonishment. She was convinced she was dreaming, hallucinating, or perhaps still half-asleep?

No, no, this was all a lie, a mere illusion. Shangguan Yun immediately shoved Ouyang Xiyue roughly aside, then pinched herself fiercely, twice.

“Pain, pain, pain!” It wasn’t a dream… Shangguan Yun was stunned, rooted to the spot, utterly bewildered, her gaze vacant. In that moment, Shangguan Yun was in a state of ‘Who am I? Where am I? What is this place? What just happened?’

“Oh, for heaven’s sake, Ouyang Xiyue! You scoundrel! You actually brazenly betrayed me right before my eyes! I! You!”

Chi Congyu, still bound hand and foot, lay on the floor. From her unfortunate vantage point, she had a perfect view of everything that had just transpired. She, too, gazed in utter disbelief at her future fiancé, who had brazenly betrayed her right before her eyes.

“Silence! Who do you think you are talking to? If it weren’t for you! How would all these messy affairs have occurred? This whole disaster, and I’m the one who has to clean it up! You think you’re so capable? Why don’t you do it then? Scoundrel! Rogue! Pervert! To do such a thing to me while I was asleep! And! I have not yet agreed to be your fiancé! Don’t try to assert yourself! If you ever dare to act like you did this morning again, I will absolutely not forgive you! No, I already cannot forgive you! Scoundrel! Go to hell!” Ouyang Xiyue exclaimed, his veins throbbing with fury.

“You, you, you! Lord Xiyue! What… what did you do… That… that was my first kiss! You… scoundrel…”

Shangguan Yun, her face flushed crimson, a fierce anger burning in her eyes, glared at the beautiful girl—or, more accurately, the youth—before her, who had stolen her first kiss. This youth possessed a beauty that transcended their gender.

“Forgive me, Yun’er, but I was driven to this by desperation. If you insist on telling Ling’er about this morning’s incident, then I will also tell Ling’er about what just happened. Today, I’m throwing caution to the wind. At worst, we can all go down together, utterly ruined.”

“You… you… you… I see through you!” Shangguan Yun declared, then turned and stormed into the bedroom.

Watching Shangguan Yun leave, Ouyang Xiyue sighed deeply from within. Finally, a temporary reprieve. He could now say with certainty that Shangguan Yun would not tell Ling’er about today’s events, after all, I…

Was that a first kiss? If he thought about it that way, he truly was a scoundrel. Look, Ling’er’s first kiss was given to him, and it’s quite possible Chi Congyu’s first kiss was also given to him. Plus, Shangguan Yun’s first kiss. Could he now call himself the ‘First Kiss Collector’? What the hell? Except for Yun’er, where he was the aggressor—though he was also forced into it—the other two practically offered theirs, didn’t they? No loss, in any case, since he was a boy.

“Ahem, Xiyue~ Xiyue~ I know I was wrong, okay? Please untie me. I promise I’ll never dare to do it again.” Chi Congyu, still bound hand and foot and lying on the floor, looked at the angry Ouyang Xiyue and began to soften her tone.

Listening to the voice emanating from below, Ouyang Xiyue finally looked down. ‘I nearly forgotten about this one,’ he thought. ‘The primary culprit, that scoundrel!’

“Sigh, what am I to do with you? Despite being such a beautiful girl, you commit such perverse acts. You’re so beautiful, and look at you now, bound hand and foot like this. If I were to sell you off just like this, don’t you think those people would… do unspeakable things to you? Someone of your prime merchandise should fetch a hefty sum, right? I’ve been rather strapped for cash lately, so selling you might just improve my finances.” Ouyang Xiyue said, a mischievous grin playing on his lips.

“Ah, no! I truly am sorry, Xiyue! Please forgive me! Look, that girl isn’t going to tell Ling’er anymore, so won’t you forgive me too? I truly won’t dare next time. Please, quickly consider whether you’ll agree to me. I need to report to my grandfather. This way, we can also expedite the rescue. Otherwise, even if you’ve frozen her, her body’s cells and blood vessels will slowly, gradually decay. So, at a time like this, every second counts, and we cannot afford to delay.” Chi Congyu said with an ingratiating smile.

Ouyang Xiyue shook his head helplessly. He had only been joking around; how could he possibly sell her? After all, this person was indeed exquisitely beautiful, a beauty that could rival the nation’s finest.

Watching Chi Congyu desperately trying to change the subject, Ouyang Xiyue also realized they indeed needed to accelerate their efforts. The only method left was the Holy Light Church’s Pope’s resurrection divine art. There were no other options—or rather, there might be, but they certainly wouldn’t be found quickly, and even if found, they wouldn’t be as swift as this method.

“Alright, alright, I’ll stop teasing you. Just be more careful next time. I agree to your proposal of marriage. I will inform my family. Your grandfather’s side is up to you. And Moxuan is in your hands, please take care of him.” Ouyang Xiyue said, then bowed deeply to Chi Congyu, who lay bound hand and foot on the floor, before kneeling to untie her.

“You agreed! Wonderful, yes! My efforts haven’t been in vain all this time! So, can I start calling you Wifey, my dear, now? Isn’t it practically the same? Hehehe.” Chi Congyu exclaimed with boundless joy, as if reborn, as she sprang up from the floor.

“You… Sigh, never mind. As long as you’re happy.” Ouyang Xiyue had initially intended to refuse, but then he thought, even if he did say something, this person might not listen anyway. So, it would be like preaching to deaf ears, in one ear and out the other. It made no difference whether he said anything or not. Sigh, since he had already taken this step, he had to be prepared to face the consequences.

“Don’t worry, leave the person to me. I’ll go and inform my grandfather right away. Perhaps if the old man learns you’ve agreed to marry me, he might be so delighted that he’ll come right now and help you rescue them.”

“Wait,” Ouyang Xiyue interjected, “Seeing how impatient you are, I have a condition: marriage is acceptable, but only after we both come of age. After all, we need to build our relationship together. I don’t want to marry someone I’ve just met. Let’s just get engaged first. You go and tell your grandfather. I’ll go make a call too.” Ouyang Xiyue said, then turned and departed.