The King’s Familiarity and a Woman’s Tears

The people around them instantly knelt. Mo Qiao’s body still trembled uncontrollably as she fell to her knees.

What kind of man was the King? Besides His Majesty, everyone else revered, deferred to, and feared him deeply. Even with Mo Qiao’s powerful connections, she wouldn’t dare act presumptuously in the King’s presence.

Bai Chen let out a muffled grunt, then raised his foot and kicked over a nearby guard.

Freed from coercion, Bai Qiao calmly rose to her feet, completely disregarding the astonished stares of those around her. She bent down to brush dust from her knees, cast a disdainful glance at the kneeling crowd, and turned to leave.

However, a chilling touch on her wrist made her attractive brows furrow.

“What do you want?”

Witnessing Bai Qiao’s audacious behavior, Bai Chen was momentarily speechless. Truly, no one had ever dared to speak to him in such a manner. She was clearly tired of living.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he couldn’t bring himself to feel angry at this person; instead, a peculiar sense of familiarity washed over him.

The crowd watched as Bai Chen, instead of raging, smiled. Their jaws dropped involuntarily, remaining agape for a long moment. They had initially thought the woman would be executed, but when had King Bai ever revealed such a smile?

“How does my Qiao wish to deal with them?”

Upon hearing his words, everyone’s bodies involuntarily trembled. The King… actually intended to let *this woman* decide their fate?!

Bai Qiao, however, felt not the slightest hint of emotion, not even gratitude; only profound fury. ‘Who is your Qiao?! This lord is a man! You stole this lord’s name, what more do you want?!

‘Of course, these thoughts were merely grumbled internally for a moment, before she replied indifferently.

“Whatever…”

Once again, the crowd was taken aback. Even someone so detached should show some displeasure on their face, yet the person before them exuded an air of utter indifference. She seemed completely uninterested in these people or anything about them, utterly failing to pique her interest.

At that moment, Bai Qiao’s aura bore a striking resemblance to the King’s – a transcendent state of mind, yet still imbued with a domineering, kingly presence.

Seeing Bai Qiao leave, Bai Chen couldn’t help but follow close behind, leaving Mo Qiao and her group kneeling on the ground, exchanging bewildered glances, unsure whether to stand or remain kneeling.

****

Following Bai Qiao’s steps into the room, there was no need for manual closing; the door gently closed, propelled by inner force.

From behind, Bai Chen slowly embraced her slender frame, inhaling the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from her. He truly felt himself succumbing.

“Let go!”

Though she couldn’t break free, her voice emerged coldly from her lips. Even if she had no interest in fighting with the previous group, their taunt about her lack of cultivation still pierced deeply into her heart.

In a world where strength commanded respect, she knew absolutely nothing, with no grasp of this world whatsoever. She had inexplicably arrived here, and, to make matters worse, had become a girl.

Devoid of power, lacking any influential background, she truly didn’t know how she would manage to survive. Burdened by uncertainty about the future, and the mockery and humiliation she was bound to face, her thin lips twisted into a wry line.

Finally, a warm sensation welled in her dry eyes, and tears… finally began to fall.

She extended her tongue, tasting the tear that had traced a path to the corner of her lips. Salty and bitter. Never having tasted tears before, Bai Qiao now understood the myriad complex emotions contained within their bitter essence.

As the tears flowed, her heart felt genuinely lighter. She longed… to cry out loud, but the thought was instantly suppressed. ‘It must be this body,’ she mused.

Sensing that the beauty in his arms seemed to be trembling faintly, Bai Chen, with a hint of confusion, gently turned Bai Qiao’s head.

He just in time to witness a single, crystalline tear, made exquisitely brilliant by the lamplight, spilling from the corner of her eye.

Within his heart… something seemed to clench. Bai Chen felt a searing pain. Could it be that he, who had always viewed matters of love as mere child’s play, was actually falling for this woman?

Forcing down the tumultuous emotions in his heart, Bai Chen buried Bai Qiao’s head deeper into his embrace. As she breathed in the familiar scent and felt the warmth of his embrace, Bai Qiao surprisingly felt a profound sense of security, as if she could finally break down and weep in his arms.

Agh! Suddenly realizing her own thoughts, her face instantly twisted into a bizarre expression. ‘I’m a man!’ she thought. ‘Even if I’ve become a woman, my mind is still that of a straight man! No matter what… I shouldn’t feel this way about ‘myself’… Argh!’

Her mind was in utter turmoil as she raised a hand and slapped herself.

“Hey! What are you doing?”

A slender hand with elegant knuckles tightly seized her wrist, preventing her from striking again. Now much clearer-headed, Bai Qiao found Bai Chen’s touch utterly intolerable.

Her face instantly flushed a vibrant scarlet as she thrashed her arm frantically, her sole desire to wrench herself free from Bai Chen’s grasp.

Bai Chen couldn’t help but let out a bitter chuckle. Just moments ago, she had nestled into his embrace, and now, she had transformed into this. Women truly were fickle creatures.

Though rendered speechless, Bai Chen did not release his hold; instead, he tightened his grip, pulling Bai Qiao even closer into his arms with renewed fervor.

He leaned his head close to Bai Qiao’s ear, his warm breath fanning against her skin, causing her already crimson face to deepen to a shade that seemed on the verge of bleeding.

“Get away! Pervert! Freak!”

She struggled desperately, her body writhing, but all her efforts proved futile. Never since gaining consciousness had Bai Qiao experienced such a profound sense of powerlessness.

The pair of arms clamped around her waist felt like inescapable iron chains, binding her body tightly.

“My Qiao, you are truly difficult to control…”

“Get lost!!!”

After that hoarse, desperate cry tore from her throat, Bai Qiao genuinely felt she wouldn’t be able to speak for the next few days. Her lips twitched faintly, only to confirm that her throat could barely produce a sound.

“Mmm…”

Her chapped lips were suddenly sealed by another pair of warm ones. Bai Chen, ever mindful, even granted Bai Qiao a brief respite when she was on the verge of suffocating from the kiss, before leaning close to her ear and whispering.

“Why is it that whenever this King sees you, he feels such a profound familiarity, and finds himself unable to let go…”

‘Nonsense! We are essentially the same person, merely separated by different times and spaces. How could we *not* feel familiar? If you knew we were one and the same, what a spectacular expression that would cross your face!’

Yet, she found it impossible to speak. Her already strained throat, compounded by the recent kiss, demanded a moment of steady breathing.

Before she could even fully recover, the domineering kiss descended forcefully once more.

Swish!

A chilling touch and a warm, viscous liquid. She stared in utter astonishment at Bai Chen, who a second ago had been as gentle as a spring breeze, now transformed into a veritable Asura from hell.

A long sword clutched in his hand, pointed directly at her throat. A thin, crimson line, stark and horrifying, now marred her fair neck.

With the heightened sensitivity and acute vigilance characteristic of a true master, Bai Chen gritted his teeth and spoke.

“Who… who are you? Why is my inner force flowing backward? Why can you absorb my inner force? I’ve never heard of such a bizarre cultivation method!”