Host! I told you to do a task! I didn't tell you to bbb.

A warm breath seeped through the fabric, carrying a strange aroma that blended a faint smell of blood with the fragrance of cold plum blossoms.

The room was so quiet that they could hear each other's heartbeats, clear yet ambiguous.

Just then, Xiao Hanxing's ears twitched slightly, and he keenly caught a very faint whistle coming from outside the window—

His men have arrived.

A glint suddenly flashed in his eyes, and his aura, which had been weakened by his serious injuries, was forcibly regrouped.

He tilted his head slightly, his lips almost brushing against Liu Yunshu's earlobe, his low voice carrying a warm breath:

"My men have arrived. Miss Liu, farewell."

"Hold on."

Liu Yunshu reacted quickly, gently pushing him to the other side of the tub while leaping out of the water herself, creating a splashing sound.

She grabbed a dry robe draped over the screen and wrapped it around herself, her movement so fast that it left only a blur.

The wet ends of her hair were still dripping water, which splashed onto the blue brick floor, leaving a small, dark wet stain.

She deftly reached into the hidden pocket at her waist and pulled out a glossy white pill.

When he turned around, all shyness had vanished, and only composure remained in his eyes:

"This is the Mind-Concentrating and Meridian-Regenerating Pill. Taking it will stabilize your internal energy and suppress your injuries."

After saying that, he handed over the pill, and Xiao Hanxing actually tilted his head back and obediently opened his mouth.

Liu Yunshu frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Don't you have hands?"

Xiao Hanxing raised an eyebrow, the smile in her eyes undiminished. She shook her arm, feigning weakness, her tone carrying a hint of roguishness:

"My arms were sore from being pinched by Miss Liu that I couldn't lift them up."

Liu Yunshu was almost laughing in exasperation at him, but the whistle that sounded again outside the window, clearly urging her on, left her no time to argue.

She bent down, pinched the pill between her fingertips, and brought it to his lips.

Xiao Hanxing obediently took the pill into her mouth, her tongue inadvertently brushing against her fingertips.

Liu Yunshu's fingertips trembled suddenly, and she was about to pull back when he grabbed her wrist and gently pulled her.

Caught off guard, Liu Yunshu leaned forward, intending to push him away with a palm strike.

Unexpectedly, there was water on the ground, and she slipped and fell into his arms.

Her cherry lips touched his slightly cool lips perfectly, and the sweet scent of cold plum blossoms instantly intertwined with them.

Xiao Hanxing was clearly taken aback. The unexpected soft touch on her lips felt more real and hotter than when she had breathed on him before.

Almost instinctively, he tightened his arms around her waist, turning the accidental contact into a real kiss.

The sweet taste intoxicated Xiao Hanxing, causing his Adam's apple to bob violently.

What started as an unconscious hug gradually turned into a passionate, uncontrollable embrace.

His palm rested on her slender waist, and through the thin outer robe, he could clearly feel the delicacy of her skin and her slight trembling.

The moment their lips touched, the scents of cold plum blossoms and herbs intertwined with her unique, refreshing aura.

Like a gentle net, it trapped him firmly.

Liu Yunshu's mind went blank. The cool touch on her lips carried an astonishing heat that instantly spread to her limbs and bones.

She was so startled that her pupils contracted sharply. She instinctively tried to push him away, but he held her even tighter.

The strength in his waist carried an undeniable dominance, yet also concealed a touch of careful cherishing.

The humid heat lingered, and the sweet taste on his tongue blended strangely with the faint smell of blood on his body.

It unexpectedly created a blush-inducing ambiguity.

"Hmm!"

Liu Yunshu snapped back to her senses, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes. She flicked her tongue hard, causing Xiao Hanxing to wince in pain and instinctively loosen her grip.

Taking advantage of the situation, she retreated, her toes lightly touching the slippery blue bricks, and her figure darted to the screen like a startled swan.

Her back was pressed tightly against the cold wooden wall, her chest heaved violently, her cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed, and even her breathing was somewhat disordered.

Xiao Hanxing covered her lips, but her eyes were full of laughter, making even the bloodstains at the corner of her lips stand out.

He gazed at her embarrassed yet angry expression, a low chuckle escaping his throat, his voice slightly husky and magnetic:

"Miss Liu, is this... a reciprocal gesture?"

"Shameless!"

Liu Yunshu gritted her teeth, raised her hand to wipe the corner of her lips, and the touch on her fingertips seemed to still retain his warmth, making her even more embarrassed and angry.

The whistle outside the window sounded again, much more urgent than before, clearly indicating that the person waiting for them was urging them on.

Xiao Hanxing stopped teasing and struggled to get out of the bathtub. Although still weak, he was able to stand up with difficulty.

Seeing his disheveled appearance, soaked to the bone and with his dark hair dripping wet, Liu Yunshu's eyes flickered slightly, but she still stepped forward.

Gentle internal energy gathered at his fingertips, sweeping over Xiao Hanxing's body like a spring breeze.

The damp robe instantly steamed up a fine mist of water, and then quickly dried.

She turned and opened a hidden compartment in the wardrobe, taking out a white cloak trimmed with silver fox fur. "Here!"

Xiao Hanxing took the cloak, his fingertips touching the softness of the fox fur, warmth spreading through his palm.

