The candlelight flickered intensely as Xie Zheng's dark, heavy gaze bore into her.
Suddenly, he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a fierce, almost savage kiss. His hand gripped the back of her neck, rendering any struggle impossible. The kiss was brutal and untamed, carrying an undercurrent of unleashed restraint.
Fan Changyu could only tilt her head back and endure, her every breath filled with the crisp aroma of alcohol and the faint scent of soap from his recent bath. Her already slightly swollen lips stung from his assault before he released them, only to continue trailing kisses down her jawline.
Her chest heaved violently from lack of air, the unrestrained movement accentuating her curves beneath the damp, clinging fabric that half-revealed, half-concealed her form. The shadowed contours of her pale skin were enough to set one's blood boiling.
Xie Zheng buried his face in the crook of her shoulder, breathing heavily. When he lifted his head again, his eyes were frighteningly crimson.
"This is what you asked for," he growled.
Gripping the damp collar of her garment, he tore it down from her shoulders with force, leaving the fabric pooled at her elbows. In the dim candlelight, Fan Changyu's skin glowed like warm jade, though the battlefield scars marring her arms and shoulders stood out starkly.
Xie Zheng had never seen her body fully before. He knew about the long scar running from her abdomen to her waist—a wound from the battle at Lucheng—but hadn't realized her upper arms bore so many overlapping marks.
The dark desire in his eyes receded slightly as he pressed a gentle kiss to the deepest scar on her shoulder. "How did you get this?" he asked, though he knew it must have been from battle—just not which one.
The kiss was feather-light, unbearably tender.
During her recovery and the journey to the capital, Fan Changyu had read many books. The phrase "as if gazing upon a treasure" surfaced in her mind unbidden.
Her long lashes fluttered as her heart seemed to soak in warm water, melting with tenderness. A blush rose to her cheeks—not from physical arousal, but from the bashfulness any young woman might feel before her beloved.
She turned her head slightly to look at the scar on her right arm. Something she'd never paid much attention to before now struck her as unsightly.
Covering it with her hand, she said lightly, "This was from the same battle at Lucheng. Luckily, the Crown Prince's men wanted to capture me alive. If the blade had gone just a bit deeper, my arm might have ended up as useless as Xiao Wu's."
Xie Zheng moved her hand aside and kissed the scar again, his damp bangs and lowered lashes hiding his expression. "I'm sorry I wasn't there sooner."
Fan Changyu smiled, running her fingers along his sculpted jawline. "Why apologize again? What soldier doesn't bear scars? I chose this path—these are just part of it."
Returning to the subject of Lucheng, she voiced her long-standing question: "General Tang said you happened to be escorting Sui Yuanqing back to Chongzhou when you passed through Jizhou. But by my calculations, you'd just returned to the Xie residence in Huizhou to accept punishment. Your wounds must have still been bleeding—why did you set out again so soon?"Xie Zheng's eyes, reflecting the candlelight, darkened with a shadow. "The Grand Princess sent a message to Gongsun Yin about the emperor's marriage decree. The eunuch sent to Chongzhou to announce the imperial edict also intends to act against you."
Fan Changyu still remembered that eunuch whose gaze had made her skin crawl.
But hearing Xie Zheng mention his own arranged marriage with the Grand Princess, and learning that she had passed along such crucial information tonight, stirred a subtle yet complex emotion in Changyu's heart—one she couldn't quite define yet.
Pursing her lips slightly, she asked, "Are you... very familiar with the Grand Princess?"
Xie Zheng lifted his phoenix eyes, understanding her unspoken question. Pinching her cheek, he said, "Not at all. It's Gongsun Yin who shares history with her. When we asked the Grand Princess to investigate the Sixteenth Prince's affairs in the palace, it was through his connections."
Changyu coughed lightly. "No wonder when we met Gongsun in Jizhou, he mentioned being entrusted by you for a task. Was it this matter?"
Xie Zheng shook his head. "No."
Her confusion deepened. "Then what was it? Gongsun was rather mysterious at the time, saying he couldn't tell me yet."
Xie Zheng's palm gently traced the scar on her shoulder. "It truly can't be revealed now. You'll understand when he arrives in the capital."
The more evasive he was, the more curious Changyu became. "Gongsun is coming to the capital later?"
Xie Zheng's calloused hand slid up her arm, pausing abruptly when it reached the bloody bite mark he'd left on her at the gravesite, pressing down firmly.
Changyu gasped softly, her eyes meeting his darkened gaze.
"At a time like this, you still want to discuss another man with me?"
She wanted to glare at him but found herself momentarily paralyzed by his predatory stare. Gripping her wrist, he pressed her hand against himself through the soaked undergarments.
Changyu's face burned crimson instantly.
Though he'd been out of the bath too long for his underclothes to retain any warmth, the heat beneath still nearly scorched her palm.
Half-embarrassed, half-flustered, her mind muddled as if filled with paste, she blurted out, "You only took off your upper garments to bathe?"
Earlier, she'd avoided looking below his waist for fear of seeing something inappropriate. Later, distracted by kisses, she hadn't noticed. Only now, with his bold action, did she realize he'd only bared his torso.
