After the ghost-hunting master descended the mountain, his fame spread throughout the capital.

The following day, Xie Jinchen and Jiang Dusheng, along with their guards, quietly left Qingzhou City.

Huiming and Xuanji Zhenren traveled with the Crown Prince's entourage under the pretext that "they are too old and their bodies can't withstand the bumps and jolts" and "they need to stay and keep an eye on Wang Dazhuang so he doesn't ruin Hong'an's physical body."

The carriage wheels rolled over the slightly bumpy path beside the official road, the curtains tightly closed, blocking out the outside world.

Jiang Dusheng entered the carriage and had just sat down when his gaze suddenly stopped.

On a small table on one side of the carriage, seven or eight exquisite small porcelain jars and oil paper packages were neatly arranged.

Even through the oil paper, you can smell the delicate, sweet aroma of fruit and honey.

Inside were clearly various kinds of candied fruit, salted plums and other sweets.

Jiang Dusheng glanced at Xie Jinchen, who had entered shortly after, and raised an eyebrow. "What does this mean?"

Xie Jinchen immediately moved to her side, his apology coming almost without thinking, his attitude so proper it was as if he had rehearsed it beforehand:

"I was wrong. I shouldn't have forced you to take your medicine yesterday." He pointed to the sweets, "These are snacks for the journey, to keep you entertained."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Dusheng gave a light snort, took out a Buddhist scripture from his bag, and began to read it, his tone neither warm nor cold:

"You think I'm angry because you forced me to take medicine?"

Xie Jinchen was taken aback: "That is..."

Jiang Dusheng raised her eyelids and glanced at him, her eyes filled with obvious accusation:

"What angers me is that you lied to me. You told me about some life-saving talisman and asked me to appraise it, putting on such a convincing act, but what happened? You took the talisman and stuck it on me when I wasn't looking."

She closed the book, glared at Xie Jinchen, and said, "You're using the principle of 'all's fair in war' on your own people. That's very underhanded."

Xie Jinchen was momentarily speechless at her logic. After a brief silence, he spoke:

"If I didn't do that, didn't use the talisman, and didn't lie to you, would you obediently drink the medicine?"

Jiang Dusheng replied confidently, "Of course not."

His tone was absolutely resolute.

Xie Jinchen: ...

The carriage was adorned with a speed-enhancing talisman, making it move as fast as an arrow, yet the carriage itself remained remarkably stable, with almost no noticeable bumps.

The sun was setting in the west on the evening of the second day.

Xie Jinchen and Jiang Dusheng changed into the attire of an ordinary merchant couple, and with their equally disguised bodyguards, they successfully infiltrated the heavily guarded Changling City, checking into an inconspicuous inn in the East Market.

Inside the room, the candlelight flickered.

Jiang Dusheng had just finished bathing and changed into a clean nightgown. His long hair was still wet and hanging down his shoulders, with water dripping from the ends.

She sat on a round stool in front of the dressing table, tilting her head slightly, wiping the water stains on the back of her neck with a dry cloth.

Xie Jinchen naturally walked behind her, took the half-damp cloth from her hand, and gently wrapped strands of her long hair with the cotton cloth to absorb the moisture.

The candlelight cast their shadows on the wall, their shadows mingling intimately.

"According to the plan, the Crown Prince and Dazhuang should arrive outside the city by noon the day after tomorrow at the latest." Xie Jinchen said in a low voice while twisting his hair. "At that time, Dazhuang will expose the Emperor's crime of plotting to kill loyal officials in front of all the officials under the identity of Hong'an."

He paused, his hand still twisting the strands of hair, but his tone had deepened:

"If he still refuses to abdicate, I will lead the large army waiting outside the city, in coordination with the spies positioned inside the city, to force him to abdicate. Then, everything will be over."

Jiang Dusheng hummed in agreement, yawning with a languid air after his bath: "Alright. Let's finish this quickly."

