Chapter 282: [Emperor's Story 34] I don't need your protection

After being tossed and turned the whole night long, Chu Jiao was finally unable to endure the sweet torture, shutting her eyes and falling fast asleep. Her fair body had become covered with red swollen marks, the imprints staining her entire skin, giving it a chaotic yet unique sense of beauty.

"How could you treat her like this!?"

"What did I do!? Haha, didn't you feel it? She also liked it a lot..."

"You cruel cold-hearted person, get out of my body!"

"I am you, and you are me...This is a body that we both share, or have you forgotten that?"

In her dazed state, the sounds of quarrelling stirred Chu Jiao.

"Hmm, Ah Chen, what's going on? Who are you arguing with?"

She softly mumbled with her eyes shut, causing the noise at the side to come to a spontaneous stop.

Chu Jiao felt it was slightly odd and opened her eyes, realizing that only Jing Chen was beside her.

"Ah Chen?"

She cocked her head sluggishly, wanting to touch the young man, but she had completely forgotten that she was tightly bound with rope at the moment.

"Hisss..." She had just experienced a wild night, and her wrists were harboring broken skin.

"Ah Jiao, are you alright!?" The young man beside her lowered his head when he heard her pain-filled cry before nervously raising his head in haste, "I'll take it off of you immediately!"

"Ah... Chen?" At this moment, Chu Jiao finally realized that something was different with him. The young man's eyes had gone back to normal, and his reaction also seemed like the 'him' she knew from the past.

"Are... you afraid of me?"

Jing Chen loosened the rope winding around Chu Jiao's body and pulled the brocaded quilt, wrapping her with it.

"Why would I be?" Chu Jiao reached out a hand from inside and held Jing Cheng's large palm, "I'll never be afraid of you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you..." Jing Chen touched Chu Jiao's wrist in distress, blaming the other 'him' in his heart for mistreating his precious treasure so roughly.

"I know," Chu Jiao acted just as she had before, nearing to his face and pressing a light kiss on one of Jing Chen's eyes, "Don't worry, I'm fine."

"Aren't you angry?" After dealing with him the past few days, Chu Jiao was able to figure out when exactly the 'red-eyed' Jing Chen would appear, and those were the instances when the young man's mood fluctuated rapidly.

Jing Cheng shook his head in dismay, "I would never get angry at you."

"Liar!" Chu Jiao pinched his nose, "You were clearly angry at me for not bidding you farewell." Otherwise, how else would the other personality be birthed within him?

".....Alright, perhaps I was just a bit," Jing Chen nodded in agreement before quickly adding, "But now, you've come back, and I couldn't be happier!"

"I won't ever leave you again. Look, didn't I take the initiative to come back and find you?"

Chu Jiao deliberately stuck her foot out in grievance, "I walked thousands of miles to get here and see? My feet are all battered up."

"Let me see. Where? Does it still hurt?" The young man's palm took her foot, his fingers lightly rubbing against the surface, trying to find the scars.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. It doesn't hurt anymore...." Chu Jiao felt a bit ticklish and tried to withdraw her foot, however, the young man kept a firm hold of it. She watched him wide-eyed as the man lowered his head and pressed a gentle kiss on the back of her foot.

"I'm sorry. It was my fault for not protecting you well." The color red flashed across the youth's eyes before suddenly disappearing again.

These words were the apology he had stifled back in his heart for two whole years.

If he had been strong enough back then, his Little Dumpling wouldn't have been forced to flee without a trace, and the two of them wouldn't have had to be separated.

"Silly Ah Chen..." Chu Jiao rubbed her eyes and cupped his handsome face, putting on a solemn expression, saying, "I don't need your protection. I'm going to work hard to stand right by your side."

I'm not a dodder flower1Dodder flowers refer to weak girls. In terms of plants, they're parasitic in nature, latching onto other plants and sucking out their nutrients., I would rather be the cotton tree2In flower language, cotton tree flowers signify treasuring the people at the side and treasuring the happiness in front of them. It can also mean 'the hero of your heart.' by your side.

You have your solid branches and sturdy trunk, while I have my supple and strong body.

We'll soldier through the waves, the winds, and the thunder together. And, we'll also revel in the mist, the haze, and the rainbow together.

[Completed]