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

Even just now... I clearly splashed water on him, but he...

Thinking of this, Su Wuli's gaze unconsciously moved upwards along the man's chin.

The light swept past his straight nose and finally settled on his forehead.

In the dim light, there seemed to be a small, barely noticeable shadow.

Upon seeing this, Su Wuli suddenly paused, realizing something.

Could it be that the wooden ladle she threw in her haste hit it?

Although she didn't know why Yu Chen didn't dodge, she clearly remembered that when she tried to stab him with her eyebrow razor, it was easily taken away from her.

Or was it because she splashed water in the beginning, obstructing her view and making it impossible to see?

Once a thought arises, it's impossible to suppress it.

A guilty conscience and a vague, inexplicable feeling mingled together, leaving no time to think about anything else.

Su Wuli held her breath and slowly moved closer to him, a little closer and then a little closer.

Then, by the light of the fire, she tried to see clearly whether the shadow on his forehead was an illusion caused by the light and shadow, or whether he had really been injured by her.

They were so close that Su Wuli could feel his breath brushing against her cheek.

She was both afraid of seeing clearly if it was a real injury, and afraid of not seeing it clearly at all.

Just when it was almost certain that the color did indeed seem a little unusual.

In my line of sight, I saw the man's Adam's apple suddenly move.

Su Wuli's heart skipped a beat, thinking he was about to wake up. She froze in shock, even holding her breath.

He then hurriedly closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep and not peeking.

However, after waiting for a while, no sound was heard.

She then cautiously opened her eyes a crack.

Yu Chen remained with his eyes closed, his breathing steady.

A sense of doubt crept into her mind: perhaps...she really did see it wrong?

Or perhaps he was just swallowing unconsciously?

Su Wuli quietly let out a breath, her heart easing halfway.

But her gaze seemed to be drawn back to his face by some invisible thread.

She just stared blankly at it, forgetting even the passage of time.

Have you seen enough?

A deep, slightly hoarse voice rang out without warning, carrying a hint of nasal tone from just waking up.

In this quiet tent, it's like a pebble thrown into calm water.

Su Wuli was instantly terrified, and her whole body trembled involuntarily.

His eyes widened instantly, meeting a pair of eyes that had been open at some point.

There was no trace of the grogginess of someone just waking up; on the contrary, it was remarkably clear.

Su Wuli suddenly remembered what she had just done, and her face flushed even more.

Her face flushed instantly, the heat spreading down to the base of her neck; shame and the panic of being caught red-handed almost overwhelmed her.

She instinctively shrank back, trying to create some distance.

However, he blocked her way with his arm across her waist.

Su Wuli opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She could only frantically look away, shrinking herself into the blanket, wishing she could hide even a single strand of hair.

"Can't sleep?" he asked again, his voice clearer than before, still a little hoarse from just waking up.

Su Wuli buried herself in the blanket and nodded stiffly.

The movement was so small it was almost invisible; her fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the blanket.

Yu Chen remained silent for a moment, then the hand that was resting on her waist moved slightly.

However, he did not retract his hand, but instead placed his palm on his lower back in that position.

I applied medicine after the fall and injury, and although I took a shower, I still have a slight fever.

"Close your eyes," he said, his tone calm but leaving no room for argument.

"Count sheep or horses, it's up to you, but keep watching..." He paused and didn't continue.

Su Wuli subconsciously raised her head, her eyes peeking out from under the blanket and meeting his slightly lowered gaze.

The man's gaze swept over her flushed face.

Then he slowly continued, "I can't guarantee you'll be able to sleep."

The implication in those words made Su Wuli's ears burn even hotter. She hurriedly closed her eyes tightly, daring not to open them again.

Darkness enveloped everything, but my other senses became unusually sharp.

I could clearly feel the warmth and weight of his palm, hear his breath so close to mine, and smell his cool, refreshing scent.

And then there's her own heartbeat, which has become disordered, whether from guilt or something else.

Su Wuli desperately counted in her mind, trying to dispel those chaotic thoughts and fall asleep quickly.

One sheep, two sheep, three sheep...

But the image of the swaying on horseback kept flashing through his mind, and he tightened his grip on the reins.

Then, in the blink of an eye, they were on this couch again, and he was teaching her to ride a horse…

Four horses, five horses... no, they're sheep!

Six sheep... seven... horses?

Su Wuli became more and more confused as she counted, with sheep and horses fighting in her mind.

One moment it's a sheep, the next a horse, which only makes her more alert.

His lips unconsciously moved slightly in response to his silent recitation, almost making a very soft whisper.

"...Twenty-eight...sheep? Twenty-nine...horses..."

Su Wuli frowned and struggled with herself, trying to sort out the chaotic count.

Just then, a very short, muffled laugh came from above.

The voice was soft, low and hoarse from just waking up, with a hint of almost pleasant laughter.

It was as if it could finally be held back and rolled out from deep in its throat.

Su Wuli froze instantly, even the sheep and horses in her mind scattered in fright.

Its eyes remained tightly closed, but its ears stood up straight.

He's laughing? What's he laughing at?

Immediately afterwards, Su Wuli felt the man's chest vibrate slightly.

It's the subtle trembling that's hard to control when trying to suppress laughter.

The arm draped around her waist seemed to tighten slightly, but not forcefully.

Su Wuli realized something, her cheeks instantly turned bright red, and her ears felt like they were burning up.

He heard it.

Not only did he not fall asleep, he also kept listening to her count these silly sheep and horses.

A wave of shame washed over her, and Su Wuli wished she could simply disappear.

I felt a pang of regret; why did I count aloud?

She closed her eyes tightly, tears welling up in her eyes, and held her breath, not daring to move an inch.

Pretend you're asleep, that you didn't hear anything, that nothing happened.

The tent fell silent again.

I've completely lost count of the sheep and horses in my mind.

Only that low, chuckling voice remained, echoing repeatedly in her ears, making her heart feel numb and confused.

After a long while, the man's breathing became completely steady and even again.

After what seemed like an eternity, drowsiness finally crept in slowly.

As her consciousness sank deeper and deeper, before finally plunging into complete darkness, Su Wuli vaguely thought.

Why does it always seem like Yu Chen falls asleep so easily? He's woken up several times already, but she herself hasn't been able to fall asleep even once.