The sudden rain had just stopped, and a cool breeze wafted in through the window.
Huo Xian, with one hand propped on the table and the other holding the back of her neck, was intently “silencing” her. Their noses brushed together, and the sound of swallowing echoed around them. His tongue swept through like a fierce storm, with a domineering plunder that left a lingering trace of tenderness. As he gently nibbled her lower lip, his movements slowed down, savoring each moment, with a hint of the emotion of having narrowly escaped a disaster.
Their earlier conversation had been like a bloodless knife fight, where a disagreement would have them parting ways, while agreement opened up endless possibilities.
Huo Xian even felt a lingering fear, as this person was too difficult to deal with. Their relationship was one born of desire, a fleeting and uncertain affection. Therefore, the little intimacy they shared felt insufficient. With this in mind, Huo Xian bit her hard with his teeth, leaving a mark that finally satisfied him.
Ji Yuluo winced in pain, frowning and biting him back.
Their breaths intertwined, their eyes met, and Huo Xian simply lifted her onto the tea table, gripping her chin for another round of struggle.
The tea cups toppled, spilling tea all over the table.
There was a clattering sound as something shattered on the floor.
The waiter came in with some snacks, and upon seeing the scene, immediately lowered his head, muttering to himself not to see what shouldn’t be seen, and quickly closed the door again.
…
Ji Yuluo pressed her hand into a puddle of tea, her skirt stained. As she carefully wiped it off, the culprit leaned against the window nearby, saying, “Don’t bother wiping it, you won’t get it clean. I’ll buy you a new one when we get back.”
Indeed, it couldn’t be cleaned. Ji Yuluo jumped off the table, tossed aside the cloth, and said, “You really are wealthy, Commander.”
Huo Xian pulled her over, straightening her disheveled clothes and hair as he asked, “Does Changsun… does Xie Subai know about this?”
Although he asked, Huo Xian could largely guess that Xie Subai didn’t know yet.
If Xie Subai were aware of the relationship between Prince Ning and Huo Xian, the situation would surely worsen. Watching the tigers fight from a distance, escalating the situation would be in his interest. The more turmoil in the capital, the better it would be for him. Hence, there would be no need for Ji Yuluo to talk to him today if Xie Subai already knew.
As expected, Ji Yuluo shook her head and said, “This was an accidental discovery by my master while visiting Prince Ning. He and Xu He are old friends, and Xu He trusts him a lot.”
Huo Xian sneered, “That old fool Xu He thinks everyone is good except me. So, what did your master say?”
Earlier, he had called the person a pure official, but now he was an old fool.
Moreover, she wasn’t sure if she had misunderstood, but there seemed to be a trace of jealousy in the words “your master.” She glanced at Huo Xian and said, “He will temporarily keep this matter a secret from the emperor. But if you want Prince Ning to ascend to the throne legitimately, don’t act rashly. At the very least, don’t let Prince Ning be exposed to the public.”
In the current situation, any sign of unrest from Prince Ning’s residence would be seen as rebellion, no matter what banner they flew. The charge of rebellion was a stain that couldn’t be washed away. Therefore, Xie Subai hid in the shadows, planning to use Prince Nan as a front, and this was the reason.
Huo Xian understood this well.
But he didn’t respond, as he still had concerns.
Huo Xian raised his hand and played with the pearl flower on her earring, saying, “Prince Xingnan’s army heading north is supported by the Cuixue Tower. The Emperor urgently summoned us because of this matter. I used Yunyang to coerce the Duke of Zhenguo to dispatch troops. They will set off in three days.”
Ji Yuluo paused for a moment, “You know it won’t be long.”
Both Prince Xingnan and the Duke of Zhenguo were ambitious wolves. Regardless of who won, the result would be the same. If the Duke of Zhenguo was defeated, Prince Xingnan would continue north; if Prince Xingnan was defeated, it would be Xiao Cheng’s opportunity. It would be the best time for him to turn back and bite at the capital.
At this time, it was Xie Subai’s turn to take the stage.
The order was the same; it was all part of Xie Subai’s plan. As for who opened the imperial city for him, he didn’t care.
But there was a time gap in between, and he had to seize the time to overturn the Eastern Depot.
Ji Yuluo understood and didn’t ask any more questions.
The earring on her left ear had already been removed. Huo Xian wrapped one arm around her shoulder and pinched her soft earlobe with the other hand. He rubbed it until it was red and hot before putting the earring back on.
Then he moved to the other side, as if it were a pastime.
Neither of them spoke. Huo Xian hooked her chin and kissed her a few times, alternating between business and pleasure, without any sense of incongruity.
The rain had stopped, and the road was still damp.
When they came out, they were both neatly dressed, looking like decent people. When paying the bill, they compensated for the broken cups and teapot. The shop assistant lowered his head and worked the abacus, occasionally glancing up. He found them very familiar.
It wasn’t until they left that he slapped his forehead. This shop was near the Shuntian Prefecture office. He had seen many dignitaries and nobles. No wonder they looked so familiar—that was someone from the North Zhenfu Office!
The shop assistant suddenly felt the silver in his hand burning and quickly threw it into the silver box.
When Huo Xian went to fetch Qingfeng, the horse was nibbling on the wild grass in the corner of the stable and was reluctant to leave when pulled away.
Ji Yuluo hadn’t come by carriage. Huo Xian handed her the horse, “I still have to go to work. You should head back first.”
The Zhenfu Office’s yamen was just a street away. Ji Yuluo mounted the horse and left on her own.
