But above all else, what he showed was courage and sincerity.
"I once read a line in a book—it said that if you like someone, you shouldn't hide it. You should let her know how you feel."
"Even if she doesn't like me in return, at least I can pursue her openly, instead of sneaking around like I'm doing now..."
Queen Medusa kept stepping back. The icy expression on her face slowly began to melt. Chen Mo kept moving forward, closing the distance step by step, until he finally grasped Queen Medusa's delicate hand and said with heartfelt emotion:
"Your Majesty, I'm not speaking nonsense. I really—"
Queen Medusa saw the shape of his mouth, and just as he was about to say the words 'I like you', she suddenly snapped coldly.
Her heart was in chaos. The icy expression on her enchanting face had vanished, replaced by a deep blush.
In her eyes flickered an inexplicable mix of embarrassment and nervousness.
But Chen Mo acted as though he hadn't heard her, and clearly said the full three words.
And he emphasized the word "you" in particular.
Queen Medusa's heart began pounding even harder. Her proud chest rose and fell rapidly.
She couldn't meet his gaze—her beautiful eyes darted away from his intense stare. Her voice trembled as she said:
"Human... do you even know what you're saying? I'll take it that you lost your mind today. None of this happened. I'll forget it, and you'll forget it too! From now on—"
[Ding. Affection +1. You received 2 Affection Coins. Intimacy bonus triggered. You received a Tier Six pill: Emperor's Extreme Pill.]
Chen Mo blinked in surprise but quickly pressed the advantage:
"Actually, you looked really beautiful while sleeping. And your lips... they were really soft."
As he spoke, Chen Mo slipped one arm around Queen Medusa's slim waist. She reacted as though shocked by lightning—her body softened, and even her bones felt weak.
It felt completely different from the times when Chen Mo had secretly touched her.
Queen Medusa shoved him away and turned around, her emotions a complete mess.
At this point, Chen Mo didn't bother hiding anything anymore. He stepped forward and wrapped Queen Medusa up in a full embrace, pulling her graceful body tightly into his arms.
The Queen's body visibly trembled as she struggled with force.
As a Dou Huang, if she truly wanted to resist, Chen Mo wouldn't be able to hold her.
Yet, although she struggled... she didn't completely struggle.
Seeing this, Chen Mo began to explain what had just happened. He said it had been a moment of weakness, that he had only wanted to touch her face, not—
But Queen Medusa couldn't even focus on what he was saying. Her mind was in utter disarray. All she could do was continue struggling.
Chen Mo buried his face in the crook of her neck, clearly feeling the smoothness of her skin and the faint, intoxicating fragrance unique to her.
"If you don't let go, don't blame me for being merciless."
Queen Medusa threatened him fiercely.
"Your Majesty, go ahead—strike me if you must. Even if I die by your hand, I'd have no regrets. My love for you will never change, not even in death. Even if I die, I want to die holding you."
Chen Mo clung to her with everything he had, pouring his heart out with unwavering devotion.
His breath and words fell directly onto her neck, causing Queen Medusa's body to grow even weaker. She couldn't muster any strength.
She wanted to be angry—truly—but couldn't bring herself to be.
And yet, her rational mind kept telling her she needed to push Chen Mo away immediately.
But the strange warmth in her heart made her reluctant to let go.
Her mind involuntarily began replaying the memories of the time they had spent together—scene after scene, like a lantern show flashing before her eyes.
The first time Chen Mo massaged her shoulders.
The first time he held her hand.
And even... the first time he slapped her bottom.
By all logic, those were all moments of him taking advantage of her—things she should have hated.
But strangely, those were also the memories that stood out most vividly.
She bit her red lips tightly and sighed inwardly. Her body relaxed and stopped resisting. In a soft voice, she said:
"Let go of me first."
"I won't let go. If I do, you'll kick me out... and then you'll never talk to me again."
Chen Mo decided to go all in, holding her slender waist tightly and honestly—not daring to act improperly.
"I... I won't ignore you," Queen Medusa replied awkwardly. She clearly wasn't used to Chen Mo speaking to her . Then she added, "Let's... talk this out."
"Really?" Chen Mo asked, a little hesitant.
Only then did Chen Mo slowly let go, allowing Queen Medusa to turn and face him.
But he still reached out and gently held one of her hands.
Though Chen Mo felt things were progressing a little too fast... the words had already left his mouth. There was no taking them back. He might as well go all the way—who knows, it might just work.
Queen Medusa didn't pull away. Her cheeks were faintly flushed as she looked Chen Mo in the eyes and asked:
"C-Chen Mo... w-when did you start having these feelings?"
It was the first time she had called him by name so formally.
Seeing her slightly bashful expression, Chen Mo felt somewhat relieved.
He originally wanted to say "from the first time I saw you."
But somehow... the words that came out were:
"The moment I said I wanted to pin you to the bed and whip you hard..."
Queen Medusa's phoenix eyes widened. She stared at Chen Mo in disbelief, her expression truly something to behold. But all she could do was stammer:
[Ding. Affection +1. You received 2 Affection Coins.]
Your Majesty... something's definitely wrong with you.
"So what about you, Your Majesty?" Chen Mo locked eyes with her and asked seriously. "When did you start feeling this way?"
"I-I never said I liked you..." Queen Medusa lowered her head and looked away.
"Then how do you explain this pendant?"
Chen Mo took off the pendant around his neck and raised it in front of her with a smile.
"Die gave me only half. The other half... belongs to you, doesn't it?"
"Give it here!" Queen Medusa's expression shifted as she reached out to grab it.
She herself didn't even know what she was thinking at the time. As if possessed, she had simply placed it around Chen Mo's neck.
"Once you give something away, you can't take it back," Chen Mo dodged and stored the pendant inside his spatial ring.
Queen Medusa frowned.
Chen Mo smiled, then retrieved a pill from his bag and said:
"Your Majesty, I have a gift for you too. This is an Emperor's Extreme Pill. I'm sure you've heard of it."
He took her hand, gently spread her fingers, and placed a dragon-eye-sized, pale yellow pill into her palm. It radiated a rich medicinal fragrance.
Queen Medusa's eyes lit up.
Emperor's Extreme Pill: A sixth-tier pill capable of increasing a Dou Huang expert's strength by one to two stars. Each Dou Huang can only take one in their lifetime.
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