Chapter 87: Chapter 87: "I Just Wanted to See You.

When Li Yun turned his head and saw a belt—clearly a man’s—lying nearby, the emotions he’d been suppressing erupted like a volcano, no longer possible to contain.

In that instant, Li Yun bent down once more, his head low. As if in punishment, as if for release, and as if through gritted teeth, he captured her red lips, his tongue probing inside, stirring up a tempest.

Perhaps it was because this kiss was even more fierce than the last, or perhaps because Li Yun’s oppressive presence was too overwhelming, but Ming Lingyi finally awoke from her dream of being pounced on by a savage beast.

The moment she opened her eyes, she froze.

The instant she saw the dark figure before her, Ming Lingyi wanted to scream.

She didn’t have vision as sharp as Li Yun’s; he could see the person before him with perfect clarity, even in the dead of night.

Especially since she had just woken from a deep sleep, how could her reactions be so quick?

Even though she wanted to scream, her lips and tongue were not her own to command. They were restrained, and the muffled sound she managed to make was smothered between her mouth and the man’s.

The wet, intimate sound of their mouths moving together was unnervingly clear in the quiet of the night. Despite her terror, the sound made Ming Lingyi blush beet-red.

As her mind cleared, the familiar, unmistakable scent of ambergris filled her nostrils, forcing Ming Lingyi to realize just who this man was who had snuck into her room like a common thief.

’It really is that bastard Li Yun!’

Ming Lingyi didn’t know where she found the strength, but in the next instant, she raised her hand and brought it swinging toward the man’s face—a face that remained handsome even twisted in a grim expression.

Ming Lingyi didn’t hold back an ounce of strength with that slap.

A loud, crisp CRACK echoed through the room.

Ming Lingyi couldn’t help but hiss inwardly—not for him, but because the force of the blow she’d just delivered to Li Yun left her own palm numb and throbbing with pain.

The slap was forceful enough to knock his head to the side.

Li Yun’s anger had already been stoked by Ming Lingyi’s resistance.

’She won’t even be intimate with me anymore. Who does she want to do these things with, then?’

The radical thought took hold, becoming a maddening obsession that consumed his mind.

Ming Lingyi’s slap only served to ignite his deepest fears and his possessiveness.

"You hit me?" Li Yun sneered. Then, before Ming Lingyi had a chance to reply, he turned his head and crushed his lips against hers once more.

This time, it was like a tempest at sea.

It was as if Li Yun was trying to vent all the madness and regret of the past five years, to crush the woman beneath him and grind her into his very flesh and bone.

Ming Lingyi had never expected Li Yun to be so unhinged, acting like a true madman without any restraint. Her meager strength was nothing in his eyes. After she slapped him, he used one large hand to seize both of her arms, raising them high above her head and pinning her wrists against the headboard. With her legs now trapped as well, she felt utterly helpless, like a fish on a chopping block.

Feeling his domineering assault on her mouth, Ming Lingyi acted viciously, biting down hard on his invading tongue. Immediately, the coppery tang of blood filled both their mouths.

Ming Lingyi thought the pain would surely make him pull away. But to her horror, the man was like a rabid dog; the harder she bit, the more ferociously he kissed her.

Left with no choice, Ming Lingyi jerked her head up, slamming her forehead into his.

Only when the impact brought involuntary tears to both their eyes did Li Yun finally release her.

"Li Yun! What is wrong with you? Are you insane? Get out! Get the hell out of here right now!" The moment she was free, Ming Lingyi shot up in bed, her body trembling with rage as she glared daggers at the man before her.

If she hadn’t known she was no match for his strength, she would have already gotten up and physically thrown him out of her room.

She had thought that after their last few encounters, Li Yun had finally given up on her. That was why he had been so quiet for the past few days, making no outrageous moves.

Who knew that he wasn’t being passive at all—he was just plotting something big in the shadows.

Ming Lingyi was furious, her outstretched finger trembling just inches from Li Yun’s nose.

Li Yun didn’t move. He felt the sharp pain on his lip and tongue. It was all so real, and yet, it brought him a strange sense of delight.

Even if it was pain, it was a pain given by Ming Lingyi, and he savored it as if it were sweet.

"You are my lawfully wedded wife," Li Yun said. "I’m not leaving."

Ming Lingyi seemed stunned that he could say something so shameless. The hand she had pointed at him trembled with rage.

"What nonsense are you spouting!" Ming Lingyi wanted to curse at him, but street vulgarities never came easily to her. "I am Ming Yao now."

"Then who were you before?" Li Yun asked.

Ming Lingyi: "..."

As if stumped by his question, Ming Lingyi faltered.

Then she recovered. "You said it yourself—the past. What’s the point of the past?"

"How is it meaningless? You are my lawfully wedded wife. That is the only meaning that matters!" Li Yun said in a low, heavy voice.

"Ming Yao is not your wife."

"You’re just playing with words."

"You’re the one twisting things! Li Yun, have you lost your mind, coming here in the middle of the night? What you’re doing right now is trespassing! What right do you have to break into my courtyard?!" Unable to make him leave, Ming Lingyi’s face flushed red with anger.

The man was utterly shameless. He showed no awareness of being an intruder and even had the audacity to calmly light a candle in her room.

The sudden light made Ming Lingyi’s eyes ache with discomfort.

Just as she was about to raise a hand to shield her eyes from the glare, a large hand moved to block the harsh candlelight for her.

The familiar scent wafting from his sleeve once again overwhelmed her, and she froze.

The gesture was all too familiar.

Back before Mrs. Li had moved to Shangjing City, Li Yun used to take her everywhere with him. It seemed he only felt she was safe when she was right under his nose.

Li Yun was always busy, meeting with local government officials, discussing battle strategies with his generals, or leading his troops in person. Ming Lingyi couldn’t always wait up for him to return at night, but she made it a habit to leave a candle burning in their bedroom.

When Li Yun returned late at night, he would move quietly, but she was always a light sleeper when he was away, and the slightest stir would wake her.

And every time she woke, the candlelight would sting her eyes. Li Yun would shield the flame with his hand before blowing it out.

"Won’t it be inconvenient without a light?" she would ask. She could see he was still in his armor, obviously just home and not yet cleaned up.

"It’s fine, I can see," he’d reply. As far as he was concerned, if the candlelight bothered her eyes, it had to be put out.

Now, Ming Lingyi stared coldly at the hand in front of her. "You’re the one who lit it," she said, her voice frigid. "Who is this pathetic act for?"

Li Yun was silent for a long moment.

Just when Ming Lingyi thought he had run out of things to say, a somewhat hoarse voice reached her ears through the silent darkness.

"I just wanted to see you."