Shocking! The actress was dragged to the regent's bedchamber every night.

Only when she smelled the familiar scent did Su Wuli manage to relax her stiff back.

Wrapped in a thin blanket, the man held her firmly as he walked through the tent and lifted another curtain.

The warm, humid air hit my face.

A wooden tub sat in the center of the small cubicle, steam rising from it.

He placed Su Wuli on a small stool next to the bucket. The thin blanket slipped off, revealing an ambiguous mark on her shoulder.

She quickly pulled up the thin blanket to cover herself.

Looking up, I saw Yu Chen stand up straight and begin to untie the sash of his robe.

Su Wuli's lingering drowsiness vanished instantly, and she was startled.

He wants to come along?

Seeing that the outer robe was about to be taken off, almost without thinking, a weak voice squeezed out.

"The bucket...the bucket is too small..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen stopped untying his belt and turned his head to look at him.

The air was thick with steam, making it impossible for Su Wuli to see the expression in his eyes.

She felt that intense gaze pressing down on her, lingering for a moment on her tightly clenched fingers and burning cheeks.

He didn't say anything, neatly tied back the half-undone strap, and turned to leave.

The curtain fell.

Su Wuli breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders slumping slightly.

A hint of doubt arose in his mind: Did they leave so easily?

Something feels off...

However, the thought only flashed through her mind, and she did not delve into it further.

Ignoring the soreness in my body, I carefully moved into the water.

Just as I immersed my body in the warmth, I could faintly hear voices outside.

The loud shouts came from afar, and there was more than one person.

Are they soldiers?

Or is it patrolling?

She was so nervous riding her horse at the hunting grounds that she didn't even notice there were other people there.

Then back to the tent...

Thinking of this, her cheeks instantly flushed red.

At that time, let alone listening to sounds, she simply couldn't concentrate.

I was overwhelmed by shame.

All she remembers is repeatedly saying no and begging him for mercy.

For a fleeting moment, Su Wuli genuinely felt that riding a horse wasn't so difficult anymore...

He was far more terrifying than that horse.

The water in the bathtub seemed to be getting hotter and hotter, and she couldn't help but raise her hand to pat her feverish face.

Suddenly, another sound came from outside, just two steps away from the outer room.

Su Wuli froze in the water, holding her breath.

Those people had rough voices, and their voices carried an undisguised fierceness.

She was bathing here alone, completely naked, separated only by a curtain...

This place should be full of men.

Overwhelmed by anxiety, Su Wuli curled up in the water.

The commotion outside was even greater; footsteps and conversations filled the vicinity of the tent.

"Come here, everyone, come here."

Suddenly, a rough, hoarse voice shouted.

Upon hearing this, Su Wuli shuddered and bit her lip tightly.

She wanted to call out to Yu Chen, but the sound got stuck in her throat.

I was afraid of attracting attention, but even more afraid that he wasn't there at all.

Just as she was on edge, a corner of the fur curtain was suddenly lifted.

A tall, dark figure blocked the doorway amidst the clear noise outside.

"ah--"

In her panic, Su Wuli didn't have time to see clearly.

Instinct drove her to scoop up hot water and splash it violently at the dark figure, simultaneously throwing the wooden ladle at it as well.

Water splashed everywhere, and the wooden ladle hit something, landing with a dull thud.

Dead silence.

Then only water droplets dripped.

Su Wuli opened her eyes, still shaken, and finally saw clearly through the steam and splashing water.

His eyes widened immediately, and he froze.

It is Yu Chen.

He had clearly changed his clothes, but his hair was still wet, with a few strands sticking to his forehead.

His face and clothes were soaked, water droplets were running down his chin, and the wooden ladle was rolling at his feet.

Yu Chen's face remained expressionless as he gazed at her with deep, unfathomable eyes.

Su Wuli froze, then a wave of immense embarrassment and lingering fear washed over her.

Did she splash him?

They even smashed it?

"I'm sorry... I... I didn't know it was you..."