The rainy streets were sparsely populated. Ji Yuluo urged her horse to run fast, and the patrolling soldiers dared not stop her. Who wouldn’t recognize the beloved horse of the Inspector? They pretended not to see her, only wondering for a moment who the person on the horse was.
The late spring wind blew her loose hair.
In fact, she hadn’t finished talking about Prince Ning earlier. Huo Xian hadn’t directly responded to whether the Prince Ning Mansion would get involved. Ji Yuluo roughly understood. He had two concerns: first, he had been preparing for many years for Prince Ning to ascend the throne, so any change would make him hesitate; second, Prince Ning was already powerful. Even if the Prince Ning Mansion could stay obedient, would Xie Subai let him go after ascending the throne?
Xie Subai…
Ji Yuluo unexpectedly stopped in front of an inn.
She didn’t dismount but looked inside for a long time until the shopkeeper came out to ask, “Miss, are you staying the night?”
Ji Yuluo came back to her senses, “No.”
She finished speaking and left.
Perhaps it was because her thoughts during the day turned into dreams at night, but that very night, Ji Yuluo had a nightmare.
She dreamed of a desolate and dilapidated capital, with smoke and fire rising everywhere. A thick fog surrounded her, making it impossible to see her own hand in front of her face.
She vaguely saw a figure outside the fog—it was Xie Subai.
Ji Yuluo stepped forward to find him.
She saw Xie Subai dressed in white, holding a sharp sword. His robe was covered in blood, matching his pale face, which was extremely alarming.
He turned around, his expression still gentle. “Luo’er.”
It was only then that Ji Yuluo saw the river of blood and the mountains of corpses behind him.
Blood dripped from Xie Subai’s palm as he spoke in a normal tone: “They’re all dead. I’m leaving too.”
After saying this, Xie Subai bent over and started coughing, blood seeping from his lips, veins bulging on his forehead. A pool of blood fell from his palm, and then he stood up, walking with difficulty into the depths of the fog without looking back, his figure becoming more and more indistinct, as if he was about to disappear completely.
Ji Yuluo was stunned, her mind blank. Her feet seemed to be rooted to the ground; she couldn’t move forward, couldn’t hold him back. All she could do was desperately shake her head: No, Xie Subai, come back…
The fog completely dissipated, the surrounding scene gradually becoming clear. Ji Yuluo knelt in a pool of blood, screaming hoarsely. She saw the faces in the mountain of corpses, until she saw one—Huo Xian!
Her heart tightened, but before she could feel the full surge of emotions, Ji Yuluo woke up with a start.
She breathed heavily, staring at the beam above her bed, the images from her dream replaying in her mind. The words that Lou Panshun said before leaving echoed in her ears, leaving a bitter taste in her throat.
It was already midnight. In the quiet night, she heard rustling sounds. Ji Yuluo came to her senses and realized that there was a light in the room—someone was there.
She lifted the bed curtains and saw Huo Xian throwing his outer clothes aside and pouring himself a cup of water. It seemed he had just returned, although he had been standing by the bed for a while.
Huo Xian asked, “Had a nightmare?”
Ji Yuluo responded with a sound of agreement and heavily lay back down, feeling utterly drained. Only when the maid finished preparing the bath and Huo Xian entered the bathroom, did she gradually pull herself out of the emotions from her dream.
The reason she dreamed of Xie Subai disappearing was mostly due to Lou Panshun’s words. As for why she dreamed of Huo Xian, it was because he had been open about everything during the day, except the entanglement between him and Zhao Yong.
With a creak, Ji Yuluo got up and went straight to the bathroom.
The bathroom was divided into two by a screen, with two bathtubs on either side, custom-made to fit their different body sizes. At this moment, Huo Xian was in the left bathtub. Ji Yuluo leaned against the door, looking at him through the screen.
A shadowy figure was reflected on the screen. Huo Xian paused in his scooping of water and called out, “Watching me bathe from behind the screen, how comfortable is that? Why don’t you come over and take a look?”
Indeed, Huo Xian was deliberately teasing, but Ji Yuluo, upon hearing this, actually moved. She walked around the screen and stood directly in front of him, carefully examining him.
She wanted to see what kind of spirit made someone so unafraid of death.
Huo Xian was a bit taken aback, suddenly pausing to see what she intended to do.
Unexpectedly, Ji Yuluo touched his face and asked, “Will you let me see?”
Huo Xian’s breath hitched. Sometimes, he felt that Ji Yuluo was more like someone who had spent years in places of debauchery. She wore such a cold and unfeeling face, yet her words were blunt to the point of being shocking, and she didn’t even seem to realize it.
He grasped her fingertips, his voice hoarse. “How do you want to see?”
Ji Yuluo’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she suddenly stepped into the tub with a splash, causing the water to ripple. She crouched down, pressing her hand on his slightly bent knee, watching as Huo Xian’s expression slowly stiffened. This brought her a bit of satisfaction.
She gently stroked with her fingertip. “However I want?”
I’m done for.
Huo Xian’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, his throat feeling dry.
Ji Yuluo’s hand moved upward, finally resting on his forearm. She lowered her head and bit down firmly on his shoulder.
It was a hard bite.
But soon, the pain subsided, the wound covered by a soft touch. He could even feel her warm, wet tongue inadvertently brush across the area.
Huo Xian thought, she did it on purpose.
Every time, she did it on purpose.
She always found ways to drive him crazy with her.
