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

Afu followed Changsong to the door of the main room. Changsong knocked on the door, then pushed it open and stepped aside to let Afu in.

A chill swept over me.

There were seven or eight ice basins in the main room, and in the corners and by the windowsill, copper basins were piled with half-melted ice fragments.

Xie Xun leaned against the low couch by the window, wearing only a moon-white undergarment with the collar loose, revealing a thin layer of sweat on his collarbone.

An empty medicine bowl sat on the table, with dark brown medicine stains remaining on the bottom.

He kept his eyes closed and didn't lift his head when he heard footsteps.

Afu stopped at the door and bowed her head in greeting: "Young Master."

Xie Xun didn't respond, but opened his eyes after a moment and looked at her.

Dusty hem of clothes, disheveled sideburns.

He stared at Afu's dusty appearance for a couple of moments, then looked away, as if he didn't want to see her a second time.

"You come to see me like this?" The voice was low and hoarse, but the last syllable was icy.

Afu looked down at herself, her tone somewhat helpless: "Just now... I tripped and fell. I thought the young master had summoned me urgently, so I rushed over."

Xie Xun: "You were only gone for a day, were you fighting with the dogs in the manor for food?"

Afu choked for a moment, "No."

"Then why did you make yourself look like this?"

Afu opened her mouth, as if to explain something, but Xie Xun had already looked away, as if he couldn't be bothered to listen.

Standing behind Afu, Changsong sensed the awkward atmosphere and whispered on her behalf, "Master, just now, Miss Taoyao asked Afu to massage her legs, and she accidentally tripped and fell..."

Before he finished speaking, Xie Xun's gaze swept over.

The words that Nagatsu was about to say stuck in his throat, and he immediately lowered his head.

He was too talkative.

But that one sentence was enough.

"Useless thing."

He said calmly, "Go wash yourself clean, then come in and serve me."

Afu stood still, her brows slightly furrowed.

She's leaving tomorrow, and she still has to work the night shift?

"Young Master," she said hesitantly, "this servant will be leaving the manor tomorrow."

Xie Xun turned his head to look at her, his gaze carrying an indescribable meaning, as if he himself had almost forgotten about it.

"I'll leave a few days later."

Afu was stunned. "Why?"

She asked the question too quickly, so quickly that even she realized it was inappropriate, but it was too late to take it back.

Xie Xun looked at her, his expression unchanged.

"What happened last night," he said slowly, "isn't over yet."

Afu stood there, stunned.

She suddenly understood something, and her ears started to burn.

She took a half step back, her astonishment barely concealed, and the words that came out of her mouth almost without thinking: "...Why didn't you ask someone else?"

Xie Xun looked at her coldly, "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Afu was speechless at those words, and she lowered her eyes: "This servant dares not."

Xie Xun stared at her, then suddenly chuckled softly. The laugh was short and lacked warmth.

"You don't dare?" He leaned back on the couch, his wrist resting on his forehead, his gaze lingering on her through his drooping fingers. "You know perfectly well that no one else can get close to me, yet you stand here bargaining with me."

Afu paused for a moment.

Xie Xun lowered his hand, looked up at her, and there was something indescribable churning in his eyes.

"Ah Fu," he called her name, his voice low and hoarse, "three days. I won't keep you any longer, and don't give me that unwilling look."

He paused, then said, "It's not up to you."

The room was quiet. A corner of the ice in the ice basin melted, making a very soft sound, as if the hammer had fallen to deliver the final verdict.

Afu stood there and realized that her fingers were trembling slightly.

She clenched her fists, suppressing her resentment and helplessness, then slowly bent her knees and performed a very proper bow.

"Yes. This servant will go to the washroom."

She turned and walked towards the washroom, her steps neither fast nor slow, her back very straight.

Xie Xun followed her back for a few steps before looking away.

He leaned back on the couch, closed his eyes, and rested his hand on his forehead. The cool air brushed against his skin, but it couldn't suppress the surging restlessness in his bones.

He just said "three days," but he himself doesn't know if he can really let her go after three days.

Afu entered the washroom, and the door closed behind her.

Warm water was ready, steam rose from the tub, and a few rose petals floated on the surface.

After she changed her clothes, she asked the maidservant to take her old clothes back to the side room.

The banknotes were still hidden in a secret pocket on her chest. If an unsuspecting old woman took them and washed them, she would have nowhere to turn for help.

Afu wiped her face and tried to reassure herself.

Well, Xie Xun may be picky, but in terms of looks and figure, he is impeccable. Sleeping with him a few more times won't be a loss for her.

Suppressing her unease and worry, she quickly washed herself.

When we entered the main room again, the ice basin had melted most of its contents, and a cool breeze filled the air.

Xie Xun leaned against the couch, gazing at her with deep eyes, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

Afu stopped a few steps away.

Xie Xun's gaze moved inch by inch from her bare feet, across her waistline and collarbone, and finally landed on her face.

"come over."

Afu walked over, and as soon as she got close to the bed, her wrist was grabbed. The palm was burning hot, and the force was rapid. She was pulled by that force and fell onto the bed.

Xie Xun's aura pressed down.

Afu subconsciously turned her head away from his lips, her breathing slightly disordered.

Xie Xun paused for a moment, then looked down at her.

She turned her face to the side, her cheek flushed, her eyelashes damp, as if the moisture in the bathroom hadn't yet dissipated.

Xie Xun stared at her for a moment, then lowered his head and kissed her, giving her no chance to avoid it.

In her dazed state, he turned her over, her back pressed against his burning chest.

He held her waist, his voice close to her ear: "Kneel properly."

Afu was held down by the waist, her hands braced on the bed. She tried to avoid her injured elbow, but Xie Xun's strength was too great, and her arms lost their grip, causing her injured elbow to hit the bed.

Afu let out a muffled groan, the soft sound lingering in the quiet room.

Xie Xun stopped moving, propped himself up, and lifted her left arm up to his eyes.

The skin on her elbow had split open, and blood seeped out, staining the red gauze and spreading into a small dark patch.

"How did this happen?" The voice was still hoarse, but the tone had turned cold.

Afu caught her breath and said softly, "I fell."

Xie Xun recalled Changsong's words and understood somewhat. He stared at the wound for a moment, then muttered, "Troublesome."

Then he got out of bed. Barefoot, he walked to the cabinet, rummaged through it, and found a small porcelain bottle and a white silk ribbon. He then returned and sat down beside her.

Cold fingers parted the blood-stained gauze, and medicinal powder was applied to the wound, the coolness seeping into the flesh.

Afu flinched slightly, but he grabbed her forearm with his other hand, preventing her from escaping. He lowered his eyes, spread the medicine powder evenly, and then tore open the white silk and wrapped it around her elbow twice.

Afu slightly raised her eyes to look at his profile, somewhat taken aback. She thought he would only find her a nuisance, but she didn't expect him to personally fetch the medicine and bandage her.

Before she could even speak, Xie Xun had already finished wrapping her wrist. He paused for a moment on her wrist with his fingertips, then bent down and brought her back to her previous position.

His warm palm landed on her newly bandaged elbow, grasped her wrist, and led her to the carved railing at the head of the bed.

"This hand," a low, husky, and burning voice came from behind, "grab it here."

Afu gripped the railing.

Then she realized that he had bandaged her hand just so she wouldn't rub against the wound in this situation.

She bit her lip silently.

The scorching heat inside the tent mingled with the moonlight outside the window, and the last piece of ice in the ice basin melted silently.