Sharing a Pavilion With You
Chapter 111: An Unwanted Kiss

Chapter 111: An Unwanted Kiss

The prince wrapped one hand around Meili’s waist, pulling her forcefully to him, his other hand tangled in her hair, seizing her and roughly pressing his lips to hers.

He kissed her hungrily like a man in the desert, denied water.

She struggled with all of her strength, but he was so much taller and stronger than she was, it was a futile exercise.

A claim like this by the Second Prince would be impossible for her to escape from if they were seen, she thought with panic as her hands fluttered uselessly against him.

"Zhu Yicai," she sobbed desperately into his lips, trying to bring him back to his senses.

He allowed her a quick breath then dove back in, kissing her even more forcefully.

It seemed that the more she struggled the more desperate his kisses became, until she stopped fighting and went slack.

He kissed her some more before finally coming to a stop and resting his forehead against hers. They were both panting like they had just run a race.

"Zhu Yicai," she whispered tearfully, "I don’t love you in that way. I like you as a friend. I would do anything for you, but that. Please don’t ask it of me," she pleaded. "You know I was locked up for my entire childhood and how much I love my freedom. I really can’t be a hidden concubine, Zhu Yicai. Please don’t. Please don’t do that to me."

He let out a harsh sob.

"I know. I know all of that about you, Mei Meili, but I can’t help myself. The heart wants what it wants. I need you like the air I breathe. Since I lost my mother, I have never wanted anything desperately. It’s what’s made me strong. You make me desperate."

She started to cry in earnest, and he wiped her tears gently. Still resting his forehead against hers.

"I can protect you, you know. I know I can make you happy, Mei Meili. I can give you the world if you’ll just trust me."

She looked at him through tear-filled eyes.

"It’s alright, Mei Meili," he soothed her. "Don’t cry. I can’t bear to see you cry..." he swept a loose lock of hair from her face.

"Leave me," his voice hitched. "Leave me now, while I can still let you go. If you stay any longer, I can’t trust myself not to act to make you mine."

She stood on tiptoes and kissed him gently on the forehead, wiping the tears from her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Thank you for letting me go, Yicai."

Hearing her call him like that knocked the air from his lungs.

She turned and walked away from him.

His eyes blazed as even now; he urged himself to let her keep walking as she left him.

A fierce fire burned inside him.

She was his! How could he ever see her with another man? Impossible!

He was going to be the Emperor for God’s sake! What use was absolute power if he didn’t take the things he wanted to make his life of sacrifice and duty bearable?

He hardly knew how much of his desire to take the throne was in order to serve the People and save them from his useless elder brother, and how much of his motivation was in order to protect her and his friends.

He watched the girl finish crossing the bridge. She was almost running now. No doubt frightened he would change his mind. Smart girl. He was still warring with the urge to do just that...

He looked across at his Chief Eunuch, Shi Lei, and wondered what the man and his guards had seen. It wouldn’t be possible for her to marry anyone else if they’d been seen kissing.

The less generous side of him hoped they had been spotted. It would make the decision for him and force both their hands.

He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples. She was right about so many things and yet there was so much he could not tell her... he would not tell her, even though he desperately wanted to... the danger to her was just too great.

There was a struggle for the throne to come, and she was very right to be frightened of the politics.

If he took the dragon throne, he could protect her. He could offer her the world. If she would only wait for him. If she could just fall in love with him, as he had with her.

It was one thing to be the concubine of the Second Prince who was married to Li Fengfeng, it was quite another to be the Empress...

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Meili’s hand shook slightly as she served the Emperor his afternoon tea. It wasn’t missed by his keen eye, and he peered into her face, where he immediately saw that she had been crying.

His spies had already reported his second son’s actions to him...

He was most annoyed with the child. He had specifically told him not to try to force his hand on this matter.

If Yicai thought he would hand this treasure over to him merely because he had stolen her first kiss, he was sorely mistaken...

He would grant him some small leeway for this unusual misstep. The boy was normally impeccable in his manoeuvring. It was no doubt driven by his upcoming marriage to the Prime Minister’s daughter. Yicai was perhaps a little too clear-eyed about what he was getting himself into.

A last-ditch attempt to secure Miss Mei’s affections could hardly be faulted, he supposed. And it looked as though it had been entirely unsuccessful, which would be punishment enough for him. Had he not deduced what his old father had already, that her heart lay with the young Bai boy?

Reports were that she had struggled under Yicai’s unwanted attentions and left in tears. He could see the results before him now, and he had to admit it tugged at his heart to see the usual sunny girl so downcast.

"Meili, you don’t seem quite yourself this afternoon, hmm? Is there something you wish to tell me?" the Emperor asked her.

She jumped like a startled rabbit.

"N...no! Umm... Your Majesty..." her face was pale.