Chapter 2803 The Substitute Was Forcibly Taken by the Bandit's Wife 08

Jin Chen had already sat back down at the table, picked up the teapot, and was slowly pouring tea into the cup.

Hot water was poured into the cup, and white steam rose. He didn't look at Gu Fanghe who had come in, and simply said, "Sit."

Gu Fanghe stepped in, his gaze fixed on the young master who was leaning lazily against the table.

The flickering candlelight illuminated the boy's features clearly. His eyes were slightly upturned at the corners, his lips were lustrous, and his skin was as white as fine porcelain. Even the fingertips holding the teacup were dazzlingly white in the dim light.

The ancient saying about admiring a beauty under lamplight was not an exaggeration.

Gu Fanghe sat down opposite Jin Chen and gently placed something on the table.

It was that mutton-fat cloud-patterned pendant, with its blue tassels hanging down, swaying gently.

Jin Chen glanced back at the jade pendant, then looked at Gu Fanghe.

"Young master, you'd better not be forgetful when you're walking around the village."

Jin Chen put down the teapot and looked at Gu Fanghe with a leisurely air, their gazes seemingly intertwining in the air.

He smiled and drew out his words with a hint of mischief: "How did the chief know this jade pendant was mine?"

"I saw you wearing it that day," Gu Fanghe said directly.

Jin Chen exclaimed, her voice full of twists and turns, then chuckled softly, her eyes sparkling, "Such a small matter, yet the chief remembers it... He truly favors me greatly."

Gu Fanghe: "..."

His eyes lowered slightly, and he suddenly leaned forward, placing his hands on the back of the chair, trapping Jin Chen in a small space. The oppressive feeling of his chilling aura spread silently.

"Time and again, you've dared to provoke me with such bold words," Gu Fanghe's voice was low, carrying a hint of danger, "Are you really not afraid of bleeding and suffering?"

Jin Chen was not afraid at all. He even followed Gu Fanghe's approaching posture and picked up the silk ribbon hanging from the bottom of the jade pendant on the table.

With a flick of his wrist, he used the jade pendant to lift Gu Fanghe's chin.

The movements were frivolous, yet because the person performing them had a smiling face and an unparalleled appearance, they appeared both charming and unrestrained.

Jin Chen smiled, looking directly into Gu Fanghe's suddenly deepened pupils, "But in this Black Wind Stronghold, the only one I'm not afraid of is you."

Such a short sentence struck a chord deep within Gu Fanghe's heart.

Gu Fanghe raised his hand and pressed his fingertips to Jin Chen's lips, a possessive desire stirring within him.

Gu Fanghe's voice was terribly hoarse. He rubbed his fingertips together, leaving a faint red mark. "You knew there was something wrong with that piece of wood. You were the one who saved those children. Why didn't you say so?"

Jin Chen tilted her head slightly, her expression innocent yet matter-of-fact.

"I don't know what the boss is talking about."

"However, if you really want to thank me, you should remember to prepare some nice clothes and good food for me. Those coarse clothes are really uncomfortable."

Gu Fanghe stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly chuckled, withdrew his hand, and sat up straight again.

"Bring it in."

The bandit guarding outside responded, and the two of them worked together to carry the heavy box in, placed it in the open space in the room, bowed, and left, closing the door behind them.

The box was opened, and even in the dim light of the room, the sudden burst of dazzling jewels was undeniable.

The top layer was filled with neatly stacked fine clothes, made of the finest materials.

Below are various antique jade artifacts: a chessboard made of mutton fat jade, a paperweight made of black jade, a jadeite bracelet, a gemstone thumb ring... a dazzling array that can overwhelm the eye.

The most eye-catching item, however, is the seal placed in the very center, backed by soft silk.

The seal was no bigger than the palm of a hand, yet it appeared to shimmer with crimson flames under the light.

Even those who are not experts can tell that this is no ordinary item; it exudes an aura of nobility and dignity.

Jin Chen bent down and picked it up; it felt heavy in his hand.

"what is this?"

Gu Fanghe's gaze remained fixed on his face, never leaving it for a moment.

Seeing him pick up the seal, Gu Fanghe's lips curled up slightly, "Golden Dragon Seal."

"When the current emperor was still the Crown Prince, the coming-of-age ceremony bestowed by the late emperor symbolized his noble and unparalleled status."

Jinchen: "..."

"Are you going to rebel?"

No wonder he was a demoted general who was hostile to the imperial court!

Possessing such a thing, to put it bluntly, is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of one's family.

Gu Fanghe raised an eyebrow, leaned forward slightly, and deliberately asked, "What, you don't dare to take it?"

Jin Chen met his gaze for a moment, then smiled and said, "If you dare to give it to me, why wouldn't I dare to accept it?"

Jin Chen took Gu Fanghe's hand and wrapped the silk ribbon of the jade pendant around his index finger, so that the jade pendant hung under Gu Fanghe's fingertip and swayed gently.

"This jade pendant is my way of returning the favor."

"You really are..." Gu Fanghe shook his head, "unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss."

Jin Chen remained noncommittal, only looking at him with her shimmering eyes, "If the leader really wants to keep me in Black Wind Stronghold, this alone is not enough."

He leaned forward slightly, closer to the candlelight and to Gu Fanghe, his voice low, "Will you...give it to me or not?"

Gu Fanghe clutched the jade pendant tightly in his palm, unable to suppress the surging heat in his heart.

"If you obey, then..."

Before he finished speaking, Jin Chen suddenly raised his hand and gently stroked the red mark under his eye with his fingertips.

Gu Fanghe's body stiffened for a moment.

That scar is a past he doesn't want to look back on; it's a mark of shame and betrayal, one that even he himself rarely touches.

But Jin Chen didn't shy away from it at all, and kept touching on it.

An unusual tingling and itching sensation shot from the scar straight to my heart.

"Jinchen."

Gu Fanghe called his name, his voice deep and warning.

Jin Chen looked up, her expression self-righteous, "Look at you, you're being mean to me again."

As he spoke, he gently pressed his fingertip against the scar.

Gu Fanghe gasped for breath.

Jin Chen: "The Boss is really so handsome. You've already kissed me, so what's wrong with me touching him?"

"very nice?"

Gu Fanghe grasped Jin Chen's wrist, which was thrashing across his face, his gaze fixed on him, a dark and unfathomable emotion swirling within him. "Looking like a demon with its face covered, how can you be considered good-looking?"

He moved even closer, his nose almost touching Jin Chen's, their breaths mingling, and an overwhelming aura of danger enveloped them.

"Jin Chen, you're lying to me."

"You dare to lie to me."

Jin Chen let him hold her hand. "I have excellent taste. If I say it looks good, then it looks good."

Before she could finish speaking, her lips were sealed with a kiss.

Gu Fanghe kissed him again, this time more skillfully than before, their lips and tongues intertwined, their breaths mingling.

Jin Chen didn't push him away.

This time, Jin Chen was certain that the person he was thinking of was her. She let him kiss her for a while with her hands hanging down, but she still couldn't help but use the tip of her tongue to push him away.

With their lips parted, Jin Chen frowned, feeling a bit of pain from the bite, and complained with a furrowed brow.

"You're really bad at kissing."