Prince Bei Jing of the Red Chamber, starting from saving Qin Keqing

Water-soluble substances came several times during this period.

Every time he pushed open the door and saw the figure curled up on the bed—Wang Xifeng was not sleeping soundly, the thin quilt half-covered her, revealing her snow-white shoulders and messy hair, and the flush on her cheeks still lingered from last night—the throbbing in his heart would suddenly surge up again, like charcoal fire that had been fanned by the wind, burning his throat dry and his fingertips hot.

This time, however, he only stood at the door for a moment before quickly suppressing the heat.

Last night, I treated her and made her feel weak all over, with a sore back and weak legs. She even had difficulty turning over. If I continue to bother her like this, I'm afraid she won't even be able to get out of bed today.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to look away, and turned to attend to the affairs of the manor, leaving only a low instruction: "Have someone prepare a warm medicinal meal and bring it in at noon."

Finally, as dusk settled, Wang Xifeng slowly awoke.

The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes was Shui Rong sitting in a grand chair by the window, quietly turning the pages of a book.

Candlelight streamed in from the table, falling on his profile and outlining his straight nose, slightly pursed thin lips, and those phoenix eyes that were usually gentle and refined, but now carried a hint of languid ease.

He was extremely handsome, with exquisitely refined features that were almost flawless. There was an innate nobility and restraint in his eyes and brows. Yet, the focused and eager look on his face when he treated her last night was still vivid in her mind, making her heart race at the mere thought of it.

Wang Xifeng was so engrossed in watching him that her gaze unconsciously became fixed on him.

Her hands also began to wander, reaching out from under the covers to gently trace his outline through the blankets, and then boldly reaching towards his legs.

Shui Rong sensed the restless touch, and the sound of turning pages paused. He didn't look up, but his voice was muffled and carried a warning: "Aren't you going to behave? Otherwise... you won't be able to go back to the Jia Mansion tonight."

Upon hearing this, Wang Xifeng not only did not stop, but instead chuckled softly, her voice as sweet as melted honey: "And..."

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly tightened her grip, her fingertips still warm from the previous night, and gently touched his knee through his clothes.

Shui Rong's breathing visibly faltered, her Adam's apple bobbed violently, her knuckles turned white from gripping the book so tightly, and her expression shifted several times—from restraint to forbearance, and then to a dark turmoil surging in her eyes. But in the end, he didn't move, only letting out a low breath, letting her act as she pleased.

The time it takes for half an incense stick to burn seems exceptionally long in this quiet room.

Wang Xifeng had had her fill of playing and finally slowly withdrew her hand. She looked down at her palm, a seductive smile curving her lips, and lightly brushed her fingertips against them.

Her movements were so slow they seemed deliberately seductive, and her eyes, as they darted around, couldn't hide her charming allure.

Shui Rong's pupils contracted sharply, and her grip on the book tightened even more.

Before he could make a move, he saw that Wang Xifeng was already wearing a large outer robe—the one that Shui Rong had casually draped over her shoulders. The robe was too big, with the sleeves almost dragging on the ground, and the collar was loose, vaguely revealing the thin inner garment underneath.

Her hair was slightly disheveled, with a few strands of black hair sticking to her sweat-dampened temples. Her cheeks still had a lingering flush, making her look both delicate and somewhat flusteredly charming.

She didn't linger any longer, and hurriedly ran outside, her bare feet stepping on the cold bluestone slabs.

Her steps were hurried, but she staggered slightly due to exhaustion, each step causing a soft rustling sound from the hem of her robe. She was still tightly clutching a pair of glass silk stockings that Shui Rong had given her yesterday.

Shui Rong stood at the doorway of the inner room, his robes half-open, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He wanted to chase after her and help her up, but stopped after taking a step, simply watching her retreating figure. In the twilight, her figure appeared even more slender, her waist faintly visible beneath her wide robe, exuding an indescribable charming allure.

Wang Xifeng ran to the carriage, where the driver was already waiting. Seeing her come out, he lowered his head and dared not look too closely, only lifting the curtain. She rushed inside, wrapped herself up in her robe, and hid herself completely before daring to turn around and look at the figure under the eaves through the carriage window.

Shui Rong didn't move, just stood there, his gaze fixed intently on her. His eyes looked particularly deep in the twilight, like a pool of ink that couldn't be dissolved, carrying a hint of indulgence, a hint of helplessness, and a hint of unconcealed concern.

Wang Xifeng bit her lip and ultimately said nothing more. She simply lifted a corner of the curtain and gave him one last look with her still alluring phoenix eyes.

A faint smile, tinged with both provocation and shyness, curved her lips as she softly said, "Your Highness... I'll take my leave now. Next time... please don't trouble yourself like this again."

The sound was so low it was almost blown away by the evening breeze, yet it penetrated Shui Rong's ears clearly.

The carriage started with a rumble, its wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs, raising a wisp of dust.

Wang Xifeng leaned against the carriage wall, letting out a long breath. Her fingers unconsciously caressed the stockings in her arms, her heart still pounding wildly.

Just now, during that half-incense stick's worth of fooling around indoors, she had intended to tease him, but she didn't expect that he would actually keep his distance the whole time, responding to her probing only with his eyes and restrained breathing, pushing her to the brink of losing control.

As the carriage drove further and further away, the high walls of the Prince's Palace gradually disappeared into the twilight.

The water-soluble substance finally moved.

He turned and went back into the inner room, his fingertips still warm from her touch, a slow smile playing on his lips. The smile was faint, yet it carried a hint of indulgence and certainty.

