Day and night held no distinction within the dark prison, where it was eternally shrouded in darkness!
Xi Yue was only covered by a damp, cold quilt, and its thin layer could hardly protect her from the cold.
Her body was shuddering, she had lost count of how long she had been in this chilling place of perpetual darkness.
In the cold, dark abyss, that familiar sound of footsteps echoed again, slowly approaching Xi Yue.
The perpetual darkness had honed her hearing to an incredibly keen sense, even the slightest rustle would sound as a drum, shaking her to the core.
Xi Yue's body went rigid in an instant, her hands clenched tightly onto the thin quilt, with a force as if she intended to crush her knuckles.
"Xi Yue, have you decided?"
A deep, pleasing male voice echoed in the darkness. However, this pleasant voice now fell into Xi Yue's ears like a curse that haunted her day and night.
She suddenly opened her eyes, but all she could see was the vague darkness. She could not make out the newcomer's appearance.
Indeed, even if she were not in the dark dungeon, even if the newcomer lit a lamp, she would still not be able to see!
Xi Yue bit her lip hard and as usual, she did not respond.
The man fell into silence for a long time, then suddenly sighed lightly, "What a pity!"
What was he pitying? Xi Yue did not know. Merely a second later, a hand was on the quilt that covered her. With just a slight tug, he tore open the quilt she was gripping on so tightly.
"Xi Yue, you're always like this, engaging in these pointless struggles. You should know, it's useless!"
The man murmured in a low voice, and his hand gently caressed her cheek. His fingers slipped from her brow to the corner of her lips, a touch akin to a lover's caress, yet made Xi Yue's skin crawl with goosebumps.
"It has been already three years. You're destined not to escape, so why torment yourself in this way? Do you know how much it hurts me to see you like this?"
While speaking, the man's hand slid slowly down, starting from her chin, following the contour of her delicate neck.
"Be good. Just tell me where the Dragon Concealing Command is, and I can set you free. Even more, I can marry you like I promised you before. How does that sound?"
The hand wandering on her body felt like a cold poisonous snake. Xiyue managed to suppress the intense feeling of nausea welling up inside her, biting her teeth together and remaining silent.
The man's icy eyes narrowed, filled with cruelty and mockery, intently staring at the woman on the stone bed.
Her once vividly shining eyes had long since become dull and lustreless, those eyes that he had both loved and hated the most!
He loved her eyes that were as bright as stars, yet hated that they were so bright and mesmerizing, as if she could see through everything, making him feel like he had no secrets in front of her.
What he hated the most was the sense of superiority in her eyes, as if he was nothing more than dust in her presence. This feeling of insignificance made him love her even more, and even more so, hate her!
So he blinded her. Since then, he had been unafraid to look at her in this way.
Because the one who was now above all others was him, and she, like all other women, could only crawl lowly before him forever!
Marry her? Ha...
Xiyue closed her eyes, forcing herself to press her trembling lips together. She finally opened her mouth to speak in a hoarse voice, the tone laden with unmistakable sarcasm, "I've told you long ago... even if I told you, you'd never get it!"
The man didn't mind her sarcasm and merely let out a light laugh, "Whether I can get it or not, that's my problem! There are always possibilities in this world, and things you'd never expect, just like three years ago. Could you have imagined that you would end up like this? Xiyue... Princess!"