He casually draped his cloak over his shoulders, the silvery-white fur accentuating his handsome features, while the undried bloodstains on his lips added a touch of arrogance.

He gazed at Liu Yunshu's reddened ears and still tense back, his smile undiminished, yet tinged with a new seriousness:

"Thank you so much, Miss Liu, for saving me and for giving me medicine and clothes. I will never forget this kindness."

Seeing that Liu Yunshu turned her face away and ignored him, he chuckled softly.

He gave her one last deep look, then jumped out of the window and disappeared into the shadows of the courtyard like a fleeting shadow.

Only the evening breeze, carrying the fragrance of cold plum blossoms, rushed in through the open window, ruffling the still-damp hair at Liu Yunshu's temples.

"Yunshu, are you feeling better?"

Shen Run's voice came from outside the door again, tinged with tentative concern.

Liu Yunshu snapped back to her senses, suppressing all her complicated emotions. She raised her hand to straighten her slightly disheveled clothes, and her voice returned to its usual gentle and calm tone:

"It'll be ready soon, Brother Shen, please wait a moment."

She turned around and quickly walked to the bedside, tidied herself up, and then slowly opened the door.

Shen Run and Mu Yunling were still guarding the door. When she came out, Shen Run's gaze subconsciously fell on her.

She was dressed neatly and looked calm, though the tips of her ears were still slightly flushed.

He breathed a sigh of relief and asked with concern, "There was quite a commotion inside just now, are you sure everything is alright?"

"It was just a slip, Brother Shen, you're overthinking it."

Liu Yunshu smiled faintly, her eyes showing no sign of anything amiss, her tone as natural as if the danger and ambiguity of the moment had never happened.

"I've made Brother Shen and Miss Mu worry about me."

Mu Yunling stepped forward, took her hand, and looked her up and down:

"It's good that you're alright! Those people went too far. If Brother Shen hadn't arrived in time, I don't know what they would have done!"

Liu Yunshu patted the back of her hand and said gently, "Fortunately, it was a close call. They were probably just following orders, so there's no need to dwell on it."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Imperial Palace.

Xiao Luochen withdrew his fingertips from Xiao Hanxing's wrist, the bright yellow dragon robe making his fingertips appear even whiter.

The imperial majesty between his brows remained, but a subtle gravity lingered in his eyes.

"Internal energy was disordered and meridians were damaged, but fortunately it was treated in time."

He lightly tapped the imperial desk with his fingertips, and the gilded incense burner on the desk emitted a faint scent of ambergris. "Tell me, who hurt you?"

Xiao Hanxing leaned against a cushioned rosewood chair, his dark blue robe draped loosely over his shoulders, yet it still couldn't hide his dashing and unrestrained air.

He picked up a glistening grape between his fingertips, slowly tossed it into his mouth, and let the sweet flesh melt on his tongue before casually speaking:

"The style is unclear and doesn't resemble the style of the Central Plains martial arts world. The moves are insidious and unpredictable, and they also carry the unique poisoning techniques from the Western Regions. Every move is deadly and leaves no room for error."

"The Western Regions?"

Xiao Luochen frowned slightly, and tapped the imperial desk with more force, causing the smoke from the ambergris incense to tremble.

"The Western Regions and the Central Plains have always kept to themselves. Although there have been trade and travel in recent years, no force has ever dared to so openly interfere in the affairs of the martial world."

Xiao Hanxing paused in his chewing of grapes, suddenly remembering what the woman in the inn had said about acting on orders.

He looked up at Xiao Luochen on the throne, his nonchalance fading and replaced by a sharp edge: "I just remembered something."

"Oh?" Xiao Luochen raised his eyes, the hem of his bright yellow dragon robe drooping, the nine dragon patterns shimmering faintly in the candlelight. "What is it?"

"When we took refuge in an inn, our pursuers broke down the door and searched the place."

Xiao Hanxing's lips curled into a half-smile, and the lingering scent of cold plum blossoms unconsciously rose in her throat.

"The person leading the team was a woman in gray. She said, 'We are ordered to track down a wanted criminal,' and her tone was very firm."

"Ordered? Wanted criminal?" Xiao Luochen frowned slightly. "Could it be that someone in the imperial court is secretly colluding with forces in the Western Regions?"

"Very likely."

Xiao Hanxing's lips curled into a cold smile:

"Those people's moves looked chaotic, but their coordination was actually very good; they were clearly specially trained assassins. If I hadn't run fast and hadn't happened to run into them..."

He paused, his mind involuntarily flashing through images of the warm water in the bathtub and the intertwined scents of cold plum blossoms.

And then there was that unexpected softness between her lips, her earlobes blushing slightly, and she quickly changed the subject.

"If I hadn't managed to escape by sheer luck, I probably would have really perished in their hands."

Xiao Luochen was incredibly perceptive and had already noticed the unusual expression in his eyes, but he didn't think much of it.

Fingertips lightly tapped the imperial desk again, the smoke of ambergris rising and falling gently with the rhythm:

"Now we should focus on recovering and not forget our long-cherished wish."

"knew!"

Xiao Hanxing leaned back in his chair, grabbed a grape, popped it into his mouth, and mumbled a response.