Rejected Beauty Practices the Villain Play

Chapter 702 - 682: Forceful Kiss

Xie Jue hadn’t expected that the reason Lan Ningzhen didn’t remove her makeup was because of a black birthmark on her face. There was a soldier in the Ningzhou Military Camp with a similar black birthmark on his face, and he was frequently mocked for it. If even a man faced such ridicule, for it to appear on a young woman’s face would be catastrophic. No wonder Lan Ningzhen wore such heavy makeup.

"I don’t believe it!" Xie Jue said calmly, staring at her right cheek with an inscrutable expression.

Lan Ningzhen’s fingers brushed over the area of the birthmark on her right cheek with a tinge of melancholy. After their meal, she dampened a towel and wiped the patch of skin above her cheekbone. Slowly, a faint trace of black emerged. "Mr. Helian, do you believe me now?"

Xie Jue glanced over, and sure enough, he saw the black mark above her cheekbone. Lan Ningzhen seemed both ashamed and uncomfortable. She quickly pulled out a compact and reapplied her makeup, concealing the black mark.

Xie Jue hadn’t expected her to actually have a black birthmark, and for a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

Though Lan Ningzhen seemed saddened, she didn’t quite appear like a typical Yanyang girl who might be overwhelmed with shame over such a thing. She was rather optimistic. "Fortunately, I grew up freely on the Heavenly God Mountain, without any restrictions or concerns about others’ gazes. But now that I’m off the mountain, I have to pay attention to how others look at me. I don’t want people whispering about my face, so I have no choice but to use powder to cover it up. Mr. Helian, you won’t look down on me, will you?"

She blinked her eyes, innocent yet pure. "I know Mr. Helian isn’t such a shallow person."

"I *am* shallow!" Xie Jue finally found something he could use to counter her. Though he felt that criticizing a young woman’s appearance was particularly ungentlemanly, he couldn’t resist when confronted with Lan Ningzhen’s face. "I like beauties."

Even as he said this, however, there was no trace of disdain in his gaze. Lan Ningzhen covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes alluring as silk. She teased, "Are you saying I’m not beautiful?"

With the makeup covering her marks, Lan Ningzhen was indeed breathtaking, a beauty of extraordinary grace.

Xie Jue, "..."

Forget it. He decided not to criticize a young woman’s appearance. Having a birthmark wasn’t something she had any control over, and she had already endured enough discrimination. Besides, he couldn’t afford for Lan Ningzhen to truly dislike him—they still had to act out a charade together, playing the part of a deeply affectionate couple.

The winters in Beiman were endlessly long, with nights that stretched on unnervingly. The room contained nothing but a single oil lamp. As it wasn’t their own quarters, there were no books or items to keep them occupied. Apart from staring at each other, the only option was to sleep.

The kang bed was warm enough, and the two of them lay with their heads facing outward. Xie Jue originally considered placing the tea table between them to create a clear Chu River Han Border division. However, there was only one blanket—how could they sleep if it was divided? He could very well choose to be a gentleman and let Lan Ningzhen have the blanket. While the kang bed was warm, over time, it still grew a bit cold. Lan Ningzhen smiled mischievously and hooked her finger at him. "Mr. Helian, are you really not planning to share the same blanket with me? Your face is already frostbitten; you wouldn’t want to catch a chill. Many people in Fox City die of colds in the winter. You’re so young and handsome—it’d be such a waste if you caught a cold and died."

Xie Jue crossed his arms and pretended not to hear her. Lan Ningzhen, however, snuggled comfortably under the blanket, her round eyes peeking out as she watched him curl up like a boiled shrimp. She felt both amused and a little sorry for him, waiting for him to surrender on his own.

Xie Jue was too stubborn. He endured the gusts of chilly wind and his own discomfort. Lan Ningzhen, holding her blanket, scooted closer to him, setting the tea table aside with one hand. She leaned toward him, her face now close. In the dim light, her eyes were dark and sparkling, carrying a warm smile. Her finger purposely poked at his face, and Xie Jue swatted her hand away.

"Men and women should maintain proper boundaries!"

"Huh, that phrase..." Lan Ningzhen looked at him in puzzlement. Xie Jue immediately realized that such words weren’t commonly used in Beiman. Though the phrase existed, the combination was rare and unusual in this context. He faltered, falling into silence. Lan Ningzhen stared at him with her arms crossed and then made her move, wrapping her fingers around him. "You’ll be mine sooner or later. I figure I might as well start exercising my rights early."

Xie Jue frowned, but before he could react, a dark shadow swooped down on him. The scent of her fragrance filled his nose as Lan Ningzhen pressed her hands against his shoulders and kissed him fiercely.

Xie Jue, "..."

For the second time, Lan Ningzhen forced a kiss on him—this time pinning him down on the bed from above.

Absolutely outrageous!

Xie Jue lifted his foot and kicked her!