After flirting with the aloof prince, the concubine ran away pregnant.

Afu's door was only slightly ajar.

Xie Xun didn't knock; he simply reached out and pushed the door open.

The sight inside made him stop in his tracks on the threshold.

Afu has just finished washing up.

The summer nights at the mountain villa were sweltering, and to keep cool, she wore only a nightgown that she had altered herself from fine cotton fabric.

The style is very simple, just two thin straps hanging on the shoulders, revealing a large expanse of smooth neck and rounded shoulders.

She was facing away from the door, bending down to put her clothes into a basin. Her long, black hair was loosely tied up with a wooden hairpin, and a few strands of hair fell beside her ears, making the back of her neck appear dazzlingly white.

Hearing the door open, Afu was startled and abruptly sat up and turned around.

"Young Master?" She stared in astonishment at the tall figure in the doorway. "How come you..."

Before she could finish speaking, she swallowed the rest of her words when she saw Xie Xun's expression.

His cheeks were an unnatural red, his breathing was rapid, and his eyes were deep and dark, like two burning flames, staring straight at her.

Afu's heart skipped a beat. She subconsciously grabbed the outer garment draped over the screen and haphazardly put it on to cover her exposed skin.

Xie Xun's gaze followed her movements, lingering for a moment on the thin nightgown, his eyes darkening slightly.

He stepped in and closed the door behind him.

"Pour me a glass of iced tea." His voice was a little hoarse, with a tense feeling that he was trying to suppress.

Afu didn't dare to ask any more questions. She quickly went to the table, picked up the water pitcher, poured a cup of tea, and handed it over with both hands.

Xie Xun took the cup, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp. The cold tea seemed to have no effect; his Adam's apple bobbed, and his breathing remained heavy.

He slammed the empty teacup down on the table with a soft "thump".

Afu's heart skipped a beat.

"I need to take a bath," Xie Xun said again, his gaze sweeping over the simply furnished room. "I'll sleep here tonight."

Afu was stunned.

She asked instinctively, "What happened in the young master's room?"

"Hmm," Xie Xun responded through his nose, which was his reply.

Afu understood immediately.

It's highly likely that someone cleverly slipped someone into his room.

While mentally criticizing the group's outdated methods, she began to make her own plans.

"Then this servant will go and have someone prepare water for you." She curtsied and turned to leave. "This room is small, and it's inconvenient to serve you. After you've bathed, this servant will... I'll just stay in Baizhi's room for the night."

Her thinking was simple: if her master wanted to use her room, she, as a servant, would simply vacate it.

However, she had just taken a step when her wrist was grabbed from behind.

The force was immense; I couldn't break free.

Xie Xun had somehow appeared behind her, his warm breath brushing against her ear, carrying a strong smell of alcohol and a burning heat.

"Where are you going?" His voice was displeased, whispering in her ear, sending a slight shiver down her spine.

Afu's body stiffened.

She could clearly feel that the body behind her was frighteningly hot.

"This servant... will go and arrange it for you..."

"You stay."

Xie Xun interrupted her, tightening his grip on her wrist until he almost pulled her close to him.

He lowered his head, his lips almost touching her earlobe, and said slowly and clearly, word by word:

"Have you forgotten that you are my concubine?"

After Xie Xun finished speaking, the room became so quiet that only the two of them could hear each other breathing.

Of course she hadn't forgotten.

From the day she was transferred to Xie Xun's side, those two words blatantly weighed on her head. A concubine, to put it bluntly, meant someone who had to serve their master whenever they wanted.

Even though she knew it, when it really came to this, Afu still subconsciously tensed up.

Xie Xun's palm was very warm, holding her wrist, the heat creeping up her skin. She was only wearing an outer garment, and the thin cotton nightgown underneath was very light. With his pull, the hem of the garment loosened, revealing half of her shoulder.

Afu glanced down and felt like cursing.

If she had known it would turn out like this tonight, she would have wrapped herself up like a dumpling, even if it meant dying from the heat.

"Young Master..." she said in a low voice, "You've had too much to drink."

"Not much."

Xie Xun answered quickly.

He was definitely not drunk.

Those eyes were unusually clear, filled with suppressed heat and anger. The potent effects of the deer blood wine burned fiercely within him, but what truly caused him to lose control was not the bowl of wine.

It was Li Heng's sticky eyes. It was the two beautiful maids who had been shoved into the room.

The same person in front of her calmly said he was going to find somewhere else to spend the night, as if it made no difference to her whether he came or not.

Xie Xun stared at Afu's profile, and the burning anger in his heart intensified.

"You certainly know how to make arrangements," he said coldly. "Giving the house to me and then hiding away yourself?"

Afu was speechless. How could this be blamed on her? Her master wanted to sleep in her room, so it was only natural for her to make room for him.

However, given this guy's current state, we still need to appease him.

She pursed her lips, trying to make her tone sound gentle: "This servant is just afraid of not serving you well enough."

Xie Xun looked down at her.

Her eyelashes drooped as she spoke, her voice was soft, yet she couldn't hide the urge to back away.

He suddenly reached out, grabbed her chin, and forced her to lift her face.

Afu was forced to look at him.

Under the lamplight, Xie Xun's face was more intensely hot than usual.

He usually had a cold face and sharp eyes, as if he could draw his sword and mount a horse at any moment. But now, that coldness and hardness were somewhat out of control due to the deer blood wine, making him appear exceptionally dangerous.

Afu's heart skipped a beat.

It has to be said that Xie Xun's face is indeed very striking.

He's definitely the ultimate aloof and abstinent type, the kind who can kill enemies on the battlefield and solve cases in court.

Unfortunately, he has a bad temper and a dog-like personality.

Xie Xun noticed she was lost in thought, and his gaze darkened. "What are you thinking about?"

"N-nothing."

Afu snapped out of her daze and was about to say something when Xie Xun leaned down and kissed her.

The kiss came very quickly.

It reeked of alcohol, carried an uncontrollable heat, and possessed a touch of unreasonable domineering arrogance.

Afu's back bumped against the edge of the table, causing the teacup on the table to sway and make a soft sound. She raised her hand and placed it against his chest, her palm touching the taut muscles through the thin fabric of his clothes.

Xie Xun grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms.

Afu instinctively took a breath.

too hot.

His body felt as if he had just returned from the fire; the heat could be clearly felt even through his clothes.

She was forced to tilt her head back, her breathing becoming erratic. At first, she resisted, but later, the aroma of venison, alcohol, and soap shavings mixed together, making her head spin.

Afu suddenly remembered that she had eaten most of a plate of roasted venison for dinner.

No way.

Does this thing have some nutritional benefits?

A sense of absurdity and absurdity arose in her heart.

The Venison Feast: Am I one of the participants?

Xie Xun's kiss moved from the corner of her lips to her ear, then down her neck.

His movements weren't exactly gentle, but they were far more deliberate than last time. Last time, both of them were exhausted and confused by the effects of the drug. This time, Xie Xun's movements were marked by clear pauses, as if he were forcibly pulling himself back from the brink of losing control.

Afu felt an itch on the side of her neck from his kisses and couldn't help but turn her head away.

"Don't hide." Xie Xun's voice was hoarse.