Chapter 271 - Bolting
Li Wang stood there awkwardly, the silence between them stretching far too long. He shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck before finally daring to glance up—only to find the Crown Prince standing way too close.The man’s tall frame loomed over him, his golden eyes bright and intent, his long blond hair spilling over his shoulders like silk. The closeness hit Li Wang like a shockwave; he stumbled back instantly, bumping into the door with a dull thud.
"Y-you... step back!" he snapped, glaring hard to hide the heat rushing to his face.
Celaus blinked, taken aback by the sharp tone, but obediently stepped a few paces away, confusion flickering across his features. His voice, however, came out low and rich, carrying that magnetic softness that made Li Wang’s ears tingle.
"My mate... did something startle you? Have I done something to upset you?" he asked quietly, the warmth in his voice brushing over Li Wang’s skin like velvet.
Li Wang’s hands shot up to his ears immediately, rubbing them in frustration. "Nothing! You’ve done nothing! Because nothing you do can upset me—because we are nothing! I’m not your mate!" he blurted out, his words trembling with both anger and discomfort.
Celaus froze, his golden eyes widening slightly. "Our souls were born for each other," he murmured, voice trembling faintly with disbelief. "How can you not be my mate... my beloved?"
That voice was doing something to him... he did not know how to explain it. But it wsa making his body weird.. it was making him hard.
’oh my god did I have a voice fetish! Did I have that! Why is his voice affecting me so much!’ his thoughts ran wild with speculations.
"Oh my god—stop it! Stop talking like that!" Li Wang groaned, pressing both palms hard over his ears. "What is up with your voice? Stop using that weird tone! Talk normally for once!"
The prince tilted his head, genuinely confused.
Li Wang turned red, glaring at him between his fingers. "You— you’re doing some kind of hypnosis thing, aren’t you? That voice! It’s doing something to my brain!" He backed up until his shoulders hit the door again. "Oh my god, you are! Why are you doing that? Stop doing that!"
Celaus just blinked slowly, his expression calm and bewildered all at once. "I have no such power, my dear," he said gently. "And... this is my real voice."
He paused, his brow furrowing slightly as he stepped closer. "Is something wrong with your ears? Let me check."
Li Wang’s eyes widened in panic. "Don’t you dare—!"
But Celaus was already closing the distance again, that same calm softness in his movements as his golden hair brushed forward, his hand lifting gently toward Li Wang’s face.
Seeing the man so close... he panicked. He panicked so much that he bolted.
Li Wang flinched back instinctively, ducking away as fast as he could and sprinting to the far side of the room. He pressed himself against the wall, chest heaving, trying to put as much distance between himself and the tall, golden-haired man as possible.
Celaus froze where he stood, hand still raised mid-air, staring at the empty space between them with a look of utter disbelief. He couldn’t comprehend it—his one and only mate, the one his soul had recognized across countless years and worlds, was rejecting him. His heart pounded painfully in his chest, a raw ache that made him feel almost paralyzed. He wanted to speak, to ask why, but the fear and distress etched so clearly on Li Wang’s face held him back.
"I... I will never hurt you," Celaus whispered softly, his voice trembling with uncharacteristic vulnerability.
Li Wang let out a scoff, shaking his head. "Just... please, stay there," he said, trying to sound firm even though his voice trembled. "I only called you in here to tell you—I’m not gay. I’m not interested in men. I am very much not interested in you. Go find someone else to be your mate, because I refuse. I refuse to be yours."
The words hit Celaus like a sharp arrow straight to the chest. He stood frozen, silent, his golden eyes fixed on Li Wang, watching the slight trembling of his beloved. For a moment, he could barely breathe.
"Why..." he managed to whisper, his voice barely audible, breaking slightly.
"As I said—I’m not gay!" Li Wang snapped, his panic flaring, his chest heaving. "I don’t like men! I like women! I’m interested in women, not you! So... that concludes our talk. Now leave." He pointed toward the door, trying to mask the way his own heart was hammering in his chest.
For a tense moment, both of them stood there, staring at each other. Li Wang could see the unmistakable pain in Celaus’ eyes—the anguish, the heartbreak, the betrayal he hadn’t even caused. And then, in a motion that felt agonizingly slow, Celaus blinked back a single tear. Another followed, sliding down his flawless cheek, shimmering in the dim light.
Silently, he turned and walked to the door. The sound of it closing behind him echoed in the room, a weight pressing on Li Wang’s chest. He sank to the floor, cupping his face tightly, trying desperately to shield himself from the wave of emotion crashing over him.
He didn’t understand why—but seeing the man he had never imagined feeling such a connection with reduced to tears left him utterly breathless. His hands shook slightly as he tried to regulate his breathing, jumping back into the bed and curling himself up into a tight ball once more.
The room was silent except for his ragged breaths, each inhale shallow, each exhale trembling. His mind raced, but no coherent thought could form. He pressed his face further into his knees, wishing he could control the chaos of feelings the crown prince’s heartbreak had stirred inside him.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew things had just changed—forever.