Xie Zheng was momentarily taken aback by her ill-timed question before explaining, "An old habit. Assassins won't care if you're bathing when they come for your life. In earlier years, I always kept a dagger strapped to my leg—never went anywhere without it."
Changyu recalled encountering him by the river during their campaign in Chongzhou, how he'd been equally vigilant then.
He must have suffered greatly all these years, she thought.
Even in her dozen or so battles against rebels, she'd faced death multiple times. He'd joined the army young, confronting the wolf-like Northern Turks—his experiences must have been far more perilous, forging this level of caution.
The weight of this realization pressed heavily on her. Not wanting him to dwell on such thoughts, she changed the subject: "No wonder you asked me to fetch your clothes earlier..."
By now, most of Xie Zheng's drunkenness had faded. He chuckled, "You kept refusing then—did you think I meant to take liberties with you?"Fan Changyu felt a bit embarrassed, but adhering to the principle of never losing face even in defeat, she boldly glared back: "How was I supposed to know your bathing habits?"
Yet her earlobes had already turned crimson.
Xie Zheng stared at her earlobes, just like when he'd seen them under the moonlight in the graveyard—vivid as firethorn berries against snow. Now, with the brighter candlelight indoors, he could even see the alluring pale pink suffusing her ear cartilage.
His eyes darkened, voice lowering: "You guessed right. I'm constantly thinking about how to take liberties with you."
With those words, he leaned in and bit her earlobe.
Changyu had just frozen at his words when she let out a soft "ah" the next instant.
Her earlobe stung and tingled simultaneously. His scorching breath sprayed against her ear, itching like ants crawling over her skin. A strange sensation rose through her limbs, as if all her strength was being drained away by his teeth.
Her face burned fiercely—Changyu felt like she might combust any moment.
"Don't... bite..." she whispered, her voice trembling uncontrollably by the end.
As her mind blanked amidst dazzling white light, he gripped her hand and guided it into his damp undergarments.
......
When Changyu washed her hands by the bathtub using his now completely cooled bathwater, her face remained flushed.
Xie Zheng's ragged breathing hadn't yet steadied. His usually cold, sharp phoenix eyes now held a sated languor as he quietly watched the graceful figure nearby. In her haste to wash up, she hadn't even fastened her sash properly.
The damp clothing he'd wrinkled clung poorly, revealing her fair nape and a sliver of shoulder blade crisscrossed with conspicuous red marks. Loose black hair tumbled over them, adding to the sensual scene.
His Adam's apple bobbed, eyes darkening as he strode forward and swept her up bridal-style.
Changyu gasped in shock, instinctively clutching his muscular shoulders as her feet left the ground: "You—"
Xie Zheng carried her out of the Clean Room. Only when pinning her to the outer chamber's bed did he finally lower his head to kiss her swollen lips. His darkened eyes burned with predatory intensity—the look of a man who wanted to devour her whole: "It's still early. Earlier was just to avoid hurting you."
He kissed the hand he held, then reached for the golden bed-curtain hooks. As Changyu lay amidst bedding that carried his scent, her heart pounded like war drums.
Catching sight of the meal on the round table from the corner of her eye, she pressed a hand against his chest and snapped: "Go eat. If it's cold, have the kitchen reheat it."
He still hadn't had dinner at this hour.
Her arms felt weak too—she still couldn't muster much strength.
Xie Zheng glanced at the food and suddenly asked: "Have you eaten?"
Changyu stubbornly wanted to say yes, but her stomach chose that moment to growl.
Seeing her flustered yet prideful expression, Xie Zheng's gaze softened. With a light chuckle, he stood and pulled her up too: "Why didn't you eat first?"
Changyu muttered: "Who knew calling you for dinner would take so long..."
Xie Zheng suddenly laughed: "I'll take that as praise."
Changyu froze, then flushed crimson when she understood his implication, settling for glaring at him indignantly.
With her disheveled hair and current disarray, her expression made her resemble a feisty little leopard baring its claws.Xie Zheng's dark eyes dimmed slightly. Every glance she gave him now felt like a hook tugging at his heart. Unable to resist, he pressed her down and kissed her thoroughly before finally letting go, his voice hoarse as he said, "Don't tease me."
Her dress was already half-soaked. Xie Zheng rummaged through a chest and found a set of his own clothes for her. "There are no women's garments in the manor. Make do with these for now."
Although they had already been nearly bare before each other in the Clean Room earlier, that had been driven by uncontrollable passion. Now, the thought of changing clothes in front of him made Fan Changyu feel unbearably shy.
Holding the clothes, she retreated to the Clean Room. As she changed, she caught sight of the red marks on her body and the faint scent of rhododendron lingering in the air. Memories of how he had pressed her against the table earlier flooded back—his suppressed gasps still seemed to echo in her ears, making her face burn as if it could fry an egg.
Hadn't she helped him that night before he left for the capital?
Was it because she had woken up to find him already gone that she hadn't felt this embarrassed then?
Changyu pressed her damp clothes against her face for a while, waiting until the heat subsided before changing into the outfit Xie Zheng had given her.