"Next time..." he murmured, his voice swallowed by the night wind, "I'll see how long you can keep up this act."

As dusk deepened, the lights in the Prince's mansion lit up one by one, while the carriage had already disappeared at the end of the long street.

Inside the carriage, Wang Xifeng leaned against the soft couch and sighed softly.

She ran her fingertips over the brocade box on her lap, her heart filled with mixed emotions: "What kind of situation is this..." She actually let her guard down with him, allowing him to treat her again and again, indulging his concern that went beyond their proper status.

But deep down, I couldn't deny the indescribable sense of peace. However, my legs were weak and my feet were sore. I had really suffered a bit.

She raised her hand and pressed her side, where the soreness was still clearly felt. As her fingertips touched the ground, Shui Rong's gentleness and focus from yesterday uncontrollably surfaced in her mind again—he truly cherished her, but within that tenderness lay an irresistible strength, like a gentle net that had unknowingly wrapped her up.

"I must have lost my mind..."

Wang Xifeng murmured softly to the carriage wall, her voice barely audible.

She was always the decisive and efficient head housekeeper in the Jia family, and she had never been so disheveled and out of control before.

But when faced with water, those hard edges seem to be smoothed out, leaving only a softness and charm that even the creature itself is unfamiliar with.

She feared that this transgressive affection would be exposed, leading to her utter ruin, yet she couldn't help but crave the tenderness he gave her. The feeling of being held in someone's palm and cherished was something she had never experienced in the Jia family.

After a bumpy journey back to the Jia Mansion, Wang Xifeng, supported by her maid, tried her best to conceal the unusual gait.

She deliberately straightened her back, slowed her pace, and hid her hesitation under the hem of her clothes, forcing a composed expression on her face. As soon as she entered the courtyard, Ping'er came to greet her, her eyes filled with concern.

"Grandma, you're finally back!"

Ping'er stepped forward to help her, but Wang Xifeng avoided her. Her heart skipped a beat, afraid that Ping'er would notice something was wrong. Her fingertips unconsciously clenched her sleeves, and she even softened her breathing.

"I spent a long time recuperating at the Prince's Mansion yesterday, and I'm feeling very tired. I need to rest for a while."

Wang Xifeng spoke calmly, trying her best not to let anyone notice anything amiss, but the weariness in her eyes was undeniable, and a trace of lingering tenderness remained between her brows. "Prepare some hot water first, I need to take a bath. There's nothing urgent, don't disturb me."

"Yes, Grandma."

Ping'er responded, her gaze sweeping across her face. She saw that her expression was languid, with an unusual gentleness between her brows. Although she had doubts, she dared not ask any more questions and quickly turned around to prepare hot water.

Ping'er had followed her for so long, but she had never seen her grandmother like this before. Usually, her grandmother's eyes were shrewd and sharp, but today they were filled with tenderness and weariness, as if she had been relieved of a heavy burden.

Wang Xifeng returned to her room, closed the door behind her, and then could no longer hold on, collapsing onto the bed.

She gazed at the tassels on the tent ceiling, still somewhat dazed: Shui Rong, he really cared about her. Those tender moments flashed through her mind, from his initial probing to his meticulous treatment and finally his gentle care; every detail was so clear as if it had just happened, making her cheeks flush again.

She raised her hand to touch her cheek, where the warmth had not yet faded, just like the warmth of his palm, firmly imprinted on her skin.

"That's enough, that's enough..."

She turned over, burying her face in the soft pillow, her voice tinged with helplessness and resignation, "Since it's already like this, why bother making things harder for myself?"

Despite this, the inner turmoil never ceased.

She even thought that if she could cast aside these constraints of her identity and simply be a woman cherished by others, perhaps that would be a peaceful existence. But in an instant, she felt it was absurd; the honor and disgrace of the Jia family, and her own reputation, neither allowed her to be so willful.

Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Ping'er arrived to report that hot water was ready.

Wang Xifeng slowly got up, took off her clothes, and stepped into the warm bathtub.

The warm water enveloped my body, relieving some of the soreness, and the tense muscles gradually relaxed.

She raised her hand and gently pressed her side, letting out another soft sigh, a tenderness she herself didn't even notice rising in her eyes. Her fingertips slowly traced his skin, and every place Shui Rong touched seemed to still retain his scent, gentle and real.

"Are you my calamity or my destiny?"

She gazed at her reflection in the bathtub and murmured to herself.

The woman in the reflection had a languid charm in her eyes and a faint blush on her cheeks; she was no longer the sharp-tongued Wang Xifeng of the day.

Suddenly remembering the pair of stockings Shui Rong had given her, her fingertips unconsciously reached for the brocade box on the edge of the bathtub, and a faint smile involuntarily appeared on her lips. In that smile, there was reproach, helplessness, and an undisguised joy.

She knew she probably couldn't escape it; this transgressive feeling had already taken root and sprouted in her heart, and was difficult to eradicate. The days to come might be an endless tug-of-war, but she was somewhat willing to accept it.

After bathing, Wang Xifeng changed into soft undergarments and lay back on the bed.

Ping'er brought over a calming soup. She took a sip, and the warmth slid down her throat into her stomach, making her feel warm all over.

After Ping'er left, the room returned to silence. She opened her eyes and gazed at the tassels on the canopy. The complicated affairs of the Jia family and Shui Rong's gentle face flashed through her mind alternately. The turmoil in her heart gradually subsided, leaving only a faint sense of peace.

Perhaps, taking things one step at a time wouldn't be so bad. She gently closed her eyes, temporarily setting aside her chaotic thoughts, keeping only that tender memory, and slowly drifted into sleep.