10. Morning Kiss
Tao Xinyu used a long bolster pillow to divide the large bed in half, then brought over another blanket. With one blanket each, they would keep to their own sides—that should be fine, right?
Though she had married Yan Hao, it wasn't because they had fallen in love, nor simply because she wanted to get married. She had married hoping to find a man who could protect her, protect her mother and younger brother. Under such circumstances, she didn't hold high hopes for how this marriage would develop.
After all, she had once wanted to build a family of her own. But the man she had deeply loved couldn't abandon his birth family for her, and his parents strongly opposed their relationship. He couldn't resist his mother's threats of suicide and had painfully chosen to let go.
Between filial duty and love, he chose filial piety. Tao Xinyu couldn't blame him, but she couldn't deny the wound this relationship had left, making it hard for her to be proactive about matters of the heart.
Now that she was married, she still couldn't forget that past hurt. She told herself she couldn't just drift along and give herself away. She needed proper time to adjust with Yan Hao before taking any further steps.
When Yan Hao returned to the bedroom and saw that Tao Xinyu had already clearly divided the large bed, a faint, almost dismissive smile curved his lips. This marriage had happened hastily—the first time he had acted on impulse without much thought. His eagerness to claim this woman had caught even him off guard. Why was he so restless?
After thinking it over in the study all night, he had reached a conclusion: perhaps these erratic actions were all related to the crystal fragment.
The energy crystal's incompleteness was one of the factors destabilizing the empire. As the ruler of the federal empire, he needed to retrieve the fragment and bring it back to restore it to its rightful place. But the crystal was so attached to Tao Xinyu that it refused to leave her side. If the crystal didn't want to come to him, no one could force it.
So he had wanted to claim Tao Xinyu as his own. That was why he had impulsively married her so quickly. And because of the crystal, he wanted this woman to bear his offspring. If that was the case, he had to marry her—the Yan clan's ancestral rule held that only a wife was qualified to bear the clan's descendants.
Though he could think of hundreds of reasons, he couldn't deny the main one: he was genuinely attracted to Tao Xinyu.
Looking at the clearly divided bed, Yan Hao smiled ruefully. His charm wasn't enough to bewitch this little woman—she still couldn't escape her own heart's barriers, couldn't accept him immediately. That stung a little.
He had thought his beauty and charm would make him irresistible. Now he realized that to a woman with a closed heart, he wasn't quite lethal enough.
In the Astor Empire, a paradise of beautiful women, he could have any woman he wanted. The women of the He and Bai clans practically threw themselves at him, sending endless letters begging for his favor.
But only a wife could bear offspring for the Yan clan, so he had never released inside those women, had never experienced the ultimate heights of desire.
He watched Tao Xinyu's small sleeping figure and wondered what it would feel like to have her beneath him. His eyes darkened, desire coloring his beautiful gaze, the urge to possess her flooding his heart.
No matter—the harder the conquest, the more it aroused his predatory instincts. He could wait. Starting tomorrow, he would begin his seduction step by step, determined to claim his wife completely.
---
The next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtainless French windows onto the large bed. The pale golden light grew sharper with time, its glare forcing Tao Xinyu to wake. Slowly opening her eyes, she found herself gazing at a muscular male torso—she was cradled in the handsome man's arms, their bodies pressed tightly together.
This realization jolted Tao Xinyu fully awake. She gently pushed against his solid chest, but he held her too tightly for her to escape.
Her small hands pressed against his warm chest. Yan Hao's eyes were closed, his exquisitely sculpted features illuminated by the sunlight, making him look like a fallen angel. Tao Xinyu sighed inwardly—she had struck gold. How could such a perfect man be her husband? It was almost unbelievable.
In truth, Yan Hao had been awake for some time. He simply didn't want to let go of Tao Xinyu's soft body, shamelessly pretending to sleep to hold her a little longer.
The little woman in his arms was soft and fragrant. She wore no heavy perfume, only a refreshing scent like osmanthus that stirred his desire even just holding her.
He rarely slept well, easily disturbed by any movement. Last night, her sleeping posture was atrocious. She tossed and turned, even pushing the bolster pillow into his face. He had thrown it off the bed, intending to remove the obstacle—only to have her roll into his arms moments later, where she slept peacefully.
Holding Tao Xinyu, he breathed in her clean, pleasant scent. This close, he could see her fair, delicate skin and the gentle curve of her chest. Though small, her breasts had a lovely shape, just right for his hands.
His eyes grew heavy-lidded, a predatory gleam surfacing. When the demon clan wanted something, they pursued it relentlessly—especially when it came to women.
He had pulled her into his embrace, and she, already asleep, didn't realize her unfamiliar husband had taken possession of her body. She slept soundly in his arms, giving him the chance for intimacy.
At this thought, Yan Hao suddenly opened his eyes, startling Tao Xinyu, who had been staring at him. She instinctively tried to push him away, but he held her tight, making her cry out:
"Let go! You promised you wouldn't force me!"
Yan Hao's lips curved into a teasing smile. "You were the one who rolled into my arms last night and clung to me. Now that you're awake, you want to kick me away? Xiao Yu, don't you think you're being a little heartless?"
Tao Xinyu's eyes widened in disbelief.
"I... I did... how could that be..."
"Your sleeping posture last night was shocking. Has no one ever told you how badly you sleep?" Yan Hao raised an eyebrow, watching her.
Tao Xinyu gasped. Of course people had told her—friends who'd shared a room with her had politely declined future invitations. Her sleeping habits were indeed legendary.
But she had used the bolster to separate them! No matter how much she tossed and turned, how could she have ended up in his arms?
"Where's the bolster? Didn't I use it to separate us?" Tao Xinyu asked, avoiding his question.
"You dare mention that bolster? You grabbed it last night and threw it right at my face. Trying to murder your husband already?" Yan Hao's expression showed displeasure.
Tao Xinyu was stunned. She hadn't realized she slept so wildly, with absolutely no dignity. This was too embarrassing. She wished she could crawl into a hole and never face her perfect husband again.
"I'm... I'm so sorry..." Tao Xinyu's face crumpled as she apologized meekly.
Knowing her sleeping habits were truly terrible, and that she had likely rolled into his arms herself, she couldn't blame Yan Hao.
Seeing her guilt-stricken expression, Yan Hao felt quite pleased. Instead of scolding further, he lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. The kiss was tender and considerate, making Tao Xinyu's heart nearly skip a beat.
Her husband was so charming!
Once again mesmerized by Yan Hao's beauty, Tao Xinyu felt her heart racing after this morning kiss, her cheeks flushing.
The warmth of his lips lingered on her forehead, leaving behind his heat. His fresh masculine scent was intoxicating. Held in his arms, breathing in his unique fragrance, she felt incredibly happy.
This man was truly a heartbreaker, a woman's poison.
After placing that kiss on her forehead, Yan Hao rose and left without lingering, leaving Tao Xinyu dazed on the bed, clinging to her husband's lingering scent and warmth. That unforgettable feeling settled deep in her heart, refusing to fade.
***
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