Reborn Daughter: The Young Lady Wants to Make a Trouble

Li Xueyue jumped up from the bed, panting and clutching her throat to catch her breath. Tears wet her eyes and suddenly, breathing became difficult. She could feel the choking sobs coming from her body, but she held them back and only hiccuped. No matter how hard she pinched her throat, she could not forget the sick feeling.

Days before she was left to die in the forest, Zheng Leiyu grabbed her by the neck, his eyes full of threats when she questioned his intentions for Bai Tianai. He always had his way with her but never mentioned marrying her.

When the door suddenly opened and a storm came in, Li Xueyue immediately reached for the knife under the pillow. Her eyes were fixed on the closed door behind him.

Eyes wild. Heartbeat quickened. He was also panting. Yu Zhen rushed into the room, sword unsheathed, face full of murderous intent. Her eyes fell sharply on the sword, the smooth metal flashing with a vow of quick death.

"Who's coming in?" His voice didn't sound like his usual voice. No longer was he warm, no longer loving. Instead, he was a man who would kill anyone who stood in his way without hesitation.

"Answer me," he demanded rudely as she sat there, stunned and stunned by his sudden intrusion.

When he saw her ferocious expression and her snow-white skin, he knew that she had a demon in her heart. There was no one here.

His hardened face softened because of her, and he let go of the sword. It fell to the ground with a clanking sound.

The sudden sound made her jump like prey in a trap.

"Xueyue." His voice was gentle, caressing her skin softly. "Are you okay?" He closed the distance between them, his calm voice like a lullaby, soothing her heart.

Li Xueyue was so shocked that she didn't realize that this was the first time he called her name. When he approached the bed, she stepped back quickly, her eyes wild. She mistook reality for a nightmare.

"It's okay." His voice was as warm as the soft sunlight shining on him. His movements were slow and calm. He moved, intending to comfort her.

She didn't realize how close he was until the spot beside her sank from his weight. He reached out to touch her but she pulled back, her heart racing. She was so used to being slapped that his simple gesture reminded her of the abuse she had suffered in the past. He didn't question her reaction.

"You're right, the gloves are uncomfortable." Yu Zhen said, taking off the black leather gloves from him and throwing them aside.

Her eyes fell on his large, calloused hands, roughened from years of sword practice.

She felt an indescribable surge of emotion as he gently touched her face, as if it were a priceless treasure. She couldn't even bring herself to question his presence in the house, or his proximity to her. All she could do was let one of his arms pull her closer. He was deliberately passive, unhurried, giving her plenty of time to protest.

When she didn't complain, he continued to pull her toward him until she was snuggling comfortably in his lap, her head on his shoulder, holding her close but leaving her enough room to escape.

“What are you doing here?” came her calm voice as she finally shook off her nightmare. She finally recognized that he was not Zheng Leiyu, but Yu Zhen, a man whose intentions towards her were not pure, but whose actions showed everything. She did not miss the arm that was tightly wrapped around her back, nor the hand that stroked the back of her head.

"Does it matter?" he joked, and she could almost feel the smile on his face.

"That'll be the case when you break in here again. Where are my guards?"

“I was left out.”

"What?" She hissed, trying to break free, but his hands were behind her, holding her in place. She felt sorry for the poor Liwei, being easily defeated by two commanders.

"Don't worry, Princess. They just lost consciousness. I didn't kill or hurt any of them." Yu Zhen looked at her reaction and wanted to laugh, but he couldn't.

He wished her hair wasn't so silky, so easy to play with. He was already distracted by her feminine scent and the little spot where her face brushed against the side of his neck.

He wondered if she could hear the sound of his thundering heart roaring, beating wildly for her and no one else. He prayed that the heavy rain outside would drown out the noise, but he didn't know it was also drowning out the sound of her pounding heartbeat.

"I prefer you to call me Xueyue," she whispered, burying her face in the comfort of his shoulder, and his fingers paused for a moment.

"Everyone calls you Xueyue."

"Everyone calls me Princess."

"I don't like cheesy nicknames," Yu Zhen declared, though he wouldn't mind if she gave him a nickname.

"And yet, you call me Sunshine," she scoffed.

Yu Zhen forced himself not to react to the cool breath that hit him, filling his senses with all kinds of panic. She sat so close to where he shouldn't be, but everything she did was tempting him. She only needed to breathe, and he was already aroused.

"Don't you think that's cute?" He grinned. "That's the opposite of you."

Li Xueyue patted his shoulder blindly, and her hand brushed the other side of his neck, causing him to shudder all over.

"What does that mean?" she grumbled against his shoulder.

She tried not to breathe in his soothing scent of pine cones and warmth. He smelled like a forest when bathed in pure sunlight.

His voice was as soothing as his comforting gestures.

He was so puzzling to her. There was so much she didn't know about him, but she still found herself searching for him.

"Guess what," he teased her, dragging his hands behind her neck and massaging the areas where he felt tension.

"It's not my fault the sun doesn't shine on me."

"Are you only book smart?" He smiled as she tried to pinch him but only pinched his robes.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are harmless—"

“If you say animals like kittens or rabbits, I’ll roll my eyes until the next century.”

"Never mind it, then," he snorted, his shoulders shaking.

"Why are you so tacky?" She wrinkled her nose and her eyelids began to feel heavy. His hands worked wonders on her neck. She adjusted the angle for him, hoping that his magical fingers would reach the place that needed the most attention.

Her face heated up as the dirty thoughts came to her. She hoped her room was dark enough for him not to see, though he probably sensed her embarrassment. Still, he made no comment on it.

"You brought out my worst traits, and it's not my fault." Yu Zhen was thoughtful, his eyes resting on her exposed neck. He parted her hair, suddenly wanting to do something other than massage.

"Are you blaming me?" She grumbled to him playfully, her eyes narrowing. She had intended to relax for only a second or so, but suddenly, she didn't have the strength to open her eyes again.

"Yes, I am. Who can I blame?" He poked her cheek jokingly. Before she could react, he turned his head and found that she had fallen asleep on him. Unconsciously, a doting smile appeared on his cold face.

"You're too trusting, Sunshine," he whispered, pressing a chaste kiss to her smooth cheek. She mumbled something in her sleep but pressed her body closer to him.

"You know, men are wolves," he muttered, pushing her hair back to cover her neck. "You shouldn't have let me in so quickly," he told her, even though his heart disagreed with him.

"I might fall in love with you faster if you did that..." He trailed off, unable to deal with the fact that he had let something like this slip away. He rarely fell in love, but when he did, he was in love.

"You bring out the worst in me, but you also bring out the best in me," he complained, laying her back on the bed. She groaned in protest and rolled to her side, her back to him.

Yu Zhen resisted every nerve in his heart that begged him to join her. He just told himself that such a desire was foolish. He would not destroy her reputation and dignity by violating her boundaries.

"Maybe next time," he suggested. He straightened up, ready to leave, but stopped and decided to tuck her in. When he was sure she was comfortable, he finally decided it was time to leave.

"Annoying..." She muttered in her sleep, turning over so her body was facing him.

Yu Zhen smiled to himself. "You like to laugh at me even in your dreams." He chuckled and his eyes fell on the pendant hanging around his waist.

"It's a really stupid tradition," he told her, sliding it off his body and shoving it between her cupped hands. "But I'm just a fool for love," he muttered, and disappeared into the night.