Su Wuli's voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz as she desperately shrank into the water.

It was as if this way Yu Chen wouldn't be able to see her.

However, she couldn't help but secretly observe his expression out of the corner of her eye.

Yu Chen raised his hand and wiped the water off his face with the back of his fingers.

His gaze lingered on Su Wuli's pale face for a moment, then he bent down to pick up the wooden ladle and set it aside.

"You've got some nerve," he said, his tone unreadable. He turned as if to leave. "Looks like you don't need anyone guarding you anymore."

"Don't go," Su Wuli blurted out, her voice filled with anxiety.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen stopped in his tracks and turned around.

Su Wuli's face was a battle of shame and fear.

I glanced at the slightly swaying curtain, as if I could see those unfamiliar soldiers outside through it.

She doesn't want to be here alone.

"There are people outside..." Su Wuli's voice was even softer, trembling.

Her eyes held an undisguised plea as she looked at him, "...Don't go."

As soon as she said this, she suddenly felt something was wrong, and her eyes darted away.

I just splashed water on him and hit him with a wooden ladle.

It's already a miracle that Yu Chen didn't strangle her to death.

He stood there, his wet clothes clinging to his chest.

Su Wuli was unsure of herself, but her fear of the outside world overcame everything, and she looked at him expectantly.

She saw the corner of the man's mouth twitch slightly, but she didn't have time to see it clearly.

Then she saw him open his lips, "Now you know fear?"

Su Wuli wasn't sure if she had misheard, but she felt that the words were somewhat intentional.

But at that moment, she only wanted to grasp at the last straw, and quickly nodded, "I'm scared."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chen finally turned back.

But he simply stood still, his gaze fixed on her.

Seeing this, Su Wuli sank further into the water, the water level reaching above her chin.

The man's gaze was so direct and undisguised that it made her feel extremely uncomfortable.

The soreness that had been relieved by hot water seemed to be flaring up again.

Her cheeks burned, and she lowered her eyelashes, unable to meet his gaze, managing only to utter a single sentence from her throat.

"You...you shouldn't look...turn around..."

After saying that, Su Wuli waited for a long time but still didn't see him make a move, so she couldn't help but glance at him.

Yu Chen's eyebrows twitched slightly. Instead of looking away, he took another half step forward, getting even closer.

Amidst the rising steam, he looked down at her, taking in every trace of her embarrassment.

"Turn around?" he repeated.

His gaze lingered on Su Wuli's flushed cheeks and the strands of hair clinging to her neck.

"Didn't we just see that?"

That's perfectly reasonable.

Su Wuli felt her face burning hot as she listened.

The images from horseback riding and inside the tent flashed before my eyes.

Su Wuli wished she could sink into the water.

She bit her lower lip, lowered her head even further, and her ears turned bright red.

Yu Chen glanced at her for a few seconds, something seemed to flash across his eyes so quickly it was impossible to catch.

Finally, he turned around and walked to the wooden shelf where the cloths were placed.

"Come out when you're done washing," he said with his back to him, his voice steady. "No one will come in."

Seeing his straight back, Su Wuli relaxed a little.

With him here, those annoying sounds and the feeling of being watched seem to be kept at bay.

Su Wuli didn't dare to dawdle. She hurriedly washed herself, climbed out of the wooden tub, dried herself haphazardly with a cloth, and wrapped herself tightly.

He quietly slipped on his large robe.

Yu Chen seemed to hear the noise and turned around.

His gaze swept over her neck and body, where her wet hair clung to her skin, and he said nothing, only nodding his chin towards the outer room.

"Go back to sleep."

He finished speaking but didn't move; he just stood there.

Su Wuli, wrapped in a wet robe, stood barefoot on animal hide, her fingers unconsciously twisting the overly long sleeves.

"I have other matters to attend to," he suddenly said, turning to leave.

Su Wuli's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, just as he lifted his foot.

Without even thinking, she blurted out, "No."