Though he appeared lean, his clothes were several sizes too big for her. The sleeves hung so long they looked like those of an opera performer's costume. She rolled up both the sleeves and pant legs to avoid tripping over them.
When she stepped out, Xie Zheng had already draped an outer robe over himself and lit a charcoal brazier. The cold dishes on the table had been moved to a small iron stand and were being warmed over the coals.
"They'll be ready to eat soon—" Xie Zheng's words trailed off as his gaze swept over her, pausing abruptly.
His clothes were far too large for her. The rolled-up sleeves and pant legs only accentuated the slenderness of her wrists and ankles. Her cheeks still carried a faint pink hue, like peach blossoms blooming in March. A few damp strands of hair clung to her face, and her almond-shaped eyes, clear as if washed by water, looked at him with uneasy shyness, like a small animal that had strayed into a hunting ground.
Changyu tugged at her sleeves awkwardly. "The clothes are a bit too big."
Xie Zheng's grip on the silver-wrapped Ebony Chopsticks tightened. It took every ounce of his self-control to tear his gaze away from her. Lowering his eyes, he continued setting the table.
"Make do for now. I'll dry your clothes later," he said.
But what he really thought was: From now on, she wouldn't need her own undergarments. She could wear his instead.
It would be best if she were his—inside and out.
Changyu remained oblivious to these thoughts, though she found it odd that Xie Zheng barely looked at her throughout the meal. Apart from serving her food, he didn't speak either. But recalling what had happened earlier in the Clean Room, she was too self-conscious herself to question it further.
At one point, Xie Zheng asked, "Did Xie Zhong ask you to bring the food?"
Worried he might blame the old man, Changyu quickly said, "No, I heard you had the meal sent back, so I offered to bring it myself."
Xie Zheng gave a faint "Mm" and said no more.
The portion prepared for Xie Zheng had been generous to begin with, and since it was already late at night, sharing it between them left them comfortably full without overeating.
After the meal, Xie Zheng cleared the table and took Changyu's damp dress from the Clean Room to dry over the charcoal brazier.Fan Changyu watched him skillfully perform these tasks, recalling the time on the riverbank in Chongzhou when he had similarly sat by a fire to dry her soaked clothes. The memory overlapped with the scene before her, filling her chest with warmth so intense it threatened to overflow.
She scratched her head sheepishly. "Um... I can dry them myself."
Xie Zheng didn’t even lift his eyelids. "If you're tired, go **sleep for a while. I’ll call you when the clothes are dry."
Perhaps because of her earlier mischief, Fan Changyu wasn’t sleepy at all—her mind was unusually alert. Yet the lingering awkwardness left her squatting by the charcoal brazier, unsure where to place her hands and feet.
Xie Zheng seemed to notice her discomfort and said, "There are some military books on the shelf—ones I’ve been reading lately. You can take a look."
Staying together in silence wasn’t ideal, and reading military texts was indeed a good way to pass the time.
Fan Changyu immediately fetched a volume from the shelf and sat across from Xie Zheng to read. His books were far more obscure than the ones she usually studied. Even with his annotations, she often had to ask several questions before turning a page.
Xie Zheng’s mastery of military strategy was truly exceptional. The complex concepts became clear when he explained them, unlike the confusion she’d felt listening to the expensive advisors she’d once hired. To help her understand historical battles better, he even retrieved several maps for her to compare terrain.
What had started as a way to avoid awkwardness soon became genuine absorption in the texts. Even when Xie Zheng finished drying her dress and urged her to change in the clean room, she still stopped to ask two more questions before going.
After changing back into her own clothes, Fan Changyu had barely resumed reading when Xie Zheng stepped out to call for servants to clear the dishes. The attendants, seeing her seated by the low table with books and spread-out maps, assumed the Marquis was discussing military affairs with the General of the Cloud Banner. They quietly gathered the dishes and withdrew.
Only then did Xie Zheng say to Fan Changyu, "Where did Xie Zhong arrange for you to stay? I’ll walk you there."
She blinked, lifting her head from the book. "The east wing."
His current composure was a stark contrast to the man who had seemed ready to devour her earlier in the clean room. The shift left her feeling oddly unsettled.
As she followed him to the door, he suddenly pressed her against the panel, capturing her chin in a searing kiss. When they parted, he murmured breathlessly, "I want you to stay too. But my A Yu will one day become the Marquise and command armies. I must observe the Three Letters and Six Rites to wed you properly—anything less would dishonor you."
Earlier, the wine and her words had eroded his restraint. But by dinner, he’d regained his clarity. If Xie Zhong had sent her here with food and she never left his room tonight, even the most oblivious would guess what had happened. Though everyone at the estate was a loyal subordinate who’d die for him, Xie Zheng refused to let them think Fan Changyu had spent the night so casually in his quarters.
In matters of the heart, she appeared cautious—weighing every concern before giving her heart away. Yet once she committed, she cared nothing for societal conventions.She gave him her most sincere and passionate self, and he couldn't help but cherish it for her.
His A Yu deserved the best of everything in this world.
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