She rubbed her eyes. "Thank goodness we didn't let that noisy Dazhuang follow us. Otherwise, all I'd hear about him complaining about how useless Hong'an's physical body was and how cold his bald head was would have made my ears ache."

Xie Jinchen chuckled softly, his fingertips brushing against her earlobe as he combed through her half-dry hair.

The sensation made both of them pause almost imperceptibly.

Xie Jinchen put down the cloth, his hair was almost dry.

After a moment of silence, he spoke as usual: "Then, may I share a room with you tonight?"

Ever since the incident of forcing him to take the medicine, Jiang Dusheng had held a grudge and had not allowed him to stay overnight.

Every time Xie Jinchen arrived at a new place, he would ask this question as a matter of routine, only to be politely brushed off.

He had already prepared himself to be rejected again.

However, Jiang Dusheng remained silent for a few moments, without turning around, but simply looking at the deepening night outside the window, and uttered a single word:

"it is good."

There was only one word, but it made Xie Jinchen pause, his fingertips resting on her soft hair.

He almost thought he had misheard, and instinctively turned her body to face him.

He looked down and carefully examined Jiang Dusheng's expression.

In the candlelight, though she looked tired, her eyes were clear and she wasn't joking; she was simply looking at him calmly.

"Why did you suddenly change your mind?"

Jiang Dusheng tilted his head slightly, looking at his eyebrows and eyes so close to hers, and suddenly raised the corners of his lips.

She didn't speak, but simply raised her hand, her fingertips tracing his handsome brow bone and high nose bridge, finally resting on his thin lips.

The next moment, she tilted her head back and kissed him.

It's not a superficial touch.

Her lips were warm and soft, and she took Xie Jinchen's lower lip into her mouth, sucking gently and tentatively brushing across the gap between his lips.

Xie Jinchen was startled, all his doubts vanished, leaving only the sweet fragrance on his lips.

Immediately, he instinctively took the initiative, wrapping his arms around Jiang Dusheng's slender waist to help her stand up, and returned her kiss.

His lips pressed heavily against hers, his tongue forcefully prying open her teeth.

She let Xie Jinchen's lips and tongue roam freely, and when her tongue was sucked so hard that it hurt, she let out a soft moan.

The air mingled, and the temperature rose sharply.

Xie Jinchen held Jiang Dusheng's head with one hand, while the other hand roamed along her back. Through the soft nightgown, he could feel the warmth of her skin and her slight trembling.

Jiang Dusheng initially took the lead, but she quickly succumbed to his fervent advances and could only nestle in his arms, passively enduring his advances.

A soft moan escaped her throat, igniting the flames in Xie Jinchen's eyes.

His kisses began to get out of control, spreading from the lips to the corners of the lips, the side of the neck, and down.

Xie Jinchen gently bit a small piece of soft flesh on the side of her neck with his teeth, sucking it lightly and gently, bringing waves of tingling pain.

Jiang Dusheng couldn't help but tremble, her fingers gripping his clothes even tighter. She tilted her head back, exposing more of her vulnerability to his lips, as if offering a sacrifice.

The air grew thin and scorching, the rustling of clothes created an intimate sound, and the candlelight cast two intertwined shadows on the wall.

Xie Jinchen's breathing became heavy and hot, spraying onto her skin.

Jiang Dusheng's consciousness returned with difficulty, and a sliver of clarity flashed across his hazy eyes.

Her hand, which had been resting against Xie Jinchen's chest, began to wander restlessly along the edge of his clothes. Through the thin fabric, she could feel the taut lines of his muscles.

Xie Jinchen groaned, his muscles tensing even more from her deliberate teasing.

He suddenly pressed her even closer to him, and the meager distance between their bodies almost disappeared.

A colossal dragon, brimming with vitality, raised its head and, through the thin fabric, dangerously slashed through the gap.

"Well!"

Jiang Dusheng and Xie Jinchen both let out a suppressed groan.