Chapter 79: He Must Tread Carefully

Meng Yier, in a panic, tried to flee, but had barely taken two steps when a powerful force seized her arm and yanked her back. She could feel the warmth of that hand pressing against her skin, her heart pounding wildly, as though it might leap from her chest at any moment.

A sharp gasp escaped her lips at the unfamiliar and terrifying sensation—one she had never known before. Stunned, she began to struggle, desperate to break free from the grip that held her fast. Her clear, melodious voice trembled as she pleaded, “Let me go.”

Yan Yichen turned his head to look at her, and in that moment, her lovely face, flushed with panic and confusion, appeared even more delicate and enchanting. The surge of emotion in his chest was too fierce to ignore.

How could he possibly let her go?

With a swift tug, he pulled her off balance, sending her tumbling forward, unprepared. Before she could react, she felt an arm tighten around her waist, and then she crashed against a broad, solid chest.

The world spun dizzyingly, and the next thing she knew, his strength had sent her sprawling onto the large bed nearby. At the same instant, his tall figure pressed down, pinning her beneath him.

Startled, Meng Yier’s eyes flew open in terror, meeting the man’s dark, luminous gaze—so close, only inches apart.

His face was strikingly handsome, yet not lacking in masculine strength. When he smiled, it was enough to make any heart flutter. A cool, clean fragrance enveloped her, and she felt as if her face was aflame, her heart threatening to burst from her chest.

Clutching tightly at the man’s bathrobe, she sat frozen in shock, utterly at a loss. Her bright, clear eyes stared up at him, all her nerves taut with wariness and defense.

Yan Yichen glanced down at the woman beneath him, his dark eyes growing even deeper and more intense. Her alluring, delicate face and exposed fair skin were tinged with a blush—whether from shyness or from her recent bath, he could not tell. Her long, damp hair brushed against his cheek, the coolness of it sending shivers through him.

The soft, fragrant body beneath him drove him nearly mad with longing. He had rushed in when he heard her scream, concerned for her safety, and when she began scolding him for being a scoundrel, he’d only meant to tease her. But now, he found himself teetering on the edge of control.

His lips pressed into a thin, sensual line, his brows drawing together. Just as six years ago, in that fateful night, his legendary self-control crumbled the moment she was near.

All his life, he had disliked women getting too close. In twenty-eight years, she was the only exception. From the day they met, sixteen years ago, she had been engraved upon his memory, never once forgotten—even though in all those years, she had never remembered him.

A shadow passed through his dark eyes, troubled and deep. At this moment, he longed to pin the woman who had tormented him for so many years beneath him, to brand her with a mark that was his alone—so she would remember him forever, never able to forget.

But he could not.

He could not give her any reason, any chance to escape him again. He wanted to seep slowly into her life, into her world, so that she would never leave him, so that she would stay by his side of her own free will.

He had to be careful.

Because of his deep love, he could only move with caution.

Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, Yan Yichen fell silent for a few seconds. Seeing the embarrassment and panic on her face, a faint, playful smile curved his lips.

“What’s wrong? Are you afraid?”

His melodious voice held a touch of sensuality.

Meng Yier’s long lashes trembled as she finally came to her senses. “What…what do you intend to do?”

Yan Yichen’s smile deepened, bright and seductive, a hint of mockery in his cool, clear voice.