Mingye’s kiss was fervent and wild, as if he were trying to pour all his emotions into it.

His tongue eagerly plunged into Su Yaoyao’s mouth, tangling with hers in a way that was both gentle and domineering as it brazenly plundered every breath she held.

Though Su Yaoyao was completely immobilized, she could clearly feel Mingye’s almost fanatical possessiveness.

During this long and scorching kiss, Mingye’s hand slowly slid from Su Yaoyao’s jaw, tracing down her neck to gently caress her skin.

His warm touch trembled slightly, as if he were exploring a priceless treasure.

His breathing grew more ragged, washing over Su Yaoyao’s face in scorching hot puffs.

"Yaoyao, you can only be mine." Mingye finally released Su Yaoyao’s lips, panting softly as he whispered in her ear.

His voice was tinged with a hoarseness—the mark of being seared by desire and deep affection.

His gaze remained fixed on Su Yaoyao, as if trying to etch her appearance deep into his very soul.

Su Yaoyao struggled to respond, wanting to express the complex emotions swirling within her, but her body still refused to obey.

She was filled with panic and confusion. On one hand, she had never imagined Mingye’s feelings for her ran so deep and were so fanatical; on the other, his sudden, extreme actions terrified her.

Mingye sensed Su Yaoyao’s struggle and reached up to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

"Yaoyao, I know this might make you hate me, but I truly have no other choice. I’m afraid of losing you, afraid you’ll disappear from my world completely."

There was a hint of a plea in Mingye’s voice. He reached out to gently stroke Su Yaoyao’s hair, his touch as soft as a breeze caressing petals.

Mingye seemed lost in his own emotions as he gently loosened the collar of Su Yaoyao’s clothes, revealing her pale skin.

His gaze roamed over her body, the desire in his eyes growing more intense.

"Yaoyao, just let me love you. I’ll make you feel all of my love," Mingye murmured. He then lowered his head, pressing a series of fiery kisses onto Su Yaoyao’s collarbone.

Su Yaoyao could only silently endure Mingye’s kisses and caresses, feeling as if she were back in last night’s dream.

...

The next day, Su Yaoyao slowly opened her eyes through a groggy haze, and what greeted her was the familiar, dim birdcage.

Her heart sank. ’I can’t believe I’m back here again.’

The light in the dungeon was incredibly dim, and an indescribable sense of oppression washed over her.

She shifted instinctively, only then realizing she was covered by and lying on soft feather blankets that felt delicate and warm to the touch.

However, when she felt Mingye’s searing-hot body beside her and the large hand wrapped tightly around her waist, her face instantly flushed crimson.

It made her acutely aware that this was not a dream.

In truth, she wasn’t completely without feelings for Mingye. Recalling their time together, she realized a fondness for him had unknowingly taken root and blossomed.

But at this moment, she was angry and annoyed, and most of all, resigned.

"If you don’t tell me you like me, how am I supposed to know? You’re always so cold and stoic," Su Yaoyao mumbled under her breath.

Fortunately, the poison in her system seemed to have weakened somewhat. At least she could move, albeit barely, but she was still unable to concentrate her spiritual power.

Su Yaoyao raised her hand, intending to move Mingye’s palm from her waist, but the movement was accompanied by the crisp clinking of a chain.

Startled, she followed the sound with her eyes and saw that a thin chain had been fastened to her wrist at some unknown point.

The chain felt strange to the touch—so light she could barely feel its weight, yet impossibly sturdy.

Where the chain met her skin, it was thoughtfully lined with soft fur so it wouldn’t chafe.

Furthermore, the communication ring on her hand had been confiscated.

She instinctively tested her ankle and felt the same familiar sense of restraint—it too was bound by an identical chain.

Su Yaoyao sighed in resignation, complaining silently. ’Why is this guy so obsessed with locking people up?’

She was beginning to realize that while Mingye appeared absurdly powerful on the surface, as if he could control everything, he was actually deeply insecure.

In truth, Mingye had woken the very moment Su Yaoyao did.

He kept his eyes slitted, feigning sleep, inwardly curious about how Su Yaoyao would react upon waking.

He privately guessed that he would be met with her fists and curses; after all, his actions last night had been so brutish and overbearing.

However, the scene he imagined never materialized. On the contrary, Su Yaoyao was surprisingly calm, which sparked a flicker of doubt in Mingye’s heart. ’Could it be that she’s already accepted me?’

"Mingye, let me go." Su Yaoyao broke the silence, her voice laced with exhaustion and resignation.

’Given how perceptive Mingye is,’ she thought, ’he must have woken up the moment I moved.’ 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Hearing this, a chill went through Mingye’s heart. ’So she hasn’t accepted me after all.’

Mingye decided to keep pretending he was asleep. Not only did he refuse to let go, but he pulled Su Yaoyao even tighter, as if that could keep her by his side forever.

Seeing this, Su Yaoyao grew frantic. She knew she had to find a way to convince Mingye to let her go.

"You have to at least let me see my Beast Husbands. They’ll be worried sick if they can’t find me. What if they think something’s happened to me and it affects the peace talks? The consequences would be unimaginable." She tried to appeal to him with the importance of the talks, hoping he would be more rational.

"I don’t want to hear it," Mingye replied coldly, his tone leaving no room for discussion.

With that, he kissed her again, his movements rough and urgent.

Before she could react, Mingye descended into a frenzy once more.

The next few days passed in the same way. Whenever Su Yaoyao said something Mingye didn’t want to hear, he would "punish" her in this manner.

Gradually, Su Yaoyao learned her lesson, becoming too exhausted to even find the strength to speak.

However, as time passed, they grew more familiar with each other, more in sync. It was as if an invisible attraction made them increasingly long for one another.

They lost track of how many days and nights passed in that little birdcage.

Mingye almost never left Su Yaoyao’s side. The only time he would leave, and only with great reluctance, was to prepare food for her.

His possessiveness toward Su Yaoyao had reached a nearly pathological level; he wished he could be with her every second of every day and never be apart.

But he also knew that if this continued, Su Yaoyao would be forced to subsist on nutrient liquid, and he couldn’t bear to make her suffer like that.

And amidst this frenzied love and domineering bondage, Su Yaoyao gradually lost herself, yet she savored it as if it were sweet.