CHAPTER 25

Prince Yi Feng made a grunting sound getting Lia Jiao's attention. She smiled at him brightly as if they were old friends and not a Prince and a servant. "I made some meat if you want," she motioned towards the impromptu stove then took a bite of her own meat. "It's rabbit. Xiang-Xiang caught it. It's not a lot, but I can get more if you're still hungry."

Prince Yi Feng's dark eyes were locked on her. It was the first time in a very long time that he really looked at a woman. He'd played with plenty, but they were all the same in the end. Manicured and sweet-talking full of fragrance and cunning. Lia Jiao didn't know why he was staring at her, but it made her uncomfortable. She cleared her throat and stood up, thinking maybe he expected her to bring the food to him. She slowly walked over and grabbed some bringing it to him like a humble servant. He glared at her as she approached.

"I don't want it," he said coldly. Her eyes flickered.

"Then, can I have it?" She said without shame.

"Give it to me," he said.

She grumbled under her breath but handed it to him. He held it in his hand, staring at her with deep eyes.

'What is wrong with this guy!'

'Is he going to eat it or not?'

She looked at him, skeptically from the corner of her eyes as she walked away. Prince Yi Feng actually didn't know why he took the meat. He didn't want to eat it. He just didn't want her to have it either. It frustrated him that she didn't care whether he ate it or not. He held it dumbly in his hand, not sure what to do with it, hating how messy it was making him feel.

She ignored him and went back to her quiet ministrations. After a while, she took down her hair and ran her fingers through it, trying to pry away some of the knots. The horse ride had absolutely matted it.

"I have a comb you can use," Zhao Gui offered.

Lia Jiao eagerly nodded her head, thanking him, and telling him about the meat too. While she combed her hair, she thought about the way Xiang gege always wanted her to be clean and tidy. When she was younger and lived with her parents, she knew she was like that. Back then, she had reasons to be clean and tidy. She lived in a society that expected it. Living in the wild all alone, no one cared what she did or how she looked. She had forgotten how to be normal.

Prince Yi Feng suddenly stood up and walked to the unaware Lia Jiao and dragged her into the forest. His eyes were on fire, and he was holding her hand so tight that it hurt. Zhao Gui watched her get pulled away but knew there was nothing he could do. He stared at the ground clenching his hands into fists.

"What are you doing?" Lia Jiao asked, trying to pull her hand away from him. He was hurting her hand. He only squeezed tighter. Her wrist felt like it might snap. He pulled her around to the front of him, then picked her up and pushed her against a tree. She was terrified.

"What are you doing?" She demanded. "Put me down!"

He roughly pushed his body against her. His body like fire, making her panic. His eyes kept staring into hers; they were as dark as onyx. She was pretty ignorant when it came to the matters of men and women, but anyone could understand what was happening here. Her heart was hammering in her chest as she struggled to get away from him.

He tilted her chin up with one hand pinning her hands with his other. He wanted her to look at him. She was horrified. Despite how attractive he was, she was repulsed by him. He forcefully brought his lips to hers, pushing his tongue into her mouth. She struggled against him, biting his lip and tongue drawing blood. Tears were streaming down her face; she didn't know what to do.

He finally let her lips go and pulled away to look at her. He sneered at her tears and wiped the blood from his lips. He let her hands go and walked away. She slumped down, falling against the tree, and cried. After a while, she walked back. Her eyes were puffy, her steps timid. She kept her head down, embarrassed by her tears, embarrassed by his actions. She didn't know how to act. She didn't want to be around him anymore.

Prince Yi Feng watched her come back with satisfaction. He liked how nervous she looked and the way she kept her head down. He smiled broadly. "Let's go," he ordered.

Zhao Gui felt a lump in his throat. He had never felt so useless before.

Lia Jiao jumped on her horse and fell to the back of the group. Her mind was spinning, and her mouth still tasted like his blood. She leaned against Xianger and quietly wept against his neck trusting him to follow the other horses on his own.